29/5/95

[Frustrated_Royal]

Was there. Painful. Woke up each morning for a week after and that was the first thought in my head.

Archie put a penalty against Swindon in the other corner a few weeks back and thought he'd do the same... oh well.

Cracking game, we really did deserve to go up.

[brighton_royal]

Cheers Floyd, POTM, made my palms go sweaty just reading it and remembering.

[1871 Royal]

29/5/95 has another significant day to me.

It was my 4th birthday.

[Scylla]

I was living near Prenton Park and blamed Reading FC (Who?) for holding me up on the motorway some weeks earlier.

[Blue&White Mage]

I was there with my dad, I was 8...
Not ashamed to say I cried,

but we're in the prem now and who knows with elm park, we might not have done too well going up, and would we have been allowed to use elm park?

[Maguire]

I got completely shitfaced and can barely remember any of the game.

Wouldn't catch me doing that these days though.

*cough*

[Daniella]

But it was also the best day because I got to sing 'You're gonna die soon, you're gonna die soon, I'm not' very loudly at an elderly Bolton fan who was goating after the match. Think it might have been Nat Lofthouse. I still smile when I think about it. What inspirational wit.

I was 16 at the time.

Probably dead now. How do you feel?

[tom_t69]

I was 4 at the time nearly 5 so i cant remember it too well but my mum told me i was sobbig my eyes out for the rest of the day. i went along to elm park soon after and have been a regular since

[Royal With Cheese]

I left Wambley thinking that we blew the only chance in my lifetime we had of reacing the top flight of English football.

It took me a couple of years to get over it.

[savage 4 england]

I'm just glad our team now doesn't know when it's beaten.

[Daniella]

I'm just glad our team now doesn't know when it's beaten.

I thought when thierry henry netted his penalty at the madejski, they had some pretty clear indication.

[Jackson Corner]

I was 10 at the time and watched it on Sky Sports round my friends

It wasn't on SKY in those days ITV with Brian Moore and Ron the rascist on commentry.

[Katie Marsden]

"Nogans done well, he's done really well... he's scored a super goal"

[Jackson Corner]

Great memories: The pub before the game outnumberd Bolton 4-1, singing our hearts out, the hoops coming out of the tunnell to a sea of blue and white tears in my eyes. A superb first half of football, Nogans brilliant goal playing Bolton off the park.
Bad
Archies pen, 4 minutes from the Premiership, extra time, heart sinking stomach churning feeling at the end. The drive back in total silence this was our one chance at the big time and we blew it............

[Compo's Hat]

That game was my first time watching Reading.

Got up there in plenty of time with my Dad and my brother, driving through the pubs flooded with Royals fans that were almost spilling on to the roads. That's when i got really excited.

Think we were sat in the family section that day and had our pLOLastic scarfs (one of which i still have as a souvenir of the day) and hats.

Didn't know many players at the time ahving only seen a few games on the sunday match on ITV back then. still it was a great game, even though we did lose that day.

Going to have to see if the photo's from that day are still lying about somewhere.

[Noggin the Nog]

We played brilliantly to go 2-0 up. It was like a dream. It was magic. Then that penalty miss. Doubts crept in. The whole game changed. Bolton could smell our fear. At the end I cried in my garage in Old Basing. My bastard brother in law phoned singing "Come on Bolton". Bastard. Whatever happens to Reading, I'll never ever forget that afternoon. I was 43.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

What a day.

I've already posted on this over the years so I won't go over old ground. Some memories of the day:

1. Wembley was amazing in size but awful in appearance. It was really run down - not what I expected at the time.

2. McAteer and Thomson were a disgrace that day. Both should have been sent off. Missing the penalty wasn't the defining moment; loosing half of out attacking and creative force was.

3. That first half of football remains the best I've ever seen us play. Simply outstanding.

4. Getting chucked back into the Monks back in 'ding was amusing and still makes me chuckLOLe.

[Tutti Frutti]

Just a great day. It took until last year to mature, because of all the pain associated with losing what I thought of as our only chance back then (no infrastructure, mad stad not even on the horizon, in the play-offs on a promotion bounce from Div 2). In retrospect though, we were magnificant and lost only through a string of poor luck - injury after injury, poor penalty, that cheating gobby little o*ford McAteer not sent off...

Moment of the day - when we went 2-0 up, Big Ern turned to me and said "you do realise we are still going to lose". Mind you, he tries that trick every time, and was wrong about Brentford and just about every game in 2006.

[brendywendy]

I was 10 at the time and watched it on Sky Sports round my friends

it wasnt on sky sports

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

I was 10 at the time and watched it on Sky Sports round my friends

it wasnt on sky sports

Good call - ITV and Brian Moore.