Says a lot when they stage a protest about potentially losing a building and some fields but when it comes to possibly losing the women’s team and academy…
Not that I have heard. Talks are supposed to still going on with various prospective owners, but there always seems to be a sticking point. Most likely Dai wanting more money. Wages will be paid this month but by who is anyone's guess. The latest sticking point may be a sell on clause for Olise who appears to be moving on from Crystal Palace for a large fee. Dai could be holding on for that to be paid so it in his pocket---- sorry the club, before he signs or maybe he is trying to force the new owners (if we ever got one) to pay a few million more added to the sale price.
I do care about the Women's team. I also think it is a disgrace the way they have been treated by the present owner, the women and girls in the academy still do not really know what is happening. Apparently only two women are under contract for next season so I can't see them in any league in the coming season. What is happening at the club I have loved for over half a century leaves me angry and just wish Dai would just (insert your own word here) off.
But x has it stated as fact that the owner is waiting for the cheque for 6m to clear before selling. It’s almost like no one ACTUALLY knows what’s going on. Has anyone asked Lewis Wing’s partner?
But, in the FA's statement about the punishment to the club, it did state that there is a sell on fee, rumoured to be 10%. I think that actually no one does know what is going on at Reading FC.
The long and short of it is that this is yet another tragic situation delivered by the laissez faire attitude of the FA over the last 20-30 years. Their governance is a joke and it is damning that the government is having to act as yet another club is facing oblivion due to the money fuelled rat race that the game has become. I know that with only a couple of exceptions almost every league club is mired in debt of at least £1m (most far more) but are we now reaching the point where over half have been at the point where the receivers are at the door?
The football supporters of this country do not deserve to be on a constant emotional rollercoaster, even those who advocate for spend-spend-spend policies only do so because that is what the media pump into their credulous minds.
@theRoyalBiscuit it pains me to know what you and the good fans of Biscuit Town are going through regardless of the vocal ones who are lashing out in all directions, I really hope that something turns up and soon.
I feel for the Readings ladies teams as they are the victim of this poor management. But I do have to wonder if anyone can point me in the direction of the hand-wringing radio coverage on BBC 3-Counties when we cut our youth development as we could not afford it? The simple economics remain, you can't afford it and therefore you can't have it.
Every time a player or member of staff stepped into this wonderful training facility that is so highly discussed they did so on money that the club could not afford - it is called financial doping. Our ladies team had no such advantage, we pay our bills. We run a team we can afford. A modest one. Sorry for the individuals but you can't run an organisation at such an advantage to others when you can't afford it.
I am sure I will get 'boo hoo, but we haven't been able to buy anyone, we are already being punished'. Yeah but you can sign players galore on 3 year deals so you can find that cash for that can't you? Maybe if your payroll wasn't so huge a few coppers could go to the ladies team.
Yeah and signing some of League 1’s top players in Sam Smith, Harvey Knibbs and Lewis Wing whilst having full transparency of the financial consequences was at best unfair and at worst blatant cheating.
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the Spring of hope, it was the Winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way’
I've had this argument with their fans over and over. Their argument is that they are not breaking the rules signing high-paid players* on 3-year deals so that's fine. It is fine with me, but I am not the one who has to pay the piper when the time comes so don't 'king moan when HMRC want their cash and shut you down for not paying it.
*and yes I know Reading fans will argue that the wage has to be approved by the EFL/FA so again they are doing nothing wrong. But consider this if you are always signing players on the maximum the EFL/FA will sanction how about paying them less or signing lesser players? No? Just cos a speed limit is 70 doesn't mean you have to drive at 70. Oooo the EFL/FA are such b@stards for letting this owner be a sh1t. It's not our fault, its the wonderful EFL/FA that let us sign us players on these wages. You can't have it both ways.
But weren't Wycombe paying Lewis Wing more than he gets at Reading? That's not from the "horse's mouth" but a source very close to it, who will know more about his income than any football fan or pundit. I am not denying that we have in the past paid stupid wages for useless players. and I think the majority of Royals fans would agree with me (well the sensible ones anyway). Dai was advised/ instructed, by his friend who happened to be the player's agent in most cases. They have absolutely trashed our image of a well run club that has nosedived since Sir John Madejski couldn't afford to fund the club any more. Our downhill slide started soon after, with a Russian with no money, then the asset stripping Thais.
He MAY be paid less at Reading than he was paid here as we were temporarily paying more due to the foray into the championship (although I doubt that as my Reading pal was adamant you didn't pay anyone more than £xx a week, until a different set of figures came out. Plus it's not just basic wage, it's full package to consider)
But he WON'T have been offered more here to stay than you offered.
As per below we signed him on championship wages. Something we couldn’t afford to pay in league 1. We certainly couldn’t afford a 3 year deal. But Reading could afford a 3 year deal, as they could with their other big signings. All totally legitimate and all totally unaffordable. As i said just cause you can doesn’t mean you should.
Maybe instead of losing a million a month you could have signed more modest players on more modest wages and lost 750k or even 500k a month. You might have battled more to stay up, who knows might done better with a siege mentality, but you be more attractive to a potential buyer.
Wing was linked with Championship clubs. He left Wycombe in search of a Championship salary. As other posters mention, we were cutting our cloth after relegation. Yet he signed for Reading when their financial situation was transparent. Sam Smith was linked with all the top League 1 clubs, including Wycombe. Knibbs was too. I don’t know how they afforded to pay them. I don’t know how they could commit to 3 year contracts when anyone with basic understanding of maths could work out they’d be in deep financial sh** within 1 year. Many people didn’t even need to see the financial accounts to know that.
As above, without any knowledge at all it's a pretty reasonable guess to think Reading might have offered near Championship deals to players, on long contracts, while playing in league 1 on the gamble that they'd get promoted.
Not too many Reading fans where seen with bedsheets outside their ground protesting about that.
However, as soon as the chickens start coming home to roost and it all begins to unravel there they are protesting about possible deals to save the club.
Strange world.
*I realise that "they" were a very small minority of fans protesting outside AP.
I did think that's an odd phrase for any well run business. Well run as in the owner didn't bitch about the losses. When this current owner refused to carry on with the well run business model of unsustainable losses the wheels came off.
Sorry Mr Buscuit but you have just fallen foul of the big issue I have with a lot of Reading Fans and the Derby ones before that. Just because an owner is happy to keep putting his hand in his pocket to cover loses, that doesn’t mean the club is well run. Because when they stop being happy to that - you’re fucked. Sounds to me like Mr Madjeski was a decent salesman that sold an unsustainable football to someone that didn’t do due diligence at best, or was told it was sustainable at worst
And yes, this is a huge concern I have with our new billionaire owner. Once bitten (by a loan shark), twice shy and all that.
And yes, that model does seem the norm within football. Doesn’t make it right. Or sustainable
I think it's more likely RFC Women won't exist at all. The women's academy is closing as well, so take your pick of our girls, who hopefully will get you up a few rungs of the league. I now await the news that the men's team and academy going the same way. If the sale of a football club takes nearly a year and still nowhere being resolved, it shows something is seriously wrong in the club, someone is asking too much or the buyer not offering enough. I reckon it will be the second option and Dai will stick two fingers up to us fans and say " That'll teach you to try to make me sell"
According to this from yesterday, Reading Women intend to apply for step five, which would probably be the same league as WWFCW. It could also be the South West Regional Premier, but that looks like more travelling.
Interesting reading, With no funding from the club or anyone else the question most in my mind is where would they play? The SCL would not be available as the cost of hiring it wouldn't be viable, the local park pitches also cost money to hire so unless the players pay for their own pleasure, as many do in the grass root level, I can't see that being viable either. The "new" owner(s) are hardly endearing themselves to the Reading fans by letting the women team either drop so low or go out of existence. Anyone got any bedsheets for sale? But, perhaps a new protest will be more professional with more time to organise it.
Comments
Says a lot when they stage a protest about potentially losing a building and some fields but when it comes to possibly losing the women’s team and academy…
Any further news on Rob Couhig regarding the Reading takeover @theRoyalBiscuit ?
Not that I have heard. Talks are supposed to still going on with various prospective owners, but there always seems to be a sticking point. Most likely Dai wanting more money. Wages will be paid this month but by who is anyone's guess. The latest sticking point may be a sell on clause for Olise who appears to be moving on from Crystal Palace for a large fee. Dai could be holding on for that to be paid so it in his pocket---- sorry the club, before he signs or maybe he is trying to force the new owners (if we ever got one) to pay a few million more added to the sale price.
According to your Head of Operations you don’t have a sell on clause for Olise.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/michael-olise-transfer-reading-fc-25362441.amp
Awful the uncertainty around the woman's sides, so much so that the women's first team are down to 3 palyers...
I do care about the Women's team. I also think it is a disgrace the way they have been treated by the present owner, the women and girls in the academy still do not really know what is happening. Apparently only two women are under contract for next season so I can't see them in any league in the coming season. What is happening at the club I have loved for over half a century leaves me angry and just wish Dai would just (insert your own word here) off.
But x has it stated as fact that the owner is waiting for the cheque for 6m to clear before selling. It’s almost like no one ACTUALLY knows what’s going on. Has anyone asked Lewis Wing’s partner?
But, in the FA's statement about the punishment to the club, it did state that there is a sell on fee, rumoured to be 10%. I think that actually no one does know what is going on at Reading FC.
The long and short of it is that this is yet another tragic situation delivered by the laissez faire attitude of the FA over the last 20-30 years. Their governance is a joke and it is damning that the government is having to act as yet another club is facing oblivion due to the money fuelled rat race that the game has become. I know that with only a couple of exceptions almost every league club is mired in debt of at least £1m (most far more) but are we now reaching the point where over half have been at the point where the receivers are at the door?
The football supporters of this country do not deserve to be on a constant emotional rollercoaster, even those who advocate for spend-spend-spend policies only do so because that is what the media pump into their credulous minds.
@theRoyalBiscuit it pains me to know what you and the good fans of Biscuit Town are going through regardless of the vocal ones who are lashing out in all directions, I really hope that something turns up and soon.
As Mr Micawber said, "something will turn up" @theRoyalBiscuit!
I feel for the Readings ladies teams as they are the victim of this poor management. But I do have to wonder if anyone can point me in the direction of the hand-wringing radio coverage on BBC 3-Counties when we cut our youth development as we could not afford it? The simple economics remain, you can't afford it and therefore you can't have it.
Every time a player or member of staff stepped into this wonderful training facility that is so highly discussed they did so on money that the club could not afford - it is called financial doping. Our ladies team had no such advantage, we pay our bills. We run a team we can afford. A modest one. Sorry for the individuals but you can't run an organisation at such an advantage to others when you can't afford it.
I am sure I will get 'boo hoo, but we haven't been able to buy anyone, we are already being punished'. Yeah but you can sign players galore on 3 year deals so you can find that cash for that can't you? Maybe if your payroll wasn't so huge a few coppers could go to the ladies team.
Yeah and signing some of League 1’s top players in Sam Smith, Harvey Knibbs and Lewis Wing whilst having full transparency of the financial consequences was at best unfair and at worst blatant cheating.
Dickens quotes should come with an automatic ten thumbs up!
@Shev
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the Spring of hope, it was the Winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way’
Dickens reviews pre season?
Sounds like a review of last season to me.
Please Sir, I want some more?
I've had this argument with their fans over and over. Their argument is that they are not breaking the rules signing high-paid players* on 3-year deals so that's fine. It is fine with me, but I am not the one who has to pay the piper when the time comes so don't 'king moan when HMRC want their cash and shut you down for not paying it.
*and yes I know Reading fans will argue that the wage has to be approved by the EFL/FA so again they are doing nothing wrong. But consider this if you are always signing players on the maximum the EFL/FA will sanction how about paying them less or signing lesser players? No? Just cos a speed limit is 70 doesn't mean you have to drive at 70. Oooo the EFL/FA are such b@stards for letting this owner be a sh1t. It's not our fault, its the wonderful EFL/FA that let us sign us players on these wages. You can't have it both ways.
But weren't Wycombe paying Lewis Wing more than he gets at Reading? That's not from the "horse's mouth" but a source very close to it, who will know more about his income than any football fan or pundit. I am not denying that we have in the past paid stupid wages for useless players. and I think the majority of Royals fans would agree with me (well the sensible ones anyway). Dai was advised/ instructed, by his friend who happened to be the player's agent in most cases. They have absolutely trashed our image of a well run club that has nosedived since Sir John Madejski couldn't afford to fund the club any more. Our downhill slide started soon after, with a Russian with no money, then the asset stripping Thais.
There's a distinction to remember here.
He MAY be paid less at Reading than he was paid here as we were temporarily paying more due to the foray into the championship (although I doubt that as my Reading pal was adamant you didn't pay anyone more than £xx a week, until a different set of figures came out. Plus it's not just basic wage, it's full package to consider)
But he WON'T have been offered more here to stay than you offered.
As per below we signed him on championship wages. Something we couldn’t afford to pay in league 1. We certainly couldn’t afford a 3 year deal. But Reading could afford a 3 year deal, as they could with their other big signings. All totally legitimate and all totally unaffordable. As i said just cause you can doesn’t mean you should.
Maybe instead of losing a million a month you could have signed more modest players on more modest wages and lost 750k or even 500k a month. You might have battled more to stay up, who knows might done better with a siege mentality, but you be more attractive to a potential buyer.
Wing was linked with Championship clubs. He left Wycombe in search of a Championship salary. As other posters mention, we were cutting our cloth after relegation. Yet he signed for Reading when their financial situation was transparent. Sam Smith was linked with all the top League 1 clubs, including Wycombe. Knibbs was too. I don’t know how they afforded to pay them. I don’t know how they could commit to 3 year contracts when anyone with basic understanding of maths could work out they’d be in deep financial sh** within 1 year. Many people didn’t even need to see the financial accounts to know that.
As above, without any knowledge at all it's a pretty reasonable guess to think Reading might have offered near Championship deals to players, on long contracts, while playing in league 1 on the gamble that they'd get promoted.
Not too many Reading fans where seen with bedsheets outside their ground protesting about that.
However, as soon as the chickens start coming home to roost and it all begins to unravel there they are protesting about possible deals to save the club.
Strange world.
*I realise that "they" were a very small minority of fans protesting outside AP.
How were they well run when their owner couldn’t afford to fund them anymore?
Surely a well run club doesn’t need constant cash injections to stay afloat?
I did think that's an odd phrase for any well run business. Well run as in the owner didn't bitch about the losses. When this current owner refused to carry on with the well run business model of unsustainable losses the wheels came off.
Even though it was a minority who stood in front of our gates with their damp bedsheets and shitty stickers my reaction wasn’t great.
This.
All of this.
Some more of this.
And an extra dollop of this all over.
Sorry Mr Buscuit but you have just fallen foul of the big issue I have with a lot of Reading Fans and the Derby ones before that. Just because an owner is happy to keep putting his hand in his pocket to cover loses, that doesn’t mean the club is well run. Because when they stop being happy to that - you’re fucked. Sounds to me like Mr Madjeski was a decent salesman that sold an unsustainable football to someone that didn’t do due diligence at best, or was told it was sustainable at worst
And yes, this is a huge concern I have with our new billionaire owner. Once bitten (by a loan shark), twice shy and all that.
And yes, that model does seem the norm within football. Doesn’t make it right. Or sustainable
Looks like a late takeover bid for Reading ladies have failed and they won’t be able to compete in the women’s championship this season.
I guess depending on how things pan out it’s not impossible they’ll be at the same level as our own ladies next season.
I think it's more likely RFC Women won't exist at all. The women's academy is closing as well, so take your pick of our girls, who hopefully will get you up a few rungs of the league. I now await the news that the men's team and academy going the same way. If the sale of a football club takes nearly a year and still nowhere being resolved, it shows something is seriously wrong in the club, someone is asking too much or the buyer not offering enough. I reckon it will be the second option and Dai will stick two fingers up to us fans and say " That'll teach you to try to make me sell"
According to this from yesterday, Reading Women intend to apply for step five, which would probably be the same league as WWFCW. It could also be the South West Regional Premier, but that looks like more travelling.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/28/reading-women-set-to-drop-out-of-championship-takeover-falls-through
Interesting reading, With no funding from the club or anyone else the question most in my mind is where would they play? The SCL would not be available as the cost of hiring it wouldn't be viable, the local park pitches also cost money to hire so unless the players pay for their own pleasure, as many do in the grass root level, I can't see that being viable either. The "new" owner(s) are hardly endearing themselves to the Reading fans by letting the women team either drop so low or go out of existence. Anyone got any bedsheets for sale? But, perhaps a new protest will be more professional with more time to organise it.