Are you all feeling as depressed as me ?

[Dirk Gently]

Certainly not depressed.

Looking forward to a season
- where we don't know which team out of two is going to win the league before a ball is kicked
- where the season is over for us when we get to 40 points
- where we don't go into 25% of our matches knowing that we'll almost certainly get massively outplayed and horribly beaten (and that if we do win it'll be reported that we played well and not just that the other team played badly!)
- where we'll be able to get tickets to matches at a less unreasonable cost (except for Blackpool, who are charging £28 quid - b*st*rds!)
- where fewer games will be moved by the TV companies, and for those that are there'll be better notice
- where there won't be ludicrous media hype all the time and we'll be able to concentrate on the football, and
- WHERE WE DO HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING THE LEAGUE!

Yes we'll almost certainly lose some more players - but if they want to go then I'm happy to lose them as they're obviously not committed to the cause, they're more committed to their wallets. But after what was a miserable, miserable season last year in so many ways I am really looking forward to this next one. The FL slogan is "Real football for real fans" and that sums it up perfectly.

[Thaumagurist*]

- where we don't know which team out of two is going to win the league before a ball is kicked

I think the Premiership is not as predictable as that. It did look like Arsenal could have won it last season (thankfully, they oxf*rd up).

- where the season is over for us when we get to 40 points

Hardly. When we achieved 40 points, the next objective was to get as high up in the table as possible. The higher the club is, the more money they earn. Finishing 8th was nice.

- where fewer games will be moved by the TV companies, and for those that are there'll be better notice

There's already been three of our games moved for TV.....

[Dirk Gently]

- where we don't know which team out of two is going to win the league before a ball is kicked

I think the Premiership is not as predictable as that. It did look like Arsenal could have won it last season (thankfully, they oxf*rd up).

Point - I did wonder whether to put two teams or three teams. But my point remains - the Premier League has never been won by a team that didn't finish in the top two the previous season, and as years go by that is even less likely to change. My essential point remains, though - we will never, ever win the Premier League, like 16 of the 20 teams in it each season.

- where the season is over for us when we get to 40 points

Hardly. When we achieved 40 points, the next objective was to get as high up in the table as possible. The higher the club is, the more money they earn. Finishing 8th was nice.

Hmmm, that might be the accountant's objective, but is it a supporter's? Once we got 40 points at Man City in Feb 2007 there was definitely a feeling that the season was over. It was only the late and completely unexpected run for Europe that livened it up, but I consider that to be an inexplicable one-off.

- where fewer games will be moved by the TV companies, and for those that are there'll be better notice

There's already been three of our games moved for TV.....

Yep - and we know about them and have done for a few weeks - Premier League supporters only got their fixture changes on Friday. Because there aren't two TV companies scrapping for the best games there's a lot less delay in changing fixtures, and fewer to be moved, too under the TV contract terms.

I have no doubts that for a real life supporter the Championship is the most enjoyable league to be in. Yes it's not the top league, but IMHO all the crap that comes with a money-dominated, over-hyped, TV-orientated league like the PL makes it no fun to be a supporter in.

[Alan Partridge]

Can anyone who is 'happy to be back in the football league' explain to me what our number 1 goal and objective is for next season?

[Vision]

Can anyone who is 'happy to be back in the football league' explain to me what our number 1 goal and objective is for next season?

Jeez man, pay attention. To embarass, humiliate, let down and depress the supporters of course.

[Dirk Gently]

Can anyone who is 'happy to be back in the football league' explain to me what our number 1 goal and objective is for next season?

To win the league and to ensure financial survival - what the ratio is between these two aims depends on who you are at the club.

[Alan Partridge]

I don't disagree with your main point Dirk in that as a fan the Premiership isn't the best place to watch football, especially if you travel away as well. However from a clubs view, their aim is to get back in it straight away, that's the main aim. Relegationw asn't in anyway a good thing, which again brings back the 'why didn't they specualte to accumalate' a little bit more to keep themselves in it, thus securing that financial status, but that's been done to death now. Happened, football league next season. The only thing I'm remotely happy about being back in the FL is midweek football.

[g]

Depressed? Nah. It's not me who is going to get blamed/sacked when we do sh*t next season

I wouldn't blame Coppell for most of the clubs failures, theres a whole team of men who are responsible for our actions and played a bigger part in our relegation, sadly they will be around regardless of the manager.

[Dirk Gently]

I don't disagree with your main point Dirk in that as a fan the Premiership isn't the best place to watch football, especially if you travel away as well. However from a clubs view, their aim is to get back in it straight away, that's the main aim. Relegationw asn't in anyway a good thing, which again brings back the 'why didn't they specualte to accumalate' a little bit more to keep themselves in it, thus securing that financial status, but that's been done to death now. Happened, football league next season. The only thing I'm remotely happy about being back in the FL is midweek football.

I agree with you on all these points - and for everyone involved in the club the short-term aim is definitely, 100%to get back - ideally this season but if not the next, before the parachute money runs out. But how that is to be achieved and what resources are available for it depends on who you talk to at the club.

The gap between finances in the PL and FL is so massive that it's a balancing act between keeping a PL-standard team ready to go back up and balancing the books so that if the 2-year things fails there's not financial oblivion - a la Ipswich, Leicester, Wolves, Norwich etc etc etc .....

And Doncaster on a Tuesday night is far better than Middlesboro on any day of the week

[Dirk Gently]

Depressed? Nah. It's not me who is going to get blamed/sacked when we do sh*t next season

I wouldn't blame Coppell for most of the clubs failures, theres a whole team of men who are responsible for our actions and played a bigger part in our relegation, sadly they will be around regardless of the manager.

They say ignorance is bliss - so you must be the happiest person in the world.

[Bill Oddie's Beard]

This should cheer everyone up - http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 80,00.html

[Thaumagurist*]

- where we don't know which team out of two is going to win the league before a ball is kicked

I think the Premiership is not as predictable as that. It did look like Arsenal could have won it last season (thankfully, they oxf*rd up).

Point - I did wonder whether to put two teams or three teams. But my point remains - the Premier League has never been won by a team that didn't finish in the top two the previous season, and as years go by that is even less likely to change. My essential point remains, though - we will never, ever win the Premier League, like 16 of the 20 teams in it each season.

Yes, that may be true that the winner will most likely come from the top 2/4 of the previous season, but the top 4 won't always be the same. Approximately 10 years ago it was between Man Utd, Newcastle, Blackburn and Aston Villa. It may well be different in 10 years time. There's no reason why Reading can't build themselves up and eventually be strong enough to challenge, but obviously not for ten years or so.

- where the season is over for us when we get to 40 points

Hardly. When we achieved 40 points, the next objective was to get as high up in the table as possible. The higher the club is, the more money they earn. Finishing 8th was nice.

Hmmm, that might be the accountant's objective, but is it a supporter's? Once we got 40 points at Man City in Feb 2007 there was definitely a feeling that the season was over. It was only the late and completely unexpected run for Europe that livened it up, but I consider that to be an inexplicable one-off.

Hmmm, so as long as Reading were safe, you weren't bothered how high Reading were? I know there doesn't seem much difference between 17th place and 8th place, but I see it as finishing above those who thought they were better than us - i.e. bragging rights. The higher we are, I'm more happier. Money earned by position is really a side issue.

- where fewer games will be moved by the TV companies, and for those that are there'll be better notice

There's already been three of our games moved for TV.....

Yep - and we know about them and have done for a few weeks - Premier League supporters only got their fixture changes on Friday. Because there aren't two TV companies scrapping for the best games there's a lot less delay in changing fixtures, and fewer to be moved, too under the TV contract terms.

I seem to recall a certain fixture with Swindon getting moved with very short notice and disregarded our fixture with Brighton in the same week. That wasn't in the Premiership, so where-ever we are, we will still get hassles with the TV.

I have no doubts that for a real life supporter the Championship is the most enjoyable league to be in. Yes it's not the top league, but IMHO all the crap that comes with a money-dominated, over-hyped, TV-orientated league like the PL makes it no fun to be a supporter in.

For you maybe, but I enjoy being a Reading fan whatever division they are in. The money issue is a necessary evil and the media are a bunch of w@nkers, but they treat us the same whatever division we are in - i.e. dismissive of us.

[Dirk Gently]

DG - where we don't know which team out of two is going to win the league before a ball is kicked

I think the Premiership is not as predictable as that. It did look like Arsenal could have won it last season (thankfully, they oxf*rd up).

Point - I did wonder whether to put two teams or three teams. But my point remains - the Premier League has never been won by a team that didn't finish in the top two the previous season, and as years go by that is even less likely to change. My essential point remains, though - we will never, ever win the Premier League, like 16 of the 20 teams in it each season.

Yes, that may be true that the winner will most likely come from the top 2/4 of the previous season, but the top 4 won't always be the same. Approximately 10 years ago it was between Man Utd, Newcastle, Blackburn and Aston Villa. It may well be different in 10 years time. There's no reason why Reading can't build themselves up and eventually be strong enough to challenge, but obviously not for ten years or so.

All the statistics suggest otherwise - the gap between the big 4 is getting bigger and bigger, so I just can't see anyone ever challenging them unless something radically changes in the way money is distributed within the league. Sad but true. The odds of the least (24th)favourite team in the Championship of winning that league are shorter than the odds of the 5th favourite team in the PL winning that!

- DG - where the season is over for us when we get to 40 points

Hardly. When we achieved 40 points, the next objective was to get as high up in the table as possible. The higher the club is, the more money they earn. Finishing 8th was nice.

Hmmm, that might be the accountant's objective, but is it a supporter's? Once we got 40 points at Man City in Feb 2007 there was definitely a feeling that the season was over. It was only the late and completely unexpected run for Europe that livened it up, but I consider that to be an inexplicable one-off.

Hmmm, so as long as Reading were safe, you weren't bothered how high Reading were? I know there doesn't seem much difference between 17th place and 8th place, but I see it as finishing above those who thought they were better than us - i.e. bragging rights. The higher we are, I'm more happier. Money earned by position is really a side issue.

Because for me the achievement isn't in not being relegated - the achievement is in winning. And competing in a league which we're never going to win isn't fulfilling. So no, there isn't any significant difference between 8th and 17th to me.

DG - where fewer games will be moved by the TV companies, and for those that are there'll be better notice

There's already been three of our games moved for TV.....

Yep - and we know about them and have done for a few weeks - Premier League supporters only got their fixture changes on Friday. Because there aren't two TV companies scrapping for the best games there's a lot less delay in changing fixtures, and fewer to be moved, too under the TV contract terms.

I seem to recall a certain fixture with Swindon getting moved with very short notice and disregarded our fixture with Brighton in the same week. That wasn't in the Premiership, so where-ever we are, we will still get hassles with the TV.

Yep - February 2002, and the fact it is still remembered over 6 years later suggests how rare it is. But that was under ITV Digital, so is not terribly relevant. The current TV contract that Sky have with the FL is far less damaging to supporters than the one Sky & Setanta have with the PL. The key word I used was "fewer" - not "never."

I have no doubts that for a real life supporter the Championship is the most enjoyable league to be in. Yes it's not the top league, but IMHO all the crap that comes with a money-dominated, over-hyped, TV-orientated league like the PL makes it no fun to be a supporter in.

For you maybe, but I enjoy being a Reading fan whatever division they are in. The money issue is a necessary evil and the media are a bunch of w@nkers, but they treat us the same whatever division we are in - i.e. dismissive of us.

Absolutely - I never said I didn't enjoy being a Reading fan whatever division they are in, and if we get promotion back I'll be cheering as loudly as anyone. But for all the reasons stated I enjoy being a Reading supporters MORE in the Championship than I did in the PL. Enjoyment is analogue, not digital.

[Reading West]

Unfortunately it is put into perspective when a time like Stoke allegedly bids £3 million for Kitson, and have a chance of getting him as they play in a higher division .

[statto]

This brings me to my final point. Scott Carson the England No.1 goalkeeper(arguably) could be on his way to Stoke ! or West Brom ?
How in the world are these clubs any different to us ?
It seems to be like the answer has to be wages/bonuses.




Or it could be that they are, in fact, in the Premier League, that's possibly the difference.


But no, you carry on thinking we should be attracting England internationals ahead of clubs in the league above us.


I think if coppell were to resign, the club should be run by the fans, but only fans who post on here, because they talk SO much sense.

That's what I'd like to see.

[Thaumagurist*]

Yes, that may be true that the winner will most likely come from the top 2/4 of the previous season, but the top 4 won't always be the same. Approximately 10 years ago it was between Man Utd, Newcastle, Blackburn and Aston Villa. It may well be different in 10 years time. There's no reason why Reading can't build themselves up and eventually be strong enough to challenge, but obviously not for ten years or so.

All the statistics suggest otherwise - the gap between the big 4 is getting bigger and bigger, so I just can't see anyone ever challenging them unless something radically changes in the way money is distributed within the league. Sad but true. The odds of the least (24th)favourite team in the Championship of winning that league are shorter than the odds of the 5th favourite team in the PL winning that!

Well, I guess only time will tell if what you believe is true. I'd like to see what happens to Man Utd and Arsenal when their respective managers finally leave and whether they can still dominate with a different manager. People have wondered what would happen to the massive debts of those clubs and whether they can survive them. Like I said, time will tell whether the top 4 will change at all.

Hmmm, so as long as Reading were safe, you weren't bothered how high Reading were? I know there doesn't seem much difference between 17th place and 8th place, but I see it as finishing above those who thought they were better than us - i.e. bragging rights. The higher we are, I'm more happier. Money earned by position is really a side issue.

Because for me the achievement isn't in not being relegated - the achievement is in winning. And competing in a league which we're never going to win isn't fulfilling. So no, there isn't any significant difference between 8th and 17th to me.

Surely there is more to football than just winning trophies. By that I mean winning individual games. And when we were promoted from the third tier in 1986 for the first time since the 1920's, do you think we had any expectations of doing any better than surviving? So what do you think the fans then were feeling after achieving a then highest ever placing of 13th in the old Second Division?

I seem to recall a certain fixture with Swindon getting moved with very short notice and disregarded our fixture with Brighton in the same week. That wasn't in the Premiership, so where-ever we are, we will still get hassles with the TV.

Yep - February 2002, and the fact it is still remembered over 6 years later suggests how rare it is. But that was under ITV Digital, so is not terribly relevant. The current TV contract that Sky have with the FL is far less damaging to supporters than the one Sky & Setanta have with the PL. The key word I used was "fewer" - not "never."

Ok, fewer, I'd accept that, but I was just using that example to demonstrate TV contracts in general. We'll still have hassles, but yes, fewer as the Football League contract is lower profile and not as total coverage as the Premiership is. But if we're more successful, we may be featured more as we were in the Championship winning season. We were featured something like 5 times(?) during that season.

I have no doubts that for a real life supporter the Championship is the most enjoyable league to be in. Yes it's not the top league, but IMHO all the crap that comes with a money-dominated, over-hyped, TV-orientated league like the PL makes it no fun to be a supporter in.

For you maybe, but I enjoy being a Reading fan whatever division they are in. The money issue is a necessary evil and the media are a bunch of w@nkers, but they treat us the same whatever division we are in - i.e. dismissive of us.

Absolutely - I never said I didn't enjoy being a Reading fan whatever division they are in, and if we get promotion back I'll be cheering as loudly as anyone. But for all the reasons stated I enjoy being a Reading supporters MORE in the Championship than I did in the PL. Enjoyment is analogue, not digital.

I'd enjoy a season more if we won something, so it's obvious that if we won the Championship again, then it would be enjoyable, but if we struggled then it won't be enjoyable. You can't just tell from the start of the season whether it's going to be enjoyable or not. I enjoyed the first ever season in the Premiership even though we didn't win a trophy, but it was because we achieved the highest ever placing we've ever achieved in our history and beating a few teams that season. And only two teams during that season managed to do the double on us. What I did not and do not enjoy is the negative waves from so-called fans like Royalee.

[clauski]

I guess there's been little to excite us this close season (even less than last year) and that is a bit depressing. Why anyone would ever be happy with their squad and not try to improve it, regardless of how good the team is or is not, puzzles me. Even Man Utd and Real Madrid try to improve - there is always the opportunity to find someone who brings that something more. Deja vu.

[firstdivision]

No I am not. But I am fed up waiting for the season to start!

We will totally own the league this year. I thank you....

[The 17 Bus]

I guess there's been little to excite us this close season (even less than last year) and that is a bit depressing. Why anyone would ever be happy with their squad and not try to improve it, regardless of how good the team is or is not, puzzles me. Even Man Utd and Real Madrid try to improve - there is always the opportunity to find someone who brings that something more. Deja vu.

So who have they signed this close season then so far??

[Son of Len]

Depressed? Nah. It's not me who is going to get blamed/sacked when we do sh*t next season

Define sh*t. Anything less than automatic promotion? I thought your pessimism last season was based on reality. If not, I guess those really are STG you wear.

<<<get the cr*p out with visine (they must have it at the local chemist's)

Just teasing really, hence the emoticon used. If we keep hold of the likes of Kitson, Doyle, Lita, Matejovsky & Bikey for next season then we have the basis of a very good squad for Championship level, so hopefully Nick(y) Hammond has disconnected the phone and fax machine. Add to that the likes of Long, Harper, Ingimarsson, Sonko and Rosenior who will all be easily good enough for this division then the outlook for success in the Championship in the new season looks reasonably bright in all honesty.

Ahh... THAT'S why your emoticon had shades!

And finally, for the record 'Stranded' are you a plastic ? - Because comments like 'Your football team should not have such a big effect on you, so as to make you depressed' (or similar) are written by someone who obviously doesn't hurt when we lose at home to Watford and feel unbridled joy when we win away at Preston

Stranded ain't plastic. I am. Never been to a game (of course, I've only been to England twice. About 12 hours overnight was my longest stay.) and I could probably stop paying attention since I don't have cable or satellite TV and I haven't been able to get the internet feeds to work with my Mac. Of course, when I get back on Saturday from my kid's soccer game and look up what happened only to find that Royals lost, I notice I'm not as pleasant to be around for an hour or so. But don't tell my wife and kids.