PA announcer

[Winchester Royal]

It's still a building.

[Pandoras Box]

It was like trying to get your bird to talk dirty.

Go on say it, say it, come on , everyone, 'URZZZ'

[RoyalBlue]

It's still a building.

'A structure with roof and walls'?

Even if you are correct, calling our stadium a building and referring to 'the building filling up' is like referring to the game that is about to be played as 'soccer' - technically correct but completely wrong!

The man is a complete *rse and his style is completely wrong - he has to change or be changed.

Still reckon the best PA guy we had was Jonathan Richards who was so wrongly dismissed for really firing up the supporters by contrasting their loyalty with that of a previous manager!

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

He was let go as he acted similar to this guy. And he had no idea how to use a mic. It is connected to an amplifier, their is no need to shout.

[sandman]

It's still a building.

'A structure with roof and walls'?

Even if you are correct, calling our stadium a building and referring to 'the building filling up' is like referring to the game that is about to be played as 'soccer' - technically correct but completely wrong!

The man is a complete *rse and his style is completely wrong - he has to change or be changed.

Still reckon the best PA guy we had was Jonathan Richards who was so wrongly dismissed for really firing up the supporters by contrasting their loyalty with that of a previous manager!

Are you his agent?

[RoyalBlue]

He was let go as he acted similar to this guy. And he had no idea how to use a mic. It is connected to an amplifier, their is no need to shout.

Who was let go for that reason? I assume you must be referring to Paul Allen because it certainly wasn't Jonathan Richards who was fired because he had a dig over the PA at the lack of loyalty of one of our old managers. His dig really fired up the crowd prior to the game but the business management of the club seemed to care more about the feelings of the past manager!

'A structure with roof and walls'?

Even if you are correct, calling our stadium a building and referring to 'the building filling up' is like referring to the game that is about to be played as 'soccer' - technically correct but completely wrong!

The man is a complete *rse and his style is completely wrong - he has to change or be changed.

Still reckon the best PA guy we had was Jonathan Richards who was so wrongly dismissed for really firing up the supporters by contrasting their loyalty with that of a previous manager!

Are you his agent?

No (although we were at the same school). I just know him to be a really passionate Reading supporter and also thought he did a very good job on the PA - IIRC he also used to do work for either 210FM or BBCRB?

Incidentally, I think JR was in the same year at school as Mark Gonnella who is Communications Director at The Arse.

[Vision]

1) I'm not sure a Reading crowd (even at the Madejski) needed JR to get them fired up for a game against McGhee.

2)) i'd question who exactly it got riled up given that as i recall we went 4-0 down in less than an hour

3) My memory (not 100% reliable it has to be said) recalls he resigned with a massive public apology as opposed to being sacked although I accept it may have been a "mutual decision" type deal.

4) He annoyed me at Elm Park and he annoyed me at the Madejski but sadly you're right. He was still miles less irritating anyone we've had since. *

* Apart from Madejski himself, it's always a delight when he grabs the mic at games **

** Now superceded by Lady Sassima.

[Winchester Royal]

Its sad that they can't just find a normal human being who will welcome the teams onto the pitch, read out the line-ups, and then piss off until the next game.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Its sad that they can't just find a normal human being who will welcome the teams onto the pitch, read out the line-ups, and then piss off until the next game.

And that's about all that needs to happen.
A few songs of ours, a song to run out to.
The players running out to the fans, rather than lining up to shake each others hands.
And one mascot per team, we should use Floyd every game, it was him all this year's ago wasn't it ?

[edinburghroyal]

I liked him

[RoyalBlue]

1) I'm not sure a Reading crowd (even at the Madejski) needed JR to get them fired up for a game against McGhee.

2)) i'd question who exactly it got riled up given that as i recall we went 4-0 down in less than an hour

3) My memory (not 100% reliable it has to be said) recalls he resigned with a massive public apology as opposed to being sacked although I accept it may have been a "mutual decision" type deal.

4) He annoyed me at Elm Park and he annoyed me at the Madejski but sadly you're right. He was still miles less irritating anyone we've had since. *

* Apart from Madejski himself, it's always a delight when he grabs the mic at games **

** Now superceded by Lady Sassima.

True, we went 4-0 down but then pulled three back and I would like to think the crowd had something to do with that recovery. As for the circumstances surrounding his departure, I think 'mutual decision' is being extremely charitable to the business management of the club. I suspect at best it was 'resign or be fired' or 'as someone who clearly cares about this club, we would urge you to do the right thing.......'.

Hob Nob said at the time:

Support The Tannoy Two!
Added by HNA? on 25/01/01
If you purchased a copy of the latest issue of The Whiff from one of the respectable sellers outside the Madejski Stadium last Saturday, then you will have read an interview with Jonathan Richards. Richards resigned, along with assistant Simon Houlihan, under pressure from the club following remarks made over the PA system at the Millwall game as the teams came out. Reading fan Richards urged the home fans to remind McGhee of the loyal fans he'd left behind at Reading. These rather tame remarks were followed up by all kinds of media attention forcing Richards out his job for no good reason. Since Richards was only attempting to get the home fans to make some noise, and considering the splendid job he's done already this season for no payment - then it must be right to give him his job back. Richards is clearly a Reading fan doing his best to support the club - the club should repay him by accepting his apology and offering him and Houlihan their old jobs back. If you have the same opinion then contact the club directly, using the link below, to offer Richards your support.


•Email comments@readingfc.co.uk

•Read more at The Whiff website

And thank God Sassima has taken the mic over from JM. I could hear what she was saying on Sunday and thought it was good. Aren't Thais generally recognised for their humility and modesty too?

[Sutekh]

Is he the same guy who was the PA guy and the ice hockey for Bracknell and Basingstoke?

If he is (and even if he isn't, to be honest) he needs informing that football isn't ice hockey, and his efforts at getting the crowd going are just utterly embarrassing.


If the club wonders why there's not much atmosphere at games, failing to score in 12 of the last 16 home league games might be a factor.

Exactly it's the anticipation of what's to follow that helps build the atmosphere and our utterly disgraceful home form that has been dragging on and on for the last 18 months or so is what has lost much of it.

"Back the Boys and make some noise" was cringeworthy enough so certainly don't want or need other American style guided cheer-leading and inane plastic feel-good spackeries coming out of the PA thankyou very much.

This is also the sort of thing STAR should be commenting on to the club at their various meetings, has it been raised with them?

[RoyalBlue]

Is he the same guy who was the PA guy and the ice hockey for Bracknell and Basingstoke?

If he is (and even if he isn't, to be honest) he needs informing that football isn't ice hockey, and his efforts at getting the crowd going are just utterly embarrassing.


If the club wonders why there's not much atmosphere at games, failing to score in 12 of the last 16 home league games might be a factor.

Exactly it's the anticipation of what's to follow that helps build the atmosphere and our utterly disgraceful home form that has been dragging on and on for the last 18 months or so is what has lost much of it.

So maybe rather than inflicting the guy on us they should send him into the dressing room before each game and tell the players he's going to keep doing it until they start scoring goals!

[Avon Royal]

Is he the same guy who was the PA guy and the ice hockey for Bracknell and Basingstoke?

"Let's have a big hand for Paul Holsgrove as he leaves the ice...."

I think he might be.

[WAZZOCK]

I can guarantee that if the announcer reads this, he will be delighted. This is exactly the reaction he would have been after, and you saps have fallen for it hook line and sinker

[Scarlet_Royal]

I really don't see why the whole setup really needs an MC and the like. Tannoy test for security, introduce the teams and the occasional important announcement e.g. Remembrance Day

Introduce the second half then go home

[tmesis]

I can guarantee that if the announcer reads this, he will be delighted. This is exactly the reaction he would have been after, and you saps have fallen for it hook line and sinker

Why would have wanted this reaction?

Assuming it is the ice hockey guy, this isn't some wind up for him. It's what he's been doing week in, week out for 25 years, but just at places where that sort of cheese-fest is appreciated, and is normal.

No, he genuinely believes what he does helps generate an atmosphere, because it works at ice hockey.


Oddly enough, I once went to an ice hockey game at Bracknell when he wasn't there, and the stand-in PA guy just did it like you'd expect a football announcer to, and that failed miserably too.

[Vision]

1) I'm not sure a Reading crowd (even at the Madejski) needed JR to get them fired up for a game against McGhee.

2)) i'd question who exactly it got riled up given that as i recall we went 4-0 down in less than an hour

3) My memory (not 100% reliable it has to be said) recalls he resigned with a massive public apology as opposed to being sacked although I accept it may have been a "mutual decision" type deal.

4) He annoyed me at Elm Park and he annoyed me at the Madejski but sadly you're right. He was still miles less irritating anyone we've had since. *

* Apart from Madejski himself, it's always a delight when he grabs the mic at games **

** Now superceded by Lady Sassima.

True, we went 4-0 down but then pulled three back and I would like to think the crowd had something to do with that recovery. As for the circumstances surrounding his departure, I think 'mutual decision' is being extremely charitable to the business management of the club. I suspect at best it was 'resign or be fired' or 'as someone who clearly cares about this club, we would urge you to do the right thing.......'.

Hob Nob said at the time:

Support The Tannoy Two!
Added by HNA? on 25/01/01
If you purchased a copy of the latest issue of The Whiff from one of the respectable sellers outside the Madejski Stadium last Saturday, then you will have read an interview with Jonathan Richards. Richards resigned, along with assistant Simon Houlihan, under pressure from the club following remarks made over the PA system at the Millwall game as the teams came out. Reading fan Richards urged the home fans to remind McGhee of the loyal fans he'd left behind at Reading. These rather tame remarks were followed up by all kinds of media attention forcing Richards out his job for no good reason. Since Richards was only attempting to get the home fans to make some noise, and considering the splendid job he's done already this season for no payment - then it must be right to give him his job back. Richards is clearly a Reading fan doing his best to support the club - the club should repay him by accepting his apology and offering him and Houlihan their old jobs back. If you have the same opinion then contact the club directly, using the link below, to offer Richards your support.


•Email comments@readingfc.co.uk

•Read more at The Whiff website

And thank God Sassima has taken the mic over from JM. I could hear what she was saying on Sunday and thought it was good. Aren't Thais generally recognised for their humility and modesty too?

Nothing screams humility and modesty like "I've written a song for you all so listen up peasants"

You can make up all the fantasy conversations you want but your statement that he was "sacked" isn't true even in the piece you've quoted. He resigned,albeit under pressure, and admitted he went too far and apologised.

And I'll reiterate that a game against McGhee did not need any pumping up for the crowd. If his actions did have any effect, quite obviously, it was to add spice to Millwall. It takes a particularly ripe imagination to think his words took an hour to seep into the subconsciousness of the Reading fans and onto the players.

Don't get me wrong he's been the best of a bad bunch but I'm with the general consensus that tannoy announcers are an unnecessary irritant most of the time.

As opposed to JM and Lady Sassima who are necessary irritants most of the time.

[RoyalBlue]

1) I'm not sure a Reading crowd (even at the Madejski) needed JR to get them fired up for a game against McGhee.

2)) i'd question who exactly it got riled up given that as i recall we went 4-0 down in less than an hour

3) My memory (not 100% reliable it has to be said) recalls he resigned with a massive public apology as opposed to being sacked although I accept it may have been a "mutual decision" type deal.

4) He annoyed me at Elm Park and he annoyed me at the Madejski but sadly you're right. He was still miles less irritating anyone we've had since. *

* Apart from Madejski himself, it's always a delight when he grabs the mic at games **

** Now superceded by Lady Sassima.

True, we went 4-0 down but then pulled three back and I would like to think the crowd had something to do with that recovery. As for the circumstances surrounding his departure, I think 'mutual decision' is being extremely charitable to the business management of the club. I suspect at best it was 'resign or be fired' or 'as someone who clearly cares about this club, we would urge you to do the right thing.......'.

Hob Nob said at the time:

Support The Tannoy Two!
Added by HNA? on 25/01/01
If you purchased a copy of the latest issue of The Whiff from one of the respectable sellers outside the Madejski Stadium last Saturday, then you will have read an interview with Jonathan Richards. Richards resigned, along with assistant Simon Houlihan, under pressure from the club following remarks made over the PA system at the Millwall game as the teams came out. Reading fan Richards urged the home fans to remind McGhee of the loyal fans he'd left behind at Reading. These rather tame remarks were followed up by all kinds of media attention forcing Richards out his job for no good reason. Since Richards was only attempting to get the home fans to make some noise, and considering the splendid job he's done already this season for no payment - then it must be right to give him his job back. Richards is clearly a Reading fan doing his best to support the club - the club should repay him by accepting his apology and offering him and Houlihan their old jobs back. If you have the same opinion then contact the club directly, using the link below, to offer Richards your support.


•Email comments@readingfc.co.uk

•Read more at The Whiff website

And thank God Sassima has taken the mic over from JM. I could hear what she was saying on Sunday and thought it was good. Aren't Thais generally recognised for their humility and modesty too?

Nothing screams humility and modesty like "I've written a song for you all so listen up peasants"

You can make up all the fantasy conversations you want but your statement that he was "sacked" isn't true even in the piece you've quoted. He resigned,albeit under pressure, and admitted he went too far and apologised.
:

I have been involved in many such negotiations (delivery not receiving!) and I can assure you that they have been sackings in everything but the wording of the announcement/agreement. What's more, in most cases, a court/employment tribunal would agree that they were sackings were it not for the fact that the negotiated agreement precludes the subsequent involvement of such bodies. Personally, from what I've seen and heard, I don't believe the JR situation would be any different (of course I can't state that categorically).

To say he went too far is absurd (it's just a shame he allowed himself to be persuaded to state that). How is reminding the crowd of their loyalties (IIRC he made no direct accusations against McGhee) going too far?!

As for the song, I believe she did genuinely intend it as a gift to club and supporters and not in the arrogant manner that you suggest. At least no one suggested that she wrote it about herself (or named it Sassima's song)!

[Vision]

Paragraph 1 - Fantasy again.

Paragraph 2 - I didn't say he went too far. He did.

Paragraph 3 - LOL.