Sshh! It's how we operate.

[West Stand Flash]

Until we have someone at the top with ambition, we will never become Premiership regulars.

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Through my RTGs I tend to agree with Fine Rain.

I'm very grateful to the Mad Man because without him there wouldn't be an RFC but his actions of the last 18 months seriously make me wnder if he wants us even to stand still.

TBH, I don't really care - like so many others I will still be 'there' even if we are away to Hartlepool on a Tuesday night in February in the 2nd division - but it is very irksome when one knows that we have more than balanced the books, lowered the wages and there is no sign of any quality signings.

Of course, I know jack all about our youngsters other than the likes of Church, Henry, Karacan, Pearce - and the promise of guys like H R-K, Kelly and the chaps with lots of 'z's and v's in their names - but even the "kids" of Man U still have some wise old pros in the team. I don't think we have that now with Ivar almost permanently crocked, Boris sadly past it and the gypo on his way.

Seriously, what other club has ever had two years in the Prem and has a record signing of 2 million?

What other club has secured somewhere between 10-15 mllion in transfer fees, reduced the wage bill and not bought anyone, let alone anyone with experience?

I'm more than happy to be proved wrong - and I really hope the young'uns pull through - but it is a grizzly old league and, despite our promise of wide, fast attacking footy to feet, I just can't see it happening.

That is all.

[SteveRoyal]

Through my RTGs I tend to agree with Fine Rain.

I'm very grateful to the Mad Man because without him there wouldn't be an RFC but his actions of the last 18 months seriously make me wnder if he wants us even to stand still.

TBH, I don't really care - like so many others I will still be 'there' even if we are away to Hartlepool on a Tuesday night in February in the 2nd division - but it is very irksome when one knows that we have more than balanced the books, lowered the wages and there is no sign of any quality signings.

Of course, I know jack all about our youngsters other than the likes of Church, Henry, Karacan, Pearce - and the promise of guys like H R-K, Kelly and the chaps with lots of 'z's and v's in their names - but even the "kids" of Man U still have some wise old pros in the team. I don't think we have that now with Ivar almost permanently crocked, Boris sadly past it and the gypo on his way.

Seriously, what other club has ever had two years in the Prem and has a record signing of 2 million?

What other club has secured somewhere between 10-15 mllion in transfer fees, reduced the wage bill and not bought anyone, let alone anyone with experience?

Agreed. I can't remember my previous stance on this but now I'm feeling much the same as you.

[winchester_royal]

One point people don't touch on.

If madejski had taken us over 3/4 years ago, people would be likening him to michael knighton of carlisle. Asset stripping, pure and simple. Selling our best players for substancial fees and not bringing in replacements. Thats what knighton did at carlisle for years with players like delap, boertien, matt jansen,etc, he was hated. The only reason madejski gets off and is called " astute" is because he's been here for a while and funded a new ground ( subsequently with loaned payments).
I really can't understand why its not visable to a lot of people the step backs we are taking. Clubs around us like forest are investing to strengthen and we are struggling to find players ti fill positions. Talk of brynjar in defence ( seriously, wtf?)
We spent 2 years in the prem and have 3 eyars parachute payments, we have sold kitson, doyle, sonko and shorey for almost 15 million and how much of that has been invested in the team? Madejski is on a par with michael knighton, im sorry.

Don't apologise telling the truth, shame that so many idiots on here just can't see it.

The day after the Leicester promotion game he went on SSN stating his desire to sell because he bottled it and from that day to this he's just cashed in and emptied the cookie jar.

LOL

So everyone who doesn't agree with your opinion is an idiot?

It's not as if Sir John is running a continuious fire sale of all the club's top talent. There are numerous examples of us rejecting substantial bids for our stars, and those who have left have done so because clubs have met the clauses in their contract.

[FiNeRaIn]

Winchester...where has the money gone?

[One Beer is never enough.]

Winchester...where has the money gone?

The money has gone into our stature. With the money that has been spent over the last 20 years by SJM, where are we? We are light years away from where we would have been had it not been invested. If SJM wants to reclaim some of his investment, so what? The club is in a far more secure and stable position than ever. We have a great Academy that may well be just about to bear the fruit of the previous investment. Give me another time in our history when we could be talking up a team of kids, capable of playing in the 2nd tier of english football?

We are more highly regarded than we have historically been, that is where SJM has put his money. If you want to risk it all for a shot at the big time, get a huge loan and put up, or shut up - cos as someone said, SJM offered the club as soon as we won promotion, and no one out there has taken a bite.

[Royal & Ancient]

Just get the feeling that we, the fans, are being short changed. Unless something spectacular happens this will be my last season and taking a straw poll there are a lot of us who are disatisfied. We are well past the'brick by brick' seasons and the rewards should now be out on the pitch.
Sorry but I just can't afford to support the new Reading Town development.

[Royalwaster]

Just get the feeling that we, the fans, are being short changed. Unless something spectacular happens this will be my last season and taking a straw poll there are a lot of us who are disatisfied. We are well past the'brick by brick' seasons and the rewards should now be out on the pitch.
Sorry but I just can't afford to support the new Reading Town development.

The rewards have been out on the pitch for the last few seasons - you sound like a spoiled child! How many other clubs of our previous standing have had a similar level of success as we've had and you're talking about walking out on the club - shame on you! Look at clubs like Sheff Wed, Derby, Leicester, Leeds United and you see decent, proper fans and not plastics like you. Go and support Man City and enjoy supporting a club that tries to buy success.

[RoyalBlue]

Winchester...where has the money gone?

The money has gone into our stature. With the money that has been spent over the last 20 years by SJM, where are we? We are light years away from where we would have been had it not been invested. If SJM wants to reclaim some of his investment, so what? The club is in a far more secure and stable position than ever. We have a great Academy that may well be just about to bear the fruit of the previous investment. Give me another time in our history when we could be talking up a team of kids, capable of playing in the 2nd tier of english football?

We are more highly regarded than we have historically been, that is where SJM has put his money. If you want to risk it all for a shot at the big time, get a huge loan and put up, or shut up - cos as someone said, SJM offered the club as soon as we won promotion, and no one out there has taken a bite.

And if I put my £300K house on the market for half a million quid, I'm not likely to get any bites either. And it doesn't matter how nice the house is nor that I have spent the extra £200K doing it up, if the current market says it is only worth £300K.

What's more, if I was to insist any purchaser keeps the decor unchanged and/or is unable to take my name off the front, I am also extremely likely to drive away any interest.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

The answer to clubs similar to us are wimbledon, Fulham, Wigan, QPR, Watford, Hull and Stoke are about to enter season number two. Add to that Swindon and Oxford, and many clubs have enjoyed a period of success.

As for Fae and Halford, who identified the players brought in, was it Coppell, or did Hammond have some input as well?? like has been suggested in the past, Halford came with baggage unknown, and has now managed to return to the Prem after his career went adrift for a while.

Why did we suddenly go for players from abroad, with no experience of the English Premier league, cheaper so it was said, we could not compete with clubs for experienced players from the Prem.

All in all we can just surmise and guess, there are only 3 or 4 that know what has happened, and none will be saying.

PS I missed out Oldham

[Hampshire Royal]

Just a small point - it would have been impossible for JM to have taken us over 3/4 years ago as we wouldn't have existed.

Anyway, carry on with the toy-throwing.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Just a small point - it would have been impossible for JM to have taken us over 3/4 years ago as we wouldn't have existed.

Anyway, carry on with the toy-throwing.

yes we would, just not as we exist now, not one League club has gone out of business in the last gawd knows how long, someone would have taken it on.

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Yes, yes it’s times like these I wish somebody with the vision and ambition of say, Robert Maxwell had managed to buy the club. I’m sure by now we would be Champions league regulars and you could go to sleep wrapped in your,” “Ronaldo is a (Thames Valley) Royal” Duvet cover.

Instead, “Mr Mad” saw a struggling, perennial 3rd tier football club with a dilapidated ground a and a sub 10K fan base and said to himself, “here is the ideal business for me to buy and then asset strip to make money for ballerina statues”.

I’m just glad that recently we have been attracting the sort of fans that can see through this supposed “diligence” (assuming their jester hats don’t slip too far forward) and are barmy enough to demand the unrestrained spending that always guarantees success.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Semi interesting bit about Aberdeen here, and wages in football.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 129381.stm

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

Just a small point - it would have been impossible for JM to have taken us over 3/4 years ago as we wouldn't have existed.

Anyway, carry on with the toy-throwing.

I don't see it as toy throwing, just people expressing an opinion and some concern.

SJM's achievements are there for all to see and cannot be questioned. What can be questioned is the way the club seems to be veering towards settling for mid-table Championship status, which given recent history seems overly cautious. I don't know if this really is the case, and I cannot believe the plan isn't more ambitious than that, but the signals from the club just aren't exciting.

And whilst no one can really know the full extent to SJM's financial commitment to RFC, what is undeniable is that a) he's had more than his money's-worth in terms of raising his profile and PR - doing absolutely no harm in helping him get his knighthood in the process - and b) when he does come to sell, he certainly won't be making a loss! Win-win all round for him, I think - and good for him. He's a smart cookie.

He has been very consistent in wanting to sell RFC as a Premiership club, but there's the rub: he needs to be in the Prem to maximise his opportunity, but doesn't want to spend much to get there.

[tee peg]

I think you have sumed it up.We are in the comfort zone in the championship and,for the time being, have
had our taste of the premiership.

[Agent Balti]

I think that the main issue now, aside from the 'where's the money gone' angle, is that we're still spoon fed the same diatribe time and time again. The mantra of we're run as a Premiership club (true), with aims of being an established, stable and respected club (potentially largely true), able to wash it's own face (not quite so true) but with huge ambition (not true) and that has every faith to be successful every season (totally and utterly not true) with this one being no exception.

I would be far happier with the current regime if they just came out and told the truth instead of spin. The truth being that we're now in a period of re-structure on and off the field. Money is tight, we can't spend x, but we will try to consolidate for y and rely on our academy in the short term (whilst trying to negotiate a buyer for the club.) Though obviously the last bit would never be said.

There's no shame in stating that we're looking at play-offs at best, but no we're still the best run club in the land with awesomer than awesome players who will sweep the board like napalm thru a verdant forest.

[tee peg]

I think it was the hype of last year that pissed most people off.This year the expectation is lower and maybe
we will enjoy the season more.

[Royal & Ancient]

Thank you Royalwaster. Its the puerile responses like yours which prevent decent discussion and why I,for one, stopped posting on here years ago.Have you supported the Club since the 1946/7 season? Believe me some of us have really been through the mill -Divn 4 and an almost permanency in Divn.3 South. But we stuck with it because we thought the Club was being honest with us and deserved loyalty. Now we seem to fed a diet of 'spin' without any real end product. And living on a pension means that priorities change!

[tee peg]

To some extent the views on here can be determined by age.Nothing new here.Each have there merits.
We live in an age of spin and some of us find it hard to come to terms with.