Which playoff final was worse?

[Lamberts Nose]

Bolton by a million miles. We were a fantastic team, exciting football and they gave everything. I was also a spotty teenager and was far too emotional about the whole thing. On the positive side at least our fans turned up to that one.

Worst thing about yesterday was my teenage son looked as distraught as I did in 95. Pain is love..apparently.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Bolton was the worst by a country mile.

As has been said, we'd come up from nowhere, were still at Elm Park, and it felt like the only shot we'd ever get at making it.

From the 2 games in the poll, yesterday was far worse simply because the game had 1-0 or pens written all over it from after the first 10 mins or so and there was always a chance it could be us who won. Swansea were always a better side than us with quick passing players interchanging positions, and quite honestly even at my age I'd have fancied myself outpacing our back 4 that afternoon.

[pwb]

Nothing will ever come close to the Bolton game . Not just missing the penalty after being 2-0 up, but the fact that in any other year, the team that finished second like we did would have got automatic promotion.

I would say Walsall was second most depressing as we were clear favorites and threw it away in a crazy couple of minutes.

Spot on exactly what I was thinking.

[Forbury Lion]

+1 with the Bolton game, plus back then we were a much smaller team so it was difficult to see how we could repeat that achievement even if we were able to keep the players we had, so it really did seem like a once in a lifetime opportunity whereas this time no matter what we say we were more grounded after past playoff failures and post match some of us are already talking about winning the league next year & improving the squad.

[under the tin]

BOLTON.
Our sense of excitement and anticipation back then was mirrored by the Hudds fans on Monday, whereas this time, the novelty of mixing it with the "big boys" was tempered by our previous experiences up there.

[Focher]

1) Walsall
2) Bolton
3) Swansea
4) Huddersfield

Just there for the *day out* these days

[bcubed]

Bolton of course

I can still recall that feeling when 2-0 up and the penalty was missed
Looking round there was anguish on everyone's face - no one said anything - they didn't need to - that was it, our chance had come and gone.
It's a very gloomy outlook, but I think its the Reading way. Perhaps that pessimistic approach stems from the Bolton game?

And on Monday I felt the same when I heard someone behind me say Moore is taking the next penalty
I knew, like I knew v Bolton that the game was up - I didn't watch and haven't seen it yet - I didn't need to

[Sutekh]

Bolton of course

I can still recall that feeling when 2-0 up and the penalty was missed
Looking round there was anguish on everyone's face - no one said anything - they didn't need to - that was it, our chance had come and gone.
It's a very gloomy outlook, but I think its the Reading way. Perhaps that pessimistic approach stems from the Bolton game?

And on Monday I felt the same when I heard someone behind me say Moore is taking the next penalty
I knew, like I knew v Bolton that the game was up - I didn't watch and haven't seen it yet - I didn't need to

Just what is it with Reading and penalties though

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

Ian Royal.

[grey_squirrel]

Bolton of course

I can still recall that feeling when 2-0 up and the penalty was missed
Looking round there was anguish on everyone's face - no one said anything - they didn't need to - that was it, our chance had come and gone.

That was the weirdest moment in football I have ever experienced. Even though we were 2-0 up and bossing it, collectively everybody knew after Archie missed the pen, and we still went in at HT 2 up, that we wouldn't do it.

Bizarre. Surreal. Still haunts me.

[Muskrat]

Depends what you mean by "worse". In terms of gut-wrenching disappointment of missing out on promotion, nothing will ever compare to the Bolton game. In terms of the shitness of our performance on the day however, I have a feeling that nothing will ever compare to Monday's no-show (not a criticism of the players btw, but the totally negative way in which we were set up).

[Winchester Royal]

Swansea was worse because it felt like we wanted it more that time. We were spirited, positive and attacking, we almost came back into it, and we were sold out with a more positive crowd behind the team. I had more belief that day.

The Huddersfield game felt like a massive damp squib, and whilst we came much much closer in a footballing sense, the whole season has been so surreal in terms of massively exceeding expectations that it felt in some ways like we had come as far as we were going to.

[Jackson Corner]

Bolton will always be the worse. It was our first play off final a bit like Huddersfield on Monday the whole town went we could have sold 50k tickets. Bolton had about half as many as us and we murderd them in the first half. What happened after has gone and will stay in Royals folklore. And trust me it hurt like hell it took me a week before I could even speak. We all thought that was our one shot at the big time and we blew it. It was eleven long years before we got there..

[Ark Royal]

I came out of the Millennium Stadium and Wembley after Swansea feeling bitterly disappointed, but philosophical about the defeats because I was convinced that we would be back one day. Monday's defeat? A head in hands moment and shock, but still woke up the next day and even now beginning to look forward to next season. So many positives to take from the season as a whole.

Bolton was a completely different feeling and I still cannot forget the pain that I felt at the end of that game; and to this day, it STILL haunts me. I invested a lot emotionally in that McGhee-era Reading team between 92-95 and went to virtually every game and there were some memorable away days included. Every Reading fan thought at that time it was our one and only shot at the big time, because equally every fan knew that Shaka, Oz, Scotty, Adie, Archie and others would be on their bikes to other clubs. It was shit or bust that day - or so we thought - and I honestly do NOT want to feel the same way again after a football match.

[East Grinstead Royal]

Each successive play-off final defeat has hurt me slightly less than the one before.

Bolton of course

I can still recall that feeling when 2-0 up and the penalty was missed
Looking round there was anguish on everyone's face - no one said anything - they didn't need to - that was it, our chance had come and gone.

That was the weirdest moment in football I have ever experienced. Even though we were 2-0 up and bossing it, collectively everybody knew after Archie missed the pen, and we still went in at HT 2 up, that we wouldn't do it.

Bizarre. Surreal. Still haunts me.

The only moment I can compare with that was when Arsenal scored just before half-time to make it 4-1 to us in the League Cup.

[genome]

I was too young for Bolton to really affect me, as I was 6 years old. I did cry my eyes out on the day, but after that I just went back to being a kid.

Walsall was far worse for me personally. I was devastated and that summer felt like it went on for ages.

Swansea was also horrible, although I was smack in the middle of my final exam period at Uni so I had to focus elsewhere. Before I knew it I had moved back to Reading and the Millwall home game was just a couple of weeks away.

Monday was properly gutting due to the manner of the defeat. If Huddersfield had scored in normal time and won 1-0, I don't think it would've hurt half as much.

Ranking it, I'd say Walsall, Huddersfield, Bolton, Swansea.

[bobby1413]

At least Wembley is just down the road from us. I'd have to have lost at Millenium Stadium or had a long journey back up North on the trains after losing.

After I left on Monday, I think I got back to Reading about an hour later, and that included a stop off at the pub in Paddington

[windermereROYAL]

Bolton we are coasting at 2-0 we get a pen Archie steps up..the rest is history.
Walsall 2-1 up. Barry Hunter makes a easy clearance..the rest is history.
Swansea, 3-2 down, Jem Karachan hits the post. Noel Hunt as a tap in, Gary Monk stretches out a leg..the rest is history.
Arsenal 1-1 holding our own. Sanchez mishits a shot..the rest is history.
Huddersfield, 3-1 up on pens..whats the point?
I don`t belive in witchcraft, but it sure seems some fcuker has cursed us.