Greatest RFC comebacks ever

[Jackson Corner]

May 1989.
2 down at half time at Chesterfield needing a result to stay up, won 4-2.

^^ this

We've never been as low as that since

Chesterfield had to beat us and hope other results went their way to stay up. Apparently they found out at half time that results were against them, and they knew they were going down.

That was a massive game in the clubs history much forgoten. At half time we were down and I don't think we had been in the bottom four all season until then? They came out second half Gilkes was on fire we scored 4 goals stayed up Mr Mad became Chairman the following year and the rest is history!

[0-7]

That was a massive game in the clubs history much forgoten. At half time we were down and I don't think we had been in the bottom four all season until then? They came out second half Gilkes was on fire we scored 4 goals stayed up Mr Mad became Chairman the following year and the rest is history![/quote]


If only JM was history...........

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Indeed, i would put that Chesterfield game and the Brentford one as the 2 most defining moments in my time a Reading fan.

[PEARCEY]

The Chesterfield result was massive. It would have been a second successive relegation and back to the basement again. Going into that game we were in freefall. We did a Villa in the second-half and survived. Branfoot didn't last much longer after that though.

[Royal Lady]

For me, that Middlesbrough game where we came back from 2-0 down was immense - considering we'd just got into the Prem. Really gave an indication of what we could achieve that season.

[Mr Optimist]

The Chesterfield result was massive. It would have been a second successive relegation and back to the basement again. Going into that game we were in freefall. We did a Villa in the second-half and survived. Branfoot didn't last much longer after that though.

I was there that day and I don't think we expected to be going down. We knew it was mathematically possible but it needed about three results to go against us, and they all were!!

I was about 19 at the time and remember thinking the season was just going to peter out with a wimper as it had done for the two months leading up to this game and then suddenly we were going down again!!

Lee Payne and Stuart Beavon were the saviours IIRC.

We went out on an end of season lash up in Derby that night mightily relieved.

[parky]

Agreed that not the biggest of comebacks but that Wigan game is still my favourite game at the Mad Stad ever!!

[PEARCEY]

The Chesterfield result was massive. It would have been a second successive relegation and back to the basement again. Going into that game we were in freefall. We did a Villa in the second-half and survived. Branfoot didn't last much longer after that though.

I was there that day and I don't think we expected to be going down. We knew it was mathematically possible but it needed about three results to go against us, and they all were!!

I was about 19 at the time and remember thinking the season was just going to peter out with a wimper as it had done for the two months leading up to this game and then suddenly we were going down again!!

Lee Payne and Stuart Beavon were the saviours IIRC.

We went out on an end of season lash up in Derby that night mightily relieved.

I was at home checking tele-text. At half-time we looked down and out as you rightly say all the other scores were going against us. I couldn't bear looking at the scores after half-time and can honestly say I looked at teletext mid-way through the second-half with my hand partially over my eyes. When I looked at the score and saw we were 3-2 up I was massively relieved.
Great game to go and see I'm sure.

[Winchester Royal]

Agreed that not the biggest of comebacks but that Wigan game is still my favourite game at the Mad Stad ever!!

In terms of what it meant, that was massive. the fact that the two goals came late on made it even more satisfactory.

Can I add Liverpool in the cup this year And West Brom???

[Mr Optimist]

The strange thing is Pearcey, maybe it is the naivety of youth, but in the days before mobiles and texts etc I don't think for many of us the significance had really sunk in at half time.

I think the fact that most people viewed the game as a meaningless end of season one for us was bourne out by there only being about 3-400 RFC fans there. If it was seriously thought that we would need to win to stay up and were in serious danger I am certain there would have been at least double that number there that day.

That and we'd all had plenty of beers beforehand which was also extremely likely at the time, it was probably less painful being there!!

I seem to remember Chesterfield's safety shot was a pretty slim one though.

[bobbybottler]

The strange thing is Pearcey, maybe it is the naivety of youth, but in the days before mobiles and texts etc I don't think for many of us the significance had really sunk in at half time.

I think the fact that most people viewed the game as a meaningless end of season one for us was bourne out by there only being about 3-400 RFC fans there. If it was seriously thought that we would need to win to stay up and were in serious danger I am certain there would have been at least double that number there that day.

That and we'd all had plenty of beers beforehand which was also extremely likely at the time, it was probably less painful being there!!

I seem to remember Chesterfield's safety shot was a pretty slim one though.

300-400 was a good showing for 1989 in fairness. I'd also add that there was plenty around us at HT who were perfectly aware of where we were heading if it stayed as it was.

[Mr Optimist]

Do you remember the pikey chesterfield fan in our end? Eventually someone (I think it was Kirby) had had enough of ignoring him because he was becoming a bigger and bigger tvvat and decided to lay in to him. He got dragged out by the OB but lost one of his Winfield trainers in the struggle and I seem to remember it was launched at him as he was being frogmarched in front of the perimeter fence and it caught him a treat!

I must have had a few more than usual that day, and maybe it was just me and a few mater who were in a state of pissed up ignorance!!

[glass half full]

I can't remember when it was, just that it was at EP.

We were comfortably beating Crewe 3-0, only for them to come back and draw 3-3!

[Wimb]

For the mentals Wigan at home and Posh away when Darius got two in injury time.

This, especially as it was at the Reebok

[SpaceCruiser]

If only JM was history...........

Keep your anti-Madejski shite off this thread.

[Still Hate Futcher!]

The Chesterfield result was massive. It would have been a second successive relegation and back to the basement again. Going into that game we were in freefall. We did a Villa in the second-half and survived. Branfoot didn't last much longer after that though.

I was there that day and I don't think we expected to be going down. We knew it was mathematically possible but it needed about three results to go against us, and they all were!!

I was about 19 at the time and remember thinking the season was just going to peter out with a wimper as it had done for the two months leading up to this game and then suddenly we were going down again!!

Lee Payne and Stuart Beavon were the saviours IIRC.

We went out on an end of season lash up in Derby that night mightily relieved.

I was at home checking tele-text. At half-time we looked down and out as you rightly say all the other scores were going against us. I couldn't bear looking at the scores after half-time and can honestly say I looked at teletext mid-way through the second-half with my hand partially over my eyes. When I looked at the score and saw we were 3-2 up I was massively relieved.
Great game to go and see I'm sure.

I remember listening to the game on the radio. I seem to recall we were saved by a couple of short backpasses? That season was dreadful - despite the record breaking run and the Simod Cup I would still place Branfoot as the 2nd worst Royals manager I've ever seen (Burns would be the worst, obviously).

[Mr Optimist]

I agree that in my relatively short time watching Reading, '79 onwards, that the end of the Branfoot era really was depressing football to watch.

People don't mind watching long ball football when their team is winning and they have capable players working to a well worked system (us in 85/86, Wimbledon inthe 80s and half the 90s, and Stoke now) but when those competent players go and it becomes aimless hoofball in to space with players of limited ability (think Trev & Mad Max replaced with Colin Gordon and Francis Joseph!) then it really does make for painful viewing!!

I think it was worse than the Burns era in my opinion, not by much though!

[Tony Le Mesmer]

The guy that turned up on the southbank with his "Branfoot Out" t shirt is still strangely one of my fondest memories from EP. I think that summed up what supporting Reading was all about!

[Muskrat]

Beating Wolves 2-1 after being one nil down going into the 90th minute at EP.

Archie Lovell scored both and I don't think I've ever gone so mental at a match before or since.

Oh how we laughed at MM, the Wolves fans, Adie Williams, Michael Gilkes etc