Bibbo and Armstrong gone?

[Ian Royal]

None of these people were dismissed, apparently they were all on contracts that were not renewed. Same as Guthrie, Edwards etc.
Whatever you think of it talk of unfair dismissal is irrelevant.
Do you think everyone should have a job for life ?

I think anyone who's doing a good job should have their contract renewed, particularly if they have a long history of good service and are far from the top end of the payscale, so not putting finances in jeopardy. Unless there's someone significantly better lined up to take their place as the employer moves on to take the next level.

[Uke]

Word is Clarke is throwing his weight around and acting like he's some 'master of the universe' type

Do not panic!

[blueroyals]

Should we place bets on when this will be announced?

[Reading4eva]

Those of us of a certain age who remember Bibbo's pretty poor efforts in goal for us in the late 90's were frankly stunned when he became a goalkeeping coach! No great loss in my opinion, and will surely be replaced by better

Bibbo wasn't a great keeper, true (was it Quinn/Gooding or Bullivant who bought him), but has been a good goalkeeping coach.

Tony Adams and John Barnes were great players but we're terrible managers and coaches

[RG30]

New kitman?

http://www.theshots.co.uk/steve-francis/

[SpaghettiHoop]

I hope there is no transfer fee involved.

[Huntley & Palmer]

oxf*rd Shots fan as kit manager, disgrace if true

[Nameless]

Heard a rumour that a couple of the players supported other teams when they were younger as well.
Shocking if true.
Coppell out.

[Uke]

New kitman?

http://www.theshots.co.uk/steve-francis/

He's been at a few pork pies since Wembley

[paultheroyal]

£320 season tickets to watch Aldershot. Bloody hell!

[Pepe the Horseman]

He's also WBA's number 1.

I've already told you pcunts Dave Beasant's coming in, anyway.

Watts also expecting Dean Kiely.

Don't give a fcuk what Watts is expecting.

Bump.

[Lacoste]

Why is this bump worthy? What's happened?

[Coppelled_Streets]

Fair fcuks, Pepe. Beasant it is, apparently.

[Sutekh]

GetReading reports...

Steve Clarke admits the decision to sack Sal Bibbo and three other members of his coaching staff was one of the toughest he has made in football.

News of the shock departure of popular goalkeeping coach Bibbo stunned fans last month after it emerged the he, along with kitman Selby Armstrong, head physio Luke Anthony and soft tissue therapist Dan Buchanan, had left the club.

Reading had remained silent on the departures, but speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire on Saturday, Clarke explained his thought process.

“When you’re manager you have to make difficult decisions,” he said.

“And trust me the decision to release the staff that I released was something I didn’t do lightly.

“I didn’t do it on a whim. I spoke to the club about it, the club agreed with my reasoning that maybe it was better to freshen things up a bit on the coaching side.

“It was just one of those really tough decisions. I feel for the people who have lost their jobs, it was probably one of the toughest things I’ve had to do as a manager. But sometimes you have to make tough decisions.”

Since deciding to freshen things up, Clarke has yet to appoint anyone new to his coaching staff.

But Royals' boss is hopeful that he will soon be in a position to announce who will be joining him and assistant coach Kevin Keen.

“The movement on the staff is good,” said Clarke, who is waiting for the green light from Reading's Thai owners to start his summer shopping spree.

“I’m almost in place to announce the changes to the staff and the people who are coming in to help us next season.

“All the staff vacancies I’m very close to filling. I’m pretty confident the goalkeeping coach will be in place before we start back next week.”



Let's hope these don't take an eternity for approval like we're waiting on for players.

[Pepe the Horseman]

How many are we expecting?
Beasant
Rix
Kit man
Any more?

[Forbury Lion]

I wonder if a change of physio and soft tissue therapist (whatever one of those is) will see an improvement in our injury record?

I'm not sure a change of kitman will have any impact - what does a kitman do? wash the kit, iron the kit, iron the numbers on... that sort of thing. Hard to see from the outside what the previous kitman did wrong, unless he's the reason HRK had 9 on his back when he's a winger not a striker.

[tee peg]

I wonder if a change of physio and soft tissue therapist (whatever one of those is) will see an improvement in our injury record?

I'm not sure a change of kitman will have any impact - what does a kitman do? wash the kit, iron the kit, iron the numbers on... that sort of thing. Hard to see from the outside what the previous kitman did wrong, unless he's the reason HRK had 9 on his back when he's a winger not a striker.

The kit man ironed the 6 on the wrong way round..........

[Uke]

I'm not sure a change of kitman will have any impact - what does a kitman do? wash the kit, iron the kit, iron the numbers on... that sort of thing. Hard to see from the outside what the previous kitman did wrong, unless he's the reason HRK had 9 on his back when he's a winger not a striker.

Kit men can be marvellous in real life

[sandman]

Why is this bump worthy? What's happened?

You tell us, after all you're the one who knows so much more about football than everyone else.

[Hoop Blah]

I wonder if a change of physio and soft tissue therapist (whatever one of those is) will see an improvement in our injury record?

I'm not sure a change of kitman will have any impact - what does a kitman do? wash the kit, iron the kit, iron the numbers on... that sort of thing. Hard to see from the outside what the previous kitman did wrong, unless he's the reason HRK had 9 on his back when he's a winger not a striker.

I think they can play a reasonably big part in creating the right, or wrong, atmosphere. They're often in and around the squad for a lot of the time, especially on away trips and so I guess Clarke just wanted to freshen things up and change the approach a bit. Changing a few faces is part of that.

A lot used to be made of the guy at Fulham and Mourinho famously left a team talk or two to the Chelsea kit man, and lets not forget what a legend Ron Grant was.