Premiership- a dream too far?

[Ardiles]

Good point.  I hope it doesn't come to that.  But you have to remember that these comments from Reading fans are coming off the back of a decade of almost unbroken growth and success.  Most of their fans have known nothing else and, now that they are returning to earth, they don't like it.

Most of them probably wouldn't even know where Elm Park was, let alone what it was like supporting RFC in those days.  Without Madejski, they would now be battling away with Aldershot for local bragging rights...and, ironically, neither would they be making an annual loss of £6 million.

[Dazzza]

I think I’d rather we’re a bit shit, keep our soul and then every now and again we get that glimmer of light it makes it that bit sweeter.

Reading worries me.  I don’t think you can paint them all in the same light but there is that real deluded element about a lot of them, which as other have said is probably attributed to a lot of their fans being “born” with Madejski’s silver spoon in their mouth.  They also seem to be the least knowledgeable bunch of supports I have ever come across.  Every time I speak to one of them I expect some banter but they’re switched off and half the time couldn’t even name their first team.

Oh and if I ever get like Norman here remove the pencils from my nostrils, burn my topless pictures of Macauley Culkin (Home Alone 1 era) and bury me live in my knitted cardigan.   

Don't forget this is a club statement so they can announce whatever they want us to believe. It does open my eyes a little bit however I still firmly believe money has been syphoned off somewhere along the line, I can't believe our wages were that high surely? We were the lowest payers in the prem and if that is the state of our finances can you imagine where Newcastle will be if they don't get back up this year?. I remain doubtful and think a lot of it is propoganda as per usual.
Northstand Norman, Earley

[herthab]

I fucking hate football fans, even a lot of our own.

Memory of a goldfish.........

[RobertT]

Umm, our own losses (in relation to earnings) make those numbers seem positively desirable.

[Ardiles]

A £6 million loss is a £6 million loss.

The figure that really spooked me, though, was the £59 million annual wage bill.

[jayohaitchenn]

That's only £1.1 million a week. At Man City that would pay for what? 6 players?

[herthab]

I remember when £59 million was a lot of money........

[Doore]

I remember when £59 million was a lot of money........

Grandad.

[Samdy Gray]

Christ, you can't even buy a pint of milk and loaf of bread for £59,000,000 these days.

[Reg Smeeton]

The numbers discussed in the link below make for very uncomfortable reading (geddit?).

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/readingfc/s/2058229_reading_fc_reveal_heavy_losses

Looks that, like us, Reading are paying a heavy price for their short spell in the sun.

It wasn't being in the Prem, which screwed us, we turned a profit, in 93/94.

It was rather the then Board's  profligacy in funding firstly John Gorman and then McMahon in trying to get back, without building. Both wasted decent sums of money on shit.

I used to go over the MadStad a fair bit connected to work, so got a bit of a low down on the operation....for the first number of years, Madejski insisted everything must be run on a more or less break even base, then after maybe 8 or 9 years, he started putting in 2 mill a season of his own, as success seemed imminent.   His aim to sell the club on and so recoup his losses...this remains the case.

[Ardiles]

It wasn't being in the Prem, which screwed us, we turned a profit, in 93/94.

It was rather the then Board's  profligacy in funding firstly John Gorman and then McMahon in trying to get back, without building. Both wasted decent sums of money on shit.

I seem to recall we had a number of players who, understandably, renegotiated their contracts in the summer of 1993 following our promotion.  I forget the names, but I am sure that we were still playing 'Premiership' wages as late as 1995/96, despite the fact we were playing in the 3rd tier by that point.

[Reg Smeeton]

 Of the classic Wembley side...only Digby, Taylor, Bodin and Ling, hung about until 95.

[donkey]

The sad thing is - I can see the same thing happening with some Town fans about Fitton.  As we become more and more successful under Fitton (fingers crossed!), people will expect him and the board to spend more and more money - and eventually a similar article could be written about Swindon!

Despite what he's said about not spending unless us lot turn up.  Some of our fans are being fucking idiots about this already.  I am very happy with the work Fitton and co are doing, and I am thankful for their involvement (and the lack of Cypriot and Wills involvemnet).

[jonny72]

From the Reading article....

Last summer the board again made a concerted attempt to ensure promotion, and every aspect of the club was run at a Premier League level - for example our wage bill was double that of the last time we were in the Championship. Even taking into account a parachute payment of £11,500,000 we made a loss of £6,265,000 last season.

I find it amazing that clubs are still ready to gamble everything in the hope of promotion and even more amazing that their owner then brags about it. I know they covered it by selling some players but that's not the point, it was a stupid risk to take which back fired.

Deducting points from clubs for entering administration isn't working. They need to do something to stop clubs getting in to massive debt in the first place - maybe a financial health check before the season starts with immediate and drastic action if they fail to pass it. Its just an arms race at the moment and everyone is pissing money down the drain, the sooner it stops, the better it will be for everyone.

[Talk Talk]

Definitely a dream too far.

I am happy where we are to be honest. A provincial club with a 7k attendance heading for break even. I love the CGH as it is. The Town End is where I want to be. Or the Bank if it is ever opened again to home supporters on a sunny day. Subbuteo floodlights. Just the right level of shitness combined with ambitions of smartening the place up (well done Fitton & Co, at least the seats in the Arkell's match now). Redevelopment? Nah, it can wait.

Sure, I understand ambition - it's a natural drive for all things in society but I would rather support my local club whose natural vertical position is the third division, occasionally flirting with the second division and trying to stay away from the fourth. Why on earth would we want to be in the Prem? Only if we all want to get swamped by the idiots who didn't give a damn 'when we were shit'.

Sure, let's get in the playoffs and hopefully get up for a season or two. But you know in your heart of hearts we'll be back in League 1 (or the Fanta Second Tier or whatever it is called by then) eventually.