Did anyone join the ill-fated First Division Society?

[readingbedding]

This would have been the 1986-87 season.
What was it all about?

[Ark Royal]

I did and I won the August £500 draw. Presented with the cheque at the opening home game against Plymouth. Think the top draw was for £40,000. TBH, I cannot remember the intended aim, but it was later deemed illegal and folded.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Wasn't it where the members paid so much a week/month and the money, supposedly, was meant to be used towards making Reading a 1st Division team both off and on the pitch?

Didn't know it had been deemed illegal though!

[Fox Talbot]

I joined - which was rarely generous of me. They made a big effort with this and I think it raised a fair bit so I'm not sure about the ill-fated. A friend of mine stayed with it for years and years, her payments got converted into the Blue Riband scheme or something until the club finally gave up on all its lotteries a couple of years ago.

[Schards#2]

Wasn't it where the members paid so much a week/month and the money, supposedly, was meant to be used towards making Reading a 1st Division team both off and on the pitch?Didn't know it had been deemed illegal though!

Some 25 years on, this ambition is likely to be realised by the club shortly.

[Ark Royal]

I joined - which was rarely generous of me. They made a big effort with this and I think it raised a fair bit so I'm not sure about the ill-fated. A friend of mine stayed with it for years and years, her payments got converted into the Blue Riband scheme or something until the club finally gave up on all its lotteries a couple of years ago.

Yes, think that is correct. I had a shedload of Blue Riband members' cards.

[The Cube]

There was a lot of hype leading up to the "major announcement", with everyone (of my age, at least) naively assuming it was going to be a big signing. I joined - never won a penny, but then that wasn't why I joined. Fairly soon after the launch the club issued a South Bank identity card to all members, meaning that many people legitimately had two. First Division Society members were also meant to get priority for tickets - it was a good selling point but strangely never seemed to happen in practice.

[Ian Royal]

Wasn't it where the members paid so much a week/month and the money, supposedly, was meant to be used towards making Reading a 1st Division team both off and on the pitch?Didn't know it had been deemed illegal though!

Some 25 years on, this ambition is likely to be realised by the club shortly.

Christ you're tedious these days.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

I think it was rendered illegal as it was in breach of the Lotteries Act(?) or something but I am sure they re-launched it as some kind of charity; Blue Riband Club or something?

I think I paid £8.66 a month - won £25 once but cancelled it after we went back down.

I think there was originally some grand launch at the end of the 85/86 season at the Hexegon and Branfoot was there with the Div 3 Trophy - got a pic somewhere.

[under the tin]

I joined at the launch night.
It was held at The Majestic

[Silver Fox]

Wasn't it where the members paid so much a week/month and the money, supposedly, was meant to be used towards making Reading a 1st Division team both off and on the pitch?Didn't know it had been deemed illegal though!

Some 25 years on, this ambition is likely to be realised by the club shortly.

As much as you try to use the renaming and restructuring of the leageue in your favour that really doesn't work you know

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

What was the reason that RFC took on a small shop in Friar St once, next door to the Bugle pub, now an opticians, used to be two smaller shops, RFc had the LH side as you looked.

Was that the 1st Division thing, or the new ground plans for Rivermead?

[Svlad Cjelli]

What was the reason that RFC took on a small shop in Friar St once, next door to the Bugle pub, now an opticians, used to be two smaller shops, RFc had the LH side as you looked.

Was that the 1st Division thing, or the new ground plans for Rivermead?

Wasn't that the Smee take-over?

[Schards#2]

Wasn't it where the members paid so much a week/month and the money, supposedly, was meant to be used towards making Reading a 1st Division team both off and on the pitch?Didn't know it had been deemed illegal though!

Some 25 years on, this ambition is likely to be realised by the club shortly.

Christ you're tedious these days.

I can think of 23422 reasons to laugh at you for that.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Is it the quantity of posts or the quality that count?