The Wild Lower West: Thanks Reading, It’s Been Emotional
Dixey reflects on an emotional end to the season and looks ahead to the coming weeks.
Another season draws to a close and, in true Reading FC style, it’s been emotional.
Never has this been more evident than on Saturday when a full house witnessed a last-day loss against Barnsley, where the result had little consequence anyway, coupled with the news that we had all been waiting for. Disastrous Dai had finally sold the club, and hopefully taken Pointless Pang and his reported £215,000 pa salary with him!
I cannot begin to describe the feeling when I heard the news, but it’s fair to say there were a few swear words, a few tears and a few pints consumed both before and after the game.
I also apologise to anyone who was within a few metres of me in Reading town centre when the news broke on Saturday morning. I can confirm now that I do not usually dance around the Paddington Bear statue in Broad Street, and with a voice like mine, I certainly do not sing “we’ve got our Reading back” while doing so.
As previously highlighted, the result on Saturday was of little consequence, and in all honesty, there was nothing that could have deflated my mood anyway, so it was a win-win at the final whistle.
I am certainly not going to dwell on the performance because this team has been immense this season and thoroughly deserve to be labelled as one of the best squads we have had in recent years. My only hope now is that we can start to offer new contracts and convince players that this really could be the start of something special.
That said, it is also a novelty for this club to be in a position whereby we can be active in the transfer market and pay real money for a player. I’m not suggesting we go out and spend millions to buy the league (surely no club would do that in League One?) but I am suggesting that we make sensible signings which fit with the ethos of the club, and the togetherness that exists within the squad.
Personally, my priority would be full-backs, at least one natural winger and another striker, although I guess much will depend on our transfer budget and where we may need to replace departing players.
While the playing side of the club (particularly the protection of the academy) is vital to our future success, I am sure Rob Couhig and co will also want to look at other areas of the club that need improvement.
The obvious one is communication with us as supporters, and an open and honest dialogue that ensures we are kept in the loop regarding the intentions for the club moving forward. I have always maintained that even bad news becomes acceptable if you are informed, but silence leads to conspiracy theories and a toxic environment.
I would also like to see the club focus more on the matchday experience and ensure that we continue to increase attendance and revenue. Simple things like a better selection of refreshments, a coat of paint here and there, and something within every stand that gives it some identity would encourage people to get to the ground earlier and spend money.
Regarding identity, I have often thought that we need a song that gives us one, and what better way than something that highlights our struggles over the last few years?
Although the timing isn’t great as we are now at the end of the season, my hope is that we can somehow get the whole ground singing this next season, so I am hoping that the power of social media will assist me in reaching out to the various groups within the ground, and who knows, maybe even the club itself?
Sung to Half the World Away by Oasis
“Deducted 18 points, no transfer kitty, ridiculed by Reading City and,
“I could feel the warning signs, with unpaid wages and fines
“Late accounts that were backdated, we were nearly liquidated,
“‘Cos I could feel the warning signs, with unpaid wages and fines
“So here we stand, we are Reading FC, we’re the best in the land, they tried to destroy us, but it didn’t go as planned
“So, what do you say, we’ve got our Reading back now that Dai’s gone away
“Reading back to stay, Reading back to stay
“Reading back to stay, we were owned by a clown, but got Couhig now, we’ve got Couhig now”
You may recall that, at the start of the season, I made several predictions for promotion and relegation in the EFL, with £10 being donated to charity for every correct call. I am pleased to announce that, because of those predictions, I will be donating £40 to a charity of TTE’s choice. The full results of my predictions are below:
Championship winners – Burnley – £0
Promoted – Middlesbrough – £0
Surprise top-six finish – Bristol City – £10
Relegated – Oxford United – £0
League One winners – Rotherham United – £0
Promoted – Reading – £0
Surprise top-six finish – Leyton Orient – £10
Relegated – Crawley Town – £10
League Two winners – Port Vale – £0
Promoted – Doncaster Rovers – £10
Surprise top-six finish – Tranmere Rovers – £0
Relegated – Cheltenham Town – £0
Finally for this season I wanted to take a moment to recognise the great work of several people in not only keeping this club afloat, but also in continuing to highlight the ownership problems that are a disease in our game.
Our sponsors Select Car Leasing have gone above and beyond what should be expected of them; Sell Before We Dai for their unwavering campaigning against our own disastrous ownership and their highlighting of other clubs which could suffer the same fate; and STAR for their continued support of the club, the fans, and overnight stays for the players during away trips!
Also numerous MPs who have highlighted our struggles in parliament and lobbied for a football regulator (much to the disgust of Baroness Brady from The Apprentice), and last but not least TTE for allowing me to write this column throughout the season, and who do a fantastic job in regulating my wording (basically removing the swear words) and piece together a fantastic site enjoyed by many.
And, just as I started this week, thanks Reading FC, it’s been emotional!
Until next season.
Much love and Cmon URZZZ.
Dixey