Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

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Mid Sussex Royal
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Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Mid Sussex Royal » 23 May 2026 11:47

One for older fans....this game was on Big Match revisited this morning and is available on catch up for the next week on ITV 4.

Arsenal's full 1971 double winning side played (Charlie George, Frank McClintock etc) no resting players back then; we were robbed too, their goals were an own goal and shot with a big deflection.

Mods please move if on wrong board.

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Ark Royal
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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Ark Royal » 23 May 2026 12:10

Memorable. I stayed at my nan's house just around the corner in Rutland Road when tickets went on sale at the club. Got up at 3:00 am to queue and there were still people ahead of me. By the time I got my ticket, the line was up Suffolk Road, Tilehurst Road, Waverley Road, Wantage Road, and touching Norfolk Road. The club had also issued vouchers at the league game against Barrow two week before, which accounted for the unusually large crowd of 11,689.

Was at the back of a very crammed Town End and had a great view of Barry Wagstaff's equalizer. I had a photo of that goal on my wall for years after. The crowd of 25,756 was the largest Elm Park crowd I was ever in. Sill gutted that we somehow contrived to lose the game. Definitely deserved at least a replay.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Millsy » 23 May 2026 12:28

Awesome for us younger Royals to read, thank you.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by windermereROYAL » 23 May 2026 12:38

That pitch, real old school game that. 54 years ago.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Mid Sussex Royal » 23 May 2026 13:58

Ark Royal wrote: 23 May 2026 12:10 Memorable. I stayed at my nan's house just around the corner in Rutland Road when tickets went on sale at the club. Got up at 3:00 am to queue and there were still people ahead of me. By the time I got my ticket, the line was up Suffolk Road, Tilehurst Road, Waverley Road, Wantage Road, and touching Norfolk Road. The club had also issued vouchers at the league game against Barrow two week before, which accounted for the unusually large crowd of 11,689.

Was at the back of a very crammed Town End and had a great view of Barry Wagstaff's equalizer. I had a photo of that goal on my wall for years after. The crowd of 25,756 was the largest Elm Park crowd I was ever in. Sill gutted that we somehow contrived to lose the game. Definitely deserved at least a replay.
I went with my brother to the Barrow game to get a voucher, but then my dad went as they decided I was too young for the size of crowd anticipated.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by themwasthedays » 23 May 2026 15:17

I'd completely forgotten about having to go to the Barrow game to get a voucher. I was only 19 at the time, and it was absolutely heaving in the South Bank. Goodness only knows how we lost. It was a deflected shot (off John Hurley) by Pat Rice a few minutes from the end which beat us, and not only that but I think their other goal was an OG by Stuart Morgan. Lucky, lucky Arsnull. In the first half we matched them & Gordon Cumming was brilliant (as was Les Chappell). You don't get an atmosphere better than a full South Bank!!!

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Jackson Corner » 23 May 2026 16:03

Whilst l didn’t go to this game they did the voucher trick a few years later when we played Southampton in the league cup at Elm park. I think it was York for the voucher?

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Jackson Corner » 23 May 2026 16:25

You can watch it on ITVx just put big match revisited into search. We gave them a good game very unlucky.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Mid Sussex Royal » 23 May 2026 16:39

Jackson Corner wrote: 23 May 2026 16:03 Whilst l didn’t go to this game they did the voucher trick a few years later when we played Southampton in the league cup at Elm park. I think it was York for the voucher?
Yep - well remembered - pretty sure it was York. Southampton I think was the last 20k plus gate at Elm Park. After the Bradford fire and Hillsborough all the ground capacities were reduced, particularly for grounds with old wooden stands.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Beaulux » 23 May 2026 17:11

I was at the Southampton match. 25 000 iirc.

Even though Kevin Keegan was a no-show. That annoyed a lot of people.

Nil nil btw.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by MR. CYNICAL » 23 May 2026 18:45

Ark Royal wrote: 23 May 2026 12:10 Memorable. I stayed at my nan's house just around the corner in Rutland Road when tickets went on sale at the club. Got up at 3:00 am to queue and there were still people ahead of me. By the time I got my ticket, the line was up Suffolk Road, Tilehurst Road, Waverley Road, Wantage Road, and touching Norfolk Road. The club had also issued vouchers at the league game against Barrow two week before, which accounted for the unusually large crowd of 11,689.

Was at the back of a very crammed Town End and had a great view of Barry Wagstaff's equalizer. I had a photo of that goal on my wall for years after. The crowd of 25,756 was the largest Elm Park crowd I was ever in. Sill gutted that we somehow contrived to lose the game. Definitely deserved at least a replay.
[/quote
I was sat on the wall at the back of the town end, almost right behind the goal. Remember Barry Wagstaff's shot going under the bar, can't remember if I could see the goal line.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Ark Royal » 25 May 2026 12:18

Jackson Corner wrote: 23 May 2026 16:03 Whilst l didn’t go to this game they did the voucher trick a few years later when we played Southampton in the league cup at Elm park. I think it was York for the voucher?
Correct. 12,271 at the York game for vouchers. 24,046 at the Southampton game.

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Re: Reading V Arsenal 1972 cup game

by Jinx » 25 May 2026 21:24

Beaulux wrote: 23 May 2026 17:11 I was at the Southampton match. 25 000 iirc.

Even though Kevin Keegan was a no-show. That annoyed a lot of people.

Nil nil btw.
Their keeper, Terry Gennoe?, kept them at 0-0. We definitely should have won

I was a school kid then and nominally a Saints fan (family was all from Winchester and Eastleigh) but been to quite a few Reading games. That was the one that clinched it for me, became a Reading fan that night and never looked back

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