Four years in the Championship

[Greatwesternline]

When we came back down i was sure we'd go straight back up, with a defence with Bikey, Ivar, a midfield with Harper, Matejovski, Hunt, up front of Doyle NHunt Lita....

The away win at Brum, after that i thought we'd do it.

Then i remember the turd that was post xmas home games, but the return of Kitson and Little i thought would save the day.

Then we all know what happened, play offs were terrible.

Once we lost all those 106ers in the summer and lost Coppel i thought we'd be down here for years.

But skipping over footballs book of tactics, since Brian came in we've looked good enough to be automatic promotion contenders for long stretches of play, out of nothing.


So my point is, did people think we'd go back up this soon....and what stays in the memory from the four years??

For me its

the post xmas slump year 1
the failed return of Kits and Glenn

footballs big book of tactics, big watches

FA cup wins


the emergence of a certain Jimmy Kebe and Shane Long away to Palace,


the siging of Leigertwood
play off despair at wembley


west ham at home
west ham away

[Ian Royal]

I was extremely confident we'd be back up within 10 years.

[Stuka]

I like the lyrics but what song to go with it?

[Winchester Royal]

I didn't think we'd go up this year, I thought it would take another couple to be honest.

[southstand67]

I thought that was it I s'pose; that was our chance at the big time, all over - mid table Championship mediocrity that was confirmed with Brendan Rodgers. Despair at McDermott taking over, but then suddenly feeling confident after the 1-1 FA Cup result with Liverpool. Haven't looked back since.....

[andrew1957]

The last 7 seasons have been an amazing roller coaster ride.

Two promotions, 8th in the PL, relegation when we looked certain to survive at Christmas. Two failed Play Offs and what looked like a possible relegation to L1 before Brain saved the day.

I hoped we would go up but no idea when.

It is certainly not boring supporting RFC.

[rhroyal]

I thought we blew our chance to return in 2009. We'd been relegated needlessly the season before, and blown our best chance of a return. Fair play to McD; fantastic job. Ultimately the new investment made a massive difference, but I think we'd have been competing around the play-offs whatever with Brian in charge (he could have been at Wolves by now without the investment).

[Big Foot]

Spookily enough, I wrote a piece for The Tilehurst End this afternoon about our very own '4 year plan'.

[St Pauli]

With the sale of Long and Gylfi and cloth cutting, I'd consigned myself to mid table mediocrity for a long time. Memories of the last four years?

Play off final, Cup wins, cup losses to Man City and Villa, drawing away to bottom of the league Plymouth. And well all this season.

[Optimist]

I said to myself after Burnley in the play-offs that we'd definetely play in League 1 before we played in the Premier League again...

[Skyline]

We seem to specialise in 4-year stints at a level recently, spoiled by only spending 2 years in the Prem. Since the 1994/5 season our record has been:

Tier 2: 4 years (1994/5 to 1997/8)
Tier 3: 4 years (1998/9 to 2001/2)
Tier 2: 4 years (2002/3 to 2005/6)
Tier 1: 2 years (2006/7 to 2007/8)
Tier 2: 4 years (2007/8 to 2011/2)

Hopefully we can spend a bit longer at the top level this time out

[Jackson Corner]

TBH I thought last years play off defeat would signal the start of years of mid table obscurity, dipping crowds with eventual relegation AKA Coventry. If we were to ever get back up it would be through the play offs not another title. Which just shows I know oxf*rd all, so no change there.

[Great Knolly]

It's been a fun 4 years. Hope the next 4 are just as good.

[Cape Town Royal]

I must admit after selling Gylfi, the play off final dfeat and then selling Long, I really thought we'd struggle this season (well we did for about 5 weeks).. so have loved the wave this season has been. Memories of the last 4 seasons

Bad ones

Burnley - play off defeat - the manner was a like watching a team die.
Plymouth away - the 4-1 defeat - Living in the SW that was painful..
Wembley - I took my son for his first trip to Wembley and he was heartbroken after..
Sig going - most talented player I have ever seen come through Readings youth set up in the 35 years i've been watching this club.

Small things

Beating Plymouth with a late penalty the same season as the 4-1 defeat.
Ledge signing on full term.
Thinking when we drew at home to Southampton this there's something in this team.
Reading the inflatables link just now..

BIG Things (many) including.....

Liverpool cup win
The thought of the impact the take over could make to our beloved club
West Ham (H & A)
Southampton away - Felt so proud sitting in their end through the game as we worked our way through that game and chatting to Murts at half time.
The moment promotion was secured... Total joy and relief that the hard work of this season had a deserved end product...

[Ark Royal]

I though the nadir was witnessing the shocking performances under The Big Bad Watch against Scunthorpe and Palace. We were awful - Moses parted our arse cheeks and ripped us a new one; Rodgers completely lost it with Dellor. At that point I was convinced we were going down.

The highs? The cup replay win over Liverpool. The resurrection of the club can be directly linked to that night, albeit with the hiccup of a play-off final defeat; the Wet Sham and Southampton performances will live long in the memory.

[loyalroyal4life]

i am extremely glad we got out this year as i do think the league overall was not one of the strongest! Add to this i have every confidence we will stay in the prem past first season!

Bring on the russian revolution

[handbags_harris]

I said to myself after Burnley in the play-offs that we'd definetely play in League 1 before we played in the Premier League again...

You, sir, are not the only well-recognised Nobber to have said something like that.

Eh floyd?

[urz13]

I though the nadir was witnessing the shocking performances under The Big Bad Watch against Scunthorpe and Palace. We were awful - Moses parted our arse cheeks and ripped us a new one; Rodgers completely lost it with Dellor. At that point I was convinced we were going down.

The highs? The cup replay win over Liverpool. The resurrection of the club can be directly linked to that night, albeit with the hiccup of a play-off final defeat; the Wet Sham and Southampton performances will live long in the memory.

What actually happened between Dellor and Rodgers?

[St Pauli]

I though the nadir was witnessing the shocking performances under The Big Bad Watch against Scunthorpe and Palace. We were awful - Moses parted our arse cheeks and ripped us a new one; Rodgers completely lost it with Dellor. At that point I was convinced we were going down.

The highs? The cup replay win over Liverpool. The resurrection of the club can be directly linked to that night, albeit with the hiccup of a play-off final defeat; the Wet Sham and Southampton performances will live long in the memory.

Got to add QPR away under Big Bad Watch to my list- remember the away end singing 'how shit you must be, it's only 4-1' and a lone QPR fan in the home end loling and give us a clap.

[Big Foot]

Spookily enough, I wrote a piece for The Tilehurst End this afternoon about our very own '4 year plan'.

Available here - http://thetilehurstend.co.uk/2012/04/20 ... xile-over/