Dave Kitson > Shane Long > Kevin Doyle

[Snowflake Royal]

That move ruined Kits.

Yeah, although maybe not unexpected?

I bumped into him on a matchday Saturday in the Arndale, maybe 2009ish, and he seemed absolutely broken.

Just looked at the season, as far as I can see, beat Birmingham last day of the season and we would have gone up? I was away on holiday and thought we had no chance, but the GD is massively in our favour.

Shane Long was great when he burst through, took a few seasons to find his way - being a starting centre forward came too soon for him - then had an insane season before moving on. At his best, untouchable.

Outside of this, Jimmy Quinn defines talismanic, Lovell and Nogan remind me of halcyon days, Nicky Forster used to hold one-man goal of the season competitions, Adam Le Fondre had a particular set of skills and Sam Smith in the second stint lead the line properly.

Part of Shane's strength was just how touchable he was when it came to penalties

[nailseabiscuitman]

I'm always surprised Kerry Dixon gets so few mentions in discussions like these considering his scoring record both with us and Chelsea. I think he is something like their third record goalscorer and of course went to the World Cup with England

[Emmer Green Royal]

Dave Kitson > Kevin Doyle > Shane Long while they were with us. Long improved later in his career.

With Lita, that was a magical group.

[AthleticoSpizz]

As Hiram K Rickenbacker (sic) might say…I agree

Dave Kitson, the striker for all positions

[Jack Celliers]

Long > Kitson > Doyle: based on how sad I was when they left.

Senior and Friday eclipse them all, although things were different in the 70s and 80s.

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Kitson, all the way.

He was at the Caversham Trents end of season BBQ last year plugging something or other but was more than happy to chat to all the excited Dads and to the kids who had no idea who he was.

My other abiding and first memory of Kits is him giving the travelling Reading fans a sneaky middle finger behind his back when playing for Cambridge. We had gone 2-0 down and came back to draw 2-2 and it got a bit niggly - happy days.

[JedMaxwell]

Kitson, all the way.

He was at the Caversham Trents end of season BBQ last year plugging something or other but was more than happy to chat to all the excited Dads and to the kids who had no idea who he was.

My other abiding and first memory of Kits is him giving the travelling Reading fans a sneaky middle finger behind his back when playing for Cambridge. We had gone 2-0 down and came back to draw 2-2 and it got a bit niggly - happy days.

I remember going to that game and it was one of the first times I'd heard my dad swear, which scandalised me more than the middle finger.

[Scutterbucketz]

I saw Kits at the top shops on CPV a couple of weeks back. I wanted to go and say hello but he was with his kids, so I decided not to bother him. My favourite ever Reading player and the best striker I’ve seen at the club. Or perhaps Jimmy Quinn, but I never watched him at the top level.