2006 v 2012 21st May

[SCIAG]

Cracking match. Very nostalgic and felt bit emotional when players first came out.

Sonko smashing ball into crowd great but loved the "Sockgate" moment best of all with Jimmy responding to crowd in pulling up his socks .

A few players still have it. Leroy, Doyler, Hunt. Looks like Jobi could still do a job at a decent level too.

Had no idea a couple of the subs for Coppell's team. Who came on for Murts and Ivar?

Aaron Brown (I think) for Ivar

The substitution announcements left a lot to be desired, and some info on the screen would’ve been nice.

Aaron Brown for Ivar, Kalifa Cisse for Murty.

Wasn't easy to keep track though. Would have liked the opportunity to cheer for Bobby in particular.

[Zip]

Cracking match. Very nostalgic and felt bit emotional when players first came out.

Sonko smashing ball into crowd great but loved the "Sockgate" moment best of all with Jimmy responding to crowd in pulling up his socks .

A few players still have it. Leroy, Doyler, Hunt. Looks like Jobi could still do a job at a decent level too.

Had no idea a couple of the subs for Coppell's team. Who came on for Murts and Ivar?

Aaron Brown (I think) for Ivar

The substitution announcements left a lot to be desired, and some info on the screen would’ve been nice.

Aaron Brown for Ivar, Kalifa Cisse for Murty.

Wasn't easy to keep track though. Would have liked the opportunity to cheer for Bobby in particular.

I didn’t even know Cisse was on the pitch. Certainly agreed on not being able to give Bobby a cheer. Of all the players his effort to play after what he has gone through was enough on its own to deserve a big cheer.
I go back to there being the need for a commemoration programme with the players and shirt numbers then advertised. It would have helped.

[SCIAG]

Aaron Brown (I think) for Ivar

The substitution announcements left a lot to be desired, and some info on the screen would’ve been nice.

Aaron Brown for Ivar, Kalifa Cisse for Murty.

Wasn't easy to keep track though. Would have liked the opportunity to cheer for Bobby in particular.

I didn’t even know Cisse was on the pitch. Certainly agreed on not being able to give Bobby a cheer. Of all the players his effort to play after what he has gone through was enough on its own to deserve a big cheer.
I go back to there being the need for a commemoration programme with the players and shirt numbers then advertised. It would have helped.

I heard the announcement for Cisse pretty clearly (must have been sat in just the right place) but some of the others were a little harder, and the big changes at the start of the second half weren't communicated at all. It would have been very easy to not know who the likes of Connolly, Mills and Mullins were at all.

[blythspartan]

I really wish I’d gone to this now as it sounds like it was a great afternoon. I have been reliving our first game in the premiership against Middlesbrough in my head and that will always be a special day in my life. It would be great if the emotion from yesterday could be used as a catalyst for next season. I’d love to see the fans and the club reconnect like it used to be. Are we getting our Reading back?

[AthleticoSpizz]

I was in two minds whether to go to this or go to the L1 play off final but I definitely made the right decision. What a brilliant day, met Hunty, Kebe, Curo by the car park then the two managers and captains in the megastore - all seemed delighted to be back and I think quite touched by the numbers that came out - Jobi was videoing the queue outside the megastore.

I was surprised myself at how emotional it was seeing those players again and remembering how much love you could feel for a team - in sharp contrast to recent seasons.

I hope we don’t have to wait so long for something similar, maybe a 20 year commemoration of the 106 team? Was also thinking I’d like to see the Pardew promotion team back sometime too; Butler, Rougier, Parky, Igoe etc. That team laid the foundations of the success to come and would be great to acknowledge that one day in a similar way.

glad you made the right choice….I bet there's a few on here that are regretting their choice to stay away. A pity that Wycombe lost.

[Nameless]

I really wish I’d gone to this now as it sounds like it was a great afternoon. I have been reliving our first game in the premiership against Middlesbrough in my head and that will always be a special day in my life. It would be great if the emotion from yesterday could be used as a catalyst for next season. I’d love to see the fans and the club reconnect like it used to be. Are we getting our Reading back?

I would have liked someone from the current set up to have been involved to make the connection between the high points of our history and the future. Nearest we had was Legs playing.
I know most of the players are probably on holiday but it would have been nice to see someone from the present alongside those from the past….

[NathStPaul]

I really wish I’d gone to this now as it sounds like it was a great afternoon. I have been reliving our first game in the premiership against Middlesbrough in my head and that will always be a special day in my life. It would be great if the emotion from yesterday could be used as a catalyst for next season. I’d love to see the fans and the club reconnect like it used to be. Are we getting our Reading back?

I would have liked someone from the current set up to have been involved to make the connection between the high points of our history and the future. Nearest we had was Legs playing.
I know most of the players are probably on holiday but it would have been nice to see someone from the present alongside those from the past….

Yeah in a game between the 06' squad and the 12' squad I definitely want to be reminded of our current shit show. What an idiotic post you've made.

[Nameless]

I really wish I’d gone to this now as it sounds like it was a great afternoon. I have been reliving our first game in the premiership against Middlesbrough in my head and that will always be a special day in my life. It would be great if the emotion from yesterday could be used as a catalyst for next season. I’d love to see the fans and the club reconnect like it used to be. Are we getting our Reading back?

I would have liked someone from the current set up to have been involved to make the connection between the high points of our history and the future. Nearest we had was Legs playing.
I know most of the players are probably on holiday but it would have been nice to see someone from the present alongside those from the past….

Yeah in a game between the 06' squad and the 12' squad I definitely want to be reminded of our current shit show. What an idiotic post you've made.

You’ve not had a good week on here have you.
Time for another change of identity perhaps ?

[NathStPaul]

I would have liked someone from the current set up to have been involved to make the connection between the high points of our history and the future. Nearest we had was Legs playing.
I know most of the players are probably on holiday but it would have been nice to see someone from the present alongside those from the past….

Yeah in a game between the 06' squad and the 12' squad I definitely want to be reminded of our current shit show. What an idiotic post you've made.

You’ve not had a good week on here have you.
Time for another change of identity perhaps ?

Take your tongue out of the current squad's arsehole. Moron.

[Pepe the Horseman]

What a day. My last game for a while, so great to go out on a high, rather than the shite that was served up against WBA.

[KC Royal]

Who is the McDermott keeper?

Also, I'd re-sign Leroy Lita

Yeah, spent ages trying to work out who it was. Thought the name on the back of his shirt said Grant but came to the conclusion he was a makeshift keeper as didn't recognise him at all.

Lita's still got his pace, always expected the 2012 team to win but felt he should have made it closer. Should have got more than 2 goals really but he was class. You could tell he's played this season, ditto James Henry.

Loads of talking points for me, felt weird to be back but it was great and a bigger turnout than expected.

[Royalcop]

Someone in the crowd said the keeper (Grant) was from Bracknell Town.

[KC Royal]

I would also re-sign Lita. Best moment was Sonks' massive hoof into Y26. Also, he looked exactly the same as his playing days. What a beast; and Curo is the Benjamin Button of football.

Brilliant day out and there was definitely not a tear in my eye at the end.

Yep I felt emotional and also a bit sad. Not sure we will have those wonderful seasons again.

Yep feeling a bit emotional and sad today too.

[Elm Park Kid]

They should have just had a mixture of players from 06, 12 and today and let Coppell and McDermott take turns to pick - school yard style.

[KC Royal]

[b]I didn’t recognise Stephen Hunt with the white hair.[/b]
Couldn’t believe there were muppets booing HRK when he came on. Muppets.

Glad someone has brought this up, took me ages to realise it was him! And he was the first player out as well as he was kicking a ball around with his kids in front of the ED.

[KC Royal]

It would have been nice to have had a commemorative match programme.
The PA system was muffled and inaudible.

Agree about the programme, felt odd not to have one as i've always bought one at a game before, even used to buy old programmes from the club shop at one point!
Thought the PA system was fine where I was, but they didn't really bother announcing the subs in the 2nd half. A lot of changes were made at HT and it took a while to work out who was on the pitch, and even then I didn't work out everyone who played in that 2nd half. The Cisse for Murty sub mentioned at the top of the page was one i didn't catch when they announced it though.

[grey_squirrel]

Reading all these comments/thoughts/memories surely does bring a lump to your throat and at least throughout the recent years of grotesque mismanagement and endless line of here today/gone tomorrow overpaid mercenaries we have those memories and achievements that cannot be taken away or forgotten.

All of those on the pitch obviously had a collective spirit of caring passionately about the Club and still do. ‘All for one and one for all’.

Sadly today we only have an ‘all for one and each man for themselves’ mentality.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I would also re-sign Lita. Best moment was Sonks' massive hoof into Y26. Also, he looked exactly the same as his playing days. What a beast; and Curo is the Benjamin Button of football.

Brilliant day out and there was definitely not a tear in my eye at the end.

Yep I felt emotional and also a bit sad. Not sure we will have those wonderful seasons again.

Yep feeling a bit emotional and sad today too.

yep, it”s the “hangover after the party” thing today

A lot of things could’ve been done better…especially for the lads that came onto the pitch as subs….
Like many here, I didn’t have a clue either (until I saw the back of their shirts)…unheralded, they were all there in those seasons, and all made the effort to turn up……magical, if I never attend another game in my life, I will remember this one….well done RFC, regained a tiny bit of ‘reconnect’ there yesterday.

No lumps in my throat, nor tears in my eyes….fukkin hay fever

One thing that saddened me a little bit was Marcus not being that keeper that he once was…Stack was excellent…the clock runs on and one so quickly

(notably, there are a few posters that post on absolutely everything on this Team Board that are so obviously not commenting…..should’ve made the effort lads…Reading won but it was still your loss)

[Zip]

I have been invited to take part in an 1871 podcast tomorrow afternoon to comment about yesterday’s game.

[AthleticoSpizz]

You have two things to do Zip….(would’ve loved to have participated myself….but I still have a job to do keeping you pensioners in horlicks and vauxhall astras)

Give your old mate Spizz a mention, and say the word ‘moist’ in it somewhere.

Seriously, the match time announcements were shit and left a lot of players un-heralded, however, the whole day was almost emotionally comparable to the 5-0 at home to Derby when we secured the title tho’

Pass on my thanks to the organisers and players…..and as has been already been suggested…the ‘re-connect’ is back on ….slightly