Whatever happened to Ray Flanagan

[fallen angel]

This guy never gets a mention on"Going Back"threads.he played in the early seventies and he looked a real throw back to the fantastic sixties.long hair flowing,bearded he was a defender.pity he didnt play as good has he looked

[Whistle]

Fun to watch. Tall and slow. Came from Margate, like Tommy Jenkins and thought he could dribble like Jinkin' Jenkins.

I think he played in our worst ever Div 4 season.

[fallen angel]

You must remember Fred Sharpe then,looked about sixty and used to catch the bus home,ohh,they were the days

[RODWAY ROAD ROYAL]

Fred should have fouled malcolm mcdonald during the luton game when it was one on one - thats a life time ago
what about percy freeman & les chappel anyone remember them?

[Millsy]

Great now I feel like a plastic.



Perhaps I should suddenly be in favour of music when we score etc etc.

[Fred Sharpe's Nose]

Fred should have fouled malcolm mcdonald during the luton game when it was one on one - thats a life time ago
what about percy freeman & les chappel anyone remember them?

How could we ever forget! Four goals against Torquay on a soaking Easter Monday.

[strap]

Fred should have fouled malcolm mcdonald during the luton game when it was one on one - thats a life time ago
what about percy freeman & les chappel anyone remember them?

He wouldn't even have got a booking in those days!! My first ever Readingh game, behind the Town goal, absoutely soaked to the skin - even then I can remember shouting out to Sharpe to bring MacDonald down!!!! Funny really, as Fred Sharpe was never one to shy away froma tackle normally!!!

Those were, indeed, the days!!! (Except I wouldn't swap this season for anything!)

I always thought Ray Flannigan was quite a classy defender! Shows how much I know!

[RoyalBlue]

Percy Freeman - I would love to know the speed at which he kicked the ball. He literally used to demolish walls when he took freekicks! I used to be disappointed when the ball found a way through without hitting anyone!

He was wasn't built like a brick sh*thouse, more like a nuclear bunker! Just used to plough his way through defenders, made the likes of Whitehurst and Morley look soft!

[BallRoyal]

Percy Freeman - I would love to know the speed at which he kicked the ball. He literally used to demolish walls when he took freekicks! I used to be disappointed when the ball found a way through without hitting anyone!

He was wasn't built like a brick sh*thouse, more like a nuclear bunker! Just used to plough his way through defenders, made the likes of Whitehurst and Morley look soft!

Can remember his Reading debut. He damaged the Crossbar with a shot, not sure if he scored that day. He hit the ball hard.

[Mr Barlow]

Anyone know..... Whatever happened to Pete the Chop?

[Whistle]

Percy Freeman - I would love to know the speed at which he kicked the ball. He literally used to demolish walls when he took freekicks! I used to be disappointed when the ball found a way through without hitting anyone!

He was wasn't built like a brick sh*thouse, more like a nuclear bunker! Just used to plough his way through defenders, made the likes of Whitehurst and Morley look soft!

Can remember his Reading debut. He damaged the Crossbar with a shot, not sure if he scored that day. He hit the ball hard.

No. He went about 30 games w/o scoring once. Still one of my favourites.
Barrie Wagstaff anyone - Berkshire's answer to Johan Neeskens.

[Ark Royal]

I can clearly remember Percy hitting the junction of bar and post so hard against Bradford City in 73(?) that the ball bounced over the roof of the Norfolk Road stand. Probably the fiercest hitter of a ball I have seen in A Reading shirt. Built like a brick sh1thouse as well.

Barry Wagstaff was a class act. Scored with that beautiful lob against the Gooners in the FA Cup in Feb 72. Was the biggest crowd I was ever in at EP. His brother Tony was even better in my eyes. I played against him once in the early 80s in Maidenhead and he rang rings around me.

[Fubar]

Fred should have fouled malcolm mcdonald during the luton game when it was one on one - thats a life time ago
what about percy freeman & les chappel anyone remember them?

Yes I do, I also remember the Wagstaffe brothers. Anyway, the Luton game you mention should have been called off long before the McDonald goal because of the fog. You're right, it was along time ago but still fond memories...

[royal madrid]

Blimey. The first good post this year. Finally wittering about those blokes we grew up with when Reading were going nowhere at an excruciatingly slow pace.
On to the matter at hand – does anybody know what became of Richie Bowman and Pat Earles? For me Bowman was always the swashbuckling youngster with a soul-boy haircut and ill advised tache next to Pat Earles' rather staid father with a Douglas Herd style haircut.
And what happened to John Alexander? Although I guess my first game was around 1976 my first thrill of being at Elm Park was seeing him score a hat-trick (or was it four) and get sent off against Crewe Alexander.
As much as I'm enjoying this season memories like that will always hold something more pleasureable for me.

[Jackson Corner]

Blimey. The first good post this year. Finally wittering about those blokes we grew up with when Reading were going nowhere at an excruciatingly slow pace.
On to the matter at hand – does anybody know what became of Richie Bowman and Pat Earles? For me Bowman was always the swashbuckling youngster with a soul-boy haircut and ill advised tache next to Pat Earles' rather staid father with a Douglas Herd style haircut.
And what happened to John Alexander? Although I guess my first game was around 1976 my first thrill of being at Elm Park was seeing him score a hat-trick (or was it four) and get sent off against Crewe Alexander.
As much as I'm enjoying this season memories like that will always hold something more pleasureable for me.

Bowman was hell of a player my first hero, I believe now runs a sandwich bar in London, has been back to do the Golden Gamble draw a couple of times. Pat Earles was a decent player although never scored enough goals for me was a victim of the boo boys and lost confidence, last herd working for social services in his native Southampton. John Alexander banged in 4 against Grimsby in a top of the table clash in 79. Sufferd a career ending injury at Brentford the next season, a real shame he was a good player. Don't ever recall him being sent off though?

[Whistle]

Fred should have fouled malcolm mcdonald during the luton game when it was one on one - thats a life time ago
what about percy freeman & les chappel anyone remember them?

Yes I do, I also remember the Wagstaffe brothers. Anyway, the Luton game you mention should have been called off long before the McDonald goal because of the fog. You're right, it was along time ago but still fond memories...

Fog? It was a solid 2 hour downpour. My prog still looks damp! Hell of an atmosphere and and a bit nasty on the Tilehurst Rd afterwards.

[Barry the bird boggler]

I can vaguely recall Alex Smith?

[Gordons Cumming]

I can vaguely recall Alex Smith?

I remember Percy Freeman hitting a shot against the crossbar in an Easter game against Aldeshot. The bar seemed to wobble for ages such was the power of the shot.This was emphasized by the amount of rain collecting on it aswell.

Frightening.

Percy was also really ugly.

HTH

Strangely I don't remember Ray Flanagan

[wolsey]

Fred should have fouled malcolm mcdonald during the luton game when it was one on one - thats a life time ago
what about percy freeman & les chappel anyone remember them?

Yes I do, I also remember the Wagstaffe brothers. Anyway, the Luton game you mention should have been called off long before the McDonald goal because of the fog. You're right, it was along time ago but still fond memories...

Fog? It was a solid 2 hour downpour. My prog still looks damp! Hell of an atmosphere and and a bit nasty on the Tilehurst Rd afterwards.

This was the first Reading game that I can remember in any kind of detail. For some reason I was/am convinced that we started with ten players because Steve Death turned up late. Can anyone who went confirm/deny this?

[Whistle]

Yes - Death stuck in traffic so Dennis Butler played first 10 mins in goal and we had 10 men.

This was our most vital game of the season !! But we were unbeaten in 15 the manager thought he'd take a chance - which worked out OK.