The Simod Cup (not the Zenith Data Systems Cup)

[KevinYahoo]

Hi there,

I'm writing an article about the Full Members Cup/Zenith Data Systems Cup and I wanted to get the fans' views on it (the ones who can remember it, obviously). As a side that won it, Reading fans are better equipped than most to discuss this cup. Obviously, people look back on it now as a bit of a Mickey Mouse competition, but what did it feel like the time? How did winning it compare to winning other matches? How much did you care? How important was it in the grand scheme of things?

If you have any memories or opinions on the Full Members Cup, please share them here!

I'd want to use some of the your quotes for the article, which will appear on the Yahoo Football website next week. So if you don't want your comments to be used then let me know, and they won't be. All quotes will be credited to this site.

Cheers!
Kevin

[No Fixed Abode]

FTR - for most Reading fans it was known as The Simod Cup when you won it.

[Maguire]

You're about to have 300 angry Reading fans tell you it was called The Simod Cup when we won it.

I was nine years old, it was my second ever Reading game, and it was literally the best things ever got.

We've been to Wembley three times since, lost every time and conceded 10 goals in the process. Also lost a p/o final at the Millennium Stadium conceding another three goals.

I'd never seen so many people in one place and spent as much time staring at the crowd as the pitch. I think the whole of Reading went to that match.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

First of 5 parts here, including pre match footage of fans and players
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlX7zCG8isQ

[No Fixed Abode]

Look at these beauties.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Steve Francis won it twice, once under each guise

[tidus_mi2]

This happened 1 year and 7 months before I was born.

[CountryRoyal]

This happened 1 year and 7 months before I was born.

Cool.

[Barney]

Simod Cup memories:

Semi-final. Home to Coventry. Southbank was jammed. Full Town End of Coventry City fans. Game went to penalties. At one point we were 0-2 down. We were out. Steve Francis saves two penalties, and it is up to Michael Gilkes to score the final penalty to take us to Wembley. A number of fans were already over the wall standing on the touchline. The hordes in the Southbank were edging down the terraces awaiting the inevitable. Gilkes steps up, scores, and before he is off the pitch there are fans streaming on from everywhere.

The next few weeks were extraordinary. A poor league season was almost forgotten as thousands of past and present Reading fans snapped up whatever tickets we could. There are true stories to this day of some folks that have only ever seen Reading play once, and that is the Simod Cup final. After our allocation was snapped up, folks from Reading bought hospitality tickets, Corporate tickets, anything you could get your hands on.

The final itself. Our coach was the first to arrive at Wembley that morning. We were very early. Luton fans were outnumbered 2-1 and it seemed as if every pub around Wembley was full of Reading fans. The Globe at Baker Street was rammed by noon. Luton scored first. We then scored four. As the whistle went, the Luton end was empty. Martin Hicks lifting the Simod Cup in front of over 40,000 from Reading was unbelievable.

It might only have been the Simod Cup. And a few weeks later we were relegated to the third tier. But that day back in March 1988 will live in the memory for ever.

[tidus_mi2]

This happened 1 year and 7 months before I was born.

Cool.

Yep, you guys got to celebrate a Wembley victory, I've seen us lose twice.

[CountryRoyal]

This happened 1 year and 7 months before I was born.

Cool.

Yep, you guys got to celebrate a Wembley victory, I've seen us lose twice.

Not me. Never seen us win at Wembley.

[tmesis]

I was one of the few who bothered going to a near deserted Loftus Road for the 1st round game.

I remember walking out after the 3-1 win and thinking what it would be like to get to Wembley and win the cup, before dismissing the idea as ridiculous.

It was very nearly a derby final, but Luton beat Swindon in the other semi-final. It would have probably meant a crowd of more like 90000 had that happened, as Luton's support was poor. They only had about 15000 there.


Everyone there knew it didn't mean a great deal in the grand scheme of things, but I don't think as a single match it'll be bettered unless we win one of the League Cup or FA Cup.


After the event, my hatred of TVS increased by them not bothering to show proper highlights of the game. In the end they showed about 5 minutes on highlights on their regional new programme "Coast to Coast"*, where David Bobin's clearly added-on-afterwards commentary proved his is to commentating what Keira Knightley is to cage fighting. He even called us Reading Town Football Club.


* not only did the name highlight the lack of interest in anything not on the coast, it begged the question which two coasts exactly they were referring to,

[The Cap]

Didn't go to this, and think I was probably away out of the country at the time. Had to smile at seeing 'Big Clive' waiting in the crowd at the start. Well attended and must have been one hell of a party afterwards.

[seahawk10]

Look at these beauties.

This isn't bad though:

[The Royal Forester]

Maybe it was a Micky Mouse Cup, but it was the happiest I ever left a match. When Luton, who I believe were in a division above us at the time, scored the first goal, disappointment set in. Then each time we scored the sea of blue and white erupted into a an increasing crescendo and the blob of black and white slowly disappeared. Reading appearing at Wembley was unbelievable, to actually win was even more so. What a pity the TV companies ignored the competition. It was filmed and I think a video was produced of the entire match, but, I am not certain and would not know how to obtain one now.

[The Royal Forester]

Tmesis. TVS covered Kent as well as Hampshire etc., as far as I remember, so the two coasts would have been the North Kent and the South Coasts.

[RATM]

I was one of the few who bothered going to a near deserted Loftus Road for the 1st round game.

I remember walking out after the 3-1 win and thinking what it would be like to get to Wembley and win the cup, before dismissing the idea as ridiculous.

It was very nearly a derby final, but Luton beat Swindon in the other semi-final. It would have probably meant a crowd of more like 90000 had that happened, as Luton's support was poor. They only had about 15000 there.


Everyone there knew it didn't mean a great deal in the grand scheme of things, but I don't think as a single match it'll be bettered unless we win one of the League Cup or FA Cup.




After the event, my hatred of TVS increased by them not bothering to show proper highlights of the game. In the end they showed about 5 minutes on highlights on their regional new programme "Coast to Coast"*, where David Bobin's clearly added-on-afterwards commentary proved his is to commentating what Keira Knightley is to cage fighting. He even called us Reading Town Football Club.


* not only did the name highlight the lack of interest in anything not on the coast, it begged the question which two coasts exactly they were referring to,

TVS also appeared to interview several village idiots after the game who knew nothing about football

[From Despair To Where?]

I was one of the few who bothered going to a near deserted Loftus Road for the 1st round game.

I remember walking out after the 3-1 win and thinking what it would be like to get to Wembley and win the cup, before dismissing the idea as ridiculous.

I was there as well. I have some misguided memory of the attendance being less than 2,000 but in reality, I think it was probably closer to 5,000. I remember wondering what Branfoot was thinking playing Linden Jones in midfield. Bit of a master stroke really. We were losing to a Mad Dog goal for much of the game then turned it around in a 5 minute spell late on. It was possibly our only ever win on a plastic pitch and was the catalyst for a decent run over Christmas and new year IIRC, including a Boxing Day win at Selhurst Park.

I particularly remember the Forest game though as it was a rare foray into the seats for me after winning 2 tickets in the programme. Forest were a more than decent team in those days and fielded quite a strong team. Regardless of the competition, it was a big deal to beat them as they were still one of the best teams in the country.


TVS. Oh for the days of regular coverage of Gillingham ahead of us in the local sports news. It was that or a choice of BBC South, who ignored anything more than 5 miles inland, or BBC London, who ignored anything more than 5 miles outside the M25

[Linden Jones' Tash]

Simod Cup memories:

Semi-final. Home to Coventry. Southbank was jammed. Full Town End of Coventry City fans. Game went to penalties. At one point we were 0-2 down. We were out. Steve Francis saves two penalties, and it is up to Michael Gilkes to score the final penalty to take us to Wembley. A number of fans were already over the wall standing on the touchline. The hordes in the Southbank were edging down the terraces awaiting the inevitable. Gilkes steps up, scores, and before he is off the pitch there are fans streaming on from everywhere.

The next few weeks were extraordinary. A poor league season was almost forgotten as thousands of past and present Reading fans snapped up whatever tickets we could. There are true stories to this day of some folks that have only ever seen Reading play once, and that is the Simod Cup final. After our allocation was snapped up, folks from Reading bought hospitality tickets, Corporate tickets, anything you could get your hands on.

The final itself. Our coach was the first to arrive at Wembley that morning. We were very early. Luton fans were outnumbered 2-1 and it seemed as if every pub around Wembley was full of Reading fans. The Globe at Baker Street was rammed by noon. Luton scored first. We then scored four. As the whistle went, the Luton end was empty. Martin Hicks lifting the Simod Cup in front of over 40,000 from Reading was unbelievable.

It might only have been the Simod Cup. And a few weeks later we were relegated to the third tier. But that day back in March 1988 will live in the memory for ever.

I would have to agree with this.

Along with Reading Elvis, The After Dark and calling the Broad Street Mall the Butt's Centre, I would argue that the Simod Cup final is Reading's equivalent to "where were you when JFK got shot" or "when man landed on the Moon" for a certain generation of people.

For a while, the chant, "when Hicks went up, to lift the Simod Cup, we were there!" seemed to apply to everyone.

As a teenager at the time, it has a surreal quality to it, I stole one of my mum's bed sheets and made a banner with the now infamous "Branfoot daughter designed" club badge on it and left it at Wembley.

I seem to recall the whole town partied that night... and 1988, there weren't too many places to do that in Reading....

The semifinal with the late late Gilkes penalty saw my first ever pitch invasion, from the TILEHURST END, though my dad refused to climb the wall..

So, yeah, it means something to us.

[Jackson Corner]

For Reading fans at the time when expectations were somewhat lower than they are now. Winning the Simod cup still rates as the best day in the clubs history. Yes it was bit of a mickey mouse cup but for us it was like winning the Champions league.