Elm Park Years

[Sutekh]

I remember when you used to be able to walk through a gate from the South Bank to stand on the Town End. Not exactly sure when they stopped that happening but think it was still a thing at the start of the 80s, though possibly not for all games.

Loved the excellent tv gantry ie dodgy ladder up to the roof of the South Bank

[Stranded]

I remember when you used to be able to walk through a gate from the South Bank to stand on the Town End. Not exactly sure when they stopped that happening but think it was still a thing at the start of the 80s, though possibly not for all games.

Loved the excellent tv gantry ie dodgy ladder up to the roof of the South Bank

They always opened that up about 10 mins from the end of a game - let you get from the South Bank to the Norfolk Road/Waverley Road junction quickly - handy for me as used to live on Colliers Way, so cut 5 or 10 mins off the walk home - then when older, meant you could be in the Spread a minute after the final whistle (or whilst the game was still going if you fancied).

They always opened the Tilehurst End gates with about 15/20 mins to go so you would always see a few people strolling in to catch the end of the game for nothing.

Both were still being done pretty much up to the time we left.

[Jerry St Clair]

Lovely footage of the Miniature For Short launching the membership card.

There was nothing quite like a midweek game under the lights in the Network South East Enclosure.

[Platypuss]

Yuk, those proposed new Reading Royals lion logos.
They had been blanked out of my consciousness until now.
Thank you so much for reminding me.

[LUX]

Too many memories, starting in 1969 at home Mansfield ......I think, I was only 8

Used to buy the previous away game programme from the shop at the back of the Tilehurst end. Highlight of my week.

Used to stand with a group which included HNA’s Franchise FC.

My brother was a Southbanker.

[Westwood52]

Great memories.
Anybody there when they shut the exit gates behind the South Bank on the way out to Tilehurst Road ?I think it was in the eighties.Would have been very dangerous,if someone had started pushing their way out.It was all very dignified however;Reading fans being very well behaved and polite.
Never did find out why the gates were shut.

[Franchise FC]

Too many memories, starting in 1969 at home Mansfield ......I think, I was only 8

Used to buy the previous away game programme from the shop at the back of the Tilehurst end. Highlight of my week.

Used to stand with a group which included HNA’s Franchise FC.

My brother was a Southbanker.

Funny, because I would never dream of sitting behind a goal by choice now, but obviously stood behind one then.

[Ark Royal]

Started off (in '66) by always standing on the Town End with my uncles. Made sense as we only had to walk from/to my gran's house in Rutland Road. Had a season ticket for the Norfolk Road 'B' stand between 1974-78 as season tickets for the terraces did not exist at that time. Switched to the Tilehurst around 1980 when away fans started to go to the Town End.

[Forbury Lion]

RFC fans of a certain age might enjoy a glimpse at:

http://elmparkyears.tumblr.com/

My first game was at Elm Park in 87/88, Reading v Gillingham..... or at least that's how I remember it, doesn't look like we played them that season so based on the results it was probably 85/86 or 88/89

[RoyalBlue]

Still got a section of the pitch (post Gordon Neate's unique choice of fertiliser!) in our lawn plus (OK, bizarrely) a chunk of the concrete from the terracing where I used to stand on the SouthBank.

I also have the Network SouthEast admission signs from the SouthBank Turnstiles. I spotted that they weren't in the auction and asked Nigel Howe about them. I think he let me have them for a fiver if I could get them off the wall myself.

[RoyalBlue]

Great memories.
Anybody there when they shut the exit gates behind the South Bank on the way out to Tilehurst Road ?I think it was in the eighties.Would have been very dangerous,if someone had started pushing their way out.It was all very dignified however;Reading fans being very well behaved and polite.
Never did find out why the gates were shut.

Even without the gates shut it always used to be quite a scary bottleneck on the way out when there was a decent crowd. It was so compact you could lift your feet off the ground and get carried by the momentum of the masses!

[Franchise FC]

RFC fans of a certain age might enjoy a glimpse at:

http://elmparkyears.tumblr.com/

Well, that was a trip down memory lane.

A few things stand out :
1. Floyd Street was only 5'11" - WHAT ? How the hell is that possible ? He was mahoosive
2. Ian Porterfield's carphone
3. I'm in at least three pictures (obviously it'll only stand out for me, not anyone else)

[RoyalBlue]

I was an 'Extra' for a 'crowd' scene when they filmed 'The Manageress' at Elm Park. I can't remember what the production company offered for turning up but it clearly wasn't much of an incentive as there were so few of us in the 'crowd' that they had to bus some professional 'Extras' in to make up the numbers!

[Westwood52]

I was an 'Extra' for a 'crowd' scene when they filmed 'The Manageress' at Elm Park. I can't remember what the production company offered for turning up but it clearly wasn't much of an incentive as there were so few of us in the 'crowd' that they had to bus some professional 'Extras' in to make up the numbers!

Wasn’t “Fever Pitch “ filmed there.Love that film.I so emphasise with Colin Firth’s character.

[Franchise FC]

I was an 'Extra' for a 'crowd' scene when they filmed 'The Manageress' at Elm Park. I can't remember what the production company offered for turning up but it clearly wasn't much of an incentive as there were so few of us in the 'crowd' that they had to bus some professional 'Extras' in to make up the numbers!

Wasn’t “Fever Pitch “ filmed there.Love that film.I so emphasise with Colin Firth’s character.

I'll add that to Mrs F's list of Mallapropism's - she's had a few recently

I think you might mean empathise - unless, of course, you really are trying to underline the character

[Westwood52]

I was an 'Extra' for a 'crowd' scene when they filmed 'The Manageress' at Elm Park. I can't remember what the production company offered for turning up but it clearly wasn't much of an incentive as there were so few of us in the 'crowd' that they had to bus some professional 'Extras' in to make up the numbers!

Wasn’t “Fever Pitch “ filmed there.Love that film.I so emphasise with Colin Firth’s character.

I'll add that to Mrs F's list of Mallapropism's - she's had a few recently

I think you might mean empathise - unless, of course, you really are trying to underline the character

I stand corrected.Must stop using spell check.

[Franchise FC]

Wasn’t “Fever Pitch “ filmed there.Love that film.I so emphasise with Colin Firth’s character.

I'll add that to Mrs F's list of Mallapropism's - she's had a few recently

I think you might mean empathise - unless, of course, you really are trying to underline the character

I stand corrected.Must stop using spell check.

You might not have needed correction - you could've doubled down on underlining the character
(My apologies for such penandtry - it's almost OCD for me. It goes with 'PIN numbers' - NO - it's a PIN, that's what the 'N' is for)

[Millsy]

I was an 'Extra' for a 'crowd' scene when they filmed 'The Manageress' at Elm Park. I can't remember what the production company offered for turning up but it clearly wasn't much of an incentive as there were so few of us in the 'crowd' that they had to bus some professional 'Extras' in to make up the numbers!

So was I

"Woah woah, Charlie's back! Charlies back!"

I got my tenner.

Then accidentally went to another pay point and got another tenner.

[Forbury Lion]

Loved the excellent tv gantry ie dodgy ladder up to the roof of the South Bank

I remember watching one game and noticing a female in boots tentatively climbing the ladder carrying tea/coffees, it was like an opening scene from Casualty waiting to happen

Obviously a few wolf whistles followed, someone then came down the ladder to collect the drinks to the disappointment of those in close proximity presumably all eager to catch her and give her the kiss of life whether she needed it or not? (I'm probably doing them a disservice, they were probably just concerned about her falling as was I).

[The Royal Forester]

When I started going to Elm Park, we went to the Town End (?) before the start, then stayed there if The Biscuitmen attacked that end. At half time a stroll along the South Bank to the other end, so we would be behind the goal where we hoped the goals would be scored. However, some times there was a scramble before the kick off, when we were at the wrong end. Does anyone remember if we had a preferred end to attack first, (before they put that fence up to stop us changing ends) as we have done since moving to the Mad Stad? I think it was the Town End, but my memory is not what it was once upon a time, long, long ago.