Reflections

[Chaney]

The Wagstaff brothers,

Just think about this for a minute. There used to be professional footballers called Wagstaff.

Barry and Tony, both quality players at that level

[winchester_royal]

The Wagstaff brothers,

Just think about this for a minute. There used to be professional footballers called Wagstaff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Wagstaff

[RoyalBlue]

Thank goodness for a genuine silver surfer.

A really interesting post.

Think you were a bit harsh on Jim and Mick though. Hope you can run as well as you can surf when Mick comes looking for you!

[reading_fan]

E&B, thanks for the post, a very enjoyable read. My Dad started just after you in 1950, and so I know a lot of the names you mention (although I am a mere youngster with a first season of '90-'91) - my mate and I did a "favourite RFC players" XI (not necessarily best) a couple of weeks ago, and most of my Dad's XI was the team from the 50s - the 5 man frontline W formation of Wheeler, Whitehouse, Wagstaff x2, and Walker (IIRC), ahead of many of the subsequent 60+ years of players! I'll email this post to him as I know he'll enjoy it.

[RoyalBlue]

The Wagstaff brothers,

Just think about this for a minute. There used to be professional footballers called Wagstaff.

Barry and Tony, both quality players at that level

Still remember Barry's goal against Arsenal when, typical of Reading, we decided to help them out with Stuart Morgan scoring for them!

33,000 (or was it 27,000?) crammed into Elm Park and Mr Doyle is worried about the risk of supporters standing at the Mad Stad?!

[Trevor Senior's Gap]

Great post, and thank you Sir. Agreed would be excellent to get something like this in the programme to help educate the younger support on what it means to see your local team make it against the odds. Having attended my first game as a 5year old in 85 I've seen some dross over the years and never thought I'd see us make the top flight once let alone twice, but the highs must be even sweeter when you've seen 64 years of generally striving for mediocrity. Great read.

[MM]

Fantastic post, well written and including so many things that most of us wouldn't have a clue about.

I'd only attended one game in '76 before becoming a regular at the start of 78-79 (not a bad year to start my passion).

Thanks for sharing it and hoping you enjoy many more 'good seasons'.

[Onestuartbeavon]

Fantastic Post.

My first game was Easter Monday 1979, Aldershot (won 4-0)

Worst game was a 1-4 home defeat in a Diddy cup to Southend in the 80s. Two own goals.

Great days ahead.

[LWJ]

Not reading all that.. Summary?

Don't be disrespctful. A cracking post and insightful too. If anything it's a summary of the past 70 years.

I couldn't agree more

Before you jump to conclusions, some of us can't sit and read massive posts on Hobnob at work, and can only skim, and write short replies. I may of come across as not bothered, but I literally wanted a shortened version I could read without getting caught.

I have now read it and agree with most sentiments. A cracking read.

And Strap, plastic is a harsh term, when I've followed the club since I was young enough to understand football.

[Victor Meldrew]

A very enjoyable topic bringing back memories regardless of how long people have been following our team.
It also makes me feel young (or rather , less old) as I am a newbie who only started watching Reading as late as 1954.
I wonder if the three of us that sit together ,me,my brother and my mate John might be up amongst the longest active trio of current fans with a total of 170 years and are proud of being old gits together.
Back in the early 50s it didn't seem likely either to ever see Reading at the top level or see a black man as our no.9 when in the 50s we had a white Blackman playing there.
Sign of the times and how society and football have changed.
What does the original poster think of the clappers on Tuesday night?
That hasn't changed much as every child had a noisy wooden rattle and I don't ever recall (health and safety)anybody throwing a rattle or a bottle at anybody and yet these days the mildest looking person gets searched at our stadium-what a pleasure at Brighton that everybody was let into the ground in a civilised way with no searching and being treated as welcome guests rather than potential terrorists.
Apologies for the moan in an uplifting topic.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Great read - thanks for posting.

I started going in 1971 when we were relagated to div 4 for the first time and the club showing nil ambition until Waller sold to Roger Smee in 1983.

[Winchester Royal]

A fantastic post, and great to hear about the old days from somebody who was there.

[grey_squirrel]

Barnsley 7-0 Xmas 1979 (I think). Michael Parkinson (before he was a Royal!) stomping out after the 5th.

Doncaster away. Lost 7-5 during that dreadful 1982 season, when we also lost at home to Preston(?) (0-2?) in front of the Southern/TVS cameras when due to rain and our shlt team, only 1800 bothered turning up and the Tilehurst and Town Ends were completely deserted. That my friends is how far we have come!

[Broxroyal]

Broxroyal - quite agree about Harris and Meldrum but not so sure about Terry. My memory is that he promised more than he achieved.

Yes, I agree with that. Meldrum and Harris were my earliest childhood heroes.
Pat Terry started well but didn't quite deliver (consistently) what we thought he would. He then moved to Swindon, a surprise to us kids at the time.
At Swindon he again started well but flattered to deceive.

[RoyalBlue]

Barnsley 7-0 Xmas 1979 (I think). Michael Parkinson (before he was a Royal!) stomping out after the 5th.

IIRC their manager at that time was Allan Clarke and he was so angry with his players that he took them down a coal mine to show them what real work was like.

[Royal & Ancient]

Great post sir. Brings back so many memories of great players and personalities. Two you didn't include were your own-Edelston &Brice, great servants of the Club and good blokes . Maurice was no mean tennis player either, even commentating at Wimbledon. My first Elm Park experience was an American football game during the war (1944?) , 1946 would be the first Reading match,Tilehurst Road behind the solitary policeman sitting on his chair. Times have changed.Strange how memories of individual incidents during games stay with you. Tommy Lawton,for Notts County, shot from the touch line, an absolute screamer,leather ball moving like a bullet. Bomber Reeves penalty screaMing into Wantage road. And Bomber galloping across the field managing to tread on some floored opponents stomach as he passed.
Coming up to 80 in two months, Season ticket purchased and new season eagerly awaited.As are the last two in this fantastic run. And Victor Meldrew, I still have my rattle !

[Ian Royal]

As someone who has been watching since 77 (just missed Friday!) I can totally relate to what the OP is saying - great post.

For anyone who went regularly before the Millennium/late 90s this is all a dream.

Hell yeah. I have no appreciate for the years of mediocrity (real mediocrity) you all went through and I joined in in '95 with the naive assumption that losing the POF didn't matter because we'd just go up the next season. The next 5 seasons sure taught me a bloody good lesson.

I honestly don't think promotion to the top flight would mean anything near as much to me if I hadn't watched us fight to stay up in the late 90s and go nowhere fast in old new Div 2 and had instead joined the ranks in 2001 or 2002.

I can't imagine how you haven't died of your heart literally bursting with joy and pride after all that. I felt like mine would in 2006 and I've got nothign on you.

Brilliant post from E&B, almost brings a tear to the eye.

[17Bus]

An excellent post and some good memories E&B.

Hi, Croydon Royal - thanks for your comments. The answer to your question is that in August 1962 our goalie Arthur Wilkie injured his arm playing against Halifax and was unable to continue in goal. No substitutes in those days, so he moved to the wing and one of the other players (I've forgotten who) went in goal. Amazingly enough, Wilkie scored twice!!

The man who went between the posts that day was none other than Maurice Evans.

[southstand67]

I say fair play to an old man actually being able to use, not only a computer but the internet

My 82 year old Dad has an iphone 4s, I only found this out when he emailed me using it.....

[RoyalChicagoFC]

I've only been following club football since 2002/3 and watched the second leg of the play-off semi and thought eh whatevs --disappointment to be sure, but it's clear this is a club that has its act together and is going places

Which turned out to be more or less an accurate read, but then what little did I really know at the time, etc

Anyway I of course always want to know as much as I can about the way it was and join in saluting the OP for a presentation at once comprehensive and concise and an excellent jumping-off point for further inquiry --I'm very much obliged

THANK YOU for taking the time to gather your recollections.

That is wonderful reading.

I see what you did there