Reading FC

Kevin Doyle has signed for Wolves for £6.5million
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Reading's record transfer fee won't all be given to Rodgers

By Jonny Fordham
July 01, 2009

Nick Hammond admitted that the £6.5million record transfer fee paid by Wolves for Kevin Doyle won’t all be given to Brendan Rodgers to bolster his squad.

The director of football Hammond said that new manager Rodgers would be backed in the transfer market, but refused to comment on how much cash was at his disposal.

“There is money available for Brendan, but it’s not near that level and he knows that,” Hammond told the Post.

“The chairman and the board are aware of the financial pressures across football at the moment and Brendan won’t be able to spend the level of money that came.”

After the 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international’s switch to Mick McCarthy’s Premiership new-boys yesterday, Hammond said it was also the right option for both the player and the club.

“Kevin has been a fantastic player for our club and first of all I would like to wish him every success in his future career,” Hammond said.

“He has arguably been one of the club’s best ever signings, in terms of what he produced on the pitch, the value for money he gave us and now the fact he has been sold for a club record fee.

“On top of that, Kevin showed his commitment to us last season when he stayed after our relegation.

“We all recognise that he is a Premier League player and it was a real coup we were able to keep him.

“So with this deal in place now, the point in time arrived where it was the right opportunity for him and the right deal for the club as well.

“I have already offered my best wishes and I am sure the supporters will be doing the same to a player who rightly earned their respect.”

Doyle will link up with former Reading teammate Marcus Hahnemann, who signed last month after the 37-year-old goalkeeper was released from Madejski Stadium.

The Irishman quickly became a fans’ favourite after signing for around £78,000 from Eircom League side Cork City in June 2005.

He was Reading’s top scorer last season with 18 goals in the Championship and in total scored 55 goals in 163 games for Reading.

During his stint Doyle earned his first caps for his home country and soon became the first-choice pairing up front with Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, winning 25 caps and scoring six times.

His transfer fee exceeds Dave Kitson’s summer move to Stoke at the end of last season by £1million and is also a new club record for Wolves by £3million.

And Hammond said: “It is important from my own point of view to say that Wolves, and in particular their chief executive Jez Moxey, have been a pleasure to deal with and very straightforward.

“They have got themselves a top player.”

Fulham, Bolton and Sunderland were all in the hunt for the hard-working striker, while Aston Villa and Everton were also interested.

Now Reading boss Brendan Rodgers could look to replace Doyle with his former Watford striker and Hornets player-of-the-season Tommy Smith, who would cost just £750,000.

However, Doyle’s fellow countrymen Shane Long and Noel Hunt will be fighting it out to step into his boots with Simon Church and David Mooney also hoping to impress Northern Irishman Rodgers during pre-season training which starts on Monday, July 6.

Stephen Hunt has also been linked with a £3million move back to the Premiership, with Everton, Sunderland and Wigan all
interested.

And Andre Bikey could also be on his way out with interest from France, but the director of football declined to comment on speculation.

Hammond added: “At the moment there is interest in our players, but there isn’t anything imminent.”

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To RYF, Royal County of Berkshire. Other clubs have built new stadiums and have the same kind of average attendances as us, yet spend more. Stoke, Bolton, Hull. Stoke signed Kitson for £5.5 among others last year. He didn't do well so they brought in Beattie. Needless to say they stayed up. Hull spent £5m on Jimmy Bullard and others and stayed up. Fulham signed 7 players the year they stayed up and we got relegated. Yes they have Al Fayed but he doesn’t write open cheques anymore, and they get less in attendance. Wolves spend £6.5m on Doyle the list goes on…We spent £2.5m on Fae, when we could have kept Sidwell and stayed up, we only got relegated by goal difference. The lack of ambition must have affected player’s moral when we let Sidwell go.

Yes no one wants to see us go like Bradford, Southampton and Leeds. But they are exceptionally badly run clubs and weren't in real trouble till they got relegated.

We should have pushed the boat out a bit more when in the Prem. We didn’t and we've so far sold 17.5m worth of players in Kitson, Sonko, Shorey and Doyle since getting relegated and not spent hardly anything.

The cost of our stadium was £50m, 10 years ago. We spent 2 seasons in Prem where you're supposed to get £50m a season in TV and extra revenue; we get 2 years of parachute payments and have now let most of the big earners leave. Where's the money going when they say they can’t give Rodgers the money from Doyle?

biscuits@3, reading
2/07/2009 at 19:07

Since when has dyslexia been a condition where you get someones name wrong?! I'm dyslexic too, I once went to a toga party dressed as a goat!!

Emmer Green Hornet, Reading
2/07/2009 at 17:52

To Emmer Green Hornet, Reading, oops sorry...i'm a bit dyslexic. Can you help me to spell GEET A LIIFE!

RFCJunction, reading
2/07/2009 at 17:12

Is there anyone else from Watford we can take?

Bushes Bernal, Reading
2/07/2009 at 08:19

I keep on hearing about 'other clubs going to the wall through over ambition etc. etc.and how much better Reading is run'. Actually I'm inclined to think in several cases it was failure to stay in the premiership, going into free fall, losing a large weekly turnout ... SJM appears to have used the income and sales in the good times not to invest further but to run down what the club owed him for building the stadium, hotel etc. and he now sits on the assets. Things have generally gone well over the past 5 years, perhaps much by chance? Let's hope SJM has the same commitment now the going could get a lot tougher.

War Baby, Woodley
1/07/2009 at 21:51

Jim Marsh - SJM was and probably is still owed a fortune from the money he paid into the club such as rescuing it, building the stadium, transfer fees paid from his own funds, repaying banks etc. The club is run like any other business in that the outgoings should not exceed it's income. At the end of the next season the £11m parachute payments run out so quite rightly RFC are storing this money away, I'm happy with this as I don't want my club to end up in a situation like Southampton, Leeds, Bradford etc who spent millions on nothing.

All football clubs should set their budgets based only on the minimum and not splash out stacks on money assuming they will get promoted and have long cup runs etc.

If 1/3 of the money is spent on 3 or 4 additions to the first team examples a centre half, someone who can tackle in central midfield, a replacement for S.Hunt and a new striker then I believe we have a squad to challenge near the top of the championship.

RYF, Royal County of Berkshire
1/07/2009 at 18:07

Not the transfer deadline you muppet Bushes Bernal, he meant the deadline for renewing season tickets. Durrr!!! Engage (tiny) brain before tapping away like a psycho maybe...

And RFCJunction, it is JAY Demerit, not JASON. How do you know how good a player is if you can't even get his name right. BTW, Jay can be brilliant sometimes but lacks consistency.

Emmer Green Hornet, Reading
1/07/2009 at 18:05

Has the transfer period ended then?

Where is the ambition? Where is your calendar more like.

Bushes Bernal, Reading
1/07/2009 at 17:29

I would be interested to see how many season tickets were renewed!! It's interesting like last year, the renewal deadline passes and then sell the best players.. WHERE'S THE AMBITION

Dazza1871
1/07/2009 at 17:14

Yeah, we really need a benefactor who can spend beyond our means and bankrupt the club in 5 years.

Deary me.

Bushes Bernal, Reading
1/07/2009 at 17:07

If we sign Tommy Smith, a decent centre back, perhaps Jason De Merit who had a good Confed Cup and a top striker, nabbing Simon Cox from WBA would be good. Then I'd be happy.

RFCJunction, reading
1/07/2009 at 16:59

I don't understand where the money is going. We spent next to nothing in the Prem and supposed to get £40m a season from TV. We let Sidwell go cause his wage demands were too high at £40,000 a week. We got relegated on goal difference as we never brought in an adequate replacement or badly needed quality in central defence. We sell Kiston, Shorey and Sonko for big fees, spend hardly any money and fail to get promoted by one win against Birmingham. Then we let loads of players go and now sell Doyle for a record fee, but yet the money won't be given to the manager? What a joke. If we end up a mid table team or fighting for relegation watch the attendances drop below 15,000 and see us die off like Charlton. I hope Rodgers does a good job but he’d be a miracle worker to get us promoted under these circumstances. I don’t understand the lack of ambition at the club. God send us an Arab Billionaire.

Jim Marsh
1/07/2009 at 16:49

Oh I could never support Chelsea, its not my club you see.

Could be worse, could be a frustrated Watford supporter living in Berkshire watching from afar as the local side take my Manager away, and coach, and anyone else they like.

Big lol.

Bushes Bernal, Reading
1/07/2009 at 14:05

RYF, Royal County of Berkshire - "look at Burnley, they got there without spending millions" - No not really...Martin Paterson £1.3m, Chris Eagles £1m etc. So a few decent signings would be good to add to the current youngsters and experienced players that we have left!

Johnny 5
1/07/2009 at 13:51

You wont need any money to loan Chelsea Reserves!! Bushes Bernal, at least you can get a look at the Chelsea youngsters. I expect you supported Chelsea before Reading made it into the prem? When Reading don't make it again this season maybe you can go support Chelsea again...