Football History and the Passage of Time

[Sebastian the Red]

I started supporting the club in the mid 90s, when I was about 10 years old.

I remember at that time hearing people talk about the Simod Cup, how it was such an important part of the club’s history etc. To a 10 year old, 8 years before felt impossibly long ago. Like a different generation, a different lifetime. An entirely different world. It really felt like those supporters were living in the past, that the recent devastation in the play off final wiped all of that away, and that it was a little weird to focus on history (which seemed like ages ago) to justify that we were a “proper club”.

And then I realised that it’s actually been a decade since the club was last in the Prem. I tell my own kids about the glory days of the 05-06 season and the results after that. About Coppell and McDermott. About cup runs. About the highs and lows, and yet excitement, of supporting the team at that time.

And it was twice as long ago as the Simod Cup win was when I first started following the club.

I’m not entirely sure of what I’m trying to get at. It’s a general feeling of ennui, of detachment from what has gone before while still trying to regain those days. I am now one of those dull middle aged men that bored me 30 years ago. In the end it’s just all a pointless distraction from the drudgery of our own self-loathing and the hatred of our daily lives, isn’t it? And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

[NathStPaul]

Cool story bro.

[Winston Biscuit]

I frequently catch myself talking about old football or music to jnr or her mates with an enthusiasm to suggest they should check it out, and I remember how i sound just how my dad did when I was a youngster and I had no interested in watching/listening to his old timey stuff

[Snowflake Royal]

I started supporting the club in the mid 90s, when I was about 10 years old.

I remember at that time hearing people talk about the Simod Cup, how it was such an important part of the club’s history etc. To a 10 year old, 8 years before felt impossibly long ago. Like a different generation, a different lifetime. An entirely different world. It really felt like those supporters were living in the past, that the recent devastation in the play off final wiped all of that away, and that it was a little weird to focus on history (which seemed like ages ago) to justify that we were a “proper club”.

And then I realised that it’s actually been a decade since the club was last in the Prem. I tell my own kids about the glory days of the 05-06 season and the results after that. About Coppell and McDermott. About cup runs. About the highs and lows, and yet excitement, of supporting the team at that time.

And it was twice as long ago as the Simod Cup win was when I first started following the club.

I’m not entirely sure of what I’m trying to get at. It’s a general feeling of ennui, of detachment from what has gone before while still trying to regain those days. I am now one of those dull middle aged men that bored me 30 years ago. In the end it’s just all a pointless distraction from the drudgery of our own self-loathing and the hatred of our daily lives, isn’t it? And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Welcome to becoming an adult. Where 10 years ago feels like a couple of years, and everything felt better because you didn’t know better and were young and full of of life.

[Dirk Gently]

You have something.

As an old-timer, I go back to 1976 as a supporter, and still think of Reading belonging at Elm Park and the MadStad as the new ground.

I was shocking to realise recently that I only watched the team at Elm Park for 22 years - although it seemed like forever - and they've now been at the "new" ground for 3 years longer than that - a whole quarter of a century!

[Greatwesternline]

In 1994 I got a book out of the library while at my grandparents in Germany about the "legends of 1990". I said to my family, if only some of these players could still play today they'd be amazing, as opposed to shit and losing to Bulgaria in the 1994 Quarter Final.

My Grandad pointed out that a lot of the players from 1990 were still in the team which i couldnt comprehend, because 4 years ago was a lifetime ago.

Some of those players won Euro 96.

I was given a book in 1996 which had a picture of Spurs winning the FA Cup in 1991. Again i was like, that is from a different world.

Its not just young children this happens to now.

Tottenham played in the Champions League final only 4 years ago. That feels like a lifetime ago