Legends

[Barry the bird boggler]

How long before a player can be classed by fans as a legend for the club?

Can they be classed as a legend while still playing here?

What would grant them legend status; a goal? consistency? length of time at the club? one particular performance?

Can management be granted legend status?

Personally I think legend status on a player can only be given after they've left although it may well be apparent that they would be a legend while still playing.

Such status can also be conferred on management but in all cases any Reading fan should agree the player/manager was a legend.

As we know there have been a number down the years such as Maurice Evans, Steve Death, Martin Hicks, Robin Friday, Phil Parkinson etc. but is there a definitive list? should perhaps there be one detailing the player/manager and reason for inclusion?

Anyway if there was a list who should be on it? By its nature there should be only a select few names from the down the years and in Reading's case I reckon 25 since formation in 1871 would be reasonable.

For actions made on the non-playing/team management side of things, special mention should also be made of John Madejski for what he has done in bringing Reading on and Roger Smee & Roy Tranter for quite simply managing to save the club 25 years ago!

[Royal Rother]

Consistency c/w Length of Service.

[papereyes]

I'd argue that burning brightly before being snuffed out often results in legendary status being assigned.

[Sun Tzu]

Umpteen reasons.

Different to a 'Hall of Fame' thing which I would agree would be length of service and excellence.

Legend is all about a player who the fans still talk about years after they have moved on.

You can be a 'legend' despite having played not many games, or even not been very good.

One moment can see you rise to the status of Legend.

Uwe Hartenberger, Billy Whitehurst, Ollie Kearns - legends all

[SCIAG]

There's no way of saying for sure as it's so opinionated.

This club has two former players who are undisputably legends- Friday and Death. Most people will add more ofc, I'd have a list of 10-15, but those two are our really legendary players who you can't leave out. Parkinson and Senior would be just behind, as would Blackwell if he had played more recently I'm sure.

Williams, Hicks, Parky and Murty would all be considered legends for their length of service (as well as their ability ofc).

Players like Quinn, Caskey and Senior could be considered legends due to their goal tallies. I think most people would include mostly strikers and goalscoring midfielders.

Then there's players who'd get legendary status just for their ability- Dariusz, Little, Cummings, Shaka.

Likeable players would get in their quicker- Shaka, Gilkes and Marcus, for example.

Players who were in successful sides are normally legendary. I think a good number of the 94/95 squad and the 05/06/07 team will be/are legendary.

Then you have those who are simply given great auras, are talented, fans favourites, possibly record holders, the sort who your dad would tell you about on the day of your first match. Friday would certainly fall into this catergory, as would Death, Senior, Bomber Reeves. These tend to be the greatest legends of all, eternal hyperbole, become greater and greater with every generation as their feats are exaggerated Chinese-whisper stylee.

Yes, a player can be a legend whilst he's at the club- Murty and Hahnemann are legendary as far as I care, and I would have said the same for Little, Kitson and probably Shorey a year ago. Speaking of Shorey, the way a player leaves is important- if they play for a move they would probably affect their status.

As for management, well, obviously successful managers will be the most legendary. Here we have Evans and Coppell. Madejski and probably Smee would also be considered legends.

So, to conclude, my list would be: Friday, Death, Senior, Reeves, Parky, Williams, Shaka, Quinn, Hicks, Cummings, Dariusz, Murty, Little, Kitson, Blackwell, Caskey, Coppell, Smee, Evans, Madejski and the whole of the 05-06 and 94-95 squads (I'm aware that some of the players mentioned fall into one of those). Fwiw I didn't see six of those players play or Evans manage, which emphasises their legendariness.

[The Rouge]

(3Brilliance + 3Loyalty + 2Consistency + Likeability) x Early Death
------------------------------------------------------------
(Mercenary Nature + love affair with another club)

[OzBiscuit2004]

Dylan Kerr (my lord) will always be a RFC legend for joining in the chanting away at Bristol City when he was injured.

[Ian Royal]

Combination of:

Consistent performance
Noticibility of performance
Level of specific performances
Length of service.

You wouldn't need to play for a club that long, if you were consistently fantastic and pulling off show stopping tricks/scoring goals/making crunching (but fair) tackles. (Little)

Equally if you consistently put in solid performances over 10 years, but weren't spectacular or of a quality significantly greater than others (Murty) you could still be a Legend

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Dylan Kerr (my lord) will always be a RFC legend for joining in the chanting away at Bristol City when he was injured.

Joined the fans at Luton and led the chanting as well.

[facaldaqui]

You can definitely be a legend without length of service: Jenkins, Dixon. Long service at Reading almost presumes lack of brilliance, or you'd be snapped up.

You can even be a bit of a legend without either long service or talent. Percy Freeman comes to mind.

[Royalee]

Shaka Hislop
Mark McGhee
Jimmy Quinn
Mick Gooding
Simon Osborn
Dariusz Wdowczyk
Scott Taylor
Adie Williams
Stuart Lovell
Nicky Foster
Graeme Murty
Martin Butler
Jamie Cureton
Nicky Shorey
Marcus Hahnemann
Glen Little
Barry Hunter for his Cuckoo Lane End appearance
Kevin Dillon
Kevin Doyle
Dave Kitson
Phil Parkinson

[Royal Rother]

Umpteen reasons.

Different to a 'Hall of Fame' thing which I would agree would be length of service and excellence.

Legend is all about a player who the fans still talk about years after they have moved on.

You can be a 'legend' despite having played not many games, or even not been very good.

One moment can see you rise to the status of Legend.

Uwe Hartenberger, Billy Whitehurst, Ollie Kearns - legends all

Hartenberger and Whitehurst? The o/p suggested max of 25 legends for the club, not 250.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Dylan Kerr (my lord) will always be a RFC legend for joining in the chanting away at Bristol City when he was injured.

One of my favorite days as a Reading fan and he was the most pissed up guy in the stand!!

[SLAMMED]

LLE Poce Bets = Legend

[Jackson Corner]

Gorden Neate and Ron Grant. They are the lifeblood of a club like ours.

[Gunny Fishcake]

Shaka Hislop
Mark McGhee
Jimmy Quinn
Mick Gooding
Simon Osborn
Dariusz Wdowczyk
Scott Taylor
Adie Williams
Stuart Lovell
Nicky Foster
Graeme Murty
Martin Butler
Jamie Cureton
Nicky Shorey
Marcus Hahnemann
Glen Little
Barry Hunter for his Cuckoo Lane End appearance
Kevin Dillon
Kevin Doyle
Dave Kitson
Phil Parkinson

A compehensive list that does not include Robin Friday !!

Legends don't have to be great players , like Dylan Kerr and Gilksey , I'll have to think about others

[poohs pure]

How long before a player can be classed by fans as a legend for the club?

Can they be classed as a legend while still playing here?

What would grant them legend status; a goal? consistency? length of time at the club? one particular performance?

Can management be granted legend status?

Personally I think legend status on a player can only be given after they've left although it may well be apparent that they would be a legend while still playing.

Such status can also be conferred on management but in all cases any Reading fan should agree the player/manager was a legend.

As we know there have been a number down the years such as Maurice Evans, Steve Death, Martin Hicks, Robin Friday, Phil Parkinson etc. but is there a definitive list? should perhaps there be one detailing the player/manager and reason for inclusion?

Anyway if there was a list who should be on it? By its nature there should be only a select few names from the down the years and in Reading's case I reckon 25 since formation in 1871 would be reasonable.

For actions made on the non-playing/team management side of things, special mention should also be made of John Madejski for what he has done in bringing Reading on and Roger Smee & Roy Tranter for quite simply managing to save the club 25 years ago!

if i were wolves fan (thankfully i have blue and white hooped blood) i would say someone like steve bull is a legend. Who would be comparable to bully for us is the question i am asking myself and you know the list is not huge.

[Amongst the sheep]

Massively overused expression. Now applies to ANY former footballer who appears in the media to give their opinion. EG Now on Talk Sport we talk to (insert club name here) legend. No longer is it former Chelsea forward Kerry Dixon it would be Chelsea Legend Kerry Dixon. for example

[Agent Balti]

Didn't someone suggest that Cisse was a Legend a while back? Not even close.

Players like Kerr, Parkinson, Murty are modern day heroes for the club. Not necessarily for how they performed week in, week out but for their affinity with the fans, they way they connected with 'us' as people, not just faceless punters who just so happened paid their wages.

[Ian Royal]

Since I've been going I'd consider:

Shaka Hislop
Adie Williams
Michael Gilkes
Dylan Kerr (maybe)
Phil Parkinson
Graeme Murty
Dave Kitson (tarnished at the end)
James Harper (maybe)
Marcus Hahnemann
Jamie Cureton
Kevin Doyle (not yet but has potential)
Glen Little (maybe)

Not many more really.