Everyone's favourite tabloid journo confirmed for 23 Feb

[Arch]

Sounds all in all like a non-event. Which is probably the best possible outcome, and exactly what the whole thing deserved. A national sports writer pours out a series of increasingly obsessive columns about a small club he dislikes, comes onto local radio and wins a low-key debate with representative of the small club's supporters association. Nice one, Oliver. Done your rep a power of good there.

[weybridgewanderer]

holt came across as aggressive and bullish

prepared to say what he thinks and stick by it

no surprise there if you have ever seen him on jimmy hill's sunday supplement

[Yorkshire Royal]

They used what you said as if you'd texted it in just now!

I gave up listening so missed it... Who did they attribute the text too...?

[Royal Lady]

Yorkshire Royal! - They must have been logged into hobnob!

[Yorkshire Royal]

It's true though. I do know a lot of people who hate Reading, because of our perceived plasticness mostly. And also because we are media darlings apparently...

I just remind them that soon we will have 30,000+ plastic fans, spending a fortune on merchandise and tickets, ensuring our financial stability before a rich billionaire buys the club and we win the Champions League.

It is also worth noting that these people support: Arsenal, Leeds, Sheff Utd, Liverpool and Wrexham ... I know loads of Utd fans and they all like us...

I deliberately don't associate with Chelsea fans...

[M4 Junction 11]

Holt 1 - STAR 0, I'm afraid...

yep, exactly what i thought. unprepared and awful radio

I must confess that I was tempted but from the outset I though this was all wrong and no I didn't listen. Please can someone tell me that I was wrong to be critical of BBCRB for setting this up and that I now owe Tim, Joel and Ollie an apology.

[PieEater]

I didn't think John Keen was nervous, more fuming with anger and trying very hard to control it.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

holt came across as aggressive and bullish

prepared to say what he thinks and stick by it

he didn't seem remotely aggressive to me, but he didn't need to be as the guy who rang in was just struck dumb and was unable to put a single coherent thought together.


Tim should have put him out of his misery and tackled the points himself.

He could have asked him what aspects of JM's consumption are conspicious.

It's not as if he's a Simon Jordan type who openly courts publicity.

He could have asked him if it was OK for Santiago Bernabeu to name a stadium after himself, for example.

He could have asked if he'd seen the footage showing Hunt tripping over Cech's knee - which would have made kneeing him deliberately nigh on impossible.

But overall I think he should have just been asked if his anger over the Cech incident has made him overreact negatively to every aspect of the club. After all, if he had no dislike of the club prior to the Cech incident, what made him suddenly angry about the fans giving Mark McGhee stick several years ago? Why did he not dislike Coppell's reserved nature prior to Cech's injury? Why did John Madejski not annoy him until October? Does he not see that it all just makes him look petty and bitter?

Still, I suppose I could have rung in and said those things, but I didn't. I was hoping that more people would have got the chance.

[floyd__streete]

So let me get this straight - there was no phone-in as such at all? Glad I made the correct decision to miss the programme

[soggy biscuit]

For as much as people don't like his opinions they have to accept that they are just that, opinions, and we are all entitled to them. If he doesn't like Reading then fair enough, a lot of football fans have irrational hatred of teams and Holt is no different. Take a look at the General football section on this very board and you will find all sorts of ridiculous things said about other clubs, I accept that writing on a message board and a national newspaper are vastly different but the types of people that do this are not, they are football fans who form views of clubs for different reasons and should be allowed to.

I am also 'lolling' at the people on here who bad mouth him for taking up what they see as a personal vendetta against the club yet are doing just the same thing themselves against this journalist.

This was possibly the most blatent piece of self promoting journalism I have seen and I can't believe anyone would be so stupid as to fall for it. 14 pages later and you still are and I reckon by the end of next week it will still be going.

Journalist 1-0 internet RFC fans

[Coppelled Streets]

For as much as people don't like his opinions they have to accept that they are just that, opinions, and we are all entitled to them. If he doesn't like Reading then fair enough, a lot of football fans have irrational hatred of teams and Holt is no different. Take a look at the General football section on this very board and you will find all sorts of ridiculous things said about other clubs, I accept that writing on a message board and a national newspaper are vastly different but the types of people that do this are not, they are football fans who form views of clubs for different reasons and should be allowed to.

I am also 'lolling' at the people on here who bad mouth him for taking up what they see as a personal vendetta against the club yet are doing just the same thing themselves against this journalist.

This was possibly the most blatent piece of self promoting journalism I have seen and I can't believe anyone would be so stupid as to fall for it. 14 pages later and you still are and I reckon by the end of next week it will still be going.

Journalist 1-0 internet RFC fans

According to Ollie Holt, we're "Neanderthal" RFC fans.

[weybridgewanderer]

holt came across as aggressive and bullish

prepared to say what he thinks and stick by it

he didn't seem remotely aggressive to me, but he didn't need to be as the guy who rang in was just struck dumb and was unable to put a single coherent thought together.

... <snip>

Still, I suppose I could have rung in and said those things, but I didn't. I was hoping that more people would have got the chance.

the guy who "rang in" was invited on by bbc berks as he is the STAR representative

you could not have rang in yourself as the elected not to allow "jo public" to question holt, only that 1pre approved guest fan was allowed

ollie even ad a host of questions from hna? that he didn't read out till after the interview was over

[rob the royal]

plasticness

erm that's plasticity if u don't mind

[Yorkshire Royal]

Good point well made.

[Spirit of Elm Park]

FWIW, I know Jon, and I certainly don't know any fan more commited to the club, I can understand that he had a million and one things that he wanted to say on the subject, but having been held up as the "mouthpiece" for "us", his emotions, which were plain for all to hear, got the better of him. Its hard to put emotions into words, and i am sure most people on here have suffered the same at one time or another.

Fair play Jon .

Maybe a few people on here should step away from the safety of their keyboard once in a while and try a little empathy.

[T.R.O.L.I.]

FWIW, I know Jon, and I certainly don't know any fan more commited to the club, I can understand that he had a million and one things that he wanted to say on the subject, but having been held up as the "mouthpiece" for "us", his emotions, which were plain for all to hear, got the better of him. Its hard to put emotions into words, and i am sure most people on here have suffered the same at one time or another.

Fair play Jon .

Maybe a few people on here should step away from the safety of their keyboard once in a while and try a little empathy.

Good shout SoEP - its all too easy to be a keyboard warrior these days.

Good effort Jon.

[AJ~]

You'd think Jon would have had days to himself to do nothing else but prepare intensely for this encouter what with his position at STAR being a full-time paid job and all...

[roland*]

You'd think Jon would have had days to himself to do nothing else but prepare intensely for this encouter what with his position at STAR being a full-time paid job and all...

It would have taken an hour max to isolate the key issues and prepare a response to each of them. That is all. Perhaps he did this, perhaps when the moment came panic descended.

I don't mean to sound overly critical of the guy, it takes some balls to go toe-to-toe with a fathead like Holt.

[Arch]

Journalist 1-0 internet RFC fans

Whys is a national journalist in a contest with a bunch of football fans from one particular club int he first place? We're fanatics about Reading Football Club, and happy to spend hours debating every nuance. What's his excuse?

[Coppelled Streets]

This one's for you Jon,

Starman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xACwmIqjm1w 56 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhSYbRiYwTY