9 years ago tomorrow

[floyd__streete]

Anniversary of probably my favourite Reading away game.

http://www.royals.org/matdoc/070300.html

What a night. Oxford were right next to us down at the bottom of tier 3 at the time but the green shoots of recovery were already showing in Berkshire whilst Oxford were on their way down and out of the league altogether. The whiff of revenge was in the air that Tuesday night; the Us had won at the Madj back in November during those dark early Pardew days but now we had Butler, Robinson and Mad Dog and were flying. Some fans still had a 3-0 trouncing at the Manor 2 years before all too fresh in their mind and the evening started badly when Paul Powell cut in and fired Oxford ahead. Powell was a £1 million pound player those days but most recently was turning out for Didcot Town; I like to think that the constant abuse dished out to Powell by the fellas stood in front of us that night sent him on a slippery sloped down (“Powell, your brother is a flasher” they hollered every time he came back to defend a Reading corner).

Reading were level midway through the half and ahead shortly afterwards thanks to Greasy Lee Hodges, prompting celebration par excellence on the Cuckoo Lane terrace; I ended up several steps down the terraces from where I had started! Hodges second goal struck the near post and hit the hapless Andre Arendse on the back of the head and into the net, prompting a substitution shortly afterwards as Paul Lundin replaced the hapless Sith Efrikan. Lundin was no less shambolic and prompted chants of you’re even worse than the last one.

Fat Darren Caskey stuck in a third second half; 3-1, cruising away from the relegation places and we sang ourselves silly. At the end of the game, Reading fans were breaking off bits of horading and toilet signs as souvenirs, thinking this might be our last ever visit to the Manor. We were diverted left out of the ground by TVP’s finest onto free buses back to the station – I believe the Britannia pub got trashed that night – and had to escape through a police dog caution back into the city centre as I was staying at Wax Jacket’s student pad that night. Piled into the Oxford Purple Turtle to see the goals again on Central News and we celebrated loudly into the night.

It was nights like that which put some pride and belief back into the club and set us in good stead for the successful years we have enjoyed since. Happy days.

[handbags_harris]

Hodges second goal struck the near post and hit the hapless Andre Arendse on the back of the head and into the net

Point of order. That was Hodges first goal, and came fully 3 minutes after the opener.

[Alan Partridge]

I still have my Massacre at the Manor t shirt, gr8 birthday present that win. Easily in my top 3 away's ever.

[who are ya?]

I still have my Massacre at the Manor t shirt, gr8 birthday present that win. Easily in my top 3 away's ever.

Were they the t-shirts I remember some bloke selling opposite the buses at the top of the hill?

[Alan Partridge]

I still have my Massacre at the Manor t shirt, gr8 birthday present that win. Easily in my top 3 away's ever.

Were they the t-shirts I remember some bloke selling opposite the buses at the top of the hill?

Correct. £10 yeah why not.

[FiNeRaIn]

What a great night that was.

" Whose been eating GM foods" lol at their massive 8 foot black striker.

Their keeper being subbed was replaced by an even worse one. On top of that, the bald guy with his shirt of leading the chanting just like he was that raindy day in swindon. Great atmosphere, great away following and great day out.

The good old days.

[Deathy]

What a great night that was.

" Whose been eating GM foods" lol at their massive 8 foot black striker.

The good old days.

Francis? The original bambi on ice.

[Starry Blue Hooped Wonder]

Ah, that was a fun night.

Their first goalie got loads of stick about his long hair.

Adie Williams trademark clearances - how many balls did he get out of the ground?

Being herded towards the railway station afterwards by the police, even though we were parked in totally the opposite direction.

Thier didn't seem to be too many pub windows left by the time we got back onto the main road.

And, standing on a terrace!

[Riseley]

The running battles through the hospital grounds after the game were indeed a throw back to the old days.

[FiNeRaIn]

The running battles through the hospital grounds after the game were indeed a throw back to the old days.

Oxford fans complaining we were a bunch of drunken thugs out for a fight after various pubs around oxford were smashed to pieces.

Loud, moody and lively away support. Taking the piss on their own turf was quality. Lee hodges lol

[pace=forster]

What a great night that was.

" Whose been eating GM foods" lol at their massive 8 foot black striker.

Their keeper being subbed was replaced by an even worse one. On top of that, the bald guy with his shirt of leading the chanting just like he was that raindy day in swindon. Great atmosphere, great away following and great day out.

The good old days.

Haven't seen him around for quite a while! Does he still go these days?

[FiNeRaIn]

Seen him last season, sure someone on here said he still goes.

[T-Rex]

Reading were level midway through the half and ahead shortly afterwards thanks to Greasy Lee Hodges,

Is that *the* Lee Hodges? I know there were two of them, but I'm on about the best one? The one who starred in two Argyle league title winning seasons?

Top, top pro if so. Never shirked a challenge, a very limited player but a favourite of mine nonetheless. At Torquay now I think.

[M-U-R-T-Y]

Yeah he moved to Argyle after leaving Reading.

[Crowthorne Royal]

Absolutely fantastic post. Remember it like it was yesterday.

I was born and brought up in Wallingford, 13 miles from Oxford & 15 miles from Reading.

This meant you were Oxford or Reading and my heart had been won by the blue & white hoops and my dislike of The U's had been born many years before.

Top, top night.

Celebrated at The Harcourt Arms in Nuneham Courtenay (Now all boarded up) with soem fellow Royals and also watched the goals on Central News.

When I moved to Crowthorne I grinned every time I watched Meridian News and we were now an important news item. Central's fare was Aston Villa and B'ham led with a smattering of Oxford and Swindon - dire.

[The Cap]

I think you'll also find that this match was the one where quite a few of the lads outfoxed the OB by getting 'joe baxis' to Oxfud City Centre. OB left waiting at the train station. Remember it well.

[Terminal Boardom]

I was on a pointless training course in Birmingham that night. Was that the game that resulted with the MW in front of the away end?

[Victor Meldrew]

Games like those were reasons for celebration in our household.
When I first started watching football Headington United were where they are now effectively,in the Southern League so when they came into the league and overtook us in no time it was difficult to take.
To make matters worse I became the victim of a mixed marriage-my wife's parents were long term Oxford fans and lived just down the road in Headington.

Over the years I had to put up with Big Ron (The Tank)and his brother Graham and their tremendous success (Maurice Evans,our loss,their gain) in reaching the top level and winning a league cup at Wembley while we achieved virtually nothing-from time to time I went to watch them on the alternate Saturdays to our games.
They seemed to just brush us aside as nobodies on their way up but all my in-law relatives were never condescending about their success and that's why I take no joy in where they are now however games such as this one were still just a bit special to show that we had something especially after THAT taxi night.

I think I enjoyed the game more a bit later (last time at the Manor) when we put on a footballing show that was much more of a thrashing than the score suggested (2-0??).We sat very close to the away end (the one and only time I ever sat at The Manor) and the thing I remember most ,being so close to the action, was the brilliant close interpassing between Murty and Igoe.
A few years earlier my father-in-law's ashes were strewn across the pitch by the halfway line and he would have laughed to think that later he would have been built on!!
In the 1920s and 30s he would go to Elm Park when visiting his auntie nearby so I always felt that deep down he was a Royal and my mixed marriage has only been a bit mixed because my children obviously ended up as Reading fans.
Thanks for the memory Floyd.

[Terminal Boardom]

Thanks Victor, you cleared that up for me. The training course game was the 3-0 gubbing which was Terry the Taxi's last game. I remember reading on here that we were singing "it's just like watching Brazil" and changing quickly to "Its just like watching Bracknell".

[Northern Git]

Ah happy days!

One of those evenings when everyone is totally up for it. 100% support the team and oxf*rd the opposition.

Terrible, and sustained, abuse of the Oxford goalkeepers. Over the top goal celebrations, on and off the pitch. Great result. TVP getting their collective pants in a twist.

Sweet revenge for Terry the Taxis last embrassing game.

Sadly probably not going to see nights like that again.

Happy happy memories