Strap's Stats 4 - November 1997

Early Season / End Season Standings...

Right, an update as promised on the article comparing our final league standing against our situation after 5 Saturdays of a season. You may remember from an exercise I did looking at the last 3 seasons, that over 50% of all teams finish the season no higher or lower than 4 places from their position after only 5 Saturdays of the season. I was a mite peeved that as we were bottom after 5 Saturdays this year, that we’d be lucky to finish outside the relegation zone. BUT, as you all know I’m never one to let mere stats cloud my love affair with the Royals, (and no I’m not going to tell you why my wife divorced me), promising you conclusive proof that we are far from an average side when it comes to Houdini stuff!

First off, my mind wandered back to those halcyon days of Jack Mansell. We’d been dumped out of FAC1 at non-league Brentwood, stuffed out of sight 6-2 at Soutport, and were generally doomed at 18^th in the league and sinking fast - when all o f a sudden, we went on a 15 match unbeaten bender that took us to the top of the table!!! And here I start to get really guilty - guess which match I chose to start my love affair with the Royals? Yep, you’ve guessed it, Luton at home, which should have b een unbeaten match number 16!! So it’s all my fault - if only I’d waited until 1970-71, we would doubtless have been riding high in old Div 2 and perhaps beyond!! - Sorry!

The full summary of that year is shown below :

No	Date	Opponents	H/A	Res	F/T	H/T	Posn	Attend	Scorers
1	09/08/69	Plymouth	H	W	2-1	2-0	-	9139	Harris, Chappell
2	16/08/69	Gillingham	A	W	3-1	2-1	-	5795	Wagstaff B, Chappell 2
3	23/08/69	Bristol R	H	L	1-5	0-4	-	8105	Chappell
4	26/08/69	Barnsley	A	L	3-4	2-2	-	8013	Allen,Smee,Williams
5	30/08/69	Shrewsbury T	A	D	0-0	0-0	-	3970	-
6	06/09/69	Doncastor R	H	W	1-0	0-0	11	6489	Williams
7	13/09/69	Stockport Co	A	D	2-2	0-1	-	3057	Chappell 2
8	17/09/69	Torquay Utd	H	D	1-1	0-1	-	8177	Williams
9	20/09/69	Bournemouth	H	W	2-0	0-0	10	6972	Allen 2
10	27/09/69	Bury	A	L	1-2	0-0	-	3799	Thornhill
11	01/10/69	Bradford C	A	L	0-4	0-2	-	8926	-
12	04/10/69	Walsall	H	L	2-3	1-2	15	5864	Williams, Harris pen
13	08/10/69	Gillingham	H	W	1-0	1-0	-	5987	Williams
14	11/10/69	Orient	A	W	1-0	0-0	-	9809	Docherty
15	18/10/69	Mansfield	A	L	1-2	1-1	-	5174	Boam OG
16	25/10/69	Rotherham	H	D	1-1	0-0	12	5617	Smee
17	01/11/69	Rochdale	A	L	2-3	2-2	-	7977	Smee, Jenkins
18	08/11/69	Brighton	H	W	1-0	0-0	15	7420	Sharpe
19	22/11/69	Southport	A	L	2-6	1-2	18	2303	Jenkins, Williams
20	24/11/69	Tranmere	A	W	5-1	2-0	-	3970	Jenkins 3, Chappell, Williams
21	05/12/69	Torquay	A	D	1-1	0-0	-	6003	Williams
22	13/12/69	Stockport	H	W	3-1	1-1	10	4892	Spiers, Habbin, Cumming
23	26/12/69	Bristol R	A	D	1-1	1-1	-	12036	Chappell pen
24	27/12/69	Shrewsbury	H	W	3-1	3-1	10	8336	Chappell 2, Cumming
25	10/01/70	Bournemouth	A	W	2-1	1-0	9	4147	Williams, Wagstaff B
26	14/01/70	Bradford C	H	W	1-0	1-0	-	10897	Harley
27	17/01/70	Bury	H	W	3-2	3-2	3	10449	Williams, Cumming, Wagstaff T
28	20/01/70	Doncastor	A	W	3-2	1-2	-	6483	Chappell 2, Williams
29	24/01/70	Barrow	A	D	2-2	1-0	3	2834	Habbin, Chappell
30	07/02/70	Orient	H	W	3-2	1-1	-	17886	Allen P OG, Habbin, Wagstaff B
31	11/02/70	Halifax	H	W	4-1	3-0	-	15160	Wagstaff B, Williams, Chappell, Allen
32	14/02/70	Plymouth	A	D	1-1	0-1	1	10095	Habbin
33	21/02/70	Rotherham	A	D	1-1	1-0	-	12892	Chappell
34	28/02/70	Rochdale	H	W	1-0	1-0	2	14166	Chappell pen
35	11/03/70	Luton	H	L	0-1	0-0	-	18782	-
36	14/03/70	Halifax	A	D	1-1	1-0	5	3917	Bell
37	18/03/70	Barrow	H	W	6-3	3-0	-	11593	Habbin 3, Chappell, Cumming, Bell
38	21/03/70	Fulham	H	L	0-4	0-3	-	16431	-
39	27/03/70	Brighton	A	L	1-2	0-1	-	32036	Williams
40	28/03/70	Luton	A	L	0-5	0-1	6	14401	-
41	30/03/70	Mansfield	H	W	1-0	1-0	-	8780	Chappell
42	04/04/70	Barnsley	H	W	6-2	3-1	-	6781	Chappell 3, Williams 2, Butler D.G.
43	08/04/70	Tranmere	H	D	1-1	0-0	6	8945	Wagstaff B
44	14/04/79	Walsall	A	L	1-4	0-0	-	4921	Chappell
45	20/04/70	Fulham	A	L	1-2	0-1	-	9713	Wagstaff B
46	22/04/70	Southport	H	W	8-0	3-0	8	6667	Williams, Cumming 3, Habbin 2, Chappell 2

								223535	Total Home Aggregate Attendance
								10161	Average Home Attendance

								182271	Total Away Aggregate Attendance
								7925	Average Away Attendance

I think that this was the last year we recorded a 5 figure home league average attendance, but I stand to be correcxted.

As wonderful as that comeback record is, it is actually eclipsed by the exploits of Ronnie Blackman and his gang back in 51-52, which perhaps not surprisingly was the year we scored the most number of league goals in one season.

After a pretty good start, we soon fell away alarmingly, before Ronni and co. went on a bender of Robin Friday proportions, winning 19 out of 20 games, to finish 2^nd. Sadly the 7 defeats in 9 games at the start of the season was just too muc h of a hurdle to overcome. And no, you can’t blame me this time, as I was all of minus 8 years old! Strangely enough, I think this was the last time we averaged over 15000 at home in a season. BTW, if anyone can supply the details for the 2 missing scorer s and the home attendance against Watford, I’d be very grateful.

No	Date	Opponents	H/A	Res	F/T	H/T	Posn	Attend	Scorers
1	18/08/51	Port Vale	A	W	2-0	1-0	-	18000	Henley, Edelston
2	22/08/51	Shrewsbury	H	W	6-2	?	-	17228	Edelston, Blackman 4, Lewis
3	25/08/51	Bristol City	H	W	3-0	1-0	2	21829	Edelston 2, Blackman
4	27/08/51	Shrewsbury	A	L	1-2	0-1	2	12749	Blackman
5	01/09/51	Ipswich	A	L	2-4	1-2	6	12328	Bainbridge 2
6	08/09/51	Torquay	H	W	6-1	1-0	5	16978	Edelston 2, Owens, Blackman 2, Bainbridge
7	12/09/51	Newport	H	L	1-2	0-2	10	15948	Simpson
8	15/09/51	Gillingham	A	D	1-1	0-0	10	11000	Blackman
9	17/09/51	Newport	A	L	1-3	0-0	-	12000	Blackman
10	22/09/51	Brighton	H	L	1-4	0-1	13	16331	Bainbridge
11	29/09/51	Millwall	A	L	2-3	1-1	18	21149	Edelston, Blackman
12	06/10/51	Watford	A	L	1-3	1-1	19	12192	Blackman
13	13/10/51	Bristol Rovers	H	W	4-2	2-1	18	15125	Henley, Lewis, Bainbridge 2
14	20/10/51	Plymouth	A	L	2-3	0-2	20	18116	Blackman 2
15	27/10/51	Norwich	H	D	1-1	0-0	17	17981	Bainbridge
16	03/11/51	Exeter City	A	W	4-1	2-1	15	7000	Edelston 2, Lewis, Simpson
17	10/11/51	Colchester U	H	W	4-2	2-2	14	14230	Lewis 2, Bainbridge 2
18	17/11/51	Crystal Palace	A	W	2-1	0-1	12	15125	Owens, Simpson
19	01/12/51	Leyton Orient	A	W	4-0	2-0	12	10000	Blackman 2, Edelston, Aldous
20	08/12/51	Walsall	H	W	3-0	1-0	7	10034	Owens 2, Edelston
21	22/12/51	Bristol C	A	W	3-0	0-0	-	12961	Bainbridge, Simpson, Blackman
22	25/12/51	Aldershot	H	W	5-1	3-0	-	14172	Simpson, Henley, Blackman, Edelston, Bainbridge
23	26/12/51	Aldershot	A	W	2-0	0-0	6	12350	Henley, Lewis
24	29/12/51	Ipswich	H	W	4-0	1-0	4	15101	Blackman 3, Lewis
25	05/01/52	Torquay	A	W	3-0	2-0	4	7796	Edelston, Blackman, Lewis
26	16/01/52	Bournemouth	A	W	2-1	1-1	-	8263	Simpson, Lewis
27	19/01/52	Gillingham	H	W	2-1	1-1	3	13609	Edelston, Brice
28	26/01/52	Brighton	A	L	0-1	0-1	4	23590	-
29	02/02/52	Northampton	H	W	2-0	1-0	4	15842	Lewis, Henley
30	09/02/52	Millwall	H	W	2-0	0-0	3	20952	Bainbridge, Blackman
31	16/02/52	Watford	H	W	4-1	?	3	?	Bc#lackman 2, ?,?
32	20/02/52	Port Vale	H	W	5-1	2-0	-	10113	Henley 2, Bainbridge 2, Lewis
33	23/02/52	Northampton	A	W	3-0	2-0	2	15696	Blackman 2, Bainbridge
34	01/03/52	Bristol Rovers	A	W	2-1	2-0	2	21808	Henley 2
35	08/03/52	Plymouth	H	W	2-0	1-0	2	28161	Brooks, Simpson
36	15/03/52	Norwich	A	L	1-2	1-2	2	23778	Brice
37	22/03/52	Exeter	H	W	2-1	1-1	2	15839	Lewis, Bainbridge
38	03/04/52	Colchester	A	L	1-4	1-0	-	7340	Blackman
39	05/04/52	Crystal Palace	H	W	3-1	1-0	2	11511	Lewis 2(1pen), Blackman
40	11/04/52	Southend	A	L	0-2	0-1	2	18000	-
41	12/04/52	Swindon	A	L	0-2	0-0	2	17984	-
42	14/04/52	Southend	H	W	5-0	3-0	2	16245	Blackman 5
43	19/04/52	Leyton Orient	H	D	1-1	1-1	2	12504	Blackman
44	23/04/52	Swindon	H	W	2-0	0-0	-	11330	Brice, Bainbridge
45	26/04/52	Walsall	A	L	0-2	0-0	2	5533	-
46	03/05/52	Bournemouth	H	W	5-0	1-0	2	7871	Blackman 4, Lewis

								338934	Total Home Aggregate Attendance
								15406	Average Home Attendance
								(not including Watford H)

								324758	Total Away Aggregate Attendance
								14120	Average Away Attendance

The attendance figures are taken from classified sports pages, so may not be 100% accurate. Note even back in 51-52 the fickle nature of Reading fans! Over 16000 say Ronnie Blackman hit all 5 against Southend, but by the last game of the season, with p romotion not even mathematically possible, the crowd was down nearly 10000! I don’t know about you, but after watching Ronnie net 5 in a game, I’d have gone to all the final games possible!

And finally, spare a thought for Brighton. Just checkout the attendances at the Goldstone for our visits - 32036 and 23590! Not bad for 2 division 3 fixtures. I bet the powers at be there would give their eye teeth for a couple of crowds of that size this year!

If anyone can remember better comeback stories over a season, please feel free to drop me a line. I’ll dig out the necessary bits and pieces in a future update. All contributions will be gratefully acknowledged!

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