Favourite season opener of recent times?

[Handsome Man]

Easy one for me - Huddersfield (A) 93/94 season. For those of you too young to know, Huddersfield had spent big in the summer (a certain Steve Francis made his way up there). RFC had a good secod half to 92/93 - sound familiar - and absolutely demolished them 3-0 with a peformance which probably defined the rest of the season.

+ 1 from here

Can't have been more than 100 Loyal Royals up for the trip either.

That was the game I thought of as well. After that, everything seemed optimistic and Reading were suddenly a big club.

[Big Foot]

That was the 2nd league game having played Ipswich a week before, drawing 1-1

Beat me to it...

But anyway, yes Murray and Goater both scored as well as Sidwell (volley from a corner, albeit deflected)

It's ALL about Kevin Watson's assist for Scott Murray's goal, what a pass that was if others can remember it too - I left that game convinced we'd walk the league before Pardew walked out on us

As it goes Ipswich away wasn't too bad, cheated out of all 3 points by Jim Magilton diving over Steve Brown's tackle in the 93rd minute

Yep - Watson came on and completely changed the game - remember well looking across at the sun-drenched East Stand which was virtually full of people in blue and white and, as we were completely outplaying the team that was European Champions when I was a lad, thinking "is this really Reading?"

Something clicked that day and I thought we were on the edge of something stunning. That was 16th August 2003, and within 2 weeks of that game Pardew was on his way to West Ham and the Reading revolution was put back a couple of years.

Was it Harper who went off injured? Their keeper was sent off too I seem to recall...it was the weekend of my 14th birthday

[Fox Talbot]

Quite a few good ones here to which I'd add Exeter away 1989 lovely day - Senior, Moran, Maskell all scored, won 3-1, best performance of a pretty rotten season.

[Platypuss]

Quite a few good ones here to which I'd add Exeter away 1989 lovely day - Senior, Moran, Maskell all scored, won 3-1, best performance of a pretty rotten season.

That was actually 1990 - I remember it for John Peel giving out the scores at the festival. Not as good as 1988 or 1991/92, but good times nonetheless...

[Fox Talbot]

Fair play - didn't remember Moran's career at Reading being that long.

[Isaac Hunt]

Quite a few good ones here to which I'd add Exeter away 1989 lovely day - Senior, Moran, Maskell all scored, won 3-1, best performance of a pretty rotten season.

That was actually 1990 - I remember it for John Peel giving out the scores at the festival. Not as good as 1988 or 1991/92, but good times nonetheless...

Couldn't have been the first game of the season if it was the same weekend as Reading Festival, could it? Did the season ever start as late at the bank holiday weekend?

[Zammo]

Easy one for me - Huddersfield (A) 93/94 season. For those of you too young to know, Huddersfield had spent big in the summer (a certain Steve Francis made his way up there). RFC had a good secod half to 92/93 - sound familiar - and absolutely demolished them 3-0 with a peformance which probably defined the rest of the season.

+ 1 from here

Can't have been more than 100 Loyal Royals up for the trip either.

I was there too

Great days.

[fridays child]

Quite a few good ones here to which I'd add Exeter away 1989 lovely day - Senior, Moran, Maskell all scored, won 3-1, best performance of a pretty rotten season.

That was actually 1990 - I remember it for John Peel giving out the scores at the festival. Not as good as 1988 or 1991/92, but good times nonetheless...

Couldn't have been the first game of the season if it was the same weekend as Reading Festival, could it? Did the season ever start as late at the bank holiday weekend?

was indeed first game, on 25th august

[PlasticRoyale]

0-0 away to Man Utd surely?

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

Didn't attend but watched at home, we played very well that day

Was in the Utd end. Reading were lucky Utd didn't take there chances. You could barely see the Reading fans let alone hear them...

That Foest game was the first game i ever went to. Got tickets as a birthday present

[Maguire]

Last season - can't remember who we were playing but it was sunny and I got smashed off my face. Great times.

[handbags_harris]

Two season openers stand out for me:

00/01, Millwall away - having ended the season on great form, losing 4 of 20 matches, 00/01 was set to be a spectacular season. It almost was, but the damp squib of a performance at the New Den dampened the enthusiasm somewhat. And then 01/02, Blackpool away. Having been so cruelly beaten in the playoff final in 00/01 playing away at the newly promoted seasiders on a sweltering opening day of the season was a juicy little number to test ourselves with. It rained. But at least we won...

[SLAMMED]

0-0 away to Man Utd surely?

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

That sounds like the pub I was sat in.

Must have been a huge pub.

[papereyes]

Massive.

[Fox Talbot]

Quite a few good ones here to which I'd add Exeter away 1989 lovely day - Senior, Moran, Maskell all scored, won 3-1, best performance of a pretty rotten season.

That was actually 1990 - I remember it for John Peel giving out the scores at the festival. Not as good as 1988 or 1991/92, but good times nonetheless...

Couldn't have been the first game of the season if it was the same weekend as Reading Festival, could it? Did the season ever start as late at the bank holiday weekend?

25th August 1990 - first game - don't know why season started that late - post Italy World Cup?? But that's the right weekend to start. 7th August too early.

[peterroyal76]

Easy one for me - Huddersfield (A) 93/94 season. For those of you too young to know, Huddersfield had spent big in the summer (a certain Steve Francis made his way up there). RFC had a good secod half to 92/93 - sound familiar - and absolutely demolished them 3-0 with a peformance which probably defined the rest of the season.

This was my first 'proper' away match, as I previously only went to away games with my dads mate.

[Ark Royal]

Easy one for me - Huddersfield (A) 93/94 season. For those of you too young to know, Huddersfield had spent big in the summer (a certain Steve Francis made his way up there). RFC had a good secod half to 92/93 - sound familiar - and absolutely demolished them 3-0 with a peformance which probably defined the rest of the season.

+ 1 from here

Can't have been more than 100 Loyal Royals up for the trip either.

Terrible traffic on the M1 meant that we got there late. Legged it into the away end just in time to see Mick Gooding score the first. A good day out.

[Big Foot]

That was actually 1990 - I remember it for John Peel giving out the scores at the festival. Not as good as 1988 or 1991/92, but good times nonetheless...

Couldn't have been the first game of the season if it was the same weekend as Reading Festival, could it? Did the season ever start as late at the bank holiday weekend?

25th August 1990 - first game - don't know why season started that late - post Italy World Cup?? But that's the right weekend to start. 7th August too early.

Disagree massively, first weekend of August is right for me - in fact I'd go as far to say I prefer C'ship to PL purely for starting a week earlier

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Anyone remember 1975/76?

We scored a goal that hit the side netting on outside and it was given - good omen as we went up.

[Ark Royal]

Easy one for me - Huddersfield (A) 93/94 season. For those of you too young to know, Huddersfield had spent big in the summer (a certain Steve Francis made his way up there). RFC had a good secod half to 92/93 - sound familiar - and absolutely demolished them 3-0 with a peformance which probably defined the rest of the season.

+ 1 from here

Can't have been more than 100 Loyal Royals up for the trip either.

Terrible traffic on the M1 meant that we got there late. Legged it into the away end just in time to see Mick Gooding score the first. A good day out.

Another memory from that day - On the terrace that day a mate of mine showed me a betting slip: £50 on Reading to win the title at 18/1. After the 3-0 win he put on another £50 at 18/1. A nice little bunce!

[Hatty9]

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.