Rivalry

[RepressedRoyal]

I see that RFC are, according to a Daisycutter survey, the 19th most offensive club to the neutral fan...Why is that then? Possibly voted by Chelsea fans who are still bitter about Petr Cech? Crawley at number 16 is an interesting one, obviously loathed in the lower reaches of football.

http://www.thedaisycutter.co.uk/2012/09 ... he-survey/

[Za Vas]

I would argue that 52.2% of fans believe that geographical proximity is the cause of their main rivalry,34.7% blame it on history whereas 8.2% think it’s down to league position.

[Ian Royal]

We've got ideas above our station.

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

i always thought our main rivals were west ham united, or at least one of our main rivals. maybe that is a more recent rivalry then?

[Stuboo]

We've got ideas above our station.

Yes, jealousy because we've got a shiny new (ish) stadium and comparatively more money than other teams below us in the league. How dare we!

Thanks for sharing that. Very interesting indeed.

[Libertine]

A little surprised that we are considered the "2nd rivals" for Swansea City. I know about what happened in '93. But still kinda surprised their fans voted us their "2nd rivals".

[The Cube]

Survey of 1200, so an average of about 13 per club. If they did survey approximately the same number from each club that seriously distorts the findings, and Reading's 19th place in the "neutral fans" section would almost certainly be due to jealousy from fans of the relatively local clubs who used to be at our level but are now a long way behind. In that table we do have a lot of second placed ratings, so my theory is that the definition of neutral is "excluding main rival".

If it had been a completely random survey of football fans, so weighted to those clubs with larger followings, then I'd be staggered if we even got a mention.

I would define a pure rivalry as one where both clubs see the other as their main rival. There are really very few of those on that list.

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Actually, seems to make some sense, with the exception of our rivalry changing from Swind*n to Aldersh*t. It has been, of course, and always will be those scummers from north Hampshire.

[RepressedRoyal]

Actually, seems to make some sense, with the exception of our rivalry changing from Swind*n to Aldersh*t. It has been, of course, and always will be those scummers from north Hampshire.

Team AFC Bournemout Old Rival Reading New Rival Southampton

Really?

[RepressedRoyal]

i always thought our main rivals were west ham united, or at least one of our main rivals. maybe that is a more recent rivalry then?

West Ham see us more as a recent annoyance than a rival, but I can guarantee that quite a few votes came in from them, detestable bunch that they are.

[Barry the bird boggler]

A little surprised that we are considered the "2nd rivals" for Swansea City. I know about what happened in '93. But still kinda surprised their fans voted us their "2nd rivals".

Wouldn't have thought 99% of Reading fans would give a "shiny one" about Swansea and vice versa.

Reading don't really have a rivalry, more like passing jealousies. The only one of note ever was Aldershot but that's not something you can really use these days as the clubs are so far apart.

Still no idea why Bournemouth have taken a dislike to us and Sw*nd*n and *xf*rd don't care very much about us.

Personally I would say that as of now we'd be looking at a rivalry with the likes of QPR, Watford and Southampton.

[larry1971]

i always thought our main rivals were west ham united, or at least one of our main rivals. maybe that is a more recent rivalry then?

West Ham see us more as a recent annoyance than a rival, but I can guarantee that quite a few votes came in from them, detestable bunch that they are.

TBH, as a West Ham fan I've never really understood this "rivalry" between West Ham and Reading fans perhaps it's some thing that dates back to 2004 when Alan Pardew walked out on Reading to join West Ham and the bad feeling has just fested since then..

but I think the rivalry I've always found most curious is that between Crystal Palace and Brighton .

[RepressedRoyal]

i always thought our main rivals were west ham united, or at least one of our main rivals. maybe that is a more recent rivalry then?

West Ham see us more as a recent annoyance than a rival, but I can guarantee that quite a few votes came in from them, detestable bunch that they are.

TBH, as a West Ham fan I've never really understood this "rivalry" between West Ham and Reading fans perhaps it's some thing that dates back to 2004 when Alan Pardew walked out on Reading to join West Ham and the bad feeling has just fested since then..

but I think the rivalry I've always found most curious is that between Crystal Palace and Brighton .

Look at a map, it's closer than you may think.

[Ian Royal]

i always thought our main rivals were west ham united, or at least one of our main rivals. maybe that is a more recent rivalry then?

Very much a thing of the last 10 years. We have a few non-regional rivalries that depend on certain incidents and playing each other a fair bit. The main ones being:

Wolves: mid-90s to mid 00s - McGhee's time as manager there, followed by a play-off semi defeat and their fans being awful in the away leg.
West Ham: mid 00s to current - Pardew's poaching and some some promotion fights.

Partly because we've not actually played consistently at the same level as our local rivals (Oxford, Swindon, Aldershot) a huge amount over the last 20 years. Particularly the last 10.

[Mr Angry]

That survey is full of inconsistencies; how can it claim that Arsenal's "old" rivals are Man Utd? It has always been Spurs.

Then there is MK Dons; how can they have any "old" rivals anyway?

Finally, there is Wycombe; had that survey been done 10 Years ago, I'm pretty sure that they would have had us down as the 2nd rivals (after Col U).

As Dirk said, the survey sample is so small as to be statistically irrelevant.

[larry1971]

That survey is full of inconsistencies; how can it claim that Arsenal's "old" rivals are Man Utd? It has always been Spurs.

Then there is MK Dons; how can they have any "old" rivals anyway?

Finally, there is Wycombe; had that survey been done 10 Years ago, I'm pretty sure that they would have had us down as the 2nd rivals (after Col U).

As Dirk said, the survey sample is so small as to be statistically irrelevant.

I guess you really need to be a fan of these clubs to be able to explain the rivalry but looking down the list some are really quite baffeling I can understand why Norwich, consider Ipswich as their main rivals but why are the next two named rivals Wolves and Leeds. and Portsmouth fans consider Millwall a rival..

[St Pauli]

A little surprised that we are considered the "2nd rivals" for Swansea City. I know about what happened in '93. But still kinda surprised their fans voted us their "2nd rivals".

That surprised me too. Also surprised to see Exeter shown as so inoffensive, given their rivalry with Aldershot as well as the ones mentioned in the article. They also used to have a massive firm, when I worked in the Cross in Twyfers one of the regulars was a Watford fan who told me he and a load of other Watfords got run around the city center by a huge Exeter mob when they played them once.

[St Pauli]

but I think the rivalry I've always found most curious is that between Crystal Palace and Brighton .

Look at a map, it's closer than you may think.

That and they share the same trains back from London. London away games for both clubs + booze = fighting + rivalry.

Millwall and Pompey must be a hooligan thing both have big firms.

[URZZ]

Ironic how we're family club of the year so many years, and one of the most offensive clubs. I think not the latter

[Norfolk Royal]

That survey is full of inconsistencies; how can it claim that Arsenal's "old" rivals are Man Utd? It has always been Spurs.

Then there is MK Dons; how can they have any "old" rivals anyway?

Finally, there is Wycombe; had that survey been done 10 Years ago, I'm pretty sure that they would have had us down as the 2nd rivals (after Col U).

As Dirk said, the survey sample is so small as to be statistically irrelevant.

I guess you really need to be a fan of these clubs to be able to explain the rivalry but looking down the list some are really quite baffeling I can understand why Norwich, consider Ipswich as their main rivals but why are the next two named rivals Wolves and Leeds. and Portsmouth fans consider Millwall a rival..

In the case of Norwich, Leeds is because their fans have always been viewed as barbarians after they attacked and abused some innocents a few years ago, but the Wolves one is baffling. Don't think I've ever heard a Norwich fans say they were particularly bothered about Wolves.

Unless that is about Kevin Muscat who they always villify for crocking Craig Bellamy some years ago, could be that yes.