Trip to Reading today

[RobertT]

A quick summary for everyone on todays jaunt to Reading:

Reading got the land for free

Council have a covenant in place on the land to ensure any developments must provide a benefit to the local community

Indoor Training facility is open to the public to hire

Ground used for special needs teaching

All the other Community based programmes you get at the CG but 5 times bigger.

They employ 15 Community Officers, full time

Reading make £12m per year, of which only £3m is from gate receipts, so £9m comes from the facilities (which are a million miles from the CG facilities! - one room could have fitted all the facilities from the CG).

Reading crowds went to over 10,000 after moving to the Madjeski and now they have 18000 season ticket holders. The impression given was that Madjeski no longer has to support the club.

Reading Councillors were brilliant, I suggested we kidknapp them! They mentioned that the District Auditor would be satisfied with development on Council land provided a compelling case for improving community facilities could be given (hence the covenant now in place for planning).

Reading also paid some money back to the Council following development by building roads in the local area.

Over 300 people now employed on site (60 for the club) and Councillors suggested it had a beneficial effect on attracting investment into the Town. Local business and outside business attracted by the conferencing facilities, which looked top notch, including suites which have glass walls out into the ground.

Suggested the business case for the development at Reading was compelling on it's own. Helped revitalise the local economy, especially the housing directly next to the development - insisted on employing local workforce.

The main stumbling block in our Councillor's minds still seems to be that they think they are giving £25m to the club. It seemed that some don't even know they would still own the Ground. Essentially Reading BC gave every indication it was possible, and they didn't even end up owning the site afterwards.

The guy planning our business case is the same guy who did Readings, and seemed to know what he was talking about.


IMHO, we need to provide a compelling economic argument for the development, i.e how much it will bring into the local economy through conferences, leisure events, new business being attracted in, increased fans usage etc. The Council are worried about risk (despite being shown it's legal and possible) and need to be shown that overall the project will be worth £Xm to the local economy.

My biggest worry was that the Councillors who were impressed actually seemed inclined to think an out of town site would be better!!!!!!!!!

There were some interesting things said that I managed to either be a part of, or overhear because nobody knew who I was, which is best kept off here!!

[red macca]

did you threaten violence against any of them

[RobertT]

No, but that's not to say the blood wasn't boiling at times.

Big Ron just kept asking when we were going to get out on the pitch!

[red macca]

you played 5 aside with big ron :shock:

seriously though how do you think it went

[RobertT]

If people had the sense to go in with an open mind then we'd have a new ground by the end of the year.  Reading FC and the Council oosed positive thoughts and facts about the development and sound like they have a great partnership.

I fear that our Councillors know very little about the plans and still, even now, think they are giving away the land.

I think Big Ron would have played had a ball been around.  PaulD asked him how Iffy was getting on and he replied "How do you know Iffy?"

When Paul mentioned that Iffy managed the team he supported Big Ron snarled "well nobody told me who you were", while looking at the TV gang as if to suggest they hadn't done their job on brieifng him.

[Bedford Red]

It's a shame our Councillors can't see all the good things to come out of a new ground, and can't understand all the aspects of it, it's not brain surgery.

Let's hope that the trip got through to some of them though of the benefits it could bring to Swindon and the club.

[SwindonTartanArmy]

surely a town landmark in the middle of the town is better than a landmark stuck in the middle of a field on the outskirts. The CG being right by the magic roundabout is almost a wonder of the world!!!