Elm Park Years

[Tony Le Mesmer]

"Trapped" by Colonel Abrahams was played every game pre match in the late 80s, I swear.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

http://youtu.be/ki2ntdMBx-E

Hands up if you were one of the 'mad cats on the field'

Aren't they just stupid?

[Cureton's Volley]

http://youtu.be/ki2ntdMBx-E

Hands up if you were one of the 'mad cats on the field'

Aren't they just stupid?

Great commentary

[Mid Sussex Royal]

The replay was during the days of the three-day week and regular power cuts,

Reading v Blyth Spartans took place on 19 January 1972.
The three-day week ran from January to March 1974.

I think the game was in the afternoon as Blyth's players were all part time and couldn't all all take the extra day off work

[The Cube]

The replay was during the days of the three-day week and regular power cuts,

Reading v Blyth Spartans took place on 19 January 1972.
The three-day week ran from January to March 1974.

I think the game was in the afternoon as Blyth's players were all part time and couldn't all all take the extra day off work

You're right.

And I apologise (partly) to Ark - there was also a brief 3-day week in 1972, but it started in February so didn't affect the Reading game.

[Terminal Boardom]

There was a camaraderie within EP. Standing on the same spot game after game we all got to know each other. Frowns and raised eyebrows was about as bad as it got if a stranger stood near us. There were always plenty of characters and personalities and some of the one-liners were worth the entrance fee alone. My favourite had to be when we were beating Man City as we were both heading to the third tier in our final season. About an hour in, Nigel Clough bent down in front of the Tilehurst End to throw the ball back to their keeper. Up comes the shout of "Oi Cloughie, what's it like to get a touch?" Pure genius.

Night matches at EP were always a bit special and probably the best of all was when we played Bolton in 94/95. The gates were locked long before kick off and the two best teams in the league went at it hammer and tongs. A winner three minutes from time clinched the points for us. On our way up Tilehurst Rd, we spoke to some Bolton fans. We said that we didn't want them in the play-offs. They said they didn't want us. http://youtu.be/VJa9JPKiFhI

That is how football should be.

[jellytot]

RFC fans of a certain age might enjoy a glimpse at:

http://elmparkyears.tumblr.com/

Most enjoyable I have so many old Reading programmes. It is nice to go through them and remember the old days. When we use to stand in 4,000 crowds freezing to death. BUT it was so much fun on the South Bank.

I use to walk with my brother to the other end of the South Bank to get a better view of the second half. Crowds seem to improve once Mark McGhee came in and we got into what is now the Championship. I do miss Elm Park it was a special place.

Do you think it would be nice to have the terraces back? I mean bring them in at the Mad stad for one stand? Remember the Arsenal home game in the cup years ago? We lost 2 or 3 to 1 I think. The official crowd was a lie. I think there were about 20,000 in. And the game when we drew with Wolves (14th game of our 13 game winning start to the season). That was a good atmosphere. Think we also came back from 3 down to beat Plymouth 4-3 I think too. (Not sure on the opponents).

So many wonderful memories. I remember that I stood next to some bearded guy with my brother for years in the South Bank we use to moan about the game as you do, but when we moved to the Mad stad we never saw him again. Never knew his name either lol. I think the Atmosphere at Elm Park with 12,000 was better than when we have 20,000 in at the Mad stad. The players were more sociable too and would come over to chat and sign autographs.

[jellytot]

There was a camaraderie within EP. Standing on the same spot game after game we all got to know each other. Frowns and raised eyebrows was about as bad as it got if a stranger stood near us. There were always plenty of characters and personalities and some of the one-liners were worth the entrance fee alone. My favourite had to be when we were beating Man City as we were both heading to the third tier in our final season. About an hour in, Nigel Clough bent down in front of the Tilehurst End to throw the ball back to their keeper. Up comes the shout of "Oi Cloughie, what's it like to get a touch?" Pure genius.

Night matches at EP were always a bit special and probably the best of all was when we played Bolton in 94/95. The gates were locked long before kick off and the two best teams in the league went at it hammer and tongs. A winner three minutes from time clinched the points for us. On our way up Tilehurst Rd, we spoke to some Bolton fans. We said that we didn't want them in the play-offs. They said they didn't want us. http://youtu.be/VJa9JPKiFhI

That is how football should be.

Lol I remember one game towards the end of Trevor Senior's time. He was running after the ball and someone shouted 'Run Trevour, run'! someone replied 'I can't'. You do not get that in the modern stadiums.

[Wimb]

Just a quick one, somebody emailed us at The Tilehurst End to appeal for stories from Elm Park for a new book he's putting together.

Given that there's plenty of fine tales here I just thought I'd put this here to see if anybody wanted to help him out and mail an anecdote or two over.

http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/201 ... ies-wanted

[Linden Jones]

I've now finished my Elm Park Years Blog. You can view it in its entirety here:
http://elmparkyears.tumblr.com/

If you're more interested in reading about Reading at Elm Park the written bits are also here:
http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-elm-park-years-part-1-soccer-as.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-elm-park-years-part-2-branfoot-out.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-elm-park-years-part-3-ian.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-elm-park-years-part-4-wheres-our.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-5-royal-exile.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-6-it-was-245.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-7-mark-mcghee.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-elm-park-years-part-8-in-sight-of.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-elm-park-years-part-9-so-long-its.html

thanks for your kind comments further up this thread. I've enjoyed my trip down memory lane. Elm Park was a really special place to watch football and the team from 93-95 in particular was great to watch. Feel privileged that I was able to catch the end of "old football" before Sky took over.

[Ark Royal]

I've now finished my Elm Park Years Blog. You can view it in its entirety here:
http://elmparkyears.tumblr.com/

If you're more interested in reading about Reading at Elm Park the written bits are also here:
http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-elm-park-years-part-1-soccer-as.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-elm-park-years-part-2-branfoot-out.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-elm-park-years-part-3-ian.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-elm-park-years-part-4-wheres-our.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-5-royal-exile.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-6-it-was-245.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-7-mark-mcghee.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-elm-park-years-part-8-in-sight-of.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-elm-park-years-part-9-so-long-its.html

thanks for your kind comments further up this thread. I've enjoyed my trip down memory lane. Elm Park was a really special place to watch football and the team from 93-95 in particular was great to watch. Feel privileged that I was able to catch the end of "old football" before Sky took over.

FANTASTIC stuff, Linden. Well played, sir!

[SPARTA]

RFC vs Arsenal, 1935, Elm Park - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HWsilNahhA

[Royal Badgeman]

Interesting memories,but the Arab goal machine Dick Habbib?? Try Dick Habbin, signed from then non league Cambridge Utd.
Yes the Elm Park atmosphere was miles better, but we have progressed so much on all fronts since the move.
Elm Parkers are a part of history.

[stealthpapes]

I've now finished my Elm Park Years Blog. You can view it in its entirety here:
http://elmparkyears.tumblr.com/

If you're more interested in reading about Reading at Elm Park the written bits are also here:
http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-elm-park-years-part-1-soccer-as.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-elm-park-years-part-2-branfoot-out.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-elm-park-years-part-3-ian.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-elm-park-years-part-4-wheres-our.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-5-royal-exile.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-6-it-was-245.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-elm-park-years-part-7-mark-mcghee.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-elm-park-years-part-8-in-sight-of.html

http://educatedleftfoot.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-elm-park-years-part-9-so-long-its.html

thanks for your kind comments further up this thread. I've enjoyed my trip down memory lane. Elm Park was a really special place to watch football and the team from 93-95 in particular was great to watch. Feel privileged that I was able to catch the end of "old football" before Sky took over.

Enjoying this and Spacey gets a SPOTTED!

[SWLR]

[quote=
URBAN MYTH ALERT ON: Yes the Elm Park atmosphere was miles better: - URBAN MYTH ALERT OFF, but we have progressed so much on all fronts since the move.Elm Parkers are a part of history: THIS.[/quote]
HTH

[Franchise FC]

Of course it was better at Elm Park

Piss laden terraces, third and fourth division football (mostly)
STH before we moved, so I definitely count as part of history, but wouldn’t swap the move at all

[tmesis]

Of course it was better at Elm Park

I loved the place, but It was only better on the southbank, and usually only half it. The atmosphere wasn't anything special in the rest of the ground.

A half empty Madejski seems a lot more empty than a half-empty Elm Park. There's just a sterility about all-seater grounds.

It's not just the stadium though. It's the way fans are now. Nothing sums up the failure of the modern "matchday experience" than a PA guy trying to get the crowd to make noise before kick-off. It used to be the noisiest time of the game, other than just after a goal.

[Stranded]

Probably the best place for this - stylised Elm Park Posters available on the below site - look pretty nice to me:

https://www.matthewjiwood.com/shop/elm-park

[Jinx]

Of course it was better at Elm Park

I loved the place, but It was only better on the southbank, and usually only half it. The atmosphere wasn't anything special in the rest of the ground.

A half empty Madejski seems a lot more empty than a half-empty Elm Park. There's just a sterility about all-seater grounds.

It's not just the stadium though. It's the way fans are now. Nothing sums up the failure of the modern "matchday experience" than a PA guy trying to get the crowd to make noise before kick-off. It used to be the noisiest time of the game, other than just after a goal.

And then following it up with a piece of deadbeat dross like Sweet Caroline

[paultheroyal]

Never forget my first game - Reading vs Rochdale - 1981 - walked into the south bank stand with my dad with a home made stool so i could watch over the wall and to this day remember clearly just being wowed by the lush green grass and awesomeness of the stadium. Rest is history.

I went to school with Ian Branfoot's daughter, i got to spend a day with the club linked to a school project. Ian Branfoot picked me up in his car in Tadley and took me to Elm Park. Again another experience i will never forget. Never be able to do that today. Incredibly back then they were training on the tarmac surface behind the stand because they were not allowed on pitch as it was raining. Incredible really when that was in the 80s and not that far back. I got to know Trevor Senior quite well because he lived about 100 yards from my house in Tadley.