Best Reading FC performances in your lifetime

[South Coast Royal]

Following on from the best XI topic what about the best you have seen and perhaps limit to 2 per section:

Best Attacking:

Reading 8 Southport 0 in 1970 (bear in mind we had lost 6-2 in the corresponding away fixture)
Reading 6 West Ham 0- can't remember the year but it was against Pardew's team in the Premier League.

Best Defensive;

Southampton 0 Reading 0 -Sonko's night in the pouring rain.
West Ham 0 Reading 1 -Sonko again, v Pardew again

Best team performance:

Tranmere 1 Reading 3-we showed that we would be good enough for the Premier League
Reading 4 Luton 1-brilliant show in a dreadful season against a Premier League side that 3 weeks later beat Arsenal in the League Cup final.
I did think about the Bolton play-off final but it was only great in the first half.

[Franchise FC]

Best Attacking
Reading 5 Tranmere 0
Swansea 0 Reading 6

Best Defensive
Swindon 0 Reading 0
With 16 year old Neil Webb an unused substitute and 22 corners to 0
Man Utd 0 Reading 0

Best team
Barnsley 2 Reading 3
Newspaper headline “Lambs do the slaughter”
Late in the season and Barnsley were top and we were on the way down
Reading 3 Liverpool 1

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Best attacking:

6-0 Vs West Ham H 2006 - Prem League...speaks for itself, needed the win too as had started to slide down the table a bit
4-0 Vs Blackpool A 1994 - absolutely murdered them second half and were applauded off at the end by the home fans

Best defending:

0-0 Southampton A 2005...I'll never know how we came away with a point from that.
0-0 Man Utd A 2007...first game of season, and Kitson sent off as soon as he had been subbed on

Best Team:

3-1 Tranmere A (play off first leg) 1995. Outstanding team performance against the side with the best home record that season.

3-0 Ipswich A (2005) for my money the best performance of the 106 season

[Zip]

Best attacking performance

Reading 4 Luton 1.
Luton were a quality side back then but Gilkes tore them apart and we played some really nice stuff and coasted the last twenty minutes

Reading 5 Preston 1.

Fozzy was on fire with a hat-trick and we had the luxury of subbing him.

Reading 3 Derby 1. I hadn’t seen the team play for three or four years and went to see the League Cup game under McGhee and was staggered at the classy style of play....we lost the second leg 2-0 and were knocked out on away goals

Best defensive performance

Fulham play off semi final. I thought we were terrific defensively against a free flowing side.

Best team performance

V Luton in the Simod Cup Final. It was a joy to watch that day.

[AthleticoSpizz]

New Years Day 2007

Reading 6 West Ham 0 (Curbishley’s shammers btw)

Never any better than that


I even predicted the scoreline on here pre-match ..think I predicted Gunnar to score as well (dig deepenough...you’ll find it)

[AthleticoSpizz]

and...apart from the obviouses

1987 away at Ipswich...a 1-1 draw (thanks Steve Richardson) guaranteeing our best EVER (back then) league finish.

Even left the ground (thanks to the locals ‘post-match loose-change donations’) a few quid richer than I arrived

[Richard]

Anybody able to provide more information on this match (HNA match report archives don’t go back this far)?

Wednesday 8 December 1982
Football League Group Cup Quarter Final
Reading 5-3 Watford (aet)

I’d been married less than a year and been “allowed out” to see the game. Memory is a bit hazy but I’m sure Reading were 3-1 down with about 10 minutes left and went on to win 5-3 after extra time. The back page of the Evening Post had a one word headline “SENSATIONAL!”.

[AthleticoSpizz]

No, sorry, was living. and loving in W Germany back then

My eye on the ball was very much bleared back then

Although remember a scratch RFC pre-season team playing against a VFL Osnabtuck and military garrison squad back about then tho’

[Zip]

We lived in Osnabruck when I was little. Born in Munster in a British Army Hospital. Dad was teaching in the Army and he and my mum lived their time over there in the 60’s.

I can’t remember they Watford game at all

[Franconian Royal]

Favourite performance:

Against Wigan in the play or semi final, simply because of the fight we showed that evening to get back into the game. The scenes after the penalty. I’ll never forget them.

[Royalwaster]

Reading 3: 2 Crystal Palace in the 2005/6 season - including the Lita overhead kick

And then first game in the Prem vs Middlesborough - overturning a 0:2 deficit.

[South Coast Royal]

Anybody able to provide more information on this match (HNA match report archives don’t go back this far)?

Wednesday 8 December 1982
Football League Group Cup Quarter Final
Reading 5-3 Watford (aet)

I’d been married less than a year and been “allowed out” to see the game. Memory is a bit hazy but I’m sure Reading were 3-1 down with about 10 minutes left and went on to win 5-3 after extra time. The back page of the Evening Post had a one word headline “SENSATIONAL!”.

Didn't make the game-it was just 3 weeks before I was hospitalised after dire back pain which turned out to be caused by a tumour on the spine but that's another story and it would have been the reason for missing the game.
The next game I went to was not until the following Easter.

As for the Watford game I can tell you that ex-Watford man Gary Donnellan scored a hat-trick with Kerry Dixon and Peter O'Sullivan (presumably taking a break from horse racing) scoring the other.
Apparently Watford put out a full side with their 2 goalscorers being Luther Blissett and a certain young winger called John Barnes.
The crowd was a paltry 3517 for what was a Football League Trophy game.
In the same competition we had previously beaten Oxford and Swindon but went out losing 3-1 at home to Millwall.

Oxford played a big part in that season.
As well as playing them in this Trophy we lost 0-2 both home and away in the Milk Cup ( the bigger crowd was at Oxford) and in the League we lost 0-3 at home but in May actually won away there 2-1 with an own goal and a penalty from Super Kerry Dixon and was one of only 2 games that we won away in the League all season, the other being at Brentford also 2-1.
We were relegated, lost Kerry Dixon replaced by a lumbering buy from Pompey who turned out to be even more prolific than Kerry.

The Oxford theme had continued with the farce of the failed merger but things looked up as we were promoted back into Div 3 the next season scoring 84 goals in the process with Trevor Senior scoring a hat-trick in his first home game.
That was when my son was old enough to become a regular until the pull of his favourite player Kerry Dixon gradually moved his allegiance to Chelsea where he has been a season-ticket holder for years with Reading still very much a kind of second team.
If only Kerry had stayed with us.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Anybody able to provide more information on this match (HNA match report archives don’t go back this far)?

Wednesday 8 December 1982
Football League Group Cup Quarter Final
Reading 5-3 Watford (aet)

I’d been married less than a year and been “allowed out” to see the game. Memory is a bit hazy but I’m sure Reading were 3-1 down with about 10 minutes left and went on to win 5-3 after extra time. The back page of the Evening Post had a one word headline “SENSATIONAL!”.

Didn't make the game-it was just 3 weeks before I was hospitalised after dire back pain which turned out to be caused by a tumour on the spine but that's another story and it would have been the reason for missing the game.
The next game I went to was not until the following Easter.

As for the Watford game I can tell you that ex-Watford man Gary Donnellan scored a hat-trick with Kerry Dixon and Peter O'Sullivan (presumably taking a break from horse racing) scoring the other.
Apparently Watford put out a full side with their 2 goalscorers being Luther Blissett and a certain young winger called John Barnes.
The crowd was a paltry 3517 for what was a Football League Trophy game.
In the same competition we had previously beaten Oxford and Swindon but went out losing 3-1 at home to Millwall.

Oxford played a big part in that season.
As well as playing them in this Trophy we lost 0-2 both home and away in the Milk Cup ( the bigger crowd was at Oxford) and in the League we lost 0-3 at home but in May actually won away there 2-1 with an own goal and a penalty from Super Kerry Dixon and was one of only 2 games that we won away in the League all season, the other being at Brentford also 2-1.
We were relegated, lost Kerry Dixon replaced by a lumbering buy from Pompey who turned out to be even more prolific than Kerry.

The Oxford theme had continued with the farce of the failed merger but things looked up as we were promoted back into Div 3 the next season scoring 84 goals in the process with Trevor Senior scoring a hat-trick in his first home game.
That was when my son was old enough to become a regular until the pull of his favourite player Kerry Dixon gradually moved his allegiance to Chelsea where he has been a season-ticket holder for years with Reading still very much a kind of second team.
If only Kerry had stayed with us.

Remember the Group Cup game....the attendance of 3500 was actually one of the better ones that season where on occasion the gate dipped below 2000...this was when holiganism was at its peak. Hazy memories too but I recall the John Barnes goal was a tasty half volley. And yes,. I'm sure we were 3-1 down late in the game.

I believe Peter O'Sullivan was a loanee from Brighton.

[Zip]

Anybody able to provide more information on this match (HNA match report archives don’t go back this far)?

Wednesday 8 December 1982
Football League Group Cup Quarter Final
Reading 5-3 Watford (aet)

I’d been married less than a year and been “allowed out” to see the game. Memory is a bit hazy but I’m sure Reading were 3-1 down with about 10 minutes left and went on to win 5-3 after extra time. The back page of the Evening Post had a one word headline “SENSATIONAL!”.

Didn't make the game-it was just 3 weeks before I was hospitalised after dire back pain which turned out to be caused by a tumour on the spine but that's another story and it would have been the reason for missing the game.
The next game I went to was not until the following Easter.

As for the Watford game I can tell you that ex-Watford man Gary Donnellan scored a hat-trick with Kerry Dixon and Peter O'Sullivan (presumably taking a break from horse racing) scoring the other.
Apparently Watford put out a full side with their 2 goalscorers being Luther Blissett and a certain young winger called John Barnes.
The crowd was a paltry 3517 for what was a Football League Trophy game.
In the same competition we had previously beaten Oxford and Swindon but went out losing 3-1 at home to Millwall.

Oxford played a big part in that season.
As well as playing them in this Trophy we lost 0-2 both home and away in the Milk Cup ( the bigger crowd was at Oxford) and in the League we lost 0-3 at home but in May actually won away there 2-1 with an own goal and a penalty from Super Kerry Dixon and was one of only 2 games that we won away in the League all season, the other being at Brentford also 2-1.
We were relegated, lost Kerry Dixon replaced by a lumbering buy from Pompey who turned out to be even more prolific than Kerry.

The Oxford theme had continued with the farce of the failed merger but things looked up as we were promoted back into Div 3 the next season scoring 84 goals in the process with Trevor Senior scoring a hat-trick in his first home game.
That was when my son was old enough to become a regular until the pull of his favourite player Kerry Dixon gradually moved his allegiance to Chelsea where he has been a season-ticket holder for years with Reading still very much a kind of second team.
If only Kerry had stayed with us.

That Reading win at the Manor Ground was my first live Reading game. We went down on 53 points.

[SCIAG]

Two which haven’t been mentioned:

Reading 5-1 Ipswich under Steve Clarke

Completely dominant performance thanks largely to the midfield trio of Norwood, Tshibola and Stephen Quinn. Three players who were hard working and technically gifted so just swamped the opposition both in and out of possession. Also think this was one of Anton Ferdinand’s only games for us - possibly the best defender we’ve had but also the most injury prone.

Defensively, another West Ham game comes to mind - 1-0 in the Premier League under McDermott. I think Pog scored an early goal and we promptly switched to keeping nine men behind the ball for the next hour. Pearce and Mariappa spent the whole match getting kicked by West Ham’s thugs. Then McDermott pulled off one of our midfielders and stuck on Noel Hunt, which made it even more nervy! But we made it through. Karacan was immense.

[grey_squirrel]

and...apart from the obviouses

1987 away at Ipswich...a 1-1 draw (thanks Steve Richardson) guaranteeing our best EVER (back then) league finish.

Even left the ground (thanks to the locals ‘post-match loose-change donations’) a few quid richer than I arrived

Remember it well. We were under attack the whole game and especially afterwards. We were penned (caged) in and there were hundreds of them pelting us with shrapnel from the pitch. Still, it didn't stop Mad Max on his last game for us wading through them all to applaud us at the end of the game.

[Sutekh]

Following on from the best XI topic what about the best you have seen and perhaps limit to 2 per section:

Best Attacking:

Reading 8 Southport 0 in 1970 (bear in mind we had lost 6-2 in the corresponding away fixture)
Reading 6 West Ham 0- can't remember the year but it was against Pardew's team in the Premier League.

Best Defensive;

Southampton 0 Reading 0 -Sonko's night in the pouring rain.
West Ham 0 Reading 1 -Sonko again, v Pardew again

Best team performance:

Tranmere 1 Reading 3-we showed that we would be good enough for the Premier League
Reading 4 Luton 1-brilliant show in a dreadful season against a Premier League side that 3 weeks later beat Arsenal in the League Cup final.
I did think about the Bolton play-off final but it was only great in the first half.

That Southampton game, seem to recall that they should have had a Darren Powell sent off in the first half - believe he was subsequently suspended? Also Reading could well have won it as after being battered senseless for 80 minutes Soton ran out of steam and I seem to remember 2 really good chances to nick all three points late on.

[Zip]

Following on from the best XI topic what about the best you have seen and perhaps limit to 2 per section:

Best Attacking:

Reading 8 Southport 0 in 1970 (bear in mind we had lost 6-2 in the corresponding away fixture)
Reading 6 West Ham 0- can't remember the year but it was against Pardew's team in the Premier League.

Best Defensive;

Southampton 0 Reading 0 -Sonko's night in the pouring rain.
West Ham 0 Reading 1 -Sonko again, v Pardew again

Best team performance:

Tranmere 1 Reading 3-we showed that we would be good enough for the Premier League
Reading 4 Luton 1-brilliant show in a dreadful season against a Premier League side that 3 weeks later beat Arsenal in the League Cup final.
I did think about the Bolton play-off final but it was only great in the first half.

Victor you daft old codger Curbishley was in charge of the Sham when we beat them 6-0.

[South Coast Royal]

Following on from the best XI topic what about the best you have seen and perhaps limit to 2 per section:

Best Attacking:

Reading 8 Southport 0 in 1970 (bear in mind we had lost 6-2 in the corresponding away fixture)
Reading 6 West Ham 0- can't remember the year but it was against Pardew's team in the Premier League.

Best Defensive;

Southampton 0 Reading 0 -Sonko's night in the pouring rain.
West Ham 0 Reading 1 -Sonko again, v Pardew again

Best team performance:

Tranmere 1 Reading 3-we showed that we would be good enough for the Premier League
Reading 4 Luton 1-brilliant show in a dreadful season against a Premier League side that 3 weeks later beat Arsenal in the League Cup final.
I did think about the Bolton play-off final but it was only great in the first half.

Victor you daft old codger Curbishley was in charge of the Sham when we beat them 6-0.

As pointed out earlier by your regular quiz conqueror.

Pardew was definitely the manager at West Ham when we won 1-0.
The arrogant tosser IIRC left both Mascherano and Tevez out of the starting line-up which kinda helped.

[SCIAG]

Following on from the best XI topic what about the best you have seen and perhaps limit to 2 per section:

Best Attacking:

Reading 8 Southport 0 in 1970 (bear in mind we had lost 6-2 in the corresponding away fixture)
Reading 6 West Ham 0- can't remember the year but it was against Pardew's team in the Premier League.

Best Defensive;

Southampton 0 Reading 0 -Sonko's night in the pouring rain.
West Ham 0 Reading 1 -Sonko again, v Pardew again

Best team performance:

Tranmere 1 Reading 3-we showed that we would be good enough for the Premier League
Reading 4 Luton 1-brilliant show in a dreadful season against a Premier League side that 3 weeks later beat Arsenal in the League Cup final.
I did think about the Bolton play-off final but it was only great in the first half.

Victor you daft old codger Curbishley was in charge of the Sham when we beat them 6-0.

As pointed out earlier by your regular quiz conqueror.

Pardew was definitely the manager at West Ham when we won 1-0.
The arrogant tosser IIRC left both Mascherano and Tevez out of the starting line-up which kinda helped.

Mascherano was dreadful for them and Tevez didn’t score until about March. If either manager had got the most out of them then their season would have been very different.