Phoenix Club: What would you pay

[Mid Sussex Royal]

£1500 here.

[tmesis]

I'd like to think ongoing funds wouldn’t be too difficult for a while, if we can't attract major attendances compared to the level we'd be at, no point in trying.

I think if we are stuck somewhere crap like Scours Lane, we'd get to a Darlington style situation, with a totally inadequate ground, but no funds to get anywhere better, and probably unable to get planning permission to improve the site much anyway.

The clubs that have bounced back quickly have all retained their ground, and that would be unlikely to be an option for a re-formed Reading.

Without some serious backer investing in the club, I don't think Reading would get back to the league within 20 years.

[Jackson Corner]

I have a spare 3 billion in the bank.

[blythspartan]

A major obstacle will be where we can play our games. I’d be up for a ground share with Maidenhead or Wycombe, if possible.

I am hoping STAR have already done research about this.

[Snowflake Royal]

Well there'd be a 24k seater stadium sitting empty with no other realistic use for much of the site.

[stealthpapes]

Would the other £5k and the £10k money bags like to own up so we can judge if they're pisstakes?

[Hendo]

Would the other £5k and the £10k money bags like to own up so we can judge if they're pisstakes?

[stealthpapes]

More seriously, while I don't think I could spare much money, I would like to think I'd step forward in some capacity to help.

I'm living abroad again and one of the things I look forward to is watching RFC and chatting shit on the match thread. The last season (and the one before that, from Sunderland (a) give or take), I knew my job was coming to an end*, so I decided to go to as many away games and nearly all in League One. Loved it, combined it with my other smattering of hobbies - trains (and other slow travel), walks, and beer.

And as Dirk implies, it will need people to stick with it for months, years.



*have a look at HE jobs, Cardiff and UEA the next two to get the nuke dropped on them. It's almost radicalised me. Almost.

[Snowflake Royal]

So I have Hendo down as £5k and Papes for £10k, right. Committed lads. Debt recovery if you don’t pay up. I'll send DD round to talk to you.

[stealthpapes]

Spent my severance pay already, mate.

[Snowball]

I was born in Newport, Monmouthshire and supported Newport County

We eventually popped and started again. My brother was director, but I thought
it would never work (how wrong was I!)

We came back in The Hellenic League, and Reading fans should understand
that you get used to WINNING again, cups, promotions, winning visits to Wembley etc

But as we got into the higher echelons again, financial worries were "suddenly" appearing again
and at the latest one (this is way back now) I made myself very unpopular by saying we had to STOP
periodic bail-outs and create a supporter subscriber system to avoid the regular crises.

It happened

This was "AMBER ARMY" and the "standard" payment was a fiver a week = £21:67 a month

The idea is to NOT wait until the poop hits the fan but create a stable income above and beyond
sponsorship, gate receipts, advertising etc.

IMO it's the only way.

The weekly Fivers allowed County to build a club house, all profits going to the club etc

I moved to West Berks in 2000 and could rarely afford to travel to South Wales
so I am not as "up" as I once was on the financing etc.

But (IMO) the trick is to get a very wide base of people contributing a fiver a week or a tenner a week,
an amount that tends to "stick".

2,000 fans paying a tenner a week by Standing Order = £20,000 a week
= just over a million a year.

That is the "extra" you need,[*] above and beyond normal income, and I would expect
a new Reading FC to be back in the Football League, probably in 10 years.

Newport AFC, and check out Exeter City.

It's a change, it's horrible when a club folds, but the new club would be "OURS"

[Dirk Gently]

Need it be a one-off?

Phoenix clubs often struggle to run *after* the thrill and publicity of the takeover has happened - and that's when working capital is most needed. Too many take a short-term view focussed on the buy-out and then fail because they've not taken the long-term finances into account.

A supporter-owned club I'm involved in has members who pay a monthly amount - typically £10, £20 or £30 a month, although some pay more and that's probably easier for donors as they don't have to find a lump sum and also lets the club function after takeover.

Let's get to hypothetically funding the phoenix club on an ongoing basis once we've done actually setting it up.

I'd like to think ongoing funds wouldn’t be too difficult for a while, if we can't attract major attendances compared to the level we'd be at, no point in trying.

Why does a phoenix club have to start at the bottom? There are plenty of examples of supporter buy-outs from administration where a club retains its league position - and in fact the FA's Leagues Committee will determine the starting position for a club, taking into account the consideration of whether it's "new" or "a continuation of a previous club".

Why not aim for a fans' takeover retaining the existing position and facilities as far as possible? That's where you'd really need rgular income.

[Snowflake Royal]

Need it be a one-off?

Phoenix clubs often struggle to run *after* the thrill and publicity of the takeover has happened - and that's when working capital is most needed. Too many take a short-term view focussed on the buy-out and then fail because they've not taken the long-term finances into account.

A supporter-owned club I'm involved in has members who pay a monthly amount - typically £10, £20 or £30 a month, although some pay more and that's probably easier for donors as they don't have to find a lump sum and also lets the club function after takeover.

Let's get to hypothetically funding the phoenix club on an ongoing basis once we've done actually setting it up.

I'd like to think ongoing funds wouldn’t be too difficult for a while, if we can't attract major attendances compared to the level we'd be at, no point in trying.

Why does a phoenix club have to start at the bottom? There are plenty of examples of supporter buy-outs from administration where a club retains its league position - and in fact the FA's Leagues Committee will determine the starting position for a club, taking into account the consideration of whether it's "new" or "a continuation of a previous club".

Why not aim for a fans' takeover retaining the existing position and facilities as far as possible? That's where you'd really need rgular income.

Well the fans certainly aren't buying the club from Dai if no one else can manage it, and if it goes to Administrators, we're not going to win any bidding.

So the only scenario the fans do something is if the club ceases to exist. Where's the precedent for us retaining our League One status in that scenario?

[stealthpapes]

We came back in The Hellenic League, and Reading fans should understand
that you get used to WINNING again, cups, promotions, winning visits to Wembley etc

My memory of Newport's comeback was that the only place they could find as a home pitch was Moreton-in-Marsh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989%E2%8 ... all_League

Half these teams sound made up.

[Sutekh]

We came back in The Hellenic League, and Reading fans should understand
that you get used to WINNING again, cups, promotions, winning visits to Wembley etc

Careful, don’t push it too far.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Nothing. When it’s over it’s over.

I’ll support any phoenix club that may form but I’m not paying for it

[Snowball]

We came back in The Hellenic League, and Reading fans should understand
that you get used to WINNING again, cups, promotions, winning visits to Wembley etc

My memory of Newport's comeback was that the only place they could find as a home pitch was Moreton-in-Marsh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989%E2%8 ... all_League

Half these teams sound made up.

Newport reborn played at the old Somerton Park for a few years but the FAWales tried to force the club to play in the Welsh League

When Newport refused the FAW banned them from playing anywhere in Wales and the nearest place was Moreton in the Marsh a cool 80 miles away

Strangely, they were great days!


Eventually Newport AFC one the court case against the FAW


BUT

Somerton Park was sold for housing and AFC played at Spytty Park and eventually Rodney Parade, where they still are.

As for Wembley we got there, first time ever so my brother flew back from Sydney Australia FOR THE DAY.

The following year we got to Wembley again and this time we WON, getting back into the football league

[katweslowski]

£2500 or £3000 at a push. I'd also pay a bit monthly as that sounds a great idea. I'd want something in return though, proper "owner" status of that's how it works. So we all have insight into the club.

Although - and this may sound like an oxymoron in some ways - I feel would be "done" with football. I just would back this new club in the hope it goes somewhere. To see ReadingFC fold would be very hard, particularly when the rest of football shrugs its shoulders and I see the same guys walking around the area in their Liverpool tops.

Anyway a few questions and points

1) why do we lose our ground? Is that immediate. Would that be the last resort or an automatic thing, like the day after the bailiffs come and lock it down?

2) what league do you go in? If we survived league one but then went to administration, would we stay in that league but -20 points, or would we be a sort of new entity/club and start in a default league somewhere? If so, what tier?

3) at some point this forum discussion is going to have to be formalised by star and the wider fanbase. It does seem a bit like that time is now. Protests all failed - despite amazing efforts by all. We're powerless and I can see that we're clinging on to a cliff eedge and each session will see us weaken to the pont of failure. I'd rather throw the towel in on our own terms. Especially if it ducks over dai a bit. Can we not push for this to be prioritised by the supporter groups including SBWD? The best time to get funds and backing is whilst there is still an official club.

4) similar to above, we'd be in a good position now for key stakeholders to be identified. Those who can afford £50k+

5) how do we know how much we'd need? Is there a known figure that other clubs raised, or a framework? Or is it down to the league you're in?

6) maybe MPs or government, sporting minister has funds to support this. Even Reading council?

This is a big and established club in some ways. We have a big fanbase, and history in the premier league and championship. There's so much potential there.

Seeing the club destroyed is one thing, but not taking full advantage of all those interested parties, the fans, the media, using the clubs name is another and would be a wasted opportunity that we'd never get back.

[windermereROYAL]

Appreciate what you guys are doing here, but I feel I would be finished with football if RFC is liquidated, how can you have an interest in any football if our team isn`t around anymore?
The weekends will just become an empty void, but I`ll survive.

[Crusader Royal]

Appreciate what you guys are doing here, but I feel I would be finished with football if RFC is liquidated, how can you have an interest in any football if our team isn`t around anymore?
The weekends will just become an empty void, but I`ll survive.

You’d be surprised how you adjust. I was very much in the ‘this is my team, it’s them or nothing’ camp. Now heavily involved with a team a little lower down the pyramid and it’s a totally different experience ( in a good way). Much more of a genuine community, much less hand wringing over results and performances, away trips are fun, players are still good but no airs and graces (probably half our team played in the FL but they all come into the bar after the game and mix in).
Don’t rule out finding another club to call your own….