Ah Mr Holt- we've been expecting you...

[Millsy]

For everything that's been said pro and against I think we can all safely conclude one thing:

we'd all rather the incident had never happened and would rather the game had been played in normal circumstances and rightly or wrongly our image has been damaged slightly.

In all honesty we probably came off worst with it all, only drawing a game we could in every likelihood have won with competent officials.

I hope we don't miss out on autopro by one point.

[John 3:16]

The ManUre players on Saturday, all to a man, said: "No ref, that's not a penalty."

The Chelsea players last season when awarded a penalty from a 'foul' by Carriger when he was 5 yards away from the man, all said: "No ref, you've got it wrong, that's not a penalty."

Right, sure they did. THAT is cheating then. But wait, where are the column inches on the injustice and disgusting attitudes of those players? ... We wait, and we wonder.

[brendywendy]

john 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

why you choose that bit as your username?

or is your name john and did you just join the forum at 16 minutes past 4 in the afternoon

[Bill Oddie's Beard]

john 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

why you choose that bit as your username?

or is your name john and did you just join the forum at 16 minutes past 4 in the afternoon

[brendywendy]

oops

[Woodcote Royal]

Poor Emily......................a son that makes Norris seem interesting.

[StevenKelliher]

When Mendes scored that blatant goal that was never given,for Spurs against United at OT a few years back. One that the home fans had seen go in, and with it being the last few minutes of the game it would have given Spurs 3 points.3 points that may have helped spurs qualify for the chamions league (quite a big source of income for any club) i don't recall any United recall any Untied player saying to the ref that it was a goal. In fact i don't think they said anything at all to the Ref. I don't recall Fergi coming out after the game claiming Spurs to be hard done by or insisting on a replay. I'm sure that twat Morgan or Holt never said anything either.

So why should Reading be made to feel guilty and feel like villains for a Ref that messed up?

[earleyroyal]

I haven't read all of this thread, (I got into the third screen before I gave up) but I'd like to say the following:

It's now making me start to wonder whether SHunt was actually to blame for THAT incident.

Don't make us dredge this one up again. Even if he had meant to hurt Cech, there is no way that he could have controlled his movements once his leg was clipped. To smear him like that, without having the guts to come out and say so, is disgraceful as well as stupid.

[Royal Boil]

I haven't read all of this thread, (I got into the third screen before I gave up) but I'd like to say the following:

It's now making me start to wonder whether SHunt was actually to blame for THAT incident.

Don't make us dredge this one up again. Even if he had meant to hurt Cech, there is no way that he could have controlled his movements once his leg was clipped. To smear him like that, without having the guts to come out and say so, is disgraceful as well as stupid.

Agreed to an extent. Not sure what you mean about the smear, guts, etc though. I was just getting a bit carried away because I always felt we were a fair side, but what we did at Watford did make me wonder whether or not that image was built on a tissue of lies. Anyhow, this is probably a good moment to close this thread and move on to better pastures. Like Wolves tomorrow night.

[John 3:16]

I haven't read all of this thread, (I got into the third screen before I gave up) but I'd like to say the following:

It's now making me start to wonder whether SHunt was actually to blame for THAT incident.

Don't make us dredge this one up again. Even if he had meant to hurt Cech, there is no way that he could have controlled his movements once his leg was clipped. To smear him like that, without having the guts to come out and say so, is disgraceful as well as stupid.

Agreed to an extent. Not sure what you mean about the smear, guts, etc though. I was just getting a bit carried away because I always felt we were a fair side, but what we did at Watford did make me wonder whether or not that image was built on a tissue of lies. Anyhow, this is probably a good moment to close this thread and move on to better pastures. Like Wolves tomorrow night.

We didn't do anything at Watford! There was nothing we COULD have done, even if the players had known what was going on (the majority of them would not have had a clue. Including NHunt I think. It's not like they were told at which point the goal had been awarded for). And dragging SHunt's Cech incident into it just makes me think you don't really know Reading FC and our history in that event at all.

[bobby m's syrup]

I haven't read all of this thread, (I got into the third screen before I gave up) but I'd like to say the following:

1. By accepting that "goal" we've joined the cheats of this world. I always thought we were better than that. It's now making me start to wonder whether SHunt was actually to blame for THAT incident.
2. By not allowing Watford to walk the ball into the net afterwards we've joined the cheats of this world. If we'd done this we'd have won international plaudits for fair play.
3. Half agreeing to the idea of a re-match at a later date, that was never going to happen, we've joined the cheats of this world. Again. We've come out of this really badly.

I'm sorry, but for me this is a lamentable day in the history, not only of the club, but also of football in general. Imagine if SSC had asked the players at half time if it had really been a goal or not and, having discovered that it was no more than a corner, he'd ordered recompense. Cheers all round for the team and the club. Instead, all we get is wishy washy stuff like "my players saw that it was an injustice but it's not down to them to make a right out of a wrong"."It's down to the officials". Bollox. And nice old Reading suddenly look like a bunch of cheats. Do I not like that! And all we've done is give that Chelsea worshiping ***hole yet another excuse to have a go at us in the national press.

I too, was disappointed by the events at Watford. During our meteoric rise in 05-06, we attracted plaudits far and wide for our team spirit and family values. It may have been naive to expect that to continue after the 8th place finish in 2007, but despite losing the odd prima donna to second and third rate Prem sides, the core Reading ethos appeared to be alive and well.

With the benefit of hindsight, it should have been a reasonably simple task to beat an under-par Watford side. The blatant injustice of the 'goal' probably spurred the home side on to greater efforts and must have been unsettling for our players as well. Had we allowed Watford to score from the kick off, there is every chance that the final outcome would have proved favourable, especially if our our third 'goal' had been allowed.

Instead, as well as becoming known as a team who don't perform away, we have the added mantle of division cheats to bear.

LOL at anyone accusing us of cheating! Which rules did we break exactly?

Stop whining and move on.

Rude, arrogant and shoddy attitude. These posts were not whines, but considered opinions. Just because you happen to disagree, there really is no call to demean other points of view. This issue was never a black and white case of rule breaking...or not; more about the spirit of the game being devalued.

[AF1]

lol @ Reading fans. Mr Holt gains honorary Sombrero Mafia Clique status for successfully winding you twerps up again

[brendywendy]

ole holt

[watfordroyal]

Boring thread,
about some boring journo,
writing something boring 'bout us,
in his boring paper,
for bored w@nkers!

I was there, thought it was really funny, had a great time,
hope such a lucky break happens again for us some day!

[earleyroyal]

I haven't read all of this thread, (I got into the third screen before I gave up) but I'd like to say the following:

It's now making me start to wonder whether SHunt was actually to blame for THAT incident.

Don't make us dredge this one up again. Even if he had meant to hurt Cech, there is no way that he could have controlled his movements once his leg was clipped. To smear him like that, without having the guts to come out and say so, is disgraceful as well as stupid.

Agreed to an extent. Not sure what you mean about the smear, guts, etc though. I was just getting a bit carried away because I always felt we were a fair side, but what we did at Watford did make me wonder whether or not that image was built on a tissue of lies. Anyhow, this is probably a good moment to close this thread and move on to better pastures. Like Wolves tomorrow night.

So implying that a player deliberately kneed another in the head, nearly killing him, while not actually stating it, is neither a smear nor gutless?

[Royal Boil]

[/quote]

So implying that a player deliberately kneed another in the head, nearly killing him, while not actually stating it, is neither a smear nor gutless? [/quote]

Nope. I didn't say, nor imply, any of that - you did. Unless you're already working as a reporter for one of the red tops you're in the wrong job. There were plenty of other people who read that post before you decided to take it out of context and none of them complained about it. Read it again, go figure, and stop trying to accuse me of doing things I haven't done.

[John 3:16]

So implying that a player deliberately kneed another in the head, nearly killing him, while not actually stating it, is neither a smear nor gutless?

Nope. I didn't say, nor imply, any of that - you did. Unless you're already working as a reporter for one of the red tops you're in the wrong job. There were plenty of other people who read that post before you decided to take it out of context and none of them complained about it. Read it again, go figure, and stop trying to accuse me of doing things I haven't done.

I haven't read all of this thread, (I got into the third screen before I gave up) but I'd like to say the following:

1. By accepting that "goal" we've joined the cheats of this world. I always thought we were better than that. It's now making me start to wonder whether SHunt was actually to blame for THAT incident.
2. By not allowing Watford to walk the ball into the net afterwards we've joined the cheats of this world. If we'd done this we'd have won international plaudits for fair play.
3. Half agreeing to the idea of a re-match at a later date, that was never going to happen, we've joined the cheats of this world. Again. We've come out of this really badly.

I'm sorry, but for me this is a lamentable day in the history, not only of the club, but also of football in general. Imagine if SSC had asked the players at half time if it had really been a goal or not and, having discovered that it was no more than a corner, he'd ordered recompense. Cheers all round for the team and the club. Instead, all we get is wishy washy stuff like "my players saw that it was an injustice but it's not down to them to make a right out of a wrong"."It's down to the officials". Bollox. And nice old Reading suddenly look like a bunch of cheats. Do I not like that! And all we've done is give that Chelsea worshiping ***hole yet another excuse to have a go at us in the national press.

I took offense to that comment. It was a stupid thing to say whether you meant it or not. Leave that incident out of it and let the idiot Chelsea reporters use it if they must, but not someone who claims to be a Royal.

[Far Canal]

Holt keeps on trying......


They’re are no angels (sic)
By David Wright
31/10/2008

http://www.getreading.co.uk/blogs/extra ... _no_angels

Royals’ management, players, fans and security staff are all sensationally blasted by . . . well, perhaps, it is not sensational when I say it is Neil Warnock.

The former Sheffield United manager is public enemy number one as far as Reading FC is concerned.

And his hate for the club has reached new heights – or, perhaps it would be better to say, plunged to new depths – in his autobiography, Neil Warnock – Made in Sheffield.

The paperback has been out for a few weeks, but I have just got round to reading it after dispatching Russell Brand’s My Booky Wook to the trash can.

“(Steve) Coppell’s a super man but Reading are no angels. They are just very clever,” writes Warnock.

“Every decision the referee makes, either Wally (Downes) or Kevin Dillon is on the edge of the technical area shouting the odds at the linesmen or the ref.

“Everyone thinks they’re do gooders, but they are worse than me.

“Reading get away with it because when there’s a flashpoint, the cameras always go to Steve, who’s sitting there calmly in the dugout, itching his chin.”

Warnock talks in depth of the bad feeling that exists when he comes up against Reading.

Disgraceful

“It’s Wally’s chance to get his name in the papers, it is his big day out when Reading play the Blades,” he writes.

Warnock recalls the incident in January of last year at Madejski Stadium when he was “outraged” when Steve Sidwell “got away with a disgraceful over the top tackle on Chris Armstrong that should have been a straight red.”

In the meantime, Warnock claims Stephen Hunt had been goading Keith Gillespie when the United sub was warming up and then Gillespie immediately got sent off for striking Hunt.

Now managing Crystal Palace, the controversial Yorkshireman goes on to discuss his flare up with Downes which led to the Royals coach being charged with improper conduct.

Warnock also recalls an incident after the game when he and goalkeeping coach Andy Leaning left Madejski Stadium to go to his parked around 50 yards away.

“There were hundreds of Reading fans milling around,” said Warnock.

“I hurried over to my my car and dived in. Before I could even get the key in the ignition, there were about 10 yobbos all around the car, banging on the windows and hammering on the roof.

Appaling

“Two of them were sprawled on the bonnet.

“I started the car and put my foot on the accelerator. The thugs who were on the bonnet slid off and the rest of them backed away. Another minute and they’d have smashed the car up with me in it.”

Warnock claims that there were no Reading security guards around even though he was told earlier two would escort him to his car.

He writes: “That’s typical of the security operation at Reading. Other clubs are aware of the potential for a situation like that but they don’t seem to be. I thought it was appaling that they could leave an opposition manager in that kind of danger.”

Neil Warnock – Made in Sheffield is published by Hodder.

He was assisted by journalist (sic) Oliver Holt, who himself has not exactly endeared himself to Reading fans in the past.

The paperback has been short listed for the 2008 British Sports Book Awards.

Isn’t it about time that Downes got his own back on Warnock by writing his own autobiography.

With a colourful career at Wimbledon before coming to Reading, he shouldn’t be at a loss for a few hundred chapters.

[Rex]

As the book was either ghost written or co-written with Warnock it makes good PR to stoke up the interest in the book.

[Morph]

For everything that's been said pro and against I think we can all safely conclude one thing:

we'd all rather the incident had never happened and would rather the game had been played in normal circumstances and rightly or wrongly our image has been damaged slightly.

Steven Hunt wouldn't agree.

Look at the guy, he's not that great a player. Very inconsistent, his delivery is the same. That incident made him. He's now seen as all action, a battler, and a decent winger. The latter far to inconsistent again.

If we lose Hunt and get £5m, I think we'll have done better out of that than the team he joins. I think Hunt will be found out rather quickly.

On the other hand, yes we'll miss him. Convey is to lightweight and weak.