What's the most obscure Reading match you have been to?

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

RwC - Barnet in the Auto Daf Leyland Windscreen: I was there with a couple of mates. Foggy memory but thought there were more than 50 Hoops there.

Lux - yup, the old marked out car park at the back of the Town End. Done that, too...

Obscure - bunking off school to watch the Blyth Spartan FA cup replay demolition...

Crewe midweek - late 80s... Think it was nil all and I arrived at half tine...

Blackie, Tony Ella, Simon from Milton Keynes and Chris fron Emmer Green... 3 out of the 4 haven't missed a competitive match in well over 15 years...

I only see about 6 games a season for the last decade and I still see people I recognize if not know.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Cambridge Utd away 2001, open terrace behind the goal and the surrealness of standing there in a hail storm of epic proportions at that time of year followed by Rougier coming on as sub then being subbed off 15 minutes later. Seem to remember a young Dave Kitson giving the Reading support the middle finger at some point too, though that might have been the following season

[Twix]

I went to Kidderminster away for a pre-season friendly in 2002, all I remember was finding paying on the gate a bit of a novelty, I forget why I thought that attending that match would be a good idea.

[strap]

Reading Reserves v someone, played at Welling Utd's ground when I lived in Dartford. We won 3-0 BTW, (or was it 3-2??).

I also went to Brisbane Rd to watch Orient v Reading in a Frieght Vans ROver Trophy game or whatever it was called, only to rock up to the ground, seeing it locked up, then checking the Evening Standard to find the match was at the Mad Stad

Well, it was on my way home to Epping on the Central Line, so not much harm done except to my ego!

[Bedale Royal]

I saw Reading play BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) at Ayrshire Barracks in Monchengladbach in '87.No stands,and about 25 spectators standing around the pitch.Trevor Senior played, days before his move to Watford.Others playing that day include a recently signed Linden Jones,Francis Joseph, Gary Westwood,Michael Gilkes,and the legendary Jerry Williams.
For the record Reading won 3 nil. I am trying to recall who else was there, and in the back of my mind I think Colin Gordon had just signed also and played.

[Dirk Gently]

Crewe vs Reading on a Friday night in the early 80s (maybe 83 or 84?).

Absolutely tipping down all the way there, and a massive smash on the M6 meant the supporters club coaches didn't get there until well after kick-off - I was driving and missed the first 5 minutes.

Can't remember the result - I think we lost by a good couple of goals and didn't have a shot all night. All I do remember is that a kid next to us in the stand kept yelling "Come on Alex," and after about 30 minutes the first Mrs DG turned to me and said "Which one's Alex?"

[DrZoidberg]

I'm quite a fan of odd pre-season friendlies . Away at Tiverton during the Pardew era was one . Staines was fairly decent a few years back too ... might have been Doyle's first game perhaps ?

[Ark Royal]

I doubt if a standard league match could be described as obscure but I do remember being in the 631 at Moss Rose to see Reading play Chester. I was working in Stoke for a couple of days and I met up with Ark Royal who had been in Leeds.

For real obscurity I have to go for a friendly between Malaga and Reading in 1987 at the Rosalida. Ark Royal played for Reading that afternoon. B A S T A R D !!!!!!!

Beat me to it TB. Jeez, what a singularly depressing night and performance that was. Got ox*ord soaked, lost 1-0 and then I had to drive to Preston after.

Ah yes, Malaga! My one 'cap' for the Royals! I spent the next day in bed with dehydration.

[Ark Royal]

Crewe vs Reading on a Friday night in the early 80s (maybe 83 or 84?).

Absolutely tipping down all the way there, and a massive smash on the M6 meant the supporters club coaches didn't get there until well after kick-off - I was driving and missed the first 5 minutes.

Can't remember the result - I think we lost by a good couple of goals and didn't have a shot all night. All I do remember is that a kid next to us in the stand kept yelling "Come on Alex," and after about 30 minutes the first Mrs DG turned to me and said "Which one's Alex?"

Think I was at that one if it was 83/84 season. Wet, miserable Friday night and 1-1. David Crown scored.

[paultheroyal]

i went to the cup replay against Swansea a couple of years a go in one of the last seasons at the vetch. was a monday night on sky and forster scored in extra time, what a cold wet night that was

Real fans went to the Swansea vs Reading league match in the mid nineties on a Friday night. Severn bridge closed and only about 50 of us made it for the first half. Thank god Uwe Hartenberger equalised in the dying seconds to make it worthwhile!!

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Real fans went to the Swansea vs Reading league match in the mid nineties on a Friday night. Severn bridge closed and only about 50 of us made it for the first half. Thank god Uwe Hartenberger equalised in the dying seconds to make it worthwhile!!

Not really obscure because it was a competitive league match but full marks to the hardy souls who made it. Memorable evening marked by the shouts for: "Bring on the German sub" followed by the klaxon "dive, dive, dive" sound as both team were beginning to become submerged in the torrential downpour. Uwe comes off the bench and duly scores.

[soggy biscuit]

Pipe in the pocket was an odd one. Fans on the pitch forming circles around the players while they tried to keep warmed up.

Went to a reserve game around 87/88ish as a young lad. Hardly anyone there, ball was kicked into the stands and a new one thrown on. My dad grabbed the ball, handed it to me and told me to take it back to the bench. Gave it to Ian Branfoot, he was the most famous person I had ever met at the time, was starstruck.

[Ian Royal]

My second ever match was a pre season friendly against Stoia Bucharest.

I've seen one reserve match at EP. Can't remember which one, But Martin Williams played and was shit.

[floyd__streete]

August 2006, a midweek Combination League (west division champions vs east division champions) Final at Whaddon Road, Cheltenham. The home side won, IIRC 2-1. The only RFC fans there to witness a shocking Reading performance were myself, AndyRFC, Fat Lee, Colin Bishop and Ronnie the Horseman Coach driver.

[glass half full]

I remember the S. Bucharest game. Their CB had the hardest head I have ever seen. One ball went from his header in his own penalty area to the Reading area in one move!

[Ian Royal]

I remember the S. Bucharest game. Their CB had the hardest head I have ever seen. One ball went from his header in his own penalty area to the Reading area in one move!

I remember us bringing on Shepperd at HT, realising he was shit midway through the second half and putting Adie in goal instead.

[BallRoyal]

Pre-season friendly at Twerton Park- Bath City. Got speaking to this over Mid-age couple, good job I didn't start moaning about Paul Brooker, It was his parents, He was still pants.

[Matt de K]

1997 Reading vs Chelsea @ Elm Park

Obscure because I was dragged into the away end by 3 Chelsea supporting close friends. I remember the heat of the sunny day in the open terrace, but remember more - the bollocking I got from my mates when Caskey scored the opener - being told that I was going to have the shit kicked out of me, as i was celebrating like I was in the South Bank!!

Couldn't find a RFC report - but heres the Chelsea one:

Reading 1 Chelsea 2
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FA Cup holders Chelsea began their warm-up for the new season with a comfortable 2-1 win in a friendly at Reading but it took them 48 minutes to get started.

That was when Darren Caskey put Reading in front after a blunder by Chelsea's Dutch keeper Ed De Goey.

The Italian connection then sprang into life for Chelsea with Roberto di Matteo setting up Gianfranco Zola for an equaliser straight from the re-start and Gianluca Vialli providing the pass for Zola's second on 56 minutes.

From that point the game became a contest between Reading keeper Steve Mautone, an Australian with Italian parents, and the Chelsea strike-force of Zola, Vialli and new boy Uruguayan international Gustavo Poyet.

Reading's new player-coach Ray Houghton came on for the last 25 minutes, but by then Chelsea were too much in control for him to make any difference.

A bright spot for Reading, apart form the form of Mautone, was a lively performance from young striker Neville Roach, a youth trainee last season.