Was this the best game ever?

[Terminal Boardom]

Agreed. I spoke to Shaka Hislop at a Berks v W Indies cricket match that summer and he said that three or four Reading players including himself had to have pain-killing injections at Wembley. The others were Oz, Andy Bernal and Dariusz IIRC. Even so, that ranks as the best away performance from a Reading side that I have ever seen.

I am surprised you remember. There was a load of beer and shedloads of fish cakes that solidified in my gut! And it was Minor Counties -v- West Indies which the Minor Counties won owing to an iffy scoring system based on 2 runs per wide and no-ball.

[Ark Royal]

Agreed. I spoke to Shaka Hislop at a Berks v W Indies cricket match that summer and he said that three or four Reading players including himself had to have pain-killing injections at Wembley. The others were Oz, Andy Bernal and Dariusz IIRC. Even so, that ranks as the best away performance from a Reading side that I have ever seen.

I am surprised you remember. There was a load of beer and shedloads of fish cakes that solidified in my gut! And it was Minor Counties -v- West Indies which the Minor Counties won owing to an iffy scoring system based on 2 runs per wide and no-ball.

Thanks TB - you slaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag. I stand corrected. It was indeed the Minor Counties. I seem to remember some nuclear-hot chicken and fish from some Jamaican food stand, which turned my arsehole into a burning Japanese flag.

[Ark Royal]

Reading 4 Plymouth 3 in '85
Tranmere 1 Reading 3 in '95

I remember seeing us on the tv and you were having the biggest tug ever on a fag with about 5 minutes to go (Tranmere).

Baz, have to agree with those two. The most amazing of comebacks coupled with the most complete performance. And Tranmere did the double over us that season.

As for the Pompey 7-4 nonsense, I didn't go. Got married that day and the wife would have killed me!

I think I chain-smoked throughout the Tranmere game. But, what a performance! A memorable game AND I still had all four wheels on the car when we got back to it.

[cmonurz]

The best I have ever felt at a football match was of course the last five minutes of the Wigan play-off semi. That was also the first time I had sat in the North Stand, and how pleased was I that I had done that!

Dismal game, Wigan doing exactly what they did then, score a goal then tighten up, and De Zeeuw back then was a wall. And then Nicky Forster happened, and the rest is history.

I remember going right as I leapt about like a loony after the equaliser. When I had half calmed down I looked left and there was a space of 8 or 9 seats to my mate, who himself had gone left. A crowd surge on the goal that the South Bank would have been proud of.

[Skyline]

Still think the Reading 3-2 Palace game from 05/06 will take some beating. The 6-0 against West Ham and 3-1 against Liverpool were fun to watch, but not really what a neutral might call a 'great game' as that really needs two teams playing good football, and neither of the oppo sides really did that in those games.

Reading 1-1 Ipswich in 04/05 was an amazing game - right up until extra time it was looking like the best 0-0 draw you'd ever seen, then we went from despair at losing to joy at drawing within about 20 seconds as the two goals were scored.

Couple more from the old memory banks, both (ironically) from the relegation season 97/98:

Reading 4-0 Sunderland - With the Sunderland fan who jumped onto the pitch and booted the ball into our net during a break in play, which was pretty much the only time anyone in a red-and-white striped shirt threatened to score that day. Although this one probably falls down on my 'both sides playing well' criterion...

Reading 4-2 Wolves (League Cup) - With Adie Williams opening the scoring for Reading whilst wearing the Old Gold and getting a rousing chorus of "Oh Adie Williams" from the Southbank for his troubles.

[papereyes]

Reading v Bolton on a Elm Park friday night in 1996 ( I think) 2-1

That was 95. I wasn't there but followed it closely on the radio as is the want of a fervent 14 year old.

I was there. One of the best atmospheres at a game I've experienced.

[Sir Rodney Effing]

How about Royals 4 Wolves 2 - December 94 after the FSB just jumped ship with all his crew?

[brendywendy]

How about Royals 4 Wolves 2 - December 94 after the FSB just jumped ship with all his crew?

indeed, or in fact any of the other games vs his or any of our other deserting managers teams

[Sir Rodney Effing]

How about Royals 4 Wolves 2 - December 94 after the FSB just jumped ship with all his crew?

indeed, or in fact any of the other games vs his or any of our other deserting managers teams

although Lovell's late show to make it 2-1 against him and his Wolves was a good un' too!

[Harry Carry]

Reading 0 - 1 Chelsea

Best game EVER at the Madstad, to see the look on those sad pathetic fans who printed up scores for diving and all those gay fans doing the divers chant. How I laughed.

[Alan Partridge]

Reading 0 - 1 Chelsea

Best game EVER at the Madstad, to see the look on those sad pathetic fans who printed up scores for diving and all those gay fans doing the divers chant. How I laughed from home.

[M U R T Y]

Reading 0 - 1 Chelsea

Best game EVER at the Madstad, meh meh sad pathetic fans meh meh meh I loves chelsea me meh meh JT, Fwankie, I loves them too meh meh meh why am i on here? meh meh meh

[Magicman]

Reading 4-3 Oxford, absolutely drenched, sitting, and mostly standing, in row B in the East Stand, the game turned around by Rougier's best performance for us.

The best game ever, didnt we go top as well!

[Archie's penalty]

Reading v Bolton on a Elm Park friday night in 1996 ( I think) 2-1

That was 95. I wasn't there but followed it closely on the radio as is the want of a fervent 14 year old.

I was there. One of the best atmospheres at a game I've experienced.

That season was just amazing. Do you have the season video on tape? I think someone needs to get it up on youtube.

Can anyone do this? Would be most appreciated.

[Jackson Corner]

Not the best in terms of quality, but for sheer drama, atmosphere and total elation at the end the Simod semi against Coventry takes some beating. I still think the best performance I have seen from a Reading team was the 5-1 win over Cardiff 05-06, they were not a bad team by any means but that day we made them look like a non league team.

[cmonurz]

For the best goalkeeping performance I have seen from a Reading keeper, Reading 1-1 Cardiff in the FA Cup in 98/99. Nicky Hammond kept Cardiff from scoring 5, and even acrobatically stopped an effort heading for the top corner after the referee had blown for an infringement. Hammond then saved two Cardiff penalties to send us through to the next round.

[WoodleyRoyal]

i remember a game a few years back at the posh hederson got two i think in the last few mins barry fry said our fans were the best they had ever had there

but i think the boro game on the opening day in the prem will live long in the memory

[SLAMMED]

Just watched the Spuds highlights up to 4-3 us. Makes me feel really sad for some reason

Probably due to no Shorey, No Kits, No Sonks, No Convey and Murts pretty much gone.

Does bring home the impressive way Copps has revitalised the team though. It was a hell of a depressing season last year.

A big LOL at sonko.

[Archie's penalty]

Just watched the Spuds highlights up to 4-3 us. Makes me feel really sad for some reason

Probably due to no Shorey, No Kits, No Sonks, No Convey and Murts pretty much gone.

Does bring home the impressive way Copps has revitalised the team though. It was a hell of a depressing season last year.

A big LOL at sonko.

Yes Sonks was terrible. The point about the team being restructured still stands...

[Royal Lady]

for me it has to be the 3-2 win over Boro, when we were 2-0 down. That was a fantastic fight back and made me think we actually stood a chance of holding our own in the Prem.