Favourite season opener of recent times?

[bobbybottler]

Don't think it was actually the first game of the season,but was at least the first home game when the Madejski was opened.
1998 Reading 3 Luton 0
Brebner,Mcintyre,Fleck att 18108
with the famous Rob Styles as referee.

That wasn't the first game of the season, it wasn't even the second.

The opener was a 0-3 loss at Wrexham - Kromheer and van der Kwaak played.

I skipped it and went to Ascot races - another amazing true story.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Don't think it was actually the first game of the season,but was at least the first home game when the Madejski was opened.
1998 Reading 3 Luton 0
Brebner,Mcintyre,Fleck att 18108
with the famous Rob Styles as referee.

That wasn't the first game of the season, it wasn't even the second.

The opener was a 0-3 loss at Wrexham - Kromheer and van der Kwaak played.

I skipped it and went to Ascot races - another amazing true story.

We were dire until Mass Sarr came on for last 20 mins - he actually looked quite useful in that game. I think there was a really mad own goal by Andy Legg (or whoever was left back). ian Rush made his debut for them.

[Ian Royal]

3-2 vs Boro is an obvious top one.

However, I'm going to nominate the 2-1 against Plymouth in the title season. We may have lost, but it was fairly clear good things were going to happen that season as Harps had put in several decent tackles and we looked fairly good despite the result.

2 0-0s against Forest in the last two seasons are rather a let down after the two above and Utd.

[Z175]

3-2 vs Boro is an obvious top one.

However, I'm going to nominate the 2-1 against Plymouth in the title season. We may have lost, but it was fairly clear good things were going to happen that season as Harps had put in several decent tackles and we looked fairly good despite the result.

I left that game feeling my relegation fears were coming true. I didn't fancy the idea of relying on Harp's aggression keeping us up. We were unlucky to lose that match, but I felt it was a sign that all the luck we had since that Walsall defeat in Cardiff and swung the other way again.

But of course it wasn't until Bolton at home in the premierleague 2 seasons later that Lady Luck's pendulum swung against us. Until that penalty at Anfield....

But agreed. surely the most legendary opening game of any season by any club, purely for what followed in the next 45. Heres to the next two years

[The Rouge]

0-0 away to Man Utd surely?

Heroic rearguard action and 400 or so ecstatic Reading fans surrounded by 72,000 fuming gloryhunters.

About 1500 Royals fans I reckon. I couldn't get an Away ticket and had to sit with the home fans.

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Reading for me though. Will live long in the memory.

[No Hoops]

3-2 vs Boro is an obvious top one.

However, I'm going to nominate the 2-1 against Plymouth in the title season. We may have lost, but it was fairly clear good things were going to happen that season as Harps had put in several decent tackles and we looked fairly good despite the result.

2 0-0s against Forest in the last two seasons are rather a let down after the two above and Utd.

Totally agree.

Hope Saturday replaces it though. 5 goals and top of the league.

[Tad Showbiz]

Blackpool away 2-0 win....i'm sure it was at the beginning of a promotion season. Just happened to be same weekend R W C stag do, cracking weekend! Chucked it down with rain all game although we were under cover on their old southbank style terrace, Reading played some terrific football that day and I think it was Andy Hughes debut.

Update: Found it!! 2001/02 season

Whitehead, Murty, Whitbread, Robinson, Williams, Parkinson, Hughes (Gamble 85), Harper, A Smith, Butler (Henderson 82), Forster (Igoe 82). Subs not used: Viveash, Ashdown.

Parkinson and Forster scored.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

Reading Vs Bristol City 1999/2000, City bring a full travelling support for their cup final, Gerard Lavin is sent-off for deliberately kicking the ball at Reading fans, we steal a late winner thanks to Jimmy Crawford.

http://www.royals.org/matdoc/070899.html

^^^ This. Full of LOL's all round.

[paultheroyal]

Don't think it was actually the first game of the season,but was at least the first home game when the Madejski was opened.
1998 Reading 3 Luton 0
Brebner,Mcintyre,Fleck att 18108
with the famous Rob Styles as referee.

+1

[No Fixed Abode]

Blackpool away the season Reading got promoted from League 1 to the Chumpionship. Smashed off my face all weekend up there.

[bassavage]

0-0 away to Man Utd surely?

Heroic rearguard action and 400 or so ecstatic Reading fans surrounded by 72,000 fuming gloryhunters.

About 1500 Royals fans I reckon. I couldn't get an Away ticket and had to sit with the home fans.

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Reading for me though. Will live long in the memory.

Didn't think we sold out that day, but there was about 1500-ish. Sonko was in the away end that day too.

Was a cracking defensive effort...Doobs best game for us IMO, broke Rooney's foot as well. Remember Ronaldo having a free kick in the very last minute thinking that our look was out, but he put it over.



Briiliant summary of the game

[Jerry St Clair]

Pretty sure we played Swindon at home on the opening day in 1996 or 1997? Think we won 2-0.

[Dirk Gently]

0-0 away to Man Utd surely?

Heroic rearguard action and 400 or so ecstatic Reading fans surrounded by 72,000 fuming gloryhunters.

About 1500 Royals fans I reckon. I couldn't get an Away ticket and had to sit with the home fans.

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Reading for me though. Will live long in the memory.

Didn't think we sold out that day, but there was about 1500-ish. Sonko was in the away end that day too.

We didn't - the club got stung because we took the full 3,000 tickets (not on sale or return if you take the full allocation!) because of teh previous year's sell out, and then only sold about half of them!

[Big Foot]

Pretty sure we played Swindon at home on the opening day in 1996 or 1997? Think we won 2-0.

Think that was our first home game of the season as opposed to first outright game

[Rawlie19]

'boro's a good shout, but actually the season before that, the home defeat to Plymouth is brilliant. At the time, it was a proper eye-rolling 'here we go again' jobby.

Little did we know, eh?!

I came out of the ground from that one and my mate phoned to say "same old rubbish eh? another season going to be a failure" and I said "no way, we might have lost today but if we play like that all season we'll be in with a very good shout of promotion"