Should Reading FC be more involved in the community?

[Green]

There's a few outreach programmes that I'm personally aware of (visits to local schools, hospices at Christmas etc), but it's been said recently as football clubs becoming commercial behemoths they lose their link with their community.

I guess it would be slightly whimsical of me to hark back to the days of players getting on the buses with fans to the match - but could or should the club be doing more in the community to strengthen the bond (and ultimately their brand) with the community they serve?

Not saying I necessarily have the answers about what they should be doing mind you, but there must be people involved with local organisations who'd love some exposure and a visit from Jordan Obita or whoever.

[Royal Biscuitman]

Sounds good in theory, but I'd rather players visited schools, hospitals etc because they want to rather than because they are told to. Then there are Kingsley and Queensly, we never see them around town - do they commute in from out of the area or are they locked in the stadium between matches?

[Green]

I guess that's the point - is it lamentable that players today don't seem willing or able to get involved?

I'm certainly not suggesting anybody holds a gun to their heads in order to get them to do so.

[croche]

Yes I think they should

[Pepe the Horseman]

Noel Hunt was the bridge between the club and the community. Since he turned his back on the town, the relationship has crumbled.

[Royal Biscuitman]

Perhaps this is something STAR could raise

[Todd Margaret]

Noel Hunt was the bridge between the club and the community. Since he turned his back on the town, the relationship has crumbled.

Did Noel really turn his back on the town or was he ushered out by Anton? He was the most active community ambassador the club has had in recent years.

[Green]

I should have referenced Noel in the OP TBF.

How times have changed since he scooped the PFA Player in the Community award. They say a week is a long time in football - two and a half years is a lifetime!

[AthleticoSpizz]

Noel Hunt was the bridge between the club and the community. Since he turned his back on the town, the relationship has crumbled.

Lovely bloke...and like James Harper before him, they put a lot of time and effort into the local conurbations.

A lot of the "ahem" more recent acquisitions have other agendas and/or are too busy....a few of the local academy lads seem too lairy and playing up to the "stock standard attitude footballer thing" to be bothered.


It's not just a Reading thing tho'................ in their defence

[Simon's Church]

They often tweet with the hash tag #mytownmyclub, which IMHO shows just how keen they are to maintain that link between community and club. Its top notch work tbf

[Winston Smith]

RFC treat it like a tick in the box just so they dont get criticised. Pretty much everything they do is the standard cliché footballer stuff.

Would be nice to have a player really go out of their way to make a difference to people.

[Norfolk Royal]

I've been very impressed by what I've seen on websites about RFC's community activities. They do a hell of a lot more now that in the 70s or 80s in my view, one of the reasons our attendances have increased.

See this yer bloddy idiots.

http://community.readingfc.co.uk/

[Todd Margaret]

There have been loads of pictures lately of Reading players spending time in local hospitals.

wrong thread! injury table...

[WAZZOCK]

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 06867.aspx

[No Fixed Abode]

Of course they should. I've said it for years. The PR department is non-existent at the club. If you were passing through the town (as is often the case with the train station) you would never know the club existed.

I understand the club are doing a better job with sending around representatives to schools these days. It was non existent in my day. Hence why many people of my age or thereabouts don't support the club.

What sort of club (who are out on a limb in the town) don't have a permanent base in the town centre?

[Hendo]

What sort of club (who are out on a limb in the town) don't have a permanent base in the town centre?

A club who don't think its financially viable to have a base in town.

[Green]

Of course they should. I've said it for years. The PR department is non-existent at the club. If you were passing through the town (as is often the case with the train station) you would never know the club existed.

I understand the club are doing a better job with sending around representatives to schools these days. It was non existent in my day. Hence why many people of my age or thereabouts don't support the club.

What sort of club (who are out on a limb in the town) don't have a permanent base in the town centre?

To be clear I wasn't talking about PR or retail opportunities. Granted they may follow on but they shouldn't be the motivating factor.

[Zammo]

Of course they should. I've said it for years. The PR department is non-existent at the club. If you were passing through the town (as is often the case with the train station) you would never know the club existed.

I understand the club are doing a better job with sending around representatives to schools these days. It was non existent in my day. Hence why many people of my age or thereabouts don't support the club.

What sort of club (who are out on a limb in the town) don't have a permanent base in the town centre?

You don't support Reading because they didn't have a PR machine when you were at school Assume you were visited by someone on the Chelsea payroll in your youth then ???!

[No Fixed Abode]

Of course they should. I've said it for years. The PR department is non-existent at the club. If you were passing through the town (as is often the case with the train station) you would never know the club existed.

I understand the club are doing a better job with sending around representatives to schools these days. It was non existent in my day. Hence why many people of my age or thereabouts don't support the club.

What sort of club (who are out on a limb in the town) don't have a permanent base in the town centre?

You don't support Reading because they didn't have a PR machine when you were at school Assume you were visited by someone on the Chelsea payroll in your youth then ???!

But kids naturally gravitate to top flight or bigger clubs, so Reading need to work harder in the community to try and get the support from kids, who would otherwise support, Chelsea, Man Utd or Arsenal.

[No Fixed Abode]

What sort of club (who are out on a limb in the town) don't have a permanent base in the town centre?

A club who don't think its financially viable to have a base in town.

But think it's financially viable to buy the like of Drenthe or Pogrebniak. Mismanagement right there.