Simod Cup - 25th anniversary

[Handsome Man]

We should all stand up for a minute and have a big round of applause when the 25th minute starts

[soggy biscuit]

We should all stand up for a minute and have a big round of applause when the 25th minute starts

I hope RFC never ever lowers itself to do one of these on the minute silence things.

Ranks even slightly more cringeworthy than the drummer, Soccer AM, songsheets, rumblesticks, back and boys and make some noise, no 13 reading fans everywhere, Queensly, half time microphone blokes fake laugh.

[floyd__streete]

The most skillzy thing about that day was the scoreboard having animated graphics (albeit crude analogue ones) of all the players faces as their names were flashed up. It was comfortably the best thing I'd ever seen in my life up to that point. I was 8.

[Stuka]

My mate Mark Gonnella just told me he is writing a piece for the programme on Saturday about this monumental moment in footballing history.

[white_and_blue]

Most of the Simod Cup winning team are getting back together for a lap of the pitch.

However the club are so tight that they are having to eat at a local pub before the game as they club don't think the history is worth a few sandwiches.

[floyd__streete]

Most of the Simod Cup winning team are getting back together for a lap of the pitch.

However the club are so tight that they are having to eat at a local pub before the game as they club don't think the history is worth a few sandwiches.

Why do they always do these things at half time? Half the crowd are in the concourse, either urinating over-priced lager or purchasing more over-priced lager or in my case locating m8s who don't sit immediately near me so that I can ensure they too are aware of how little I have enjoyed the game thus far. The players will receive a tepid welcome at best.

Have them walk around 10 mins before kick off as the crowd is building, might help the atmosphere a little and perhaps get the current Reading team's blood pumping a bit when they come out to a 'warmed up' crowd.

[leicsRoyal]

Great memories of the whole cup run that year not least of which getting home at about midnight after this game.


RFC v Coventry Simod Cup sf 88 03 02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVqPK7Lyf-w

[SHORT AND CURLY]

Most of the Simod Cup winning team are getting back together for a lap of the pitch.

However the club are so tight that they are having to eat at a local pub before the game as they club don't think the history is worth a few sandwiches.

Why do they always do these things at half time? Half the crowd are in the concourse, either urinating over-priced lager or purchasing more over-priced lager or in my case locating m8s who don't sit immediately near me so that I can ensure they too are aware of how little I have enjoyed the game thus far. The players will receive a tepid welcome at best.

Have them walk around 10 mins before kick off as the crowd is building, might help the atmosphere a little and perhaps get the current Reading team's blood pumping a bit when they come out to a 'warmed up' crowd.

The problem with this is I will still be on the concourse, either urinating over-priced lager or purchasing more over-priced lager or in my case locating m8s who don't sit immediately near me so that I can ensure they too are aware of how little I think they will enjoy the forthcoming 90 minutes

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Great memories of the whole cup run that year not least of which getting home at about midnight after this game.


RFC v Coventry Simod Cup sf 88 03 02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVqPK7Lyf-w

There are so many good things about this clip its impossible to list them all.

Elm Park literally packed to the rafters. 20,000+ were in the ground that night
Its filmed behind a post
"Courage - All The Best"
Brian Kilkline giving it the pantomime villian
"Lucky git"
Gilkesy clearly shitting bricks as he makes that walk
The mother of all pitch invasions

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nol-Qiyuw0

[Royal With Cheese]

Great memories of the whole cup run that year not least of which getting home at about midnight after this game.


RFC v Coventry Simod Cup sf 88 03 02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVqPK7Lyf-w

There are so many good things about this clip its impossible to list them all.

Elm Park literally packed to the rafters. 20,000+ were in the ground that night
Its filmed behind a post
"Courage - All The Best"
Brian Kilkline giving it the pantomime villian
"Lucky git"
Gilkesy clearly shitting bricks as he makes that walk
The mother of all pitch invasions

I still think that's the best game I've been to - not for the football but for the sheer drama. I was on that pitch at the end absolutely fcuking knackered.

[Ralph Jolly]

Great memories of the whole cup run that year not least of which getting home at about midnight after this game.


RFC v Coventry Simod Cup sf 88 03 02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVqPK7Lyf-w

I actually lost track of the score during the penalites and didn't twig straight away that Gilkes' pen was the winner. Didn't take long to realise though and was on the pitch with everyone else pretty quickly!

[Royal91]

Is the Simod Cup got any credibility or is it seen as a mickey mouse cup??

Obviously the achievement was fantastic from our perspective

[Biscuit_Boy]

I remember after the semi-final, outside the ground in Tilehurst Road, I don't think anything has bettered the atmosphere. The sheer joy on everyone's face, all singing their hearts out, every car honking it's horn. Something little old Reading could be proud of. Would I trade our (then) Second Division status for that experience? Hell yeh!

[TFF]

Hat's off TLH

Might actually buy a programme this weekend

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Yep, might actually buy a programme this week myself.

Lets hope somebody at the club picked up on this thread and those too young to experience the day get a feel for just how big a deal it was back then.

[Jackson Corner]

Great memories of the whole cup run that year not least of which getting home at about midnight after this game.


RFC v Coventry Simod Cup sf 88 03 02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVqPK7Lyf-w

I would love to know what the crowd was for this game? Officially it was supposed to be just over 15,000. The biggest crowd I ever went to was when Reading played Soton in the league cup and the crowd was 25,000. But I would swear there were more people that night you could not move in the Tilehurst end it was so packed. Looking at that clip even the town end was packed with Coventry fans. I think looking back I enjoyed that night more than the final.

[Stuka]

Got to say that's a nice design for the programme.

[Biscuit_Boy]

Great memories of the whole cup run that year not least of which getting home at about midnight after this game.


RFC v Coventry Simod Cup sf 88 03 02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVqPK7Lyf-w

I would love to know what the crowd was for this game? Officially it was supposed to be just over 15,000. The biggest crowd I ever went to was when Reading played Soton in the league cup and the crowd was 25,000. But I would swear there were more people that night you could not move in the Tilehurst end it was so packed. Looking at that clip even the town end was packed with Coventry fans. I think looking back I enjoyed that night more than the final.

I do think there were one or two games around this time where the crowd was much bigger than the official capacity. Elm Park had a couple of 30,000 crowds way back and famously over 33,000 vs Brentford in the cup in 1927. The capacity was drastically cut for 'elf and safety' reasons in the 80's, and stood at about 15,000 during the cup run. The Coventry game for sure had more than the official attendance, and another that springs to mind was the match vs Wolves in 1985 when we were going for the 14th win on the trot.

[Gordons Cumming]

Got to say that's a nice design for the programme.

Branfoot, however, does look like he's standing in a hole.