Que sera sera

[floyd__streete]

Well, a funny thing happened to me yesterday - for the first time in a couple of seasons I thoroughly enjoyed a match at the Madejski.

Playing against a side who are absolute certs to be promoted from our division this season, a side who beat us comfortably a matter of months ago, Reading played with plenty of b*llocks.....rather than playing absolute b*llocks as has so often been the case in recent times. Down to 10 men against a very decent team we all feared the worst especially as they had out-passed us to death after their first equaliser. But Reading lifted it again, Bryn drove us forward and West Brom capitulated in having their own man sent off and then we bossed them; this was a chance to make history and our players just weren't going to allow the opposition to put us out on our home turf. Great stuff.

And the crowd weren't going to be over-awed by 4,000 travelling supporters as boisterous as those Baggies fans always are. Our drones raised their game too, as we always tend to do against a big away support, and there wasn't even a god-awful chorus of how sh*t must you be to be heard. The Albion fans were giving it the billy big-b*llocks outside the ground, but only because they had been out-shouted inside when it mattered. Some good old fashioned abuse being chanted back and forth betwee East and South stand as we all streamed away from the ground; no-one got hurt, so happy days.

Some truly memorable moments yesterday. Kebe - rather aptly for someone who moves like sh*t off a shovel - now has the honour of scoring our fastest goal ever, which was bonkers in absolutely every way. Then the Church goal; everyone rose, waited, agonised as Carson raised a hand, and went potty as the scraps were swept home. Memorable.

Of course, Reading being Reading rarely does the big ocassion have a truly happy ending but the intial disappointment at narrowly failing to get the job done yesterday is tempered by the realisaton that we get another go at it and we have the incentive of today's brilliant home draw. Of course, we have no chance in the replay.....just like we had no chance at Anfield.

83 years. Several generations of RFC fans have never seen their team get to the last 8 of the cup. You can imagine that legendary supporters such as Roy Tranter and Frank Orton would have given that a huge thumbs up yesterday. I know I certainly did.

[Terminal Boardom]

Somewhat ironic that the last Reading player to score at Elm Park was Michael Meaker and now the fastest FA Cup goal in the main competition is Jummy Kebe. 2 unliklier record holders than any Reading fan could wish for!

[andrew1957]

Well, a funny thing happened to me yesterday - for the first time in a couple of seasons I thoroughly enjoyed a match at the Madejski.

Playing against a side who are absolute certs to be promoted from our division this season, a side who beat us comfortably a matter of months ago, Reading played with plenty of b*llocks.....rather than playing absolute b*llocks as has so often been the case in recent times. Down to 10 men against a very decent team we all feared the worst especially as they had out-passed us to death after their first equaliser. But Reading lifted it again, Bryn drove us forward and West Brom capitulated in having their own man sent off and then we bossed them; this was a chance to make history and our players just weren't going to allow the opposition to put us out on our home turf. Great stuff.

And the crowd weren't going to be over-awed by 4,000 travelling supporters as boisterous as those Baggies fans always are. Our drones raised their game too, as we always tend to do against a big away support, and there wasn't even a god-awful chorus of how sh*t must you be to be heard. The Albion fans were giving it the billy big-b*llocks outside the ground, but only because they had been out-shouted inside when it mattered. Some good old fashioned abuse being chanted back and forth betwee East and South stand as we all streamed away from the ground; no-one got hurt, so happy days.

Some truly memorable moments yesterday. Kebe - rather aptly for someone who moves like sh*t off a shovel - now has the honour of scoring our fastest goal ever, which was bonkers in absolutely every way. Then the Church goal; everyone rose, waited, agonised as Carson raised a hand, and went potty as the scraps were swept home. Memorable.

Of course, Reading being Reading rarely does the big ocassion have a truly happy ending but the intial disappointment at narrowly failing to get the job done yesterday is tempered by the realisaton that we get another go at it and we have the incentive of today's brilliant home draw. Of course, we have no chance in the replay.....just like we had no chance at Anfield.

83 years. Several generations of RFC fans have never seen their team get to the last 8 of the cup. You can imagine that legendary supporters such as Roy Tranter and Frank Orton would have given that a huge thumbs up yesterday. I know I certainly did.

Well said Floyd. Good to see that your glass is three quarters full today.

[Big Foot]

Good post floyd. Walking up to the ground it didn't feel like the occasion of being a 5th round cup draw but Kebe set the tone and I could all but taste the QF game when Reading hearts were broken.

Magic of the cup!

[Far Canal]

An excellent summary Floyd; a pleasure to read.

[Pseud O'Nym]

Bryn drove us forward and West Brom capitulated in having their own man sent off and then we bossed them

Yep, interesting that the only way a bloke 11 years his junior could deal with this slow, immobile has-been was to keep fouling him until he got sent off.

[Rawlie19]

Rawlie19 agrees completely with floyd__streete. A big thumbs up to that post. Top man.

[leww_rfc]

Very Good Post!

[AthleticoSpizz]

splendid

[seahawk10]

An excellent summary Floyd; a pleasure to read.

+1

Someone send that in to the Evening Post.

[Comfortably Numb]

Well, a funny thing happened to me yesterday - for the first time in a couple of seasons I thoroughly enjoyed a match at the Madejski.

Playing against a side who are absolute certs to be promoted from our division this season, a side who beat us comfortably a matter of months ago, Reading played with plenty of b*llocks.....rather than playing absolute b*llocks as has so often been the case in recent times. Down to 10 men against a very decent team we all feared the worst especially as they had out-passed us to death after their first equaliser. But Reading lifted it again, Bryn drove us forward and West Brom capitulated in having their own man sent off and then we bossed them; this was a chance to make history and our players just weren't going to allow the opposition to put us out on our home turf. Great stuff.

And the crowd weren't going to be over-awed by 4,000 travelling supporters as boisterous as those Baggies fans always are. Our drones raised their game too, as we always tend to do against a big away support, and there wasn't even a god-awful chorus of how sh*t must you be to be heard. The Albion fans were giving it the billy big-b*llocks outside the ground, but only because they had been out-shouted inside when it mattered. Some good old fashioned abuse being chanted back and forth betwee East and South stand as we all streamed away from the ground; no-one got hurt, so happy days.

Some truly memorable moments yesterday. Kebe - rather aptly for someone who moves like sh*t off a shovel - now has the honour of scoring our fastest goal ever, which was bonkers in absolutely every way. Then the Church goal; everyone rose, waited, agonised as Carson raised a hand, and went potty as the scraps were swept home. Memorable.

Of course, Reading being Reading rarely does the big ocassion have a truly happy ending but the intial disappointment at narrowly failing to get the job done yesterday is tempered by the realisaton that we get another go at it and we have the incentive of today's brilliant home draw. Of course, we have no chance in the replay.....just like we had no chance at Anfield.

83 years. Several generations of RFC fans have never seen their team get to the last 8 of the cup. You can imagine that legendary supporters such as Roy Tranter and Frank Orton would have given that a huge thumbs up yesterday. I know I certainly did.

Do you write for a living? If not, you should. Good work.

[glenroyal]

The only downer for me was Long's red card. I feel he succumbed to the physical needling he'd had right from the start - as the man in the spotlight - needs to rise above that kinda stuff. (But then I only listened to a comentary - what do I know ?)

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

The only downer for me was our fans singing "Que sera sera" after we went 2-1 up. I kept shouting shut up, the game's not over yet.

[LUX]

^^^^^^^Spacey, is this you?

[Tony Le Mesmer]

there were even about 3 occasions during the game when fans from Y26 right round to b14 were all singing together. Not heard that for a while!

[Stolp]

Happy days

[Hoop Blah]

That was like a proper football match...it just reminded me how much I've missed it over the last few years.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Shame we didn't get Portsmouth in the QFs then if we beat WBA and Portsmouth go bust we could have had a bye to the semis...

[Rawlie19]

Shame we didn't get Portsmouth in the QFs then if we beat WBA and Portsmouth go bust we could have had a bye to the semis...

First person I've heard say that...

I'd rather not get to another round via a bye, so pleased that if we overcome WBA then we get to face either Aston Villa or Crystal Palace. Both are very beatable if we can continue to have good days in the cup, whereas Chelsea would have been probably the worst team to come up against. Man City are a team I'd think we'd struggle against, but then if Stoke can contain them then I'm sure we could.

[Franchise FC]

Shame we didn't get Portsmouth in the QFs then if we beat WBA and Portsmouth go bust we could have had a bye to the semis...

First person I've heard say that...

I'd rather not get to another round via a bye, so pleased that if we overcome WBA then we get to face either Aston Villa or Crystal Palace. Both are very beatable if we can continue to have good days in the cup, whereas Chelsea would have been probably the worst team to come up against. Man City are a team I'd think we'd struggle against, but then if Stoke can contain them then I'm sure we could.

We're as good as Stoke