2006 v 2012

[Royal With Cheese]

2012 = the most amazing run-in, in a much harder division... and because we've proven we're not a one-hit wonder (Barnsley/ Bradford/ Burnley/ Blackpool/ Oxford/ Swindon etc)

^
This

Now officially best top filght club in the Thames Valley!

[KC Royal]

Have to wonder if this league is better than 06? Obviously we were superb, but the top 2 teams gained nearly 200 points You have to wonder at the quality of the opposition. Far far stronger oppostition this time round....harder battles are more satisfying.

I'd go along with that. I respect the Championship for its competitiveness more now than in 06. Used to think back then that we achieved 106 pts because the division was weak, although with appreciating that achievement more as time has passed that opinion has altered somewhat.

And not only that, we've beaten 2 of the Top 6 away from home this season (3 if Boro make the playoffs and possibly 4 if we beat Brum on the final day). Back in 06 we didn't beat any of the Top 6 away as I recall.

[KC Royal]

I've supported this club since I was 7 (1990) I've been lucky enough to watch our growth under SJM, in the last 22 years. I was unable to be there last night, but I think my whole street knew we'd gone up. I was glued to the radio as always! Mind you, we've lost most of the games I went to this season so it was probably a good thing I wasn't there.

Must admit although I wish i'd been there last night I feel similar to you. I was at the Brum game 2009 and Wembley last year and wasn't at the Leicester and Derby games in 2006 so maybe it was just as well i wasn't there either!

[Vision]

Have to wonder if this league is better than 06? Obviously we were superb, but the top 2 teams gained nearly 200 points You have to wonder at the quality of the opposition. Far far stronger oppostition this time round....harder battles are more satisfying.

I'd go along with that. I respect the Championship for its competitiveness more now than in 06. Used to think back then that we achieved 106 pts because the division was weak, although with appreciating that achievement more as time has passed that opinion has altered somewhat.

And not only that, we've beaten 2 of the Top 6 away from home this season (3 if Boro make the playoffs and possibly 4 if we beat Brum on the final day). Back in 06 we didn't beat any of the Top 6 away as I recall.

I've never really subscribed to the view that any one season in the championship is significantly tougher than another. Pretty much every season I read on here people saying that it's a "weak league this year" and this season has been no exception. I think we've had a run of tough games recently which may have skewed people's view a bit of this season. I'd simply accept that the 05/06 team was just a truly exceptional team rather than suggest that the other 23 teams were somehow worse than usual. Something which it's subsequent Premier League finish underlined.

This year's team is also exceptional but more in the sense of it's capacity to handle high pressure situations and confound expectation.

[Terminal Boardom]

This season just edges 2006 for me. In 2006 we knew it was just a matter of time before we were promoted, but this has come out of nowhere.

Still hasn't really sunk in.

Amazing night

Couldn't agree more. 2006 was about a long unbeaten run and 99 goals. This time around far more workmanlike and unexpected considering the start to the season. It is irrelevant but where would Reading have finished had there not been the TSI announcement?

The cliche that sums it up for me is "The sum being greater than the whole". BMcD and the rest of the backroom staff have been unbelievable. Is there a better English manager in the country?

[glenroyal]

Totally different for us ...

We only saw a few games in 2005/6 - emigrated to US for the whole of the two premiership seasons, and somehow never managed to attend a single game. This time (this season and last) despite being hundreds of miles from the Madejski we have got to attend quite a few games and feel a part of it ... and will do so in the premiership season(s) ahead. Can't wait.

UUURRRrrrzzz!!!

[Gatecrasher]

2006 team all the way for me, 99 goals and a ridiculous goal difference. Turning up to home games knowing we would destroy teams, and only 1 acquisition saw us finish in 8th place the following year.
This season the definition of a 'team', superb defence and counter-attacking. Love the fact Adkins et al declared they gifted us all our goals. Happy days.
Can we get Gylfi back now...........

[melonhead]

personally, it couldnt beat 05/06 for the feeling when we went up,or clinched the championship Vs derby, or when murts scored Vs QPR

but for this team, and this manager, to do what theyve done, after year after year of losing our best players,and losing that play off final, and tha start we had this year, to go to west ham,brighton and saints in the run in, and clinch it like this equals 05/06 in terms of achievment, it really does.

every man jack of them are reading legends for life now.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

05/06 team are better

[Volvicanus]

They were both incredible! I don't think it gets better than being promoted. And I mean that sincerely as promotion years are better than any of the years we were in the Prem. The struggle and the success is just the ultimate high.

So happy for such a classy team!

[Ian Royal]

They were both incredible! I don't think it gets better than being promoted. And I mean that sincerely as promotion years are better than any of the years we were in the Prem. The struggle and the success is just the ultimate high.

So happy for such a classy team!

Wahey! Nice to see you back V.



2006 will always be more important to me because it was the first time. But this season has been aces too.

[KC Royal]

This season just edges 2006 for me. In 2006 we knew it was just a matter of time before we were promoted, but this has come out of nowhere.

Still hasn't really sunk in.

Amazing night

Couldn't agree more. 2006 was about a long unbeaten run and 99 goals. This time around far more workmanlike and unexpected considering the start to the season. It is irrelevant but where would Reading have finished had there not been the TSI announcement?

The cliche that sums it up for me is "The sum being greater than the whole". BMcD and the rest of the backroom staff have been unbelievable. Is there a better English manager in the country?

Good point about TSI. I’ve thought about that in recent weeks, mainly in relation to Roberts. If a national newspaper hadn’t revealed the news of the takeover then would we have signed Roberts? My gut feeling is that we were planning to announce the news when the deal was completed, around the end of the season, ahead of a concerted promotion push next season.

[Ark Royal]

2005/06 now seems just a stroll compared to this. I have the impression that we really had to earn this promotion given four consecutive defeats in the first six games and the hardest run-in out of all of the promotion hopefuls; but, we have totally steamrollered the opposition in the last month. This one feels better.

1925/26
1975/76
1978/79
1983/84
1985/86
1993/94
2001/02
2005/06
2011/12

Another season to go on the badge of honours and I have witnessed all but the first of those!

[Still Hate Futcher!]

Both great in different ways. This time around was special as I'd been a nervous wreck for weeks before that amazing feeling of relief/elation last night. In '06 the season as a whole was great but it was never in doubt that we were going up. That took the edge off the trip to Leicester as we knew if it didn't happen then it would the week after. There wasn't even a goal that took us up as results elsewhere meant we were up without Doylers late equaliser.