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[TomPNE94]

 

[Luke_1884]

When the good people of Nottingham thought Derbyshire was a town.

There's another cracker from down the road about us being the worst team in history, can't seem to find it though.

 

[The Southbank]

You forgot

Do that many people even support Crewe?

 

[Football Purist]

Do that many people even support Crewe?

Listen Biscuitmuncher and listen good: your gates only took off when you moved to the Mad.
Early 80's you've got 1,700 turning up down Norfolk Road..

 

[The Southbank]

Listen Biscuitmuncher and listen good: your gates only took off when you moved to the Mad.
Early 80's you've got 1,700 turning up down Norfolk Road..

Someone's a tad rattled.

 

[Football Purist]

Someone's a tad rattled.

Not at all.
Just pointing out a few truths.

 

[Ciderup]

Someone's a tad rattled.

To be fair Southbank, he's got a point. I don't know about 1700 but your crowds really did swell considerably when you left Elm park for the Mad stad. The whole club has grown to be fair but, unlikely as it seems, Purist does have a point this time.

 

[lee Stand]

That guy in that pic does he realise he's a living legend ?

 

[lee Stand]

You forgot

That is uber cool . Love it.

 

[Football Purist]

To be fair Southbank, he's got a point. I don't know about 1700 but your crowds really did swell considerably when you left Elm park for the Mad stad. The whole club has grown to be fair but, unlikely as it seems, Purist does have a point this time.

It was during the time that Maxwell wanted to merge Reading and Oxford Utd,call them Thames Valley Royals and have the new club playing their home games in Wallingford,I kid you not.
Readings gates at this time had fallen to beiow 2,000 for some games and they weren't even in the bottom division.
Thankfully for football Thames Valley Royals never came to be and both clubs rose to previously unchartered heights.

 

[Ciderup]

It was during the time that Maxwell wanted to merge Reading and Oxford Utd,call them Thames Valley Royals and have the new club playing their home games in Wallingford,I kid you not.
Readings gates at this time had fallen to beiow 2,000 for some games and they weren't even in the bottom division.
Thankfully for football Thames Valley Royals never came to be and both clubs rose to previously unchartered heights.

I remember it well FP. Even before the idiotic Thames Valley Royals debacle, Reading didn't have great support. Once they moved, it ramped up to a decent level to be fair to them. The Mad stad has been the making of Reading FC who still (I believe) have rugby played there!

 

[Madejski]

To be fair Southbank, he's got a point. I don't know about 1700 but your crowds really did swell considerably when you left Elm park for the Mad stad. The whole club has grown to be fair but, unlikely as it seems, Purist does have a point this time.

Crowd sizes grow with success too. We were just fortunate to have a new stadium at the same time the club has had it's most successful period.

Our last 4-5 seasons at Elm park average attendances were all around 9,000 and initially at the Mad Stad we only got around 11,000 so the increase wasn't too much. Probably about an average increase for a new stadium.

Also we may have had a 1700 attendance once (I wasn't around so can't comment) but our lowest ever average attendance in a season was 3459 (in the same season Football Purists is talking about with our proposed merger with Oxford) so 1700 would have been a very big one off if it is true.

 

[Football Purist]

I remember it well FP. Even before the idiotic Thames Valley Royals debacle, Reading didn't have great support. Once they moved, it ramped up to a decent level to be fair to them. The Mad stad has been the making of Reading FC who still (I believe) have rugby played there!

Yeh,about time they got some serious protests underway about the rugby.
They,probably more than any other club,have benefited fan-base wise from a move to a fancy new ground.
Bit of a shame in a way as Elm Park was a very good ground infact

 

[Ciderup]

Yeh,about time they got some serious protests underway about the rugby.
They,probably more than any other club,have benefited fan-base wise from a move to a fancy new ground.
Bit of a shame in a way as Elm Park was a very good ground infact

No it wasn't, it was a bit of a dump! Especially after some of our lot decided to dig up part of the away end in the early 80's.
It really wasn't a good ground. The mad stad, on the other hand, was the best of the new builds at the time by some margin and is still one of the better ones now IMHO.

 

[Ciderup]

Crowd sizes grow with success too. We were just fortunate to have a new stadium at the same time the club has had it's most successful period.

Our last 4-5 seasons at Elm park average attendances were all around 9,000 and initially at the Mad Stad we only got around 11,000 so the increase wasn't too much. Probably about an average increase for a new stadium.

Also we may have had a 1700 attendance once (I wasn't around so can't comment) but our lowest ever average attendance in a season was 3459 (in the same season Football Purists is talking about with our proposed merger with Oxford) so 1700 would have been a very big one off if it is true.

I always remember it as a bit of a 'chicken and egg' thing Madj. The imminent stadium lifted things around the club and you were in a very good place when you moved. As for the 9k average, I'm surprised at that figure, I don't doubt it but that was very good for you at Elm Park.
The 1700 thing doesn't really matter, it does show how much your club has grown since though. It's nice to have a decent sized club with us west of London and we'll bring a good number to your place next week (even though we'll probably get stuffed)!

 

[Football Purist]

No it wasn't, it was a bit of a dump! Especially after some of our lot decided to dig up part of the away end in the early 80's.
It really wasn't a good ground. The mad stad, on the other hand, was the best of the new builds at the time by some margin and is still one of the better ones now IMHO.

Dump's a bit harsh.I thought it was a terrific lower division ground,Elm Park.
I remember your lot mis-behaving there in the early 80's...those kind of things happened at football matches back then.

 

[Football Purist]

Chester's is probably the best of the new stadia.
Not.I think they must've had a budget of between 15 and 20 pounds.

 

[Ciderup]

Dump's a bit harsh.I thought it was a terrific lower division ground,Elm Park.
I remember your lot mis-behaving there in the early 80's...those kind of things happened at football matches back then.

'Lower division' maybe but that isn't what the Royals became. It also depends on what you compare it to. Maybe in comparison to Gresty Rd at that time it was ok but in comparison to the Gate of that time, Elm park was a dump!

When our lot started up there in '84 (I think), I was there and I haven't seen a baying mob like that since, it was mental. A mate was arrested and had to go to court back up in Reading along with a fair few others (obviously). He tells a story of a load of Reading supporters wanting revenge outside of the courts when it went off again! Luckily, I wasn't there then, I was at college.
Those days were absolutely crazy and I'm glad football is a lot safer than it was then.

 

[Football Purist]

'Lower division' maybe but that isn't what the Royals became. It also depends on what you compare it to. Maybe in comparison to Gresty Rd at that time it was ok but in comparison to the Gate of that time, Elm park was a dump!

When our lot started up there in '84 (I think), I was there and I haven't seen a baying mob like that since, it was mental. A mate was arrested and had to go to court back up in Reading along with a fair few others (obviously). He tells a story of a load of Reading supporters wanting revenge outside of the courts when it went off again! Luckily, I wasn't there then, I was at college.
Those days were absolutely crazy and I'm glad football is a lot safer than it was then.

I like the way you 'dis' Gresty Rd!
But yes,it was a bit of a dump before re-development,etc.

 

[Ciderup]

I like the way you 'dis' Gresty Rd!
But yes,it was a bit of a dump before re-development,etc.

I haven't 'dissed' GR bud. I've been there a few times and it's alright. The chippy behind the old away stand was awesome, the best I've ever tasted. As I'm getting on a bit, I've been to a lot worse!

 

[Dazza]

To be fair Southbank, he's got a point. I don't know about 1700 but your crowds really did swell considerably when you left Elm park for the Mad stad. The whole club has grown to be fair but, unlikely as it seems, Purist does have a point this time.

He does. Our attendance's in the 80s were around 3/4000. Sometimes they would be just over 5000. When i started watching Reading at the start of the 90s the attendance's wern't much higher. Even in the 94/95 season when we finished second in division1 (Didn't get promoted that season as only one team went up automatically and we lost the playoff final) they were rarely around 11000.

The attendance's in the early day of the Madejski were quite low at times especially in midweek fixtures. I can remember watching us beat Oldham 5-0 in front of 6000 and the stadiums record low attendance of 1561 against Leyton Orient in the Auto Windscreens Trophy.

You going to the game on Saturday Ciderup?

 

[The Southbank]

Just to make it clear, because I feel it my original exercise was lost.... I was making a joke, which has subsequently turned into some in-depth analysis of pre-Madejski attendances with a hint of Gresty Road thrown in for good nature as well.

 

[Ciderup]

He does. Our attendance's in the 80s were around 3/4000. Sometimes they would be just over 5000. When i started watching Reading at the start of the 90s the attendance's wern't much higher. Even in the 94/95 season when we finished second in division1 (Didn't get promoted that season as only one team went up automatically and we lost the playoff final) they were rarely around 11000.

The attendance's in the early day of the Madejski were quite low at times especially in midweek fixtures. I can remember watching us beat Oldham 5-0 in front of 6000 and the stadiums record low attendance of 1561 against Leyton Orient in the Auto Windscreens Trophy.

You going to the game on Saturday Ciderup?

I will be there Dazza. I'm going on a bus called 'the messy bus' so may not remember it but that might not be a bad thing. You're still the best side I have seen this season so should hammer us at your place. Therefore, being a bit / seriously pissed could be a benefit!

 

[Dazza]

[QUOTuE="The Southbank, post: 311826, member: 826"]Just to make it clear, because I feel it my original exercise was lost.... I was making a joke, which has subsequently turned into some in-depth analysis of pre-Madejski attendances with a hint of Gresty Road thrown in for good nature as well.[/QUOTE]

That's this forum for you. The Wolves v Reading matchday thread turned into a discussion about Reading town centre and what train station was the windiest in the country.

 

[Football Purist]

I haven't 'dissed' GR bud. I've been there a few times and it's alright. The chippy behind the old away stand was awesome, the best I've ever tasted. As I'm getting on a bit, I've been to a lot worse!

Yeh,that chippy does nice fish 'n' chips and always does a roaring trade when there's a game on.
I've only been AG once-for a night game when you stuffed us 4-1 in about 1990.
Was stood on the open end.Good atmosphere there that night-I think you were on the verge of promotion.

 

[The Southbank]

I will be there Dazza. I'm going on a bus called 'the messy bus' so may not remember it but that might not be a bad thing. You're still the best side I have seen this season so should hammer us at your place. Therefore, being a bit / seriously pissed could be a benefit!

I remember back in 2009 (?) when City brought a cracking following down here and won 2-0.

That day some of your lot smashed up a load of buses before the game and were forced, afterwards, to walk all the way back to town. I was on the way back to the station on a bus and still remember everyone banging on the windows, flicking a load of V's and wanker signs as we drove past you lot walking down the A33.

 

[Ciderup]

I remember back in 2009 (?) when City brought a cracking following down here and won 2-0.

That day some of your lot smashed up a load of buses before the game and were forced, afterwards, to walk all the way back to town. I was on the way back to the station on a bus and still remember everyone banging on the windows, flicking a load of V's and wanker signs as we drove past you lot walking down the A33.

Yeah, 4,600 I think. That was the height of Gary J's powers and the 'bounce around the ground' was really good. I do remember hearing from a few about the buses but I was driving that day so didn't get caught up in it.
We did have the propensity for playing up whenever we took loads away in those days. Forest away was another one. Thankfully, it doesn't happen very often nowadays. We took over 5,000 to MK last year and I'm not aware of any unfortunate events from that day. I was extremely bladdered, I know that!

 

[PrestonCha]

(^ Since been pinched by thieving Italian ass stabbers)

 

[TomPNE94]

(^ Since been pinched by thieving Italian ass stabbers)

Don't recall seeing that last one before

 

[Gerry Gow]