7th August 2009
Welcome to the new football season from STAR, and the first of our monthly E-STAR e-mail newsletters. This season promises to be one of the most exciting yet, with a warm welcome also going out to new manager, Brendan Rodgers, about whom more later.
In this E-STAR :
-When STAR met Brendan - Our views of our new manager
-STAR AGM and Fans' Forum
-Membership Update
-STAR Communications
-Give your views in the National Supporters' Survey
-Win big money with the STAR Team Predictor Competition
-Join the STAR Flag Team
When STAR met Brendan - Our view of the new top man
STAR board members were lucky enough to invited to meet with Brendan Rodgers at the Hogwood Training ground a few weeks ago, where we had a fascinating time and Brendan was extremely open and honest - click here to read our impressions of him and to read what he told us.
STAR AGM and Fans' Forum
The AGM of STAR will take place at 8 pm on Aug 27th 2009 in the Princess Suite at the Madejski Stadium.
Immediately after this, at 8.30 pm, we will have Brendan Rodgers in the hot seat to answer supporters' questions in the first STAR Fans' Forum of the season. This is first chance to meet our new manager in person and discover his plans for our club. Fans’ Forums are a place where players and managers can talk directly to supporters - frankly and honestly and without fear of what they say being reported by the press the next day. Click here for more information.
Membership Update
Those of you who renewed your membership in July should now have your member cards and vouchers for this year, although please allow a little longer for them to arrive if you live abroad.
It’s never too late to join STAR, though. Benefits include a 10% voucher for use in the Megastore, discounted travel to Reading away matches, exiles groups for staying in touch when away from Reading, social events throughout the year as well as access to fans' forums where members of Reading FC talk directly to supporters, as well as the knowledge that you are a member of one of the best supported Supporters’ Trusts in the country. The more members we have, the greater our collective strength is!
If you've not yet renewed, you can download a membership form here, or join in person at the STAR HQ behind the East Stand.
STAR Communications
This year at STAR we're planning exciting new things too, and in response to feedback from our members in the survey we ran last year we're putting a lot of work into the way we communicate with our members.
As well as sending our members an e-Newsletter like this each month, we'll also be working hard to improve our website with more information and faster updates, and we'll shortly be enabled on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. We'll also be providing our in-depth newsletter "Reading Matter" three times a season, in either paper or electronic version.
Please let us know how we're doing by e-mailing us at info@star-reading.org.
FSF National Supporters Survey
You may know that STAR is a leading member of the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF), an organisation dedicated to representing the interests of football supporters nationally. In fact, STAR has two members on the FSF's National Council, with a major say in decision-making and FSF policy.
The FSF is currently running a National Supporters' Survey in order to understand better the issues affecting football supporters and their views and experiences. This will allow the FSF to ensure that their campaigns are targeted in a way that makes things best for football supporters.
The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete - if you'd be prepared to assist the FSF by giving them your views and experiences, click here.
Win big money with the STAR Team Predictor Competition
There's still time to enter Team Predictor - our annual prediction competition.
Entry is easy and you don't need any football knowledge whatsoever to have a chance of winning. Nor do you need to be a member of STAR or a supporter of Reading FC, so you can challenge your friends and relations, too. The more people who enter, the higher the prize money will be at the end of the competition so if you fancy your chances, it pays to get as many people to enter as possible.
Last years’ scores are available on the STAR website here - the first prize of nearly £300 was won by Paul Hobbs, and this season we'll be giving score updates on a monthly basis. Entry fee for this is just £5, and half of all money raised goes to support the Reading FC Academy.
The closing date for entries is 1st September, so click here for more information and an entry form or visit us in the STAR HQ.
Join the STAR Flag Team
Are you between 16 and 100? Do you sit in the East Stand? Are you free half an hour before kick-off about six times this season? The Number 13 Flag Team are looking for volunteers to help run our flag.
If you would like to help please email us at info@star-reading.org or ask for Pete Vickery at the STAR HQ behind the East Stand, before any home game.
STAR is the Supporter's Trust At Reading, a non-profit making, democratically accountable Supporters’ Trust set up in March 2002 to represent the interests of Reading supporters to the Football Club, the media, the local community and the football world, as well as encouraging football in the local community and strengthening the links between the local community and the Club.