26 I think (excluding caretakers). Everyone from Ted Drake onwards.

Funny (??) how the terms seem to have got shorter and shorter over the years.

My goodness, there are some real oldies on this thread - and I am one of them! First game was in the 1948-49 season but I can't remember who we were playing or the result. I do remember the 1951-52 team: Marks: Moyse, Wicks: Lewis, Brice, Johnston; Simpson, Edelston, Blackman, Henley and Bainbridge....

I have many, many happy memories of Jimmy Wheeler playing for us in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a winger or inside-forward who played over 400 games for us and scored nearly 150 goals. He never stopped trying and although he wasn't the most talented footballer in the world his record speaks for itse...

Heavens above - we're talking about things that happened over 60 years ago! Anyway, I also preferred Dave Jones - seem to recall that he was called up to the Welsh squad at one time but never became an international.

Wow - this is getting more and more nostalgic!! I remember Lofty selling the evening paper - can't recall which one - and as he made his way around the ground, on the path in front of the stands, he would constantly shout "England B"!! Together with the smell of far too well-cooked onions ...

And of course "Lofty" shouting out "England B" whenever Dave Meeson touched the ball-his voice could easily be heard as far away as under the clock. Yes, I remember Lofty well, but was not the "England B" shout several years earlier than that? I seem to recall that it r...

A wonderful servant of our club as a player and groundsman. I remember when we played Accrington Stanley in about 1960 there was an article in one of the papers about the potential tussle between Gordon Neate and Harvey McCreadie - potentially two of the brightest young players in the game. Neither ...

However old he might have been (close to 90?) this is very sad news and I send my deepest sympathy to his family. I remember Johnny playing for us in the late 50s and early 60s as part of that wonderful forward line: Wheeler, Whitehouse, Dixon, Walker, Harrison. Towards the end of his career with us...

You're right, PBR - Stam certainly deserves it. The problem is - who is Reading FC? Who makes the decisions? Madejski? The Thais? The Chinese? Howe? Someone else? Nobody seems to know - and to have a team sitting 3rd in the league in all these circumstances reflects huge credit on the manager. One q...

We now have 52 points from 28 games - the same total as achieved from a full season of 46 games last year. What Jaap Stam has achieved, in the face of all the ownership uncertainty and not knowing whether transfer funds are available or not, is really quite remarkable.

My first thought was definitely Shaka - then I remembered Paul Canoville. Can't decide between the two.

Very sad news, but as someone has already said - that was a fine innings. I've been a Reading supporter since 1948 and during the late 40s and early 50s heaven knows how many goals I saw Ron Blackman score for us. He was at the centre of that wonderful forward line (Simpson, Edelston, Blackman, Henl...

I share your sentiments exactly, Old Biscuitman, and I'm also in my 68th season. Too many players and not enough quality. Too many loanees as well and Clarke doesn't seem to have a clue which is our best team. What he did over the Fulham job was shameful and I very much doubt that he will ever win o...

Surely we need a striker (or maybe two). Hoilett has scored something like 5 goals in 80 games for QPR. Doesn't seem to be what we're looking for.

I don't think Ray Reeves ever played left-half for us. For most of his time Maurice Evans was the left-half - part of that wonderful half-back line of Anderton, Spiers and Evans.

Old Biscuitman

Edelston & Brice Has to be Ray "Bomber" Reeves.

He was a centre half.

Sorry, Old Biscuitman, but Bomber was quite definitely a left-back. Most of the time he played for us the centre-half position was filled by either Bill Davies or Dick Spiers.

Has to be Ray "Bomber" Reeves.

Apparently he's gone. Now what?

If I remember correctly he played 30 games or so for us in about 1976-78. Signed from Derby and went to Torquay.

Each time we have one of these threads it's longer since my first game: 5th March 1949 Reading 2 Millwall 0 (Blackman, Allison) I was hooked from that moment on, and still am. Of the 22 teams in Division 3 (South) that season, only Reading, Norwich and Swansea are now in the Premier League. There's ...