Gav

That’s the dream!

😂😂😂

😂😂😂

We’re also seeing at Sheffield Wednesday how it would’ve played out if Select Car hadn’t stepped in with wage support when they did. We really dodged some massive bullets somehow.

The way this Morecambe scenario is playing out really feels like how it would’ve gone for us if Couhig didn’t have Dai in a legal chokehold. Thoughts are with them. #readingfc

Yep. Moaning about refs > moaning about Dai > having nothing to moan at

And this? Which I’ve borrowed from @alaw85.bsky.social

If league one refs weren’t consistently terrible, that’s two goals and a point from a pretty poor performance by the standards we’d expect.

On the other hand, we weren’t very good but if the ref had been doing his job we’d have had a point (and goals change games, of course). I think we all suspected a slow start so it’s not a great surprise, but we were more competitive than the match felt even playing well below our best.

I have a feeling it’s gonna be a massive year for Charlie Savage. Really got into his groove last season and stepped up under Noel… now looking at a full, settled season under Noel, I reckon he’s gonna level up again. Bring on the Lincoln. #readingfc

D’ya know what time coverage starts? I might be watching on Sky but that doesn’t mean I can’t tune in to pre-match and half time (unless there is no pre-match and half time is just lift music)

Pretty sure there was a bit of a gap before the Ejaria signing too, and he was the only one we paid a fee for that window IIRC. Anyway, really pleased with this signing - a literal league winner, a three year contract, and young enough to still really kick on. Absolutely perfect recruitment on paper

Almost five years since we paid a fee, absolutely wild 😂

Works for me. I’d be very happy with continuity choices from last season if that’s the way Noel goes; no need to play an entirely new back line right from the get go. It’s a long season so no harm with gradual introductions.

Ha! Thanks! It breaks down every now and then and I have to go fix it; for some reason Chronicle articles have stopped displaying at the moment. I’ll get that resolved when I can.

No problems! Good luck getting your club back!

Indeed. The hysteria over “missing out” on targets and “not even being able to compete with x on wages” is absolutely bananas when the only people even stating they’re targets in the first place are completely making it up. Noel has said repeatedly we’re in for more; no need for relegation panic.

Posted this thread on one of your compatriot’s posts a minute ago, which puts a little context around how SBWD were approaching the situation at Reading from my vantage point. There might be some nuggets of help in there maybe.

bsky.app/profile/gava...

I really wish the club would sort out these snippets to show the headline and article thumbnail 😂

I mean, I won’t argue that there’s a bit of a disconnect between some of the noise coming from Couhig about having a stupendous window and the reality of being so light in attack going into the first game, but seeing the way it’s discussed over there is reminding me why I left in the first place.

I created the @readingfcbot.bsky.social to try to make up for a lack of official news but there’s only so many RSS feeds out there and I don’t think it’ll grow here without consistent presence from the big opinion leaders (and *massive* credit to TTE for sticking it out on that front).

It’s a really great community on here… I’ve not seen anyone ranting and raving (although I definitely could about those hats), and discussion is always civil. It’s just a very small active group. Having an official account for the big updates would make a huge difference.

I’m sure there’s others, and you can decide for yourself how effective each of those elements may have been, but SBWD absolutely worked their socks off to keep our club afloat, and I very much hope you’re able to find a group that can lead a similarly focussed effort. For my money, it was vital.

8. Forging alliances - as mentioned earlier, using our plight to help elevate the plight of others through ad vans, or co-ordinating fundraising for the John Rudge statue for Port Vale as thanks for their support and grace during the match abandonment brought us goodwill from other fan groups.

7. Fan comms and coordination - Keeping the fanbase up to date on planned action, or transparently communicating protest budget decisions helped quiet dissenting voices and kept everyone more or less pulling in the same direction.

6. Engaging the local community - It’s surprising how few people locally may be aware of the situation. SBWD took out huge billboards by the station, and maintained regular communications with local media and MPs, whilst also guesting on podcasts.

5. Selling the club - Literally spelling out to would-be buyers why Reading would be a club worth taking a punt on. This also helped reframe the protest movement in a more positive/optimistic light from time to time for much needed levity.

4. Understanding the situation in Dai’s native China - Better educated is better equipped. This really helped contextualise the situation as it evolved, and by engaging experts like @mikeygow.bsky.social it created additional avenues for protest and pressure.

3. Understanding the legal and legislative frameworks - This literally saved the club at one point, when Dai attempted to sell the training ground from under us. By poring through covenants and so on, they found a clause that blocked the sale and thwarted Dai’s efforts to asset strip.

2. Support the bigger picture - SBWD engaged MPs and helped drive the football governance bill, and hired ad vans in London that focused on highlighting the importance of clubs below the Premier League to the national game as well as raising the plight of all struggling clubs; it’s not just us.

1. Protest - constant noise to garner media attention. Tennis balls might have become something that other fans mocked us for, but crucially they were aware of it. The action at Eastleigh on ITV, the red cards, the march to the stadium and the match abandonment all gained national media traction.