TAKEOVER *NOT* CONFIMRED

[The Royal Forester]

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.

Clubs like Brentford are allowed to pay for signings though, aren't they? When can we next BUY a player, is it 2025 or 2026? That is if we can go that long without a new embargo put on us.

[Snowflake Royal]

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.

We've just spent 10 years proving that you can't run a club unsustainably, having proved for almost 10 years shortly before that, that you could run a club fairly sustainably.

We need to spend to our means, including fees for selling players. Not pay well beyond our means on things beyond our level.

A Category 1 Academy is useless in L1 medium term, because your best players will leave for better clubs, and you can't command big money for them, and you simply won't attract Cat 1 level youngsters for your new intakes.

We desperately need to downsize, whilst maximising value from those players we do still currently have at the club.

[tmesis]

Speculation on speculation, but this doesn't look ideal

https://twitter.com/lines_aviation/stat ... 4068699379
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/financial ... m-imploded

Basically implying the company that own Sports.com doesn't have much more credibility that our energy drink promoting buddy from a few months back.

[Mr Angry]

It's the hope that kills you.......................................

[Mid Sussex Royal]

I've checked Hwang Kad's twitter posts back to the autumn and he's by and large called it right....

[From Despair To Where?]

To confirm, has the ground been sold off or in talks to be alongside the takeover talks?

The rumour is that this consortium is looking to buy the club and the ground, but that's all it is at the moment, a rumour.

Rumour from a very reliable source though.

If this thread teaches you anything, its don't believe a thing until it's officially announced

[Pepe the Horseman]

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

Sorry to spoil the fun, but a nobber is behind this account. Huang Kad = wankered.

[From Despair To Where?]

Just goes to show what an utter disgrace Dai is, if a deal to buy the club was indeed this close why sell the training ground to another club?

Umm, maybe the main buyers didn't WANT Bearwood?

Let's see, can we buy your club, but we don't want to buy where the club trains. Yes that works.

It makes perfect sense if the training ground is a money pit. Also knocks £20m off the asking price.

Fantastic facilities,yes but a complete white elephant in League 1.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Speculation on speculation, but this doesn't look ideal

https://twitter.com/lines_aviation/stat ... 4068699379
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/financial ... m-imploded

Basically implying the company that own Sports.com doesn't have much more credibility that our energy drink promoting buddy from a few months back.

I'll take out of a steel coke furnace into a regular fire.

[windermereROYAL]

Sorry to spoil the fun, but a nobber is behind this account. Huang Kad = wankered.

International journalist ITK, joined twitter 10 years ago, 614 followers. what`s not to believe?

[tmesis]

Speculation on speculation, but this doesn't look ideal

https://twitter.com/lines_aviation/stat ... 4068699379
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/financial ... m-imploded

Basically implying the company that own Sports.com doesn't have much more credibility that our energy drink promoting buddy from a few months back.

I'll take out of a steel coke furnace into a regular fire.

Fills me with confidence...



Sports.com is a rebranded SportLocker, bought by Lottery.com just last month for $1 million.

[under the tin]

Umm, maybe the main buyers didn't WANT Bearwood?

Let's see, can we buy your club, but we don't want to buy where the club trains. Yes that works.

It makes perfect sense if the training ground is a money pit. Also knocks £20m off the asking price.

Fantastic facilities,yes but a complete white elephant in League 1.

Ably proven by Darlington's 25000 seater one.
Facilities, stadium, size of fanbase, catchment area gets you precisely zero points in pro football.
Cut the cloth now, rebuild later when able.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Marc Bircham is stuck on the M4.

[Hendo]

Let's see, can we buy your club, but we don't want to buy where the club trains. Yes that works.

It makes perfect sense if the training ground is a money pit. Also knocks £20m off the asking price.

Fantastic facilities,yes but a complete white elephant in League 1.

Ably proven by Darlington's 25000 seater one.
Facilities, stadium, size of fanbase, catchment area gets you precisely zero points in pro football.
Cut the cloth now, rebuild later when able.

I mean, sure. But don’t think that’s quite the same thing.

[Sutekh]

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.

I won't hold my breath!

[Uke]

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.

If it’s profitable why would you need owners with money to keep it afloat

[Uke]

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

To me it seems his posts seem to be by someone who’s “vvankered”…

[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.

If it’s profitable why would you need owners with money to keep it afloat

It's profitable if you actually sell the players it produces for more than a pittance, or in the case of the likes of Loader, Richards, etc, anything at all. Just because Dai Yongge is a f[u]cking moron doesn't mean someone sensible can't run it sensibly.

Sunderland had a category 1 academy in League 1 and Derby also have a category 1 academy in this league. So it can be done.

[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.

If it’s profitable why would you need owners with money to keep it afloat

It's profitable if you actually sell the players it produces for more than a pittance, or in the case of the likes of Loader, Richards, etc, anything at all.

Which means you don’t need a rich owner to fund it.

[tmesis]

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.

If it’s profitable why would you need owners with money to keep it afloat

It's profitable if you actually sell the players it produces for more than a pittance, or in the case of the likes of Loader, Richards, etc, anything at all. Just because Dai Yongge is a f[u]cking moron doesn't mean someone sensible can't run it sensibly.

Sunderland had a category 1 academy in League 1 and Derby also have a category 1 academy in this league. So it can be done.

Having average crowds of 25000-30000 might just have helped in those cases.