Happy Birthday......

[Stooper]

Wigan playoff... Last time we saw horses on the pitch?

And that idiot attacking the Wigan player.

Which game was the streaker?

Cold Tues in December wasn't it?

[TFF]

I can vividly remember walking through the concourse and taking my seat for the Luton game. The hairs on my arms stood up as I looked around at our new arena. After years of either getting wet in the Tilehurst End or slightly less wet but standing in puddles of piss in the Southbank I was almost moved to tears. Despite the relegation I had the feeling we were on the verge of something special.

I know it's just a plastic bowl but it's our plastic bowl and I bloody love it.

Happy Birthday.

[parky]

Wigan playoff... Last time we saw horses on the pitch?

And that idiot attacking the Wigan player.

Which game was the streaker?

Cold Tues in December wasn't it?

Chelsea

if u mean the guy in orange shorts

[Stooper]

Wigan playoff... Last time we saw horses on the pitch?

And that idiot attacking the Wigan player.

Which game was the streaker?

Cold Tues in December wasn't it?

Chelsea

if u mean the guy in orange shorts

No, some bloke in just a leather jacket from the North Stand. Only went as far as the 18 yard box...Div 2 game 1998-2000ish

[AndyRFC]

Wigan playoff... Last time we saw horses on the pitch?

And that idiot attacking the Wigan player.

Which game was the streaker?

Cold Tues in December wasn't it?

Chelsea

if u mean the guy in orange shorts

No, some bloke in just a leather jacket from the North Stand. Only went as far as the 18 yard box...Div 2 game 1998-2000ish

Notts County, (28/12/98)

Scored an imaginary goal, (Ironically the ref that day was Rob Styles who dissallowed a perferctly good RFC goal) and did a runner avaiding a few tangos

[Adrian's Fool]

Can we celebrate its birthday again with that helicopter landing stunt? That were brilliant.

[floyd__streete]

I thought I made it pretty clear I'm not a football fan any longer. I missed one home game from 1994-2002.

Might I respectfully ask how one goes from not missing a game in 8 years to not being a football fan any longer? Quite a deaprture. I am not angling for another row with you by the way , just genuinely interested.

[Dave the rave]

Wigan playoff... Last time we saw horses on the pitch?

And that idiot attacking the Wigan player.

Which game was the streaker?

Cold Tues in December wasn't it?

Chelsea

if u mean the guy in orange shorts

No, some bloke in just a leather jacket from the North Stand. Only went as far as the 18 yard box...Div 2 game 1998-2000ish

Notts County, (28/12/98)

Scored an imaginary goal, (Ironically the ref that day was Rob Styles who dissallowed a perferctly good RFC goal) and did a runner avaiding a few tangos

As streakings go it was pretty poor effort. The guy was from Tadley but I'm buggered if I can remember his name.

For me the first game tonking of Luton was pretty special as it had me reminiscing of the Simod final. Even if Stuart 'it's a Royal knockout' Hall was a bit cringeworthy.

[Skyline]

Can we celebrate its birthday again with that helicopter landing stunt? That were brilliant.

Oh yeah, remember that well. Possibly the loudest noise I have ever heard at a football match was those two helicopters hovering above the pitch. Bournemouth game wasn't it?

[Stooper]

I thought I made it pretty clear I'm not a football fan any longer. I missed one home game from 1994-2002.

Might I respectfully ask how one goes from not missing a game in 8 years to not being a football fan any longer? Quite a deaprture. I am not angling for another row with you by the way , just genuinely interested.

Last game as a 'fan' was away at Brentford. Following week started a new job which meant working every Saturday - just lost touch with it all, not being able to attend etc. Then I tried and just became fed up with the overpaid prima donnas who dive, cheat and roll around. Add in the prices (went to Shrewsbury v Bradford the other day....£19!) and I just don't see the draw of football anymore. £40 a shirt, £4 a programme and the predictability and money involved in the Premier League just annoy me.

During the time I couldn't attend football, I caught a lot of Rugby League on Sky sports and saw a sport that was very entertaining. Quick, skillful and players who made so much effort (running with a broken nose/arm til they score) and I found it much more of a sport. No silly money, affordable, and a lot more entertaining.

If I were to go back to football, it would be in the lower reaches of non-league, on the terraces.

[SpaceCruiser]

Then I tried and just became fed up with the overpaid prima donnas who dive, cheat and roll around.

Are you calling Reading dirty?

£40 a shirt, £4 a programme

You know, you don't have to buy them. £3 for a programme, BTW.

[Stooper]

Then I tried and just became fed up with the overpaid prima donnas who dive, cheat and roll around.

Are you calling Reading dirty?

£40 a shirt, £4 a programme

You know, you don't have to buy them. £3 for a programme, BTW.

I meant football in general, not just Reading.

[Skyline]

Add in the prices (went to Shrewsbury v Bradford the other day....£19!)

That does sound high. Mind you, the Cambridge United fan who works with says it's £12 to go watch them.

[RG30]

A couple of alternative games for you to dig out of the archive sections;

May 99 - Reading 2-0 Millwall. Millwall fans tear up the netting in the Madejski and charge up at the East Stand. Endless amounts of trouble later in the day back in town.

April 00 - Reading 0-1 Cardiff. Cardiff record a late 78th/79th winner, IIRC by Jason Bowen to give them hope of escaping relegation. Again endless amounts of trouble that day.

August 99 - Reading 2-1 Bristol City. The infamous Gerard Lavin incident but also saw a late winner by Jimmy Crawford.

April 03 - Reading 1-0 Nottingham Forest. A great game, better than the 3-2 Vs Crystal Palace that had so much riding for both teams, a near full MadStad but certainly a great game on good Friday.

[3 veesinarow]

The abiding memory of that day for me, other than the astonishment as I eventually laid eyes on the arena for the first time, was having to escort Mrs 3V to the medical facilities after she was taken ill on the walk to the stadium. Not knowing the layout or anything, we approached a steward who took us in through a door without checking any tickets (and therefore we KNOW the crowd figure was at least two more than stated!) and ferried us round to the first-aid room.
The medics were a little taken by surprise - hadn't expected to have to work so early - but sorted Mrs 3V out (felt very faint, low blood-sugar and all that) and wrote it up in their log book as casualty incident no.1 - a somewhat dubious claim to fame on her part!
The added bonus was that they took us halfway around the pitch perimeter to our seats, so we got to see the ground from pitchside before we ever got to see it from our seats...

[Kes]

I missed the first game against Luton as I was on holiday in Greece. First game for me was the midweek one against Burnley.

Probably only another 90 years till Reading move home again.

[Katie Marsden]

August 2000 Reading 2-0 Swindon

Swindon fans disrupted the silence for Maurice Evans and a brawl broke out in the corner of the South and West Stand. Fans also clashed outside the East down the bank.

September 2001 Reading 2-0 Wycombe

Darius Henderson scores our 5000th goal.

[Kes]

Anyone remember that pissed bloke getting on the pitch at a midweek game I think it was with his pants down by his ankles?

[Skyline]

September 2001 Reading 2-0 Wycombe

Darius Henderson scores our 5000th goal.

Except, IIRC, he didn't - it was actually Adie Williams, who scored the first goal in the match, as the club historians had miscounted.

Pretty sure David Downs had an article in the EP retracting the Darius-scored-goal-5000 claim back when Adie was leaving the club.

[Readingfanman]

My 3 favourite games are -

3) Reading 1 - 0 Manchester City

2) Reading 3 - 2 Middelsbrough

1) Reading 3 - 2 Palace