BobbyTheReadingFan

20 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Living in Hampshire, Reading is often mentioned as one of the regional teams. 

You've had your share of iffy owners I think - was it some Thai consortium that were hoping to develop the land around the madewski? 

Anyway, thanks for good wishes and hope your club comes through also. ?

Yes you're right, we've had several really bad owners. 

Sir John Madejski owns a few different places around town, plus an academy (as in a school). He was the best owner we've ever had (in my lifetime). He sold the club on about 12 years ago and since then it's just been really unsettled. He's still on the board thankfully but has no real power as far as I understand. 

We had Anton Zingaravich, a Russian guy who basically vanished and left us with lots of debt. The Thais (who made that God awful song that everyone rips us to shreds over now). 

Another big issue was we had a very nasty Director of Football. As you probably know this is a really key position in the club and several players at the time alluded to negative issues about him, and in the end he had to leave but did cause quite a lot of damage.

The area around the ground is being slowly developed, apartments, some housing, train station, etc, and a few other places. Hopefully in time it will be less of a soulless industrial estate and more of a place where there is actually something there like pubs/restaurants, parks, etc. We're aware it's a terrible place for a ground but we're stuck with it! ?

None of our owners talk to the fans really, our supporter association gets platitudes whenever they ask the club questions. This includes such as "we understand the fan's frustrations", etc... but nothing of real significance. 

Thanks for the good wishes, hopefully we all find some stability soon!

Hey All,

I heard this news earlier. I don't know much about the history of how you got to this stage but I know that it's due to mismanagement and really poor conduct by owners. I also heard Rooney earlier say he heard about the Administration when watching TV. 

I was gutted to hear this latest update. I like Derby - although that's not really the point at the minute...

I think the point that I wanted to make is that every single football fan really needs to take notice here. It could be there club next. It doesn't matter if they're your biggest rivals, you hate the club, etc.. it's more than that. I'm sick of seeing rich owners come in, playing at being a chairman, making poor decisions or taking risks and then putting the whole club in jeopardy. I'm also sick of the rest of the footballing world just ignore it and almost watch on with mild interest to see what happens. We're all football fans first and foremost and clubs like yours and others have been around well over a hundred years and form a huge part of the community. 

It's the fans that really suffer here. Not to mention the staff, those in back office roles, canteen staff, cleaners, car park attendants, maintainance people, etc... 

Anyway, I hope that there is some better news for you soon although I realise things look bleak. I know you're going to try to negotiate on the points deduction, either way hopefully there's some clarity and closure on that so you at least know where you stand and can focus on football. 

Great result today as well (at least that's one positive!) 

20 minutes ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Are Reading signing any more 100 k a week players this week under their embargo. EFL protecting its members my arse. 

I'm only loosely following the financial issues and restrictions. My understanding was that we (Reading) can pay players twice as much as you. £7500 a week I think our limit is. 

36 minutes ago, TimRam said:

Get that in the office a lot. On the subject. Try this, if you feel a yawn coming on close mouth and quickly inhale/exhale through nose a few times to stop it.

Also a good idea, is if someone is yawning repeatedly and/or loudly, then stick something unpleasant in their mouth, like your finger, a ruler or a pen.  

It will soon change their behaviour 

21 hours ago, ViewsFromTheMiddle said:

In addition to this is people who are unable to yawn without making that bloody annoying noise EACH AND EVERY TIME.... 

*yawn* "arghhhhhaaahhhhhhhhhhhh"

shut up you idiots 

3 hours ago, Highgate said:

But you've got to admit she does have a point there.  Footballers are embarrassing themselves and their sport by diving when there is no foul and pretending they are seriously injured when everybody knows they'll be fine 2 minutes later.  It is a plague on the sport and the fact that it has never been seriously dealt with damages football's reputation.  

You are right though, little point comparing in comparing it to the situation in rugby.  What's the point in diving in rugby?  A sport where you can knock or wrestle the opponent to the ground legally.  So a comparison between the two is pointless. 

 

I know what you mean but I struggle to take it seriously when it's people that don't watch football, or Man United arm chair fans. 

The reason I struggle is that I think you'd see a very different type of football watching Reading vs Derby, or teams in League one and League Two.

The people that moan about diving and faking injury are usually basing it on a game they saw two years ago in the Champions League final where Neymar continually dived.

It's the same types of people that say "Yea but the players are paid like £300k per week".... mmmm, how many players actually get that amount??  Maybe the superstar players that are the best in the world.  But most regular players are on far far less.  I admit it's still a lot but then their career is often played season-to-season with no guarantees of contracts, and they are playing at risk of injury/end of career AND their career ends in their 30s, it really does change the argument a bit 

44 minutes ago, Angry Ram said:

Clubs that build football grounds bloody miles from anything.... And then make it the worst away day of the season.

 

Have some bloody compassion. 

How many times do you have to go there.... once per year. And that's a day out for you so at least there's some novelty to the occasion

For me I go 23 times each season!!! So forget "the worst away day", it's "the worst home day" ... no wonder the atmosphere is poo and no one turns up, we're all fed up of trudging up there each week  

People - like the stupid woman in my office - who prefer rugby or don't like football but then feel the need to start criticising football. 

The biggest issue I have here is two things:

1) their entire point is formed from what they see on the news and films. They've never been to a football match

2) they're comparing sports. Why is that acceptable. It's like saying "netball is alright but I wish they'd just dribble the ball"... oh so you mean it would then be bloody basketball wouldn't it. 

This one woman continually says things like "yea but in football I hate when players just go down when they've barely been touched, you don't see that in rugby" 

Well:

1) compare the build of a footballer to a rugby player firstly. You stupid woman. They're quite different. 

2) footballers don't train to take hits like rugby or boxing.  They train for skill, precision and tactics. 

3) your view of people going down is more than likely based on some high profile even like a World Cup game or final of some kind. Not from your typical game in the leagues. 

4) often players who do go down are doing so due to being hit quite hard or because for the 10th time they've been floored. It's not until you're up close that you realise that actually players do go in hard, elbows, digs, kicks. 

5) football is not bloody rugby.  Why not compare football with table tennis, cricket, curling?  Why stop at rugby  why don't footballers play on ice ... the ice hockey players do it  

I said to her "I tell you what Carol. You sprint as fast as you can down the corridor. I will chase you and kick your legs away. Then we will see how quickly you get up."

HR weren't too happy about that suggestion. And neither was carol who now doesn't talk to me. Excellent! 

It's not just Carol but sometimes you get fans of the big clubs saying it. Like the huge Man United fan in my office who had only been to Old Trafford once and that was for his 40th birthday. Or the Liverpool fan who hasn't been to Anfield before. 

16 minutes ago, McRamFan said:

Not had much contact with the military I assume?  Back in the day, before digital and other tech, infantry would turn the watch inward to avoid reflection.  Also it is an easier movement to look at the palm/inner wrist, than the back of it.

I've actually had a lot of military exposure, my Dad was in the Army for 24 years, so from birth - 16 I moved around all over the place.  Didn't realise there was any connection between that and the wrist - genuinely very interesting to read that.  

49 minutes ago, Paul71 said:

My wife is opposite to you, she will say how warm will it be at the weekend, i say 25, shes then saying 'whats that in big numbers?'

 

There is only one solution for this, you need to divorce her.  That type of behaviour is unacceptable ?

7 hours ago, sage said:

I (like many) use Farenheit when it's hot ie 80F, but use Centigrade when it's cold. No idea what -5C is in Farenheit

Why do you flip between the two?

That's like saying you use mph when it's <40mph but when you really stick your foot down you switch to kmph

Also why do people wear their watch either he face down so all most people see is the strap?  It makes people look like nutters. 

Never trust anyone that wears a watch like that 

A girl in my office baffled me today by saying:

"I'm away this weekend... just checked and it's going to be about 75 degrees"

Why o why do some (very few) British people use farenheit. It means nothing to me or the majority here 

On 28/07/2018 at 10:37, Lambchop said:

How can that possibly be a good thing?

It saves annoying trips to the bottle bank. Can throw the cans straight into recycling bin 

On 04/08/2018 at 10:13, sage said:

I hate it when you dominate a first half but don't take your chances and lose to a last minute goal.

?

Funnily enough I hate that too!  Was not a fun end to the game, gutting to be honest.  

I thought a draw was a very fair result.  From a Reading point of view I wanted to win just so that the hangover from last year was over and also a fairly underwhelming pre-season was put behind us. 

We have Notts Forest (hehe) next, that's away.  I'm fairly confident if we can play like we did we can get a win.  

On 01/08/2018 at 23:47, Coconut said:

Today's idiot driver deserving of my opprobrium performed a near perfect showcase of one of my pet peeves - people who don't properly adapt their speed when joining an A road from a (decent length) slip road. I've mentioned this before.

It's OK mate, you just trundle along the entire length of the slip road at 50mph during rush hour with me stuck behind you, it's not like you're going (and subsequently I'm going) 10-15mph slower than the duck-off 40 tonne lorry closing in on us or anything. Who d'ya think he going to crush first if you don't get a move on?

Also one of my pet hates, and also bloody dangerous. 

The other day this person in a Honda Jazz left a petrol station and instead of driving up to speed on the 50m sleep road, they pulled straight onto the dual carriageway at a speed of about 10mph.  About two lorries had to somehow divert from their lane.  Was nearly a terrible accident. 

Another pet hate is cars over taking lorries on a dual carraigeway or motorway, but doing so at about 60-65 mph.  It just stalls and holds up the rest of the traffic.  At least bloody stick your foot down to get to 70 and over take before pulling back in 

On 31/07/2018 at 02:40, Parsnip said:

I've stopped caring about things like that. Half the time you go out for dinner - the food will be crap. Life's easier if you just accept it. I think of it as being a guest at someone's house and eating what you get given. Forget the money -.suck it up and tuck in. I like my steak bloody and blue, but if it comes crispy and crap, I'll still eat it - rather than make everyone else uncomfortable by abandoning your meal.

There's loads of things in life that you can apply that mindset to. Big boss David was on about junk mail a few days ago... just accept it - don't let it bother you - put it in the bin.

We'll all die one day you know.

Love this attitude. Wish I was more like that.

when you think about it, most of what we get annoyed about is completely trivial and stupid 

2 hours ago, Lambchop said:

Anxiety is not 'nerves' and depression is not sadness. Unfortunately, it is this misunderstanding which can lead to the pressure to 'pull yourself together'.

I agree with this.  I've read @David's view and I think it's overly simplistic as it's not quite as straight forward as you make it seem.  

I've been a Police Officer for 12 years and throughout my adult life I've always been a more anxious person.  I've struggled to sleep at times.  

People think anxiety = nerves and worry.  It doesn't just mean that.  It also means being unable to relax, having a brain that won't shut off, over thinking things and of course it does include nerves and worry that you mention.  Particularly with things like social situations, family events, meetings, big occasions, etc...

The best way I can put it is, Anxiety doesn't have a reason to be there.  E.g. you may be chilled out, you may be off work, no issues, but you're still tightly wound, you still can't quite relax.  

I'm not always anxious, but there is a reason that Depression and Anxiety goes together.  They feed off one another really well (unfortunately).

...

In regards to Depression, it's a really weird beast.  For me it is a feeling of low energy, a zombie state, like I'm floating along without experiencing anything.  It feels like I have a massive weight on my shoulders.  I get more paranoid too about things that happen, like a comment a colleague makes, and I also want to just be alone.  

I'm not even sad, really.  I'm just nothing really... just in an emotionless state.

Depression is a massive spectrum.  It's not just someone being really sad, crying and all that.  I'm not like that at all.  

On 28/07/2018 at 09:50, Lambchop said:

Reading tho...

39 minutes ago, Phoenix said:

Does he live with his mother?

No, surprisingly he has a fairly pleasant Girlfriend.  

She seems to be one of those goo'ey sweet kind of girls who describe him as "a big kid", where as other girls may just think he's an immature idiot and needs to grow up.

Saying that though, it's good he does what he enjoys - can't really argue with that!

1 minute ago, RamNut said:

I think its great that a fan from another club has posted on here. 

We can only offer support and advice based on experience. In my experience whenever someone withdraws excessively into their old world its a potentially bad situation. When i was young i used to come home and lock myself in my room, and looking back that wasn't a very healthy situation, but you don't necessarily even realise it. 

I'm not really sure that doctors and counsellors will ever provide solutions. Tablets might help some people to control excessive mood swings, and it can be good to talk,  but ultimately i think you just have to come out of the other end of the tunnel. Some problems just have to be buried like toxic waste and always have the potential to come back and polute your current situation. 

Its hard to generalise. Every situation is unique. But ultimately i think you have to take control of your life back from whatever is dragging you down.

Thanks RamNut, I came here just to find out your tactics before our first game and then let Paul Clement know what to expect.  ?  I've decided to stick around for a bit!  

I've had periods in my life when I have been low, usually after say 2-3 weeks it turns around for no real identifiable reason.  Although after four months and still no end in sight I thought I better address the situation.  I had counselling once before, about 7-8 years ago after a long term relationship ended.  That really helped.  

I think talking will help, to verbalise my thoughts and just to get some clarity. 

Thanks for your post and comments 

On 20/07/2018 at 12:30, JoetheRam said:

Men, or boys, over the age of 14 who are into comic books, or as they now like to call them "Graphic Novels".

 

I work with a guy who collects comic books, builds legos and toy figurines.  He is like a child except he's 32 and bearded.  

3 minutes ago, Paul71 said:

Good luck for next week. For me one of the biggest step forwards was someone acknowledging I had an issue and that it wasnt just me.

 

Yes I know exactly what you mean.  For months I was telling myself something wasn't right.  Sounds weird but it was definitely a relief and nice to see that someone else agreed and could see my angst. 

Thought I'd post here as I had a Doctors appointment yesterday after quite a long spiral downwards to my current state.  For around 18 months I have VERY slowly slumped.  As each month ticked by I didn't really realise what was happening. 

I stopped going to the gym, I've put on 2.5 stone, and I drink too much.  I also rarely sleep well, maybe get 3-4 hours of broken sleep a night.  I'm very irritable, I don't have a social life, I prefer to just go home, turn my phone off and be alone.  

Depression is weird.  I feel like I'm floating around most of the time and an observer rather than a participant.  Even driving, it's like things are blurry and I'm like a zombie just sitting in a car which is moving along somehow. 

For the last 4 months it's got really bad and I did then notice that something wasn't right.  I've booked a counselling session for next Wednesday so I'm hoping that helps me.  

As I said I went to the GP yesterday.  I rarely ever have a good experience at the Doctor's, usually I find they are too busy, they don't really listen or I feel they want me to just leave so they can see the next person.  However, the Doctor I did see was fantastic.  Spent about 25 minutes with me, got me to complete a questionnaire thing and basically understood my current issues.  He said I would benefit from medication but it may be best to see how the counselling helps me, and he also gave me the number for their telephone counselling service where you get an hour phone call with someone per week.