TAKEOVER *NOT* CONFIMRED

[WestYorksRoyal]

I thought the same. It happens the same every time; people say it's close and then silence. Obviously the club have reasons to plug the mini season tickets anyway, but the anxiety is heightening.

[Hendo]

Club in marketing ticket offer shock. More at 11.

[Silver Fox]

Club in marketing ticket offer shock. More at 11.

[Stranded]

So losing half of your income wouldn't leave you feeling a bit stressed GWL? Keeping in mind that the 28 year old footballer probably has 4 or 5 years left of earning well before their career ends. I doubt many lower league players waltz into lucrative salaries after they retire just as the rest of us are hitting our prime earning years. Dropping £100K a year now is going to hit that pension pot massively.

It would stress me a bit, but some people on here are saying its worse for footballers than a nurse working in the NHS, which is patent nonsense.

Furthermore, the career of a footballer sets them nicely up for coaching roles in football, punditry, being an agent, working behind the scenes in a former club.

Being a professional footballer sets you up for a life of relatively interesting work at above average levels of salary. No one should lose too much sleep over a top 3 tier footballer losing 3 months pay.

Has anyone literally said the bit in bold? - may have missed it but that is naturally nonsense. But looking at the players we have on our books at the moment, if the club does go pop they will fit in to a number of categories.

There will be those who would likely get picked up on similar or only a little less pay - Wing, Knibbs, Azeez, Smith, Bindon all fit into that group.

There will be others who may struggle to pick up another deal or would need to take a massive pay drop - looking at the likes of Dean, possibly even Yiadom given he is over 30.

Then you have a lot of the younger players who really may struggle to fnd another deal or need to drop out of the pro game altogether - so Wellens, Wareham, Carson, Abrefa, Rushesha.

So yes, someone earning 35k per year will have more worries but the security of the job will naturally have taken a toll.

[Stranded]

The club are plugging the mini season tickets again so it doesn’t bode well.

Err - it would be a massively dysfunctional marketing department if you create an offer and publisize it once and only once. It means nothing beyond marketing.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Club in marketing ticket offer shock. More at 11.

You are of course right. Just reflects the state of mind this has got many fanbase members into.

[blythspartan]

The club are plugging the mini season tickets again so it doesn’t bode well.

Err - it would be a massively dysfunctional marketing department if you create an offer and publisize it once and only once. It means nothing beyond marketing.

Yep agree, I am being a Pratt.

[Orion1871]

The club are plugging the mini season tickets again so it doesn’t bode well.

Shame they are only allowing people to load their ticket using one method. Would've thought they'd sell more if people could load them onto their member cards rather than onto Google/Apple wallet exclusively.

[RG30]

The club are plugging the mini season tickets again so it doesn’t bode well.

Shame they are only allowing people to load their ticket using one method. Would've thought they'd sell more if people could load them onto their member cards rather than onto Google/Apple wallet exclusively.

Not true though is it?

Supporters will be able to download their Season Ticket to their smart phone into their Google or Apple Wallet from their online account. Supporters can request a physical card via post or collection, but it will cost £3 per card and supporters will need to call the Ticket Office on 0118 968 1313.

Your Final 3 Mini Season Ticket will then be activated ready for Northampton Town on Friday 29th March but will not work for any fixture before this date.

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/march/21/Mini-Season-Tickets-Update-21Mar24/

[SouthDownsRoyal]

The club are plugging the mini season tickets again so it doesn’t bode well.

Shame they are only allowing people to load their ticket using one method. Would've thought they'd sell more if people could load them onto their member cards rather than onto Google/Apple wallet exclusively.

Although I agree with this, if true, How many fans have a member card but not an android or Apple phone?

[Franchise FC]

So losing half of your income wouldn't leave you feeling a bit stressed GWL? Keeping in mind that the 28 year old footballer probably has 4 or 5 years left of earning well before their career ends. I doubt many lower league players waltz into lucrative salaries after they retire just as the rest of us are hitting our prime earning years. Dropping £100K a year now is going to hit that pension pot massively.

It would stress me a bit, but some people on here are saying its worse for footballers than a nurse working in the NHS, which is patent nonsense.

Furthermore, the career of a footballer sets them nicely up for coaching roles in football, punditry, being an agent, working behind the scenes in a former club.

Being a professional footballer sets you up for a life of relatively interesting work at above average levels of salary. No one should lose too much sleep over a top 3 tier footballer losing 3 months pay.

The list of post-career jobs you quote is finite, presumably most are already filled.
The number of players far, far outweighs the number of post-playing jobs available

[Greatwesternline]

It would stress me a bit, but some people on here are saying its worse for footballers than a nurse working in the NHS, which is patent nonsense.

Has anyone literally said the bit in bold? - may have missed it but that is naturally nonsense. But looking at the players we have on our books at the moment, if the club does go pop they will fit in to a number of categories.

Yes, Snowball, top of page 141

[Stranded]

It would stress me a bit, but some people on here are saying its worse for footballers than a nurse working in the NHS, which is patent nonsense.

Has anyone literally said the bit in bold? - may have missed it but that is naturally nonsense. But looking at the players we have on our books at the moment, if the club does go pop they will fit in to a number of categories.

Yes, Snowball, top of page 141

Then you should have stopped reading when you saw who posted.

[Greatwesternline]

So losing half of your income wouldn't leave you feeling a bit stressed GWL? Keeping in mind that the 28 year old footballer probably has 4 or 5 years left of earning well before their career ends. I doubt many lower league players waltz into lucrative salaries after they retire just as the rest of us are hitting our prime earning years. Dropping £100K a year now is going to hit that pension pot massively.

It would stress me a bit, but some people on here are saying its worse for footballers than a nurse working in the NHS, which is patent nonsense.

Furthermore, the career of a footballer sets them nicely up for coaching roles in football, punditry, being an agent, working behind the scenes in a former club.

Being a professional footballer sets you up for a life of relatively interesting work at above average levels of salary. No one should lose too much sleep over a top 3 tier footballer losing 3 months pay.

The list of post-career jobs you quote is finite, presumably most are already filled.
The number of players far, far outweighs the number of post-playing jobs available

Reading FC's annual report is interesting in this regard: Number of players = 39.

Number of "football management and coaching staff" = 74

Clubs needs mulitple coaches and managers for every one of their age groups.
They need scouts for scouting transfer targets.
They need scouts and analysts for who they are playing next week.
They need player liaison personnel.
They need sporting directors. They need guest speakers to entertain the executive boxes.
The FA need coaches and managers for all of their age groups.

A lot of this is also required in the women's game too, at each age group. Yes these jobs pay less well than being a footballer, but there are jobs galore in football, and being a former pro opens the doors to these in ways that is much easier than if you come up the hard way, i.e. through doing your badges without a football CV.

This is before you even factor in all the punditry required, including local journalism, not just MOTD and Sky Sports.

Honestly if you can't make a successful career in football having been a professional footballer, your heart probably isn't in it.

[windermereROYAL]

So after Blackpool we bid farewell the the people sitting nearby in my case mostly the same for 20 years, I can call them friends even though we only meet at football. It could get emotional with no cast iron guarantee we`ll meet again in August.
I think we should all stick around for the lap of appreciation, the players will be in the same boat as us, have they all kicked their last football for Reading football club?
While it`s possible, or even likely somebody will have exclusivity by then it`s by no means certain it will get over the line.
3 games to go, back the boys because what will be will be.

[Brogue]

[RFCMod]

You almost immediately expect a picture of Uri Gellar to be accompanying this front page

[Snowflake Royal]

So losing half of your income wouldn't leave you feeling a bit stressed GWL? Keeping in mind that the 28 year old footballer probably has 4 or 5 years left of earning well before their career ends. I doubt many lower league players waltz into lucrative salaries after they retire just as the rest of us are hitting our prime earning years. Dropping £100K a year now is going to hit that pension pot massively.

It would stress me a bit, but some people on here are saying its worse for footballers than a nurse working in the NHS, which is patent nonsense.

Furthermore, the career of a footballer sets them nicely up for coaching roles in football, punditry, being an agent, working behind the scenes in a former club.

Being a professional footballer sets you up for a life of relatively interesting work at above average levels of salary. No one should lose too much sleep over a top 3 tier footballer losing 3 months pay.

Has anyone literally said the bit in bold? - may have missed it but that is naturally nonsense. But looking at the players we have on our books at the moment, if the club does go pop they will fit in to a number of categories.

There will be those who would likely get picked up on similar or only a little less pay - Wing, Knibbs, Azeez, Smith, Bindon all fit into that group.

There will be others who may struggle to pick up another deal or would need to take a massive pay drop - looking at the likes of Dean, possibly even Yiadom given he is over 30.

Then you have a lot of the younger players who really may struggle to fnd another deal or need to drop out of the pro game altogether - so Wellens, Wareham, Carson, Abrefa, Rushesha.

So yes, someone earning 35k per year will have more worries but the security of the job will naturally have taken a toll.

Snowball.

It basically comes back to my original response to Mr Angry, which was meant to be that we shouldn't consider the players as any more affected or deserving of sympathy than any number of other people in normal walks of life.

Not that we shouldn't have any sympathy or they should just suck it up, but that playing the woe is them card and they're some sort of heroes for dealing is excessive.

Especially from people who tend to not be sympathetic to people in normal walks of life who struggle. We all know there are some here whose reaction to a nurse using a foodbank is that they should just cancel sky and manage their money better.

It's then spiralled out of control.

[Hound]

It would stress me a bit, but some people on here are saying its worse for footballers than a nurse working in the NHS, which is patent nonsense.

Furthermore, the career of a footballer sets them nicely up for coaching roles in football, punditry, being an agent, working behind the scenes in a former club.

Being a professional footballer sets you up for a life of relatively interesting work at above average levels of salary. No one should lose too much sleep over a top 3 tier footballer losing 3 months pay.

The list of post-career jobs you quote is finite, presumably most are already filled.
The number of players far, far outweighs the number of post-playing jobs available

Reading FC's annual report is interesting in this regard: Number of players = 39.

Number of "football management and coaching staff" = 74

Clubs needs mulitple coaches and managers for every one of their age groups.
They need scouts for scouting transfer targets.
They need scouts and analysts for who they are playing next week.
They need player liaison personnel.
They need sporting directors. They need guest speakers to entertain the executive boxes.
The FA need coaches and managers for all of their age groups.

A lot of this is also required in the women's game too, at each age group. Yes these jobs pay less well than being a footballer, but there are jobs galore in football, and being a former pro opens the doors to these in ways that is much easier than if you come up the hard way, i.e. through doing your badges without a football CV.

This is before you even factor in all the punditry required, including local journalism, not just MOTD and Sky Sports.

Honestly if you can't make a successful career in football having been a professional footballer, your heart probably isn't in it.

Problem is that there are so many ex-pros and relatively few other football jobs. I assume that 74 covers all age groups. Obviously this and the fact that these jobs are generally pretty enjoyable jobs that a lot of people would go for means that the pay is pretty poor. Doubt the average academy coach is on much more than minimum wage

There are very few jobs in media that pay a decent whack

Whilst it’s probably right that an ex pro can find a football related job if they have other people skills (esp with younger people), it’s going to be a big step down wage wise from being a pro. Dunno about everyone else but if you told me in 4 years time I’m worth about 10% of what I am now I’d find that quite hard to come to terms with

[Snowflake Royal]

The list of post-career jobs you quote is finite, presumably most are already filled.
The number of players far, far outweighs the number of post-playing jobs available

Reading FC's annual report is interesting in this regard: Number of players = 39.

Number of "football management and coaching staff" = 74

Clubs needs mulitple coaches and managers for every one of their age groups.
They need scouts for scouting transfer targets.
They need scouts and analysts for who they are playing next week.
They need player liaison personnel.
They need sporting directors. They need guest speakers to entertain the executive boxes.
The FA need coaches and managers for all of their age groups.

A lot of this is also required in the women's game too, at each age group. Yes these jobs pay less well than being a footballer, but there are jobs galore in football, and being a former pro opens the doors to these in ways that is much easier than if you come up the hard way, i.e. through doing your badges without a football CV.

This is before you even factor in all the punditry required, including local journalism, not just MOTD and Sky Sports.

Honestly if you can't make a successful career in football having been a professional footballer, your heart probably isn't in it.

Problem is that there are so many ex-pros and relatively few other football jobs. I assume that 74 covers all age groups. Obviously this and the fact that these jobs are generally pretty enjoyable jobs means that the pay is pretty poor. Doubt the average academy coach is on much more than minimum wage

There are very few jobs in media that pay a decent whack

Whilst it’s probably right that an ex pro can find a football related job if they have other people skills (esp with younger people), it’s going to be a big step down wage wise from being a pro. Dunno about everyone else but if you told me in 4 years time I’m worth about 10% of what I am now I’d find that quite hard to come to terms with

I have faith you'd be ok with going from £500k a year to £50k a year.