TAKEOVER *NOT* CONFIMRED

[WestYorksRoyal]

I know I should be skeptical, but this does feel like the one. Not much room for Dai to move the goalposts as the stadium needs a club with it. It seems like Pang and Dai are involved given the training ground sale, plus I trust Earnshaw not to report it without covering off this point.

The main blockers I see are Wokingham council rejecting the change in planning permission as we all wanted them to yesterday, and on the pitch performances threatening relegation.

Win today and get the deal done to stave off additional points deductions and you'd say relegation risk is 5% max.

[Sutekh]

I know I should be skeptical, but this does feel like the one. Not much room for Dai to move the goalposts as the stadium needs a club with it. It seems like Pang and Dai are involved given the training ground sale, plus I trust Earnshaw not to report it without covering off this point.

The main blockers I see are Wokingham council rejecting the change in planning permission as we all wanted them to yesterday, and on the pitch performances threatening relegation.

Win today and get the deal done to stave off additional points deductions and you'd say relegation risk is 5% max.

Apparently the separate Bearwood sale came out of nowhere and caught NH on the hop as much as everyone else. Really can't wait to get these two serial communication failures finally out of the club.

[PieEater]

I know I should be skeptical, but this does feel like the one. Not much room for Dai to move the goalposts as the stadium needs a club with it. It seems like Pang and Dai are involved given the training ground sale, plus I trust Earnshaw not to report it without covering off this point.

The main blockers I see are Wokingham council rejecting the change in planning permission as we all wanted them to yesterday, and on the pitch performances threatening relegation.

Win today and get the deal done to stave off additional points deductions and you'd say relegation risk is 5% max.

Apparently the separate Bearwood sale came out of nowhere and caught NH on the hop as much as everyone else. Really can't wait to get these two serial communication failures finally out of the club.

It seems pretty clear to me that the leak about the sale/exclusivity next week on Friday was specifically done to avert fan protests at the game today.

I guess they are hoping fans wouldn't be stupid enough to do another pitch invasion and jeopardise the sale. I expect another call for patience from the club shortly.

[Snowflake Royal]

People have been crying out for us to be sustainable. Now a potential buyer is trying to buy us in a form with affordable costs, everyone is questioning it. If you buy Reading with Bearwood and everything, you need to stabilise as a Championship club quickly to make sense. Do we want owners who make that the cornerstone of their strategy, given a season can be ruin by injuries, referee performances and many other non controllables?

There's generally been a trend of unremittingly bad news.

Selling off and replacing Bearwood, which is ultimately unaffordable for us at this level isn't inherently bad.

What is bad is that we all know Dai is thoroughly untrustworthy. It's come out the blue, and there appears to be no plan for first team training, or what to do with the Academy. Again, the Academy is unaffordable at this level in its current form, and can't operate without Bearwood at the level it is. But Bearwood and the Academy are the two main assets with value we had. The Academy has produced a near endless supply of professional talent over the last 15 years. We've got thousands of first team appearances out of it, and tens of millions in fees. And that's having squandered a considerable number of players from it.

So this all could be positive news, if we had an owner we could trust and evidence there's some sort of longer term strategy. But we don't. So it's worrying and we assume the worst, because the worst has consistently been surpassed year on year.

[rabidbee]

No plan has been communicated to us, who are not actually party to the deal. It may be that the final deal includes provisions for us to continue training there until we find a new training ground.

[Snowflake Royal]

No plan has been communicated to us, who are not actually party to the deal. It may be that the final deal includes provisions for us to continue training there until we find a new training ground.

The statements and previous experience don't particularly lend themselves to that view.

[andrew1957]

Some are talking about Bearwood and the Academy being too expensive in L1 but I disagree. Surely the Academy can be a very profitable entity if you have owners with money. The likes of Nelson Abbey could have been sold in a couple of years for millions if he kept progressing as he was let alone Vickers and Harris. We let them all go for pence because the owner had no money. I honestly believe that we would get back to Championship status far quicker with the Academy continuing than by just buying or loaning other clubs cast offs. A well run Academy can be a great financial success.

Reading FC without a Cat 1 Academy just becomes another small struggling club whereas with a strong Academy and patient owners you can see us getting back to the PL eventually.

Where it all went wrong for Dai was not spending money on Bearwood and the Academy (which were investments) but spanking millions on Aluko, Jaoa, Pusca and a huge contract for Moore + others in a desperate gamble to get to the PL in a couple of seasons. If instead Dai had sold the likes of Moore when he had the chance and built the team with Academy youngsters and free transfers we would likely still be in the Championship and not in this awful mess.

[Loafer]

i have heard on the grapevine that a takeover is imminent from somebody who goes to the same hairdresser as ruben selles

[traff]

i have heard on the grapevine that a takeover is imminent from somebody who goes to the same hairdresser as ruben selles

Is it Finn Hair in Woodley? as I heard they both enjoy the occasional Saveloy and a spam fritter from the chippy next door.

[windermereROYAL]

i have heard on the grapevine that a takeover is imminent from somebody who goes to the same hairdresser as ruben selles

Must be true then if you posted it, break out the champers.

[Loafer]

i have heard on the grapevine that a takeover is imminent from somebody who goes to the same hairdresser as ruben selles

Must be true then if you posted it, break out the champers.

Wait and see

Unlike Brogue I am actually reputable and have knowledge of these things

I said years ago we would get relegated and everybody laughed at me and called me out... alas, whose laughing now?!

[rabidbee]

Some are talking about Bearwood and the Academy being too expensive in L1 but I disagree. Surely the Academy can be a very profitable entity if you have owners with money. The likes of Nelson Abbey could have been sold in a couple of years for millions if he kept progressing as he was let alone Vickers and Harris. We let them all go for pence because the owner had no money. I honestly believe that we would get back to Championship status far quicker with the Academy continuing than by just buying or loaning other clubs cast offs. A well run Academy can be a great financial success.

Reading FC without a Cat 1 Academy just becomes another small struggling club whereas with a strong Academy and patient owners you can see us getting back to the PL eventually.

Where it all went wrong for Dai was not spending money on Bearwood and the Academy (which were investments) but spanking millions on Aluko, Jaoa, Pusca and a huge contract for Moore + others in a desperate gamble to get to the PL in a couple of seasons. If instead Dai had sold the likes of Moore when he had the chance and built the team with Academy youngsters and free transfers we would likely still be in the Championship and not in this awful mess.

I do broadly agree, especially as I seem to recall that spending on the academy isn’t counted towards FFP. However, opting not to maintain the expense of a cat 1 academy is not the same as opting to have no academy. They go right down to cat 4.

[windermereROYAL]

This guy supposedly Thailand based has been breaking stories, he`s had a few stinkers but he correctly forecast bad news incoming last week. posted this a little while ago.

Hi #readingfc fans, been checking in with people since last night and a name that keeps popping up is Martin whitaker. Not fully sure of his involvement in this investment company as yet but understand he has been heavily involved is some capacity. Will try and find out more


https://twitter.com/HuangKad/status/1768948233353720222

Claims to work at the sports desk at the Bangkok news, when it`s actually the Bangkok post. an international correspondent with 574 followers.

Have to take it with a pinch I`m afraid.

JUST IN
I can exclusively reveal exclusivity has been agreed this morning. Deal to be completed this week. With announcements Thursday. #Readingfc

[The Royal Forester]

This latest news has come from a Nigel Howe statement, I believe. I now expect a statement to be issued by Pang on Monday "Mr Dai can confirm that he has sold the Stadium to a mate, and is now looking to secure a buyer for the Club."

[Orion1871]

Some are talking about Bearwood and the Academy being too expensive in L1 but I disagree. Surely the Academy can be a very profitable entity if you have owners with money. The likes of Nelson Abbey could have been sold in a couple of years for millions if he kept progressing as he was let alone Vickers and Harris. We let them all go for pence because the owner had no money. I honestly believe that we would get back to Championship status far quicker with the Academy continuing than by just buying or loaning other clubs cast offs. A well run Academy can be a great financial success.

Reading FC without a Cat 1 Academy just becomes another small struggling club whereas with a strong Academy and patient owners you can see us getting back to the PL eventually.

Where it all went wrong for Dai was not spending money on Bearwood and the Academy (which were investments) but spanking millions on Aluko, Jaoa, Pusca and a huge contract for Moore + others in a desperate gamble to get to the PL in a couple of seasons. If instead Dai had sold the likes of Moore when he had the chance and built the team with Academy youngsters and free transfers we would likely still be in the Championship and not in this awful mess.

I do broadly agree, especially as I seem to recall that spending on the academy isn’t counted towards FFP. However, opting not to maintain the expense of a cat 1 academy is not the same as opting to have no academy. They go right down to cat 4.

Which may as well be no academy at all. Even on the off chance you do get kids who are half decent they are gone long before they even get a sniff of the under 16s, and the compensation is a joke.

[Winston Biscuit]

Pang's anonymous account tweeting that it'll be announced on Thurs

[Snowflake Royal]

Some are talking about Bearwood and the Academy being too expensive in L1 but I disagree. Surely the Academy can be a very profitable entity if you have owners with money. The likes of Nelson Abbey could have been sold in a couple of years for millions if he kept progressing as he was let alone Vickers and Harris. We let them all go for pence because the owner had no money. I honestly believe that we would get back to Championship status far quicker with the Academy continuing than by just buying or loaning other clubs cast offs. A well run Academy can be a great financial success.

Reading FC without a Cat 1 Academy just becomes another small struggling club whereas with a strong Academy and patient owners you can see us getting back to the PL eventually.

Where it all went wrong for Dai was not spending money on Bearwood and the Academy (which were investments) but spanking millions on Aluko, Jaoa, Pusca and a huge contract for Moore + others in a desperate gamble to get to the PL in a couple of seasons. If instead Dai had sold the likes of Moore when he had the chance and built the team with Academy youngsters and free transfers we would likely still be in the Championship and not in this awful mess.

I do broadly agree, especially as I seem to recall that spending on the academy isn’t counted towards FFP. However, opting not to maintain the expense of a cat 1 academy is not the same as opting to have no academy. They go right down to cat 4.

It's not so much about the financial rules it's about financial stability. And a L1 club can't afford the £2m - £5m for a Cat 1 Academy when income is about £8m. But yes, completely right that its not about getting rid of the Academy, although clubs like Brentford manage perfectly well without one with good scouting and selling. It's about (hopefully temporarily) downgrading it to make it affordable.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Pang's anonymous account tweeting that it'll be announced on Thurs

I can’t wait for Thursday. I might book the day off work.

[andrew1957]

Some are talking about Bearwood and the Academy being too expensive in L1 but I disagree. Surely the Academy can be a very profitable entity if you have owners with money. The likes of Nelson Abbey could have been sold in a couple of years for millions if he kept progressing as he was let alone Vickers and Harris. We let them all go for pence because the owner had no money. I honestly believe that we would get back to Championship status far quicker with the Academy continuing than by just buying or loaning other clubs cast offs. A well run Academy can be a great financial success.

Reading FC without a Cat 1 Academy just becomes another small struggling club whereas with a strong Academy and patient owners you can see us getting back to the PL eventually.

Where it all went wrong for Dai was not spending money on Bearwood and the Academy (which were investments) but spanking millions on Aluko, Jaoa, Pusca and a huge contract for Moore + others in a desperate gamble to get to the PL in a couple of seasons. If instead Dai had sold the likes of Moore when he had the chance and built the team with Academy youngsters and free transfers we would likely still be in the Championship and not in this awful mess.

I do broadly agree, especially as I seem to recall that spending on the academy isn’t counted towards FFP. However, opting not to maintain the expense of a cat 1 academy is not the same as opting to have no academy. They go right down to cat 4.

It's not so much about the financial rules it's about financial stability. And a L1 club can't afford the £2m - £5m for a Cat 1 Academy when income is about £8m. But yes, completely right that its not about getting rid of the Academy, although clubs like Brentford manage perfectly well without one with good scouting and selling. It's about (hopefully temporarily) downgrading it to make it affordable.

But the point is that it will be virtually impossible to run the club sustainably below PL level. Hardly any clubs below PL make no losses each year and so any future owner will be expending money and investing in the hope of eventually reaching the PL and becoming a Brighton or a Brentford. What you need is an owner who is willing to see the Academy as a long term investment.

[WestYorksRoyal]

This account has got a few things right. But you'd think that if exclusivity was signed pre kick off, you'd announce today to help the atmosphere. And surely from exclusivity to completion in a week is a pipe dream?