Cautionary tale, a lesson for today

floyd__streete · by **floyd__streete** » 11 Dec 2006 18:54

Whilst enjoy a good chortle at Pardew's demise today, you really have to stop and think - what a staggeringly short-sighted decision from a board in place for a mere 3 weeks. Come to think of it, any man willing to pay 85 million pounds for West Ham United must have serious questions over his mental health anyway, but this (finally) leads on to my RFC-relevant point - namely Mr Madejski's (eventual) successor.

Sir John has recently been shamelessly lifting RFC's metaphorical skirt and flirting with potential foreign investors, putting our name about a bit recently so that rest of the football world must reckon we're a right slapper. Frankly, much like thoughts of global warming, my bank balance and the whereabouts of Ritchie from the Manics, thinking about the eventual RFC owner in the immediate post-Mad future keeps me awake at night.

I am sure I will be accused by the PC brigade of being parochial and downright xenophobic, but RFC falling into foreign hands troubles me somewhat. Why on earth would a middle-of-the-road Premiership club (for that is the best we can aspire to in the immediate future) which makes a loss year upon year be an attractive proposition to a middle eastern sheikh or a Russian oil magnate/mafia man? Crikey, worse still we might end up with a Michael Knighton, an Anton Johnson or a Mark Golberg but at least with a shady British businessman we might at least stand half a chance in knowing our enemy as opposed to a faceless conglomerate from Dubai whose motives aren't clear.

I trust Mr Mad implicitly, his record speaks for itself. But it took 16 often rocky years of his stewardship to deliver what he always promised - top flight football - and I personally hope we don't end up with an Eggert Magnusson as our next chairman.

royals pete · by **royals pete** » 11 Dec 2006 19:16

A bit care-free this post !!!

There's been so much talk and discussion (with I might add, J M s contribution) that its virtually exhausted.

Revisit J M s comments -- I don't remember him saying anything about 'foreign investment'. Perhaps he does't want to spend the rest of his life in football and although we all know he has the football club at heart , we would have to respect his own decisions.

The Goat was fed · by **The Goat was fed** » 11 Dec 2006 19:22

JM regularly talks about "Russian oligarchs" coming along. He is a hard-headed businessman who will be looking to take a bit more money out of RFC than he put in, and I have no problem with that.

The worst thing that could happen is JM getting his knighthood. That's when he'll think it's job done, and Sir John will ride off into the sunset in his Bentley leaving the crowd begging for more...

handbags_harris · by **handbags_harris** » 11 Dec 2006 19:28

royals pete wrote:A bit care-free this post !!!

There's been so much talk and discussion (with I might add, J M s contribution) that its virtually exhausted.

Revisit J M s comments -- I don't remember him saying anything about 'foreign investment'. Perhaps he does't want to spend the rest of his life in football and although we all know he has the football club at heart , we would have to respect his own decisions.

JM has regularly mentioned the words "rich foreign benefactor" or "Russian oil baron" or "Far East businessman" in his comments about selling up. Therefore not as carefree as you may think...

floyd__streete · by **floyd__streete** » 11 Dec 2006 19:31

royals pete wrote:Revisit J M s comments -- I don't remember him saying anything about 'foreign investment'.

So you don't think that the following snip from a recent Independent article isn't a case of make me an offer, comrade then?

"I am laying out my stall a bit," he says relaxing at his Berkshire mansion. "We've got to show progress. The brand is getting stronger all the time and if there is a billionaire who wants a nice accessory down the M4 [motorway] then come and talk to me. Apart from Manchester United, unless you've got a sugar daddy with really deep pockets, you're wasting your time. Competing against [Roman] Abramovich is getting more difficult and we are just seeing [wages] going up and up and up. I always thought that sooner or later they would come back into sync but they haven't - it's gone through the roof"......

.....The tiger economies of the Far East have proved a lucrative market for Madejski's consumer titles, especially Malaysia, and he reckons the region may also be harbouring the future owner of Reading. "There's a lot of substantially wealthy individuals out there.

Premiership soccer clubs are becoming the fashion accessory of the billionaire," he says.

"You can't keep Reading in the Premiership unless you get someone to spend these insufferable sums of money. It's hideous. In order to do that [you need to] bring in someone to pay their salaries.

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football ... 060012.ece

royals pete · by **royals pete** » 11 Dec 2006 19:40

Well, Handbags and Floyd, perhaps you're nearer the case than me. I was thinking at the time and during subsequent radio interviews that these comments were made a bit tongue in cheek.

Rather that he was getting fed-up with the money being ploughed in to clubs and he's saying ' if they can do better, then....'

Interesting that JM is ploughing a lot of money into development of Reading. Surly the Sheiks aren't coming for that when its all done ??

higher · by **higher** » 11 Dec 2006 19:48

The brand is getting stronger all the time and if there is a billionaire who wants a nice accessory down the M4 [motorway] then come and talk to me

Quite scary put like that.

Row Z Royal · by **Row Z Royal** » 11 Dec 2006 19:57

The very fact that you referred to Ritchie James means that your opinion should be held in high regard, floyd.

Millsy · by **Millsy** » 11 Dec 2006 20:43

floyd__streete wrote: I am sure I will be accused by the PC brigade of being parochial and downright xenophobic, but RFC falling into foreign hands troubles me somewhat.

Just imagine if it gets into the hands of a rich Pole eh?

londinium · by **londinium** » 11 Dec 2006 20:49

2 world wars, 1 world cup wrote:
floyd__streete wrote: I am sure I will be accused by the PC brigade of being parochial and downright xenophobic, but RFC falling into foreign hands troubles me somewhat.
Just imagine if it gets into the hands of a rich Pole eh?

Brilliant

Lower West · by **Lower West** » 11 Dec 2006 21:04

Upton Park is a prime site for residential developement and remember West Ham are looking to move to the Olympic Stadium. So the Â£85m has little to do with the value of the club. Whereas any purchaser of Reading FC would have to buy for the love of the game. Before the game at Craven Cottage the other week I was wondering how many Â£300,000 flats could be built on the site.

If was a WHU fan I would be concerned, as stability is a key to success. (Chelsea aside).

The Rouge · by **The Rouge** » 11 Dec 2006 21:16

(and Portsmouth)

Rev Algenon Stickleback H · by **Rev Algenon Stickleback H** » 11 Dec 2006 21:47

floyd__streete wrote:Sir John has recently been shamelessly lifting RFC's metaphorical skirt and flirting with potential foreign investors, putting our name about a bit recently so that rest of the football world must reckon we're a right slapper.

but has he really? He's position has been clear for a long time, but every time a jouralist speaks to him they sieze on it for a "Madejski wants to sell" story, regardless of how twisted their version of the truth is.

Other than that, what really can they say about him? He's not an opinionated tosser like Simon Jordan, he's not an Abramovich/Jack Walker type, sinking in his millions to buy trophies, he's not a Glazer, trying to make money from the game, he's not a Doug Ellis dinosaur type, trying to run everything on a shoestring, he's not a Peter Swales sack a manager twice a year type - he just kind of gets on with it with as little fuss as possible. Sadly that doesn't make much of a story in the papers.

glass half full · by **glass half full** » 11 Dec 2006 22:47

Admittedly, this is on a slightly different tack but did anyone see the Sky Sprts interview with JM?
I have to admit that, had I been in his position when asked about the Alan Parjudas situation, I would probably have reached for the thumbscrew but he was very gracious in his answers and called the sacking 'brutal'.
Let us give thanks for the excellent relationship between owner and Manager at Reading!

knights_1990 · by **knights_1990** » 11 Dec 2006 22:52

pardew sacking was brutal indeed.

Petercccccc · by **Petercccccc** » 11 Dec 2006 23:03

knights_1990 wrote:pardew sacking was brutal indeed.

Pardew who?

glass half full · by **glass half full** » 11 Dec 2006 23:08

Pardew drop

Petercccccc · by **Petercccccc** » 11 Dec 2006 23:13

Gone?

ScottishRoyal · by **ScottishRoyal** » 12 Dec 2006 00:40

knights_1990 wrote:pardew sacking was brutal indeed.

Especially when you consider the problems started when Tevez and Mascharano arrived, a problem (squad attitude I suppose) not of his making. His leaving of RFC aside, he was a very good manager and i'm certain he'd have turned things around there.

Arch · by **Arch** » 12 Dec 2006 01:44

Floyd, I was thinking about this too. Everything good about this club has to do with its professionalism, its top-to-bottom soundness, its low-key approach. We have a fantastic staff of players, coaches, directors and everyone else. From JM to Ron Grant, it's hard to think of anyone who doesn't epitomize what the club stands for. If JM leaves and hands over to someone who wants the club as an accessory, it's wholly unlikely that what makes it all work will be maintained. Look at our success in the reserve league and with the youth team. Those achievements are part and parcel of what makes our club as great as it is, but they don't bring in money or fame. They're net drains. What oil magnate is going to care about those? I don't care who buys the club, we're not suddenly going to be on a par with Chelsea or Barcelona. The best a foreign investor with bottomless pockets can do for us is to make us competetive with Portsmouth. But, in case anyone hasn't noticed, we're already competetive with Portsmouth.

All we can do is hope this golden age goes on as long as possible, because there is an almost 100% probability that it will end and not in the far distant future. No one can say John Madejski has an obligation to continue to spend his millions. I confess I'm mystified why we can't make money the way we're doing things, given the TV revenue. I suspect JM is a bit mystified too. Let's just enjoy while we have it.