Penalty miss is still haunting Archie

[4 promotions]

I don't agree with all this talk about it being for the best that we didn't go up in 1995. It was devastating to lose that day, definitely worse than losing to Walsall, Wolves or Burnley. Who's to say how we would have fared? Certain players would have stayed, new signings made. Even if we'd have been relegated it would have been better than staying in Division 1. Surely the point is to achieve as a high position as possible? Also, in the summer of '95 it was only 3 seasons before the mad stad was up and running so that would have been in the pipeline at the time. I think we'd have at least been in division 1 for the '98-'99 season.... hmm, i'm still not over that game.

[Scrappy]

I've served him at work so many times. Such a nice bloke and whenever he is recognised by anyone in the store, he will stop and chat, even after all these years. Massive respect for the bloke.

[Sun Tzu]

I don't agree with all this talk about it being for the best that we didn't go up in 1995. It was devastating to lose that day, definitely worse than losing to Walsall, Wolves or Burnley. Who's to say how we would have fared? Certain players would have stayed, new signings made. Even if we'd have been relegated it would have been better than staying in Division 1. Surely the point is to achieve as a high position as possible? Also, in the summer of '95 it was only 3 seasons before the mad stad was up and running so that would have been in the pipeline at the time. I think we'd have at least been in division 1 for the '98-'99 season.... hmm, i'm still not over that game.

Not sure players would have stayed. Shaka would have still been offered bigger money to play at a bigger club with a more certain future. As a local boy Archie might have stayed, but he was hardly Premiership class. We'd have struggled to sign any decent players but any money we did have would have been sucked up with the work needed to make EP acceptable. Looking back it was absolutely a blessing that we didn't go up as I really believe it would have set us back many years. We may never have got the Mad Stad built and we'd be sitting alongside Barnsley, Bradford and Swindon who have all struggled to recover from short spells in the Prem. Although we may still end up in that state !!!

[Urinal Mint]

Without doubt, the most devastating experience I have had watching Reading. Took me a long time to get over it and it still nags at me a little today.

Agree completely. I still can't watch the second half either. I remember everything so clearly about that day. The long walk into town for the train, the scenes down Wembley Way, shaking John Madejski's hand and being in awe of him (I was 15..), shaking Uri Geller's hand, the scorching sun, our kickabout outside Wembley in between, the sheer breathlessness of being 2-0 up inside 15 minutes and just not believing it, and then the penalty miss. From then on we had our backs against the wall, or it certainly felt like that. Utter heart break when we threw it away, yet so proud of my club. Then as I started walking out, I saw my History teacher and he looked empty and distraught. Lessons with him always started with a few minutes about the previous result. It was a hot sweaty train trip back to Reading and very quiet.

I've served him at work so many times. Such a nice bloke and whenever he is recognised by anyone in the store, he will stop and chat, even after all these years. Massive respect for the bloke.

Agreed, one of the nicest people you could ask to meet.

[warrpp]

doing a pretty good summarising on SSN as well, from what i've seen.

[East Grinstead Royal]

The day after the Bolton game, I got a phone call from my then boss (a Huddersfield fan - they had been promoted the day before our play-off). I thought he'd rung to gloat / sympathise. Turned out that the wife of one of our colleagues had died in childbirth over the weekend. Suddenly the footie seemed less important.

I still think McAteer should have been red-carded when he gave away the penalty.