Views from the Reading end......

[Digweeds Trousers]

Not really mate.

We had a shocking start to the season- 4pts from 6 games. We sold our top striker- and managed to convince LOLeicster that Mills was worth £5m! Never let it be said that Nicky Hammond is not the smartest man in football.

We then started playing a bit. The stats are stunning. We have gained 40 pts from a possible 45. Our "run" started in October- had it started in August we would be looking at ending the season beating the points record.

Couple of decent cup runs as well- QF's are now commonplace.

Play-offs twice in 3 years.

An amazing acadamy producing some fantastic young players.

Oh, and new owners who have promised a brighter future with more investment, but the same ethos. And we do it by paying our bills, having an affordable wage structure. Great and supportive owners- investment steady growth...

Still not had a player sent off this season.

You do know about the record- 106 points in a season. That was quite an exciting season. 33 games unbeaten. With a central defence that picked up only 6 yellows between them. And a strike force that somehow managed 99 goals. We finished 25 points above 3rd place.


Supporting Reading is frequently frustrating, disappointing, and a bit rubbish...but not boring.

I am sure that a lot of what you say in there is true - certianly from a statistics perspective. I suppose it's just sad that most football fans I know who have been to your ground are not sure whether they are at an Ice Hockey Match in the States or a library.

You have done very well undoubtedly in recent seasons and I am sure you will reach the Premier League and probably survive for a few seasons. Congratulations.

However I still struggle to see your club as anything else than a no-mark, synthetic,counterfeit, fabrication of a football club. Good luck with the Russian investment and I think you thoroughly deserve promotion. I genuinely hope you beat Southampton on Friday.

My only suggestion is that you really make an effort to get people in Reading and the surrounding shit tips, to decide whether they are a football club or a rugby club - I dont think you have decided yet.

Well done and carry on.

 

[Hillian1]

Shared a carriage with a few Reading going North last night, said they were relieved to take all 3 points and didn't deserve them. Liked the stadium but said The North looks a bit small from the Away end. Confused as to why London Pride was the guest beer. Also said the only thing we seem to be missing is a centre forward, which I happen to agree with.

 

[ozzygull]

London Pride was the guest ale for Reading fans last night?

Most Reading fans I know who support them as their second club because supporting their London club has become too expensive. Maybe a good choice of ale after all.

 

[Everest]

Here's another one to add to the list - "Vincenete"

 

[Bwian]

I am sure that a lot of what you say in there is true - certianly from a statistics perspective. I suppose it's just sad that most football fans I know who have been to your ground are not sure whether they are at an Ice Hockey Match in the States or a library.

You have done very well undoubtedly in recent seasons and I am sure you will reach the Premier League and probably survive for a few seasons. Congratulations.

However I still struggle to see your club as anything else than a no-mark, synthetic,counterfeit, fabrication of a football club. Good luck with the Russian investment and I think you thoroughly deserve promotion. I genuinely hope you beat Southampton on Friday.

My only suggestion is that you really make an effort to get people in Reading and the surrounding shit tips, to decide whether they are a football club or a rugby club - I dont think you have decided yet.

Well done and carry on.

Got to disagree with your comments there. Reading were always a small club who were never going to be anything different-until decent investment propelled the club into what it is now. I was saying to somebody in Dick's Bar before the game that Reading are now looking like a proper football club to which he replied "Annoying, isn't it?". I see massive similarities between The Albion and Reading, with us being a few years behind them-and we all know the reasons for that. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of theirs but they certainly seem to be a fairly well established Top 2 Divisions club and appear to be well on their way to the Premier League,

Investment does not make a club synthetic or counterfeit. Large investment is what every club in the country wants. We've benefitted from that ourselves recently and that propelled us from Elm Park type attendances to where we are now. Different circumstances granted but we're not that different from Reading if you take your Albion tinted glasses off for a minute. We are ready for the next phase of our revival and if it mirrors what Reading have done recently I'll be very happy.

They have to get rid of that rugby club using their stadium though.

 

[les dynam]

Seemed like a nice friendly bunch. Good turnout, fair bit of noise. Always had a bit of soft spot for Reading (except of course when Pardew was there, and they kept poaching our players). Good luck to them next season in the top league.

 

[les dynam]

Got to disagree with your comments there. Reading were always a small club who were never going to be anything different-until decent investment propelled the club into what it is now. I was saying to somebody in Dick's Bar before the game that Reading are now looking like a proper football club to which he replied "Annoying, isn't it?". I see massive similarities between The Albion and Reading, with us being a few years behind them-and we all know the reasons for that. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of theirs but they certainly seem to be a fairly well established Top 2 Divisions club and appear to be well on their way to the Premier League,

Investment does not make a club synthetic or counterfeit. Large investment is what every club in the country wants. We've benefitted from that ourselves recently and that propelled us from Elm Park type attendances to where we are now. Different circumstances granted but we're not that different from Reading if you take your Albion tinted glasses off for a minute. We are ready for the next phase of our revival and if it mirrors what Reading have done recently I'll be very happy.

They have to get rid of that rugby club using their stadium though.

good post. hugely hypocritical for us to refer to reading fans as plastic fans (what a duff term that is) if this is based on the fact that they moved into a new stadium which hugely increased their attendances.

 

[daib0]

Most Reading fans I know who support them as their second club because supporting their London club has become too expensive. Maybe a good choice of ale after all.

But ... there are plenty of Royals who hate London teams of any description though, and even some - how do I say it without appearing a weirdo - Thames Valley regionalists like me who hate London domination full stop. I'd prefer Brighton, Gillingham or Wycombe any day to the teams actually inside London. At least you (like us) don't think you have an absolute divine right to be in the Premier League and that other teams are annoying getting in the way of their rightful place - yep, we had that against the Hammers recently, so the chat/banter with you guys has been a breath of fresh air.

Does Reading have many 'plastics'? Some, there's no way out there. Which team doesn't? The highest proportion of the 'non-plastic' fans are those who well remember Elm Park and the 3rd and even 4th division days (those who remember the 4th division in the 70s - now that was depressing!), but surely a young fan has equal rights to the 'maturer' ones to be a supporter - there's no entrance exam on this as far as I am aware! And rugby? - not been once. Don't intend to either.

Mentioned on the match thread - there's a topic started on "RR" by Seagulls fan OleOleOleVicente, and we've put it in the "Rivals, but Friends" part where anyone can contribute - you haven't got to sign up first - so if anyone would like to comment on our site, please see: Tonights game ( Brighton fans view)
Just ask all to be sociable and, ermm ... language decency please!!

 

[pork pie]

good post. hugely hypocritical for us to refer to reading fans as plastic fans (what a duff term that is) if this is based on the fact that they moved into a new stadium which hugely increased their attendances.

How is it hypocritical? They have never traditionally had good support, Elm Park was always empty, and their away support a joke. We may have only had limited home support over recent years, but our away support has been reasonable, and the support at the the Goldstone was legendary for a Third Division team.

 

[daib0]

Got to disagree with your comments there. Reading were always a small club who were never going to be anything different-until decent investment propelled the club into what it is now.

Got to disagree there as well!
Historically small club, OK. "Decent investment" though? A long way off, we've had the scroogiest chairman around, but at least he's known how to run the club financially soundly - Reading has the healthiest figures of all the championship. But just wade through dozens and dozens of "SJM - sell up", "SJM - invest for our future", "SJM - don't sell star Mr. X" threads on both the Hob Nob and Royals Rendezvous forums in recent years ... our wages are very modest too, there aren't any big 'stars' here.
Also remember that although investment is promised from the 'Russians' in the future (including stadium increase from 24,000 to 38,000) we've only had a trickle so far - because Zingarevich hasn't even taken over yet, it's not even approved by the Football League yet either.
So ... what 'decent investment' are you actually talking about then?!

 

[Notters]

Confused as to why London Pride was the guest beer.

I'm confused as to why they're confused. They obviously don't know much about Reading.

Reading used to be famous for the three Bs - Bulbs (as in flower bulbs), Biscuits and Beer. Reading's Simond's Brewery closed in 2010 - it was big news - and it now has no remaining Bs!

...and I have no connection to or interest in Reading.

 

[Max Paper]

What's wrong with the rake of the stands? I've sat in the West, North and East with a great view every time.

Jesus Christ man I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE RAKE OF THE STANDS. All I said was it kept cropping up from visiting fans and one or two people had mentioned on here that it was a shame the stands behind the goal were not steeper. Just to confirm, I have no problem with the rake of the stand and never have had.

 

[Hillian1]

I'm confused as to why they're confused. They obviously don't know much about Reading.

Reading used to be famous for the three Bs - Bulbs (as in flower bulbs), Biscuits and Beer. Reading's Simond's Brewery closed in 2010 - it was big news - and it now has no remaining Bs!

...and I have no connection to or interest in Reading.

Well I'm confused now, they seemed to think there were about 3 local breweries which they named but that was last night, I was drunk, It was late, I was hungry and I can't remember them.

 

[Bwian]

How is it hypocritical? They have never traditionally had good support, Elm Park was always empty, and their away support a joke. We may have only had limited home support over recent years, but our away support has been reasonable, and the support at the the Goldstone was legendary for a Third Division team.

Only during the good times-like every club in the land.

Elm Park was a dump, as was The Goldstone for its last 20 years-attendences reflect that. People don't go to dumps of grounds unless the product is there. Our away support reasonable? It hasn't always been that way has it?

There are only a few clubs who have always had ongoing good support over the years, regardless of which division they were in. The rest all seem to struggle to maintain paid support when not doing well. Football fans everywhere are fickle-we're no different.

 

[Bwian]

Got to disagree there as well!
Historically small club, OK. "Decent investment" though? A long way off, we've had the scroogiest chairman around, but at least he's known how to run the club financially soundly - Reading has the healthiest figures of all the championship. But just wade through dozens and dozens of "SJM - sell up", "SJM - invest for our future", "SJM - don't sell star Mr. X" threads on both the Hob Nob and Royals Rendezvous forums in recent years ... our wages are very modest too, there aren't any big 'stars' here.
Also remember that although investment is promised from the 'Russians' in the future (including stadium increase from 24,000 to 38,000) we've only had a trickle so far - because Zingarevich hasn't even taken over yet, it's not even approved by the Football League yet either.
So ... what 'decent investment' are you actually talking about then?!

The Ego Stadium didn't build itself did it? Without that you'd still be a bottom 2 divisions club,

 

[Notters]

Well I'm confused now, they seemed to think there were about 3 local breweries which they named but that was last night, I was drunk, It was late, I was hungry and I can't remember them.

I guess there are microbreweries everywhere, but the away end beers tend to be from fairly large breweries.

 

[matthew]

Think we can all agree that Barnes dived for the penalty though.

 

[Digweeds Trousers]

Did not link investment directly with them being what I see as synthetic club. I am referring to numerous trips I ahve made over the years to Elm Park where on average Reading struggled to get above the 3-4,000 bracket.

There are similarities to us and them yes - in that new stadium brings an upturn in fortune and greater attendances - agreed. however in the third division we were regularly seeing crowds of 30,000 - and certainly 25,000 and above.

They however were dribbling around the same division and seeing crowds below 4,000 for most home games.

I suppose I may still be struggling to shake off the abuse I got on a train back from Reading a few years ago when a bunch of teenagers were screaming at a group of us about being a tin pot club. I don't have any particular loathing for them - however I struggle to see them as what I would call a genuine footballing club with a history of good support.

Sort of like Wigan but in Berkshire.

May be just me.

 

[Bwian]

I think you need to revise your attendance figures:

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/bha.htm

We struggled to average 20,000 in the old 1st Division.

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/aveeng80.htm

Yes, we did get some crowds of 30,000 (I was at most of them) but 'regularly' is stretching it a bit.

 

[daib0]

The Ego Stadium didn't build itself did it? Without that you'd still be a bottom 2 divisions club,

Facts are not correct there either, friend.

Worst ever season for RFC was 1971/72 when we finished 16th in old 4th Division. Second/third worst ever were two 8th place finishes in 4th division. The only other five finishes in bottom tier in our entire history have been: 7th, 6th, 7th, 3rd, 1st and 3rd. Hardly a bottom tier club. And since the re-structuring we've never been in 'League Two'.

So 'still' is proved to be totally incorrect!!