Anyone Remember When...

[Terminal Boardom]

we played 3 games over Easter? Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday? And only able to name 1 sub? None of this 7 subs bollix?

[AthleticoSpizz]

yes....and not a blade of grass on the pitch


(the aforementioned...beaten) Dickie Habbin...always springs to mind......................and his mate Percy Freeman (who, if he had been doing a sleepover at Dickies house that night....would've mullahed the bastards)


always reminds me of riding to Elm Park in the back of my mates dads Mk1 Escort van.....parking on the Tilehurst Road verges (before RBC went car/cash mad, and when you once could park without fear of getting clamped etc).......seeing the big blue Bedford RL prison van next the Southbank entrance

and when you would still get a slap on the back of the head by a coppers gauntlet for swearing



football as it should be............c'mon you biscuitmen

[Terminal Boardom]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

[AthleticoSpizz]

yes....and not a blade of grass on the pitch


(the aforementioned...beaten) Dickie Habbin...always springs to mind......................and his mate Percy Freeman (who, if he had been doing a sleepover at Dickies house that night....would've mullahed the bastards)


always reminds me of riding to Elm Park in the back of my mates dads Mk1 Escort van.....parking on the Tilehurst Road verges (before RBC went car/cash mad, and when you once could park without fear of getting clamped etc).......seeing the big blue Bedford RL prison van next the Southbank entrance

and when you would still get a slap on the back of the head by a coppers gauntlet for swearing



football as it should be............c'mon you biscuitmen

oops sorry wrong thread

remember the Kromheer/Van der quack bank holiday weekend that comes close tho'

[eleventh earl of mar]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

Actually it was 2-0 against Portsmouth. I also remember getting a good hiding at the Bournmouth game, but as you say, Happy days!

[Jackson Corner]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

God I must be old I remember the two home games. Pompey took over the Southbank it was like a home game for them you could hear the chimes from the Oxford Rd. I remember Alan Lewis chipping the ball over the wall from a free kick at the Tilehurst end to give us the lead.

[Barry the bird boggler]

That's nothing, we used to play regularly on Xmas and Boxing Days (think that finally stopped in 1958).

Local derbies, same opponents 2 days running, no subs and a total squad size of probably around 15.

Anyone remember watching those games....

[under the tin]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

God I must be old I remember the two home games. Pompey took over the Southbank it was like a home game for them you could hear the chimes from the Oxford Rd. I remember Alan Lewis chipping the ball over the wall from a free kick at the Tilehurst end to give us the lead.

Did't a fella called George Shipley play for us that day?
I seem to remember the Pompey firm gave someone such a good kicking, they nearly died.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

God I must be old I remember the two home games. Pompey took over the Southbank it was like a home game for them you could hear the chimes from the Oxford Rd. I remember Alan Lewis chipping the ball over the wall from a free kick at the Tilehurst end to give us the lead.

Did Reading fans ever manage to fight off an invasion of the Southbank?

Family Club, even back then....

[ankeny]

Remember those big red buses that used to ferry supporters up from the Butts?When did they stop?

[Jackson Corner]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

God I must be old I remember the two home games. Pompey took over the Southbank it was like a home game for them you could hear the chimes from the Oxford Rd. I remember Alan Lewis chipping the ball over the wall from a free kick at the Tilehurst end to give us the lead.

Did't a fella called George Shipley play for us that day?
I seem to remember the Pompey firm gave someone such a good kicking, they nearly died.

He may of got the 2nd goal? He certainly would have played as he was part of the team that were unbeaten and didn't concede a goal those last ten games.

I think a lot of Royals got a good kicking that day, it was a massive crowd about 15,000 for a 4th division game!

[1960]

When the whole league programme was played on Good Friday I once went to do two games in a day. To Upton Park in the morning to see WHambeat WBA 6-1 with Brian Dear scoring 5 of the goals. Then back along the District Line to Chelsea in the afternoon where they beat Liverpool 4-0. 11 goals in the day. Magic.

Of course this was in the days before membership cards, all-seated stadiums, advanced ticketing only and segregated crowds. You could just turn up to any game and pay on the door to stand in any stand you liked.

[Ark Royal]

Back in the 60s and 70s, I really looked forward to the Easter program. Lots of footy and huge crowds. Remember going to games at EP on Good Friday and the following day.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

God I must be old I remember the two home games. Pompey took over the Southbank it was like a home game for them you could hear the chimes from the Oxford Rd. I remember Alan Lewis chipping the ball over the wall from a free kick at the Tilehurst end to give us the lead.

Did't a fella called George Shipley play for us that day?
I seem to remember the Pompey firm gave someone such a good kicking, they nearly died.

Yeah - George Shipley got the second up the Town End. He was loan from Southampton as cover for Ritchie Bowman (I think). We should have signed him in the summer but I think he ended up at Lincoln.

Those games were 1978/79 during Steve Death's record run. I also remember the last goal Vs Aldershot - bullet header from Steve Hetzke up the town end.

[Ark Royal]

God I must be old I remember the two home games. Pompey took over the Southbank it was like a home game for them you could hear the chimes from the Oxford Rd. I remember Alan Lewis chipping the ball over the wall from a free kick at the Tilehurst end to give us the lead.

Did't a fella called George Shipley play for us that day?
I seem to remember the Pompey firm gave someone such a good kicking, they nearly died.

Yeah - George Shipley got the second up the Town End. He was loan from Southampton as cover for Ritchie Bowman (I think). We should have signed him in the summer but I think he ended up at Lincoln.

Those games were 1978/79 during Steve Death's record run. I also remember the last goal Vs Aldershot - bullet header from Steve Hetzke up the town end.

The overhead kick by Ollie Kearns against the Shite was my fave.

[SHORT AND CURLY]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

Remember going to all three and having to move to the crammed south west corner for the Portsmouth match from my usual South Bank spot on the half way line.
Returned to my spot for the Aldershite game.
Three derbies, three lots of "Kicking off". Scary, but memorable days

What a weekend

[Ark Royal]

My last memories of 3 games in a weekend were 1978/79.
1-0 at home to Portsmouth
0-0 away to Bournemeouth
4-0 at home to the shite

Happy days

Remember going to all three and having to move to the crammed south west corner for the Portsmouth match from my usual South Bank spot on the half way line.
Returned to my spot for the Aldershite game.
Three derbies, three lots of "Kicking off". Scary, but memorable days

What a weekend

I crammed all three in as well. Portsmouth was naughty - as always - and it got nasty down in Bournemouth. 5 points (2 points-for-a-win era), no goals conceded and a good weekend.

[Thankgodisfriday]

Does anyone remember the 2-0 V Portsmouth when even the Tilehurst End did a runner....the Evening Post described the Pompey supporters as "like Zulus coming over a Hill"

[The Cap]

Yeah I remember the Pompey game. Is this reminiscing corner or what? Now that was mad. They came down the Oxy Road and were successful in turning cars over.

Me and my mate were in the Tilehurst End for that one and more or less stayed to the finish. That was until the Pompey scouts finally sussed out that we weren't part of the 657 crew. Next thing you know we've had to hot foot it down Wantage Road and just about made it down an alley and over a fence into Kensington Road Rec.

Ferk me,was that close or what?

And the missus wonders why I sometimes wake up in a hot sweat.

[Millsy]

Luxury.

In my day we used to have to play 12 games over the Easter weekend.

We had barefeet, no shin pads and the ball was made of spikey lead.

We had no subs and the matches lasted 3 hours, none of this 90mins malarkey.

And we had 7 seconds for the halftime break, during which time we had to eat gravel and drink muddy water from from a passing Turk's slipper.

If we had broken bones we'd have to play through the pain.

If we complained we'd have another bone broken to teach us a lesson.

And we had to pay for the privilege.

Too easy thesedays.