Who first took you to football?

[papereyes]

Dad.

First game was either a 1-0 win against Tranmere (Gooding scored?) or a 1-0 loss, first game of the season, against Hull - they had a tiger shirt (rawr).

[brendywendy]

as i was brought up by my single mum - i had to wait till relatively late in life - mate from secondary school took me to elm park.

[Maguire]

Never been to a game

[Dave the rave]

My Mum.

Used to park over the flats and walk over prospect park.
Can of pop and a couple of sweets from the newsagent then into the tilehurst end where we usually met my uncle.

My first game was a boxing day around the age of 8. No idea who it was against but Elm Park was packed and the atmosphere was good.
Have been going back regularly but infrequently ever since. Often with my old dear still.

*soccerbase suggests it was a 3-1 home win against Aldershot*

Only went in the southstand a couple of times.

South Bank. How can you get that so wrong?

although to be fair it was south and you did stand.

[Sarah Star]

I took my husband.

[Row Z Royal]

I took my husband.

And who first took you?


To football, I mean.

[Sarah Star]

I took my husband.

And who first took you?

To football, I mean.

I went with my husband the first time I went to the football. I'm not sure it counts as him taking me as I did all the booking, asked him to come and neither of us had been to the Mad Stad before. He'd been to the football before, but I think his Dad took him to see Gillingham a long time ago for his first game... if you're interested.

...or is this a whoosh

[Row Z Royal]

Genuine question with innuendo thrown in for good measure.

[Blue Hooped Moose]

I went with my Dad - but for the life of me I can't remember which game

[brendywendy]

I went with my Dad - but for the life of me I can't remember which game

i can only remember 1 goal vividly from my whole time at elm park - and i only remember a handful of results mainly of big games because ive asked other people who were there

[Sarah Star]

...mine was Reading v Tottenham in an FA Cup replay.

We lost.

[floyd__streete]

My old man said be a Reading fan
I said f*ck off b*llocks you're a c*nt.

.....and it sort of carried on from there.

[fester_royal]

dad..1990 ...my first footballing memory was against bolton at EP but i figure as my dad is an essex lad and ipswish 'fan' that would more likely have been my first game.

[Ark Royal]

My two uncles. Met up at Rutland Road, where my nan lived, and then a short walk to the Town End terraces. Back in time for the results and then I would run up to the Norfolk Road newsagent and buy my uncles the Evening Post results special.

[Tazewell Royal]

My grandparents, from Weston Super Mare were staying with our family and Reading had an evening friendly at Elm Park that Grandpa took me to. No idea how long ago that was now, must have been the late 1950's I think. We stood at the Town End on the terrace.

It was against a Nigeria XI and my strongest memory of it is that only one of the opposition wore boots, the rest made do with some kind of strapping around their instep and ankles. The result IIRC was 3-2 to Reading.

Having caught the bug I then went several times with my pal and his Dad across the road. Felt like a toff as they went in the stands.

After my Father's death my mum moved the family to west Reading in late 1959, Wantage Road to be precise. What a pleasure, walked out of our house at 2.55 to take my place on either the Tilehurst End or South Bank in time for kick-off.

Spent many happy Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, kick off being 7.15pm in those days, with my buddy BR2 and our other mates.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

My brother was 9 (I was 6) in 1971.

Don't think that would happen now - I didn't let my 2 boys go on their own at that age

[bobby m's syrup]

My father, an Aldershot fan, in Dec 1965 v Brentford, FAC2 (5-0). Trolley bus down the Oxford Rd, up Kensington Road and along Norfolk Rd, just in time to see a school mate leaving his house for the game, wearing his slippers, (it was only 30 yards).

Crowd of about 8000, we went under the clock. Over riding memory of a smell of cheap tobacco, wet coats and having to crane my neck to see. For years afterwards, my father tried to convince me, (and probably himself), that Divisions 3 and 4 were equal as they had both been formed from the old Divisions 3, North and South

[philM]

In 1969 (aged 14) I lived in Glasgow. First game was Rangers Aberdeen at Ibrox with a mate who I knew through the Scottish Schoolboys Club. He was already a fanatical Rangers fan - his name was Roddy Forsyth and he became a footy correspondent for the Beeb and several newspapers.

Over-riding memory.. cans of piss rolling past splashing my feet.

[East Stand Ste]

My babysitter.....1986, Newcastle Reserves V Liverpool Reserves......first league match was in 1987(8??) Hibernian V Aberdeen and my Dad took me to that one having blagged free tickets......

[Four Of Clubs]

... may explain my predeliction for all things 'Anorak' but my first game was Deal Town vs Alma Swanley (or maybe Swanley Town) - sometime in the mid-Sixties.

My Great Uncle took me along when we were down there on holiday (he owned a Guest House - one o' they freaky sea-front one's with about 6 floors and two basements!)

End of the 60's my Brother's mate was 'lodging' with us - he was brought up a Geordie - I went to quite a few games with him in the days of Wyn Davies, Iam McFaul, David Craig, Preben (?) Arentoft, Bobby Moncur etc- including such memorable games as a Fairs Cup Tie Scummers (incl Terry Paine, Ron Davies and a very young Mick Channon) v Newcastle and (not sure I should reveal this ) Aldersh!ts record crowd (I think) FA Cup vs Carlisle Utd.

Moved from 'Brackers' down that way in 1970 (E.Kent - 'Fannit' to be more precise) and started following the mighty 'Rams'. Watched them get to the old Southern League Premier - was then the league below the old Fourth Division - for one glorious season in the early 70's.
A lad from my school who lived a few doors down from me in Broadstairs used to go on the Bus to every home game so I tagged along - I was about 13/14.
Sure I even saw a friendly vs 'The Biscuitmen' - arranged cos Ramsgate had just signed Flannigan and Swain.



Came back to Reading (Univ) late 70's - first game @ EP I think was about 77/78 a 3-3 H v Torquay (?) - though may have been a match H v Wimbledon - stood at the Town End - which wasn't officially the 'Away' end in those days apart from 'big' games.

... never looked back - worked my way round, over the course of a couple of seasons, into the Southbank - when the Town End WAS eventually 'given over' to Away fans.
Then started going with a few mates from the Pub who preferred to stand right up the back of the 'Toilehurst End'.
Occasionally sat in the front row/Wheelchair bit of the Norfolk Rd Stand, nearest to the 'Spread' - with a disabled mate of mine who'd still come to quite a few games , even after he left Uni and moved to London (sadly passed away early 90s RIP) - the Gateman (Colebrook?) used to let us in free for years.

Can remember evening games rushing back over the road to the Pub - and we NEVER once got in there before Terry Hurlock!

My eldest son is at risk of the 'Anorak' bug too - his first game was aged about 7 - FA Cup Extra Prelim Rnd : Camberley vs Thatcham - exceedingly naff 1-0 - home side won in the 93rd minute with their only shot on target - he loved it!

Now been an ST holder with me in the North Stand for 3-4 yrs; as well as racking up nearly 100 NL grounds - though when he's been off with the School or Scouts, his younger sister has willingly taken his seat at the MadStad - don't think she's seen us lose yet either!
End of last season even managed to introduce the youngest (aged 7) - his first (and only game so far) was the BTC Final at the Madstad last month - he really enjoyed it too - could prove costly in the next few years.
I think his obsession could even match mine - he wants me to Video ALL of the upcoming WC matches - won't settle for SkyPlus - he wants to keep them!
Missus NOT happy - there's already a cupboard somewhere in the house with vast numbers of tapes of all of the WC & EC's going back to about '86.