Worst home support in the league ?

[madstadblues]

I have been a season ticket holder for a long time and been to quite a few away games but I am struggling to think of a team that has zero support from the 'get go' as we did last night. I understand the team have to help get the crowd going but we were ok for the1st 10 minutes or so but nothing ( as with Leeds) from the fans. Our home support wakes up either to groan at a missed pass or berate an opposition foul. 150 Wigan fans made as much noise as 13900 reading fans. Whilst the football was embarrassing the support was worse. How can a couple of thousand reading away fans create more atmosphere than a 70% full stadium ?

[Royal Ginger]

Woah, steady with that jerking knee, you might hurt yourself.

[Green]

Well football is increasing a middle class family oriented pursuit these days. To your point arguably nowhere is that more acute than a club like Reading and it's natural that the atmosphere feels a little flat for those of us who are old enough and lucky enough to have experienced the terraces.

Worst support in the league is quite a charge though - are you talking Championship or entire football league there?

I actually find it quite surprising (at away games, not been to home one for about a decade now) that you still get a load of young lads valiantly singing against piped goal and pre kick off music. Isn't the whole thing a big of a legacy from the game that disappeared with all seater stadia? I find it surprising that if that's the experience you crave you'd bother going to games anymore.

[M Brook]

Dim Tellor suggested om BBCRB last night that the lack of atmosphere/empty blue seats was because lots of people were away on half term skiing breaks. Apparently, according to him, Reading fans are the most middle class fans in the league.

Really Tim? Nothing to do with the dreadful football that we've been served up this season then?

[Gilksy]

On most boards you see fans ask this of their own fans, and if you're a regular away fan then you'll know home support throughout the cpountry is often a load of shite these days; with the odd exception only. Our home support has been toss this season but with what the fans have had to put up with for the last few years it's totally understandable. We don't even know who our owners are and what their intentions are, which again just adds to more instability within the fanbase.

[Caversham Royal]

Oh yawn, it's yet another 'aren't our fans shite' thread....

[The Reverend]

Sitting in the Upper West I am of course absolved of any responsibility to contribute to the 'atmosphere' although I have been known to utter the odd 'Come on Reading' and clap a bit.

Not that I can blame them given the football we had to endure last night but the performance from the other two stands was piss poor. Y26 just didn't turn up. Even the drummer couldn't be arsed to whip up any sort of noise in that corner.

After the dismal performance against Leeds (against whom the support was pretty decent in the first half) we needed to see a reaction on the pitch. Passion on the pitch generates passion in the stands at the Mad, not the other way round. Twas ever thus

[M Brook]

Sitting in the Upper West I am of course absolved of any responsibility to contribute to the 'atmosphere' although I have been known to utter the odd 'Come on Reading' and clap a bit.

Not that I can blame them given the football we had to endure last night but the performance from the other two stands was piss poor. Y26 just didn't turn up. Even the drummer couldn't be arsed to whip up any sort of noise in that corner.

After the dismal performance against Leeds (against whom the support was pretty decent in the first half) we needed to see a reaction on the pitch. Passion on the pitch generates passion in the stands at the Mad, not the other way round. Twas ever thus

Amen to that!

[Haag Royal]

I don't think we have the worst home support in the league but with the dross dished up in the last 2 home games it's no surprise to hear that people think we do.

I was sent some kind of form by the club recently asking as a STH why I had not been to some of the recent home games. I was unsure how to answer as it was multiple choice I think? Anyway, the answer is if the team can't be bothered then nor can I.

You cannot expect the fans to be generating a great atmosphere when we are playing with such pack of passion and effort. If the team showed they cared then the fans would show they cared as well. Everyone knows a well timed winning tackle for a 50/50 ball gets the fans off their seats. Pulling out of every 50/50 tackle has the opposite effect a la Obita last night....

Also I am soooooo tired of the bloke at the beginning of the game who stands there with his clipboard and does that be proud, be loud rubbish to get the crowd going. PLEASE we deserve a change don't we?

[sandman]

Having been to Fulham this season the answer is no we don't have the worst home support.

[Reading4eva]

I have been a season ticket holder for a long time and been to quite a few away games but I am struggling to think of a team that has zero support from the 'get go' as we did last night. I understand the team have to help get the crowd going but we were ok for the1st 10 minutes or so but nothing ( as with Leeds) from the fans. Our home support wakes up either to groan at a missed pass or berate an opposition foul. 150 Wigan fans made as much noise as 13900 reading fans. Whilst the football was embarrassing the support was worse. How can a couple of thousand reading away fans create more atmosphere than a 70% full stadium ?

The lot we were playing have a terrible support at home.

To be outsang by 150 of them is bloody embarrasing

[Forbury Lion]

In my opinion, Any criticism of the fans and atmosphere should first be targeted towards the 10,000 empty seats and then some considerable distance the fans who spared time and money to attend, of which the early leavers deserve being called out first and not those who supported the team in some capacity, to a satisfactory level or not for the full 90+11 minutes.

[Maguire]

I think anyone who stayed until the end of injury time should be sent to from the MadStad to the mad house.

[arthurfondrelli]

I left with 2 mins of normal time to go, and managed to make an earlier train back to Bournemouth.

Wish I had left 30mins before and got an even earlier one.

[Mr.Swainey]

The lot we were playing have a terrible support at home.

To be outsang by 150 of them is bloody embarrasing

How will I sleep tonight?!

[Mr.Swainey]

Home games are such a dull experience I haven't been to one in ages, the only bearable way of watching Reading is on the road. It's all been downhill since they stopped doing the half-time pizza competition, that was better than Elm Park tbf.

[SCIAG]

I have been a season ticket holder for a long time and been to quite a few away games but I am struggling to think of a team that has zero support from the 'get go' as we did last night. I understand the team have to help get the crowd going but we were ok for the1st 10 minutes or so but nothing ( as with Leeds) from the fans. Our home support wakes up either to groan at a missed pass or berate an opposition foul. 150 Wigan fans made as much noise as 13900 reading fans. Whilst the football was embarrassing the support was worse. How can a couple of thousand reading away fans create more atmosphere than a 70% full stadium ?

We weren't OK for the first 10 minutes or so. Our good spell was early in the second half, at which point the fans got behind the team.

I don't think the Wigan fans outsang us. I was sat in the North Stand but I didn't hear a peep from them all match, definitely more from Y25/26.

I'm usually strongly opposed to booing, but last night it was warranted. Usually I'd agree that our supporters are worse than our players, but not yesterday.

[Sutekh]

I go to lots of away games in a season and generally, unless you're somewhere like Anfield, or its a big game with loads riding on it home support is always absolute crap with nothing being heard unless the home side actually score.

Reading is no worse than any other club in that respect.

[Westwood52]

How many Season ticket holders have asked themselves these last two weeks - whether to bother renewing.

The home performances this season have been absolute pants.

And what happens if we go down ?

Tops of 11000 fans-8000 of those the hard core-the rest floaters like me.

The plastics , the corporates, the kids will be long gone.Maybe the Thai's will cut and run as well.

I try to persuade mates who support London Prem teams to come & support their local team-but who can blame them given the level of our performances.

[SapperBRoyal]

Admittedly, I have never followed Reading away. I do think that at home, over the last decade, Reading crowds are routinely outdone by away fans and I have been lucky to watch them through the Prem years (when we arguably over performed and really had something to cheer about). Play off final 2011, Swansea fans drubbed us. This unpicks the chicken or egg argument for me: are we quiet because the team are poor, or are they poor because we are quiet? Neither; we are quiet and the performances are unrelated. Are we worst in league - difficult to say objectively.