MATCHWATCH : Fleetwood Town (h)

[Sutekh]

Our lowest ever Saturday attendance. Stagnation of the Dai era .

3,685

[windermereROYAL]

The place must have been rocking.

[Royalwaster]

Good result with such a young team - average age must have been close to 21 (except Button).

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Fiasco getting in - some people were still in the queue 7 or 8 minutes after the kick off.

Overall a pretty decent game. Only the pre-season friendly atmosphere was disappointing but hardly unexpected. Anyone calling it the worst game ever was obviously not at the seemingly never ending sequence of games against Walsall in the early noughties.

Elliott impressive throughout, Campbell blows hot and cold. Ahmed and Spencer did not look out of place. And Bindon, captain at 19. That tells you a lot about him, and about Reading as a club.

Always liked Adams when he was with us. Fleetwood were far from hopeless, Button had to make a few really good saves. I wish them and Adams well.

(As an aside, last week I had two lads that looked (and sounded) around 12 to 13 sat behind me. They chatted throughout, were really knowledgable, interpreted the game really well; it was a real pleasure listening to them. Today I was sat surrounded by some of the most ignorant 60 and 70- years olds I've ever had the misfortune to have to put up with. They got everything wrong, all of the time. It was painful. I will be glad to be back in my usually seat for the next home game.)

[Clyde1998]

Our lowest ever Saturday attendance. Stagnation of the Dai era .

3,685

Fairly certain that’s a Mad Stad record. IIRC, there were a few at Elm Park that were lower (but may have been midweek). I’ll check my figures either when I get home or tomorrow.

93 away fans can’t be too far from the lowest away following at the Mad Stad either.

[Sutekh]

Our lowest ever Saturday attendance. Stagnation of the Dai era .

3,685

Fairly certain that’s a Mad Stad record. IIRC, there were a few at Elm Park that were lower (but may have been midweek). I’ll check my figures either when I get home or tomorrow.

93 away fans can’t be too far from the lowest away following at the Mad Stad either.

Lowest for Elm Park for a 1st team game in a senior competition I think was around 1830 in the league v Preston.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Our lowest ever Saturday attendance. Stagnation of the Dai era .

3,685

Fairly certain that’s a Mad Stad record. IIRC, there were a few at Elm Park that were lower (but may have been midweek). I’ll check my figures either when I get home or tomorrow.

93 away fans can’t be too far from the lowest away following at the Mad Stad either.

1561 v Leyton Orient 1st round Auto Windscreens Shield December 1999 (think Nicky Shorey started for them)

[tidus_mi2]

Swindon in the next round would be the best draw maybe?

[Hound]

Pretty happy to get through, esp considering the side.

It’s tough at the moment to have much interest in the cup - even if we got to the third round and a big name any money will probably drift out the club again

[tmesis]

3,685

Fairly certain that’s a Mad Stad record. IIRC, there were a few at Elm Park that were lower (but may have been midweek). I’ll check my figures either when I get home or tomorrow.

93 away fans can’t be too far from the lowest away following at the Mad Stad either.

Lowest for Elm Park for a 1st team game in a senior competition I think was around 1830 in the league v Preston.

1713, 82/83

We averaged only 3459 that season.

We probably had league crowds lower than that at Elm Park over 100 times.

[Crowbar6753]

Swindon in the next round would be the best draw maybe?

Yep, Swinedon away would be fun and would generate some interest and policing bills failing that maybe Bromley away as something different!! Looks to be a real old fashioned ground and is fairly local and of course we would get beat again a la Eastleigh

[JR]

Had Bindon to score first and 2-0 at 600/1 - very happy days

[Pepe the Horseman]

Had Bindon to score first and 2-0 at 600/1 - very happy days

Nice

[grey_squirrel]

Fairly certain that’s a Mad Stad record. IIRC, there were a few at Elm Park that were lower (but may have been midweek). I’ll check my figures either when I get home or tomorrow.

93 away fans can’t be too far from the lowest away following at the Mad Stad either.

Lowest for Elm Park for a 1st team game in a senior competition I think was around 1830 in the league v Preston.

1713, 82/83

We averaged only 3459 that season.

We probably had league crowds lower than that at Elm Park over 100 times.

I was (sadly) there at the Preston game. It was gitting it down with rain. The Tilehurst and Town End were completely empty and typically for once in a blue moon the Southern TV (TVS?) cameras were there capturing a 3-2 home defeat, Kerry Dixon scored at least one of them.

I remember thinking things couldn’t get any worse than that and yet here we are (on a day when Bournemouth easily dink Man City in the Premier)…….God!

[South Coast Royal]

Fiasco getting in - some people were still in the queue 7 or 8 minutes after the kick off.

Overall a pretty decent game. Only the pre-season friendly atmosphere was disappointing but hardly unexpected. Anyone calling it the worst game ever was obviously not at the seemingly never ending sequence of games against Walsall in the early noughties.

Elliott impressive throughout, Campbell blows hot and cold. Ahmed and Spencer did not look out of place. And Bindon, captain at 19. That tells you a lot about him, and about Reading as a club.

Always liked Adams when he was with us. Fleetwood were far from hopeless, Button had to make a few really good saves. I wish them and Adams well.

(As an aside, last week I had two lads that looked (and sounded) around 12 to 13 sat behind me. They chatted throughout, were really knowledgable, interpreted the game really well; it was a real pleasure listening to them. Today I was sat surrounded by some of the most ignorant 60 and 70- years olds I've ever had the misfortune to have to put up with. They got everything wrong, all of the time. It was painful. I will be glad to be back in my usually seat for the next home game.)

Pretty much agree with your comments on 4 of the players.
I liked the aggression of Ahmed (is he a centre-back, he is certainly big for a full-back?)
Spencer looked calm and assured on the ball.

As for Akande, Camara and Rusheda based on yesterday and other games none really look to be first team standard to me-in fairness to Rusheda he was out of place playing on the left and he doesn't look like somebody who knows how to play at full-back.

Elliott ran the game and both he and Bindon stood out, as you might expect.
As for Wareham I'm not convinced.

Really glad that I made the effort to go (dull first half, much better 2nd at it could have been about 6-4)even if being shunted into Y23 it almost felt like an away game when, apart from one venture to the East Stand, I have only ever sat in my seat in Y21 for the past 24 years.

Roll on the draw tonight.

BTW , thinking of players being rested is that now 13 league games in about 13 weeks and after this coming Saturday there is yet another international break?
That is surely not that taxing for the first team players who generally don't play in League Cup, Bristol Street or now FA Cup games and not many will have played every single game.

[morganb]

Interesting comment about Wareham - in the 5 games this season where he's played 60+ minutes he has 2 goals (and made the own goal yesterday). On the highlights he even followed in Rushesha's shot where others would probably have just stood and watched.

A bit like Campbell I guess as nobody has been particularly convinced by him but his goal stats are quite good.

[RoyalBlue]

Fairly certain that’s a Mad Stad record. IIRC, there were a few at Elm Park that were lower (but may have been midweek). I’ll check my figures either when I get home or tomorrow.

93 away fans can’t be too far from the lowest away following at the Mad Stad either.

Lowest for Elm Park for a 1st team game in a senior competition I think was around 1830 in the league v Preston.

1713, 82/83

We averaged only 3459 that season.

We probably had league crowds lower than that at Elm Park over 100 times.

Indeed. I loved Elm Park but I think people's memories regarding attendances may have become favourably coloured with the passage of time.

Thank god we built up a much larger/stronger fan base during our halcyon days under Sir Steve and Brian. We would probably have been doomed had we entered the Dai days with a fanbase averaging the mid 3Ks.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Had Bindon to score first and 2-0 at 600/1 - very happy days

How much did you stake m9?

[stealthpapes]

Interesting comment about Wareham - in the 5 games this season where he's played 60+ minutes he has 2 goals (and made the own goal yesterday). On the highlights he even followed in Rushesha's shot where others would probably have just stood and watched.

A bit like Campbell I guess as nobody has been particularly convinced by him but his goal stats are quite good.

When he comes on as a sub, he doesn't seem to get all that involved. Has looked sharper this season.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Lowest for Elm Park for a 1st team game in a senior competition I think was around 1830 in the league v Preston.

1713, 82/83

We averaged only 3459 that season.

We probably had league crowds lower than that at Elm Park over 100 times.

I was (sadly) there at the Preston game. It was gitting it down with rain. The Tilehurst and Town End were completely empty and typically for once in a blue moon the Southern TV (TVS?) cameras were there capturing a 3-2 home defeat, Kerry Dixon scored at least one of them.

I remember thinking things couldn’t get any worse than that and yet here we are (on a day when Bournemouth easily dink Man City in the Premier)…….God!

I was there too, in the south bank. I remember banners behind the Tilehurst End protesting against the then chairman Frank Waller, and in a parallel with today, Waller put the club up for sale the following week.

I'm pretty sure we were 2-0 up in the game and my memory is Dixon scoring both goals.....I've seen highlights somewhere of the game as it was on TV as above.