Nigel Adkins - new manager

[M Brook]

remembers Reading FC with fond memories

Of course he does, he was a legend here!

Great goalkeeper.

John Madejski thought he was a defender when he signed him. Apparently only agreed to an extra 5K a year only if he scored 20 goals a season. Thought he's got a real bargain til someone advised him how many goals he'd scored during his career.

[Millsy]

Haha that's funny. Good old John, clueless about footy as he admitted to me enough times.

Still the best chairman in our history and will be sad to see him actually go

[Barry the bird boggler]

Effectively he has gone already though.

[TTC]

Big John was probably referring to when Quinny had to go in goal when our keeper (was it Shep) got sent off. From memory I think it was against Wolves or Bolton- someone here will know.

Remember watching that match. Elm Park was a fortress Against big teams

[Pepe the Horseman]

Was Bolton away. We were 3-1 down when he went in goal and drew 3-3, if I remember correctly, which I probably don't...

[TTC]

Scary thing was that he was a better keeper than Simon "could catch a cold" Shepperd.

I'm pretty sure the game I remember him going in goal was at elm park. It was during the Gooding/Quinn manger era.

I loved Elm Park. Can't believe how far Reading have come as a club. Remarkable achievement.

[SPARTA]

Big John was probably referring to when Quinny had to go in goal when our keeper (was it Shep) got sent off. From memory I think it was against Wolves or Bolton- someone here will know.

Remember watching that match. Elm Park was a fortress Against big teams

Sure it was Bolton.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Bolton at home http://www.royals.org/matdoc/080297.html my account of what happened appears to have been completely made up

[Millsy]

Big John was probably referring to when Quinny had to go in goal when our keeper (was it Shep) got sent off. From memory I think it was against Wolves or Bolton- someone here will know.

Remember watching that match. Elm Park was a fortress Against big teams

Sure it was Bolton.

It was that match I was referring to with my "great goalkeeper" comment yes.

We beat the northern scum 3-2 even without a keeper.

Got into a fight with some very annoyed northern monkeys afterwards, made it all the more pleasurable. They started on me btw. All I did was taunt them. Young and stupid, but a great memory and my best memory of Quinny.

[Royal With Cheese]

Am I the only one who doesn't really want Adkins as manager?

[melonhead]

i dont know.& in order to find out id have to ask everyone in the world the question, and cant be arsed.

[paddy20]

Add me to your list. Appointing Adkins would be like not sacking Macd after he had spent £25m last summer

[Big Ern]

Add me to your list. Appointing Adkins would be like not sacking Macd after he had spent £25m last summer

So he needed £25million to improve a team that finished below us last season to get them to relative safety this season.

Looks like money well spent to me.

[paddy20]

Take your point but at the time he was sacked I believe they were only a point or so above Reading. Not sure if he would have beaten Man City or Liverpool either. I do admit however they played better football than us this and last season. P.S how do tou paste and copy other peoples messages and get it in a different colour?

[Royal With Cheese]

Add me to your list. Appointing Adkins would be like not sacking Macd after he had spent £25m last summer

So he needed £25million to improve a team that finished below us last season to get them to relative safety this season.

Looks like money well spent to me.

So, are we saying Adkins is a better manager because he spent money or because he actually had money to spend?

I do remember people lolling before the season started about the price Southampton had paid for players and how ridiculous it was.

[Ian Royal]

Was Bolton away. We were 3-1 down when he went in goal and drew 3-3, if I remember correctly, which I probably don't...

Definitely not, as others have said it was at Elm Park and it was 3-2. First time we'd played them (at home anyway) since the POs. And I'm pretty sure Quinn got beaten low to his corners if not twice then definitely once.

8 February 1997 (League)
READING 3 Bolton Wanderers 2

Att: 10,700
Team: Mihyalov (Quinn), Booty, Bodin, Macca, Hunter, Bernal, Caskey (Gooding), Lambert (Gilkes), Meaker, Archie, Morley.
Subs (all used): Quinn, Gilkes, Gooding.

At last - revenge over Bolton Wanderers! But this was even better following Bolton's seven match winning league streak and their twelve point lead at the top of the table. Reading were deserving winners after one of the best second halves seen at Elm Park for quite some time, and some truely heart stopping stuff - thanks to the dissaperance of Bobby Mihaylov.

The first half was forgetable. Bolton were on top for the first fifteen minutes and Bobby made a couple of decent saves. Twice he came of his line well to clear up the danger in one on one situations. But after Boltons initial fifteen minute pressure they went all quiet and allowed the Royals to get on top towards the end of the first half. It was all very patient stuff and we didn't manage a shot but kept posession and at last started playing the ball around on the ground. Still, at half time, I was expecting a 0-0 draw.

But the second half everything just went mental. Just into the half Bobby again raced off his line to intercept a Bolton forward clean through. The ball bounced clear but Bobby didn't get up. After a few minutes of treatment and then a few minutes limping around winging he eventually came off to be replaced by Sir Jimmy in the Reading goal. The crowd were loving it and Quinn got his first cheers from the Reading crowd of the season after collecting his first shot with ease. Chants of Quinns' name rung across the South Bank. But Bolton failed to test Sir Jim and Reading started to really go for it. The next fifteen minutes saw 5 goals and three to Morley and Reading as Reading swept Bolton aside.

Morley put Reading ahead after winning the ball just inside the area, turning his man beautifully and finishing with true skill. The keeper came well to narrow the angle but Trevor wasn't having any of it and fired the ball low into the right corner. 1-0. Then Bolton went up the other end and at last seemed to remember we had Sir Jim in goal and let one rip from long range into the right corner of the Reading net. To be fair to Quinn it was a decent shot.

But the Royals had already realized this was a game we could win. Meaker, who had had a couple of decent runs in the first half, legged it down the right with a bit a speed and cut inside the area. He lost the ball once but seemed to get a lucky bounce and continued on his run only to be cut down by a desperate defender just wide of goal still. Quinn looked eager to come forward and have a go but it was Morley who stepped up to make no mistake, after his last penalty was saved a couple of games ago. The ball flew into the roof of the net. 2-1 to the Royals and two for Morley.

But Bolton legged it up the other end and took a minute for a similar attempt on goal. A long range shot with Quinn way off his line again flew into the right bottom corner. 2-2. Bollocks. With Quinn in goal and Bolton again bouncing back I was starting to think this couldn't possibly be our day. Bolton like pulling these games around. But then Quinn made a couple of important catches. One from a Bolton corner that he claimed well, and another gathered at the second attempt. And we regained our will to win and everyone continued playing their socks off. We won a corner of the left. It came across and Bodin knocked it in and there was a bundle at the far post. The ball came out to Morley waiting on the six yard box to fire into the left of the net to complete his hattrick, send the South Bank wild, and put Reading 3-2 ahead after an amazing fifteen minutes.

Quinn continued to play his part, coming well to make saves but fumbling them in a very scarey fashion. He saved excellently at the post and then got down well with a great reaction clearance boot. Reading still looked good coming forward but for the last five minutes and deep into injury time I found myself just waiting for that equaliser. I could hardly watch the free kick from just outside the area. The wall protected Quinn's goal. Then in the last minute Bolton had a penalty turned down. Winging Northerners. Then at last the final whistle went, and a famous Reading victory against the odds - and our seventh point from a possible nine. And at last we move up from 19th place!

A brilliant game from Bernal who was everywhere. Booty was excellent. Quinn - well you can't fault his determination there. Morley was nowhere in the first half but showed true goal-scoring ability that makes him one of the highest scorers in the division. Meaker annoyed their number 3 fantastically. Lambert was quiet. And Mihaylov - was he really that badly injured? Quinn on Radio 5 afterwards tells us he's out for the rest of the season....

[Pepe the Horseman]

Was Bolton away. We were 3-1 down when he went in goal and drew 3-3, if I remember correctly, which I probably don't...

Definitely not, as others have said it was at Elm Park and it was 3-2. First time we'd played them (at home anyway) since the POs. And I'm pretty sure Quinn got beaten low to his corners if not twice then definitely once.

8 February 1997 (League)
READING 3 Bolton Wanderers 2

Att: 10,700
Team: Mihyalov (Quinn), Booty, Bodin, Macca, Hunter, Bernal, Caskey (Gooding), Lambert (Gilkes), Meaker, Archie, Morley.
Subs (all used): Quinn, Gilkes, Gooding.

At last - revenge over Bolton Wanderers! But this was even better following Bolton's seven match winning league streak and their twelve point lead at the top of the table. Reading were deserving winners after one of the best second halves seen at Elm Park for quite some time, and some truely heart stopping stuff - thanks to the dissaperance of Bobby Mihaylov.

The first half was forgetable. Bolton were on top for the first fifteen minutes and Bobby made a couple of decent saves. Twice he came of his line well to clear up the danger in one on one situations. But after Boltons initial fifteen minute pressure they went all quiet and allowed the Royals to get on top towards the end of the first half. It was all very patient stuff and we didn't manage a shot but kept posession and at last started playing the ball around on the ground. Still, at half time, I was expecting a 0-0 draw.

But the second half everything just went mental. Just into the half Bobby again raced off his line to intercept a Bolton forward clean through. The ball bounced clear but Bobby didn't get up. After a few minutes of treatment and then a few minutes limping around winging he eventually came off to be replaced by Sir Jimmy in the Reading goal. The crowd were loving it and Quinn got his first cheers from the Reading crowd of the season after collecting his first shot with ease. Chants of Quinns' name rung across the South Bank. But Bolton failed to test Sir Jim and Reading started to really go for it. The next fifteen minutes saw 5 goals and three to Morley and Reading as Reading swept Bolton aside.

Morley put Reading ahead after winning the ball just inside the area, turning his man beautifully and finishing with true skill. The keeper came well to narrow the angle but Trevor wasn't having any of it and fired the ball low into the right corner. 1-0. Then Bolton went up the other end and at last seemed to remember we had Sir Jim in goal and let one rip from long range into the right corner of the Reading net. To be fair to Quinn it was a decent shot.

But the Royals had already realized this was a game we could win. Meaker, who had had a couple of decent runs in the first half, legged it down the right with a bit a speed and cut inside the area. He lost the ball once but seemed to get a lucky bounce and continued on his run only to be cut down by a desperate defender just wide of goal still. Quinn looked eager to come forward and have a go but it was Morley who stepped up to make no mistake, after his last penalty was saved a couple of games ago. The ball flew into the roof of the net. 2-1 to the Royals and two for Morley.

But Bolton legged it up the other end and took a minute for a similar attempt on goal. A long range shot with Quinn way off his line again flew into the right bottom corner. 2-2. Bollocks. With Quinn in goal and Bolton again bouncing back I was starting to think this couldn't possibly be our day. Bolton like pulling these games around. But then Quinn made a couple of important catches. One from a Bolton corner that he claimed well, and another gathered at the second attempt. And we regained our will to win and everyone continued playing their socks off. We won a corner of the left. It came across and Bodin knocked it in and there was a bundle at the far post. The ball came out to Morley waiting on the six yard box to fire into the left of the net to complete his hattrick, send the South Bank wild, and put Reading 3-2 ahead after an amazing fifteen minutes.

Quinn continued to play his part, coming well to make saves but fumbling them in a very scarey fashion. He saved excellently at the post and then got down well with a great reaction clearance boot. Reading still looked good coming forward but for the last five minutes and deep into injury time I found myself just waiting for that equaliser. I could hardly watch the free kick from just outside the area. The wall protected Quinn's goal. Then in the last minute Bolton had a penalty turned down. Winging Northerners. Then at last the final whistle went, and a famous Reading victory against the odds - and our seventh point from a possible nine. And at last we move up from 19th place!

A brilliant game from Bernal who was everywhere. Booty was excellent. Quinn - well you can't fault his determination there. Morley was nowhere in the first half but showed true goal-scoring ability that makes him one of the highest scorers in the division. Meaker annoyed their number 3 fantastically. Lambert was quiet. And Mihaylov - was he really that badly injured? Quinn on Radio 5 afterwards tells us he's out for the rest of the season....

Yeh, posted that a few posts after my original one

[Ian Royal]

Must remember to finish reading the thread before posting. Still, it meant I re-read the match report when I otherwise wouldn't have.

[Gunny Fishcake]

I'm reliably informed , and believe Nigel Adkins will be appointed the new Reading manager in the coming days . My source is close to to rfc directors and has been told it'll happen before the Arsenal game . This is passed on with the full knowledge that it could all be bollox but I do think it will happen .If not I'll eat the humble pie in isolation during my three month self inposed exile from HNA .

For what it's worth I think it's a good appointment ........if it happens .

[Divvy]

This will piss off a lot of Leeds fans. I'd be happy with this! I know some have their doubts, but he's a bloody good manager for the Championship, and we're not exactly going to get a big name with a glowing Premier League CV.