Shhh! We're Reading.

[Scarface]

I agree with you. There is a complete lack of noise at our home games. I'm one of only about 5 people near me who sing, and 2 of those sit next to me. I used to try and motivate people to stand and sing on here, and my comments were met with nothing but hostility and sarcasm.

Perhaps we're a town full of middle class people who don't like to stand out from the crowd, or perhaps we have a town full extra-ordinarily shy people.

It would be good to get a big following, to start really making some noise, to start filling away ends on our travels and really pushing out team on.

A majority of Stoke fans are blokes, where at Reading I reckon we have a higher proportion of kids and women and in a small ish crowd, this makes a difference.

[loyalroyal4life]

There's nothing wrong with this thread

What IS wrong is the massive abuse starting such threads gets, which is indicative of the real problem with Reading fans...

We're largely a bunch of Southern Softies who hate the idea of being too passionate. Even talking about it makes us cringe let alone actually opening our mouths, risking our affluent posh southern reserved reputations and joining in with a chant or two except for when we're winning 4-0 at home perhaps.

What's the use of such threads which happen to point out one of the most important shortcomings of our beloved club? The more we point it out and discuss it the more likely it is we'll actually do something about it, whether it be a singing section, better acoustics, shifting stands, 'bringing back the southbank' etc etc...

unfortunately any such thread here will result in you being told to "shut and and be quiet", just as is the case pretty much on the stands.

+1

If only someone would represent this point with motivation and passion to STAR. I would join up just for this reason but sense i would just be wasting my time... maybe a long serving STAR member could take this forward??

[1960]

I was at the first prem game against Middlesbrough. For the first 20 minutes we were as gobsmacked as the players, but when we started to get back into it the noise was amazing. The stands were literally (and yes, I do mean literally) shaking. I'm sure we would be the same if we were beating Arsenal.

[Sarah Star]

I agree with you. There is a complete lack of noise at our home games. I'm one of only about 5 people near me who sing, and 2 of those sit next to me. I used to try and motivate people to stand and sing on here, and my comments were met with nothing but hostility and sarcasm.

Perhaps we're a town full of middle class people who don't like to stand out from the crowd, or perhaps we have a town full extra-ordinarily shy people.

It would be good to get a big following, to start really making some noise, to start filling away ends on our travels and really pushing out team on.

A majority of Stoke fans are blokes, where at Reading I reckon we have a higher proportion of kids and women and in a small ish crowd, this makes a difference.

Until you can prove this makes a difference I'm afraid I just don't believe that this is true.

[PlasticRoyale]

Not being funny but sky+hd engineers can only judge by what they hear through there microphones.
Going from memory, when we had televised premiership matches on Sky, they always had microphones infrom of the away south. Not all the time were the microphones infront of the loudest part of the east.

Most of the mics were in front of the away end and the South East corner. They then had a few mics along the East stand. Used to work as a sound engineer so am pretty geeky about mics and took notice of their placement.

Having recently watched Escape to Victory (again) i can confirm that when the Nazi's scored no one in the stadium cheered, the crowd noise was added by the sound engineer. Draw your own conclusions

[philM]

There's nothing wrong with this thread

We're largely a bunch of Southern Softies who hate the idea of being too passionate. Even talking about it makes us cringe let alone actually opening our mouths, risking our affluent posh southern reserved reputations and joining in with a chant or two except for when we're winning 4-0 at home perhaps.

That is one big old chip on your shoulder mate.

Reading fans are as capable of passion as any other human being. The away fans showed it at Fulham, and at that day at Derby which shall never be mentioned.

The home crowd doesn't show it often, but that doesn't mean they can't or won't, They will, and they have done when it matters enough to enough people.

Apart from that bloody bell at Pompey, no-one keeps the noise levels peaking throughout a game unless the crowd value the result enough, eg European finals, relegation and promotion battles etc.

Reading fans are no different to the rest of the football fans these days, we have the same old-skool cliques, the new young kids, families, and yes even women!

Have you been to many away matches? I don't see anyone consistently "better" than us. I was surprised by the lack of atmosphere in nearly all the Prem grounds I went to. White Hart lane was good round Christmas, but that was because both matches were filled with crazy passionate football!

[loyalroyal4life]

There's nothing wrong with this thread

We're largely a bunch of Southern Softies who hate the idea of being too passionate. Even talking about it makes us cringe let alone actually opening our mouths, risking our affluent posh southern reserved reputations and joining in with a chant or two except for when we're winning 4-0 at home perhaps.

That is one big old chip on your shoulder mate.

Reading fans are as capable of passion as any other human being. The away fans showed it at Fulham, and at that day at Derby which shall never be mentioned.

The home crowd doesn't show it often, but that doesn't mean they can't or won't, They will, and they have done when it matters enough to enough people.

Apart from that bloody bell at Pompey, no-one keeps the noise levels peaking throughout a game unless the crowd value the result enough, eg European finals, relegation and promotion battles etc.

Reading fans are no different to the rest of the football fans these days, we have the same old-skool cliques, the new young kids, families, and yes even women!

Have you been to many away matches? I don't see anyone consistently "better" than us. I was surprised by the lack of atmosphere in nearly all the Prem grounds I went to. White Hart lane was good round Christmas, but that was because both matches were filled with crazy passionate football!

Agree that home support has potential to show passion, i think it is up to the club to help make this happen as mentioned with previous idea of segregation of some sort for particularly vocal fans.

[RTFC Drummer]

If you want to make some noise come down to Scours Lane!!!

[brendywendy]

shup drummer.



just sing and clap abit people, thats all, it doesnt hurt you, or even taint your enjoyment of the game
may as well sit at home and listen on t'radio otherwise

[watfordroyal]

In the Champ season & in the Prem, I used to have to sit in the South, and the noise generated by the East was pretty impressive, but you couldn't hear the North all that well. Whereas, when sat in the North the East doesn't sound very loud, yet the South does.

So, I've decided it depends where you sit and now I'm back in the East, I sing if I wanna sing or just listen if I can't be bothered.

The players must hear us, coz it's often only a few singing Wally or Marcus or whoever "What's the score?" etc. for them to respond, and that's what matters, doesn't it?

[Row Z Royal]

There's nothing wrong with this thread

Yes, there is. It's boring.

A-motherfucking-men

We're largely a bunch of Southern Softies who hate the idea of being too passionate. Even talking about it makes us cringe let alone actually opening our mouths, risking our affluent posh southern reserved reputations and joining in with a chant or two except for when we're winning 4-0 at home perhaps..

Have you considered that we're just -ologists of football?

[Royalshow]

shup drummer.



just sing and clap abit people, thats all, it doesnt hurt you, or even taint your enjoyment of the game
may as well sit at home and listen on t'radio otherwise

I don't thinks its the clapping we need to worry about.Most people seems to have grasped that concept. Exercising the vocal cords still needs promotion though.I'm bringing Coppell along tonight.You can oxf*rd over him with us if you like.

[chandog]

shup drummer.



just sing and clap abit people, thats all, it doesnt hurt you, or even taint your enjoyment of the game
may as well sit at home and listen on t'radio otherwise

I don't thinks its the clapping we need to worry about.Most people seems to have grasped that concept. Exercising the vocal cords still needs promotion though.I'm bringing Coppell along tonight.You can oxf*rd over him with us if you like.

it would take a seriously brave person to stand up and sing in the mad stad
imagine all the disapproving looks they would get from those "fans" who want to enjoy the game
you would get thrown out for ruining other peoples pleasant experience of the game

[brendywendy]

shup drummer.



just sing and clap abit people, thats all, it doesnt hurt you, or even taint your enjoyment of the game
may as well sit at home and listen on t'radio otherwise

I don't thinks its the clapping we need to worry about.Most people seems to have grasped that concept. Exercising the vocal cords still needs promotion though.I'm bringing Coppell along tonight.You can oxf*rd over him with us if you like.

agreed the majority are damn good clappers

but there are plenty around us who literally do nowt all game except stare at teh pitch

[RTFC Drummer]

There are a good number of fans on here who want to chant and sing but they feel their not in the right place to do so or people will object to it as they want to watch the game in silence. This is what I keep on saying why don't you Reading fans (who like to singing come down to Scours Lane and chant as you won't be in the wrong place to be vocal. I have got a few Reading fans in the past to come down to Scours Lane and they have said how much they enjoyed it (not my words theirs) and they have come again and again. Non League football is not as bad as everyone makes out on here and with Reading Town scoring 19 goals in their last 4 league and conceding none it something you won't want to miss out on seeing.

Put 20th December in your Diary: Reading Town v Witney (2nd)

[Geekins]

They enjoyed it so much that still only you and your mate turn up!

[RTFC Drummer]

They enjoyed it so much that still only you and your mate turn up!

Have got a new memebr, he is a Reading fan and has been to about 4 or 5 games so far. The Barmy Army must be doing something right........... which must mean we are doing something right

[Royal With Cheese]

They enjoyed it so much that still only you and your mate turn up!

Have got a new memebr, he is a Reading fan and has been to about 4 or 5 games so far. The Barmy Army must be doing something right........... which must mean we are doing something right

Well, even the Royals couldn't boast a 50% increase in attendances this season. Well done you.

[Seal]

There's nothing wrong with this thread

Yes, there is. It's boring.

Not as boring as the atmosphere at a Reading home game these days. Dull dull dull.

[Winchester Royal]

They enjoyed it so much that still only you and your mate turn up!

Have got a new memebr, he is a Reading fan and has been to about 4 or 5 games so far. The Barmy Army must be doing something right........... which must mean we are doing something right

What's the barmy Army?
4 guys under a bus stop?