Why the **** are you still here ?

[Dirk Gently]

This would be a very different thread if it was on a northerners board. They live and breathe their club, through good and bad. Yet we seem to have far too many middle class fair-weather fans who lack the same passion for the club, and that's reflected in the stands too, sadly.

Not too many working class people can afford to live in Reading! Or those that do need to be very careful how they spend the odd few quid they have left over once rent is paid.

But most of the northern clubs are in industrial areas and have a long history or mass attendences and a much more engrained place in their town's history and culture - for many the ritual was to finahish the Saturday morning shift at the factory/mill/docks and go to t'match.

The single factor most likely to make someone support a football club is that their family has supportted them in the past, so if you don't have that history of mass attendence in the first place it's not something that will naturally grow - a period of success like we had 15 years ago will kick-start it, but it's not the same as 80-years of mass attendences.

People who complain about lack of supporters and the fact that supporters in a mainly middle-class town are mainly middle-class clearly don't understand the history of football orfootball cluture and support.

[Snowflake Royal]

Been to very few games this season, but it's for a good reason. The Missus is expecting our first child and it's been a hard road for us. I'm willing to sacrifice anything to enjoy this pregnancy and what will be our only child.
Will I have a season ticket next season? More than likely.

Congrats mate. All the best to you, your Mrs and a potential new Royal.

Cheers Millsy.

Congrats

[Elm Park Kid]

This would be a very different thread if it was on a northerners board. They live and breathe their club, through good and bad. Yet we seem to have far too many middle class fair-weather fans who lack the same passion for the club, and that's reflected in the stands too, sadly.

Not too many working class people can afford to live in Reading! Or those that do need to be very careful how they spend the odd few quid they have left over once rent is paid.

But most of the northern clubs are in industrial areas and have a long history or mass attendences and a much more engrained place in their town's history and culture - for many the ritual was to finahish the Saturday morning shift at the factory/mill/docks and go to t'match.

The single factor most likely to make someone support a football club is that their family has supportted them in the past, so if you don't have that history of mass attendence in the first place it's not something that will naturally grow - a period of success like we had 15 years ago will kick-start it, but it's not the same as 80-years of mass attendences.

People who complain about lack of supporters and the fact that supporters in a mainly middle-class town are mainly middle-class clearly don't understand the history of football orfootball cluture and support.

That's a fair point I suppose. As my username suggests, when I was a kid my bedroom window overlooked Elm Park, yet I was never once taken to a game. I only went when I got old enough to go with friends, and by that point I was already supporting a London club and the trip was more just to go to a football game and laugh at how poor we were.

[tmesis]

The single factor most likely to make someone support a football club is that their family has supportted them in the past, so if you don't have that history of mass attendence in the first place it's not something that will naturally grow - a period of success like we had 15 years ago will kick-start it, but it's not the same as 80-years of mass attendences.

family ties are a big thing, but part of that will be that the family will have taken their kids to games. The kids of Reading-supporting parents, growing up in Yorkshire, are much less likely to support Reading.

A club being big enough so their mates at school support the club will be a huge factor too.

[Dirk Gently]

The single factor most likely to make someone support a football club is that their family has supportted them in the past, so if you don't have that history of mass attendence in the first place it's not something that will naturally grow - a period of success like we had 15 years ago will kick-start it, but it's not the same as 80-years of mass attendences.

family ties are a big thing, but part of that will be that the family will have taken their kids to games. The kids of Reading-supporting parents, growing up in Yorkshire, are much less likely to support Reading.

A club being big enough so their mates at school support the club will be a huge factor too.

Yep, the stats show the biggest factor is family history (and especially going to games with parents etc), and after that it's going with friends.

[KC Royal]

The single factor most likely to make someone support a football club is that their family has supportted them in the past, so if you don't have that history of mass attendence in the first place it's not something that will naturally grow - a period of success like we had 15 years ago will kick-start it, but it's not the same as 80-years of mass attendences.

family ties are a big thing, but part of that will be that the family will have taken their kids to games. The kids of Reading-supporting parents, growing up in Yorkshire, are much less likely to support Reading.

A club being big enough so their mates at school support the club will be a huge factor too.

This applies to me as i think it was because a mate at school was a fan that i first became aware of the club. Had i not moved away shortly after i may have gone to a game at Elm Park.

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

Congrats mate. All the best to you, your Mrs and a potential new Royal.

Cheers Millsy.

Congrats

Cheers Ian.

[karbota]

I warned you all years ago about the perils of foreign ownership, managers, and players.
Dont wanna say it but I will I TOLD YOU SO. Looks like the chickens are well and truly roosting!.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I warned you all years ago about the perils of foreign ownership, managers, and players.
Dont wanna say it but I will I TOLD YOU SO. Looks like the chickens are well and truly roosting!.

You can't really say that though because, for the bad one's, there are very much good foreign owners, managers and players.

There are plenty of examples of British owners, managers and players that are as bad as/worse than a lot of the foreign owners, managers and players.

[NathStPaul]

STOP. ENGAGING. HIM.

[Dirk Gently]

I warned you all years ago about the perils of foreign ownership, managers, and players.
Dont wanna say it but I will I TOLD YOU SO. Looks like the chickens are well and truly roosting!.

You can't really say that though because, for the bad one's, there are very much good foreign owners, managers and players.

There are plenty of examples of British owners, managers and players that are as bad as/worse than a lot of the foreign owners, managers and players.

Yep, exactly what I was going to post. Joihn Batchelor who asset-stripped York City and Bill Archer who sold the Goldstone Ground out from under Brighton were both English. Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the much-loved Leicester owner wasn't, and there are plenty of other examples.

To conflate "foreign bad, English good" is just the talk of a racist simpleton.

[LUX]

To conflate "foreign bad, English good" is just the talk of a racist simpleton.

Are you new around here?

[tidus_mi2]

I know people drop away when the team struggles but my logic for continuing to watch is that in football, there will always be teams that have great moments and teams that have struggles and it will change hands who has what. I started supporting the club when my Dad took me to a pretty boring 0-0 against Brighton the season we went up to Div 1 and then got season tickets the following season. I got 11 seasons where the lowest we finished was 9th in the Championship.

I've taken in the successes, now I'm still hear to share in the struggles.

[karbota]

I warned you all years ago about the perils of foreign ownership, managers, and players.
Dont wanna say it but I will I TOLD YOU SO. Looks like the chickens are well and truly roosting!.

You can't really say that though because, for the bad one's, there are very much good foreign owners, managers and players.

There are plenty of examples of British owners, managers and players that are as bad as/worse than a lot of the foreign owners, managers and players.

So just bad luck with our last three owners and managers?.

[Nameless]

I warned you all years ago about the perils of foreign ownership, managers, and players.
Dont wanna say it but I will I TOLD YOU SO. Looks like the chickens are well and truly roosting!.

You can't really say that though because, for the bad one's, there are very much good foreign owners, managers and players.

There are plenty of examples of British owners, managers and players that are as bad as/worse than a lot of the foreign owners, managers and players.

So just bad luck with our last three owners and managers?.

Mark Bowen might have been Welsh but that doesn’t make him foreign.
One of our current owners is British.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I warned you all years ago about the perils of foreign ownership, managers, and players.
Dont wanna say it but I will I TOLD YOU SO. Looks like the chickens are well and truly roosting!.

You can't really say that though because, for the bad one's, there are very much good foreign owners, managers and players.

There are plenty of examples of British owners, managers and players that are as bad as/worse than a lot of the foreign owners, managers and players.

So just bad luck with our last three owners and managers?.

There wasn't too much wrong with our previous Thai owners, they literally saved the club from administration. Yes, some strange signings were made but we were hardly as poor as we've been now.

If you're referring to Pauno, Gomes and Stam as our last 3 foreign managers, did they really do *that* bad? Stam, we reached a play off final, best season we've had since relegation from the PL when we were expected to struggle that season. Pauno then took us to our highest placed finish since Stam without making a signing of his own during that season and Gomes took us from 5 points from safety to 7 points clear and survival.

Yes, they all were eventually sacked due to very poor run's of form which left us in a bad position, but usually any manager who gets sacked, it's due to a poor run of form that leaves a club in a bad position. That doesn't matter whether they were foreign or not.

The exception to the rule was Bowen, who did a steady and respectable job for us from when he was appointed and was probably relieved of his duties harshly, but that's football.

[Hendo]

Don't forget Clement, between Stam and Gomes, who was absolutely dreadful.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

The post was referencing foreign managers, hence why Clement and Bowen were excluded as they are both British.

[Nameless]

The post was referencing foreign managers, hence why Clement and Bowen were excluded as they are both British.

NO, Karbota clearly specified our ‘last 3’ managers and owners, implying he thought they had been foreign.

[Elm Park Kid]

The post was referencing foreign managers, hence why Clement and Bowen were excluded as they are both British.

NO, Karbota clearly specified our ‘last 3’ managers and owners, implying he thought they had been foreign.

I'm sure that 99% of us here know that the nationality of the player/manager/owners is irrelevant. It's the ability and experience of the English/British game that matters.

If Pauno/Gomes had managed with any success at even League One level before I would happily taken them over a Bowen type British character with no management experience.