Cheering Owen before kick off

[Volvicanus]

Nothing wrong with it I thought. He's been a big part of the successes of England - and he's back so if you support ENgland, applauding him seems a no-brainer to me.

That aside, I thought he looked mouth-watering good, in that if that's how he looks in his first time back - can't wait to see how he's going to play. I thought overall he's physically looking so better balanced and strong - all very exciting I thought.

[West Stand Flash]

You dont clap an opposing player before a game. Its just wrong.

Sums up many Reading fans tho.

[Coppelled Streets]

You dont clap an opposing player before a game. Its just wrong.

Sums up many Reading fans tho.

Says the man that sits in the West Stand - The stand that claps!

How's your dad? We don't see him about with so little to moan about!

Good to see you BTW.

[Stranded]

You dont clap an opposing player before a game. Its just wrong.

Sums up many Reading fans tho.

So you've never clapped an ex-Reading player when he's returned to the club?

[RoyalBlue]

You dont clap an opposing player before a game. Its just wrong.

Sums up many Reading fans tho.

Didn't do any harm when Curo returned! He was so emotionally mixed up and confused by the reception that he got himself sent off!

[Millsy]

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Owen got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but opposing players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the World Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone forwards who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

He is (was) one of England's best strikers.

And the poor guy injured himself horrifically playing for our country.

As an England fan I can transcend the immediate circumstance and cheer the fact that his name has been called out after so long.

The only time to cheer for him would be when his name was called out surely as that moment would signify his return more than any other. After the match would mean very little.

Absolutely NOTHING wrong with it.

I take it those who say we should never cheer opposition players like this before a game would therefore not observe a silence for an opposition manager/ player etc who had nothing to do with us?

I'm proud of Reading fans that we cheered him. Nice one to all who did.

[Z-Head]

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Owen got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but opposing players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the World Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone forwards who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

He is (was) one of England's best strikers.

And the poor guy injured himself horrifically playing for our country.

As an England fan I can transcend the immediate circumstance and cheer the fact that his name has been called out after so long.

The only time to cheer for him would be when his name was called out surely as that moment would signify his return more than any other. After the match would mean very little.

Absolutely NOTHING wrong with it.

I take it those who say we should never cheer opposition players like this before a game would therefore not observe a silence for an opposition manager/ player etc who had nothing to do with us?

I'm proud of Reading fans that we cheered him. Nice one to all who did.

Well I think he's a tit!

[higher]

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Owen got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but opposing players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the World Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone forwards who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

He is (was) one of England's best strikers.

And the poor guy injured himself horrifically playing for our country.

As an England fan I can transcend the immediate circumstance and cheer the fact that his name has been called out after so long.

The only time to cheer for him would be when his name was called out surely as that moment would signify his return more than any other. After the match would mean very little.

Absolutely NOTHING wrong with it.

I take it those who say we should never cheer opposition players like this before a game would therefore not observe a silence for an opposition manager/ player etc who had nothing to do with us?

I'm proud of Reading fans that we cheered him. Nice one to all who did.

Well I think he's a tit!

LOL .Top tip: Dont build him a swimming pool or accuse him of being Svens Bum boy.

[Man Friday]

When an idiot argues against you it serves only to make you even more convinced of your own case (ala Z-Head and his/her puerile response).

[starbug]

Owen is one of the Premiership's and England's nicest, fairest & honest players. No-one will ever convince me contributing to a warm applause before the game for a player like that, recovering from a year long injury is wrong.

[Barry the bird boggler]

No problems at all, we all want Owen back in the England mix and was a great way to show that and perhaps also not have him even more fired up than necessary.

Of course if it were Andrew Johnson that'd be different.

[VOR]

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Owen got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but opposing players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the World Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone forwards who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

He is (was) one of England's best strikers.

And the poor guy injured himself horrifically playing for our country.

As an England fan I can transcend the immediate circumstance and cheer the fact that his name has been called out after so long.

The only time to cheer for him would be when his name was called out surely as that moment would signify his return more than any other. After the match would mean very little.

Absolutely NOTHING wrong with it.

I take it those who say we should never cheer opposition players like this before a game would therefore not observe a silence for an opposition manager/ player etc who had nothing to do with us?

I'm proud of Reading fans that we cheered him. Nice one to all who did.

Well I think he's a tit!

Mmm... closely-argued response, Z-Head!

Let's see, Jerry, Wonder-goal v Argentina 98, scared them to death again in 2002 and won the vital penalty, happy knack of scoring in the big games in all the big tournaments. Not bad for a "fair-to-middling forward". Being so one-eyed you would qualify for a role in Doctor Who does NOT make you a better Reading fan.

[Unmanageable Hair]

Seriously please explain how a striker with his exceptional goalscoring record is overrated?

I'm not denying his goalscoring record, but he hasn't exactly been the saviour of English football.

He's very good at scoring goals. That's all.

[Victor Meldrew]

Seriously please explain how a striker with his exceptional goalscoring record is overrated?

I'm not denying his goalscoring record, but he hasn't exactly been the saviour of English football.

He's very good at scoring goals. That's all.

I think you will find that is the whole point of the game of football unless you hadn't noticed or are you a Man City fan?

[RoyalBlue]

Seriously please explain how a striker with his exceptional goalscoring record is overrated?

I'm not denying his goalscoring record, but he hasn't exactly been the saviour of English football.

He's very good at scoring goals. That's all.

And how many times in the past year have England fans cried out for someone who is very good at scoring goals!

[Cookie]

Was anyone else perplexed by the rapturous applause Owen got when his name was read out before kick off?

Call me old fashioned, but opposing players should only be given this sort of reception in exceptional circumstances (i.e. they are Phil Parkinson or have just won the World Cup).

Not for fair-to-middling, injury-prone forwards who've played no previous part in Reading FC history whatsoever.

Well said.

[glass half full]

Owen is one of the Premiership's and England's nicest, fairest & honest players. No-one will ever convince me contributing to a warm applause before the game for a player like that, recovering from a year long injury is wrong.

Well said! I wholeheartedly agree. He is not seen every other week on the front page of the newspapers. It is good to see him coming back (Glad his 'goal' was disallowed for offside, though!)

[jumpers for goalposts]

This is just another stupid thread saying 'I am a better fan than you because.........' At the end of the day we all pay our money to go and watch the game, and if some people decide to give Owen a round of applause why does that affect you? For the love of God, get over it! Not all football fans are drones who are bound by this ridiculous 'code of honour' which some on this board seem to subscribe to!

[Millsy]

Total at some of the 'arguments' here.

Whether he's a saviour for England or he's the crappest player ever to put an England top, the fact is he has always tried his hardest and injured himself playing for his country.

So as decent England fans (alongside being Reading fans - most of us anyway) it is almost criminal not to have cheered his name being read out!

[firstdivision]

Nothing wrong at all with giving him a polite appreciation BEFORE the whistle.

The guy has been/can be a key player for the national team, and who more importantly has quietly got over a potentially career threatening injury with a lot of hard work and focus to return to a first team start (as it happens for Newcastle).

If you are so small minded that you cant see that in perspective then that is your issue. After the whistle blows he is an opposition striker who gets no support from me, before that time he is Michael Owen the sportsman.

If that makes me a worse fan than you I can live with it.

If he happens to suffer an embarrassing goal drought against us, then so be it