Nostalgia time - pix from the 78/79 Championship season

[Ark Royal]

Thirty seasons ago, Reading clinched the 4th Division Championship - the club's first trophy in 53 years. Steve Death also set a (then) record of 1103 minutes without conceding a goal behind a virtually unchanged back four of Gary Peters, Mark White, Martin Hicks and skipper Paul Bennett.

For those of you old enough to remember that memorable season, I have posted some pictures I have scanned from a souvenir edition of the Evening Post that I still have. I thought you might like to share some good memories, so take a peek at the Picasa web album link below.

Enjoy and hopefully thirty years on, 2008/09 will be another promotion-winning or even championship-winning season.

http://picasaweb.google.com/baz.greenaway/ReadingFCFourthDivisionChampionshipSeason197879?feat=directlink

[LUX]

lol I remember that photo spread. I was at every home game too.

for me 75-76>>>>>>>>>>78-79

[Soul Man]

Excellent post - great pics bringing back those happy memories

[Huntley & Palmer]

Thanks Baz

[PEARCEY]

Thanks from me as well. Really enjoyed looking at the pics and seeing not only Reading players from a by-gone age but higher profile names like Phil Boyer and Paul Reaney

[Victor Meldrew]

Thanks for those Ark.
The one I remember best is the League Cup win over top level Wolves who (unlike now) fielded a full side.
My two kids sat on the wall at the back of the Tilehurst End and we got there about 2 hours early to make sure of our places.
It's up there with some of our best cup performances along with a win over West Brom in the 60s and draws away at Man City in the 60s and 90s.
Results like those stay with you forever and that's why some of us still have a soft spot for cup competitions.

[Jackson Corner]

Great pics Reading v Doncaster was my first Reading game. What a great team that was. Shame we didn't have a decent chairman then who could have invested in the team we let Bennett and Shipley go signed no one, finished 7th the next year while Grimsby who finished 2nd in 78/79 went up as champions the following year.

[West Sussex Royal]

We had a good league cup run that year as well and outplayed Southampton at home but their keeper (Terry Gennoe?) had a blinder and it finished 0-0 and we lost the reply 2-0 which was my first away game - penned in at the Dell behind the goal.

Good midfield in those days - Bowman and Sanchez and Shipley on loan at the end of the season.

Also around 9 players played 40+ games so had a very settled team

[Ark Royal]

lol I remember that photo spread. I was at every home game too.

for me 75-76>>>>>>>>>>78-79

I will also be posting up pics from 75/76. Watch this space.

[Franchise FC]

The current weather and those pic's reminded me of the ridiculous weather wee had that season.

The Aldershot home game at Easter was played in scorching heat. The game at Port Vale in all kinds of stuff from sunshine to gales and snow.

[Ark Royal]

The current weather and those pic's reminded me of the ridiculous weather wee had that season.

The Aldershot home game at Easter was played in scorching heat. The game at Port Vale in all kinds of stuff from sunshine to gales and snow.

You're right. The Port Vale game was crazy - all four seasons in one afternoon. I remember the Friday night home game against Scunthorpe in March was played on a snow-covered pitch. Our only home defeat that season as well.

[PardewsLoveChild]

Thanks for the pics Ark Royal,superb.The Wimbledon home game which clinched the title was my first ever game,John Alexander scored the goal in a 1 - 0 win.

[Broxroyal]

The current weather and those pic's reminded me of the ridiculous weather wee had that season.

The Aldershot home game at Easter was played in scorching heat. The game at Port Vale in all kinds of stuff from sunshine to gales and snow.

And the Grimsby game was a very, very wet evening. Four high quality finishes from John Alexander. I thought he was going to be a real star but injuries prevented that happening.

[Schards#2]

Thanks for the pics Ark Royal,superb.The Wimbledon home game which clinched the title was my first ever game,John Alexander scored the goal in a 1 - 0 win.

Surely Port Vale away was the title clincher?

A vintage season with that Grimsby game one of the most memorable, being a top of the table clash.

[Ark Royal]

Thanks for the pics Ark Royal,superb.The Wimbledon home game which clinched the title was my first ever game,John Alexander scored the goal in a 1 - 0 win.

Surely Port Vale away was the title clincher?

A vintage season with that Grimsby game one of the most memorable, being a top of the table clash.

Yes, we clinched the title after Grimsby lost at home to Doncaster that same day.

[JC]

Nice to see pictures of Ollie Kearns doing what he did best - scoring goals!

[PardewsLoveChild]

Thanks for the pics Ark Royal,superb.The Wimbledon home game which clinched the title was my first ever game,John Alexander scored the goal in a 1 - 0 win.

Surely Port Vale away was the title clincher?

A vintage season with that Grimsby game one of the most memorable, being a top of the table clash.

Yes, we clinched the title after Grimsby lost at home to Doncaster that same day.

You're right,i'm wrong,don't know what i'm talking about Anyway,that was my first game............

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Thnaks for posting these, sonme great pics, especially the colour photo of the Portsmouth game at Elm Park the southbank looks rammed.

This was a year before i started going, my first game was in 1979/80.

Sad to think how rapidly the club declined after that season, almost to extinction. 25,000 in the cup in 78, 4 years on only 1,800 turned up for a league game against Preston.

[Ark Royal]

Thnaks for posting these, sonme great pics, especially the colour photo of the Portsmouth game at Elm Park the southbank looks rammed.

This was a year before i started going, my first game was in 1979/80.

Sad to think how rapidly the club declined after that season, almost to extinction. 25,000 in the cup in 78, 4 years on only 1,800 turned up for a league game against Preston.

The period from '80 up until '85 was dreadful and I genuinely feared for the club's survival. The 81/82 and 82/83 teams were the worst Reading teams ever.

[Ark Royal]

Thnaks for posting these, sonme great pics, especially the colour photo of the Portsmouth game at Elm Park the southbank looks rammed.

This was a year before i started going, my first game was in 1979/80.

Sad to think how rapidly the club declined after that season, almost to extinction. 25,000 in the cup in 78, 4 years on only 1,800 turned up for a league game against Preston.

What I remember from my view in B stand was that most of the crowd in the South Bank appeared to be Pompey!