Games you can remember because they were so boring

[bobby m's syrup]

Reading v Port Vale March 1979 with Vale playing for a draw and Reading incapable of even hefting a long ball into their area. Weather was $hite too.

[Dirk Gently]

A match against Oxford at the MadStad at something stupid like an 11.30 kick-off on a Sunday morning (!) in about 98/99 - the one that was going to be on Sky and was moved a couple of times before Sky dropped it like a hot potato when someone mentioned a small risk of trouble.

Freezing cold and absolutely nothing happened all through the game. Took my daughter with me, she slept through the whole game and people around me commented on what a good judge of the game she was.

Wasn't this the 2-1 defeat where Adie Williams or Phil Parkinson body blocked Jamie Lambert? I seem to remember it was shifted around because Sky wanted to show the Celtic v Rangers game as well.

Having looked it up it seems to be - don't remember any goals, just remember it being absolutely dire and freezing cold! I suppose a home defeat to the Pox is depressing enough in its way.

[Whistle]

How about games you remember because you were so cold. Hull City 0-0 at Elm Park, can't remember the year. But it was so cold that all I remember of the day was leaving early and stopping at Rivermead on the way home for a nice hot chocolate.

Bradford City at the Odsal Stadium.

Leeds fans set fire to the tea hut and rolled it down the terrace the week before so there were no hot drinks and a grim 0-3.

I remember Oxofrd away 1976 utterly freezing -Friday's last game.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

Reading 0-0 Peterbrough cup game, Mad Stad freezing cold Tuesday or Wednesday night in the Tommy Burns era. It also had one of the lowest attendances at the Mad Stad, if not the lowest. I think it was our second season at the madstad, although we also played the exact same fixture the year before (was our second ever home game at the Mad Stad).

Great shout. I was one of the 4,000 who braved that shite, absolute dross. As already mentioned, the 2nd season at the borejeski was dire.

More recently QPR away, 0-0 Nov-05 (I think) was terrible, a real snore fest.

[rabidbee]

Bradford City at the Odsal Stadium.

If that was when 85 Royals turned up 3 days before Christmas, then I second that.

Also, the FA Cup match against United at Elm Park ('95?) - oxf*rd me that must have been the coldest game I've ever been to. And I've been to Oldham. Several times.

[rabidbee]

For boring, what about that game at Elm Park in the mid-90s that was only relieved by the old duffer who fell asleep with his pipe in his pocket? The mass evacuation of the Main stand represented the only action on the pitch all afternoon. IIRC we lost 1-0 with a last minute goal. Notts County?

[Thaumagurist*]

For boring, what about that game at Elm Park in the mid-90s that was only relieved by the old duffer who fell asleep with his pipe in his pocket? The mass evacuation of the Main stand represented the only action on the pitch all afternoon. IIRC we lost 1-0 with a last minute goal. Notts County?

Wasn't that around the time McGhee buggered off to Leicester? I seem to remember reading about how it was so bad, 0-0. Then the fire alarm happened, and people were on the pitch. Once it was sorted out, and football was back on, Reading seemed to do better and win it. According to the Previous seasons section on this website, we beat Notts County 2-0. No match report.

[eleventh earl of mar]

0-0 away to Darlington at their old Feethams ground; utter dire football, typical Branfoot hoofball with zero quality about it.

Why memorable? It got us the point we needed to secure promotion in our record breaking 13 wins in a row season.

I remember this. not for the football but for the girls u17 hockey match that was being played in the large park that also housed the Feethams ground. Fortunately the supporters coaches arrived in plenty of time to allow us to watch.

[papereyes]

For boring, what about that game at Elm Park in the mid-90s that was only relieved by the old duffer who fell asleep with his pipe in his pocket? The mass evacuation of the Main stand represented the only action on the pitch all afternoon. IIRC we lost 1-0 with a last minute goal. Notts County?

I thought we won that 2-0 - Lovell, Hartenberger?

[rabidbee]

For boring, what about that game at Elm Park in the mid-90s that was only relieved by the old duffer who fell asleep with his pipe in his pocket? The mass evacuation of the Main stand represented the only action on the pitch all afternoon. IIRC we lost 1-0 with a last minute goal. Notts County?

I thought we won that 2-0 - Lovell, Hartenberger?

Could well have been. As a historian, I'm utterly shit at remembering the past.

I think I'mconflating it with another game from the same season that we lost in injury time.

[bobbybottler]

For boring, what about that game at Elm Park in the mid-90s that was only relieved by the old duffer who fell asleep with his pipe in his pocket? The mass evacuation of the Main stand represented the only action on the pitch all afternoon. IIRC we lost 1-0 with a last minute goal. Notts County?

I thought we won that 2-0 - Lovell, Hartenberger?

Spot on.

What's more, Uwe's goal celebration lost its way completely and he ended up doing some sort of arm round the head thing that would have embarassed Depeche Mode's David Gahan.

Awesome, and not a boring game at all. Feck off.

[rabidbee]

Awesome, and not a boring game at all. Feck off.

I think I'm conflating it with another game from the same season that we lost in injury time.

[bishbosh92]

Lat years loss to fulham was shocking


And our 2-0 Defeat to Watford int he first year in the prem

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

I'll +1 the references to the Walsall tryptych & the Leicester game.

I'll also add a non-Royals game: Southend v Leyton Orient around 1990/1991, during Southend's season when they were promoted to the second tier for the first time in their history. They'd already won promotion & just needed a win to clinch the league title. It was a stultifyingly dull 0-0 which meant that Cambridge won it instead (back in the John Beck days).

[Alan Partridge]

Any game with Walsall apart from the 2-0 win with Mackie giving it the big un afterwards on top of the sponsorship boardings, any game with Watford, and one other that sticks in my mind was when we played Notts county many moons ago and drew 0-0 midweek, that was dump.

[Berry]

The Last game at Elm Park springs to mind V Norwich, we were Relegated, it was 0-0 and Robert Fleck who was playing for us Recieved a Player of the Year award from Norwich Pre-Match, The whole game resembled a Funeral

[Berry]

Port Vale New Years Day a few years back, took the wife told her all about the great Butler Curo Partnership basically watched paint dry for 89 mins and Curo popped up in last minute to score.
All it did for me was give my Missus ammo in the Footballs Boring Debate

[Ian Royal]

The Last game at Elm Park springs to mind V Norwich, we were Relegated, it was 0-0 and Robert Fleck who was playing for us Recieved a Player of the Year award from Norwich Pre-Match, The whole game resembled a Funeral

That was truely dire. So bad, in fact, to this day my memory is convinced we lost 3-0.

[andybsroyals]

Well it looks like we never play well in the cold!!! so cant wait for fridays game!!!! and its against watford!!!!

[Kitsondinho]

Reading 1-1 Oldham at Madstad (March 2000?) Mackie scored a late equaliser to 80th odd minute Oldham goal. The only game I've left early...(for work reasons)....Oldham scored just as I left.....game was sh*t and I had several friends from Germany over to watch it.....