RFC v West Ham review - The Independent

[Stranded]

The longer my club has no history

You write a good post, IH, but I disagree with this bit. Has Reading been recently formed? I'm sure we existed for 135 years.

Oh Spacey, trust you to miss the point.

Yes we have history but we do not have "a history" in terms of how that is interpreted in football.

I'm sorry, but that is bollocks.

Please explain why?

What is 135 years, if not history? History is not solely about silverware. History is about what has happened in the past and Reading's past is full of incidents. To say that Reading has no history is to ignore what Reading has been doing for 135 years.

Please find a better word than "history" to describe what you really do mean in "football terms".

As far as "a history" in football is concerned for the majority of average punters and the press, the context of IH's post, I would say it is pretty obvious.

"A history" is being in the top flight, winning trophys and getting to the latter stages of competitions, having players that are recognised regularly as great (and not just by the fans of the club).

We don't have that sort of history and that's what makes our club and why we don't often get the press that others do.

We have our history and it is one to be proud of.

[Gordons Cumming]

I think they mean history of top honours, Spacey.
E.g.

Length of time in top division
Cup final victories and finals
European participation
etc

HTH

[SpaceCruiser]

Perhaps it would be better to say "A history of success" rather than just "A history".

[Stranded]

Perhaps it would be better to say "A history of success" rather than just "A history".

If you really need that spelt out for you then yes. I just assumed you were more intelligent than that. I shall not make the same mistake in future.

[SpaceCruiser]

Perhaps it would be better to say "A history of success" rather than just "A history".

If you really need that spelt out for you then yes. I just assumed you were more intelligent than that. I shall not make the same mistake in future.

No, I'm just being picky and I dislike it when people ignore our history.

[mathematically_safe]

Perhaps it would be better to say "A history of success" rather than just "A history".

If you really need that spelt out for you then yes. I just assumed you were more intelligent than that. I shall not make the same mistake in future.

I'M A ALIEN, I'M A ALIEN. COLIN HUNT HERE....

[SpaceCruiser]

Perhaps it would be better to say "A history of success" rather than just "A history".

If you really need that spelt out for you then yes. I just assumed you were more intelligent than that. I shall not make the same mistake in future.

I'M A ALIEN, I'M A ALIEN. COLIN HUNT HERE....

A very good example of bad English there.

[mathematically_safe]

[.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:.]

Is the Mark Lawrenson mentioned in the article related in any way to Lawro who predicted on the BBC website that Reading v West Ham would be a 1 - 1 draw?

It is the same bloke, believe it or not!!

Also the one that said that we would go down with Sheff Utd, and Watford would stay up because they have the firepower to do so !

Sheff U would stay up becasue Brammell Lane would be a fortress and their home form would see them OK.
Watford would stay up becasue they had a fine up and coming manager.

RFC would go straight back down as we had signed nobody and we would struggle to score goals whilst shipping them at the back.

AND this tw@t gets PAID for this "insight"???

..........but did anyone of us think he'd be so far of the mark?

yeah i was saying we'd be alright from the very start.

[Ian Herring]

The longer my club has no history

You write a good post, IH, but I disagree with this bit. Has Reading been recently formed? I'm sure we existed for 135 years.

I guess I was writing in a somewhat jaded and sarcastic tone given the amount of patronising and ill-researched journalism that's been produced since the Royals stuck their head above the Premiership parapet. In using the phrases 'no history' and 'no culture' it was a sideswipe at all those over the years and this season who have belittled my club for its perceived lack of the aforementioned. Including many of the sleeping giants now snoring heavily in the lower divisions. It's possible I could have used the term 'notable' history or 'perceived' culture as this was the point I was trying to highlight in the original post, or one of them. 'History' is what makes all our lives and the stories of football clubs tenable and able to be seen in context. Part of being a Reading fan for me is the club's 'history', its place in the town, its part in people's lives, its culture then and now, its achievements and successes, whether they are relevant to anyone else or not, and I would not dare airbrush it out through slipshod grammar. In a world full of 'I am's' and 'Look at me's', part of the beauty of Reading's history is its blatant normality and mundane ordinariness, which attracted me to it in the first place. What I was gently chiding at was the ranks of fans of other so-called 'bigger' clubs whom cite 'history' when their contemporary achievements are less than impressive.

However, I believe I spelt 'Tussaud's' incorrectly.

HTH.

[SpaceCruiser]

That's a beautiful post, IH. Thanks for replying to my post.