Where were YOU when we were sh!t?

[Victor Meldrew]

So far nobody in the same decade as me-nothing particularly to be proud of but as some say...FACT.
First game-Reading 4 Norwich 4. March 27th 1954.
One of my proudest moments was on January 23rd 1982 watching my son run on the pitch as mascot with Kerry Dixon,Neil Webb and Lawrie Sanchez-to think we had 3 of our best ever players turning out but only drew 2-2 v Plymouth in front of just 3024 and could only finish that season in 12th place in Div 3.

Looking back over the years Reading were not very good but generally we had a reasonable home record and as we hardly ever travelled away apart from FA Cup games Reading won more games than they lost at home in most seasons.
In that my first season Reading scored 57 league goals at home in 23 games which is somewhere near our best return and conceding 33 meant an average of just under 4 goals in every home game-no wonder I was hooked.

As with some of the others on here I am not so intense any more about RFC and don't quite have the same passion about the club.
I think it comes down to 3 things:-
My age
The long-ball game that we play
And the poor effort I thought the club made to retain our Premier League status.

Sorry I don't get that. If you have witnesed all those grim years of treading water in the lower leagues as I did in the 70's and 80's. Then you would apriciate the fact, that even now we are punching above our weight in the 2nd tier of English football.
I also don't think we are a long ball team I would say going back as far as Mcghee we have had managers who have had the team play a passing game.
Pardew, Coppell, Mcdermot even Rodgers

You don't get it do you?
I,along with a lot of fans that I know,feel the same way.
Having witnessed all the poor stuff for all those years we became totally dismayed that the club just threw away membership of The Premiership,something that had taken all those years to get to but made such little effort to stay there.

On the question of long-ball refer to Prostak and Floyd in particular who share my view and with respect I'm not sure what you have been watching.
Incidentally I had an E-mail today from a friend of mine who works for the Mail on Sunday as a sports writer (now only occasionally and semi-retired after years of reporting on football,golf and tennis) and although he lives in Caversham he says that he doesn't watch Reading much because of the long-ball game.

[jgriowa]

I am still waiting for us to be shite. So far so good. The lowest that Reading have been in the league since I started following them was last January before we went on our solid run to finish out the season.

My experience is pretty similar - started following in 2004/05 season and got hooked. Pretty much riding a gravy train of success ever since, compared with the stories told of relegation to the nether regions of the Football League..

[Royalee]

So far nobody in the same decade as me-nothing particularly to be proud of but as some say...FACT.
First game-Reading 4 Norwich 4. March 27th 1954.
One of my proudest moments was on January 23rd 1982 watching my son run on the pitch as mascot with Kerry Dixon,Neil Webb and Lawrie Sanchez-to think we had 3 of our best ever players turning out but only drew 2-2 v Plymouth in front of just 3024 and could only finish that season in 12th place in Div 3.

Looking back over the years Reading were not very good but generally we had a reasonable home record and as we hardly ever travelled away apart from FA Cup games Reading won more games than they lost at home in most seasons.
In that my first season Reading scored 57 league goals at home in 23 games which is somewhere near our best return and conceding 33 meant an average of just under 4 goals in every home game-no wonder I was hooked.

As with some of the others on here I am not so intense any more about RFC and don't quite have the same passion about the club.
I think it comes down to 3 things:-
My age
The long-ball game that we play
And the poor effort I thought the club made to retain our Premier League status.

Sorry I don't get that. If you have witnesed all those grim years of treading water in the lower leagues as I did in the 70's and 80's. Then you would apriciate the fact, that even now we are punching above our weight in the 2nd tier of English football.
I also don't think we are a long ball team I would say going back as far as Mcghee we have had managers who have had the team play a passing game.
Pardew, Coppell, Mcdermot even Rodgers

You don't get it do you?
I,along with a lot of fans that I know,feel the same way.
Having witnessed all the poor stuff for all those years we became totally dismayed that the club just threw away membership of The Premiership,something that had taken all those years to get to but made such little effort to stay there.

On the question of long-ball refer to Prostak and Floyd in particular who share my view and with respect I'm not sure what you have been watching.
Incidentally I had an E-mail today from a friend of mine who works for the Mail on Sunday as a sports writer (now only occasionally and semi-retired after years of reporting on football,golf and tennis) and although he lives in Caversham he says that he doesn't watch Reading much because of the long-ball game.

This sums it up for me, and I realise how fortunate I've been as I've been going to games probably since we were last playing hoofball so haven't had to endure it. To have come so far only to throw it away is inexcusable and demoralising as a fan.

[AthleticoSpizz]

That depends on your subjective perception of "throwing it away"

[Terminal Boardom]

Long ball? Ian Branfoot anyone? That was tolerated because we were successful.

[buckingham royal]

1974-75 Possibly the Fred May Testimonial v Arsenal Oct 1974

[Svlad Cjelli]

I remember having a ST book where you tore out the page for the game number you were attending. There WERE STs at Elm Park.

Yep, and with a couple of "free" cup tie tickets in there.

RIP the old days.

I used to work for the company in Smelly Alley that printed them - back in the early days of computer printing.

And the vast majority of the main stand was sold to STHs also.

[Jackson Corner]

So far nobody in the same decade as me-nothing particularly to be proud of but as some say...FACT.
First game-Reading 4 Norwich 4. March 27th 1954.
One of my proudest moments was on January 23rd 1982 watching my son run on the pitch as mascot with Kerry Dixon,Neil Webb and Lawrie Sanchez-to think we had 3 of our best ever players turning out but only drew 2-2 v Plymouth in front of just 3024 and could only finish that season in 12th place in Div 3.

Looking back over the years Reading were not very good but generally we had a reasonable home record and as we hardly ever travelled away apart from FA Cup games Reading won more games than they lost at home in most seasons.
In that my first season Reading scored 57 league goals at home in 23 games which is somewhere near our best return and conceding 33 meant an average of just under 4 goals in every home game-no wonder I was hooked.

As with some of the others on here I am not so intense any more about RFC and don't quite have the same passion about the club.
I think it comes down to 3 things:-
My age
The long-ball game that we play
And the poor effort I thought the club made to retain our Premier League status.

Sorry I don't get that. If you have witnesed all those grim years of treading water in the lower leagues as I did in the 70's and 80's. Then you would apriciate the fact, that even now we are punching above our weight in the 2nd tier of English football.
I also don't think we are a long ball team I would say going back as far as Mcghee we have had managers who have had the team play a passing game.
Pardew, Coppell, Mcdermot even Rodgers

You don't get it do you?
I,along with a lot of fans that I know,feel the same way.
Having witnessed all the poor stuff for all those years we became totally dismayed that the club just threw away membership of The Premiership,something that had taken all those years to get to but made such little effort to stay there.

On the question of long-ball refer to Prostak and Floyd in particular who share my view and with respect I'm not sure what you have been watching.
Incidentally I had an E-mail today from a friend of mine who works for the Mail on Sunday as a sports writer (now only occasionally and semi-retired after years of reporting on football,golf and tennis) and although he lives in Caversham he says that he doesn't watch Reading much because of the long-ball game.

I respect your views and maybe when I have been following the team as long as you I will feel the same. We have been spoilt in recent seasons with some very good players and atractive football and even this season is way better than some of the rubbish I watched at Elm Park. My only question to you is would you prefer that we were like Swindon playing Yeovil in the third tier in front of a few thousand in a decrped stadium trying to avoid relegation?
Or at the Mad Stad playing Leeds in front of 20,000 in a superb stadium with at least a slim chance of the play offs?
No one is forced to go to watch Reading, I go to support my local team I have done since the age of 10 and will continue to do so regadless of what style of football they play and whatever division thay are in.

[Cripple Creek]

Been following them since the mid-70s. My main 'highlight' memories of the early days are Ritchie Bowman, Mark White - both of whom would walk into our current team but other than the odd occasion it was pretty awful stuff to watch. There were some intermissions when someone special came along - ie. Neil Webb, Kerry Dixon. Most of the time it was, and still is, a labour of love and simply the fact that I love the club - not sure why. The first time since the 1970s when I felt I was actually watching a team trying and succeeding in playing football was under McGhee - still, for me, the most attractive Reading side I have ever seen although clearly Coppell's side was the most successful and I'm not taking anything away from Steve.

[leicsRoyal]

We have had to move forward, it's not just a great new sstadium but the whole set up now. This helps to attract some players that would probably otherwise look elsewhere and this in turn helps us to continually punch above our weight.
I loved the old days at Elm Park and will never forget them, however being one of the fans stood on the home terrace at Stevenage recently, I can appreciate what giant steps we have made to get where we are now!
In all honesty I prefer the Championship to the Prem, if only because I can get tickets to nearly every game.

[TFF]

I remember having a ST book where you tore out the page for the game number you were attending. There WERE STs at Elm Park.

Yep, and with a couple of "free" cup tie tickets in there.

RIP the old days.

Were they free tickets or "vouchers" that were validated towards later rounds?

I had (was given) a ST book for my first season (84-85 I think). I remember losing 4-1 at home to Donny. I was in the stand so jacked it in the following season in favour of paying at the turnstiles and getting on the terraces.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Football has sold its soul to the devil called money.

It is now run for the owners and players, not the Club or the fans, most money coming in, which incidentally is ALL down to fans be it from advertising or attending, as if there was no one watching the advertisers would not put so much in, same applies to Sky money, the monthly fee is what pays for it, which comes from the fans.

Players are now millionaires, off the back of extortionate entrance prices, at all levels. A Stadium is a collection of steel and concrete,(most other sports too) yet costs thousands to add a seat, a plastic one that costs about £25.

The matchday experience is more to do with selling extras, rather than pop along to see a match, everyone is after a bit of the cash cow, buses cost a fortune, laid on extra you know, since the ground is not on a route, parking the same. And of course it is all to finance the ridiculous wages of the players.

At this point in time I cannot see me ever getting back in love with football, I watch the odd gaem on telly, but even that is crazy, £2m a year for Andy Gray! Jimmy Hill must be turning in his grave(is he dead yet)?

[leicsRoyal]

We were fleeced for extra's at Elm Park too!!

I regularly parted with 30p of my pocket money for a bundle of programmes at the shop on the Tilehurst Road end.

Terrible value for a dozen programmes including European cup final ones and usually a couple of players photo's thrown in as well!

[under the tin]

We were fleeced for extra's at Elm Park too!!

I regularly parted with 30p of my pocket money for a bundle of programmes at the shop on the Tilehurst Road end.

Terrible value for a dozen programmes including European cup final ones and usually a couple of players photo's thrown in as well!

I know exactly what you mean, mate.
I used to stand in the town end, and if it started raining, the robbing sods used to charge you all of 5p to go through the thransfer turnstile so you could get "under the tin".
And a programme that cost 5p that included "Football league review" magazine in it.

[BarrowBoyBouch]

I remember getting to watch all the home games in 1983/4 for £2.50 as a Junior Royal......always on the South Bank....we always parked in Prospect Park and walked in... The evening post seller "post baby" - well that's what it sounded like! Ahh the glorious 4-3 vs Plymouth ...and the number of times I left 5 minutes early to be greeted with the roof coming off the south bank when we sneaked a last minute winner ...as walking up tilehurst road. Football has changed, footballer life styles too ....there was no kissing the badge in those days......but once a fan always a fan.

[leicsRoyal]

I was a very confused youngster as I thought he was selling ' pots '

[Ark Royal]

65/66. First game on 1st January 66 v Walsall.