Next season's crowds

[RoyalBlue]

I'll be ridicluled for this post because its me posting it,

I'll ridicule you because all the people I know that left early are exactly the people you think stayed behind, people who've supported the club for many years and served their time watching us play the likes of Northampton, Bury, Orient, Blackpool, Halifax, Aldershot, Port Vale etc etc.

But thereagain, even at Elm Park we had some supporters who would turn on the team and walk out early on the back of one bad result/performance. Maybe they're from the same group!

[Bowman's Quiver]

The fact I've had a season ticket for the last 9 years doesn't count then?

Well, of course you typing that is absolute conclusive proof !

8 years ago you were one of those despised 'plastics' then...

I couldn't care less whether you beleive me or not. We didn't have plastics 8 years ago as there was no bandwagon to jump on. More proof you have got no idea what you're even debating about.

If that is so then please explain where some 18,000 people turned up from for the opening game at the Madejski in August 1998?

[shadesrwrf]

With respect Daniella, if I may call you that, you're wrong. There have been many "bandwagons" to jump on throughout Reading's long history. They've just varied in size. "Bandwagon jumping" is hardly a new phenomenon and it's far from unique. Every other club up and down the country have witnessed similar fluctuations in support, even the one you like to so tediously drone on about.

Bottom line is, football clubs as with all other things in life will attract support when succesful and lose support when not. It really isn't anything to get overly animated about.

[Daniella]

Well, of course you typing that is absolute conclusive proof !

8 years ago you were one of those despised 'plastics' then...

I couldn't care less whether you beleive me or not. We didn't have plastics 8 years ago as there was no bandwagon to jump on. More proof you have got no idea what you're even debating about.

If that is so then please explain where some 18,000 people turned up from for the opening game at the Madejski in August 1998?

New opening of the ground, everyone gets massive crowds for that and usually sells out. What was the seasons average in the end? Or even the next home game after?

No one argues that you get extra fans shades, it happens everywhere as you rightly said. Its when your fanbase doubles in a matter of seasons people raise an eyebrow.

[shadesrwrf]

No. The only one who raises an eyebrow is you. The rest of us put it down to the unprecedented success of a team that has previously wallowed in the lower divisions. If you can't see how Premiership football is going to attract new support then I think you need help.

I actually see it as a good thing. With any luck we're converting a lot of those who up until now have foolishly supported other teams. They're at long last seeing the light. Just see it as sporting evangelism.

[Daniella]

No. The only one who raises an eyebrow is you. The rest of us put it down to the unprecedented success of a team that has previously wallowed in the lower divisions. If you can't see how Premiership football is going to attract new support then I think you need help.

And the majority of opposition fans.

Hence "where were you when you were shit" being chanted by nearly every away team this season.

Not to mention the chorus of "plastic supporters" sung by watford.

I care about how we are perceived by other fans, id like to be respected. Our fans are hated nationwide, our club, team and and manager are respected.

[shadesrwrf]

I care about how we are perceived by other fans, id like to be respected. Our fans are hated nationwide, our club, team and and manager are respected.

You'll learn as you age Dani boy that the respect of opposition fans comes pretty low down on life's list of priorities.

The idea that we're hated nationwide is laughable. The vast majority of fans view us with total indifference and reserve their hatred for more "worthy" opponents.

[Behindu]

Have to say that it is utter and unsupportable garbage to say we are hated as fans.

You really need to avoid falling into the trap of thinking that what a handful of lads who've had a few beers chant is a good guage of anything.

From opposition fans I've met i've had nothing but good things said about us. Some are actually very knowledgeable about the club and where it has come from.

For many fans the fact that over a decade we've added maybe 8,000 regular fans is something they admire. I cannot see how anyone can suggest that increasing your support is in any way a bad thing.


Strikes me as a convenient and totally arbitrary attempt to slate the club. After all plenty of people have a go at Wigan for not having attracted more fans, so it hardly makes sense to have a go at a club who have attracted more people, especially as it's been good steady growth over a period of time and NOT 'overnight'.

[handbags_harris]

Not sure how I feel about readings support. All season everyone says having the most plastics in the country doesn't mean anything and we should all be thankful they are turning up and paying the money. Then those same fans were moaning when all the plastics left before the lap of honour leaving us with about 5,000 fans who probably were season ticket holders in division 2. The fans that really cared stayed. No doubt there will be sob stories about missing the bus and how bad the car park is, but that was piss poor.
That showed our support up for what it was, big numbers but crap fans who really have no idea how far we have come. They didn't support us when we were playing the likes of northampton, wycombe and blackpool every week so they will never understand how much it means now. I'll be ridicluled for this post because its me posting it, but I think deep down a lot are ashamed of the fanbase we have and its putting a lot of fans off who have supported us over the years from going. In response to that, people will then claim " they should ignore that if they are true fans" without really understand how cringeworthy it is walking around the ground seeing the fans we have these days and hearing the comments they make. I'll be renewing mine as ever for the record.

We won't have a problem selling out every week in the prem, im confident of that. Even if the guy who stood next to you for years in division two isn't there anymore.

I agree 100% with that, whenever I have attended the last home game of a season I have stayed behind, it is what fans do, even after relegation I stay behind, the players should get a send off, some may not be here the following season.

I don't know why I take this slur slightly personally, but I do. I left the Watford game at the final whistle after watching a piss poor performance, but I wasn't goin to feel guilty about not applauding the players off. I'd given my support to the team for the previous 36 games and clapped them off after every good performance, win lose or draw. If the players put in a poor performance then I don't applaud them off. I don't expect to be patted on the back after ballsing up a deal at work so why should I applaud a team off after a piss poor performance even if it is the last home game? I gave my thanks for the season at Blackburn which was the LAST game of the season. And I'd have done so regardless of performance.

[The 17 Bus]

the difference is that you applauded the teams efforts for the season at the last game you saw, thousands chose not to.

[shadesrwrf]

the difference is that you applauded the teams efforts for the season at the last game you saw, thousands chose not to.

As previously stated I was one of those. I don't have any particular reason for it other than we just decided to leave. I don't feel in any way guilty about that and find it very funny that there are those who think I ought to.

[BerksBlue]

I think Bolton might actually hate us! But we did rob them and put diouf in casualty... they'll get over it!!!

Just interested in knowing how many fans Danielle would be ok with us attracting when the stadium gets a tad bigger? We surely wouldn't want the teams coffers to benefit from large supports that make us look fickle...... what a loon!

[Royalshow]

To be fair anyone who stayed after the final whistle at Waford should be given at least 100 royalty points for their efforts,maybe even a free brick in the wall

[savage 4 england]

No. The only one who raises an eyebrow is you. The rest of us put it down to the unprecedented success of a team that has previously wallowed in the lower divisions. If you can't see how Premiership football is going to attract new support then I think you need help.

And the majority of opposition fans.

Hence "where were you when you were shit" being chanted by nearly every away team this season.

Not to mention the chorus of "plastic supporters" sung by watford.

That made me laugh, coming from Watford.