.

[Forbury Lion]

Some of you might remember that in the summer of 2007 I did a poll on here to decide Hob Nob's greatest RFC XI

I remember it had a few flaws that I disagreed with, to do with picking 2 central defenders, 2 central midfielders and 2 strikers... something like everyone voting for the best and picking the two most popular when in fact if you asked everyone to name their two best you might have gotten a different result. I suggest you go for the latter approach if a new vote is to be cast.

[Bacon Double Cheese]

I agree, cos I don't think we've ever had an Osbourne play for us.

Does it really matter how they are spelt because if you can't tell the difference between what I said and what I OBVIOUSLY meant then you shouldn't be using a computer.

Wow, you need to calm down and yes it does matter how you spell it. How would you like it if somebody misspelled your name, 1870 Roayl? Huh?

What if somebody wrote "numerials" instead of "numerals". Would that make them a complete wakner or is that a spellnig mistook?

[Berkshire Born]

Sidwell > Osborn > Parkinson

Dare I say it but Parkinson wasn't actually a great footballer.

[Ginger_Blitz]

I always cheat when picking my best Royals players as I choose a best 23 (ala FIFA world cup squad) - -

Hislop
Death
Hahnemann

Murty
Shorey
Primus
Wdowczyk
Williams
Ingimarsson
Hicks

Gilkes
Little
S Hunt
S Taylor
Gooding
Parkinson
Sidwell
Osborn

Quinn
Doyle
Friday
Forster
Senior

[Barry the bird boggler]

Does it really matter how they are spelt because if you can't tell the difference between what I said and what I OBVIOUSLY meant then you shouldn't be using a computer.

Wow, you need to calm down and yes it does matter how you spell it. How would you like it if somebody misspelled your name, 1870 Roayl? Huh?

Wouldn't life be so not worth living if it wasn't for Spacey?

[Rawlie19]

Sidwell > Osbourne

Would really love to put Doyle in there but there is no damn room!!!!

I agree, cos I don't think we've ever had an Osbourne play for us.

What a knobhead

[Gordons Cumming]

Why is Gary Heale not included in any of these lists?

[gonesy]

Does Upson qualify? Cos he dumps on any other centre back that's played for us!

[Berkshire Born]

Does Upson qualify?

Alongside Wdowczyk please.

[westongeezer]

Some of you might remember that in the summer of 2007 I did a poll on here to decide Hob Nob's greatest RFC XI. I had to look back to find the results of that, so to recap, the team looked like this:

1. Neil "Shaka" Hislop
2. Graeme Murty
3. Nick Shorey <<-- no way!
4. Dariusz Wdowcyzk
5. Adrian Williams
6. Phil Parkinson
7. Glen Little
8. Simon Osborn
9. Robin Friday
10. Trevor Senior
11. Michael Gilkes

Now, three years after the poll, would you change any of that? I doubt that any of the recent players we've had would dislodge any of those players in that XI.

[West_Reading]

Scott Taylor is one of the best players I remember seeing play for us although I was very young at the time so more impressionable.

[Ginger_Blitz]

Does Upson qualify? Cos he dumps on any other centre back that's played for us!

I don't tend to include loan players for consideration - only players that have played at least 1 season for us

[ankeny]

So no room for Readings"forgotten"player, the great Kerry Dixon,should be in anybodies top eleven

[dobcheck]

I would have Sidwell or Gooding in for Parky as he was not fit to lace their boots, i know a lot of people think otherwise and i respect that. A great servant and a 100%er but one of the best players ever to have played for Reading, not a chance.

[Ginger_Blitz]

So no room for Readings"forgotten"player, the great Kerry Dixon,should be in anybodies top eleven

No doubt he was class - Chlesea & England.He probably suffers from only playing for us in the 3rd tier whereas other strikers mentioned have succeeded for us at a higher level, (Friday was a special case.)

[Ginger_Blitz]

I would have Sidwell or Gooding in for Parky as he was not fit to lace their boots, i know a lot of people think otherwise and i respect that. A great servant and a 100%er but one of the best players ever to have played for Reading, not a chance.

So would I but of the three I think he was head & shoulders above for passion & leadership which are qualities that cannot be ignored.

[gonesy]

Does Upson qualify? Cos he dumps on any other centre back that's played for us!

I don't tend to include loan players for consideration - only players that have played at least 1 season for us

In that case I would have to argue the following, nostalgic sentiment removed and based mainly on each player's performances at the highest level of football:

Shaka
Murts
Shorey
Wdowcyzk
Ingimarsson not Williams (he was player of the season in our 1st prem campaign after all)
Sidwell not Parky
Little
Osborn (didn't do much at QPR but only contender probably Harps. Personally I think Osborn was the main man responsible (McGhee aside) for the most watchable football Reading has produced in the last 20 years, and therefore probably ever).
Doyle not Friday (sorry never saw him play so can't judge)
Dixon not Senior
Hunt not Gilkes

[ankeny]

Does Upson qualify? Cos he dumps on any other centre back that's played for us!

I don't tend to include loan players for consideration - only players that have played at least 1 season for us

In that case I would have to argue the following, nostalgic sentiment removed and based mainly on each player's performances at the highest level of football:

Shaka
Murts
Shorey
Wdowcyzk
Ingimarsson not Williams (he was player of the season in our 1st prem campaign after all)
Sidwell not Parky
Little
Osborn (didn't do much at QPR but only contender probably Harps. Personally I think Osborn was the main man responsible (McGhee aside) for the most watchable football Reading has produced in the last 20 years, and therefore probably ever).
Doyle not Friday (sorry never saw him play so can't judge)
Dixon not Senior
Hunt not Gilkes

Doyle instead of Robin Friday LOL

[gonesy]

Doyle instead of Robin Friday LOL[/quote]
LOL all you want. Unlike a lot of people on here, I'm not going to voice an opinion on a player I never saw. If you saw him play, then fine, put him in your XI, he deserves to be in there if reports are true despite the fact he never performed at the highest level.

[Jerry St Clair]

LOL all you want. Unlike a lot of people on here, I'm not going to voice an opinion on a player I never saw. If you saw him play, then fine, put him in your XI, he deserves to be in there if reports are true despite the fact he never performed at the highest level.

Which is the main flaw in this. There's bound to be a massive bias towards contemporary players.

Quite obviously, Herbert Smith, who captained Reading and won an Olympic gold medal with England, should be in there. But no-one saw him play, so he has no chance.

http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=884