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STAR News
STAR Community Project - Special Guests At Blackpool Game
On Saturday 24th March nine very excited children were guests of STAR in an event as part of our STAR is 10 celebrations. For one young lad it was to be a very special afternoon as he would be experiencing what it was like to be an official match day mascot. The children had arrived with parents or grandparents to watch the Blackpool game and during a brief tour of the team dugout met Reading striker Jason Roberts and Blackpool manager Ian Holloway. At half time they were taken out onto the pitch for a photo.
You can download and read more about the event here.
'STAR is 10' Badge now available from the STAR Shop
To record our 10th Anniversary STAR has a new pin badge available from the STAR shop alongside the other badges, photos, programmes and other memorabilia that can be purchased by supporters.
The badges cost only £3 so why not pop into the STAR base and wear your badge with pride!
STAR Predictor League 2011/12 - Positions for 23rd March
Did you enter this seasons STAR Predictor League? Entrants score the number of points their teams hold, chosen from 17 groups, and the top three highest scorers at the end of the season win cash prizes. This years first place receives £232.75p. The competition also raised just over £330 to be donated towards RFC Academy activites.
As of 23rd March Steve Gale holds the top position with Kieron Hogan at second place. With 133 entries Steve has so far gained 1001 points. Entrants can check their ranking as of 23rd March by downloading the scores table here.
STAR Board Statement on Authorities Response to Governance Report
The FA, Premier League and Football League authorities' recently published their joint response to the government inquiry report into governance in football. Their statement can be read here.
The Board of STAR, who had contributed to the inquiry, issue the following statement:
The football authorities appear to have done everything they can to confuse: whereas one might have expected each concern within the Select Committee’s report to be addressed in turn, stating exactly what the FA, Premier League and Football League plans are to address it (or reasoned objections if they propose to ignore it), what we actually have is a paper that one might think had arisen almost regardless of the work of the Select Committee and, where it addresses the concerns, it does so only superficially.
In particular, the issues relating to regulation have only been addressed in the vaguest terms. There is no real acknowledgement that the existing process of self-regulation has failed and nothing that is likely to be truly effective in overriding the powerful vested interests at the top of the professional game to specifically address our two main concerns of ensuring that each professional football club has sound financial management and is owned and run by properly authorised, fit and proper persons. Indeed the proposals would result in even more power for the Premier League (and possibly the Football League) which is the last thing we need, whilst leaving the details as opaque as possible. Even the proposals for the future funding of Supporters Direct effectively defy the prompting by the Select Committee.
All in all, this is a massive act of defiance by the football authorities with a veneer of compliance; it is hard to see how the government can now refuse to carry out its threat to impose an effective governance regime to ensure that professional football is properly governed in the interests of all stakeholders and for the long-term future of the game, and we would strongly urge them to do so.
See our 'Other Football News' section for more press comments.
February RFC Management meeting with STAR
The regular RFC management meeting involving representatives from STAR took place at the Mad Stad on Wednesday 22nd February. A summary of the discussions can be downloaded here.
If members have any issues they wish to be considered for the next meeting please email us at info@star-reading.org
Where's The Profit Gone?
New 2012 article taking a closer look at RFC Finances
Following on from his original article that appeared in the fanzine The Whiff in 2011 (Wheres All The Money Gone? which can be downloaded here.) STAR member Dave Hunt has cast his eye over the latest set of finances published by Reading Football Club.
In his article 'Where's The Profit Gone?' Dave builds on his knowledge from that original review, supported by a Question and Answer session with RFC, to give the 'ordinary fan' a fascinating insight into the financial gains, costs and loses over the year.
Its an often hotly debated topic for supporters about what happens to money received from transfer fees, or why the club hasn't brought new players, the size of the wages bill - hopefully this article will give you some answers. RFC has often been held up as a club with good financial governance at a time when many others slide towards administration. Download and read Where's The Profit Gone? and you can make your own mind up. Thanks Dave!
Click on the title to read more about these other football news items:
Top fans’ representative hits out at planned reforms
Football’s most senior supporters’ representative has savaged the governance reforms proposed by the authorities as “exacerbating the problems” that led to a parliamentary inquiry into the way the game is run in the first place.
Racism within football lingers, say Sol Campbell and Garth Crooks
Need to tackle racism in dressing rooms and for action on clubs' failure to interview black managerial candidates
FA raises white flag in 20-year fight for the soul of football
Premier League emerge victorious after the governing body signed away much of its authority according to Guardian article.
FA accused of 'surrendering' authority to deal with fans' concerns
The national representative of football supporter groups has accused the Football Association of "surrendering its role as football's governing body".
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