"The Royals" or "Royals"?

[greta_gatsby]

Hi everyone - long-time listener, first-time caller.

My first post is on a point of grammar rather than football but as it relates somewhat to the official website, I would consider it Club policy. My apologies if this is not the case and this post must be moved.

I have often wondered why the Reading Evening Post's stylistic choice is to consistently call the club "Royals" without an article.

Clive Baskerville's latest article (http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... w-10485029) states:

"The Madejski Stadium faithful gave manager Steve Clarke a fairly subdued welcome following his decision to stay with Royals after being given permission by the club for his midweek talks with rivals Fulham."

The official website seems to be less consistent on this but, certainly, on occassions, do opt for the jarring use of Royals without an article.

My own opinion is that one should just say it aloud and see if it sounds stilted. There are occassions where Royals is the obvious choice, but in other circumstances the Royals is much better (The Royals won on Saturday).

All opinions on the subject very welcome, but if someone is able to cite sources as to why this is the case, I'd be most, most grateful!

Thank you for taking the time to read, I look forward to any forthcoming responses.

[Green]

Hi Greta, you're gonna fit in around here

I'm inclined to agree we do need the 'the'. Certain club nicknames don't though - Spurs, Rangers etc - what's that all about?

[Ouroboros]

There are some cases you'd want to drop the article.

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a Royals player for as long as anyone can remember."

But otherwise I completely agree:

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a disappointment for the Royals for as long as anyone can remember."

[RoyalRuss86]

There are some cases you'd want to drop the article.

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a Royals player for as long as anyone can remember."

But otherwise I completely agree:

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a disappointment for the Royals for as long as anyone can remember."

Fantastic example!

[Stuka]

My own opinion is that one should just say it aloud and see if it sounds stilted. There are occassions where Royals is the obvious choice, but in other circumstances the Royals is much better (The Royals won on Saturday).

I agree with this. Depends on the situation.

[WoodleyRoyal]

There are some cases you'd want to drop the article.

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a Royals player for as long as anyone can remember."

But otherwise I completely agree:

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a disappointment for the Royals for as long as anyone can remember."

In your first example though you have still prepended the word Royals with the letter 'a', so although you haven't used the word 'the' you have still used an adverb/determiner

[Lenny The Tramp]

I think Clive Baskerville uses some journalistic license when dropping the 'The'. Makes for snappier copy.

I reckon either is correct. And both are preferable to URZ.

[West Stand Man]

And, strictly, it is Madejski Stadium, not The Madejski Stadium. Don't ask me why, that is just how it is actually named.

[ZacNaloen]

but sometimes you need the the for the sentence to make sense e.g. the Madejski Stadium is like a library

[West Stand Man]

but sometimes you need the the for the sentence to make sense e.g. the Madejski Stadium is like a library

Hahaha!

Not true though, it is habit rather than necessity! You don't say The Old Trafford is like a library, and it is the same principle. We have all just got into the habit of using 'the' because it sounds neater.

[elrey]

There are some cases you'd want to drop the article.

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a Royals player for as long as anyone can remember."

But otherwise I completely agree:

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a disappointment for the Royals for as long as anyone can remember."

"The" is the definite article. It means there is one of one. "The table in the living room", there is one table in the living room and I'm talking about that table.

"A" and "an" are the indefinite article, meaning one of many. "A table in the living room", means there's more than one table in the living room, but I'm talking about one of them.

So, "a Royals player" means there are lots of players (the article refers to this noun, not the "Royals") and Kanu is one of those players.

"Royals" in this sentence being used like an adjective rather than a noun, and articles are only used with nouns.

[elrey]

but sometimes you need the the for the sentence to make sense e.g. the Madejski Stadium is like a library

Hahaha!

Not true though, it is habit rather than necessity! You don't say The Old Trafford is like a library, and it is the same principle. We have all just got into the habit of using 'the' because it sounds neater.

It's not "the Old Trafford" because you don't use the word "stadium".


"Old Trafford" is a name.

"Madejski" wouldn't make sense, seeing as it's a person and a stadium, so you have to use stadium in order to differentiate. And once you've used Stadium, it needs an article. All nouns need either an article or something similar, like "my", or a plural.

A cat
The cat
Cats
My cat
His cat
Jake's Cat

You can't just use cat on it's own.

[Winchester Royal]

I've always said 'The Royals', or simply 'Reading'.

My missus calls the club 'Reading Football'.

[Silver Fox]

I'd say you would normally use "the" but if it comes down to an argument between a fvck off newbie and Clive Baskerville I'm going to side with the Hound

[floyd__streete]

Our nickname is so naff. A spurious claim to be 'Royal' as the county town of Royal Berkshire......well, it used to be Abingdon before us anyway. What else is Royal? Henry I's remains were interred at the Abbey until it was disolved. Our Kate (Middleton, not Winslet) was born in Reading. Conversely, it was always reported that Queen Victoria particularly disliked the town.

I doubt that they still make Hats in Luton and Stockport. So what possessed the club in the mid-1070s to run a competition to dream up a new moniker for RFC because 'Biscuitmen' was not deemed grandiose enough for a fourth division club in a delapidated ground? Coupled with our dreary monstrosity of a corporate logo for a club badge, it all adds to the perception of RFC as a pretentious bunch of middle-class upstarts, rather undeserving of a club with such a long history.

Bring back the Elms badge and 'The Biscuitmen'!

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

There are some cases you'd want to drop the article.

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a Royals player for as long as anyone can remember."

But otherwise I completely agree:

"Hal Robson Kanu has been a disappointment for the Royals for as long as anyone can remember."

In your first example though you have still prepended the word Royals with the letter 'a', so although you haven't used the word 'the' you have still used an adverb/determiner

Errr, it's use of the definite and indefinite article. In the first example 'Royals' is an adjective and not a noun. HTH. *pedant*

[West Stand Man]

but sometimes you need the the for the sentence to make sense e.g. the Madejski Stadium is like a library

Hahaha!

Not true though, it is habit rather than necessity! You don't say The Old Trafford is like a library, and it is the same principle. We have all just got into the habit of using 'the' because it sounds neater.

It's not "the Old Trafford" because you don't use the word "stadium".


"Old Trafford" is a name.

"Madejski" wouldn't make sense, seeing as it's a person and a stadium, so you have to use stadium in order to differentiate. And once you've used Stadium, it needs an article. All nouns need either an article or something similar, like "my", or a plural.

A cat
The cat
Cats
My cat
His cat
Jake's Cat

You can't just use cat on it's own.

So, do you say The Wembley Stadium?

[strap]

Seriously worried about HNA now. Nearly at the bottom of page 1 and still no "oxf*rd off newbie".

Standards seriously deteriorating - or is it my eyesight?

[Green]

I think Clive Baskerville uses some journalistic license when dropping the 'The'. Makes for snappier copy.

The Hound! Didn't realise he was still going TBF.

[One8Seven1*]

The Biscuit Men.