Club ownership - careful what you wish for.
This from a Reading fan:
After 21 years in the top two levels, Reading got relegated last night :-(
What a s**tshow the last few years have been. A dodgy Russian owner who turned out to have cheated the ownership test and had no money, a Thai consortium who'd previously been rejected by the ownership test and didn't have enough money, and finally a new Chinese owner who has loads of money but has made a series of terrible decisions.
The current owner took over the club just as it was about to go in to the play off final. Six years later the club are relegated and are in financial shambles. Under the influence of "super agent" Kia Joorabchian and (now departed) CEO Ron Gourlay, millions have been spent on below par players, along with some bizarre managerial appointments. Even worse, financial fair play rules were deliberately broken, resulting in the club spending three years under heavy transfer restrictions and two years with points deductions.
Years ago under Madejski Reading used to be an example of how to run a club well. Years of sensible hiring and spending took the club from the third tier up to the Premier League. Now that's all been undone.
Posted By: Cellophane Flowers on May 5th 2023 at 09:25:23
Message Thread
- Club ownership - careful what you wish for. (Other Football) - Cellophane Flowers, May 5, 09:25:23
- Having an owner that cares deeply about the club is so important (Other Football) - SimonOTBC, May 5, 10:24:15
- Instead they are handing it over to a Tom without cash (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:37:26
- Anyone seen Jim? (n/m) (Other Football) - Pixelman, May 5, 13:08:28
- You'll find him on The Oink (Other Football) - Henclrikus, May 5, 13:19:10
- Anyone seen Jim? (n/m) (Other Football) - Pixelman, May 5, 13:08:28
- Instead they are handing it over to a Tom without cash (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:37:26
- Did you miss the bit where our current owners took us to L1 then? (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:01:08
- Plenty of clubs would love the opportunity to match our relegation record (Other Football) - SimonOTBC, May 5, 10:22:24
- I mean...eh? (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:34:56
- Blub (n/m) (Other Football) - ParrotPuncher, May 5, 11:13:21
- I mean...eh? (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:34:56
- Or got us multiple promotions to the PL with record income? (Other Football) - CWC, May 5, 10:07:54
- They took us to our lowest point in the past 60 odd years (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:20:52
- I don’t care who owns us tbh (Other Football) - CWC, May 5, 10:25:31
- I do get the "cycle of football" argument (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:32:58
- The point is how do you break that cycle surely? (Other Football) - Jim, May 5, 10:43:31
- by osmosis (n/m) (Other Football) - Bristol Graham, May 5, 15:40:41
- Luck? (Other Football) - CWC, May 5, 11:45:05
- The Brewers are in the smallest broadcast market in the US (Other Football) - watfordcanary, May 5, 12:51:00
- Yes, they seem to be the American equivalent of D&M (Other Football) - jamesward, May 5, 11:50:35
- Today's Brightons, Brentfords, Fulhams, Palaces, Wolves are tomorrows (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 5, 10:56:57
- Why aren't we on that list? (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:58:25
- The point is how do you break that cycle surely? (Other Football) - Jim, May 5, 10:43:31
- I do get the "cycle of football" argument (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:32:58
- I don’t care who owns us tbh (Other Football) - CWC, May 5, 10:25:31
- They took us to our lowest point in the past 60 odd years (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:20:52
- Plenty of clubs would love the opportunity to match our relegation record (Other Football) - SimonOTBC, May 5, 10:22:24
- Quite a worrying read but for every crap story there has to be a good one. However I just (Other Football) - Biggles, May 5, 09:54:44
- More likely for every good one, there are 50 bad ones... (Other Football) - Worthing Yellow, May 5, 10:11:28
- Can't imagine there's a queue of wealthy reputable billionaires lining up to buy them out (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 5, 10:01:32
- Well there is one wealthy and credible individual who clearly wants to buy the club (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:06:55
- He only bought the Chicken guy's shares (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 5, 10:21:26
- Then you did not listen to his extended interview (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:28:12
- One with a public track record we can see (Other Football) - CWC, May 5, 10:13:13
- I still think it will happen (Other Football) - SimonOTBC, May 5, 10:25:50
- indeed (Other Football) - CWC, May 5, 11:38:33
- VMT (n/m) (Other Football) - SimonOTBC, May 5, 12:13:25
- That assumption (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 12:01:21
- 100% isn't (Other Football) - CWC, May 5, 12:16:55
- indeed (Other Football) - CWC, May 5, 11:38:33
- I still think it will happen (Other Football) - SimonOTBC, May 5, 10:25:50
- He only bought the Chicken guy's shares (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 5, 10:21:26
- Well there is one wealthy and credible individual who clearly wants to buy the club (Other Football) - Chair_of_the_Bored, May 5, 10:06:55
- They had an owner with no money. Same as us. (n/m) (Other Football) - thirsty work, May 5, 09:46:34
- Did you ready anything of that other than the first half dozen words? (Other Football) - Pixelman, May 5, 09:53:02
- Having an owner that cares deeply about the club is so important (Other Football) - SimonOTBC, May 5, 10:24:15
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