WAZZOCK Top Flight I think the club really need to look at the social aspect alot more. Because when the football is sh*t that is what keeps you going. And at Reading the social side of it is pretty bad at the moment. There is alot that they need to work on.
Have you got any suggestion as to how this could be improved?
I think we all know more or less what the problems are Wazzock. We all know what we'd like the matchday experience to be.
There is no point me telling you how it could be improved because I have no power over the matter at all. So now I'll go on and tell you how it can be improved.
The East Stand should be unreserved seating, better still it should be a standing terrace. I go with my 6 year old kid and my Dad and we don't even sit together. How stupid is that. My kid has a couple of vouchers to bring his friends to a couple of games. We didn't use it. If I can't sit next to my Dad. Why would I waste my time bringing someone else and not sit with them either. The place isn't designed to be sociable. At Elm Park, I could stand with whoever I wanted. At the Madejski, I'm stuck. There is nothing spontaneous about going to football anymore or who you go with.
There is nothing to do at the stadium. You just turn up and watch sh*te football. You sit with the same people. There is no point organising anything with anyone else because moving seats around is a hassle.
Colchester fans hate their new stadium which is outside the town centre. They loved Layer Road.
You put a stadium on the edge of town and you take it out of the community. Football clubs like Reading are losing their sense of community and belonging and socialising.
Now they want to build a community around the stadium, so they are doing something. There needs to be bars, restaurants, pubs etc.
There is no point putting two pubs on the stadium site at the moment because apart from match day, no one will use it. But if there are lots of houses there too and the area is more developed then it will be different. Just convert the East Stand to a terrace and most problems will be solved. Add a few pubs and football will be better again.
I live 10 minutes walk from Wealdstone FC in Ruislip. If you think the football is dire at the Mad Stad, what they have to watch at Wealdstone is utterly appalling. But no one cares. They have a real sense of community and family over there. The club is based around the Ruislip Social Club and people go meet their mates, have a few drinks, chant and PROPERLY support their team on the terraces and go back in the pub after the game. The quality of football is irrelevant. That's not why they go. They'll be there every week. It doesn't matter.
We need to get some of that back at Reading. But maybe football has moved on now. Maybe it is too corporate. But it's getting boring. Long-term crowds will suffer because it does get boring after a while if the reason we go is only because of the football match.
Pricing definitely comes into it as well. I have watched a few Wealdstone matches this season when Reading have been playing far away. But they ask for £12 to come and watch them. F*ck that. Too much. It's only because they have an offer for season ticket holders of Championship and Premiership clubs where you can watch Wealdstone for £6 that I have bothered going to a few games. Otherwise, no chance. And Wealdstone too look like they have a hardcore support of old duffers who have been there for years but they are not getting new fans in. And at £12 for non league football, I'm not surprised. It's cheaper to watch Borussia Dortmund.
My brother in law lives in Stanmore, 5 minute walk from Barnet's new ground, the Hive. I said to him, let's go and catch a game. It'll be a laugh. I looked up the ticket prices. £23. For Barnet, in League 2. F*ck that. I'll pay it for Reading, because I'm a long-term supporter. But I wouldn't go elsewhere for that. But that is what people are thinking before they become a fan. Shall we watch a game, it'll be a laugh. £23, no fricking way.
Clubs have to drop their prices sharply otherwise there will be no new fans coming. Clubs are just hanging on to their old, long-term support at the moment. And crowds are dropping year by year. Maybe I'm wrong on that. But that is the feeling that I get.