New Owners - Redwood Watch

[Brogue]

It’s hard not to like Couhig. I think he always interviews well, sounds passionate and realistic and doesn’t take any shite. He has our best interests at heart (obviously, as a businessman they will also align with his) and while he has (and will) make mistakes, who doesn’t? The test will be whether he learns from them and this interview at the very least sounds like they know where we went wrong - here’s hoping for a better summer that sets up the best opportunity for Richardson to prove our doubts wrong.

Side note, I know I’m in a minority but I missed BBC Berks doing the commentary on RoyalsTV. Tim, Mick and Addy feel like an old pair of comfy pants. Sure they’ve got holes in, the elastic has gone a bit and you would wear something else if you were on a promise. But you’ve worn them for so long they feel an integral part of your slovenly Saturday with takeout pizza and a few tins, shortcomings and all.

Didn’t really rate the new lot. Nice enough chaps, but I kinda want my daft BBC Berks family back.

Absolutely, never got the hate for the BBC team... although Rita can do one. Surely one of the main skills for being on the radio is the ability to read aloud. She's fcuking dreadful.

[West F]

I do agree that the point about making it 'sustainable' should have been questioned - because currently virtually no team even non-league clubs are 'sustainable'; all of them are operating at a loss. So it would be good to know what he means by 'sustainable'? Does he mean within the rules of the league?

Within the rules of the league one expects. That the financial losses are sustainable. He could also have made being cost neutral a target for himself and the club.
Richardson, on the other hand, uses ‘sustainability’ as a buzz word, misnomered in place of longevity. The examples of clubs he provided have had squads and managers who have been together a comparatively long time.

[Orion1871]

It’s hard not to like Couhig. I think he always interviews well, sounds passionate and realistic and doesn’t take any shite. He has our best interests at heart (obviously, as a businessman they will also align with his) and while he has (and will) make mistakes, who doesn’t? The test will be whether he learns from them and this interview at the very least sounds like they know where we went wrong - here’s hoping for a better summer that sets up the best opportunity for Richardson to prove our doubts wrong.

Side note, I know I’m in a minority but I missed BBC Berks doing the commentary on RoyalsTV. Tim, Mick and Addy feel like an old pair of comfy pants. Sure they’ve got holes in, the elastic has gone a bit and you would wear something else if you were on a promise. But you’ve worn them for so long they feel an integral part of your slovenly Saturday with takeout pizza and a few tins, shortcomings and all.

Didn’t really rate the new lot. Nice enough chaps, but I kinda want my daft BBC Berks family back.

Absolutely, never got the hate for the BBC team... although Rita can do one. Surely one of the main skills for being on the radio is the ability to read aloud. She's fcuking dreadful.

Brogue, your saying that erm, well what you're saying is, that is to say that, well basically, you don't like Rita, in terms of, well her delivery of the texts and tweets.

[Brogue]

It’s hard not to like Couhig. I think he always interviews well, sounds passionate and realistic and doesn’t take any shite. He has our best interests at heart (obviously, as a businessman they will also align with his) and while he has (and will) make mistakes, who doesn’t? The test will be whether he learns from them and this interview at the very least sounds like they know where we went wrong - here’s hoping for a better summer that sets up the best opportunity for Richardson to prove our doubts wrong.

Side note, I know I’m in a minority but I missed BBC Berks doing the commentary on RoyalsTV. Tim, Mick and Addy feel like an old pair of comfy pants. Sure they’ve got holes in, the elastic has gone a bit and you would wear something else if you were on a promise. But you’ve worn them for so long they feel an integral part of your slovenly Saturday with takeout pizza and a few tins, shortcomings and all.

Didn’t really rate the new lot. Nice enough chaps, but I kinda want my daft BBC Berks family back.

Absolutely, never got the hate for the BBC team... although Rita can do one. Surely one of the main skills for being on the radio is the ability to read aloud. She's fcuking dreadful.

Brogue, your saying that erm, well what you're saying is, that is to say that, well basically, you don't like Rita, in terms of, well her delivery of the texts and tweets.

exactly that. She makes my shit itch

[The Royal Forester]

It’s hard not to like Couhig. I think he always interviews well, sounds passionate and realistic and doesn’t take any shite. He has our best interests at heart (obviously, as a businessman they will also align with his) and while he has (and will) make mistakes, who doesn’t? The test will be whether he learns from them and this interview at the very least sounds like they know where we went wrong - here’s hoping for a better summer that sets up the best opportunity for Richardson to prove our doubts wrong.

Side note, I know I’m in a minority but I missed BBC Berks doing the commentary on RoyalsTV. Tim, Mick and Addy feel like an old pair of comfy pants. Sure they’ve got holes in, the elastic has gone a bit and you would wear something else if you were on a promise. But you’ve worn them for so long they feel an integral part of your slovenly Saturday with takeout pizza and a few tins, shortcomings and all.

Didn’t really rate the new lot. Nice enough chaps, but I kinda want my daft BBC Berks family back.

Exactly my thoughts too! I get the impression that Phil (he probably wants to find the Wycombe result) and co. can't get away quick enough after a game. then we have to wait until BBC goes local again and we miss Bang, Bang. Bang most Saturdays!

[parky]

Rehne Sports Management have formally made an application to cease trading.

[katweslowski]

Side note, I know I’m in a minority but I missed BBC Berks doing the commentary on RoyalsTV. Tim, Mick and Addy feel like an old pair of comfy pants. Sure they’ve got holes in, the elastic has gone a bit and you would wear something else if you were on a promise. But you’ve worn them for so long they feel an integral part of your slovenly Saturday with takeout pizza and a few tins, shortcomings and all.

Didn’t really rate the new lot. Nice enough chaps, but I kinda want my daft BBC Berks family back.

Exactly my thoughts too! I get the impression that Phil (he probably wants to find the Wycombe result) and co. can't get away quick enough after a game. then we have to wait until BBC goes local again and we miss Bang, Bang. Bang most Saturdays!

I am not sure I can disagree more. I am not anti-BBC Berkshire and don't go in for all the general negativity they get. But I do listen most weeks to the build up as I drive to the ground and often afterwards.

Firstly, the commentary aside, I can't stand some of their discussion and the format. Particularly afterwards when oxf*rd Rita comes on like a children's entertainer, full of enthusiasm, upbeat and like it's all some fun show when we've just lost 3-0. You can see online endless tweets and messages to them which are angry and Rita goes and reads them all out like it's just a bit of fun, like "Ohhhh and Paul in Didcot says.... hehehe everyone's really angry heheehe".

Ady Williams really is the most intolerable idiot on the radio. He has the intellect and personality of an earth worm. The moronic questions he comes out with, the stupid points he makes, the endless repetition of the number and ways to contact, yet no messages seem to be read out and often limited calls. Many of this questions are hypothetical like: "Tim, if we won the next 4, and three other teams lost, we could go up to 4th - what do you think about that?"

Calls they do take are things like "Bill is on the line from Thatcham, how's the family Bill?"... it's all just so fluffy and woolly.

The only saving grace is when they have Charlie Estcourt on - she is bloody brilliant. So easy to listen to and I think she has really valuable observations and comments.

I listen to Phil sometimes and Ben and it's way better. The commentary itself is so much more engaging and just seems more authentic and gripping. I like Tim as a person but him and Mick just seem to talk so much nonsense, often going off on a tagent about someone's hair style, or odd tattoos, or a strange fact about the player. I can understand some may find it endearing, but it's tiresome to listen to

[Extended-Phenotype]

It’s hard not to like Couhig. I think he always interviews well, sounds passionate and realistic and doesn’t take any shite. He has our best interests at heart (obviously, as a businessman they will also align with his) and while he has (and will) make mistakes, who doesn’t? The test will be whether he learns from them and this interview at the very least sounds like they know where we went wrong - here’s hoping for a better summer that sets up the best opportunity for Richardson to prove our doubts wrong.

Side note, I know I’m in a minority but I missed BBC Berks doing the commentary on RoyalsTV. Tim, Mick and Addy feel like an old pair of comfy pants. Sure they’ve got holes in, the elastic has gone a bit and you would wear something else if you were on a promise. But you’ve worn them for so long they feel an integral part of your slovenly Saturday with takeout pizza and a few tins, shortcomings and all.

Didn’t really rate the new lot. Nice enough chaps, but I kinda want my daft BBC Berks family back.

Absolutely, never got the hate for the BBC team... although Rita can do one. Surely one of the main skills for being on the radio is the ability to read aloud. She's fcuking dreadful.

I once texted in and she cut the end of my message out about injures and replaced it with “CMON URZ!!!!”

[Extended-Phenotype]

Side note, I know I’m in a minority but I missed BBC Berks doing the commentary on RoyalsTV. Tim, Mick and Addy feel like an old pair of comfy pants. Sure they’ve got holes in, the elastic has gone a bit and you would wear something else if you were on a promise. But you’ve worn them for so long they feel an integral part of your slovenly Saturday with takeout pizza and a few tins, shortcomings and all.

Didn’t really rate the new lot. Nice enough chaps, but I kinda want my daft BBC Berks family back.

Exactly my thoughts too! I get the impression that Phil (he probably wants to find the Wycombe result) and co. can't get away quick enough after a game. then we have to wait until BBC goes local again and we miss Bang, Bang. Bang most Saturdays!

I am not sure I can disagree more. I am not anti-BBC Berkshire and don't go in for all the general negativity they get. But I do listen most weeks to the build up as I drive to the ground and often afterwards.

Firstly, the commentary aside, I can't stand some of their discussion and the format. Particularly afterwards when oxf*rd Rita comes on like a children's entertainer, full of enthusiasm, upbeat and like it's all some fun show when we've just lost 3-0. You can see online endless tweets and messages to them which are angry and Rita goes and reads them all out like it's just a bit of fun, like "Ohhhh and Paul in Didcot says.... hehehe everyone's really angry heheehe".

Ady Williams really is the most intolerable idiot on the radio. He has the intellect and personality of an earth worm. The moronic questions he comes out with, the stupid points he makes, the endless repetition of the number and ways to contact, yet no messages seem to be read out and often limited calls. Many of this questions are hypothetical like: "Tim, if we won the next 4, and three other teams lost, we could go up to 4th - what do you think about that?"

Calls they do take are things like "Bill is on the line from Thatcham, how's the family Bill?"... it's all just so fluffy and woolly.

The only saving grace is when they have Charlie Estcourt on - she is bloody brilliant. So easy to listen to and I think she has really valuable observations and comments.

I listen to Phil sometimes and Ben and it's way better. The commentary itself is so much more engaging and just seems more authentic and gripping. I like Tim as a person but him and Mick just seem to talk so much nonsense, often going off on a tagent about someone's hair style, or odd tattoos, or a strange fact about the player. I can understand some may find it endearing, but it's tiresome to listen to

The match builds up commentary from the new lads this season has been “30 minute interview with a fan of the opposition”.

I don’t want to hear from OUR fans, let alone one of theirs.

[katweslowski]

The match builds up commentary from the new lads this season has been “30 minute interview with a fan of the opposition”.

I don’t want to hear from OUR fans, let alone one of theirs.

What do you want then?

[RoyalBlue]

It's worrying to hear Rob Couhig once again referring to the Academy losing £3M a year. Until he starts seeing the academy as a cost rather than a loss, I fear he is highly likely to kill off the goose that has laid some pretty good golden eggs.

Like most things in life, the academy has a cost, but the club gets a lot in return for that cost. It's not pouring money down a drain without any positive return.

[Royalwaster]

Yeah I was firmly anti the old crew - I'd often mute the commentary when watching games online because they irritated me so much. They couldn't pronounce players' names; often mixed up black players; talked complete nonsense; and would often miss key bits of games .. 'Oh it looks like X has gone off' ... no he's been sent off you jerk.

[tidus_mi2]

It's worrying to hear Rob Couhig once again referring to the Academy losing £3M a year. Until he starts seeing the academy as a cost rather than a loss, I fear he is highly likely to kill off the goose that has laid some pretty good golden eggs.

Like most things in life, the academy has a cost, but the club gets a lot in return for that cost. It's not pouring money down a drain without any positive return.

Ultimately a decision has to be made, it's probably a loss in the short term, especially if we linger in League One, in the long term, what happens? We aren't going to get windfalls like Michael Olise because they'll never drop to this division.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

It's worrying to hear Rob Couhig once again referring to the Academy losing £3M a year. Until he starts seeing the academy as a cost rather than a loss, I fear he is highly likely to kill off the goose that has laid some pretty good golden eggs.

Like most things in life, the academy has a cost, but the club gets a lot in return for that cost. It's not pouring money down a drain without any positive return.

Ultimately a decision has to be made, it's probably a loss in the short term, especially if we linger in League One, in the long term, what happens? We aren't going to get windfalls like Michael Olise because they'll never drop to this division.

I believe Olise came through the academy when it was cat 2 - it was downgraded for a while.

[Extended-Phenotype]

The match builds up commentary from the new lads this season has been “30 minute interview with a fan of the opposition”.

I don’t want to hear from OUR fans, let alone one of theirs.

What do you want then?

I dunno, is it asking too much to hear about the lineup, possible tactics and formations, talking points from the previous game and the week running up the game as we approach kick-off?

I don’t really want to hear what Steve “Wang_Monkey” Stevenson from Luton thinks about the new urinals at his ground over a crackling and muffled line as part of the build-up. It’s not exactly mood setting.

[RG30]

It's worrying to hear Rob Couhig once again referring to the Academy losing £3M a year. Until he starts seeing the academy as a cost rather than a loss, I fear he is highly likely to kill off the goose that has laid some pretty good golden eggs.

Like most things in life, the academy has a cost, but the club gets a lot in return for that cost. It's not pouring money down a drain without any positive return.

This clip has been doing the rounds on X in recent days from a fans forum at Wolves and the Cat 1 issues they have been facing - https://x.com/sportbbcwm/status/2055649 ... 07138?s=20

I suspect if we didn't have the facilities at Bearwood and were still playing at Hogwood we would probably have no qualms downsizing to Cat 2 again but as Bearwood is now here and ready to stay, we feel obliged to keep Cat 1 even though we clearly cannot afford it.

[Clyde1998]

It's worrying to hear Rob Couhig once again referring to the Academy losing £3M a year. Until he starts seeing the academy as a cost rather than a loss, I fear he is highly likely to kill off the goose that has laid some pretty good golden eggs.

Like most things in life, the academy has a cost, but the club gets a lot in return for that cost. It's not pouring money down a drain without any positive return.

I think 'investment' and 'expenditure' would be the best terms to use, rather than a cost/loss/etc.

I haven't to listen to Couhig's interview yet, so I don't know the exact wording of what he said about the academy. He did previously say it was costing £200k per month (during a Q&A ahead of one of the matches towards the end of the season).

The biggest issue is Couhig is not going to be looking at the long term picture. He's seventy-seven, so he will probably be looking at five years maximum.

The academy is something which needs consistent funding in order to maximise the potential returns from it. As has been discussed at various points on here before: you can have a number of seasons of losses, but that be followed by years of profit. You can only judge it on the longer term picture.

[Clyde1998]

It's worrying to hear Rob Couhig once again referring to the Academy losing £3M a year. Until he starts seeing the academy as a cost rather than a loss, I fear he is highly likely to kill off the goose that has laid some pretty good golden eggs.

Like most things in life, the academy has a cost, but the club gets a lot in return for that cost. It's not pouring money down a drain without any positive return.

This clip has been doing the rounds on X in recent days from a fans forum at Wolves and the Cat 1 issues they have been facing - https://x.com/sportbbcwm/status/2055649 ... 07138?s=20

I suspect if we didn't have the facilities at Bearwood and were still playing at Hogwood we would probably have no qualms downsizing to Cat 2 again but as Bearwood is now here and ready to stay, we feel obliged to keep Cat 1 even though we clearly cannot afford it.

I'm fairly certain that season we dropped to Cat 2 was due to us not having completed the transition to Bearwood in time for the assessment (Covid related, IIRC).

I don't think we could've kept Cat 1 status had we stayed at Hogwood due to the facilities not meeting the requirements.

[Dirk Gently]

I'm fairly certain that season we dropped to Cat 2 was due to us not having completed the transition to Bearwood in time for the assessment (Covid related, IIRC).

Was it not that we didn't have enough coaches with the right level of qualifications at that time - again, Covid-related.

[Clyde1998]

I'm fairly certain that season we dropped to Cat 2 was due to us not having completed the transition to Bearwood in time for the assessment (Covid related, IIRC).

Was it not that we didn't have enough coaches with the right level of qualifications at that time - again, Covid-related.

Might have been a combination tbf.

I found what the club's statement said at the time:

The Premier League have reassigned Reading Football Club’s Academy set-up as Category Two, following an assessment of the operation at Bearwood Park last season.

Academies are audited periodically and given a status of Category 1 to Category 4. The Royals – one of only a small number of non-Premier League clubs with Category One status last season – will compete against the likes of QPR, Swansea City, Sheffield United and Watford in the Professional Development League this season.

The change in status has transpired predominantly due to issues experienced during the complex transition of our entire Academy operation from Hogwood Park to the new Bearwood Park facility. Its relocation had to be implemented in staggered phases and then, mid-transition process, the move was dramatically impacted by the global pandemic; at a time when youth football was brought to a sudden halt, our Academy operation was naturally restricted and – as it shared facilities with the first team – a cautious and sensible return to full capacity had to be implemented.

Owner, Mr Dai, has committed to running our Academy operation to the very highest standard throughout the course of 2022-23 and, as a result, the education, welfare and coaching standards will not be affected.

The club’s high expectations of its Academy system will also not wane. We remain exceptionally proud of what our Academy has achieved in the past, what it will achieve this season and what it will achieve in the future. We will be reapplying for Category One status this year.

And after returning to Category One:

Long-awaited outcome of reapplication and comprehensive audit received…and the Royals are back amongst youth football’s elite!

We are delighted to confirm that the Premier League have reassigned Reading Football Club’s Academy set-up as Category One, following a meticulous assessment of our entire operation at Bearwood Park.

Almost exactly a decade ago, the club’s very highly-regarded Academy was awarded the highest possible rating of Category One – ensuring our Academy was at the forefront of youth development in this country and beyond.

Last summer, our status was regrettably downgraded to Category Two – predominantly due to unfortunate issues experienced during the complex and staggered transition of our Academy operation from Hogwood Park to its new Bearwood Park facility during a period of time in which football was still held tightly in the grips of the global pandemic.

As promised, we reapplied for Category One standing last season and committed to keeping high the expectations and demands we placed upon our Academy as we continued to run our vast operation to the very highest standard throughout the course of 2022-23.

This new categorisation recognises a number of major criteria including the level of our facilities, standard of coaching, our education, safeguarding, sports science and medicine provision and the club’s ability to produce players for the first team - and courtesy of an extraordinary amount of hard work put in by our dedicated Academy staff and players…and after just one season in the Professional Development League…our Under-21s are now returning to the Premier League 2 in 2023-24.

The time, effort, energy and funding levels which have been invested in the development of young footballers within our Academy should not be underestimated. Our standards never dropped and our ambition to regain our Category One ranking refused to falter.

Now we look forward to competing against the very best Academies in the country with an Elite Player Performance Plan grade that not only gives us the ability to attract and retain the very best players nationwide but also presents us with an invaluable opportunity to build upon the achievements we have already recorded during the last ten years of our Academy setup.

With the fixtures for 2023-24 due to be released in the coming days, our Under-21s now know they will be swapping Professional Development League meetings with the likes of Charlton Athletic and Colchester United for Premier League 2 clashes against clubs of the calibre of Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Academy Manager Michael Gilkes said, “Within our Academy are a totally devoted team who rightly take immense pride in developing young footballers, both as people and as players. And on behalf of everyone involved in Reading Football Club and its Academy, I’d like to sincerely thank and congratulate every single person who has helped the Royals to regain this prestigious status. Now, we can all truly look to the future.”

Head of Football Operations, Mark Bowen, said: “The greatest compliment I can pay to the outstanding staff who help our esteemed Academy tick every day is that the young players who have returned for pre-season training at Bearwood Park in recent weeks won’t have noticed any difference to previous seasons. We have continued to operate our Academy at the very highest standards and those levels have rightly been recognised as elite within the realms of youth player development in this country. I am delighted for our young players, I am thrilled for our talented staff and I am excited for Reading Football Club and its future.”