FAO Hobnob

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Wimb
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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Wimb » 26 Nov 2012 10:41

Green
Hoop Blah But the main point being put forward here is that IF the board at STAR want their organisation to meet it's stated objectives, including "encourage the Club to take proper account of the interests of its supporters and the community it serves" then it's failing if it doesn't engage with the largest body of fans outside of match day attendances.

Also, you've just repeated the same mistake as Dirk, that the board is limited to a handful of individuals who both to contribute. It isn't. There were around a 100 contributors to one thread alone, and many many more that would be reading it.

If the club, or more specifically STAR, ignore this forum as their best way of reaching out to the wider fan base then they are, at best, missing a trick, and at worst neglecting their duty as elected representatives of an organisation who set out their objectives to represent the fans of the football club.

Good post


I think we're trying to make two different points that roughly add up.

I agree that this is the portal where you're most likely to get the attention of Reading fans, but in my opinion it's not the best forum for gathering feedback,complaints and accurately gauging fanbase opinions because as you've admitted you've only got maybe 100 contributors at most contributing to the the most lively of threads, representing just a tiny fraction of what Green has said is 45,000 unique visitors. Even if those 45,000 did all post you've then got an even harder job to try and judge if it's a genuine worry and shared concern or a clique or individual posters fishing or on the wind up.

I don't think STAR or the club ignore the forum, I'm certain board members and those in the club's management will be reading threads and picking up on concerns, the only thing is that now they're not prepared to directly represent themselves on HobNob because of the abuse and aforementioned difficulties in dealing with anonymous posters on an internet forum.

On the one hand It's a missed opportunity in the short term but as mentioned, with the growth in other social media and internet sites perhaps they are confident they will be able to spread their message and get feedback in a less unruly environment long term?

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Hoop Blah » 26 Nov 2012 10:54

The club certainly keep an eye on things yes, but it seems pretty clear that STAR, according to their own board members, don't want to give HNA the time of day.

100 contributors isn't the limit though. That was 100 people on one thread. There were plenty of names I see a lot on here that didn't appear on that thread.

As an aside, 45k is obviously a whole raft of different visitor types, including all the spambots and search engines etc. 800 registered users logging in during a week gives a much better indication of how many fans use the site.

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by reading_fan » 11 Dec 2012 18:28

Can I also point that as someone involved with one of the Exiles groups, STAR also does provide a medium for people from a similar area to get together and meet up to share travel or find a pub to watch a game in. Granted you can also do this with HNA. But there are social functions run by STAR that don't often get mentioned on here (not just the Fans Forums) - there's quizzes with members of the playing squad or ex players involved, there is the usual stop off in Buxton after one of the northern away games (Man City this year) for one coach at a hotel that is owned/run by Royals fans. STAR aren't just a travel club, although it is probably the most publically visible activity to non members.

The difficulty with being in an Exiles group is that we don't have any more real influence on the organisation than any other member, we have an Exiles coordinator, who can help put new members in touch with the regional coordinators (such as myself). So it's not as if I can take items to the committee meetings either, but this forum certainly isn't ignored out of hand, I guess there are just not enough people prepared to take the banter/abuse/pointed comments on a regular basis.

Although I am involved with STAR, I'm certainly not an apologist for them, they have made mistakes in the past, but there are a lot of people who do a lot of hard work for the organisation. New people into the organisation will make a difference, especially those who are good with new ideas or keen to liaise with the club (like RL tried to), but I think there needs to be a bit more open mindedness (from both sides) as to what the other side is trying to acheive.

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Royal Lady » 11 Dec 2012 18:47

Well they were made perfectly aware of what I was hoping to do - bridge the gulf between the two sides, for the common good. But they've even minuted that they will be ignoring anything from here, with the support of RFC - so they're cutting off their nose to spite their face imo.

Maybe I'll stand for election to the STAR board in May.....

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Yellowcoat » 11 Dec 2012 19:30

Need to be a member first!


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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Royal Lady » 11 Dec 2012 19:45

Yellowcoat Need to be a member first!

Who said I won't be? :D 8)

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Green » 12 Dec 2012 12:59

reading_fan Can I also point that as someone involved with one of the Exiles groups, STAR also does provide a medium for people from a similar area to get together and meet up to share travel or find a pub to watch a game in. Granted you can also do this with HNA. But there are social functions run by STAR that don't often get mentioned on here (not just the Fans Forums) - there's quizzes with members of the playing squad or ex players involved, there is the usual stop off in Buxton after one of the northern away games (Man City this year) for one coach at a hotel that is owned/run by Royals fans. STAR aren't just a travel club, although it is probably the most publically visible activity to non members.

The difficulty with being in an Exiles group is that we don't have any more real influence on the organisation than any other member, we have an Exiles coordinator, who can help put new members in touch with the regional coordinators (such as myself). So it's not as if I can take items to the committee meetings either, but this forum certainly isn't ignored out of hand, I guess there are just not enough people prepared to take the banter/abuse/pointed comments on a regular basis.

Although I am involved with STAR, I'm certainly not an apologist for them, they have made mistakes in the past, but there are a lot of people who do a lot of hard work for the organisation. New people into the organisation will make a difference, especially those who are good with new ideas or keen to liaise with the club (like RL tried to), but I think there needs to be a bit more open mindedness (from both sides) as to what the other side is trying to acheive.

Fair enough although my experience as an "exile" has been completely different. As a member of the London Royals (who have been formed through hobnob and prides themselves on having absolutely no connection with STAR) I'd argue that not only don't you need a supporters trust, supporters club might actually suit your needs better.

And you don't pay a tenner a year.

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by PBR » 12 Dec 2012 19:27

star is dead

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Green » 13 Dec 2012 00:58

PBR star is dead

I'm not sure - they say a fool and his money are easily parted, and the current STAR membership would seem to attest to this.


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Re: FAO Hobnob

by PBR » 13 Dec 2012 16:59

what does STAR stand for? supporters transportation at reading?

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Royal Lady » 13 Dec 2012 18:47

Can't remember where I saw it, I think it was a tweet, where STAR said they were up to 2,000 followers - so I can only assume that there are fewer than 2,000 actual STAR members. :|

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Hoop Blah » 14 Dec 2012 10:38

Royal Lady Can't remember where I saw it, I think it was a tweet, where STAR said they were up to 2,000 followers - so I can only assume that there are fewer than 2,000 actual STAR members. :|


Why would you assume that?

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Hoop Blah » 14 Dec 2012 10:42

reading_fan Can I also point that as someone involved with one of the Exiles groups, STAR also does provide a medium for people from a similar area to get together and meet up to share travel or find a pub to watch a game in. Granted you can also do this with HNA. But there are social functions run by STAR that don't often get mentioned on here (not just the Fans Forums) - there's quizzes with members of the playing squad or ex players involved, there is the usual stop off in Buxton after one of the northern away games (Man City this year) for one coach at a hotel that is owned/run by Royals fans. STAR aren't just a travel club, although it is probably the most publically visible activity to non members.

The difficulty with being in an Exiles group is that we don't have any more real influence on the organisation than any other member, we have an Exiles coordinator, who can help put new members in touch with the regional coordinators (such as myself). So it's not as if I can take items to the committee meetings either, but this forum certainly isn't ignored out of hand, I guess there are just not enough people prepared to take the banter/abuse/pointed comments on a regular basis.

Although I am involved with STAR, I'm certainly not an apologist for them, they have made mistakes in the past, but there are a lot of people who do a lot of hard work for the organisation. New people into the organisation will make a difference, especially those who are good with new ideas or keen to liaise with the club (like RL tried to), but I think there needs to be a bit more open mindedness (from both sides) as to what the other side is trying to acheive.


That's good to hear they've helped fans get together.

It's a shame that they don't use the mediums available to them to further publicise the kind of events that might draw a few more non-members in to signing up though. This seems a perfect example of where they do seem to act as a clique to protect their cosy little relationship with the club and staff within it. I bet the quizes and group co-ordination is publicised reasonably well with the member base but very little attempt made to reach out to the wider fan base to engage with them.

STAR should be representing the fans but the more I hear and see of them they seem more interested in representing their members than the fans.


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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Alexander Litvinenko » 14 Dec 2012 11:26

The point remains that Reading supporters deserve and need an effective supporters' organisation.

STAR is all they have right now, so the choices are join STAR and change it into the sort of organisation you want, or setup an alternative (which would leave both organisations open to "divide and conquer").

Criticising on a message board without any suggestions or actions achieves nothing.

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Hoop Blah » 14 Dec 2012 13:51

It achieves a debate and valid criticism of the current set up, or lack of one.

I have no desire to be involved in a supporters organisation but it doesn't mean I don't have a view on what those running one should do if they want to make the most of it and achieve the specific and clear aims they set out as an organisation.

I had a minor involvement with the old supporters club for a short while. I've no need to do so again.

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Royal Lady » 14 Dec 2012 16:00

Hoop Blah
Royal Lady Can't remember where I saw it, I think it was a tweet, where STAR said they were up to 2,000 followers - so I can only assume that there are fewer than 2,000 actual STAR members. :|


Why would you assume that?

Purely because they seemed so pleased about it. If they had, for argument's sake, 5,000 STAR members, then having 2k of them following them on twitter is hardly ground breaking news! Especially when I follow them on twitter and I'm not even a member of STAR. Yet. :wink:

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Hoop Blah » 14 Dec 2012 16:34

It's a nice milestone though isn't it? Surely that's all? Isn't it the kind of thing twitter users just get excited about?

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Harpers So Solid Crew » 14 Dec 2012 20:47

same as celebrating 2000 posts on HNA? or 30k, or any figure.

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Wimb » 16 Dec 2012 13:35

Royal Lady
Hoop Blah
Royal Lady Can't remember where I saw it, I think it was a tweet, where STAR said they were up to 2,000 followers - so I can only assume that there are fewer than 2,000 actual STAR members. :|


Why would you assume that?

Purely because they seemed so pleased about it. If they had, for argument's sake, 5,000 STAR members, then having 2k of them following them on twitter is hardly ground breaking news! Especially when I follow them on twitter and I'm not even a member of STAR. Yet. :wink:


Hobnob has about 100 followers on Twitter doesn't it ;)

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Re: FAO Hobnob

by Royal Lady » 16 Dec 2012 13:49

I didn't even know Hobnob was on Twitter. LOLz etc.

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