Leeds deducted 15 points!

[o]

No surprise at all.

[suedehead]

I thought the penalty might have been reduced to, say, 10 points. Still, it's good to see the authorities sticking to their guns - unlike the Italian authorities last year.

[Tom]

In other news Leeds have signed Norwich midfielder Andy Hughes. Not significant really, but he's a former Reading player who in his 4 seasons at the club until 2005 was the most talking about player, splitting fans opinion straight down the middle. Murty said the players got so fed up of the stick on the team part of the reading forum (which was never personal and was never apparent at games, unlike at Norwich where he suffered a torrent of abuse last season) that they stopped using it. Personally thought the stick was unfair, he was always 100% committed and in his last two seasons under Coppell he consistently played out of position, whether that was left mid, right mid, or left back when Shorey was out for several months. His best position is centre midfield and he was a key part of our success in finishing 4th in our first season in the Championship in 2002-2003, following promotion. With hindsight he symbolised what Reading were about at the time, pacey and committed but lacking quality at times. Several times I used to come away from Championship games pleased that we'd won but not that enamoured with the performance, 2002-2003 apart.

[o]

They've signed Flo and Thompson who if, both stay fit should be very good at this level.

[Tom]

Just found this while reading something on the reading forum. So good it just had to be posted!

"Someone recently told me the story of Seth Johnson joining Leeds. Him and his agent were going up to Leeds from Derby, and on the way the agent says their bottom line should be £17k a week. They're in the meeting with Ridsdale and other Leeds people, who start the negotiations with "Here’s our offer - £30k a week" So they ask for a break, and during this Johnson’s agent tells him to sign before they change their mind. They go back in, and Ridsdale says "OK, £37k a week but that's our top offer."

Such financial stupidity would bankrupt any business."

Its things like that that are the reason why although I feel sorry for the fans I don't have any sympathy for the club's predicament.

[Razzle Dazzle]

or the £20 a month on tropical fish for the chairman's office, the £600,000 yearly bill for the fleet of 70 company cars, the £70,000 tab for private jets for directors and senior management. then theres the £5.7 million splashed out on compensation packages for sacked managers and the £500,000 still being paid to an employee who has long since left (Robbie Fowler).

This is no time either to be raising the subject of the £1.75 million that went to the Norwegian agent, Rune Hauge, after Rio Ferdinand's transfer to Manchester United, or the £1 million in severance pay for three directors - Peter Ridsdale, David Spencer and Stephen Harrison

[o]

And yet those people are not accountable, and with ridsdale are in another job doing the same thing! Seems crazy to me!

[suedehead]

We should also not mention how little of the money Liverpool paid for Harry Kewell went to the club.

[o]

-12 now then

[Si.]

see, its not all bad!!

[Earl Purple]

No, I can just see after 8 games when they have got the 15 points back and there are still a few lurking around with just 5 points or so on the board, and with still 38 games to play, it won't look at all insurmountable.

Rotherham actually did that last season and got to near midtable then slid back.

It looks like they are running now as though they have no debts to pay off at all. I wouldn't mind so much if it were a short-term thing to let them play whilst paying off their debts but have they had them all wiped out?