150th Anniversary Thread - 2021/22

[Orion1871]

Reading FC has now got a website:- royals150.co.uk showing details of our history and also the events that are planned. The event that catches my eye is a match on Sat. May 21st 2022, Coppell v McDermott. Who would Hobnobbers want to see in that match? Would it be the two promotion teams (as far as possible)? Any players who played under the different managers? Any player who has put the hoops (or any Reading shirt) on? If either of the of the latter two options who would you want to see in the teams, If you like to go to the effort you may have different teams for each half. My choice would be the two promotion teams playing against each other. Another choice for you to consider is a fantasy option where you could name players too old to play, or no longer with us. Hope you enjoy selecting you team from the past.

I reckon it would be a good opportunity to reconnect with the likes of John Halls, Chris Makin, Graham Stack and Hayden Mullins.

Jobi captain

I wouldn't count on seeing John Halls.

https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/story-john-halls-ex-arsenal-starlet-wasted-football-career/

“It didn’t work out at Reading,” he says. “I don’t know who signed me, which I think is quite common in football, but (manager) Steve Coppell didn’t take to me, and I didn’t take to him."

[Snowball]

Saw someone on twitter suggest a gold and white hooped third kit. That would be incredible x

Meh. Looks like skiddy diddy’s.

More golden please.

That looks like a nasty injury

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Should be a walk over for the McD side given the ages of the players now....Jobi has only recently retired and saw on twitter James Harper turned 40 yesterday and he was one of the younger players in Sir Steve's team. i expect Jay Tabb is pretty fit too being a professional jockey.

if we could wind the clock back the Coppell side would walk it

[Green]

Have a good one!

[Sutekh]

Could SC and BM be player managers for the game, even if only for the last 10 minutes?

Or a combined “best of team” versus the current layabouts.

Then again if it’s celebrating 150 years then why not include all ex Reading players that can still kick a ball a bit and fancy it?

Finally, as I believe he is the oldest former Reading manager still alive, it might be worth investigating if Charlie Hurley could be guest of honour?

[Half Time Pizza]

Which team would Federici turn out for? Any other players crossed over both teams?

Potentially Shorey although he rejoined after promotion. I'd guess Shane Long would know quite a lot of players from both teams.

[The Royal Forester]

Could SC and BM be player managers for the game, even if only for the last 10 minutes?

Or a combined “best of team” versus the current layabouts.

Then again if it’s celebrating 150 years then why not include all ex Reading players that can still kick a ball a bit and fancy it?

Finally, as I believe he is the oldest former Reading manager still alive, it might be worth investigating if Charlie Hurley could be guest of honour?

Good idea! Why not email the club and suggest your ideas to them? You could also add that ex plyers who cannot still kick a ball a bit could be called to the centre circle and introduced to the crowd. Perhaps there could be two matches the SC.V BM teams and a shorter second one for ex. players, It would make a great day out.

[SCIAG]

Could SC and BM be player managers for the game, even if only for the last 10 minutes?

Or a combined “best of team” versus the current layabouts.

Then again if it’s celebrating 150 years then why not include all ex Reading players that can still kick a ball a bit and fancy it?

Finally, as I believe he is the oldest former Reading manager still alive, it might be worth investigating if Charlie Hurley could be guest of honour?

Coppell injured himself when he joined in with training once and stopped joining in after that. He’s now 66. Maybe he’d take a penalty, but that’s probably his limit!

[Snowflake Royal]

Could SC and BM be player managers for the game, even if only for the last 10 minutes?

Or a combined “best of team” versus the current layabouts.

Then again if it’s celebrating 150 years then why not include all ex Reading players that can still kick a ball a bit and fancy it?

Finally, as I believe he is the oldest former Reading manager still alive, it might be worth investigating if Charlie Hurley could be guest of honour?

Coppell injured himself when he joined in with training once and stopped joining in after that. He’s now 66. Maybe he’d take a penalty, but that’s probably his limit!

Enjoyed the Murty anecdote that after they got promoted Coppell turned up at the training warm up where they stood in a circle and passed to each other. They pinged awful balls straight at him and he dealt with each one immaculately, finished up and said "right, now you can all say you've trained with me" and walked off.

With Murts saying it was humbling that he was still better than all of them and only had one working leg.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Finally, as I believe he is the oldest former Reading manager still alive, it might be worth investigating if Charlie Hurley could be guest of honour?

never mind Guest of Honour, get him kitted-out and on the pitch, probably more capable than most of our current first team squad.

[Dirk Gently]

Which team would Federici turn out for?

McDermott's - Federici didn't get on the pitch in the 05/06 promotion season, and only started FA cUp games the following season (gifting Man Utd 3 goals in the first six minutes of one of them.

I'd guess Shane Long would know quite a lot of players from both teams.

Yep, but he'd be part of Coppell's team - he was sold to West Brom after the first match of the McD promotion season.

[Hendo]

Which team would Federici turn out for?

McDermott's - Federici didn't get on the pitch in the 05/06 promotion season, and only started FA cUp games the following season (gifting Man Utd 3 goals in the first six minutes of one of them.

He did play in the 67 minutes away at Blackburn in the last game of the season in 06/07 when Marcus got injured though

[Dirk Gently]

Which team would Federici turn out for?

McDermott's - Federici didn't get on the pitch in the 05/06 promotion season, and only started FA cUp games the following season (gifting Man Utd 3 goals in the first six minutes of one of them.

He did play in the 67 minutes away at Blackburn in the last game of the season in 06/07 when Marcus got injured though

Correct, and came on as a second half sub vs Spurs a week or so earlier. Which is why I was very careful to use the words "only started..." in my post

[Jagermesiter1871]

If Murty scores are we on the pitch?

[Sutekh]

If Murty scores are we on the pitch?

Like that’d ever happen again.

[morganb]

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2022/f ... r-later--/

WE'RE ROLLING BACK THE YEARS TO 1872 AND STAGING A REMATCH BETWEEN READING FOOTBALL CLUB AND READING SCHOOL TO MARK A MOMENTOUS ANNIVERSARY...
Our club’s very first match was played on 21st February 1872 when we played out a 0-0 draw against Reading School at the Reading Recreation Ground (now known as King’s Meadow!). And Reading School were also the opponents we earned our first win against that same year.

So, this month, we are restaging a match against Reading School - using the original rules! - to mark 150 years since our very first fixture.

And a limited number of Season Ticket holders can join us to mark the occasion.

Reading School are hosting a Reading FC Academy XI on Wednesday 23rd February in a historical re-enactment of the 1872 matches between the school and the club.

[Sutekh]

Well that “celebration” game was a bit of a damp squib wasn’t it? Where was a cavalcade of previous players from down the ages, all we got was Martin Hicks presenting a prize at half time, you’d think there’d be a few names to parade or perhaps the club was just too busy “inventing” and making a big thing of that third utterly pointless mascot.

[Hound]

Tbf it was mainly aimed at getting kids in and I thought they did a decent job. Considering how shit we are to almost fill the ground etc

My boys had a great time despite the result and that’s all you can ask really

[Hendo]

Bit more information on the Coppell v McDermott match after the end of the season. Might go to this, only a tenner.

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2022/march/21/it-s-happening-royals-legends-reunite-for-150th-anniversary-match/

[paultheroyal]

IN for this - providing we stay up - thats the remit!