Smallest away attendance

[Mr Angry]

Crewe away on a Friday night in the late 1980's, at the start of the August Bank Holiday weekend; the coaches only got as far as Birmingham before being turned round due to the problems with all the holiday traffic, so the only attendees were independent travellers.

Certainly well under 40 away that night.

Ha ha! I was at that game. I had forgotten about that.

Pretty sure I saw you in the stands with a couple of your fanzine mates of the time....better choice than being on that hideous crumbling old terrace (and even more dilapidated toilet block) that was Gresty Road back then...

[Royal With Cheese]

I think we managed to get comps for that so you're probably right. I don't remember any more than 20 Reading fans on the terrace that day.

[General B]

Anyone remember a Reading fan called Bunyan? He was there - he used to go to lots of games at this time. Anyway, probably about 50 people there.

Bunyip? If it's the bloke I'm thinking of he still goes, or certainly did about two years ago.

When the Stoke fans got on the pitch in 1991, he was sat on the fence waving a crowbar around. Also once got a lift with him to Fulham years ago and he drank cans of Stella for the entire journey. I got the train home.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Crewe away on a Friday night in the late 1980's, at the start of the August Bank Holiday weekend; the coaches only got as far as Birmingham before being turned round due to the problems with all the holiday traffic, so the only attendees were independent travellers.

Certainly well under 40 away that night.

Ha ha! I was at that game. I had forgotten about that.

Pretty sure I saw you in the stands with a couple of your fanzine mates of the time....better choice than being on that hideous crumbling old terrace (and even more dilapidated toilet block) that was Gresty Road back then...

Remember that game - absolutely tipping down so was in the stands too. There was a kid in the stands who kept yelling out "Come on, Alex" and after about 30 minutes gone the dozy oman I was with turned to me and said "Which one's Alex?"

[Franchise FC]

Altrincham away friendly midweek, mid-season.

6 of us, and 4 went in my car. The other two were Willie Rush and Ginge.

The only question remaining is ..........why

[No Fixed Abode]

Anyone remember a Reading fan called Bunyan? He was there - he used to go to lots of games at this time. Anyway, probably about 50 people there.

Bunyip? If it's the bloke I'm thinking of he still goes, or certainly did about two years ago.

When the Stoke fans got on the pitch in 1991, he was sat on the fence waving a crowbar around. Also once got a lift with him to Fulham years ago and he drank cans of Stella for the entire journey. I got the train home.

Sounds like that could be him. Remember he was pretty skinny and had short curly gelled hair.

[westonroyals]

General B wrote:
No Fixed Abode wrote:
Anyone remember a Reading fan called Bunyan? He was there - he used to go to lots of games at this time. Anyway, probably about 50 people there.

Bunyip? If it's the bloke I'm thinking of he still goes, or certainly did about two years ago.

When the Stoke fans got on the pitch in 1991, he was sat on the fence waving a crowbar around. Also once got a lift with him to Fulham years ago and he drank cans of Stella for the entire journey. I got the train home.


Sounds like that could be him. Remember he was pretty skinny and had short curly gelled hair.



Yes I was there at Bolton, living now in Somerset since 1998 still a season ticket holder, tee total & bold.
Back in the elmpark days there was a few away games with a small following.

[LUX]

OK, slightly off topic. I went to Roker Park when we won 1-0 (Scott Taylor). Sunderland were expecting few away fans and penned us into a very small standing section, which we dangerously over-filled. It was scarily crushing. The stewards requested to open another pen, but that request was refused.

iirc there was a mass protest by Sunderland fans after that game (sack the Board etc).

ps there were three or four RFC fans in the stand to our left who only showed their colours when the home fans started leaving near the end.

[reading_fan]

Two smallest away attendances I recall were a midweek game away at Halifax in a League Cup tie in '98 (ish? 1-1 draw, Parky headed equaliser, pissed down with rain all game, white plastic garden chairs (the "bench"!) blown on to the pitch stopping the game), and an FA Cup tie away at York at a similar time (2-2 I think, which we then lost the home game 2-0, I think it was just before we signed Murty, he may even have scored in that away game)

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Two smallest away attendances I recall were a midweek game away at Halifax in a League Cup tie in '98 (ish? 1-1 draw, Parky headed equaliser, pissed down with rain all game, white plastic garden chairs (the "bench"!) blown on to the pitch stopping the game), and an FA Cup tie away at York at a similar time (2-2 I think, which we then lost the home game 2-0, I think it was just before we signed Murty, he may even have scored in that away game)

Wasn't that Halifax game an FA Cup tie, in about late 99/early 2000? Scott Howie saved a late penalty to keep us in the game?

Remember the rain and the plastic garden furnitures - and remember one of the chairs legs slowly sinking into the ground - everyone could see it slowly sinking, except the one sitting on it, who ended up in the mud when it got to the (actual) tipping point.

[reading_fan]

Two smallest away attendances I recall were a midweek game away at Halifax in a League Cup tie in '98 (ish? 1-1 draw, Parky headed equaliser, pissed down with rain all game, white plastic garden chairs (the "bench"!) blown on to the pitch stopping the game), and an FA Cup tie away at York at a similar time (2-2 I think, which we then lost the home game 2-0, I think it was just before we signed Murty, he may even have scored in that away game)

Wasn't that Halifax game an FA Cup tie, in about late 99/early 2000? Scott Howie saved a late penalty to keep us in the game?

Remember the rain and the plastic garden furnitures - and remember one of the chairs legs slowly sinking into the ground - everyone could see it slowly sinking, except the one sitting on it, who ended up in the mud when it got to the (actual) tipping point.

Yes, we've definitely got the same game here, and I do remember the penalty. Having just dug out the match report on Hob Nob, it turns out we won it with a Caskey penalty, not a Parky header.

HALIFAX TOWN 0 READING 1
Attendance: 2,146
Scorers: Caskey
Date: 30 November 1999
Team: Howie, Murty, Bernal, Primus, Polston, Gurney, Parkinson, Caskey, Evers (Smith), McIntyre, Forster (Williams).
Audio: Supplied By Classic Gold: Soon
Match Hero: Primus

[Alexander Litvinenko]

We drove up to Halifax and were looking for somewhere to park, so we asked a copper standing by the ground in the pissing down rain.

We said "Is there any parking for away fans?" and his response was "Why? Just why? What the oxf*rd are you doing here?"

Summed it up nicely for me.

[Norfolk Royal]

We drove up to Halifax and were looking for somewhere to park, so we asked a copper standing by the ground in the pissing down rain.

We said "Is there any parking for away fans?" and his response was "Why? Just why? What the oxf*rd are you doing here?"

Summed it up nicely for me.

Dubious about that to be honest.