Should we start our own Supporters Group to Replace STAR???

[southbank1871]

Merge threads please mods.

[Ups and Downs]

I'm in if we can call it RATS

[Reading4eva]

My main issue isnt how the club is being ran, its the supporters club as a whole, and the way it is being managed. STAR does not reflect the views of the 24,200 who watch this fantastic football club each week. Before STAR and when we was at Elm Park, I remember the old supporters club who seemed to represent the views of the fans. They werent frightened to stand up to the club if they felt something was wrong.

This supporters group, just seem to be in place to take £10 from those fans mad enough to pay it. I use to, I'll be honest, and the amount of rubbish I got when I wanted to put my point across (remember when we went down 6-0 to Bristol Rovers?) I felt like for the first time I was dispositioned from the club.

A group which has no transparency, who you know the leaders of, and you can dispute there very actions, who you can approach with concerns to & who you can have faith in, would be the sort of supporters club I'd have. And should someone do something that isnt liked, a quiet word in the ear is given to. Likewise if I was the head of the supporters club, and someone on here didnt like something, they could approach me without fear of retribution, is the sort of supporters club we'd like.

At the moment its like a bunch of library staff running a supporters club for something some of them dont have the faintest hoot of interest in.

[Eaststandman]

After that farce, I think many people would be with me on this

'After all is said and done, there's a lot more said than done'

STAR was a great idea, a natural development in the real world of where the relationship between football clubs and football fans was actually going at the time.

Personally I'm too far removed these days to be fully aware of exactly how good or bad they may or may not be, but creating an alternative is way more complicated than some posters seem to imagine.

There's nothing to stop anybody creating a fans club, society or what have you, but sustaining it is without question very, very difficult, never mind sustaining one that actually has a better relationship with all concerned.

STAR is constitutional, join it and CHANGE it to whatever it is you desire, all you need is a mandate!

Good luck

[Optimist]

I'm in if we can call it RATS

Royals Are Trustworthy Supporters...?

Coat's on already.

[RoyalBlue]

After that farce, I think many people would be with me on this

'After all is said and done, there's a lot more said than done'

STAR was a great idea, a natural development in the real world of where the relationship between football clubs and football fans was actually going at the time.

Personally I'm too far removed these days to be fully aware of exactly how good or bad they may or may not be, but creating an alternative is way more complicated than some posters seem to imagine.

There's nothing to stop anybody creating a fans club, society or what have you, but sustaining it is without question very, very difficult, never mind sustaining one that actually has a better relationship with all concerned.

STAR is constitutional, join it and CHANGE it to whatever it is you desire, all you need is a mandate!

Good luck

Anyone know how the STAR membership numbers have changed over the years? A lot of us on here appear to be former members. I wonder whether we have been replaced and by greater numbers or not.

[LUX]

In for the " I'm in STAR, no real idea what they do" clique.

H8ers, get a life ffs.

[seahawk10]

I'm in if we can call it RATS

Royals Are Trustworthy Supporters...?

Coat's on already.

URS - United Reading Supporters

[STAR Liaison]

After that farce, I think many people would be with me on this

'After all is said and done, there's a lot more said than done'

STAR was a great idea, a natural development in the real world of where the relationship between football clubs and football fans was actually going at the time.

Personally I'm too far removed these days to be fully aware of exactly how good or bad they may or may not be, but creating an alternative is way more complicated than some posters seem to imagine.

There's nothing to stop anybody creating a fans club, society or what have you, but sustaining it is without question very, very difficult, never mind sustaining one that actually has a better relationship with all concerned.

STAR is constitutional, join it and CHANGE it to whatever it is you desire, all you need is a mandate!

Good luck

Anyone know how the STAR membership numbers have changed over the years? A lot of us on here appear to be former members. I wonder whether we have been replaced and by greater numbers or not.

The numbers dropped when the team got relegated in 2008 but otherwise have risen every year as far as I am aware if you take numbers before, say, a play-off peak. Certainly this year they are almost as high now as at the end of last season, and there is still a steady number joining every day.

[susieroyal]

I wonder how many people join because they want to be informed of issues at the club, have their voice heard etc? And how many join to get cheap travel, exiles getting priority for tickets (which I believe has now changed)?

[royalsroyalsroyals92]

Really don't understand the gripe people have with STAR.

Acts like this (below) is probably why

Well I for one will not be renewing...I wouldn't normally discuss the content of a PM, but I've had no response to my reply since I sent it 3 days ago, and need to vent spleen...

I had a PM on Friday from STAR, effectively telling me that the situation was my fault, apparently I should have known about the history of these events without needing to be told. It was also made clear that the club and Brian personally are "very upset" - again, the implication being that my actions, and my actions alone have upset them, and STAR now have a lot to do to repair the relationship.

Finally I was told that STAR have nothing against me "because you have shown remorse" - again the implication is that all this is my fault.

What I object to is the fact that STAR seem to want to lay all responsibility at my door for this, and take no responsibility whatsoever themselves. As I've said repeatedly, if we'd been told the forum was "between these four walls" I'd have honoured that...

I don't believe for a minute that Brian is genuinely "very upset" - I'm sure he has far more important things to worry about, but I'll be meeting him in a couple of weeks, so I'll ask and apologise if necessary - let's hope STAR are telling the truth or they'll look very silly...

I really have no clue about any of this or this situation - but what have people done that have made the club and Brian "Very upset"?

[Royal Lady]

One person repeated what was said at a fans' forum - albeit in bullet points etc as he thought he was enlightening fellow supporters who weren't at the meeting. Apparently, instead he has incurred the wrath of STAR, the club and most importantly, Brian, who is very upset.

[Ups and Downs]

I'm in if we can call it RATS

Royals Are Trustworthy Supporters...?

Coat's on already.

Readings Alternative True Supporters, maybe.


Or The Real STAR. Like any good splinter group we'll shake things up a bit and just be a bit more full on. Like we'll order coaches to away games but they'll be really fast and laden with C4.

[Maguire]

One person repeated what was said at a fans' forum - albeit in bullet points etc as he thought he was enlightening fellow supporters who weren't at the meeting. Apparently, instead he has incurred the wrath of STAR, the club and most importantly, Brian, who is very upset.

My sources tell me he's literally cried all the water out of his body.

[FORSTERS_RIGHT_FOOT]

One person repeated what was said at a fans' forum - albeit in bullet points etc as he thought he was enlightening fellow supporters who weren't at the meeting. Apparently, instead he has incurred the wrath of STAR, the club and most importantly, Brian, who is very upset.

What's the difference between this, and my housemate coming home from the Forum and telling us all that was said and went on?

[Pseud O'Nym]

I'm in if we can call it RATS

Royals Are Trustworthy Supporters...?

Coat's on already.

URS - United Reading Supporters

How about BRA - Backing Reading Away
or, for the youth team supporters, TRUSS - Transport for Reading Under Seventeen Support?

[TBM]

One person repeated what was said at a fans' forum - albeit in bullet points etc as he thought he was enlightening fellow supporters who weren't at the meeting. Apparently, instead he has incurred the wrath of STAR, the club and most importantly, Brian, who is very upset.

What's the difference between this, and my housemate coming home from the Forum and telling us all that was said and went on?

West Ham fans couldn't hear/read it

Or something like that

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

What would be great would be if the Club actually made some room for the supporters group, so lets see a decent area of any expansion given over to STAR, possible members area, bar or coffee , with room for their sales section, rather than an old container plonked in the car park.

[Green]

Gonna comment on this but would rather do this at the top of the page.

[Green]

I think it's only a matter of time before this happens anyway, but (a) it shouldn't be seen as a replacement or even competition to STAR and (b) I don't think anything will come of this thread - it probably needs to happen from a few keen people getting it going and could perhaps then be advertised on here.

But I guess two positives have come from the STAR debacle, firstly that it may get people thinking about a supporters club, and secondly we're starting to be a bit clearer on the rules of engagement STAR operate under (and, crucially, expect their members too as well), shame we had to learn the hard way.