Promotion v Brentford or promotion V Leicester?

[wickedwhispers]

Small packed terrace end at Griffin Park> big plastic stadium full of plastic Reading fans.

Do you truly believe that there weren't many plastics at the Brentford game? I presume by plastics, you mean people who go just to the big / local away games? If our average away attendance at that time was 500, let's say, and the away end at Brentford held approximately 2000, that's 3/4 of them that were 'plastics'.

I've got news for you, plastics have always existed. It's just that name that hasn't.

There were certainly a higher proportion of old recognisable faces at Brentford. Leicester I hardly knew anyone.

[Shaka]

No Brighton at home option?

[Y25]

Brentford

[ayjaydee]

As another who has been around long enough to see promotions pre Brentford it has to be Leicester for me. Although it had an air of inevitability about it I did shed a tear or two in a quiet moment.

The Leicester stewards/fans/club were superb, all I can remember at Brentford was the twat on crutches with his young son on the pitch posturing and some trouble post match outside.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Small packed terrace end at Griffin Park> big plastic stadium full of plastic Reading fans.

Do you truly believe that there weren't many plastics at the Brentford game? I presume by plastics, you mean people who go just to the big / local away games? If our average away attendance at that time was 500, let's say, and the away end at Brentford held approximately 2000, that's 3/4 of them that were 'plastics'.

I've got news for you, plastics have always existed. It's just that name that hasn't.

There were certainly a higher proportion of old recognisable faces at Brentford. Leicester I hardly knew anyone.

reserved seating against an open terrace, easier for folk to be with others they know.

Good memories of both days, still can't believe I turned down a ticket for Brentford, and the screen at the madstad to help out a fellow Nobber here.

[Rich@Eaststand]

At the ground = Leicester.

Night out afterwards = Brentford

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

The significance of the Leicester game swings it for me.

Top flight football after all those years. Never thought I'd see the day.

Brought tears to my eyes,

Brentford didn't...................

same here. Leicester was far more enjoyable. Brentford was just horribly tense and nervy and it was more of a sense of relief.

I felt prouder at Leicester than at any other time of supporting Reading. It may have been inevitiable, and the goal that "clinched" promotion in reality wasn't even required, but it took us to a level we hadn't been before.


I would guess also that for many saying Brentford, it was their first experience of promotion, but it was my third at that level, so the one at the higher level meant that bit more,

I wasn't tense at all at Brentford. Probably because I was wasted.

So were you they guy laying down on the pavement outside the pub at the away end/mainstand corner who was so pissed that he was throwing up into his own beer glass?

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Has anyone got a video of the Brentford highlights?

Wouldn't mind seeing that Cureton goal once again.

[The Quiet Man]

Emotionally Brentford as it was winner takes all on the day and we had got so close to completely f*cking up promotion with that series of draws. Leicester was great but the only tension was would it be today or next week (personally that season I would of rather had promotion and the championship claimed at home and had two pitch invasions ) and promotion to the premier league though great was slightly tinged with a feeling of something has changed and I'm not sure it is for the best.

Celebrationwise Brentford was better getting back to the Madstad and joining mates who hadn't got tickets who had watched it on the big screen and getting wasted. Leicester - huge anticlimax with JM giving his I'm not bankrolling the premier league wages speech on the radio on the way home and the Rugby preventing any Madstad celebration and pretty much anyone who wanted tickets got into Leicester as promotion was by no means assured on the day.

[Gordons Cumming]

What Reading achieved at leicester that day was much more than that at Brentford.

Looking at the bigger picture................

[Scrappy]

I was at the Leicester game so it edges it for me. Can remember the journey back feeling really short, even though we didn't get back until about 9. Remember going into a McDonalds on the way back and having supporters of other clubs come over and congratulate us. Was incredible. Was one of the only away games me and the old man went to that season so was special in that respect as normally I went with mates.

Brentford I celebrated by running round my street as I was about 12 at the time. In the grand scheme of things Brentford was a more important day for us. However, Leicester was more special due to it's significance in our history.

[mikey0406]

for me i cant decide but Brentford was more eventful;

We didnt get tickets for one reason or another to the Brentford game, however decided to travel on the morning, I went with my best mates dad and his two brothers. we had 200 quid rolled up and tried to bribe every steward going, include a really sweet west indian women who was having none of it. after a while we gave up and headed back to the car to listen to it on a local radio station. at which point we were 1-0 down. during the second half we equalised, and we went mad in the car. however we were sat between two bookies on either side of the street, on hearing us cheer they stomed out, really angrily and approached the car. they asked us what we were cheering and said Reading had equalised, they then started to cheer with us, hehe never pooed myself quite as hard at that point.

after the goal we decided to head back towards the ground, this time entering by the seated stand, by the directors end. a steward as we appraoched gave us ticket stubbs and we headed up to the stand, to our surprise the ticket stubbs he gave us was for the directors seats along side all the non playing players. for the last 10 mins we sat with the likes of Rougier and co until the final whistle blew. once it did we headed down along with them as guests onto the pitch. for the next hour it was some of the best moments of my life. we had conversations with SJM and Pards, Salako bundled us to the ground, cureton came and hugged us and fozzy even came ove rto chat.

although i was at leicester too, if it wasnt leicester that week it would of been the next game or the game after, our history where we are today has never come down to that one single game like Brentford.

[gonesy]

All this 'plastic' stuff is utter crap. If anything, Brentford had more 'plastics' in attendance because it was in the days before the royalty points system. Living so far away from Reading meant I couldn't easily travel up and queue for tickets when a big game was on (e.g. Man Utd at Elm Park in the FA Cup, Chelsea in the Carling Cup, Brentford etc.) despite going to many of the lesser fixtures. Leicester was awesome for me and gets my vote - 4000 fans who knew all the words to all the songs and even though we would have been promoted at some point if not that day, we did get the record for earliest promotion. Plus, I'd had Leicester fans shouting in my ear all game due to where I was sat and the relief when Doyle scored was immense. I gave it back with interest when that went in! It was great to go back to the Madejski the following week with a chance of winning the league too.

[shoey]

BRENTFORD!

surprising I know but that day will be with me forever, so will the walsall game in the play-offs...........anyways that day was epic, couldn't get a ticket for brentford but was at the mad stad watchin on the tv, the tension, misinformed goals, then curo's goal bliss, the pitch invasion, m people on the sound system, then hanging around for hrs until the team bus arrived, with john mackie and the lads all going crazy on the top

LOVE IT

[Royal Lady]

I'd have to say Leicester.

As many others have said, had seen promotion before, and though Brentford was a fantastic day, Leicester edges it. I was so pleased for Schards and we'd had to sit separately during the game, he came bounding up to me at the final whistle when we knew we'd got promotion and I had a little tear in my eye. The stand shaking was something I'd never witnessed before - seeing a drunken Mags picking people up and swinging them round in excitement was the only downside for me.

Celebrations wise - rushing back to the Mad Stad after the Brentford game was special and seeing Mackie and co dancing on top of the coach was a bit surreal. After Leicester, we rushed back, got changed and then went into town - the WaLOLkabout was choc full of Reading fans - a great end to a great day and one that will never be replicated. Even if we did go back up to the Prem one day, it won't be quite the same as that first ever time.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Every promotion is bloody special, the next one will be as well, 2-0 vs Brighton with Quinn scoring, Curo at brentford, was there really any difference??

[Schards#2]

Brentford for me.

Leicester was great but there was no fear of failure, which is a big part of celebrating success.

[rfcjoe]

But if we didn't go up, Coppell was gone.... that meant failure, right?

[Tony Le Mesmer]

But if we didn't go up, Coppell was gone.... that meant failure, right?

Brentford all the way for me.

The Derby home game the week after Leicester was bigger for me that season. If wed finished 2nd after a season like that i would have been gutted.

Besides, If wed lost at Brentford Leicester wouldnt have happened. Coppell would probably never have managed us either. Its anyone's guess what would have happened to us had we lost on 20th April 2002.

[Forbury Lion]

Clinching the Championship at home v Derby > Promotion at Brentford > Promotion at Leicester