Harper Appreciation Thread

[W&E Royal]

as i said on another thread the minute he leaves is the minute i loose what little interest i had left!

no one player is bigger than the club but this summer is too much to take(and for all those that will call me a plastic i have been going for over 20years)

Thanks Harps you have been a legend a very good player and a consumate professional the club is a poorer place without you and the treatment you have recieved is unforgivable!

+1

[LoyalRoyal22]

Harper a legend. I dont understand why he been loaned out? how does this benefit us? we were close to getting 2 million for him a week ago... Now all we get is him off the wage bill...

[andrew1957]

Goodbye James. You will go down as a Reading legend and for me the highlight will always be the goal against Liverpool. What a night and brilliantly taken. And you will forever be remembered as a significant part of the 106 point season team.

In all honestly it was time for you to move on and for BR to build his own team but what great memories you have given to the loyal RFC fans.

[loyalroyal1]

Jimmy H did a lot of pointing and shouting in his time but he also provided some good memories that will stay with me. Away to Newcastle in that first premier league season we played like Barcelona for about 15 minutes in the second half and Harper scored a good goal there. Although we went on to lose the game the trip up, the game, the mickey taking out of the toon fans, the way we played and seeing Harper score will always be remembered. Also, having had to sit with Palace fans when we went to Selhurst Park and they went potty after their penalty it was nice to return the compliment a few minutes later when Harper whacked in the equaliser. Harper was quality I always thought, didn't lose the ball much, worked hard and seemed to care about the club. Not as direct on the ball as he could have been but he played in a system which worked. It will be a while before we see anther such successful system in which players like Harper are estabished I think. Good luck to him. Kevin Blackwell is a prett good judge of a player and he is aiming to go up this year whereas we are looking to a transition period. I guess what goes around, comes around and maybe in three to four seasons we'll be challenging again so I don't begrudge Harper his chance for another crack now. Thanks for the memories.

[wolsey]

as i said on another thread the minute he leaves is the minute i loose what little interest i had left!

no one player is bigger than the club but this summer is too much to take(and for all those that will call me a plastic i have been going for over 20years)

Thanks Harps you have been a legend a very good player and a consumate professional the club is a poorer place without you and the treatment you have recieved is unforgivable!

+1

Indeed, shabby, and unnecessary

[Plymouth_Royal]

It seems that there is no point in including RFC within FM2010 this year.

We've sold our players in a firesale...

Stipped all our assetts...

...and quite frankly will be so piss poor that even 100 Balding Guy's could not save us. Very poor state of affairs.

James Harper being kicked out was the final nail in RFC's coffin of disappointment.

Save us from what? We're not getting relegated after a few games.

There is no doubt Harper is a very good player, professional and role model for the club. I would even say he's been the best Reading player I've seen in my 13 years as a supporter. But he and a lot of the other senior pro's who have left, have not performed for the past 2 seasons. We've been relegated, failed to achieve promotion with most of the premiership team in tact and not won a league home game in 2009. When that happens you need to start again and move on. Not sit there moaning and crying like a fat bird who got dumped 7 years ago by her ex. These youngsters are going to take time to get used to a new system and style they haven't played before. We supporters are going to take time to adjust to the wholesale changes of personnel and a new style of football. BR clearly has a formation and structure he wants to implement in the team and I have to say that on paper Harper doesn't really fit in with 3 central midfielders. 2 DM's and an attacking creative force is one combination. 1 DM, 1 box to box and 1 attacking creative force is another. Tell me where Harper fits in? It's no fault of his own but if you look at the role he's played for us over the past few seasons he's always done a job rather than fill 1 of the above mentioned roles. He's not strong enough to get a load of tackles in one game, he's not creative enough to provide through balls to the wing or front men and he's not versatile enough to be a box to box player.

FM2010 will have a patch out a few weeks after the release, so I'm sure you can drown your sorrows by buying all the 05/06 team and claiming you can see the future.

[Scarface]

as i said on another thread the minute he leaves is the minute i loose what little interest i had left!

no one player is bigger than the club but this summer is too much to take(and for all those that will call me a plastic i have been going for over 20years)

Thanks Harps you have been a legend a very good player and a consumate professional the club is a poorer place without you and the treatment you have recieved is unforgivable!

+1

Indeed, shabby, and unnecessary

I think Harper's performances have been very shabby over the last 2 seasons. Fair play to Rodgers for offloading the deadwood players on Premiership wages ASAP.

[Terminal Boardom]

I think Harper's performances have been very shabby over the last 2 seasons. Fair play to Rodgers for offloading the deadwood players on Premiership wages ASAP.

Harper? Deadwood???

And why do you think Harper has been shabby over the last 2 seasons?

[Tony Le Mesmer]

I would even say he's been the best Reading player I've seen in my 13 years as a supporter.

Dear God.

[Huntley & Palmer]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA

Arsene Wenger didn't like him...

ROCK JAMES HARPER

ROCK JAMES HARPER

[Alan Partridge]

Not Harper's biggest fan always felt he blew too hot and cold throughout a season, however 300+ games over nearly 9 years is rare and he's been a very good player and person for the club. Played in a playoff final, 2 promotions,106 season of course and the 8th in the Premiership.

It'll be bizarre not to see him around the place similar to Murty and Hahnemann but I think the time is right for Harps to go somewhere else and have a fresh start.

All the very best to him at Sheffield United.

[Maguire]

Goodbye James, i'll always remember the time you made a tackle back in 2002, and the Famous Forward Pass of 2005.

Peace.

[winchester_royal]

Not Harper's biggest fan always felt he blew too hot and cold throughout a season, however 300+ games over nearly 9 years is rare and he's been a very good player and person for the club. Played in a playoff final, 2 promotions,106 season of course and the 8th in the Premiership.

It'll be bizarre not to see him around the place similar to Murty and Hahnemann but I think the time is right for Harps to go somewhere else and have a fresh start.

All the very best to him at Sheffield United.

Yep. Sums Harps up perfectly for me. We'll miss him as a person, but not so much as a player.

[brendywendy]

an up and down player, not always effective
but when he was good he was very good indeed
but it was his approachablity, big eyebrows, and sheer comedy gayness that made him my favourite player of the last 8 years

im gutted, but accept it was probably the right time for both

[Zammo]

[howser]

Great player during the heights of the Prem, bags of energy, always with a smile on his face and the, for me, two stand out goals, against Palace and of course the Liverpool one cheers James keep smilling.

[ellpryjon]

Seriously, I see no evidence that he is leaving.

LOL at this thread next Tuesday at 5:05p.m.

Bit late i know, but

[North Somerset Royal]

an up and down player, not always effective
but when he was good he was very good indeed
but it was his approachablity, big eyebrows, and sheer comedy gayness that made him my favourite player of the last 8 years

im gutted, but accept it was probably the right time for both

I agree with what you say BW but I am not very happy at the way the club has handled this. Harps has been a great player for us in the past and the fact that (like others) he has had a couple of medicre seasons should not overshadow the good times. I hope he is successful at the Blades and wish him the best.

[John Peel]

Harper a legend. I dont understand why he been loaned out? how does this benefit us? we were close to getting 2 million for him a week ago... Now all we get is him off the wage bill...

Yeah right, am I missing something? Surely he's just going to leave for nothing once the loan ends??! How is that going to benefit us? Unless it's like the complicated Kitson loan last year where Utd pays us x amount if they're promoted?

[londinium]

Captain's arm band around leg.

Coppell impersonation on team bus 'Wine gums'

Goal against Palace away

Offering refs water bottles and not giving it to them

Team photos with hand on Kitsons knee.

and who can forget

rock, scissors, stone with Nicky Shorey was it.. some one enlighten me as to what match it was as i wouldnt mind seing that again.


Legend.... that is it.