Favourite ever players as a team.

[South Coast Royal]

I find this an interesting topic , as it brings back memories of players that brought great enjoyment to supporters of bygone years .
David Jones GK
Johnny Walker RB
Colin Meldrum. LB
Martin Hicks. CB
Keith Curle. CB
Neil Webb. MF
Simon Osborn. MF
Denis Allen. MF
Johnny Brooks. MF
Jimmy Quinn. CF
Ronnie Blackman. CF

Ok , so there are three players in the team that most current supporters will not have seen , I will fill in a little about them .
David Jones , was the best Reading keeper I ever saw at taking crosses . Any cross from the penalty sport in , he would come and take cleanly and he did it with a balletic leap that looked like a work of art .
Johnny Brooks , local lad from the Coley area . Classy inside forward (as they were called) , close ball control , good dribbler , could score a goal . Sold to Tottenham , for considerable fee plus two players . Later moved to Chelsea . Played three times for England , scored one goal . Often on Sunday mornings would play in the local park kick abouts .. ( no organised Sunday football in those days)
Ronnie Blackman . Centre forward . Played 218 games for RFC , scored 158 goals , 96 of them with his head , this in the days when the ball weighed a ton , particularly when wet , and it was always wet . Many of his headers would be from the edge of the box . I believe his record of 39 league goals in one season still stands . Ron in later life moved to the south coast but even in his late 80s would travel up for annual football reunions .

Don't disagree with any of those.
I never saw Brooks play but met him in later life , and his son Shaun, as he lived down here.

To the earlier posters, yes a schoolboy error in somehow forgetting Robin Friday.

To Hendo, you don't have to comply with the topic description (bloody me,me,me self pre-occupied youngsters of today-let us oldies indulge ourselves for a change ) but my aim was to seek beyond the obvious as everybody knows how good that 2006 team was so nothing much would be achieved by just reeling off their names.

[SCIAG]

My previous post got me thinking about “good time vs long time”.

Upson and Anton Ferdinand are imo the two best centre backs we have ever had, but neither made many appearances for us so it seems a bit strange to put them ahead of Pearce, Moore, Adie, etc., never mind Ingimarsson.

So with that in mind, here’s a “good time” team vs a “long time” team, again with the 2005/06 side excluded:

Shaka
Gunter, Pearce, A. Williams, Richardson
McAnuff, Gooding, Parky, Gilkes
Fozzy, Quinn

Subs: Federici, Moore, Obita, Karacan, McCleary, HRK, and, erm, Cureton?

Martinez
Rosenior?, A. Ferdinand, Upson, Bridge
Baker, Carrico
S. Murray, Gylfi, Beerens
Roberts

Subs for that side including Al-Habsi, Miazga, Zurab, Bertrand, Chalobah, Tshibola, Ezatolahi, Osborn, Glenn Murray… generally I prioritised people with shorter tenures. Big gap in the team is wingers - maybe Olise is an option.

[Sutekh]

Extend this further. Let’s have the FAVOURITE teams of the decades, ie your favourite team of the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s, the 2000s and favourite team from 2010 to 2020.

And a favourite team of the “before 1960s” for any that are able to do justice to that period.

Perhaps also consider a favourite loan XI (players must only have been loaned to Reading and not subsequently joined permanently).

[Berxwedan Zinar]

Shaka
Peters - Dariusz - Hicks - Shorey
Little - Osborn - Gooding - Gilkes
Senior - Doyle

[Binfield Royal]

if the only qualification is that they played for the first team

McCarthy
Murty
Mariappa
Ingamarsson
Shorey
Seol
Antonio
Sidwell
Little
Kitson
Roberts

Subs: Shaka, Forster, Ady, Osborne, Sonko

Manager: SSC

[The Royal Forester]

Some of the players (not necessarily the best) I remember from my early years as a Reading fan:-
Arthur Wilkie, Mike Dixon, Colin Meldrum, Johnny Walker, jimmy Wheeler, Jimmy Whitehouse, Maurice Evans, Dick Spiers, Michael Travers, Douggie Webb, Rodney Thornhill, Ron Tindall, Alan Scarrott, Gordon Neate, Pat Terry, Peter Shreeves, Denis Allen (got us complimentary tickets many times at away matches), and last, but not least, the player who has done the most of any player for Reading FC, albeit not on the pitch, Roger Smee. Apologies to any players from that long gone era who I have forgotten.

[SCIAG]

Extend this further. Let’s have the FAVOURITE teams of the decades, ie your favourite team of the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s, the 2000s and favourite team from 2010 to 2020.

And a favourite team of the “before 1960s” for any that are able to do justice to that period.

Perhaps also consider a favourite loan XI (players must only have been loaned to Reading and not subsequently joined permanently).

Favourites as opposed to best… my 90s, 00s, and 20s teams would be very predictable. I would probably put Bikey in for Sonko, loved that idiot.

2010s are more interesting, there are different formations available and multiple successful teams to pick from (McDermott’s play off and promotion sides, Clarke’s FA Cup semi-finalists and then the “Blackman” team that briefly looked unstoppable, Stam’s play-off finalists).

Al-Habsi
Gunter, Pearce, Moore, Obita
Norwood, Leigertwood
Kebe, Gylfi, McAnuff
Roberts

Subs: McCarthy, Mariappa, Gorkss, Griffin, Harte, Karacan, Tshibola, Swift, McCleary, Barrow, Long, Kermorgant

[Broxroyal]

Steve Death
Dave Bacuzzi Martin Hicks Darius Wdowczyk Colin Meldrum
Mick Gooding
Richie Bowman Simon Osborn Tom Jenkins
Robin Friday Kevin Bremner

2nd X1

Shaka
Gary Peters Steve Hetzke Steve Wood Mark White
Gordon Cumming Neil Webb Lawrie Sanchez George Harris
Kerry Dixon Trevor Senior

[Henley Royal 1]

Death ,Hopkins, Kerr, Wdowczyk,Williams,Hurlock,Osborn,Canoville,Bremner ,Senior Quinn.

[Once upon a time .]

Reference , ‘The Royal Forester ‘ , . I can add a few names to your list from that era .
George Buck , a ginger haired left winger from the Oxford area .
David High , left half or left back , from Katesgrove area , signed on the ground staff at same time as Gordon Neate .
Melvyn Hood , right winger from Whitley .
Ralph Norton , inside right .
Chris Palethorpe , very quick right winger , from Maidenhead area .
All of these lads got into the first team while in their teens but only played no more than a dozen games

[AthleticoSpizz]

Reference , ‘The Royal Forester ‘ , . I can add a few names to your list from that era .
George Buck , a ginger haired left winger from the Oxford area .
David High , left half or left back , from Katesgrove area , signed on the ground staff at same time as Gordon Neate .
Melvyn Hood , right winger from Whitley .
Ralph Norton , inside right .
Chris Palethorpe , very quick right winger , from Maidenhead area .
All of these lads got into the first team while in their teens but only played no more than a dozen games

Michael Barnes & Kim Sainsbury (both ex-Ashmead.....they didn’t play many.

[blythspartan]

Shaka
Peters - Dariusz - Hicks - Shorey
Little - Osborn - Gooding - Gilkes
Senior - Doyle

This would be my best 11 too. Sad to see no one is mentioning Ollie Kearns

[Ark Royal]

Amazing to think that Simon Osborn only played one season for the club (32 apps, 5 goals - and every one of them special), but had such a massive impact on the team and fans. Without doubt one of the greatest players ever to wear the hoops. I have nominated him for the 2022 Hall of Fame.

[Franchise FC]

I would be building my team around :

Shaka Hislop

Darius Wdowcyzk
Ibrahima Sonko

Stuart Beavon
Richie Bowman
Jimmy Kebe
Glenn Little

Trevor Senior
Dean Horrix
Dave Kitson

It appears I've never appreciated the defenders quite as much
(I think I might be struggling to defend)


Not convinced about including loanees, although these days loanees can play more games than those we've had permanently

Not sure how anyone can leave out Robin Friday but, for all his wizardry, I never really felt he was a 'favourite' for me

[Sutekh]

Not sure quite where this best fits but a team of players who permanently joined Reading (so not academy hopefuls that get a game at the end of the season/in an injury crisis), played at least 1 first team game but not more than 10 games for whatever reason eg. injury, not up to it, too good etc.

Initial names I got were Steve Archibald, Allan Cockram, Dave Madden, Mark Bowen and Gary Brooke.

Any others of a similar ilk?

[under the tin]

The team I'd have like to have seen play against a Warnock side...
Hahnemann
Dixon Bikey Sonko Butler(D)
Kebe Hurlock Parkinson Gooding
Whitehurst Freeman

[Ark Royal]

The team I'd have like to have seen play against a Warnock side...
Hahnemann
Dixon Bikey Sonko Butler(D)
Kebe Hurlock Parkinson Gooding
Whitehurst Freeman

Dafuq. Hurlock and Whitehurst would have been sent off for fighting. Each other.

[Zip]

The team I'd have like to have seen play against a Warnock side...
Hahnemann
Dixon Bikey Sonko Butler(D)
Kebe Hurlock Parkinson Gooding
Whitehurst Freeman

That’s a very physical team. Not a great deal of flair.

[Zip]

Amazing to think that Simon Osborn only played one season for the club (32 apps, 5 goals - and every one of them special), but had such a massive impact on the team and fans. Without doubt one of the greatest players ever to wear the hoops. I have nominated him for the 2022 Hall of Fame.

Part of a team that broke the mould. We had always struggled in our previous seasons in tier two.....until that season. He was a delight to watch. A really cultured player and part of a team that played in such a stylish way.
Ditto Wdowcyzk. My favourite centre back by a mile.

[Zip]

I’m really struggling with right backs that I rated so I’m going to cheat but won’t include any of the 2005/6 lot or any beyond that date ...I have also based this on players I have seen play and King Kerry edges out the others.

Shaka Hislop
Steve Richardson playing right back
Darius Wdowcyzk
Ady Williams
Dylan Kerr
Phil Parkinson
Terry Hurlock
Simon Osborn
Michael Gilkes
Kerry Dixon
Nicky Forster