Cheering Owen before kick off

[papereyes]

Watching Sky Sports News was like "An Audience with Michael Owen", including about a 10 minute interview with him.

That was just cringworthy. The footage of pretty much evry touch he had was pretty bad.

[Bucks Dave]

Believe it or not, there are Reading fans who 1) know something about football outside Reading; 2) don't look in contempt at every player not in a Reading shirt; and 3) can show generosity.

For the reasons H+P gave I applauded him.

[Monkfish]

Owen has been a great player for England and always given his all for his country, He therefore deserved the appluase after sufferring a 10 month injury nightmare, which he got representing his country.

[One Beer is never enough.]

Believe it or not, there are Reading fans who 1) know something about football outside Reading; 2) don't look in contempt at every player not in a Reading shirt; and 3) can show generosity.

For the reasons H+P gave I applauded him.

Stop being so balanced.

FWIW I agree. Damn this reasonableness - dont expect it to be tolerated though

[Yorkshire Royal]

What a funny little club we are... cheering your opposition star forward (Owen) and booing your own winger (Seol)...

Quite bizarre...

[Royal With Cheese]

This was an exceptional case. An England player tragically injured for the guts of 2 years. Although I'm a Royal through and through it was good to see him back playing again.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Err, you don't really know much about why Owen went to Madrid do you. His league goal scoring record at his respective three clubs

Liverpool - 193 (23) appearances / 118 goals
Real Madrid - 20 (15) appearances / 13 goals
Newcastle - 11 (1) appearances / 7 goals

I'd like you to find me any striker in the world with a comparable strike rate

I don't understand the dislike of Owen and the apparent 'mediocrity' mentioned by some on here. I can't think of a striker with a better strike rate across he whole career.

And as for Real Madrid, whenever they played him he looked their best striker. If it wasn't for Raul being so buddy with the chairman and the fans worshipping the big-nosed tw*tter, then Owen would have got the chance to shine

[Oi Oi Saveloy]

Oi Oi

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Alan Ball got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but ex professional players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the Simod Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone retired Midfieldsers who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

[fridays child]

Believe it or not, there are Reading fans who 1) know something about football outside Reading; 2) don't look in contempt at every player not in a Reading shirt; and 3) can show generosity.

For the reasons H+P gave I applauded him.

Totally agree

[3 veesinarow]

Believe it or not, there are Reading fans who 1) know something about football outside Reading; 2) don't look in contempt at every player not in a Reading shirt; and 3) can show generosity.

For the reasons H+P gave I applauded him.

Totally agree

Thirded.

No wonder everyone thinks we are a small-time club with small-time mentality with such narrow-minded, one-eyed, chip-on-each-shoulder views. Isn't the spirit of human nature something to behold?

[When Hicks went up...]

Oi Oi

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Alan Ball got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but ex professional players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the Simod Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone retired Midfieldsers who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

End the thread now.

[The whole year inn]

Agreed , I never clapped him , always thought he's the most over rated footballer in recent times

36 goals in 80 caps for England.

I wish all our strikers were that over rated

[SpaceCruiser]

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Owen got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but opposing players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the World Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone forwards who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

Well, what did you expect from a crowd that drooled over Arsenal rather than support the Reading team.

[Stranded]

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Owen got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but opposing players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the World Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone forwards who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

Well, what did you expect from a crowd that drooled over Arsenal rather than support the Reading team.

You really are a rather sad man.

[Alan Partridge]

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Owen got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but opposing players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the World Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone forwards who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

Well, what did you expect from a crowd that drooled over Arsenal rather than support the Reading team.

at 4-0 game over, sometimes you just say well played to the opposition. The ONLY opposition that is to resoundingly beat us this season.

[AndyRFC]

I applauded as it was nice to see a player of his stature come back from such an appaling injury.

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

Since Owen started playing for England, I've been desperate for him to become our Country's highest ever goalscorer, because generations of players have come and go, but this will truly be a footballer from my generation and his record should he achieve it will last for another 50 years at least.

If the guy remains largely injury free for the next 4-5 years I have no doubt he'll become the most prolific striker our country has produced.

And you know what, when my Granchildren are talking about the next 'mediocre, over-rated' player to challenge his record, I'll be able to tell them how I saw Owen's career unfold from when he scored that wonder-goal against Argentina to when he scrambled the ball over the line against Liechtenstein to notch his 47th goal for England.

And the highlight might just be that I got to see his comeback from a nightmare injury and how lucky I was to be there (even if he was toilet on the night).

That's why I clapped him, he's a current England legend.

By the way El President, you oxf*rd faced little shit, I wish I was as experienced a football fan as you, maybe then I would be on this 'higher-plane' of intelligence which makes you able to suggest a 36-goal England stiker is crap.

[brendywendy]

thought it made us look pretty magnanimous, and like the kind of football club i think we are, unlike the booing of injured players at bolton

[Doyler]

Believe it or not, there are Reading fans who 1) know something about football outside Reading; 2) don't look in contempt at every player not in a Reading shirt; and 3) can show generosity.

For the reasons H+P gave I applauded him.

Totally agree

Thirded.

No wonder everyone thinks we are a small-time club with small-time mentality with such narrow-minded, one-eyed, chip-on-each-shoulder views. Isn't the spirit of human nature something to behold?

I'm not sure people do think that, however I readily joined in with the applause, Owen is one of the most natural finishers this country has ever had, and has been plagued with injury including probably one of the worst a player can sustain, a cruciate ligament injury whilst playing for England. Last night was not an issue of him being in a Newcastle shirt. It was about knowing that one of the finest forwards to wear the England shirt, will now, soon be playing for our country again and I for one am extremely happy to see it.

[Jerry St Clair]

Well, having read a lot of the posts on here about the reasoning behind the Owen appluase, I have to confess I feel a little churlish now.