Opposition fans back from the game - 24/25 page 225 onwards

[Stranded]

Exactly and this will change over time.

If in say 30 or 40 years time, Brentford and Brighton are constantly finishing in the top 10 of the PL whilst clubs like Sheff Weds continue to bounce around the lower divisions then the narrative will switch that the former are big clubs.

At the moment, the traditional press is still mainly full of older journalists who's view is set in stone based on the league at the time they got in to football 30-50 years ago, whereas kids growing up now and getting into football will just see Brighton as a club challenging for Europe whilst Everton are erstwhile relegation battlers.

[boycey]

I remember one auburn haired Oxford fellow attempting to enter the south bank in the 90's.
The curious thing was, it was a particularly balmy day and he was wearing what appeared to be a Christmas jumper.

[Snowflake Royal]

The views on what are "big" and "small" clubs and their "rightful places" in the league were set when football journalists were growing up - i.e. the 70s & 80s.

So Notts Forest and Derby are still "big clubs" and the likes of Reading and Wigan will always be lower-division upstarts.

And have perpetuated down since. I suspect there's a rather large percentage of football journalists who are less than 50. I'm 42 and grew up in the 80s, but I wouldn't really have been aware of football in any real degree until at least the mid-80s. In my case more like the 90s.

[Silver Fox]

Some might say you're still not that up on it

[Mr Angry]

The views on what are "big" and "small" clubs and their "rightful places" in the league were set when football journalists were growing up - i.e. the 70s & 80s.

So Notts Forest and Derby are still "big clubs" and the likes of Reading and Wigan will always be lower-division upstarts.

Nobody today would dream of calling Huddersfield a "big" club - but they won the 1st Division (as was) for 3 consecutive Years in the early 1930's

[South Coast Royal]

The views on what are "big" and "small" clubs and their "rightful places" in the league were set when football journalists were growing up - i.e. the 70s & 80s.

So Notts Forest and Derby are still "big clubs" and the likes of Reading and Wigan will always be lower-division upstarts.

Nobody today would dream of calling Huddersfield a "big" club - but they won the 1st Division (as was) for 3 consecutive Years in the early 1930's

Likewise Pompey who won it more recently than that.

[Snowflake Royal]

Some might say you're still not that up on it

But only for pathetic point scoring, which can happily be ignored.

[Mr Optimist]

All this Oxford guff reminds me of a Brighton fan who used to work at the same company as me. He found out I was a Reading fan when I started and sought me out, to tell me Reading were tinpot and Brighton didn't care about us at all. He then proceeded to moan about how we stole Steve Coppell and were bankrolled by a mad old billionaire, but also that Brighton didn't care about us because we were so irrelevant. It was very odd.

When we played a company 5-a-side and he turned up in a full Brighton kit with his name on the back. He was in his mid-30s. In fairness to him he said his wife and kids got him the kit and it was his only football gear, so I won't judge, but he did look like a complete fool.

Turns out in the end he was actually quite a good colleague and that's the end of this anecdote.

Full kit oxf*rd!

[Mr Optimist]

All this Oxford guff reminds me of a Brighton fan who used to work at the same company as me. He found out I was a Reading fan when I started and sought me out, to tell me Reading were tinpot and Brighton didn't care about us at all. He then proceeded to moan about how we stole Steve Coppell and were bankrolled by a mad old billionaire, but also that Brighton didn't care about us because we were so irrelevant. It was very odd.

When we played a company 5-a-side and he turned up in a full Brighton kit with his name on the back. He was in his mid-30s. In fairness to him he said his wife and kids got him the kit and it was his only football gear, so I won't judge, but he did look like a complete fool.

Turns out in the end he was actually quite a good colleague and that's the end of this anecdote.

Full kit vvanker!

[One Beer is never enough.]

Not back from our game, but Burnley a decent comment from a Burnley fan on missing out on the record:

jos wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 9:44 pm
Joint record gone now
100 points is looking a way off at the moment.

Got to give some credit to that Reading team - to keep going when you know it’s done is some achievement.

We’ve certainly gone down a gear or two and of course not helped by injuries and lots of changes.

I’m sort of not bothered now. After we lost the chance to break the record, it’s just about the Championship and next season now.

What a cracking season it’s been.

[Stranded]

Not back from our game, but Burnley a decent comment from a Burnley fan on missing out on the record:

jos wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 9:44 pm
Joint record gone now
100 points is looking a way off at the moment.

Got to give some credit to that Reading team - to keep going when you know it’s done is some achievement.

We’ve certainly gone down a gear or two and of course not helped by injuries and lots of changes.

I’m sort of not bothered now. After we lost the chance to break the record, it’s just about the Championship and next season now.

What a cracking season it’s been.

Scary thing is though, the 106 team, did take their foot off the pedal a bit but they were just so good, it barely mattered.

6 of the 13 draws came from game 34 onwards, when it was clear it was just a matter of time. In the first 33 games, we won 25, drew 7 and lost 1. PPG was 2.48. Over the last 13 games, it dropped to 1.85 PPG - which over a season would have still seen us finish 3rd.

[From Despair To Where?]

Yeah, but of those 6 draws are included games against Sheffield Utd (a) (2nd), Wolves (h) (7th), Watford (h) (3rd), Leeds (a) (5th). The other 2 were both away from home.

In the last 12 games we beat Preston 2-1, who were 4th and had the best defensive record that season, won 3-0 away at Burnley, beat Stoke 3-1 with a
reserve line up and scored 5 times twice.

Our expectations were massively skewed that season but the only really disappointing performance out of that lot was away at Wednesday when we should have been out of sight at half time and were on the beach second half.

[tidus_mi2]

Being reminded of the 106 season is always a bit sombre, I know it is the best period our club has gone through and I definitely remember the feeling and atmosphere being amazing but when I think back to it, I can't bring myself to remember what it actually felt like anymore.

[From Despair To Where?]

I remember thinking "Take it all in, It will never be this good again."

[tidus_mi2]

I remember thinking "Take it all in, It will never be this good again."

Yeah I remember the thought being similar, I was 15/16 that season and those words have never been truer, even the following Prem season, despite also being excellent, didn't compare with the absolute dominance of that 106 team.

[From Despair To Where?]

I remember as the season went on, you just expected to win every game, regardless of the opposition.

I particulalrly remember the away game at Crewe. They scored early on and the attitude was like "Ok, Lets get to work" and we pummelled them for the rest of the half. Scored 2 in 2 minutes to take the lead and another just before half time. They pulled one back early in the second half and we were like "Oh well, well just score another" - BANG, straight up the other end 4-2.

[Sutekh]

Yeah, but of those 6 draws are included games against Sheffield Utd (a) (2nd), Wolves (h) (7th), Watford (h) (3rd), Leeds (a) (5th). The other 2 were both away from home.

In the last 12 games we beat Preston 2-1, who were 4th and had the best defensive record that season, won 3-0 away at Burnley, beat Stoke 3-1 with a
reserve line up and scored 5 times twice.

Our expectations were massively skewed that season but the only really disappointing performance out of that lot was away at Wednesday when we should have been out of sight at half time and were on the beach second half.

Should have won at Sheffield Utd though, Kitson missed that last minute penalty!! Leeds was a bit disappointing as fell behind and never seemed to really get going, only a late substitution thankfully led to a late equaliser. Both the Watford games though were utterly appalling entertainment as I remember with both sides somehow simply cancelling each other out. The Wolves home game was another disappointment as managed to get ahead then completely failed to capitalise.

[Stranded]

Yeah, but of those 6 draws are included games against Sheffield Utd (a) (2nd), Wolves (h) (7th), Watford (h) (3rd), Leeds (a) (5th). The other 2 were both away from home.

In the last 12 games we beat Preston 2-1, who were 4th and had the best defensive record that season, won 3-0 away at Burnley, beat Stoke 3-1 with a
reserve line up and scored 5 times twice.

Our expectations were massively skewed that season but the only really disappointing performance out of that lot was away at Wednesday when we should have been out of sight at half time and were on the beach second half.

Oh absolutely, I am just pointing out that in terms of PPG the foot was taken off the gas a little bit and the level of opposition did have something to do with that but no doubting the vast majority of our draws were clumped toward the back end of the season.

If we had managed to keep the frankly ridiculous form of the first 33 games going, we would have got to 114 pts.

[Stranded]

I remember as the season went on, you just expected to win every game, regardless of the opposition.

I particulalrly remember the away game at Crewe. They scored early on and the attitude was like "Ok, Lets get to work" and we pummelled them for the rest of the half. Scored 2 in 2 minutes to take the lead and another just before half time. They pulled one back early in the second half and we were like "Oh well, well just score another" - BANG, straight up the other end 4-2.

Many many games like that - the Hull home game always sticks in my mind - we scored early but Hull started the 2nd half like an express train and Barmby equalised about 10 mins in. You could sense the Hull players and fans felt they were going to go on and get a winner.

The team just seemed to look at each other and were like, nah, not today gents, and just clicked through the gears culminating in 2 goals in a minute around the 70 mark.

That team took every goal against as a personal insult that they had to avenge immediately.

[From Despair To Where?]

The Hull game was rhe only home game 1 I missed that season. My dad had heart attack that morning and was in a msdically induced coma for 5 says. I remember listening to the Ipswich game the following Tuesday in the relatives room in the Intensive Care unit at Basingstoke Hospital.