by Reading4eva »
01 Nov 2018 08:13
grey_squirrel 72 bus grey_squirrel
Which TBF is totally fair enough and fair play to AFCB. They have achieved and more importantly sustained (thus far) comfortable top flight status, with a far inferior fan base, infrastructure, commerical appeal, ground etc by shrewd, intelligent decision making over a sustained period both on and off the field. Whilst we have corroded due to primarily grotesque financial mis-management.
They have achieved and more importantly sustained (thus far) comfortable top flight status, with a far inferior fan base, infrastructure, commerical appeal, ground etc by finding a Russian who actually has some money and does not mind spending it, unlike the one we found.
Oh, they also identified a upcoming young manager and stuck by him.
Bournemouth despite being geographically quite close to Reading are actually polar opposites to Reading when it comes to running a football club.
Whilst it is largely true "you reap what you sew", geography really has nothing to do with it in the global scheme of things, though if you want to talk geographically then Brighton, Portsmouth, Oxford, Swindon, Bristol Rovers, Aldershot have all/are having/have had recent periods of alarming decline (mostly again due to financial greed/incompetence) but in some cases are once again enjoying subsequent revival. Swings and roundabouts. Once again though I commend the 'Bournemouth Way'. Quiet, unassuming development and sustainment without fanfare. No reason why they shouldn't be able to emulate the Premiership Wigan of old. Eddie Howe is clearly destined for bigger and better things. And quite rightly too. They will want to hang in to him for as long as they can.
It's true there are so many clubs in the region who have suffered the big highs and lows following owner errors, Reading included. For example, our owners do have money and I believe they do care but they have backed the wrong horse in Gourlay who yes did well at Chelsea but when you have Roman Abramovichs billions to use in a well established Premier League club is relatively easy. A Championship club who have budgets and have to meet FFP rules is a different kettle of fish.
Personally I wish the owners were a bit more like the Thai owner at Leicester who did such a great job and was rightly worshipped at a club who were going nowhere before he got there.
Bournemouth might have spent £50million but they get double that if not more from sponsorship, Premier League etc. so no longer need constant investment from Maxim Denim. One of the biggest reasons for success at the club in my eyes is Jeff Mostyn, a lovely man who pumped in his own money when the club were on the brink of extinction. This means he's been there and therefore will not break the bank. I'm sure he's got all his money back, but why shouldn't he. He is a businessman and if the club had dropped into Non League he would have without a doubt lost the lot, which if some are to be believed included selling his house to keep the wolves from the door at AFCB.
Biggest bug bear for AFCB fans is the ground. The club, to keep afloat, made the decision which was right at the time to sell Dean Court to a company called Structadene. Now the club are in the position they are, Structadene are believed to want 12 times what they paid the club for the ground back, which is business. Some dislike them, but most understand at the time it had to be done. Again they put money in when the club could have gone under and therefore could have ended up with an empty stadium off a dual carriageway.
The saving grace is the car park is owned by the council. Personally, it will be a logistical nightmare to build on that car park BUT it's one that needs to be done. The club haven't moved forwards quickly with this due to said reasons, but I think it will eventually.
They won't expand the current Dean Court because it's like building an extension on a house you rent. Plus there is a lot to do so replacing it wouldn't work out much more expensive.
Eddie will move onto bigger things eventually. He, deep down, is frustrated regarding the stadium although a new training ground is being built (the current one is just behind the stadium). But I believe and hope he will stick it out until the job is done both on and off the pitch. The England job isn't beyond him but I think he may be tempted by the Spurs job if it comes up. For a man who spent his career in Division 2 and Division 3 to get his club into the Premier League in the first place is legacy alone for me especially when all things considered the club could have easily ended up playing the likes of Weymouth and Maidenhead each week had it survived and had he not intervened