Biggest Rivals

[boy1985]

I'm working it out on the basis of which clubs have we played most often in LEAGUE matches in the past 20 years.

Any guesses?

MK Dons?

[Whistle]

Stoke

I'm working it out on the basis of which clubs have we played most often in LEAGUE matches in the past 20 years.

Any guesses?

Stoke?

Well done - Stoke clearly the most frequent rival - 15/20 seasons (plus both cups in that time).

PNE, Wigan - 11/20
Sheff U, Burnley 10/20
Millwall, Hudders - 9/20
Wolves, B'ham, Cardiff, Ipswich, Derby, Bolton, Fulham, Watford, Brad City, Bournemouth, Rotherham, Port Vale - 8/20.

Add in Reading for 20 clubs and this gives you a good impression of the class of opposition we've been meeting in modern times. TBF there's a bit of gap btw Fulham and Vale now.

BTW Swindon / Oxford 4/20 each - seems remarkably low. Or wrong.

[Thaumagurist*]

BTW Swindon / Oxford 4/20 each - seems remarkably low. Or wrong.

That's because they've been shit since 1998.

[Royalee]

Who really cares.

[RichieBowman]

I guess that it all depends on what age the Reading fan is and where they live. I am from South Oxfordshire and i have always viewed poxford as rivals as i grew up and worked with their fans. Also the rivalry with them was strong in the eights especially around the Maxwell take over.
Younger fans would see swindon as rivals especially if they live in west Berkshire and Newbury area.
I have never seen swindon as rivals and aldershot are a nothing team. The teams i dislike most
Poxford and Wolves

[marysiaska]

I'd say Watford....they detest us!!

[The Cap]

In more recent times when they were on the same echelon as us it had to be Poxford.

After we'd beaten them in the Cup at Portakabin City,we came out afterwards and there were 100 of the scrotes stood on the hill waiting for any sign of activity below.

Sure enough out of the shadows came a dozen of 'em who gave death threats to all three of us and merrily kicked the back of one of our legs for a few yards.If one of us had reacted I think we can safely say that it would have been goodnight vienna.Especially with the cavalry in waiting.

And therefore for that reason alone I place them as a rival,although obviously not our biggest, in terms of stature, at this time.

[watfordroyal]

Next Season is surely gonna be Watford,

what with the little matter of us nicking the manager that had finally got them playing some decent entertaining football after years of hoofball dross!

(Not to mention the phantom goal!)

[The Rouge]

Well I have never lived in Reading so for me its probably Wolves.

[LUX]

I've thought about this and the best I can come up with is Sheffield United.

Not local, but certainly some history - not least with Wally and Colin. The number of times we've finished next to them in the table is scary - it's at least twice in the last four years.

on that basis it would be Wolves. It's even mutual. Their rivals are of course WBA, but we are up there, with Norwich ( ).

Reading's true and only mutual rivals are Aldershot, no question.

The club we've played the most in our history is Bournemouth, but the dislike is only in our direction.

My personal dislike is Brighton.

[leww_rfc]

I'd say Watford....they detest us!!

its getting worse and worse every season with Watford im sure this season that they'll let us know that they dislike us

[I was there at Elm Park]

I'd say Watford....they detest us!!

its getting worse and worse every season with Watford im sure this season that they'll let us know that they dislike us

I thought the atmosphere between the two sets of fans on that freezing night in January was pretty jovial and couldn't be further from a rivalry. Sure it won't be next season though!

[leww_rfc]

I'd say Watford....they detest us!!

its getting worse and worse every season with Watford im sure this season that they'll let us know that they dislike us

I thought the atmosphere between the two sets of fans on that freezing night in January was pretty jovial and couldn't be further from a rivalry. Sure it won't be next season though!

they might of been like that then though because we won 4-0 and they couldnt really shout anything

[bassavage]

Being fairly young I've never seen us against Aldershot, so for me I hate Oxford and Swindon more than the others - Swindon probably the most. Swindon and Oxford hate each other more than they hate us though. I would guess Watford aren't too keen on us at the moment and QPR aren't that far. I don't think we're much loved by Southampton and Portsmouth either, but I suppose theyre more bothered about each other.

[bobby m's syrup]

Back in the 60s, it was Swindon and later Oxford, (following their promotion to Div 3).

As we were a league above Aldershyte, there was little rivalry, though apparantely lots of jealousy from them. We played them a couple of times in the FA Cup in the late 60s, tonking them 6-2 at Elm Park in late 67. Apart from the odd derby match in our doldrum days, we have had little to do with them since.

[SHORT AND CURLY]

To this day Aldershite still sing anti Reading songs.
They def see us as rivals.

[Alan Partridge]

I've thought about this and the best I can come up with is Sheffield United.

Not local, but certainly some history - not least with Wally and Colin. The number of times we've finished next to them in the table is scary - it's at least twice in the last four years.

on that basis it would be Wolves. It's even mutual. Their rivals are of course WBA, but we are up there, with Norwich ( ).

Reading's true and only mutual rivals are Aldershot, no question.

The club we've played the most in our history is Bournemouth, but the dislike is only in our direction.

My personal dislike is Brighton.

Good post, agree witht his actually. Maybe it was just because we were title rivals in Div 2 I'm not sure but since I've always disliked Brighton. Delusions of grandeur worse than NEwcastle,an appalling 'stadium' (through no fault of theirs granted) Zamora carried them in that season, I always enjoy beating them must admit.

Portsmouth i personally can't stand but we've never won against them and also for 2 years i really disliked West Ham but now meh, no interest.

Always was Oxford for me but they are so crap even Torquay beat them regularly, I wouldn't mind seeing them get promoted next season to be fair and Swindon have always been of little interest.

[who are ya?]

To this day Aldershite still sing anti Reading songs.
They def see us as rivals.

Bless 'em.

[Hungerford Bee]

These days none of the above are 'rivals' in any meaningful sense.

Hard to see us ever playing Aldershot, Swindon, Oxford or Brentford again in a league match (at least for many years).

I really hope that comes back to bite you sooner rather than later. You are only on loan to the 2nd division and the natural order of life will re-assert itself on good time.

BTW - for us it is QPR with honourable mention to Fulham and Watford distant third with Reading still clearing the fina hurdle and well beaten.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Don't worry about Sun Tzu, he's a bit of a clown HB. I know quite a few old skool Bees that remember the rivalry with Reading quite well from back when, it was all Bracknell's fault