Memries of Reading

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Not sure if anyone else has mentioned the away game at Elm Park on the opening day of the 1996/97 season? We were all very optimistic having finished the previous season very strongly under Howard Kendall/Michael McDonald. All I remember about the game is a) It was sunny b) There was a shirt-sleeved crowd c) Petr Katchouro got a rapturous welcome from the Blades fans when he came on to make his debut and d) we lost.
 

Grecian2000 said:
About 20 years ago I'd started a new job and was on Oxford street, suited and booted, for a meeting.
Finished earlier than I thought it would so headed, ticketless, to Reading as we were playing there.
Arrived in town and had no clue where the ground was, fuck knows how I came across it, but got there with about 5 minutes to spare. Realised on arriving I had exactly £10 and 5p on me. Turned out to be £10 to get in!
Won 1-0 with Mark Patterson scoring (did he score any more for us, I don't think he did). Arrived home at about 1pm starving beyond belief!

PS, I can only presume all those using the "plastic fans" nonsense never went to the fun palace that was Elm Park!
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I made a late decision to go to that game and arrived about 20 minutes after kick off thanks to the ever reliable M25. Can't remember much about the game other than I didn't miss the goal.

I quite liked Elm Park, had a lot more about it than the plastic bowl they have now. I also went the previous two seasons, both of which were in blazing sunshine. Won a late season game 3-0 and then lost on opening day three months later. Think that was the same day as Beckham's halfway line goal against Wimbledon.

ZoneManWilf said:
Cracking 2-0 win at the Madjeski in the triple assault season. Windybum and Harley scored I think. We played really well that day.
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That was a good win, though I remember missing 10 minutes of the second half due to going for a two pint half time strategy and having no idea that the game was back on!
 
Got some horrible memories of trips there. Middle of nowhere, shit ground, plastic wanky fans, usually lose.

Went to Elm Park a couple of times on my tod. Preferred it.
 
Digger said:
Stood on the open away end and watching Jeff King shoot into the top corner of our net from about 20 yards. It was a mid week game, maybe 82 or 83? Silent Blade ?
Anyone else there?
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Wasnt at the match. Yes, he scored an own goal at Elm Park not long after his return to football after quitting for a few months
 
coolhandluke said:
3-1 win away at the old Elm Park ground of theirs. The ground was an absolute shit hole but a good day on the lash and the Debut of Brian Deane more than made up for it .
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If Francis Joseph's hadn't been injured in that game, Tony Agana would not have been partnering Brian Deane up front as soon as he was. Joseph scored that day too.
 
N20 Blade said:
Two wrongs don't make a right; the referee knew he should have sent Kenny off earlier, so 'evened' it up.
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Remember going to that one. Blatant handball by Kenny outside the area. Unfortunately I was in with the Reading fans (and pretty much level with the penalty area). Everyone around me went ballistic - all I could do was shrug!

Harper always seemed to play a blinder against us - I assume that's why we signed him. Never quite as good in a Blades shirt!
 
What was the history between Keith and Hunt that meant he did him after 10 seconds?
 
N20 Blade said:
What was the history between Keith and Hunt that meant he did him after 10 seconds?
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PUCK1887P244B107.jpg
 
N20 Blade said:
In the last days of DB in 1995, I saw a 0-0 at the Lane v Reading; arguably the lowest point of my United supporting lifetime at that stage, it was just so awful and so removed from the halcyon days of Deane and Agana. Couldn't be sure without checking but the crowd was under 10k and the kop was a truly depressing place that winter's afternoon. Somehow, the opposition reflected the occasion or vice versa - drab.
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Good memory. Nov. 25th 1995. Crowd - 9,737.
 
Digger said:
Stood on the open away end and watching Jeff King shoot into the top corner of our net from about 20 yards. It was a mid week game, maybe 82 or 83? Silent Blade ?
Anyone else there?
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Yes I was there. This was the one outstanding memory I was going to mention. It was at Elm Park. The ball came across the box and King hit it on the volley straight into the roof of his own net. The most bewildering own goal I think I've ever seen. I was stood on the terraces talking to a kid who claimed he was Dick Wragg's son. (Dick Wragg was one of the Directors back then).
 
Revolution said:
late 80s Reading home games:

1986-7: 3-0 up after an hour. A super free kick from Dempsey and a diving header from Beagrie amongst the goals. 5 minutes later it was 3-3....a horror show

1987-8: Peter Withe returned from loan at Birmingham (when he'd scored at the Lane against us) and scored twice, including a beautiful header from a free kick, as we romped home 4-1 in front of less than 7,000.

1988-9: United's centenary game. Deano scores the only goal on a wet day.
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That 3-3 in 1986 was an absolute sickener. One of my most gut-wrenching memories as Blades fan other than relegations etc.
 

derekacorah said:
Reading, where James Harper played before he became a shit bastard.
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Bit unfair. The way we played at that time had more to do with his lack of effectiveness than any shortcomings on his part. Around that time we managed to make a lot of players look distinctly average. Howard is another that comes to mind.
 
Reading memory..my first way game as a new driver and proud owner of a mini 850 cc. It was winter 1980. Bloody cold elm park in a no roof terraced away end. No idea of the result so if someone knows that would be good. Plenty of other away days I'm that mini. I have attached a copy of the cover of the immaculate programme I still have to mark this historic day I my driving world. Note it was division 4.
 

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We were convinced it was intentional.
Cerberus Blade said:
Yes I was there. This was the one outstanding memory I was going to mention. It was at Elm Park. The ball came across the box and King hit it on the volley straight into the roof of his own net. The most bewildering own goal I think I've ever seen. I was stood on the terraces talking to a kid who claimed he was Dick Wragg's son. (Dick Wragg was one of the Directors back then).
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Digger said:
Stood on the open away end and watching Jeff King shoot into the top corner of our net from about 20 yards. It was a mid week game, maybe 82 or 83? Silent Blade ?
Anyone else there?
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I was there, I lived in Cardiff at the time and have seen most of our M4 corridor games over the last 25 years.

Jeff Kings own goal is easily the best og I have ever seen, absolutely lashed it in.
 
Maidenhead said:
If I remember rightly it was a beautiful sunny day, we scored our goals earlyish and it was a reet good day.
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I remember it not being a beautiful sunny day, that only sticks in my memory as first games of the season always tend to be hot and sunny, that one at Reading in 1988 wasn't! Can't remember when the goals were but remember Deano scoring with what would turn out to be in the fullness of time a classic Brian Deane back post headed goal.

Two other Reading games stick in my mind for the simple reason I wasn't at either game. Spring 1995 at Bramall Lane with both teams in with a chance of the play offs, I think the game ended in a 1-1 draw, by all accounts Shaka Hislop had a blinder for them ... at the time I was in Amsterdam on a "student flyer" from Sunderland Uni. Fast forward 10 years, spring 2005, again at the Lane, both teams a chance of the play offs and another draw (0-0 I believe) ... at the time I was on a stag do in Dublin. Both of those seasons United missed out on the play offs!
 
In the noughties it felt like every time Reading came to the Lane they just sat back and soaked up 90 minutes of pressure and scored on the rare occasions they ventured into our half. I hated that.

October 2003 I had a ticket to see Hundred Reasons at the Leadmill on a Friday night. The game got moved (TV? Clash with Wednesday? Reading just trying to ruin my weekend?), so I chose the match and we lost. I hated that.

They got so many lucky breaks and dodgy penalties to run away with the league in our promotion season. And then they drew with Leeds securing our promotion while we weren’t even playing, when we would have done it ourselves against Leeds at the Lane in the next match. I hated that.

I’ve probably exaggerated a lot of this in my head, but I hate Reading.
 
Feb 13 1998.
Friday the 13th.
A night FA Cup tie at the Lane.
A. Lee Sandford header in our 1 0 win. My birthday . ⚽
 
SUFC Handsworth said:
I remember it not being a beautiful sunny day, that only sticks in my memory as first games of the season always tend to be hot and sunny, that one at Reading in 1988 wasn't! Can't remember when the goals were but remember Deano scoring with what would turn out to be in the fullness of time a classic Brian Deane back post headed goal.

Two other Reading games stick in my mind for the simple reason I wasn't at either game. Spring 1995 at Bramall Lane with both teams in with a chance of the play offs, I think the game ended in a 1-1 draw, by all accounts Shaka Hislop had a blinder for them ... at the time I was in Amsterdam on a "student flyer" from Sunderland Uni. Fast forward 10 years, spring 2005, again at the Lane, both teams a chance of the play offs and another draw (0-0 I believe) ... at the time I was on a stag do in Dublin. Both of those seasons United missed out on the play offs!
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You're right about the 1-1 draw. Hislop was excellent, and we couldn't get a winner. I remember him denying Blake one on one. that was the game that essentially ended our playoff hopes.
 

Cheets said:
Not sure if anyone else has mentioned the away game at Elm Park on the opening day of the 1996/97 season? We were all very optimistic having finished the previous season very strongly under Howard Kendall/Michael McDonald. All I remember about the game is a) It was sunny b) There was a shirt-sleeved crowd c) Petr Katchouro got a rapturous welcome from the Blades fans when he came on to make his debut and d) we lost.
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I was there. It was boiling hot. Jimmy Quinn got their winner I think. Kachouro was shocking when he came on as a sub. He had periods of looking absolutely clueless - twice he was subbed having come on as a substitute in the first few weeks. It sort of came together for him after we won at Wolves.

That performance was a real let down - a parallel with the last game of that season, of course.

The previous away game had also been at Reading, the season before. Also a hot day. United won easily, 3-0, which is another reason we were all optimistic. That was the game when Chris Short got injured with 2 mins to go so Carl Muggleton came on as an outfield sub.
 
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