A little story about Reading

[Hiney]

This will have little or no direct relevance to anyone else but I'm going to tell you a story anyway.

Back in 1999 a very good friend of mine called Russ Dodd invited me, along with a load of his mates, for hospitality at a game at The Madejski. It was Reading v Preston North End.

I had one of the best days you could wish for watching football, even though I wasn't watching The Albion. Russ laid on a coach to take us all from our doorstep to the game and paid for all the drink during the day.

It ranks in the top 5 'most pissed' days EVER and cost me nothing.

During the day I was chatting to Russ and he was telling me how he used to watch Reading from the Terraces at Elm Park and how it was his dream to watch them play in The Premiership.

He was like a little kid in a toyshop, even though he was a hard-nosed businessman making a bucketload of money importing Chickens.

18 months after that day he was DEAD, struck down by cancer at the age of 36.

I've been to The Madejski a number of times since then and have always spared a thought for Russ, a f***ing GREAT bloke, taken away in the cruellest way possible.

I thought about him again today at about 4.50 and how he must be looking down on Reading from his bar in the sky, wishing he could be there sharing in the marvellous scenes.

That's why I'm pleased for Reading

 

[Charles 'Charley' Charles]

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Nice moving story Hiney. I think Russ will be smiling down on the madjeski today. Happy as larry.

 

[Simon Morgan]

 

[sir danny cullip]

To be honest Reading is always a good trip (shame we wont be going there for a long time) and I have nothing against them. They've poached a few players we wanted but we'd do exactly the same in their position. Only reason for their progress since we robbed them of the 2nd divison title has been the stadium (and their slightly loaded chairman). Fair play to them

 

[Race]

when were the other 4 most pissed days then?

 

[Yorkie]

I can understand that Hiney.
As I said on the 'text to Harty' thread, I took a young lad to meet Dick Knight today after the match whose Dad dropped dead of a heart attack 2 months after the play off final. He was 37.

It puts football into perspective. Enjoy the good games and forget the bad ones. Be kind to each other cos you don't know how long you've got.

 

[bhaexpress]

Touching tale Hiney. I'm pleased for Reading as they get a lot of undeserved stick and lets fae it, they're the best team in this league by miles and are thorough;y deserving of their promotion.

Just think, once upon a time, just like Wigan they were a small also ran team, how times change.

 

[shingle]

Nice post Hiney

 

[Hiney]

when were the other 4 most pissed days then?

Ah, well.

For 'speed drinking' I felt pretty rough after a certain England game last year but that was down to the other party involved

 

[Wilts]

Hiney - thank you.

Regardless of what football club we support - what ever gives anyone happiness (which in supporting RFC/BHA is often not that easy over the years).

A lot of us have lost someone special, and the memory of your friend will live on. Today is a special day for me but in comparison it is null and void.... I am a living man and although football is my dedication and my social life, my family is my life and my soul. To hear your story about your friend is heart-warming... I am very sure that he'll be proud that you shared his special moment (as an RFC fan) with your own friends.

There is a thread on the RFC board dedicated to those fans who never saw Premiership football over the last 135 years, especially those who left us recently;

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=37676

Thanks Hiney... and one for your friend Russ...

 

[dougdeep]

 

[Tooting Gull]

That's a very good and poignant reason for remembering Reading, sorry about your friend.

Mine is admittedly not quite so moving.

I was at a horseracing awards dinner maybe seven years ago, and ended up sitting next to the then Reading marketing chief.

I have no idea whether he is still there - youngish guy, very 'advertising' and 'brands', and not very 'football'.

During the course of the meal he uttered the chilling quote which I have never forgotten: "We don't want to be Manchester United, we want to be Disney."

Just think about where football's gone over the last few years. Exactly. The upper echelons are stuffed with his ilk.

Mind you, none of that is Coppell or the players' fault, and I'm happy for them, they fully deserve it this season and it's a great achievement after 135 years.

 

[Gully]

Sorry but I can't join in the mutual masturbation session about the success of Reading. I can't stand the place, the club, its fans or come to think of it anything about it, sounds like sour grapes maybe.

My experience of Reading was going to a game at Elm Park in about 93/94 and being subjected to the most intrusive form of policing imaginable. We were questioned at length before going into the game, the pride of the the Thames Valley force even went through our wallets and asked about their contents. During the game the home fans subjected us to constant homophobic abuse and the police spent the game picking fans out of our crowd for minor mis-demeanours and chucking them out. I saw them man-handling a lad from home, who I will loosely describe as pint sized, past me. As he was frog marched past I asked why he was being thrown out, he told me that it was for swearing. When I tell you that he was known as "F*****g Jeff" as every sentence he spoke contained the "F-word", then that gives an idea of how unlucky he was.

My hope for Reading next season is a points total smaller than Sunderland manage this year.

 

[glasfryn]

yep you have to give it to them they have done the bussiness and I am sure russ will be up there celebrating.



I had a mate I used to go to the albion with doug thompson and the only time I can say I felt close to him after he died with the bigC in his 30's was at the hereford game I am sure he was watching and watching the score guessing on here brings him back to me and its that score 3-1 he used to recon we would win every game by that score (that was in those days when we did).
RIP mate
he's probably having a drink with russ !

 

[enigma]

I dont like Reading but that is a nice story.