Most gutting moment as a Reading fan.

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Wembley '95.

Then Defreitas came on.

Or rather that Scally McAteer wasn't sent off in the first 30 minutes, especially after being previously booked and then giving away ~that~ penalty which would have .... oh, you know the rest.

The other two matches that stick in the craw are the total embarrassment at the Manor and Jack Mansell taking us down after defeat against Villa.....

[Archies Volley II]

Wembley '95.

Then Defreitas came on.

Or rather that Scally McAteer wasn't sent off in the first 30 minutes, especially after being previously booked and then giving away ~that~ penalty which would have .... oh, you know the rest.

^ this

[The Quiet Man]

Relegation to division four for the first time (your first one always hurts the most)
Losing at home to the Arsenal double team in the FA cup to a sh*te own goal having outplayed them (in my opinion at the time)
The maxwell fiasco
The Smee bankruptcy and wandering who the hell would want to get involved with a really dull football team
Bolton play off final and we slowly died on the pitch and the game went away from us and so finished a great season and a great team
The Terry the taxi performance at Oxford one of the singularly most inept performances I've seen a Reading side give

[dobcheck]

Bolton in the play off final, i really thought that was going to be our only chance at playing top flight footy and Walsall comes a close 2nd, damn those play offs

[glass half full]

Playoff against Walsall.

Walking disconsolately past snarling police dogs to the car and waiting ages in the car park.

Oh yes! And those stupid bilingual traffic directions: 'Walsall fans this way' - repeated in the Welsh language. 'Reading fans' this way' - repeated in the Welsh language. Who from Walsall or Reading wanted to read Welsh???!!!

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Walsall, to lose due in part to such a bizarre own goal which condemned us to another season in the 3rd tier playing count the 12 away fans in a half empty stadium.

[Norfolk Royal]

Although I said originally the Bolton game, I've had another think.

The Bolton play-off final had a sort of piquancy, as it was a one off, and, if you were drunk like I was, could easily lead to high emotion.

But on reflection, I have to say that our relegation to the fourth division in, oooh, 1976, would have been worst. It was the realisation to a teenager at the time, that things can turn to sh*t.

I think we lost around 3-0 to Rotherham which confirmed our relegation. It all seemed so pointless and futile.

The worst thing about it was that I was too young to understand the underlying reasons why it had happened.

Oh, and sorry Lux, I see you've already mentioned that.

[LUX]

We've had quite a few relegations, but interesting that two of us picked that game. I think it was such a slap in the face because we all thought we'd walk it.

[Gunny Fishcake]

Bolton at Wembley no doubt , followed by Walsall at Cardiff

[Norfolk Royal]

We've had quite a few relegations, but interesting that two of us picked that game. I think it was such a slap in the face because we all thought we'd walk it.

Don't know about that, didn't Rotherham go up as champions that season? Could be wrong.

For me, it just seemed so desolate in a pursuit which I had invested a lot of young enthusiasm.

[Schards#2]

1. Bolton, by a mile the worst sporting moment of my life

2. Walsall, for all the reasons already given

3. Norwich, last game at Elm Park. Bowed out bottom of the league with a home defeat and a shambolicly organised afternoon.

4. Wealdstone away, only because I was a kid - seemed like a tragedy at the time.

5. Brentford taking the lead, we were staring into a fair sized abyss for a bit there

[Terminal Boardom]

Bolton was manageable if only because Elm Park was such a dump and that Bolton were the best footballing side in the division. Still gutted because we should have won.

The worst moment for me was Walsall in the play off final. I was working in Africa at the time and nestled down in an internet cafe to listen to the commentary via BBC Radio 5. Defeat was not an option. It was a forgone conclusion that we were going to win. I still can not believe that we lost. The emotions I went through that night were extremely morose and it took a diet of cold lager and more cold lager to numb the pain. I got home around 5.30am. Slept for a couple of hours. Went to work and told everyone to leave me alone. At 3pm I had had enough and went home. It would not have been so bad if the ex-wife's sister hadn't said "There's always next time". Met with a resounding oxf*rd OFF!!!

I don't like Walsall. I like my ex-wife and her sister even less!

[Terminal Boardom]

1. Bolton, by a mile the worst sporting moment of my life

2. Walsall, for all the reasons already given

3. Norwich, last game at Elm Park. Bowed out bottom of the league with a home defeat and a shambolicly organised afternoon.

4. Wealdstone away, only because I was a kid - seemed like a tragedy at the time.

5. Brentford taking the lead, we were staring into a fair sized abyss for a bit there

Come on Schards, you have followed Reading long enough to know that #3 was an inevitability!

[LUX]

We've had quite a few relegations, but interesting that two of us picked that game. I think it was such a slap in the face because we all thought we'd walk it.

Don't know about that, didn't Rotherham go up as champions that season? Could be wrong.

For me, it just seemed so desolate in a pursuit which I had invested a lot of young enthusiasm.

Bury at home that season sticks out too. 3-0 down at h-t, Charlie Hurley resigns and we pull it back to 3-1. Jerry Williams?

We had been more or less top in October after a 4-1 win over Swindon.

[Franchise FC]

Don't know about that, didn't Rotherham go up as champions that season? Could be wrong.

For me, it just seemed so desolate in a pursuit which I had invested a lot of young enthusiasm.

Bury at home that season sticks out too. 3-0 down at h-t, Charlie Hurley resigns and we pull it back to 3-1. Jerry Williams?

We had been more or less top in October after a 4-1 win over Swindon.

Jerry Williams & Charlie Hurley ? - Surely, Jerry would have only been about 12 at the time.

[Terminal Boardom]

Don't know about that, didn't Rotherham go up as champions that season? Could be wrong.

For me, it just seemed so desolate in a pursuit which I had invested a lot of young enthusiasm.

Bury at home that season sticks out too. 3-0 down at h-t, Charlie Hurley resigns and we pull it back to 3-1. Jerry Williams?

We had been more or less top in October after a 4-1 win over Swindon.

Jerry Williams & Charlie Hurley ? - Surely, Jerry would have only been about 12 at the time.

It would have been THE Jerry Williams. THat was how desperate that season was. Went rapidly downhill after Robin Friday was sold.

[Mad Dog's Ghost]

Some wonderful moments of despair. Love this thread.

1 Bolton. Felt like that was our one shot at top flight.

2 Norwich on last Elm park day was a dreadful capitulation.

3 Same season, 0-3 v Port Vale. Linvoy's most appalling match of his entire career.

3 That day in 83 that a few have mentioned. Everyone on the pitch celebrating .. then disbelief at every result going against us.

4 Forest away when we were relegated and they won the league. Horrendously hung over after a big night in the After Dark and I was literally gutted as I threw up after watching the match in the Lyndhurst.

5 The Spurs match two years ago. They really couldn't be arsed and strolled to victory.

[ankeny]

Getting relegated 70/71 season and then losing 5-0 to bloody Workington

[leww_rfc]

watching Birmingham get promoted at the Mad Stad is surely one too..

[I was there at Elm Park]

I went to both play-off finals but for me getting relegated at Derby is my worst moment and I still think no one involved with the club at the time has got over it. Even now I imagine Jamie Ashdown scoring a last minute equaliser and me no longer caring that I was sat in the Derby end.