Madejski's comments to BBC Radio Berkshire

[SpaceCruiser]

You know what - I couldn't care less. He has been good for RFC, very good in fact, and he has built us a football club that now has a very sound financial football in an arena of financial uncertainty.

Do you think if the club had been a little more speculative whilst in the top flight we might still be there ?

We might, but at the same time, we might lose a lot more money.

[brendywendy]

It is virtually impossible to calculate the worth of the publicity JM has gained by becoming chairman and his subsequent actions.

thats why if he took it to the bank they wouldnt accept it as payment, and also why it means nothing in terms of what he is owed financially at this club

[Royal Rother]

If his ego is as important a factor as many like to think, then with £260m+++ in the bank I'm sure, if the brilliant opportunity to buy a skint football club hadn't arisen 17 years ago, he would have found something else to build his profile.

The fact it has worked well for him is great, he deserves it, but it didn't have to be RFC that received his attention and money all these years.

[brendywendy]

mr mad is different, a business man who rightly wants a return on his investment

You've hit the nail on the head. there Brendy. I wouldn't have a problem with this if:

a) He'd been completely upfront about that
b) He didn't constantly moan about how the supporters (or, anyone else other than him) should be putting more money into the club
c) The sanctimonious bravado and ego stroking exhibited by his pich side saunters
d) The mysterious lack of willingness to gain revenue with a possible branding of the stadium and, finally
e) The worry that once his goal of a knighthood is achieved he'll more or less drop us like a stone

I realise that e) is pure conjecture (and a bit tongue in cheek) but I do have major concerns over a), b) and d). I feel I should point out that c) irritates me greatly.

A:i dont think he has ever ever said he was lending us the money without wanting it back-or it would be called a gift
it was known it was all loans when we moved from elm park
hes also been very honest and up front about him wanting to sell to the right buyer because he isnt prepared to spend his own fortune in order to buy a prem league place
B:im not sure he moans about anyone, let alone the support for not spending enough at the club-ive never seen that anyway

C: agree totally-gets right on my tits when he cringeworthily comews on and wrings his hands like some returning war hero-makes me want to puke

D: id rather be called madejski stadium than the walkers bowl. maybe if he goes we can call it the windmill stadium or something.

but boy do i agree with C

[Man Friday]

I compare it to those celebs who "sponsor" charities. They make more out of it (directly and indirectly) than the sums that they give to their causes. But at least they don't require their expenditure to be repaid! As someone said, JM has been good for RFC but RFC has been spectacular for him. there's no way his investment as a football club ownershould be treated as loans.

[Wycombe Royal]

You know what - I couldn't care less. He has been good for RFC, very good in fact, and he has built us a football club that now has a very sound financial football in an arena of financial uncertainty.

Do you think if the club had been a little more speculative whilst in the top flight we might still be there ?

I don't really care and that isn't the RFC way. I said at the time of relegation that it didn't really bother me too much.

[Royal Rother]

As someone said, JM has been good for RFC but RFC has been spectacular for him. there's no way his investment as a football club ownershould be treated as loans.

Man oh man. That's just brilliant!

What a fantastic concept.

You invest money in something that's completely broke - it grows as a result of your money, your acumen, your vision. But you're not entitled to get your money back because you've had some publicity out of it.

That's really made my day!!

[rfc58]

You know what - I couldn't care less. He has been good for RFC, very good in fact, and he has built us a football club that now has a very sound financial football in an arena of financial uncertainty.

Do you think if the club had been a little more speculative whilst in the top flight we might still be there ?

I don't really care and that isn't the RFC way. I said at the time of relegation that it didn't really bother me too much.

But you should care, as my train of thought is not designed simply at seeing Rooney and co at Mad Stad.

The long term future of this club has/had a bearing on our PL survival.

I mentioned before, when you drove around Reading, you saw kids wearing Reading shirts, and the more that support the club now and financially in the future, the better the club will be.

JM stated that we have lost, what was it 22M ? from relegation, so that deficit puts us on a sticky wicket to say the least.

It may not be "the RFC way" but when certain situations arise, any good business has the flexibility to adapt.

[Vision]

Just out of interest does anyone know what yearly salary JM has taken for being chairman of Reading football club for the last 17 years?

[brendywendy]

I compare it to those celebs who "sponsor" charities. They make more out of it (directly and indirectly) than the sums that they give to their causes. But at least they don't require their expenditure to be repaid! As someone said, JM has been good for RFC but RFC has been spectacular for him. there's no way his investment as a [b]football club ownershould be treated as loans.

[/b]
celebs sponsor charities in order to incvrease exposure because the make money from their face, and their appearance fees, with photo do's in hello etc

i fail to see how madejski has gained from the exposure financially, im not sure you would be more likely to invest in something he owned just because he also owned a footy club
dont think its a valid comparison


and your last line is nonsense

[Royal Rother]

JM stated that we have lost, what was it 22M ? from relegation, so that deficit puts us on a sticky wicket to say the least.

You misinterpret that statement. Our income has dropped by £22m as a result of relegation.

We are now in the process of cutting the cloth (as JM likes to say).

We are on a far better wicket than most other clubs in the Championship.

[Royal Rother]

Just out of interest does anyone know what yearly salary JM has taken for being chairman of Reading football club for the last 17 years?

A nice round figure with only one zero I would imagine.

[Man Friday]

You know what - I couldn't care less. He has been good for RFC, very good in fact, and he has built us a football club that now has a very sound financial football in an arena of financial uncertainty.

Do you think if the club had been a little more speculative whilst in the top flight we might still be there ?

I don't really care and that isn't the RFC way. I said at the time of relegation that it didn't really bother me too much.

Well if it doesn't really bother you too much then that's alright then!!! (But to those of us that did/do care we would have liked a little more investment than £500K on Kebe and a couple of million (now recouped) on Fae.)

[brendywendy]

we havent recouped investment on fae-apart from his wages being payed elsewhere
that was lankybollocks to sunderland


and i do believe the investment on the player side of things has been significantly more than 500k on kebe

[Man Friday]

speculate to accumulate... come on John, it basic business strategy

As people keep on saying: if we had paid out another £5M or so and bought a decent midfield player we probably wouldn't have got relegated and reduced our income by £22M loss.

[brendywendy]

speculate to accumulate... as people keep on saying: if we had paid out another £5M or so and bought a decent midfield player we probably wouldn't have got relegated and incurred a £22M loss.

or like brum we could have bought in millions worth of talent
still gone down and lost 22M + 5m

[Royal Rother]

we havent recouped investment on fae-apart from his wages being payed elsewhere
that was lankybollocks to sunderland


and i do believe the investment on the player side of things has been significantly more than 500k on kebe

Now now. We don't deal in facts on here you know.

[rfc58]

JM stated that we have lost, what was it 22M ? from relegation, so that deficit puts us on a sticky wicket to say the least.

You misinterpret that statement. Our income has dropped by £22m as a result of relegation.

We are now in the process of cutting the cloth (as JM likes to say).

We are on a far better wicket than most other clubs in the Championship.

Fair comment, but my statement still stands.

I don't doubt we are financially more stable than most clubs in any league, but I feel sometimes the financial running of the club TODAY seems to be more important than the future.

I accept if JM is thinking/hoping to hand over the reigns, then "tomorrow" is potentially not his problem, but I think the current road we are on has serious limitations.

[Royal Rother]

The limit being what? 8th in the PL perhaps?

Because at the moment we seem to be following pretty much the same path that took us to those giddy heights.

[Blue_Elm]

Source: http://www.tilehurst-terriers.co.uk

A lot of controversy was made when Reading’s chairman hit out on players wages. Some said he is not ambitious, some said that Reading wont return to the top flight under him.

However, I cant see how anyone can tar Madejski with this brush. Reading have gained surely about £50 million at a guess from promotion to the Premiership, through to the eventual dissapointment of a last game of the season relegation. However is Madejski right not to spend this??? Of course he is. It would be easy to go and blow that £50 million on players that might keep Reading in the Premiership. But nothing would be certain… you’d still start on the same points as Wigan, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester United, Everton… whoever. Then its the case of moulding the team, and paying those players wages, which eventually sinks your club into administration.

Leeds United, the club that noone really hears about anymore and their fans could probably vouch for that. Peter Risdale overspent… he gave David O’Leary too much money. Leeds probably watched some great football with Rio Ferdinand, Alan Smith, James Milner in their side. They got to the Champions League Semi-Final and that was it. The slide began.

Since then, they have had 2 different takeovers, two relegations, had a total of 25 points, just a point short of winning 8 games, 2 failed play-off attempts and have lost all their stars. I’m sure they would have, had they not spent that ridiculous amount of money, still been there now… albeit floating around in the Premiership. They’re fans surely cant be enjoying League One football.

Madejski is therefore right. He’s built a ground worthy of the Premiership, albeit another 13,000 seats to take it to around 37,000 seater stadium would have been nice; hes not overspent; kept the man who got them there and the majority of the players (as a note, of the players who played against Nottingham Forest - another big name that is a bit skint, 7 of them played in Reading’s last game against overspenders Queens Park Rangers at this level)… and the future looks bright!

Blackburn went down… they probably were heartbroken 5 years after winning the Premier League. Jack Walker kept a tight ship; and eventually after two seasons, they are back… and look hardly likely to be troubled.

I’m sure Reading’s fans who are moaning that we dont spend, look at that and think, 2 seasons of Championship football might well be worth loads of Premiership games to come. Reading could do it quicker too!

So Madejski’s right… lets go up on limited money and build a healthier future not one of administration.