I'm officially bored of travelling away with Reading

[M4 Junction 11]

if you studied sport and society (sociology) you would be on my knowledge level

couldn't get that low if I tried.

doesnt suprise me coming from someone who sits in the west stand

I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you.

Are you suggesting fans who sit in the East stand are stupid

[Seal]

Of course. My priority is who I'm with as well, and having been to one game on my own when my mates were refused entry for being too lashed, I can speak from experience that it is who you are with who makes it!

Am I reading this right, a real loyal Reading fan who tells us all how we should behave doesn't actually enjoy the experience unless he has the right company. Could it be people ask you to sit down because they came to watch the football not for the social experience?

As someone who is: happy to go to a game on their own and talk to the people sitting around me; doesn't have the right dangly bits; has a back problem that makes standing for 90 minutes very uncomfortable and, believe it or not, wants to watch the football I apparently do not qualify in any way as an authority on football watching

Um, no...you are reading it very wrong.

I prefer to be there with my mates / family, it is more fun. I hardly think that is a ground breaking attitude. I have also never told anyone else how to behave, again, I have just stated what I prefer from my away trips.

I would also add that to suggest going to live football matches has nothing to do with it being a social experience is quite frankly ridiculous. The reason live football is so popular is because you get to combine watching a game and mixing socially with fellow fans.

[3 veesinarow]

You described fellow away fans as "daytrippers" in your second post on this thread...tell me that was meant as a compliment and not as a condescending remark and then you can lecture me on strength of argument.

You're right.

I shall retract my patronising comment about daytrippers,

Ta very much. As Floyd has stated, this is what fair and reasoned debate is all about. Would that much more of the discussions on this forum were conducted in such a manner, I am positive some relevant and pertinent points would be fairly received by most sensible people instead of the garbage that most come out with in response, from people such as Blue Army Wokingham, who dismiss reasoned answers as simply "stupid" without actually saying why.

[working class hero]

I hardly went away last season - and haven't bothered this year. And yet the 3 previous years I was at nearly all away games.

For me success has brought a change in clientele which I don't like..... I guess if we ever get relegated I will be able to go again without being surrounded by glory hunters pretending to have been at ELm Park [and I never went there as I am new to Reading and always used to work on Saturdays...]

Still credit to those who go and back the team.

Anyone else feel that last season [whilst enjoyable] was too predictable and that this season is a bit less enjoyable than a tense Championship finish?

[SWLR]

a tense Championship finish?

Must have missed that - it was a stroll in the park. Danger this season is it peetering out.

[boycey]

This club has turned soft .
Since when has a child been gauranteed to see 100% of the action?
parents should take kids to the football knowing that they might not get a good view and are likely to hear bad language .

[SWLR]

This club has turned soft .
Since when has a child been gauranteed to see 100% of the action?
parents should take kids to the football knowing that they might not get a good view and are likely to hear bad language .

Don't think anyone has claimed any of that (if you see my post a few pages back I make the opposite point) -

the issue is showing some consideration for other people

- i.e. the sit-down crowd should recognise a desire to stand-up at times to chant specific songs/ etc - it is a football match; the stand-up mob should have some consideration for those around them who are not tall, fat, yobs in their 20's. That's all.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

Within 5 seconds of kick off the bloke in front of me says "Do you mind if we stand?". No, says virtually everyone in the viciinity except this rancid old hag behind who cackles "I do". And then proceeded to complain loudly everytime anyone stood during the game.

Row 24. You know who you are.

I've had some outstanding away trips in recent years, but pretty much every single one this year has been shite. Fulham was excellent, but i was in the neutral section for that.

I don't think I'll bother in future.

Responding to the original post.

I too have become rather bored of Reading Away and Reading at home really. I really only ever come out for a beer and a chance to shout things at people who cant beat me up. This has nothing to do with being unable to stand in front of Woodcote Royal or the daytrippers at Arsenal, but just the general Premiership experience, which Ive found tremendously disappointing.

I cant really get excited about whether we are going to finish higher than 12th this year. The predictability of the results in this league may be good for my gambling account, but it doesnt do much to justify the rest of the day out. And, certainly, away from home, its all rather routine. Travel, see game, watch rather rich men missing cows arses with a banjo, go home, repeat on MOTD. Long gone are the days of the little add ons that used to be added to your day out to mask the fact that you were actually a grown man paying a lot of money to see Matt Robinson start against Chesterfield. There is no longer the pre match piss up with one policeman (if youre lucky) in attendence, no longer can you be guaranteed a chat and a share around of Stella on the train. No longer is there that spare seat at the back of the stand if you want to stand and no longer is there that leisurely walk back to the station, in your own time, stopping on the way.

In fact, unless we can pull 20 million out of our arse or Madejski goes on some crooked venture that threatens the future of our club, next year is going to be all about the same, until we become like Everton and do this same thing every year until I die.

Id actually, rather be back in the Championship.

[RoyalBlue]

I really don't think we need another thread on this do we? JSC it's about time you realised that football has changed. The people who go now want to sit for 90 minutes and spectate, and they're more than happy to pay increasingly ridiculous amounts of money to do so. Participation is a thing of the past. In soulless bowls around the country people are breaking open the picnic hampers. Get used to it my friend.

Like to see you try to take a picnic hamper into a football game at the Mad Stad!

[westendgirl]

I would never dream of standing up and blocking someone's view at a home match, but away from home I think people should accept that things are bit more old school.

If you don't like it, stick to home games or try and get a seat at the front.

I have also never told anyone else how to behave, again, I have just stated what I prefer from my away trips.

Sorry I think that telling people to stay at home if they don't like the way you want things is telling people how to behave - my mistake

[Stranded]

I would never dream of standing up and blocking someone's view at a home match, but away from home I think people should accept that things are bit more old school.

If you don't like it, stick to home games or try and get a seat at the front.

I have also never told anyone else how to behave, again, I have just stated what I prefer from my away trips.

Sorry I think that telling people to stay at home if they don't like the way you want things is telling people how to behave - my mistake

Where in those quotes has he told people to stay at home?

[SpaceCruiser]

Id actually, rather be back in the Championship.

You want us to be relegated?!?!?

[3 veesinarow]

This picnic hamper thing is another dimension, really. Most of the chatter on this thread, as with the gazillion other threads about the same subject, accuses kids, families, older people, people with some disability that prevents them standing for longer periods - and, actually, people that simply do prefer to sit now that they have a seat to sit on - of destroying the shared experience of attending football matches, home or away.
The trouble is, those type of people have been going to games since time immemorial and that won't change. It's the set-up of the stadia and the attitudes and policies of clubs/health & safety zealots that have changed the experience, not the people attending as fans and spectators.
It's not picnic hamper carriers that sit in the open stands, is it? (and FFS, drop the lunchbox/colours & shirt-wearing observations - they are so tedious and irrational). It's the soulless corporate boxes and their client entertainment that are taking over the stadia, using up space that would otherwise have been occupied by ordinary seats and dare I say, ordinary folk. They're only going to increase, you'll never see a box taken out except to be improved/expanded.
In the Good Old Days (copyright - Elm Park folklore), the ground was 80% terracing, 20% recycled wooden benches and the only executive boxes were the ones the kids used to stand on to see. Most people didn't have a choice about whether to stand or sit and it was all part of the accepted norm.
Reserved seating is, of course, the bane of the away supporter as it does not allow groups of like-minded supporters to congregate together and perhaps more lobby groups should ask for this policy to be dropped for away fans. It won't happen, however, as they will tell you it's easier to control a crowd when the hoolies and standers are spread out across the away end and unable to come together. This, of course, works against the sitters for the very same reason, as with almost no exception, they will not move someone to a seat nearer the front, as that allows the standers to move together into the swopped seats.
Bemoan the way the modern game is run, rage at the money being thrown at the top end of the game, rail against the souless corporate branding of stadia, yearn for nostalgia - which it ain't what it used to be - but please, please leave alone the individuals who are just trying to watch a game of football and have spent as much hard-earned cash as you to get there or have been taken by their parents because they want to be there. If they're at an away game, they've put in some effort to get there. They deserve much better than they get from "fellow" fans.

[Riseley]

I rush from my job promoting Tango to hotfoot it to a play off semi-final at Wigan and years later face accusations of Plasticity. Messers Sue, Grabbit and Run will be in my employ at the soonest opportunity if an apology is not forthcoming.

[southbank1871]

This picnic hamper thing is another dimension, really. Most of the chatter on this thread, as with the gazillion other threads about the same subject, accuses kids, families, older people, people with some disability that prevents them standing for longer periods - and, actually, people that simply do prefer to sit now that they have a seat to sit on - of destroying the shared experience of attending football matches, home or away.
The trouble is, those type of people have been going to games since time immemorial and that won't change. It's the set-up of the stadia and the attitudes and policies of clubs/health & safety zealots that have changed the experience, not the people attending as fans and spectators.
It's not picnic hamper carriers that sit in the open stands, is it? (and FFS, drop the lunchbox/colours & shirt-wearing observations - they are so tedious and irrational). It's the soulless corporate boxes and their client entertainment that are taking over the stadia, using up space that would otherwise have been occupied by ordinary seats and dare I say, ordinary folk. They're only going to increase, you'll never see a box taken out except to be improved/expanded.
In the Good Old Days (copyright - Elm Park folklore), the ground was 80% terracing, 20% recycled wooden benches and the only executive boxes were the ones the kids used to stand on to see. Most people didn't have a choice about whether to stand or sit and it was all part of the accepted norm.
Reserved seating is, of course, the bane of the away supporter as it does not allow groups of like-minded supporters to congregate together and perhaps more lobby groups should ask for this policy to be dropped for away fans. It won't happen, however, as they will tell you it's easier to control a crowd when the hoolies and standers are spread out across the away end and unable to come together. This, of course, works against the sitters for the very same reason, as with almost no exception, they will not move someone to a seat nearer the front, as that allows the standers to move together into the swopped seats.
Bemoan the way the modern game is run, rage at the money being thrown at the top end of the game, rail against the souless corporate branding of stadia, yearn for nostalgia - which it ain't what it used to be - but please, please leave alone the individuals who are just trying to watch a game of football and have spent as much hard-earned cash as you to get there or have been taken by their parents because they want to be there. If they're at an away game, they've put in some effort to get there. They deserve much better than they get from "fellow" fans.

Won't be reading that

[Arch]

In the Good Old Days (copyright - Elm Park folklore), the ground was 80% terracing, 20% recycled wooden benches and 60% empty

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

Id actually, rather be back in the Championship.

You want us to be relegated?!?!?

How very observant of you. Spotter's badge.

[Mr Angry]

I rush from my job promoting Tango to hotfoot it to a play off semi-final at Wigan and years later face accusations of Plasticity. Messers Sue, Grabbit and Run will be in my employ at the soonest opportunity if an apology is not forthcoming.

As the club said last season

Bring it on.

( - does that make me even more of a plastic cos I referred to soemthing that others deemed to be plastic???)

[Behindu]

In the Good Old Days (copyright - Elm Park folklore), the ground was 80% terracing, 20% recycled wooden benches and 60% empty

With a row of corporate boxes running along the back of the North Stand for about as long as I can recall....

[Henleyensian]

This picnic hamper thing is another dimension, really. Most of the chatter on this thread, as with the gazillion other threads about the same subject, accuses kids, families, older people, people with some disability that prevents them standing for longer periods - and, actually, people that simply do prefer to sit now that they have a seat to sit on - of destroying the shared experience of attending football matches, home or away.
The trouble is, those type of people have been going to games since time immemorial and that won't change. It's the set-up of the stadia and the attitudes and policies of clubs/health & safety zealots that have changed the experience, not the people attending as fans and spectators.
It's not picnic hamper carriers that sit in the open stands, is it? (and FFS, drop the lunchbox/colours & shirt-wearing observations - they are so tedious and irrational). It's the soulless corporate boxes and their client entertainment that are taking over the stadia, using up space that would otherwise have been occupied by ordinary seats and dare I say, ordinary folk. They're only going to increase, you'll never see a box taken out except to be improved/expanded.
In the Good Old Days (copyright - Elm Park folklore), the ground was 80% terracing, 20% recycled wooden benches and the only executive boxes were the ones the kids used to stand on to see. Most people didn't have a choice about whether to stand or sit and it was all part of the accepted norm.
Reserved seating is, of course, the bane of the away supporter as it does not allow groups of like-minded supporters to congregate together and perhaps more lobby groups should ask for this policy to be dropped for away fans. It won't happen, however, as they will tell you it's easier to control a crowd when the hoolies and standers are spread out across the away end and unable to come together. This, of course, works against the sitters for the very same reason, as with almost no exception, they will not move someone to a seat nearer the front, as that allows the standers to move together into the swopped seats.
Bemoan the way the modern game is run, rage at the money being thrown at the top end of the game, rail against the souless corporate branding of stadia, yearn for nostalgia - which it ain't what it used to be - but please, please leave alone the individuals who are just trying to watch a game of football and have spent as much hard-earned cash as you to get there or have been taken by their parents because they want to be there. If they're at an away game, they've put in some effort to get there. They deserve much better than they get from "fellow" fans.

Won't be reading that

Pity!