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by Dirk Gently
23 Dec 2025 20:17
Forum: The Team
Topic: Favourite Reading game?
Replies: 45
Views: 6437

Re: Favourite Reading game?

Beating Palace 3-2 in the first half of the 106 season. Doyle 26, Lita 68, Sonko 87. Johnson 29, Morrison 47. Simply a game that had everything - you were literally afraid to take your eyes off it for a second because there was so much going on. 1-o0 up then 2-1 down, Doyle's missed penalty, Lita's ...
by Dirk Gently
22 Dec 2025 18:23
Forum: International Football
Topic: Euro 2036
Replies: 2
Views: 3846

Re: Euro 2036

Winston Biscuit Bids to host Euro 2036 currently being explored:

Denmark/Norway/Sweden/Finland/Iceland (joint)
Poland
Serbia/Romania/Greece (joint)
Belgium/Netherland (joint)
Spain


Massively IN! for a Nordic Euro's!!


Not sure what would cost more - the tickets or the alcohol.
by Dirk Gently
21 Dec 2025 18:19
Forum: The Team
Topic: 40 years ago today...
Replies: 14
Views: 3736

Re: 40 years ago today...

Remember it well. Seems a lifetime away from today's game in so many ways. Most vivid memory was some bloke behind me on the South Bank loudly announcing to all and sundry " I'm off - they're not going to get anything out of this " and leaving in a huff. That was just after the second goal...
by Dirk Gently
19 Dec 2025 19:39
Forum: The Team
Topic: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive
Replies: 83
Views: 16310

Re: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive

They backed out of the stadium expansion because we got relegated. According to the BBC article at the time planning permission was approved, work was planned to start in the summer of 2008: Reading have been granted permission to extend the capacity of the Madejski Stadium from 24,045 to 38,000. T...
by Dirk Gently
19 Dec 2025 10:20
Forum: The Team
Topic: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive
Replies: 83
Views: 16310

Re: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive

... My one criticism of NH was that when the time came to push on in 2007 he couldn't really think big enough - but that's also something to be held against SJM , especially as there wasn't the money to do what they needed due to the latter's publishing and property failures. Would actually say tha...
by Dirk Gently
19 Dec 2025 09:57
Forum: The Team
Topic: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive
Replies: 83
Views: 16310

Re: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive

From Dai, Good luck Nige taking Cohig on in court, the bloke knows his way around a court room, you will blow a 100K and walk away with nothing. Desperate stuff from Howe then. Depends on what Howe’s contract was really. It’s not likely Dai was directly paying him from his own pocket to broker any ...
by Dirk Gently
19 Dec 2025 09:51
Forum: The Team
Topic: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive
Replies: 83
Views: 16310

Re: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive

It saddens me the grief Nigel gets, he was after all the key decision maker when getting us to the top flight twice - despite SJM signing the cheques. Couhig took exception to Nigel not wanting him to buy the club, Nigel’s rationale was that Couhig didn’t have the funds - and so far it seems like t...
by Dirk Gently
18 Dec 2025 11:30
Forum: International Football
Topic: World Cup 2026
Replies: 416
Views: 433539

Re: World Cup 2026

Just for completeness sake, a new £45 ticket package announced for registered supporters - although it won't apply for many.

https://news.sky.com/story/fifa-announces-more-affordable-world-cup-tickets-after-outcry-over-pricing-13484459
by Dirk Gently
18 Dec 2025 11:27
Forum: The Team
Topic: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive
Replies: 83
Views: 16310

Re: Reading hit with winding-up petition by former chief executive

Sometimes going to DEFCON1 like this is the only way to get someone to take a claim or dispute seriously. Whether he actually does want to see the club wound up is probably something quite different.
by Dirk Gently
09 Dec 2025 11:43
Forum: General Football
Topic: Changes In Football thread
Replies: 222
Views: 61477

Re: Changes In Football thread

Another ******* stupid bit of fiddling about that no-one wants. Why not do something to improve the quality of the refereeing and the use of VAR instead? Can't they do both? FWIW quite happy with them banning knee slides. Not so much to protect professional athletes knee sliding on pristine premier...
by Dirk Gently
09 Dec 2025 09:52
Forum: General Football
Topic: Changes In Football thread
Replies: 222
Views: 61477

Re: Changes In Football thread

The Premier League have BANNED the knee slide celebration, from January 1st performing the act will be a yellow card offence. The decision aims to safeguard players from potential injuries, such as turf burns or joint strain, after growing concerns about the risks associated with the popular move. ...
by Dirk Gently
28 Nov 2025 11:18
Forum: General Football
Topic: LOLiverpooLOL - Next Season
Replies: 9035
Views: 2566780

Re: LOLiverpooLOL - Next Season

Bad taste, but I found it genuinely funny.

by Dirk Gently
26 Nov 2025 17:21
Forum: Club Policies
Topic: Plymouth Argyle (A)
Replies: 13
Views: 5545

Re: Plymouth Argyle (A)

Last away league game at Plymouth was almost exactly sixteen years ago, just after Xmas 2009 - Brain McDermott’s third game in charge. After decent draws to Bristol C and Swansea, everyone was suddenly optimistic and hopes were high of a good result down there. In typical Reading style it was an abj...
by Dirk Gently
26 Nov 2025 17:14
Forum: General Football
Topic: Old Timey Football Thread
Replies: 232
Views: 58216

Re: Old Timey Football Thread

The draw took place nearly three months before Argentina invaded, so unless FIFA had some inside information from the then World Champions, it seems unlikely. Think, if true, that that original statement would relate to the 1986 World Cup draw as the invasion of the Falkland islands wasn’t until th...
by Dirk Gently
26 Nov 2025 17:11
Forum: General Football
Topic: We're ManchesteROFL United, we do what we want
Replies: 6393
Views: 1990923

Re: We're ManchesteROFL United, we do what we want

That performance against a 10-man Everton was utterly brainless. There are ways to break down a team in that situation - you move the ball at speed, you stretch the pitch etc - but they just ignored that basic stuff. Painful (and comical) to watch.

Brainless players? Brainless manager? Or both?
by Dirk Gently
24 Nov 2025 15:03
Forum: General Football
Topic: Changes In Football thread
Replies: 222
Views: 61477

Re: Changes In Football thread

So, why not adopt this in the FL as well so everything is consistent? But I suppose that'd be too much like common sense :roll: Haven't looked at the details, but the argument used by the FL in the past was that the range of incomes among the clubs in each of their leagues was so wide that somethin...
by Dirk Gently
20 Nov 2025 11:18
Forum: Rumours and Gossip
Topic: Rumour - the Yak back
Replies: 81
Views: 95818

Re: Rumour - the Yak back

Hmmm talk of Yak returning makes me wonder about a most likeable XI. .......................Shaka Yiadom, Mbengue, McPherson, Armstrong Knibbs, Parkinson, Gooding, McAnuff .................Meite, NHunt That is such a tough task - we have had so many really likeable players over the years. Just a fe...
by Dirk Gently
20 Nov 2025 09:59
Forum: The Team
Topic: Opposition fans back from the game - 24/25 page 225 onwards
Replies: 4844
Views: 3869058

Re: Opposition fans back from the game - 24/25 page 225 onwards

A club like Salford perhaps has greater potential, as FC United are effectively limited to nominal Man Utd supporters and FC United were formed within a very specific context, which is slowly becoming less and less relevant. I'd say the potential of both is limited more by funding. FCUM are trust-o...
by Dirk Gently
19 Nov 2025 11:35
Forum: The Team
Topic: Opposition fans back from the game - 24/25 page 225 onwards
Replies: 4844
Views: 3869058

Re: Opposition fans back from the game - 24/25 page 225 onwards

I find it interesting that FC United did their climb up the league which basically falters the moment Salford come along. It that causal, or just coincidence? I'd say that FCUM have just about reached the level that their size and funding model allows; the level where the next step up is a whole lo...
by Dirk Gently
12 Nov 2025 16:33
Forum: General Football
Topic: Weekend Football
Replies: 7465
Views: 3455438

Re: Weekend Football

I'd go with something like no opposition player within a yard of the keeper when the kick is taken. Subjective to a point, sure. But what it might mean to some extent is it becomes easier to penalise attacking teams for jostling or hindering a keeper's movement - because they have to move towards h...
It is currently 08 Jan 2026 18:46