ONLY ONE SIR JOHN MADEJSKI!

[Millsy]

Having started supporting Reading properly in the 94-95 season I can't really comment.

I really really don't know what to think.

[Z175]

Please read below, remember what he has done, where he has taken us too, and get perspective on him!

John Madejski became chairman of the Football League club Reading F.C. in 1990, and has given his name to the club's Madejski Stadium, built in 1998 with £25 million largely contributed by him. He plucked Reading from the jaws of the receivers, and now owns 98 per cent of the club he rescued. He said "When Robert Maxwell was alive I offered him five pounds a share. When he fell off his boat I got them for 10p. Funny old life isn't it?". In 2006 he led the Royals to the top tier of English football for the first time in their 135-year history, and has since proposed plans for an expansion of the stadium to 38,000 seats. Having guided Reading to the Premier League Madejski is ready to sell up, so long as the offer is a good one, saying:
“ The brand is getting stronger all the time and if there is a billionaire who wants a nice accessory down the M4 then come and talk to me. Apart from Manchester United, unless you've got a sugar daddy with really deep pockets, you're wasting your time. ”

Madejski has since added that Reading's next owner will have to be super-yacht rich. "I'll listen to sensible offers - but from billionaires only. Millionaires need not apply."

The club achieved pre-tax profits of £6.6m during the tax year ending in June 2007 and the club has recently been valued at £100 million[5].

Soo,

Man saves club from being no more and joining up with oxford to make a thames valley team.
Man bankrolls this club, build new stadium, takes reading to the prem, takes the club higher than its ever been before.
Man doesn't want to have the club in a poor position again, and has good financial control, he doesn't want us to be broke.
Man has sold players and brought money in, but is planning maybe for when we have no more prem payments, and at that point can still afford players.
Thank you Sir John, I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU ON YOUR OWN HAVE DONE FOR MY TEAM.

+1

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

The cost of the Stadium really does vary from different places doesn't it.

[willz_royal]

Massive respect for the man. Saved us out of the goodness of his heart.

Youd have to be very moronic to think he's taking us down on purpose.

its his business that he wants to SELL.

[shoey]

Just watching the 2 part SJM tv thing, and it makes me like, respect and wish to pay thanks to sjm even more, he loves reading fc and I know and feel while he is here we will be ok.

[Forest Gump]

Obviously we're grateful for the re-building so far but he is now clerloy holding us back. I hope he does the fair thing and tries to make the team/club attractive to potential buyers.

[Dirk Gently]

Obviously we're grateful for the re-building so far but he is now clerloy holding us back. I hope he does the fair thing and tries to make the team/club attractive to potential buyers.

What possible motivation could he have for not doing that?

[RoyalBlue]

Please read below, remember what he has done, where he has taken us too, and get perspective on him!

Yes the Grand Old Duke of Ego marched us up to the top of the hill and he marched us back down again.

Thank god there is only one of him - the planet couldn't support two.

Massive respect for the man. Saved us out of the goodness of his heart.

With no thought of personal gain (image, profile etc.)?!! If you believe that I would strongly advise you to steer well clear of time-share and double glazing salesmen!

[howser]

After watching the TV programme, to me it became obvious that he has other projects that are far more important than Reading Fc, which totally explains his lack of investment in the club, parts of it took place when we were still in the Premiership, and of course since then we have not wanted to pay fees or wages that would have secured bthat season , or guaranteed a return to the Premiership last season. We are well down on his "important" list and what was the point of the Reading shirt ? was he trying to impress the fans with his passion for the club ?

[Vision]

After watching the TV programme, to me it became obvious that he has other projects that are far more important than Reading Fc, which totally explains his lack of investment in the club, parts of it took place when we were still in the Premiership, and of course since then we have not wanted to pay fees or wages that would have secured bthat season , or guaranteed a return to the Premiership last season. We are well down on his "important" list and what was the point of the Reading shirt ? was he trying to impress the fans with his passion for the club ?

How much investment would have "guaranteed a return to the Premiership" ?

[howser]

Vision, I dont know "how much" but we were pretty nailed on before Christmas for a return, clearly the best side in the Championship, thought by many opposing managers as well, when we did stumble over Christmas and it was obvious to all that we needed a boost of some new blood what happened ? we bought in Little, injury prone and done nothing whule here, and Kitson who cant hit a barn door with a horses ass nowadays. £5-£8m in january should have secured our Premiership position and we would have made an immense amount more than that, if we had gone back up. Speculate to accumulate I think it's called.

[Top Flight]

Like Sir John Madejski, I run a business. Ok, he has 18 companies, I have just the one. But anyone who is not running a company in this, probably the worst recession since the 1930's can't even begin to imagine what Madejski is going through right now.

This is the worst economic downturn in our lifetimes. If you run your own business then you might understand how bad it is out there.

Madejski mentioned on BBC 4 last night that some of his companies are just burning through cash right now. I know what thats like. I'm just burning cash right now too and its bloody awful.

Madejski is acting to protect his own investments and the club in a horrendous economic climate. Its not just his Reading Football Club business that is suffering right now. But his plans to develop station hill are on hold too. All progression has to be on hold right now. Its a time to retrench. If he is aggressive in his spending plans now, Reading will be out of business in no time.

The fans need to just chill out. He MUST reduce his spending. You will see the benefits of this strategy not today but in the years to come when Reading are in a better long-term shape than many others. We have to be prepared to play the long game. Any supporter that has not been here for just the last five minutes will be better able to live with that.

[Gordons Cumming]

Well said Top Flight.

Too sensible for this board.

[Vision]

Vision, I dont know "how much" but we were pretty nailed on before Christmas for a return, clearly the best side in the Championship, thought by many opposing managers as well, when we did stumble over Christmas and it was obvious to all that we needed a boost of some new blood what happened ? we bought in Little, injury prone and done nothing whule here, and Kitson who cant hit a barn door with a horses ass nowadays. £5-£8m in january should have secured our Premiership position and we would have made an immense amount more than that, if we had gone back up. Speculate to accumulate I think it's called.

A committment of £5-8m in one window plus the associated wage committment for the following seasons would be utter madness for a club of our size.


We weren't "clearly the best side in the championship" (if we were why would we then need to spend 5-8m?). We had a very good run for a while just as several other clubs did at various parts of the season. No-one in the championship is going to spend £5-8m in a Jan transfer window unless they were already guaranteed promotion or had a bottomless pit of money. 99% dont and we're one of them. Its just committing yourself to money you do not have and its why/how clubs get themselves in the shit.

You're talking about the £5.5m Dave Kitson. Didn't guarantee much did it.

Face facts we're a championship club and rebuilding for the future under the financial constraints of the current climate. You might hope for more and perhaps the club should keep more of a lid on the "premiership is our priority" bullshit but what some people think the club should be spending is ridiculous.

[(.)Boobies(.)]

The fans need to just chill out. He MUST reduce his spending. You will see the benefits of this strategy not today but in the years to come when Reading are in a better long-term shape than many others. We have to be prepared to play the long game. Any supporter that has not been here for just the last five minutes will be better able to live with that.

A very good post, but you seem to suggest John Madejski will still be here in a few years time, when he's wanted to sell for the past 3+ years already. Meanwhile, attendances will drop, we will stuggle to attract so called top players, and we will dice with relegation to League 1 not just this season, but next as well if the money isn't there (next season being even harder minus shoot payments). Fair enough, can't really blame the man himself, but football fans still pay a lot for their tickets, and they want someone to point the finger at.

[Vision]

The fans need to just chill out. He MUST reduce his spending. You will see the benefits of this strategy not today but in the years to come when Reading are in a better long-term shape than many others. We have to be prepared to play the long game. Any supporter that has not been here for just the last five minutes will be better able to live with that.

A very good post, but you seem to suggest John Madejski will still be here in a few years time, when he's wanted to sell for the past 3+ years already. Meanwhile, attendances will drop, we will stuggle to attract so called top players, and we will dice with relegation to League 1 not just this season, but next as well if the money isn't there (next season being even harder minus shoot payments). Fair enough, can't really blame the man himself, but football fans still pay a lot for their tickets, and they want someone to point the finger at.

Of course we do and we're all going through thye same recession so you can't blame fans really as this should be their escape. I just think some of what is expected of JM is far too much given the current situation. They should of course shut up about promotion being their priority but again its kind of their job to at least try and sell the club to punters , however half heartedly.

The priority this season is clearly to stabilise to a level where losing the "shoot" payments don't cripple us. We'll be back to the level we were before 05/06 but with a continued emphasis on maximising the investment in the academy.

Its not actually a bad place to be and for me personally its far more rewarding than chucking money at Premiership dream that A) we simply aren't prepared/equipped to deal with or B) isn't all its cracked up to be.

[willz_royal]

Please read below, remember what he has done, where he has taken us too, and get perspective on him!

Yes the Grand Old Duke of Ego marched us up to the top of the hill and he marched us back down again.

Thank god there is only one of him - the planet couldn't support two.

Massive respect for the man. Saved us out of the goodness of his heart.

With no thought of personal gain (image, profile etc.)?!! If you believe that I would strongly advise you to steer well clear of time-share and double glazing salesmen!

but why does that matter? hes given me a football club to support for the rest of my life. i dont care if his "profile" goes up because of it

[royal_cornwall]

Please read below, remember what he has done...

You lost me right here!!

Can't fault what he has done. We'll always be indebted to him, but for over 2 years now, this being the third season, he has been taking us backwards because he simple isn't interested any longer. He wants to sell. He wants to make what money he can out of the club, repaying some debts to him and then hopefully flog the club.

You cannot cling to the past. He is taking us backwards at an alarming rate!

Your right the prick isnt interested anymore, He's more interested in fvcking up the print industry with BGP and ploughing millions into a loss making company... millions hopefully he'll never get back.

Fvck off Madejski from Reading FC and Print.

[shoey]

royal cornwall, kindly accept my offer to f-off and support someone else, SJM has done more for reading fc than anyone ever has

[sam1]

Like Sir John Madejski, I run a business. Ok, he has 18 companies, I have just the one. But anyone who is not running a company in this, probably the worst recession since the 1930's can't even begin to imagine what Madejski is going through right now.

This is the worst economic downturn in our lifetimes. If you run your own business then you might understand how bad it is out there.

Madejski mentioned on BBC 4 last night that some of his companies are just burning through cash right now. I know what thats like. I'm just burning cash right now too and its bloody awful.

Madejski is acting to protect his own investments and the club in a horrendous economic climate. Its not just his Reading Football Club business that is suffering right now. But his plans to develop station hill are on hold too. All progression has to be on hold right now. Its a time to retrench. If he is aggressive in his spending plans now, Reading will be out of business in no time.

The fans need to just chill out. He MUST reduce his spending. You will see the benefits of this strategy not today but in the years to come when Reading are in a better long-term shape than many others. We have to be prepared to play the long game. Any supporter that has not been here for just the last five minutes will be better able to live with that.

Having watched that last night it just confirmed what we'd already guessed. He's probably not prepared to splash the cash on players when the economy and indeed his businesses are suffering. I did kind of warm to him during the documentary.