Anyone Remember When...

[Royal Rother]

VTFC in the Zamaretto S&W Div 1 have to play 6 games in 8 days as a result of a fixture pile up. Crazy.

[BanffshireRoyal]

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?

I remember 3 Easter games in the days of NO subs. Vague recollections of a Good Friday match against Northampton - think Freddie Fisher scored for us but no idea of result. Probably 1947 or 8.

[oldebiscuit]

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....

That went on into the sixties. My first game ever was when beat Reading v Walsall 3-1 on 27th december 1966, the day after they had beaten us 3-1 at their place on boxing day.

[oldebiscuit]

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

Family Club, even back then....[/quote]


smoking killed the dancing doe asked?




Yes, Reading was a family club then. Always has been.
In Football hooligan terms Reading didn't have a mob. In those days every schoolboy or teenager had 2 teams, your local team (Reading in our case), and a big team (Leeds, Chelsea, Man Utd, Etc). Any one that fancied a bit of action went to Stamford Bridge and so on. This left Reading as a friendly place, with just a small section of 'Boys' in the Southbank, and that reputation was often exploited by other teams supporters that had a hooligan following (Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday Etc.). Although Reading would muster up a little mob for games like Aldershot, Swindon Etc. and put up the required resistance, and even misbehave at some away games, Reading was, as we still are, a good 'family' football club.

[Dirk Gently]

Yes, Reading was a family club then. Always has been.
In Football hooligan terms Reading didn't have a mob. In those days every schoolboy or teenager had 2 teams, your local team (Reading in our case), and a big team (Leeds, Chelsea, Man Utd, Etc). Any one that fancied a bit of action went to Stamford Bridge and so on. This left Reading as a friendly place, with just a small section of 'Boys' in the Southbank, and that reputation was often exploited by other teams supporters that had a hooligan following (Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday Etc.). Although Reading would muster up a little mob for games like Aldershot, Swindon Etc. and put up the required resistance, and even misbehave at some away games, Reading was, as we still are, a good 'family' football club.

[quote]

Yep - but the worst occurances I remember were in around 83 when the Bristol clubs visited. Carnage at both matches.

[oiht]

Digressing somewhat, what are your funniest moments watching RFC?

Does anyone remember the balloon race contest in the mid 80's IIRC, I can't remember what game it was. Hundreds of helium filled balloons were under a big net in the centre circle waiting for the big moment of release. When the time came and the net pulled away it became apparent that the ID tags were too big and heavy for the balloons so instead of them floating off into the sky they all got caught in the strong cross wind coming from the Town end and most of them blew into the Tilehurst end goal!! I think one of them managed to clear the Tilehurst end terrace and the winning ballon travelled as far as Prospect Park!

Queue scenes of Gordon Neate and helpers popping the remaining balloons with forks before the game could start, I nearly Pi33ed myself.

Another occasion I remember, was when a bald headed linesmen patrolling the touchline in front of the Southbank was incurring the wrath of the homers for giving every decision against the Royals. Eventually somebody from right at the back of the Southbank lobbed a crushed fag packet at him. It looped high into the roof space, over the fans in front and bounced right off the top of the linemans pate.

Queue scenes of linesman waving his flag vigorously, the referee stopping the game and about two dozen bobbies forming a line infront of the Southbank to protect the lino. Hilarious!

[Ark Royal]

1979 was the last time that Reading played a Good Friday/Saturday/Easter Monday three-game program.

Reading's last Christmas Day fixture was in 1957 - a 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth in front of 11162. The last Christmas Day game at Elm Park was in 1953 - a 2-4 defeat to Torquay in front of 8802.

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

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

^^ This. It's what Easter should be about. And was it a big champion's decider against Lincoln the following week, too.

Alan Lewis curling a free kick in to the top corner - a la The Sig yesterday against the shite. SB goes mental.

[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

^^ This. It's what Easter should be about. And was it a big champion's decider against Lincoln the following week, too.

Alan Lewis curling a free kick in to the top corner - a la The Sig yesterday against the shite. SB goes mental.

That was 76 against Lincoln, who were already promoted. 1-1. Ray Hiron scored in front of a season-high 15,900.

[Millsy]

Digressing somewhat, what are your funniest moments watching RFC?

Does anyone remember the balloon race contest in the mid 80's IIRC, I can't remember what game it was. Hundreds of helium filled balloons were under a big net in the centre circle waiting for the big moment of release. When the time came and the net pulled away it became apparent that the ID tags were too big and heavy for the balloons so instead of them floating off into the sky they all got caught in the strong cross wind coming from the Town end and most of them blew into the Tilehurst end goal!! I think one of them managed to clear the Tilehurst end terrace and the winning ballon travelled as far as Prospect Park!

Queue scenes of Gordon Neate and helpers popping the remaining balloons with forks before the game could start, I nearly Pi33ed myself.

Another occasion I remember, was when a bald headed linesmen patrolling the touchline in front of the Southbank was incurring the wrath of the homers for giving every decision against the Royals. Eventually somebody from right at the back of the Southbank lobbed a crushed fag packet at him. It looped high into the roof space, over the fans in front and bounced right off the top of the linemans pate.

Queue scenes of linesman waving his flag vigorously, the referee stopping the game and about two dozen bobbies forming a line infront of the Southbank to protect the lino. Hilarious!

Haha classic!