Best XI in your lifetime. (Excluding the 106 team)

[MurrayPiledriver]

Seeing some of the names in other replies brings back some fantastic (and not so fantastic) memories. Would love to have seen this lot play together:-

S. Hislop;

K. Curle
A. Williams
D. Wdowczyk;

S. Taylor
S. Osborne
N. Webb
L. Sanchez
M. Gilkes;

L. Nogan
R. Friday.

Subs:- S. Death, D. Kerr, M. Gooding, R. Bowman, J. Quinn.
Manager:- M. Evans.

[KC Royal]

Pretty sure there were some shenanigans going on behind the scenes involving Butler's wife and another member of staff, maybe Pardew?

IIRC, he also got a nasty ankle injury which really set him back.

That was Martin Allen. Think it was a factor in Pardew sacking him as I seem to remember in an interview Allen gave that Pardew told him he interfered too much.

[From Despair To Where?]

A serious ankle injury and your missus shagging one of the coaching staff is probably going to cause a dent to your confidence.

[South Coast Royal]

Confession time after reading about Martin Butler.
There are 3 strikers that I thought we shouldn't have gone for who won me over big time.

Trevor Senior-I saw him playing for Pompey and thought we had been conned into signing him as he just looked awkward.

Martin Butler-I saw him at Cambridge and thought he was majorly overpriced (at a time when Reading were one of the biggest spenders around) and a bit on the small side.

Jimmy Quinn-I saw him quite a few times for Bournemouth and thought that he was idle and past it.

How wrong could I have been with all 3 ending up as big favourites of mine.
I was definitely right about David Leworthy ,Steve Moran and Craig Maskell, all too expensive and no good.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Surely there must be a place in your heart for Sean Evers too Vic?

£500k (wasn’t it? ) rings a bell ?

[hughsies no.1]

Tough this, I like it! Difficult to get the balance between favourite players and ability as the two don't always align - e.g. Igoe skills / Andy Hughes work-rate

Here goes -

Martinez (probably ability wise the best all-round keeper I've seen for us)

Griffin (so dependable and part of the famous slowest back 4 we've ever fielded - Griff-Mills-Kish-Harte)
Upson (class during his loan)
Williams (club legend)
Armstrong (so dependable, won POTY too i recall)

Lambert (earliest memories as a fan, loved watching him down the wing at Elm Park)
Parky (club legend)
Gylfi (most talented academy product we are likely to ever see)
Salako (thought he was top-notch when he joined despite being towards end of his career)

Forster (the season he was a loan striker with Hughes behind he was un-stoppable)
Cureton (favourite ever Reading player to-date)

[Hendo]

Started watching Reading in the l8 90s so excluding the 106 team, mine would be:

GK - Martinez

RB - Griffin
CB - Upson
CB - Gorkss
LB - Harte

RM - Kebe
CM - Gylfi
CM - Leigertwood
LM - McAnuff

ST - Cureton
ST - Forster

Subs:

Federici
Pearce
Gunter
Karacan
McCleary
Le Fondre
Butler

[South Coast Royal]

Surely there must be a place in your heart for Sean Evers too Vic?

£500k (wasn’t it? ) rings a bell ?

Funnily I thought he looked a good player at Luton but he definitely didn't produce the goods for us.
There have been a few others over the years but that goes for most clubs doesn't it?
Transfers are always a risk.

[OldBiscuit]

This team is probably more of my romantic best X1, Playing where the manager tells them, and maybe a little out of position, but here goes anyway;

Steve Death,
Matty Robinson
Darius Wdowczyk
Mathew Upson
Colin Meldrum
Kevin Bremner
Dick Spiers
Brynjar Gunnarson
Gylfi sigurdsson
Robin friday
Trevor Morley.

Subs ( if allowed depending on era)
Roger Joslyn
Kerry Dixon
Kevin Watson
Ricky Newman
Eamonn Dunphy
Mikele Leigertwood
Stuart Beavon
Kevin Doyle

[AthleticoSpizz]

Wow ‘oldun’ way out of the usual tick box

But so true in most parts

Brilliant contribution ✔️

[OldBiscuit]

Wow ‘oldun’ way out of the usual tick box

But so true in most parts

Brilliant contribution ✔️

Thanks, but the sad thing was that i couldn't pull a player from Jack Mansell's very attractive footballing team.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Jack Mansell, (only) Just before my time

Couldn’t possibly comment

Some great name checks there that were tho’

Great days

[Jackson Corner]

Shaka

Kerr
Williams
Wicks
Peters

Kebe
Bowman
Parky
Gilkes

Senior
Quinn

Subs
Gooding
Forster
Cureton
Death
Hicks
Gylfi
Bremner

[muirinho]

Started watching Reading in the l8 90s so excluding the 106 team, mine would be:

GK - Martinez

RB - Griffin
CB - Upson
CB - Gorkss
LB - Harte

RM - Kebe
CM - Gylfi
CM - Leigertwood
LM - McAnuff

ST - Cureton
ST - Forster

Subs:

Federici
Pearce
Gunter
Karacan
McCleary
Le Fondre
Butler

This is pretty much identical to mine, except I'd replace Federici with McCarthy

Edit: And maybe swap Griffin and Gunter....

[AthleticoSpizz]

Obviously there is only room for one player in goal

Just a little surprised that Marcus barely features, but then, Reading has always seemingly been blessed (with of course, the odd exception season) in this position

Death
Francis
Martinez
Ali
Marcus
Feds
Mc
anon and on

[Millsy]

Wot no Brayson?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yes, several times over

[Hendo]

Started watching Reading in the l8 90s so excluding the 106 team, mine would be:

GK - Martinez

RB - Griffin
CB - Upson
CB - Gorkss
LB - Harte

RM - Kebe
CM - Gylfi
CM - Leigertwood
LM - McAnuff

ST - Cureton
ST - Forster

Subs:

Federici
Pearce
Gunter
Karacan
McCleary
Le Fondre
Butler

This is pretty much identical to mine, except I'd replace Federici with McCarthy

Edit: And maybe swap Griffin and Gunter....

I did consider McCarthy but thought Federici was outstanding in the second promotion and deserved to get the nod.

Gunter on the bench for RB/LB cover, plus Andy Griffin tweeted me once.

[SCIAG]

Obviously there is only room for one player in goal

Just a little surprised that Marcus barely features, but then, Reading has always seemingly been blessed (with of course, the odd exception season) in this position

Death
Francis
Martinez
Ali
Marcus
Feds
Mc
anon and on

At risk of biting/being whooshed, you might want to check the title of the thread...

[AthleticoSpizz]

My bad