Stadium Matchday Upgrade

[Royal Ginger]

Hope 5G reception improves. So frustrating.

5G would be an investment decision by the network providers, not the club. And frankly, the cost benefit case would never pay off to install infrastructure to cope with 10,000 simultaneous network connections 30 times per year for a few hours.

Wi-fi upgrades can, of course, be made by the club - it's just a case of enough routers and a big enough bandwidth of fibre optic into the ISP's network. But agin, whether it is cost effective to provide enough bandwidth to meet peak demand is doubtful.

It’s quite an American sport thing to have WiFi for everyone. They do it in every Baseball stadium so you can order food, locate merch, do their marketing for them etc etc. I’d be very surprised if they didn’t consider it cost effective.

The click and collect food/drink element alone will be a big earner cutting on prep time and also wastage.

[Hendo]

They're reconstructing the pitch too.

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2025/may/29/pitch-renovation/

[Brogue]

I’d really like to see our history recognised with a statue or two outside the ground. I think SJM deserves one as does Coppell. It doesn’t need to be expensive and doesn’t need to be funded by the owners. But I’d like star to work with the club to get something sorted and we can have a fundraiser from the fans. The John Rudge statue that port vale supporters club funded + the 10/15k Reading fans put towards it only cost something like 75k. I pinged STAR about it a few months back but they just ignored me. We need to start a petition or something or some sort of fan led thing to get STAR on board.

[Green]

I don't think it's STAR's wheelhouse really. If it about the coaches or supporters club shop I'm sure you would have received a reply.

[Crusader Royal]

I’d really like to see our history recognised with a statue or two outside the ground. I think SJM deserves one as does Coppell. It doesn’t need to be expensive and doesn’t need to be funded by the owners. But I’d like star to work with the club to get something sorted and we can have a fundraiser from the fans. The John Rudge statue that port vale supporters club funded + the 10/15k Reading fans put towards it only cost something like 75k. I pinged STAR about it a few months back but they just ignored me. We need to start a petition or something or some sort of fan led thing to get STAR on board.

‘Only’ £75k……
Personally I agree with the history being more represented but am sceptical about statues.
You run the risk of them just being a bit rubbish, especially if you are going to go for an ‘inexpensive’ option (which essentially means a less skilled artist). Imagine busting a gut to extract 75k for a statue of SJM ( or 150k for a pair) and then no one recognising who they are !
You’ve also got other candidates who are just as worthy - Robin Friday is an obvious candidate who it would be much more straight forward. I’d love a statue of him in one of his classic poses (not the Lawrenson kit bag one).
Definitely think there is scope to make the ground much more representative of our history. The excuse that London Irish would not feel comfortable with it is obviously no longer one that can be used.

[Brogue]

I’d really like to see our history recognised with a statue or two outside the ground. I think SJM deserves one as does Coppell. It doesn’t need to be expensive and doesn’t need to be funded by the owners. But I’d like star to work with the club to get something sorted and we can have a fundraiser from the fans. The John Rudge statue that port vale supporters club funded + the 10/15k Reading fans put towards it only cost something like 75k. I pinged STAR about it a few months back but they just ignored me. We need to start a petition or something or some sort of fan led thing to get STAR on board.

‘Only’ £75k……
Personally I agree with the history being more represented but am sceptical about statues.
You run the risk of them just being a bit rubbish, especially if you are going to go for an ‘inexpensive’ option (which essentially means a less skilled artist). Imagine busting a gut to extract 75k for a statue of SJM ( or 150k for a pair) and then no one recognising who they are !
You’ve also got other candidates who are just as worthy - Robin Friday is an obvious candidate who it would be much more straight forward. I’d love a statue of him in one of his classic poses (not the Lawrenson kit bag one).
Definitely think there is scope to make the ground much more representative of our history. The excuse that London Irish would not feel comfortable with it is obviously no longer one that can be used.

The Rudge statue looked ok



I don’t think raising 75k is that unrealistic. Like I said Reading fans raised 15k in a few days for another club.

[Whore Jackie]

They're reconstructing the pitch too.

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2025/may/29/pitch-renovation/

Strange, page must have been deleted. They've reposted it today.

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2025/may/30/pitch-renovation/

[Snowflake Royal]

I’d really like to see our history recognised with a statue or two outside the ground. I think SJM deserves one as does Coppell. It doesn’t need to be expensive and doesn’t need to be funded by the owners. But I’d like star to work with the club to get something sorted and we can have a fundraiser from the fans. The John Rudge statue that port vale supporters club funded + the 10/15k Reading fans put towards it only cost something like 75k. I pinged STAR about it a few months back but they just ignored me. We need to start a petition or something or some sort of fan led thing to get STAR on board.

I much prefer the Dolan photo wall to a statue.

Statues are largely shit.

And I think you need to consider whether these people want a statue. Coppell, being a reserved humble guy likely doesn't. It would be an insult to do one against someone's wishes.

[Crusader Royal]

I’d really like to see our history recognised with a statue or two outside the ground. I think SJM deserves one as does Coppell. It doesn’t need to be expensive and doesn’t need to be funded by the owners. But I’d like star to work with the club to get something sorted and we can have a fundraiser from the fans. The John Rudge statue that port vale supporters club funded + the 10/15k Reading fans put towards it only cost something like 75k. I pinged STAR about it a few months back but they just ignored me. We need to start a petition or something or some sort of fan led thing to get STAR on board.

‘Only’ £75k……
Personally I agree with the history being more represented but am sceptical about statues.
You run the risk of them just being a bit rubbish, especially if you are going to go for an ‘inexpensive’ option (which essentially means a less skilled artist). Imagine busting a gut to extract 75k for a statue of SJM ( or 150k for a pair) and then no one recognising who they are !
You’ve also got other candidates who are just as worthy - Robin Friday is an obvious candidate who it would be much more straight forward. I’d love a statue of him in one of his classic poses (not the Lawrenson kit bag one).
Definitely think there is scope to make the ground much more representative of our history. The excuse that London Irish would not feel comfortable with it is obviously no longer one that can be used.

The Rudge statue looked ok



I don’t think raising 75k is that unrealistic. Like I said Reading fans raised 15k in a few days for another club.

They got that cheap because they used the same people who did the Dickie Bird one and they just ran off an extra….

Good luck with your 75k (although possibly need to get a proper quote to find out if that really is the cost.). I think the money could be better spent on more projects, but if people want to fork out then fair enough ( inevitably though half will want and SJM and half will want a Coppell - perhaps compromise and doing them together)

[tmesis]

The Rudge statue looked ok

It does look like he's about to ring a doorbell though.

[JedMaxwell]

We could raise, say £35k, and give it to DJ Megaparty with the strict instructions to never come near the club again and stick to doing kids' parties. That would improve my matchday experience.

[Sutekh]

Stick SJM in the back of this photo and sculpt.

[Scutterbucketz]

Stick SJM in the back of this photo and sculpt.

[Scutterbucketz]

Looks like a bald headed George Bush Jnr instead of Sir Steve and Brian looks more like a baldy Ronnie Kray, but hey ho. Still not as bad as the Ronaldo one.

[morganb]

hope we get a match day program back

Huge loss makers.

Are they only huge loss makers if they are printed programmes?

Couldn't they be virtual programmes on your phone these days?

Could still sell advertising and charge a yearly token subscription fee?

Or you only get a programme if you scan a QR code at the ground on match day

Could even have players sign your virtual programme using delivery-driver-signature technology

All this could be part of your business case

[Brogue]

pretty much every club produces one. its probably a loss maker cos we were doing it wrong

[Hendo]

pretty much every club produces one. its probably a loss maker cos we were doing it wrong

We're certainly not the only ones who don't offer a match-day programme.

https://talksport.com/football/1235404/demise-matchday-programme-premier-league-efl-wsl/

[Sutekh]

Stick SJM in the back of this photo and sculpt.

Brilliant! Just need to get the likenesses and I think we have a commission to offer (not sure about the bronze finish though)

[On Strings]

I've always liked the idea of a statue with Coppell and Madejski together, as they were at Leicester, celebrating holding a scarf aloft.

[traff]

Anyone else getting Kuato vibes from this?