Lucky to be a Reading supporter

[The 17 Bus]

This link only goes up to 2002

http://soccer-stats.football365.com/his ... table.html

so anyone be arsed to see if we have now caught Arsenal???

The First Division Society was formed, I have a memory of there being an office in a shop along Friar St, next door to an opticians, close to The Bugle also rings a bell, the shops were similar to Carsons, in so far they had a small set back shared entrance.

[PlasticRoyale]

Here we go, ten pages of wnaking on about the old days.

Turn it in Grandad!!

[Ian Royal]

RIP Elm Park's link was pretty useful. For those who question whether we are making progress it may be worth looking at this rather startling example of where we've spent most of our time.

Most successful teams in each tier from 1888-89 to 2001-02.
Position, club, seasons, played, won, drawn, lost, for, against, points, points percentage

Tier 2
63, Reading, 11, 480, 152, 118, 210, 611, 777, 508, 41.3%
Tier 3
2, Reading, 56, 2504, 1031, 609, 864, 3938, 3528, 2935, 51.9%
Tier 4
47, Reading, 8, 368, 161, 110, 97, 513, 392, 454, 58.0%

We've now spent another 4.5 seasons in Tier 2 and 2 in Tier 1.

Since then our Tier 1 record is:
2, 76, 26, 13, 37, 93, 113, 91, 39.9% (obviously excludes position)
Tier 2
4, 184, 95, 40, 49, 266, 179, 325, 58.9% ( ) so the current Tier 2 record looks like this:

15, 664, 247, 158, 259, 877, 956, 833, 41.8%

[Arch]

Being a boring Friday afternoon,i decided to look up the League tables for 1969/70 season.This was the first season i started going to Elm Park,when we were in the old third division.

Of all the teams in the bottom two divisions,only six are now in a higher division,and only Fulham have made it into the top division.Ourselves,Donny, Plymouth, Barnsley, and Swansea making the Championship.Ten teams are now outside the top four divisions.

Just shows that there is not a lot to look forward to for a lot of supporters of the lower league teams,and how lucky we are to be challenging for the Premiership.When i went to watch my first game in 1970 i never dreamt of such heights.Qualifying for the Watney Cup was our ambition then!

Sorry to be such an anorak but it is quiet at work.

I

Ironically you were very unlucky if you started supporting Reading that season, as I did too, since it all went tits up the next year and was followed by most of RFC's worst seasons ever.

[Ark Royal]

At some time or other, probably the 70s, Reading launched The First Division Society. I think the idea was to raise money and ideas to get us into the top division. Most people, me amongt them, laughed like drains. You've got to be joking, we thought.

And here we are and we've done it once and are hoping to do it again. And nobody's laughing. In fact we are now in our longest period above the third tier. In 26-31 we managed five seasons (including the FA Cup semis), then we had to wait till the 80s to manage four, then two years above the third. Now we have been above the third for seven consecutive seasons. We can hardly be relegated this year, so it will be eight next season. If that is in the Prem then we are guaranteed nine years. Never have Reading enjoyed so much consistent success. In total we have spent 18 years out of about 127 (world wars) out of the bottom two divisions. Not impressive, but seven of them have been the last seven.

Can we now be viewed as a solid second tier team with occasional promotions rather than the marooned third/fourth tier team we usd to be? The youngsters don't know they are born. They have not had to put up with decades of disappointment, so I feel lucky that I can compare now with then.

The First Division Society was launched in '86. I went to the opening bash at the casino on the bridge in Duke St (can't remember what it was called). I won £500 in the August '86 draw. The FDS did not last long; it was deemed illegal for some reason and it folded.

[Whistle]

The FDS may not have lasted - but the memberships got diverted into (?) The Royals Blue Riband Draw. I know someone who paid her subs by Standing Order right through til they folded the whole fund-raising thing in 2005/6.

[Ark Royal]

I can remember feeling so proud when we went top after beating Halifax 4-1 and then Malcom Macdonald went and spoiled it all on a very, very wet Wednesday night...

"Hack him down........... hack him down...............doh!"

I met Fred Sharpe many years later and asked why the o*ford didn't he chop Macdonald off at the knees and he just admitted that he was absolutely knackered and just could not get close enough. Not surprising as Fred always gave me the impression that he used to smoke a pack of Senior Service and down several pints of Watney's before a game. A centre half of the old school.

[Arnie_Pie]

Now I cannot remember the exact time I became a fan but it was when I got a free ticket to see us play Chelsea in an FA Cup game at Elm Park. All I remember is Ray Houghton coming on a a sub and I was pissed up and got sunburn in the Tilehurst end. My mate's brother used to be the physio which lead to the free ticket and I met Zola in the players lounge after the game with his wife and kids. Never looked back.

If anyone knows the year I will tell you how old I was. Lived in Reading since the age of ten but supported Liverpool before that

[BallRoyal]

Here we go, ten pages of wnaking on about the old days.

Turn it in Grandad!!

HI plastic who the fcuk are you

[Jackson Corner]

I started going in 78 and throughout the 80's and early 90's I used to be envious of Oxford and Swindon, thinking why could that not be us. Both made it to the top flight, and Oxford won the League cup and to rub it in Maurice Evans was the manager. We just seemed to drift around the middle of div 3 with ocasional success. They are now a distant memory wallowing in the depths of non league and relegation. How times change.........

[seahawk10]

I feel the same way, but mine is a much shorter tale. After the 2006 World Cup (the first without schoolmate Marcelo Balboa on the US Team) I decided to pick a team to support in the Prem. I eliminated the top four immediately. Then went looking at the three newly promoted teams (since I would be new to the Prem as well). So Reading, Sheffield United or Watford. Started you-tubing and watching all the teams in action I was drawn to Reading. Loved the attacking style of play and Coppell's leadership. Bobby Convey in particular with that length of the field run. And after one clip showed him dropping his shorts to throw into the crowd and the crowd serenading him afterward. LOL. That was the team for me.

Imagine trying to support Watford or the Blades? Yuck... Made the right choice!
Very lucky for me!

[TheLawnMowerMan]

8 seasons ago we were in the same league as Swindon, Oxford and Wycombe.


Oxford =

[SLAMMED]

Being reasonably young compared to you oldies, my first season ticket was in 04/05 season.

[Gordons Cumming]

I can remember feeling so proud when we went top after beating Halifax 4-1 and then Malcom Macdonald went and spoiled it all on a very, very wet Wednesday night...

"Hack him down........... hack him down...............doh!"

I met Fred Sharpe many years later and asked why the o*ford didn't he chop Macdonald off at the knees and he just admitted that he was absolutely knackered and just could not get close enough. Not surprising as Fred always gave me the impression that he used to smoke a pack of Senior Service and down several pints of Watney's before a game. A centre half of the old school.

He used to look knackered as he ran out onto the pitch!

[Royal Boil]

Senior Royal,

You are absolutely correct with your assessment. Back in those days, the only question on RFC fans' lips tended to be whether we were going to be in division three or division four the next season. We were in the same league as the likes of Hartlepool or Torquay. Like you (I'm guessing) I never expected to be in the position where the next generation of fans were looking forward to Premiership football with something akin to a God given rite and the team performing equally (today excepted). Long may we continue to be lucky supporters!

BTW - I've always been an infrequent visitor, but the first match I remember attending was against Barrow. I can't remember when it was, but we won 1 - 0 and I think, though I haven't researched it, that their goalkeeper was Harry Greg who was a Busby Babe in his earlier days.

PS - I also remember the days (not that long ago actually) when I'd take the occasional view of this board only to find it seemed to be dead beyond repair. So, I guess there should be some sort of congratulation to the success of HNA as well as the modern day RFC supporter.

[Whistle]

I guess 1972 and the keeper was Harry Thomson IIRC.

[SeniorRoyal]

Thanks for all your comments,well most of them ,not sure i,m a grandad yet!

I remember the excitement when we went top of the 3rd division in 69/70,and when the league table was shown on Grandstand.Didn't matter we had played about 4 more games than anyone else.

It seems that a lot of other supporters got hooked that season.Was i one of the first plastic supporters?

I take my hat of to the supporters who started supporting during our long years in the 4th division.

[VOR]

69/70 was the season that got me hooked - much more enjoyable than last season in the Prem in my view! 5 clubs in that table went on to play in the top div.

If you want a contrast - go on the Oxford U website there's a huge thread entitled something like 'I know we thought things can't get any worse but ...'

As usual, 2 camps are forming on this thread but surely we can celebrate what has been achieved since the 70's without descending into rosy-eyed complacency. I too go back to1971 and beyond and your point about Oxford is a good one. Remember the 80's when they were briefly top - or nearly top, can't quite remember - of what is now the Prem, not long after we had just hauled ourselves out of the basement (hopefully for the last time!). And where are we both now...

On the other hand, we have a brilliant opportunity to bounce straight back into the Prem and probably the best squad in the Champ, so it would be criminal to waste it. We need a proper holding midfielder and maybe right back during January. Harper has his strengths but he is not physically strong enough for that role and resorts to fouls to make up for it. Rosenior is suspended and, in any case,is erratic under pressure.

[Royal Boil]

I guess 1972 and the keeper was Harry Thomson IIRC.

Thankyou Mr Whistle, though I didn't actually mean for anyone to do the research for me! (And it seems like longer than '72, but I'll bow to you).

[Snowball]

My first post on this list, but I can't believe the general negativity surrounding Reading FC

I am originally from Newport, Mon and can remember the days when Newport County and Reading languished in the lower leagues.
Would you rather be some reformed club in the Conference South like NCAFC, or The Saints, heading for administration and League One?

Reading is a brilliant club, brilliantly run, brilliant stadium, exciting football, great manager

Some interesting info on Southampton's wages

http://m6live.dailyecho.co.uk/search/40 ... l_shocker/

Also their winger who gave Armstrong a good work-out is on 5K a week (on loan to Swansea)
and Wright-Phillips is on 8K?

Reading the various Southampton forums, they must surely have to sell or send out 4-5 players on loan.

Even if they do, they look in very, very serious trouble


Snowball