Isn't 2013...

[Gav]

...the centenary year of us smashing Milan in their own back yard and being hailed the finest foreign football team ever seen in Italy?

I think it's probably due a reiteration. Pre-season friendly?

I was thinking of emailing the club with that very suggestion but had forgotten about it til now. Shall I do it?

Yeah, go for it. Can't hurt!

[thirtyyarder]

Bit quicker than expected:


Presumably taken before the game against Genoa. Text says "The Reading team play today in Turin against our national eleven."

For sure that's Wayne Rooney on the left.

And Charlie Adam on the right

[SLAMMED]

Bit quicker than expected:


Presumably taken before the game against Genoa. Text says "The Reading team play today in Turin against our national eleven."

For sure that's Wayne Rooney on the left.

And Charlie Adam on the right

Jimmy Bullard third from right

[SHORT AND CURLY]

Basil Fawlty in goal

[AbovetheI]

Yep, May 1913. Time for another tribute........

What was the post match atmosphere like after this game RL?

[Optimist]

I finally got round to emailing the club regarding this yesterday.

To summarise I said:
- I'd like to make a suggestion for a pre-season friendly.
- 100 years since we toured Italy, mentioned the results and the quote from the Italian paper.
- This is a piece of history fans are particularly fond of etc etc, and I sent a link to this thread.
- Then gave reasons as to why AC Milan were the obvious invitees.
- Explained how the game could benefit RFC and how the game could be marketed/promoted.
- Hope you give this consideration blah blah blah.
- From Optimist.

Then this morning I got a reply from Paul of customer service.

To summarise (after mis-spelling my name) he said:
- Thanks for taking the time to contact us...
- Applauded my RFC history knowledge
- I'll pass suggestion to appropriate people, but as you said this won't be easy.
- Kind regards, Paul.

So, in summary of these summarys, they haven't just dismissed the idea and told me to fcuk off, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

[ZacNaloen]

I always wonder wistfully about where this club could have gone if that team hadn't been decimated by the first world war

[Geekins]

I was there. Where were all you plastics?

[Fox Talbot]

I always wonder wistfully about where this club could have gone if that team hadn't been decimated by the first world war

You are using decimated in its proper sense here, that is reduced by one tenth?

IIRC Allen Foster was the only player of major significance who lost his life. In the club programme in 2011 when they did a big feature on it they were including men who played for the reserves three times last time three years before the outbreak - again from memory, not having that programme to hand.

6 of the 1914/15 regulars also played in 1919/20. We finished 4th in 1914, 2nd in 1915 and 7th in 1920 so not too shabby a decline.
My wistful wondering is more about what if we could have got in the Football League in 1900-1905 rather than 1920/21.

[ZacNaloen]

Used correctly unintentionally I assure you. But I was thinking more in terms of the effects war would have had on those players.

[Elm Park]

I was there. Where were all you plastics?

I left early

[Fox Talbot]

Used correctly unintentionally I assure you. But I was thinking more in terms of the effects war would have had on those players.

Well, yes, it was terrible I'm sure, but similar to the effects felt at most pro clubs. Joe Bailey survived it all and scored Reading's first league goal, a winner to boot, and 'rejoiced' in the nickname Bubbles, which I imagine / hope he didn't get in the trenches.

However some of Reading's leading amateur clubs didn't make it through the war. Death rates among the officer class and all that....

[Colin Cheeselog]

I was there. Unfortunately I was then incredibly busy then until 1927, during which I made time for the Cardiff FA game. Luckily by 1988 i had retired so I was able to make the Simod cup final, although things picked up again until 1995, when fortunately I was able to get to the Wembley play off final. By March 2006 I had plenty of time on my hands and have been attending games regularly since then (except for the 2008 – 2012 seasons).

[notloyalenuffroyal]

I was there...

The goal music was blo*dy awful and I effin hated the drummer!

[If you still hate Futcher]

I was there. Where were all you plastics?

I left early

Not surprising, the traffic was terrible

[HoneyRoastHoax]

I finally got round to emailing the club regarding this yesterday.

To summarise I said:
- I'd like to make a suggestion for a pre-season friendly.
- 100 years since we toured Italy, mentioned the results and the quote from the Italian paper.
- This is a piece of history fans are particularly fond of etc etc, and I sent a link to this thread.
- Then gave reasons as to why AC Milan were the obvious invitees.
- Explained how the game could benefit RFC and how the game could be marketed/promoted.
- Hope you give this consideration blah blah blah.
- From Optimist.

Then this morning I got a reply from Paul of customer service.

To summarise (after mis-spelling my name) he said:
- Thanks for taking the time to contact us...
- Applauded my RFC history knowledge
- I'll pass suggestion to appropriate people, but as you said this won't be easy.
- Kind regards, Paul.

So, in summary of these summarys, they haven't just dismissed the idea and told me to fcuk off, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Did you tell them it would be wooorldy flames?

[Optimist]

I finally got round to emailing the club regarding this yesterday.

To summarise I said:
- I'd like to make a suggestion for a pre-season friendly.
- 100 years since we toured Italy, mentioned the results and the quote from the Italian paper.
- This is a piece of history fans are particularly fond of etc etc, and I sent a link to this thread.
- Then gave reasons as to why AC Milan were the obvious invitees.
- Explained how the game could benefit RFC and how the game could be marketed/promoted.
- Hope you give this consideration blah blah blah.
- From Optimist.

Then this morning I got a reply from Paul of customer service.

To summarise (after mis-spelling my name) he said:
- Thanks for taking the time to contact us...
- Applauded my RFC history knowledge
- I'll pass suggestion to appropriate people, but as you said this won't be easy.
- Kind regards, Paul.

So, in summary of these summarys, they haven't just dismissed the idea and told me to fcuk off, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Did you tell them it would be wooorldy flames?

I didn't. Do you think that'd make the difference?

[parky]

I was there. Unfortunately I was then incredibly busy then until 1927, during which I made time for the Cardiff FA game. Luckily by 1988 i had retired so I was able to make the Simod cup final, although things picked up again until 1995, when fortunately I was able to get to the Wembley play off final. By March 2006 I had plenty of time on my hands and have been attending games regularly since then (except for the 2008 – 2012 seasons).

Did you not go to a home game against Tranmere in 1976?

[The Cube]

Presumably taken before the game against Genoa. Text says "The Reading team play today in Turin against our national eleven."

I had a request for the line-up against Genoa to see if it could match up with the picture. Didn't attempt this myself because my facial recognition ability from photos is pretty awful. Anyway, none of the Reading papers had a full line-up, but I found a line-up in an Italian paper (2-3-5 formation, of course):

Dr J H Burnham
Jack Smith - Charlie Stevens
Jock Comrie - Ted Hanney - Dave Willis
J Morris - Joe Bailey - Ivor Brown - A Burton - Jimmy Lofthouse

Others who travelled:
Fred Bartholomew, Joe Dickinson, Alan Foster

May have travelled (Reading papers say didn't):
R G Prinfield

Reading scorers:
2 Reading papers plus one Italian paper say Joe Bailey (2), Ivor Brown, Jimmy Lofthouse
1 Reading paper says Joe Bailey, Jimmy Lofthouse, A Burton, Ted Hanney

Genoa line-up:
Surdez
Casanova - De Vecchi
Schmidt - Mitchell - Crocco 1
Hector Eastwood - MacPherson - Attilio Fresia - Maranghi - Percy Walsingham

Hector Eastwood, MacPherson, Percy Walsingham and Mitchell were British. Schmidt and the goalkeeper don't sound very Italian either. And their manager (and the referee of the game) was Willy Garbutt. Garbutt was ex-Reading and Fresia was signed by Reading after the tour (first Italian player in England, but not a success).

[Biscuit_Boy]

Cheers Cube, much appreciated