Joe Jacobson is a wizened footballer after his time served at Wycombe Wanderers. These days, he’s heading a similar charge to revive the fortunes of Reading FC. Jacobson played his final professional game on April 27, 2024. Now, from player to sounding board, he’s assuming a greater role in the club’s management, with an ambition of constructing a self-sufficient Championship side. Less than a year and a half after retiring his boots, Jacobson has found himself in strategic-national team planning and club mentoring mode.
Jacobson’s path to a front-office role was inspired by a transformative conversation he had with Rob Couhig, the owner of Wycombe Wanderers. When we spoke last week, Couhig announced that he was moving ahead with plans to sell Wycombe. He had floated the idea of relocation to Reading, with Jacobson in tow. This interview and the resulting front-page NYT story was only the start of Jacobson’s new chapter, an action-oriented chapter he is relishing.
As part of that ongoing large-scale project, Jacobson now works more directly with Brian Carey, Reading’s head of recruitment. Jacobson, for his part, is looking beyond the current three-year plan and thinking about the club’s long-term strategy. He insists that no drafting of players to recruit would fall under his duties.
Jacobson has had his hands full just addressing the minutiae of his new post. At one point, he had 39 WhatsApp conversations to respond to! In many ways, his role is both daunting and timely. Through this academy culture he wants to create a development culture within the club.
“I’m quite inquisitive and, weirdly, like numbers and strategy,” – Joe Jacobson
Jacobson has plenty of playing experience himself, having made 400 appearances for Wycombe. His experience gives him the unique ability to understand the operational and emotional aspects of football. He knows that success at Reading won’t happen unless they first lay important groundwork.
During his playing days, Jacobson worked under Couhig’s ownership, which provided him a unique look into the club’s inner workings. He constantly had designs to move into the business side of football after he hung up his cleats. Recognising the need for a different approach, he signed up for a Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) football business management course. This announcement coincided with a largely unsuccessful £4.5m takeover attempt of Reading FC.
Jacobson recognizes the at-times understandable impatience of fans who desire big new signings and instant results. As an avid football supporter, he knows their desire to see immediate improvement on the field. To placate them, he tells them that things are happening behind the scenes, actively working to improve their experience.
“I’m a football fan, so I understand fans’ frustrations at not signing players every single day, but trust me when I say there’s a lot of people working hard behind the scenes,” – Joe Jacobson
He also highlights the importance of transparency and sustainability in corporate governance practices. According to Jacobson, Couhig has articulated three guiding principles for running the club: honesty, transparency, and sustainability. He is convinced that by embedding these principles into all decision making they will have the best, strongest framework for future growth.
“Rob has said many times there are three main characteristics of how he wants to run the football club; through honesty, transparency, and sustainability,” – Joe Jacobson
Jacobson is relentlessly hands-on with the numbers and strategy. He finds time to mentor younger staff as well, much like Michael Gilkes, Reading’s academy manager, does to great effect. He hopes to develop the talent and make sure everybody working on it feels appreciated and empowered.
In support of this renaissance endeavor, Jacobson often promotes the idea of ‘building’. He considers it paramount to creating a culture that attracts and develops both stars and strong, collaborative supporting players.
“We believe this can be a huge football club and we want everyone to think that way by driving people, empowering people to do their jobs,” – Joe Jacobson
Jacobson’s commitment extends beyond operational strategies. He expresses deep gratitude for the supporters who have stood by the club during challenging times.
“There are some amazing people that have kept this football club alive. We thank them very much that we still have a football club,” – Joe Jacobson
He readily accepts that these fans are the biggest part of why Reading FC is still alive despite crippling debt.
As Jacobson continues to find his way with his new responsibilities, he is excited about opening more developmental avenues for kids with success at the club. He envisions a future where Reading FC thrives rather than merely survives, stating:
“It’s changing the mindset of people as well. When we came in… it was almost like we just need to survive… Now it’s about thriving, thinking differently – thinking bigger.” – Noel Hunt
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