Open letter to Sir John

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Reading's transfers in 2009/2010

Players in

Player From Fee Date
Matthew Mills Doncaster £ 2000000 06-08-2009
Total: £ 2000000

Players out

Player To Fee Date
Kevin Doyle Wolves £ 6500000 30-06-2009
Marcus Hahnemann Wolves Free 01-07-2009
Scott Golbourne Exeter Signed 02-07-2009
Michael Duberry Wycombe Free 10-07-2009
Daniel Spence Salisbury Free 28-07-2009
Alan Bennett Brentford Free 30-07-2009
Leroy Lita Middlesbro Free 03-08-2009
Stephen Hunt Hull Signed 13-08-2009
Andre Bikey Burnley Signed 18-08-2009
Total: £ 6500000

Loans (players in)

Player From Start End
Ryan Bertrand Chelsea 17-07-2009

Loans (players out)

Player To Start End
Alex McCarthy Yeovil 24-07-2009
Oliver Bozanic Cheltenham 31-07-2009

Released players

Player Date
Graeme Murty 01-07-2009
Kelvin Bossman 01-07-2009

And the season before.
Reading's transfers in 2008/2009

Players in

Player From Fee Date
Noel Hunt Dundee Utd £ 600000 23-07-2008
Chris Armstrong Sheff Utd £ 500000 26-08-2008
Jay Tabb Coventry Signed 20-01-2009
Total: £ 1100000

Players out

Player To Fee Date
Graham Stack Plymouth Free 18-07-2008
Dave Kitson Stoke £ 5500000 18-07-2008
Aaron Brown Yeovil Free 01-08-2008
Nicky Shorey Aston Villa Signed 07-08-2008
John Oster C Palace Free 11-08-2008
Ibrahima Sonko Stoke Signed 02-09-2008
John Halls Brentford Free 25-09-2008
Emerse Fae Nice Signed 29-01-2009
Ulises De la Cruz Birmingham Free 03-03-2009
Total: £ 5500000

Loans (players in)

Player From Start End
Dan Harding Ipswich 29-01-2009 01-06-2009
Glen Little Portsmouth 09-03-2009 01-06-2009
Dave Kitson Stoke 10-03-2009 01-06-2009

Loans (players out)

Player To Start End
Ben Hamer Brentford 17-07-2008 01-06-2009
Scott Davies Aldershot 23-07-2008 01-06-2009
Emerse Fae Nice 01-08-2008 28-01-2009
Alan Bennett Brentford 08-08-2008 01-06-2009
Hal Robson-Kanu Southend 21-08-2008 21-11-2008
Simon Church Wycombe 24-08-2008 21-12-2009
Viktor Illugason Eastbourne 01-09-2008 01-06-2009
Adam Federici Southend 25-09-2008 23-11-2008
Leroy Lita Norwich 01-10-2008 01-01-2009
Gylfi Sigurdsson Shrewsbury 17-10-2008 17-11-2008
Alex Pearce Southampton 31-10-2008 31-12-2008
Nicholas Bignall Northampton 06-11-2008 07-12-2008
Mikkel Andersen Brentford 27-11-2008 14-12-2008
Graeme Murty Charlton 06-01-2009 06-03-2009
Scott Golbourne Oldham 10-01-2009 01-06-2009
David Mooney Stockport 12-01-2009 12-02-2009
Nicholas Bignall Cheltenham 14-01-2009 01-06-2009
Oliver Bozanic Woking 23-01-2009 01-06-2009
Daniel Spence Salisbury 23-01-2009 30-05-2009
Hal Robson-Kanu Swindon 26-01-2009 01-06-2009
Alex McCarthy Aldershot 02-02-2009 04-03-2009
James Henry Millwall 12-02-2009 01-06-2009
Simon Church Leyton Orient 17-02-2009 01-06-2009
Kelvin Bossman Woking 20-02-2009 01-06-2009
Michail Antonio Cheltenham 20-02-2009 01-06-2009
Gylfi Sigurdsson Crewe 27-02-2009 01-06-2009
David Mooney Norwich 05-03-2009 01-06-2009
Mikkel Andersen Brighton 06-03-2009 01-06-2009

Released players

Player Date
Bobby Convey 06-02-2009
Sam Sodje 31-05-2009
Viktor Illugason 31-05-2009

Since relegation we have signed 4 players, each window we were told there were other targets, by Hammond, but they did not happen, for whatever reason.

second major sell off at RFC in my time watching them.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

You're missing about £15m of sales their mate.

[yuomi]

yeah. that list is so inaccurate as to be irrelevant.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

You're missing about £15m of sales their mate.

that ios because they only show fees as announced, simple really, what it shows is the movement in and out.

[Forbury Lion]

Plastic

Hardly. I will still be there at the matches but I can assure you that the real plastics won't be!

Does that mean I'm a plastic as I can't get to every game because of being at university?

Yes. A real fan would sacrifice their education for the love of the club.

[Royal Rob]

Does that mean I'm a plastic as I can't get to every game because of being at university?

Reading still had a few plastic fans last season, not this year.

[Stranded]

I'm almost bored of writing the same thing, but I'll repeat it again. Name me any club, anywhere you like, that has dropped a division and NOT sold it's HIGHEST paid players by the 2nd season after relegation. Double Dare. You won't find one. Why? Because they are expensive. Week in, week out, 30k here, 30k there...it all adds up.

Yes, we took a punt last year - the club gave Doyle and Hunt new contracts to placate their desire to play at the highest level. That was the last roll of the dice. (Some may say we only did that because the manager had his head in the sand and refused to think that the squad needed tinkering...)

This season, we are DOWN on Season Tickets, and we are avoiding using the parachute money at all costs. Why? Because getting back up to the Premier League this year will be super hard and that money is needed for other seasons than this. Why? Because you cannot keep unhappy players. Why? Because we cannot afford the wages. Why? Revenue is down. Why? Because we were relegated two years ago (and the rot had to stop) Why? Because we stagnated as a team a long, long time ago.

There are so many reasons it's frankly staggering. It's not about any mythical balancing of the books or necessarily making a profit. A lot of the players have moved on because of wages. Why else would we get rid of Hahnemann, Murty, Lita, et all...old, expensive or just plain old. Hunt moved on because he's a mercenary, Bikey because he wants a crack at getting into the World Cup squad, Doyle we effectively 'owed' because he stayed when he could have gone the season prior. Last season was our best shot at getting back up and it didn't pay off. We now have to pay for not making it.

Don't forget we 'bought' Rodgers and his backroom staff. We've paid big money for Mills. We'll still pay decent money for another couple *cough*...but don't expect the same ins than outs because it won't happen. Big money = Big wages and that's what the club are obviously trying to avoid. This new look Reading is starting from scratch. Anyone with a modicum of sense can see what we're trying to do, no scrap, that HAVE to do. If anyone feels defrauded by the clubs actions since we lost out against Burnley then fine, send your letter...but think about it, would Brendan have joined if Madejski said "Look, we have to cut down the wage bill....so I'm selling anything that has two legs. So Ron Grant and Fred Neate are given frees." NO...what was most likely said was "...from the money we get from transfers, you'll get a slice but we're back to building brick by brick, just like we did before." (Don't forget that we don't get ALL the transfer money in one go either.) I'm 100% certain that Rodgers is not given a table bashing remit to get us back into the Premiership NOW or toys will be thrown. He knows just as well you should that this is another long haul back to the top table.

I gave the club huge amounts of stick when we didn't speculate to accumulate when we were in a position to, but now we have to *grits teeth* cut our cloth accordingly. At a financial level, it's not being bloody minded, it's not asset stripping - it's wages saving and selling stock at a prime rate. At a football level, you can't keep players who want to play elsewhere or don't want to play for us at all. At a fan level, it's understanding that nothing can stay the same, something has to give. Though I'd hazard a guess that if we beat Forest and didn't lose against Newcastle there wouldn't be an open letter. Get on board, because it's not changing any time soon.

Fin.

West Brom for starters.

The rest of your post bored me.

Last time they were down here they managed to keep most of the squad in year 1, but sold £17m worth of players in Kamara, Koumas, McShane and Ellington in the second year - all their big earners.

I'll give you that they spent some money mind, which we haven't as yet.

[YateleyRoyal]

Hardly. I will still be there at the matches but I can assure you that the real plastics won't be!

Does that mean I'm a plastic as I can't get to every game because of being at university?

Yes. A real fan would sacrifice their education for the love of the club.

Trust me mate, I was there at Turf Moor for the playoff and I was so nervous that I cam home for the second leg at the Madejski, meaning that I missed an exma. So i did sacrifice a little of my education.

[Ozymandias]

Reading's transfers in 2009/2010

Players in

Player From Fee Date
Matthew Mills Doncaster £ 2000000 06-08-2009
Total: £ 2000000

Players out

Player To Fee Date
Kevin Doyle Wolves £ 6500000 30-06-2009
Marcus Hahnemann Wolves Free 01-07-2009
Scott Golbourne Exeter Signed 02-07-2009
Michael Duberry Wycombe Free 10-07-2009
Daniel Spence Salisbury Free 28-07-2009
Alan Bennett Brentford Free 30-07-2009
Leroy Lita Middlesbro Free 03-08-2009
Stephen Hunt Hull Signed 13-08-2009
Andre Bikey Burnley Signed 18-08-2009
Total: £ 6500000

Loans (players in)

Player From Start End
Ryan Bertrand Chelsea 17-07-2009

Loans (players out)

Player To Start End
Alex McCarthy Yeovil 24-07-2009
Oliver Bozanic Cheltenham 31-07-2009

Released players

Player Date
Graeme Murty 01-07-2009
Kelvin Bossman 01-07-2009

And the season before.
Reading's transfers in 2008/2009

Players in

Player From Fee Date
Noel Hunt Dundee Utd £ 600000 23-07-2008
Chris Armstrong Sheff Utd £ 500000 26-08-2008
Jay Tabb Coventry Signed 20-01-2009
Total: £ 1100000

Players out

Player To Fee Date
Graham Stack Plymouth Free 18-07-2008
Dave Kitson Stoke £ 5500000 18-07-2008
Aaron Brown Yeovil Free 01-08-2008
Nicky Shorey Aston Villa Signed 07-08-2008
John Oster C Palace Free 11-08-2008
Ibrahima Sonko Stoke Signed 02-09-2008
John Halls Brentford Free 25-09-2008
Emerse Fae Nice Signed 29-01-2009
Ulises De la Cruz Birmingham Free 03-03-2009
Total: £ 5500000

Loans (players in)

Player From Start End
Dan Harding Ipswich 29-01-2009 01-06-2009
Glen Little Portsmouth 09-03-2009 01-06-2009
Dave Kitson Stoke 10-03-2009 01-06-2009

Loans (players out)

Player To Start End
Ben Hamer Brentford 17-07-2008 01-06-2009
Scott Davies Aldershot 23-07-2008 01-06-2009
Emerse Fae Nice 01-08-2008 28-01-2009
Alan Bennett Brentford 08-08-2008 01-06-2009
Hal Robson-Kanu Southend 21-08-2008 21-11-2008
Simon Church Wycombe 24-08-2008 21-12-2009
Viktor Illugason Eastbourne 01-09-2008 01-06-2009
Adam Federici Southend 25-09-2008 23-11-2008
Leroy Lita Norwich 01-10-2008 01-01-2009
Gylfi Sigurdsson Shrewsbury 17-10-2008 17-11-2008
Alex Pearce Southampton 31-10-2008 31-12-2008
Nicholas Bignall Northampton 06-11-2008 07-12-2008
Mikkel Andersen Brentford 27-11-2008 14-12-2008
Graeme Murty Charlton 06-01-2009 06-03-2009
Scott Golbourne Oldham 10-01-2009 01-06-2009
David Mooney Stockport 12-01-2009 12-02-2009
Nicholas Bignall Cheltenham 14-01-2009 01-06-2009
Oliver Bozanic Woking 23-01-2009 01-06-2009
Daniel Spence Salisbury 23-01-2009 30-05-2009
Hal Robson-Kanu Swindon 26-01-2009 01-06-2009
Alex McCarthy Aldershot 02-02-2009 04-03-2009
James Henry Millwall 12-02-2009 01-06-2009
Simon Church Leyton Orient 17-02-2009 01-06-2009
Kelvin Bossman Woking 20-02-2009 01-06-2009
Michail Antonio Cheltenham 20-02-2009 01-06-2009
Gylfi Sigurdsson Crewe 27-02-2009 01-06-2009
David Mooney Norwich 05-03-2009 01-06-2009
Mikkel Andersen Brighton 06-03-2009 01-06-2009

Released players

Player Date
Bobby Convey 06-02-2009
Sam Sodje 31-05-2009
Viktor Illugason 31-05-2009

Since relegation we have signed 4 players, each window we were told there were other targets, by Hammond, but they did not happen, for whatever reason.

second major sell off at RFC in my time watching them.

With those stats, you are snowball AICMFP

I'm guessing that, one, he doesn't come on here; two, he isn’t all that au-fait with andrew1957’s views on anything; and, three, he rightly doesn’t give a f*ck what us legion of unqualified halfwits think about running a football club.

Been a while since I've LOL'ed at something on the team board. Spot on there though.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

Dear Sir John

If you ever do venture on to these pages you will know that I have been a keen supporter of all that you have done for the club over the years. I try to look on the positive side and have frequently been vilified as one wearing rose tinted spectacles.

I accepted the decision not to straighten the squad in the January 2008 transfer window - but fear this cost us our place in the PL.

I supported the club in its transfer policy last season, but like all our fans I was dismayed by our capitulation in the second half of the season.

I started this season with great expectation and not a little excitement as I agreed totally that Brendan Rodgers is the man for the job of getting us back to the PL again, but I am now becoming increasingly concerned.

We seem to be selling or releasing a succession of our more senior professionals, but not replacing them with anyone with experience. We have some fantastic young talent but a tough Championship season will also require some toughened older players to be included in our squads along the way.

As for the saga over Tommy Smith - that is becoming embarrassing. We sold 28 year old Stephen Hunt for over 3 million and yet seem to be baulking at paying a decent proportion of that amount for Smith - as he is the ripe old age of 29! Surely the negotiation could be sorted out more quickly than the two months or so it has rumbled on. We need players with more experience and he fits the bill. If it takes 1.8 million then so be it.

We also need more defensive options. Two of our 4 full backs are injured and we need to replace Bikey, so that Cisse can return to his defensive midfield duties as although Tabb and Karacan are excellent players, we need more bite in that area and Cisse offers size and strength.

I have not given up hope that we will strengthen the squad considerably by 31st August. I believe you will authorise this, but I just wanted to warn you that if not the likelihood is that the target for this season will be to just survive in this division and nothing more. In that case I expect even more fans to desert the club and disillusionment to increase substantially.

I look forward to positive news in the near future.

Ghey.