The bloke in the next seat

[JoebyRFC]

My uncle got chatting to this old couple in front of us in the east end and turns out the women was a millionaire but preferred to be with the crowd then be in a box, which I thought was very good of them. Now every game they give us lot free food, drinks etc it sometimes pays to just have a chat with the supporters around you.

[Ferris]

Four seasons ago I got chatting to a lovely young lady in the seat next to me. She's now my wife.

[Ferris]

That's not true

[Royal Rother]

[westongeezer]

Sad storey, i travel from Somerset myself but i have not had a ST now for 3 years as i cant get to as many games so in a way i have no regular fans i sit next to, my thoughts and im sure all of the WS as all the other stands are with him and his family....

[Big Foot]

I'd hate to be sitting in front or behind of us
Our use of the English language is sketchy at best and the alcohol fumes must be enough to get anyone p*ssed

Ohhh Big Foot you sit behind us

For the 2 games a year you attend, yes I do

[SLAMMED]

Sure enough the new season starts and there is Pete

Whats this , no Pete?

Touching story, but it does't make sense.

[Royal Lady]

Sure enough the new season starts and there is Pete

Whats this , no Pete?

Touching story, but it does't make sense.

It does if you bother to read it properly. Every start of a new season there is Pete sat there. Except this season, no Pete - and Paul explains to brizzle royal why.

A couple of rows in front of us, to our left, are some loud mouthed, drunk fans who stand up and shout a lot of the time. Big up to RFC Mod and his posse!!

[SLAMMED]

[URZZ]

Sad storey, i travel from Somerset myself but i have not had a ST now for 3 years as i cant get to as many games so in a way i have no regular fans i sit next to, my thoughts and im sure all of the WS as all the other stands are with him and his family....

Westongeezer, as in Weston-Super-Mare?

[brendywendy]

scottish geezer and son sit next to me, for the last 5 seasons. often dishes out sweets, so the cliche about scotsmen just isnt true.


and until this season three decent young lads who sit behind me, and ruffle my lucky bald spot when we score.

this season they have moved to the east stand. they are dead to me now

[Hogmeister Royal]

Bloke who often sat next to me last year usually came with his kids and was a total pillock. Thought it funny to shout "Come on Swansea" (or whoever the opposition were) and was not interested in the game at all, often staring for ages away from the pitch and watching the crowd behind us - really distracting.

We moved seats this year.

[westongeezer]

Sad storey, i travel from Somerset myself but i have not had a ST now for 3 years as i cant get to as many games so in a way i have no regular fans i sit next to, my thoughts and im sure all of the WS as all the other stands are with him and his family....

Westongeezer, as in Weston-Super-Mare?

Yes as in Weston Super Mud ,

[PieEater]

There's a guy who's sat next to me for 10 seasons and over the years I've got to know him and his family quite well. He had a stroke last year and lost a lot of control down his left side. He missed a load of games, but when he eventually did return it was quite sad to see him scrabbling up the steps clinging on to the top of each seat, but he was determined to make it to his seat rather than sit somewhere more accessible.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Have sat in the same seat for 10 seasons.

Brothers sit next to me and 3 generations. Nice little area tbh as no one has moved in or out for a good 5 years now.

[royal-biscuit-man]

There used to be an oldish man who seemed to know, everything, and anything about RFC. He used to sit near the front of Y25, with his wife. Not sure if he is still there though, i haven't sat in that part of the ground for a while, and haven't seem him around the mad stad for sometime.

[Ark Royal]

Going back to the Elm Park days, there were a bunch of disparate characters standing on the Tilehurst end in the same place for many years and the only time we all ever met was for home games and for some of the away games.

There was me, my Mum, my uncle Rich, best mate Hayd, my nephew David and a collection of unique characters: Drunken Duncan, Del Boy and his young son, Fat Dave (an ice cream man who hated kids) and his sister, who we called Mrs Fat Dave and others whose names or nicknames now escape me. There was also Mike, who although born and bred in the Reading area, was retired, but still drove from his home in Doncaster for every home game - a round trip of some 400 miles. Because of that, he became known as Mike the God. He was also invariably accompanied by his delightful wife, who always dished out wine gums or toffees at half-time to the foul-mouthed reprobates around her. She was a lovely lady and we loved her to bits.

On the move to the Madjeski, we all arranged to meet at the club to buy our season tickets together in one block in the North Stand in the approximate equivalent of where we used to stand on the Tilehurst. Come the opening game against Luton, there we all were all together for a new era in a new stadium, including Mike the God and his wife, who sat directly behind me (I was in Z-71).

Then, all of a sudden, for one game that I cannot recall, we all noticed that Mike the God was missing, but did not think too much of it as he had a long trip as always. A week or two later a few of us bumped into Mike the God on the terraces at Chesterfield. We asked him why he had missed the home game and he just stated dead-pan that his lovely wife had collapsed and died of a brain aneurysm. We were all pole-axed and stunned, especially as the wife of a very close friend had died of exactly the same thing a month previously. It all really spooked me.

The following home game, Mike the God was back in his usual seat and we all got a card for him and gave him our best wishes. Every one of us was in tears.

I moved to Ireland in 99 and then the US in 02 and I hope Mike the God is still going to the Madstad, but if he does he is not in the same North stand seat. I think of all of them during my infrequent trips back across the pond to see family and take in a game or two and try to sit in the same area hoping that I will see some of the old faces. Have not seen them for the last few trips.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

There was some oldish guy I used to stand near at Elm Park, South Bank, Tilehurst End side near half way line towards the back, early 1980's who had a really shrill voice and always spent the game screaming "put your yellow shirt on ref" (or whatever colour opposition were playing in)

Never heard or seen him at mad stad

[zummerset]

On the move to the Madjeski, we all arranged to meet to at the club to buy our season tickets together in one block in the North Stand in the approximate equivalent of where we used to stand on the Tilehurst. Come the opening game against Luton, there we all were all together for a new era in a new stadium, including Mike the God and his wife, who sat directly behind me (I was in Z-71).

Then, all of a sudden, for one game that I cannot recall, we all noticed that Mike the God was missing, but did not think too much of it as he had a long trip as always. A week or two later a few of us bumped into Mike the God on the terraces at Chesterfield. We asked him why he had missed the home game and he just stated dead-pan that his lovely wife had collapsed and died of a brain aneurysm. We were all pole-axed and stunned, especially as the wife of a very close friend had died of exactly the same thing a month previously. It all really spooked me.

The following home game, Mike the God was back in his usual seat and we all got a card for him and gave him our best wishes. Every one of us was in tears.

I moved to Ireland in 99 and then the US in 02 and I hope Mike the God is still going to the Madstad, but if he does he is not in the same North stand seat. I think of all of them during my infrequent trips back across the pond to see family and take in a game or two and try to sit in the same area hoping that I will see some of the old faces. Have not seen them for the last few trips.

THIS is what we are all about..... thank you for your story. I wish I had more friends like these (Rowz - I miss you)

[zummerset]

Sad storey, i travel from Somerset myself but i have not had a ST now for 3 years as i cant get to as many games so in a way i have no regular fans i sit next to, my thoughts and im sure all of the WS as all the other stands are with him and his family....

Westongeezer, as in Weston-Super-Mare?

Yes as in Weston Super Mud ,

Should we meet up for the TV game at least?