FWIW Reading fans seem to think the consortium bidding for them is one fronted by Marc Bircham, who has been on record as working for someone looking to buy a league club and was at Reading v Derby. That wouldn't be Couhig.
There are some huge questions for Couhig to answer here, and not just in a scripted interview with Phil Catchpole.
My main concern is less around the money for the original outlay, but more about the money for the continual running costs which will surely be much higher than Marlow Road. What's the plan for where that is coming from? The additional attendances once the mythical road is also built?
If this happens, it's a huge departure from the plan to make us "sustainable".
Has the deal to purchase Reading’s Bearwood Avenue training ground broken down?
Is the deal still going ahead? If so, are the North American consortium still prepared to buy Reading FC ?
Shucks. Just scrolled back to check the name of the state of the art training ground, only to find a similar train of thoughts being expressed by @Stewie63. Plus the Marlow Road conundrum.
Have the alarms and excursions of the past couple of days been little more than a bad dream?
Sorry for some reason it won't copy the relevant page. However I can assure you use is restricted to Reading FC at we would need to apply for a variation/amendment to the relevant condition. Perhaps @DevC can comment? Application number at Wokingham Council was F/2014/2119
Charming naivety and golden natured thinking there.
It's more gasroom style to think this is our new owner buying land with the sole intention of smashing it off for profit in the mid term. Us barely related to it.
Fuck "clearing our name". The only people who thought any of this made us look bad were some mouth breathers jumping to ridiculous conclusions based on speculation, rumours and lies. And not just Reading fans either. The closest thing we have to a fact at the moment is that Reading FC are short of a million quid for March and if they don't find it from somewhere then their club may not exist by the end of April.
Well, that's for you. However good business sense this makes, however much they need the cash, I feel uneasy about our role in Dai's asset stripping, if that's what it turns out to be.
I'm not particularly keen on going from the club that is fairly inoffensive, and regarded as a family-friendly club in the leafy Chilterns, to one that has in some way played, however small, a part in Reading's downfall.
'The New MK Dons' which flies around online might be wrong, but you still don't want your club to be close to getting that tag.
Asset stripping: Asset stripping refers to selling off a company's assets to improve returns for equity investors, often a financial investor, a " corporate raider", who takes over another company and then auctions off the acquired company's assets.
I keep seeing this phrase posted on here, yet as far as I can tell, the entire training facility was bought and built by Dai Yongge('s company's) under Dai Yongge's ownership. They didn't own Bearwood Park before he came along, they almost certainly won't own it after he goes. It's not asset stripping.
I must admit I jumped the gun a bit when this news first came out. From what I can gather - through info in the open and otherwise - it really wouldn't be any kind of 'nail in the coffin' for Reading. We live and we learn...
Reading will be fine. If we end up winning the Premier League in front of 30,000 in the Kaspi Stadium just off the M40 then we're the ones who no longer have a club.
By the same sense, it’s not necessarily building Wycombe Wanderers’ Assets by someone linked to us fronting the money.
Assuming it is ML’s money being used to front the purchase it, there’s no difference doing that compared to Dai Yongge fronting the money to build it in the first place.
Rich man paid money for Reading to use it (and then sell it on again)
Another rich man buys it for us to use and could then sell it on again.
The question then is, does Wycombe Wanderers have to pay new rich man a rent to use the facility? And how much is that? Etc
Does a level one academy have to be linked directly to a football club, does anyone know?
For example, could one buy a Level one Academy with the aim of running it as a separate entity with the view of being THE go to independent football academy to develop youth prospects and sell them to cover your running costs?
If you also happen to have pretty close links to at least 1 local football club to send your top prospects to to get first team expirence, that would also be an excellent set up.
End of the day, the above is just a supercharged version of our development squad.
If you also happen to have decent links to a Mr Dobson who seemed to do a decent job with a development/youth set up in the past you could be onto a winner
If the money goes to Reading or their creditors you might have a point, less so if he takes the sale money home and lets them rot. Having spent a lot of his own money failing dismally there he is probably legally entitled to take he take what he can get but it's merky at best and probably not something we'd like to be linked with.
Aside from what happens to them It's almost impossible to think we'll get a clear idea of any plans from our side any time soon so I think a lot of the discussion and frankly fear for the future is justified.
Confirming point earlier, Wokingham Liberal Democrats have just suggested that planning permission for the Reading training ground legally only allows Reading to use it. So Wycombe would need to obtain a variation on that permission.
Don't worry they all like us again now (we'll 99% do). As if all that's being reported is true, it's looking like we have played a small part in helping them out. Saw a lot of Reading fans apologising online last night.
Surely if Reading themselves don't object to a proposal (and if they want the sale to happen they won't) that all goes away.
I was almost buying into the "asset of community interest" angle until he posted this bit. Clubs with massive debt should be selling assets and their rightful place is set by achievement not history or size, and that's before the clumsy trumpist slogan.
Comments
FWIW Reading fans seem to think the consortium bidding for them is one fronted by Marc Bircham, who has been on record as working for someone looking to buy a league club and was at Reading v Derby. That wouldn't be Couhig.
If we buy the training ground, it's for us to use. Maybe Reading too if that's practical, but we're not going to buy it just to rent back to them.
But who is “we” , it’s not really Wycombe Wanderers is it ?
There are some huge questions for Couhig to answer here, and not just in a scripted interview with Phil Catchpole.
My main concern is less around the money for the original outlay, but more about the money for the continual running costs which will surely be much higher than Marlow Road. What's the plan for where that is coming from? The additional attendances once the mythical road is also built?
If this happens, it's a huge departure from the plan to make us "sustainable".
Help!!
I’m confused and discombobulated.
Has the deal to purchase Reading’s Bearwood Avenue training ground broken down?
Is the deal still going ahead? If so, are the North American consortium still prepared to buy Reading FC ?
Shucks. Just scrolled back to check the name of the state of the art training ground, only to find a similar train of thoughts being expressed by @Stewie63. Plus the Marlow Road conundrum.
Have the alarms and excursions of the past couple of days been little more than a bad dream?
Sincerely hope so.
The way it looks right now is we are buying the Reading training ground and an unknown American consortium are buying Reading + their stadium.
Apparently they didn't want the training ground due to the high running costs.
Sorry for some reason it won't copy the relevant page. However I can assure you use is restricted to Reading FC at we would need to apply for a variation/amendment to the relevant condition. Perhaps @DevC can comment? Application number at Wokingham Council was F/2014/2119
Thanks @Vital.
Wycombe Wanderers presumably have no scruples in that respect, no doubt banking on the beneficence of that other somewhat controversial consortium.
So, if we get their training ground and their academy players train there, What happens to their youth players and their training?
Do we take that on with an influx of players onto our books?
We currently train at a site with a shed and a couple of pitches.
This site is about a billion times bigger.
We could probably get a few more clubs in there and have a gasroom area too
Charming naivety and golden natured thinking there.
It's more gasroom style to think this is our new owner buying land with the sole intention of smashing it off for profit in the mid term. Us barely related to it.
Post of the week. Great to have you back @Username
Probably reaching massively, but as Reading are in 'advanced talks to being sold', perhaps the training ground was a huge factor.
If Dai valued the club and assets at say 80m, but can't flog it for that, sells us the training ground for 25, then the club for 50 odd.
If there has been some tactic like this, and Wyc were notified of it when approached, I'd like that news to come out to slightly clear our name.
Fuck "clearing our name". The only people who thought any of this made us look bad were some mouth breathers jumping to ridiculous conclusions based on speculation, rumours and lies. And not just Reading fans either. The closest thing we have to a fact at the moment is that Reading FC are short of a million quid for March and if they don't find it from somewhere then their club may not exist by the end of April.
Our sprat to catch Reading’s mackerel, in effect.
Well, that's for you. However good business sense this makes, however much they need the cash, I feel uneasy about our role in Dai's asset stripping, if that's what it turns out to be.
I'm not particularly keen on going from the club that is fairly inoffensive, and regarded as a family-friendly club in the leafy Chilterns, to one that has in some way played, however small, a part in Reading's downfall.
'The New MK Dons' which flies around online might be wrong, but you still don't want your club to be close to getting that tag.
Asset stripping: Asset stripping refers to selling off a company's assets to improve returns for equity investors, often a financial investor, a " corporate raider", who takes over another company and then auctions off the acquired company's assets.
I keep seeing this phrase posted on here, yet as far as I can tell, the entire training facility was bought and built by Dai Yongge('s company's) under Dai Yongge's ownership. They didn't own Bearwood Park before he came along, they almost certainly won't own it after he goes. It's not asset stripping.
They’d need to improve the ventilation for all the hot air coming out of that nice gas room section.
I must admit I jumped the gun a bit when this news first came out. From what I can gather - through info in the open and otherwise - it really wouldn't be any kind of 'nail in the coffin' for Reading. We live and we learn...
I think things should become clearer once Lomtadze is officially onboard
Reading will be fine. If we end up winning the Premier League in front of 30,000 in the Kaspi Stadium just off the M40 then we're the ones who no longer have a club.
3,000
By the same sense, it’s not necessarily building Wycombe Wanderers’ Assets by someone linked to us fronting the money.
Assuming it is ML’s money being used to front the purchase it, there’s no difference doing that compared to Dai Yongge fronting the money to build it in the first place.
Rich man paid money for Reading to use it (and then sell it on again)
Another rich man buys it for us to use and could then sell it on again.
The question then is, does Wycombe Wanderers have to pay new rich man a rent to use the facility? And how much is that? Etc
I think they use screws nowadays!
And on a separate train of thought…
Does a level one academy have to be linked directly to a football club, does anyone know?
For example, could one buy a Level one Academy with the aim of running it as a separate entity with the view of being THE go to independent football academy to develop youth prospects and sell them to cover your running costs?
If you also happen to have pretty close links to at least 1 local football club to send your top prospects to to get first team expirence, that would also be an excellent set up.
End of the day, the above is just a supercharged version of our development squad.
If you also happen to have decent links to a Mr Dobson who seemed to do a decent job with a development/youth set up in the past you could be onto a winner
Given Readings current and past few owners, you'd think the club would be well used to being screwed by now!
If the money goes to Reading or their creditors you might have a point, less so if he takes the sale money home and lets them rot. Having spent a lot of his own money failing dismally there he is probably legally entitled to take he take what he can get but it's merky at best and probably not something we'd like to be linked with.
Aside from what happens to them It's almost impossible to think we'll get a clear idea of any plans from our side any time soon so I think a lot of the discussion and frankly fear for the future is justified.
Confirming point earlier, Wokingham Liberal Democrats have just suggested that planning permission for the Reading training ground legally only allows Reading to use it. So Wycombe would need to obtain a variation on that permission.
https://x.com/wokinghamlibdem/status/1768948933936480267?s=46&t=b4ZcFiXUhnCGCoTvu_JBBg
Don't worry they all like us again now (we'll 99% do). As if all that's being reported is true, it's looking like we have played a small part in helping them out. Saw a lot of Reading fans apologising online last night.
Surely if Reading themselves don't object to a proposal (and if they want the sale to happen they won't) that all goes away.
I was almost buying into the "asset of community interest" angle until he posted this bit. Clubs with massive debt should be selling assets and their rightful place is set by achievement not history or size, and that's before the clumsy trumpist slogan.