Enjoying or hating the no football era?

User avatar
STAR Liaison
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1408
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 09:58

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by STAR Liaison » 25 Mar 2020 08:09

Cape Town Royal
sandman May or June is wishful thinking I'm afraid. If football by some miracle returns by that time then it will be behind closed doors.


Yes, and next year is our 150th anniversary... It will be just Reading's luck to find that football does not return to 2022!!


150th anniversary of our first game is 21 Feb 2022. All is not lost.

On the 100th we were relegated to Div 4 for the first time (1971) and finished in our lowest Div 4 position in 1972. See what you mean about our luck!

Cape Town Royal
Member
Posts: 361
Joined: 15 Feb 2012 18:29
Location: Eating ramen in Shibuya

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Cape Town Royal » 25 Mar 2020 08:34

STAR Liaison
Cape Town Royal
sandman May or June is wishful thinking I'm afraid. If football by some miracle returns by that time then it will be behind closed doors.


Yes, and next year is our 150th anniversary... It will be just Reading's luck to find that football does not return to 2022!!


150th anniversary of our first game is 21 Feb 2022. All is not lost.

On the 100th we were relegated to Div 4 for the first time (1971) and finished in our lowest Div 4 position in 1972. See what you mean about our luck!


Thanks for that, lets hope by Feb 2022 we are all healthy and we can enjoy the anniversary..

Do you know the actual day we were founded. The badge always said 1871 but have never even thought to check what day that year the club was formed. Poor supporter that I am.

User avatar
Hendo
Hob Nob Legend
Posts: 21033
Joined: 25 Mar 2012 20:53
Location: Lambs to the cosmic slaughter

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Hendo » 25 Mar 2020 08:36

Cape Town Royal
STAR Liaison
Cape Town Royal
Yes, and next year is our 150th anniversary... It will be just Reading's luck to find that football does not return to 2022!!


150th anniversary of our first game is 21 Feb 2022. All is not lost.

On the 100th we were relegated to Div 4 for the first time (1971) and finished in our lowest Div 4 position in 1972. See what you mean about our luck!


Thanks for that, lets hope by Feb 2022 we are all healthy and we can enjoy the anniversary..

Do you know the actual day we were founded. The badge always said 1871 but have never even thought to check what day that year the club was formed. Poor supporter that I am.


Christmas Day, 1871.

User avatar
STAR Liaison
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1408
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 09:58

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by STAR Liaison » 25 Mar 2020 09:28

Hendo
Cape Town Royal
STAR Liaison
150th anniversary of our first game is 21 Feb 2022. All is not lost.

On the 100th we were relegated to Div 4 for the first time (1971) and finished in our lowest Div 4 position in 1972. See what you mean about our luck!


Thanks for that, lets hope by Feb 2022 we are all healthy and we can enjoy the anniversary..

Do you know the actual day we were founded. The badge always said 1871 but have never even thought to check what day that year the club was formed. Poor supporter that I am.


Christmas Day, 1871.


This is an internet myth as far as we know. There is no contemporary evidence of a foundation date or meeting. Extremely unlikely it would have been before Nov 1871.

User avatar
Hendo
Hob Nob Legend
Posts: 21033
Joined: 25 Mar 2012 20:53
Location: Lambs to the cosmic slaughter

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Hendo » 25 Mar 2020 09:31

STAR Liaison
Hendo
Cape Town Royal
Thanks for that, lets hope by Feb 2022 we are all healthy and we can enjoy the anniversary..

Do you know the actual day we were founded. The badge always said 1871 but have never even thought to check what day that year the club was formed. Poor supporter that I am.


Christmas Day, 1871.


This is an internet myth as far as we know. There is no contemporary evidence of a foundation date or meeting. Extremely unlikely it would have been before Nov 1871.


But as internet myths go, its a good one :wink:


Millsy
Hob Nob Super-Addict
Posts: 10022
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 18:36
Location: Running from The Left

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Millsy » 25 Mar 2020 09:54

STAR Liaison
Hendo
Cape Town Royal
Thanks for that, lets hope by Feb 2022 we are all healthy and we can enjoy the anniversary..

Do you know the actual day we were founded. The badge always said 1871 but have never even thought to check what day that year the club was formed. Poor supporter that I am.


Christmas Day, 1871.


This is an internet myth as far as we know. There is no contemporary evidence of a foundation date or meeting. Extremely unlikely it would have been before Nov 1871.


Not before November? It definitely can't be Xmas Day then.

User avatar
STAR Liaison
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1408
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 09:58

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by STAR Liaison » 25 Mar 2020 11:56

2 world wars, 1 world cup
STAR Liaison
Hendo
Christmas Day, 1871.


This is an internet myth as far as we know. There is no contemporary evidence of a foundation date or meeting. Extremely unlikely it would have been before Nov 1871.


Not before November? It definitely can't be Xmas Day then.


Eh? There was interest in setting up football clubs locally in Nov / Dec 1871 - because the FA Cup had just started with Marlow and Maidenhead competing. Henley were formed about this time. It's theoretically possible that Reading could have been formed on 25 Dec 1871 but there's no evidence to support this and it seems very unlikely that a religious holiday would have been interrupted to do this.

Millsy
Hob Nob Super-Addict
Posts: 10022
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 18:36
Location: Running from The Left

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Millsy » 25 Mar 2020 11:58

STAR Liaison
2 world wars, 1 world cup
STAR Liaison
This is an internet myth as far as we know. There is no contemporary evidence of a foundation date or meeting. Extremely unlikely it would have been before Nov 1871.


Not before November? It definitely can't be Xmas Day then.


Eh? There was interest in setting up football clubs locally in Nov / Dec 1871 - because the FA Cup had just started with Marlow and Maidenhead competing. Henley were formed about this time. It's theoretically possible that Reading could have been formed on 25 Dec 1871 but there's no evidence to support this and it seems very unlikely that a religious holiday would have been interrupted to do this.


I agree mate I was just playing around, pretending your not-before-November was an argument for why it couldn't have been Xmas day.

Noone plays football on Xmas day unless you're in the trenches.

User avatar
STAR Liaison
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1408
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 09:58

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by STAR Liaison » 25 Mar 2020 12:08

2 world wars, 1 world cup
STAR Liaison
2 world wars, 1 world cup
Not before November? It definitely can't be Xmas Day then.


Eh? There was interest in setting up football clubs locally in Nov / Dec 1871 - because the FA Cup had just started with Marlow and Maidenhead competing. Henley were formed about this time. It's theoretically possible that Reading could have been formed on 25 Dec 1871 but there's no evidence to support this and it seems very unlikely that a religious holiday would have been interrupted to do this.


I agree mate I was just playing around, pretending your not-before-November was an argument for why it couldn't have been Xmas day.

Noone plays football on Xmas day unless you're in the trenches.


25 December 1957 - Bournemouth 4 Reading 1 - our last Xmas Day match. Did 'em 2-0 in the return the next day.


Millsy
Hob Nob Super-Addict
Posts: 10022
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 18:36
Location: Running from The Left

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Millsy » 25 Mar 2020 12:11

STAR Liaison
2 world wars, 1 world cup
STAR Liaison
Eh? There was interest in setting up football clubs locally in Nov / Dec 1871 - because the FA Cup had just started with Marlow and Maidenhead competing. Henley were formed about this time. It's theoretically possible that Reading could have been formed on 25 Dec 1871 but there's no evidence to support this and it seems very unlikely that a religious holiday would have been interrupted to do this.


I agree mate I was just playing around, pretending your not-before-November was an argument for why it couldn't have been Xmas day.

Noone plays football on Xmas day unless you're in the trenches.


25 December 1957 - Bournemouth 4 Reading 1 - our last Xmas Day match. Did 'em 2-0 in the return the next day.


Wait, what.. back to back days?

User avatar
STAR Liaison
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1408
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 09:58

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by STAR Liaison » 25 Mar 2020 12:25

2 world wars, 1 world cup
STAR Liaison
2 world wars, 1 world cup
I agree mate I was just playing around, pretending your not-before-November was an argument for why it couldn't have been Xmas day.

Noone plays football on Xmas day unless you're in the trenches.


25 December 1957 - Bournemouth 4 Reading 1 - our last Xmas Day match. Did 'em 2-0 in the return the next day.


Wait, what.. back to back days?


Yeah. Would send Pep and Klopp mental. No friggin mercy. 1927 Blackpool home and away, 1929 Bradford City home and away, on successive days. Just imagine the travel on Christmas Day evening or Boxing Day morning or whatever they did.

Millsy
Hob Nob Super-Addict
Posts: 10022
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 18:36
Location: Running from The Left

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Millsy » 25 Mar 2020 13:55

STAR Liaison
2 world wars, 1 world cup
STAR Liaison
25 December 1957 - Bournemouth 4 Reading 1 - our last Xmas Day match. Did 'em 2-0 in the return the next day.


Wait, what.. back to back days?


Yeah. Would send Pep and Klopp mental. No friggin mercy. 1927 Blackpool home and away, 1929 Bradford City home and away, on successive days. Just imagine the travel on Christmas Day evening or Boxing Day morning or whatever they did.


Bloody hell. :shock:

I mean, it's not like they had less days in a year back then.. why on earth would they do stuff like that??

Cape Town Royal
Member
Posts: 361
Joined: 15 Feb 2012 18:29
Location: Eating ramen in Shibuya

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Cape Town Royal » 25 Mar 2020 15:16

2 world wars, 1 world cup
STAR Liaison
2 world wars, 1 world cup
Wait, what.. back to back days?


Yeah. Would send Pep and Klopp mental. No friggin mercy. 1927 Blackpool home and away, 1929 Bradford City home and away, on successive days. Just imagine the travel on Christmas Day evening or Boxing Day morning or whatever they did.


Bloody hell. :shock:

I mean, it's not like they had less days in a year back then.. why on earth would they do stuff like that??


Amazing where a thread goes this is really interesting... My dad told me we used to often play Wednesday afternoons and he used to bunk in after half time... This was circa late 40's / early 50's so how many years did we play midweek afternoon games?


The Royal Forester
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1465
Joined: 25 Dec 2015 13:53

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by The Royal Forester » 25 Mar 2020 15:18

Because, as a lot of workers went to work most Saturdays, the attendance figures went up on a Bank Holiday. Believe it, or not, I can remember going to Christmas Day and Boxing Day matches. One that I remember is Exeter City {Home on Christmas Day), the two games were always against the same opposition, so any "handbags" by the players was always fresh in their minds, the next day. I should think these back to back games ended around the late 1950's/early 1960's. Anyone know when we played our last Christmas Day match, or when we played two games in two days as some years they were played on Saturday and Monday, as playing on a Sunday was not allowed? Also, don't forget, transport did not shut up shop in those days. It may well have been around the same time that travel got harder and those matches finished.

The Royal Forester
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1465
Joined: 25 Dec 2015 13:53

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by The Royal Forester » 25 Mar 2020 15:28

Cape Town Royal
2 world wars, 1 world cup
STAR Liaison
Yeah. Would send Pep and Klopp mental. No friggin mercy. 1927 Blackpool home and away, 1929 Bradford City home and away, on successive days. Just imagine the travel on Christmas Day evening or Boxing Day morning or whatever they did.


Bloody hell. :shock:

I mean, it's not like they had less days in a year back then.. why on earth would they do stuff like that??


Amazing where a thread goes this is really interesting... My dad told me we used to often play Wednesday afternoons and he used to bunk in after half time... This was circa late 40's / early 50's so how many years did we play midweek afternoon games?

Ain't you heard of "Half Day Closing"? Just in case you are too young to know what I am on about, on Wednesdays all the shops in Reading shut at 1pm, so the shop workers were able to go "footie" then, but worked on a Saturday all day. Most towns the shops shut on a Wednesday, but some towns choose Thursday

Cape Town Royal
Member
Posts: 361
Joined: 15 Feb 2012 18:29
Location: Eating ramen in Shibuya

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Cape Town Royal » 25 Mar 2020 15:56

The Royal Forester
Cape Town Royal
2 world wars, 1 world cup
Bloody hell. :shock:

I mean, it's not like they had less days in a year back then.. why on earth would they do stuff like that??


Amazing where a thread goes this is really interesting... My dad told me we used to often play Wednesday afternoons and he used to bunk in after half time... This was circa late 40's / early 50's so how many years did we play midweek afternoon games?

Ain't you heard of "Half Day Closing"? Just in case you are too young to know what I am on about, on Wednesdays all the shops in Reading shut at 1pm, so the shop workers were able to go "footie" then, but worked on a Saturday all day. Most towns the shops shut on a Wednesday, but some towns choose Thursday


Sadly I am old enough to remember the half day closing on a Wednesday but never connected it with the reason we played on a Wednesday. However it makes total sense.. To be honest I always thought it was to do with a lack of floodlights.

Millsy
Hob Nob Super-Addict
Posts: 10022
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 18:36
Location: Running from The Left

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Millsy » 25 Mar 2020 16:51

Wow thanks guys.

It's great to have you more experienced folk here teaching us (or me!) a thing or two about how things used to be.

Fascinating stuff.

User avatar
STAR Liaison
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1408
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 09:58

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by STAR Liaison » 25 Mar 2020 17:23

BANK HOLIDAYS - very important - especially Boxing Day - tradition of Boxing Day football goes back to the 1880s. Easter was also important and by the 1890s Reading were playing Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday. Because these were Bank Holidays clubs could get bigger gates. Our last Christmas Day match was in 1957 - mentioned above.

THREE GAMES IN FOUR DAYS OVER EASTER - this was regular for many years. Not sure when it stopped but can remember doing three in four days in 1979 as we went for promotion - part of Steve Death's 1103 mins without conceding.

KICK -OFF TIMES / FLOODLIGHTS - Pre-floodlights kick-off times were adapted (obvs) to suit hours of daylight so midwinter Saturday games KO at 2.15pm - a lot of people (men) worked on Saturday mornings until 1pm. Evening KO's were at 6.15pm for matches in Aug / Sept and April/May. Many people finished work at 5pm. As someone said it was Early Closing Day on Wednesdays so that did allow some workers to see midweek 2.15pm KOs. Originally (ie 1870s) Reading played on Wednesdays rather than Saturdays and later there was a Wednesday League in Reading. I've got a lot of this from "The Lost Years of Reading FC."

And - this is a bit OK Boomer - in the early 1980s (not 1890s!) my firm played 11-a-side, 90 minutes fairly regularly DURING THE WORKING DAY! - and came back sweaty for an afternoon's work. At least we didn't go to the pub after the game.

Millsy
Hob Nob Super-Addict
Posts: 10022
Joined: 16 Jul 2004 18:36
Location: Running from The Left

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by Millsy » 26 Mar 2020 15:38

Blimey.

Did you wear shinpads?

User avatar
STAR Liaison
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1408
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 09:58

Re: Enjoying or hating the no football era?

by STAR Liaison » 26 Mar 2020 17:45

2 world wars, 1 world cup Blimey.

Did you wear shinpads?


Only in the office. :wink:

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Greatwesternline, Hove Royal, Jammy Dodger, Royals and Racers, WestYorksRoyal and 365 guests

It is currently 28 Mar 2024 15:30