On this day

[Stranded]

Final game of the season.

Birmingham City 0-1 Reading

Michael Gilkes scores late with the most unwanted Reading goal in history. Birmingham denied a play off spot.

Anyone else at this game? Genuinely terrifying exprience trying to make it to the station afterwards.

Game held up due to 2 mass pitch invasions. Tried to make a run for it to the station whuilst the first was taking place. this backfired as they all poured through the main stand and out in to the road. Had to do a u turn and head back into the away end!

Yep. was there with the Junior Royals and took part in a penalty shoot-out at half time (scored both penalties that I took) - luckily was 0-0 at half time. Remember we were bundled back onto our coach at full time and had to travel with the curtains closed with a police escort to get the coach away.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

Hmmm, doesn't ring a bell that one. This one does though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3htEY3IXmEc

And as for today - it's all about that towering header. What a wicked day it was - proper warm as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki2ntdMBx-E

"some of the nutters are on the field..."

[Ark Royal]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

[stealthpapes]

that tranmere kit is nice

but not as nice as our play that day

still lee nogan

[Sutekh]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

Similar era, Blackpool 0-4 Reading was pretty immense as away performances go. First time I went to Bloomfield Road as well.

[Ark Royal]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

Similar era, Blackpool 0-4 Reading was pretty immense as away performances go. First time I went to Bloomfield Road as well.

Agreed. A good away day, especially as Stockport had only drawn 2-2 with Cardiff earlier that day. Blackpool fans clapped us off. My lasting memory was not Dylan Kerr's shirt-over-the-head celebration, but Tom Jones wearing what looked like the last pair of shorts out of the bag that had been washed with too much bleach.

[Ark Royal]

that tranmere kit is nice

but not as nice as our play that day

still lee nogan

That outside-of-the-left-peg pass from Dariusz to Nogs for the third. Sigh...

[stealthpapes]

I know its not RFC but here's as good a place to post it.

These are highlights from the other semifinal. It is peak mid-90s football.

@ molyneux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnw_brwMQI0
Peter Shilton there, in goal for Bolton.

@ burnden park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnSTHLMs-ZA
the commentary on that second clip is lolz.

postmatch interviews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9w8rvjbrTk
additional material here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onf8id6rxhY

[From Despair To Where?]

@ burnden park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnSTHLMs-ZA
the commentary on that second clip is lolz.

"Ooooh, what a ding dong do!!!!!!"

It's like Peter Kay on drugs.

[Victor Meldrew]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

Agreed-in all my years as well it is my favourite before or since.
Also liked the reminder from Sutekh about that Blackpool game-my son and I called into a work mate's mum and dad in Blackpool that day-they couldn't believe we had travelled "all that way" just to see a game at Blackpool and didn't fully get why we supported Reading when we lived in Bournemouth..

[Victor Meldrew]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

Agreed-in all my years as well it is my favourite before or since-such a polished performance with so much at stake.
Also liked the reminder from Sutekh about that Blackpool game-my son and I called into a work mate's mum and dad in Blackpool that day-they couldn't believe we had travelled "all that way" just to see a game at Blackpool and didn't fully get why we supported Reading when we lived in Bournemouth..

[RFCMod]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

JM getting the beers in in the pub near the ground

[Vision]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

JM getting the beers in in the pub near the ground

Ha. The Mersey Clipper?

[RFCMod]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

JM getting the beers in in the pub near the ground

Ha. The Mersey Clipper?

Thats the one

[grey_squirrel]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

Yeah I can't think of a better away performance (when it mattered) either. I had forgotten though we actually left it quite late to win it there and that Bolton only just scraped through against Wolves in their Semi.

I remember the subsequent home leg as being kind of strange. What were we gonna do. Sit tight. Go for another goal to be sure. In the end it was neither really. Largely forgettable apart from Scotty Taylor running almost the whole length of the (really heavy) pitch towards the Tilehurst End, dribbling past most of the Tranmere team on the way, only to run out of legs and fluff it. Scotty really was truly a great player in his day.

And at the end of it all, it was all for nothing. So long ago now too, there's no animosity for Bolton's predicament, though disgust/contempt for McAteer will obviously always remain.

[EverHopeful]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

JM also cam into the away pub next to the ground and bought us all a beer - top day !
you can also add that Tranmere fans after the game over the segregation and shook a few of us by the hand - best team thats been here for years was the comment....

[Green]

Tranmere 1 Reading 3 - PO SF 1st Leg. In all my years, this was the most perfect away performance I ever witnessed. Tranmere were played off the park and their fans showed their appreciation at the end. A brilliant, brilliant day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxI5e06HXU

JM also cam into the away pub next to the ground and bought us all a beer - top day !

Ha. The Mersey Clipper?

[Green]

Slow day Green?

You could say that.

[stealthpapes]

matchdays only for me

[Green]

I dunno a hangover busting Sunday morning breakfast looks worth a look