Steve Smith

Couldn’t have felt better after a loss in Game 1 Couldn’t feel worse now after Game 2

The fact England hasn’t been selected to stage the World Cup since 1966 is (literally) criminal. There is not a country on the planet that has a higher volume, value, quality and concentration of World class stadiums, grounds, training facilities, infrastructure, diverse community, culture, history, hospitality and overall fan fever pitch to host the World’s beautiful game. Due to the FIFA continental host rules we probably can’t expect earlier than a 2042 window. If that’s the case we should go ALL IN for 2042. A joint England, Wales, Scotland & Ireland bid. Jesus wept, I’ll be 67. Guess the best things come to those who wait 😬😬😬

WIN TWO TICKETS TO GOLD CUP DAY AT THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 🚨 For your chance to win, simply like, repost and comment ‘WIN’ Winner will be announced on Thursday - good luck! 🤞

Premier League advised EFL not to approve Dai Yongge to buy Reading - and told the businessman he would have to sell club if they were promoted to top flight. thetimes.com/article/98d908a…

Dispiriting events at Reading should concern everyone in English football. Fans are lied to, players and an impressive manager are let down, and so are staff. A thoughtless, heartless owner damages a historic club. It’s another warning to all in football. If we tolerate this, then your club could be next. Fans at some other clubs fear similar pain or just feel relief to have escaped danger. Many will simply focus on their own form and fortunes. Football’s tribal. Most headlines revolve around the big names, the big games like Manchester City versus Arsenal. But Reading embody the pyramid, a local beacon and hub for nurturing talent. Neil Webb started there. The windfall from the Michael Olise deal helps sustain the club currently. Ted Drake learned his managerial trade at Reading before guiding Chelsea to their first title. Football clubs are community assets and have to be protected from individuals like Dai Yongge wreaking such misery at Reading. He has his motives and his methods but none seem aligned to the club’s future wellbeing. He doesn’t communicate with fans. Reading FC Women withdrew from the Championship because of financial difficulties. Sustained mismanagement of the club has seen a failure to pay men’s players and HMRC lead to points deductions. A proposed takeover by Rob Couhig, an American businessman welcomed by the fanbase, collapsed, leaving Yongge still in charge and supporters still in torment and again asking questions. Does Yongge really want to sell? If the club goes under is it then all about valuable real estate? Would administration and another points deduction actually be better than this shambles? And so Reading fans rally again, fighting for their club’s life. But Yongge doesn’t listen. He doesn’t appear to care about the negativity his ownership brings to the door of the dressing-room. Ruben Selles and his whole-hearted squad give everything they can on the field, and sit a defiant 12th in League One, but they aren’t detached from the mess. It must be dismaying and distracting. Losing Selles would be a disaster. He’s doing a good job in trying circumstances. If he left, Selles would be picked up swiftly by a better run club. Reading fans post messages of support to Selles and his squad. They will back them loudly at Bolton Wanderers today. It’s about finding the balance between demonstrating support for the team while demonstrating against the owner. Much is right about Reading: committed fanbase, stadium, training ground, the attitude of manager, squad and club staff. It’s just the owner. It’s a nightmare that Reading are living through. And it’s a cautionary tale all football needs to heed. #ReadingFC #EFL