Four years in the Championship

Greatwesternline
Hob Nob Addict
Posts: 6239
Joined: 09 Apr 2008 14:36

Four years in the Championship

by Greatwesternline » 19 Apr 2012 20:39

When we came back down i was sure we'd go straight back up, with a defence with Bikey, Ivar, a midfield with Harper, Matejovski, Hunt, up front of Doyle NHunt Lita....

The away win at Brum, after that i thought we'd do it.

Then i remember the turd that was post xmas home games, but the return of Kitson and Little i thought would save the day.

Then we all know what happened, play offs were terrible.

Once we lost all those 106ers in the summer and lost Coppel i thought we'd be down here for years.

But skipping over footballs book of tactics, since Brian came in we've looked good enough to be automatic promotion contenders for long stretches of play, out of nothing.


So my point is, did people think we'd go back up this soon....and what stays in the memory from the four years??

For me its

the post xmas slump year 1
the failed return of Kits and Glenn

footballs big book of tactics, big watches

FA cup wins


the emergence of a certain Jimmy Kebe and Shane Long away to Palace,


the siging of Leigertwood
play off despair at wembley


west ham at home
west ham away

User avatar
Ian Royal
Hob Nob Legend
Posts: 35156
Joined: 15 Apr 2004 13:43
Location: Playing spot the pc*nt on HNA?

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Ian Royal » 19 Apr 2012 20:44

I was extremely confident we'd be back up within 10 years.

User avatar
Stuka
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 3480
Joined: 15 Nov 2006 17:09
Location: North London

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Stuka » 19 Apr 2012 20:45

I like the lyrics but what song to go with it?

User avatar
Winchester Royal
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 1748
Joined: 15 Mar 2005 14:42
Location: GEEK

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Winchester Royal » 19 Apr 2012 20:45

I didn't think we'd go up this year, I thought it would take another couple to be honest.

southstand67
Member
Posts: 365
Joined: 06 Apr 2008 22:28
Location: RG4

Re: Four years in the Championship

by southstand67 » 19 Apr 2012 20:47

I thought that was it I s'pose; that was our chance at the big time, all over - mid table Championship mediocrity that was confirmed with Brendan Rodgers. Despair at McDermott taking over, but then suddenly feeling confident after the 1-1 FA Cup result with Liverpool. Haven't looked back since.....


andrew1957
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 4336
Joined: 29 Sep 2006 14:40
Location: Reading

Re: Four years in the Championship

by andrew1957 » 19 Apr 2012 20:49

The last 7 seasons have been an amazing roller coaster ride.

Two promotions, 8th in the PL, relegation when we looked certain to survive at Christmas. Two failed Play Offs and what looked like a possible relegation to L1 before Brain saved the day.

I hoped we would go up but no idea when.

It is certainly not boring supporting RFC.

rhroyal
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 2639
Joined: 02 Apr 2008 10:19

Re: Four years in the Championship

by rhroyal » 19 Apr 2012 20:55

I thought we blew our chance to return in 2009. We'd been relegated needlessly the season before, and blown our best chance of a return. Fair play to McD; fantastic job. Ultimately the new investment made a massive difference, but I think we'd have been competing around the play-offs whatever with Brian in charge (he could have been at Wolves by now without the investment).

Big Foot
Hob Nob Addict
Posts: 8335
Joined: 30 Jun 2008 15:19
Location: #MagicOfTheCup #RoadToWembley

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Big Foot » 19 Apr 2012 21:05

Spookily enough, I wrote a piece for The Tilehurst End this afternoon about our very own '4 year plan'.

User avatar
St Pauli
Hob Nob Legend
Posts: 23570
Joined: 22 Sep 2006 14:17
Location: Vote Brogue for Mod!

Re: Four years in the Championship

by St Pauli » 19 Apr 2012 21:22

With the sale of Long and Gylfi and cloth cutting, I'd consigned myself to mid table mediocrity for a long time. Memories of the last four years?

Play off final, Cup wins, cup losses to Man City and Villa, drawing away to bottom of the league Plymouth. And well all this season.


User avatar
Optimist
Member
Posts: 644
Joined: 11 Aug 2010 13:19
Location: Trying to make G10 less of a library...

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Optimist » 19 Apr 2012 21:27

I said to myself after Burnley in the play-offs that we'd definetely play in League 1 before we played in the Premier League again... :oops:

User avatar
Skyline
Member
Posts: 841
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 13:50
Location: The squirrel's not important

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Skyline » 26 Apr 2012 15:51

We seem to specialise in 4-year stints at a level recently, spoiled by only spending 2 years in the Prem. Since the 1994/5 season our record has been:

Tier 2: 4 years (1994/5 to 1997/8)
Tier 3: 4 years (1998/9 to 2001/2)
Tier 2: 4 years (2002/3 to 2005/6)
Tier 1: 2 years (2006/7 to 2007/8)
Tier 2: 4 years (2007/8 to 2011/2)

Hopefully we can spend a bit longer at the top level this time out :)

Jackson Corner
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 4846
Joined: 23 Nov 2005 00:55

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Jackson Corner » 26 Apr 2012 15:59

TBH I thought last years play off defeat would signal the start of years of mid table obscurity, dipping crowds with eventual relegation AKA Coventry. If we were to ever get back up it would be through the play offs not another title. Which just shows I know oxf*rd all, so no change there.

Great Knolly
Member
Posts: 270
Joined: 29 Jun 2004 13:36

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Great Knolly » 26 Apr 2012 16:40

It's been a fun 4 years. Hope the next 4 are just as good.


Cape Town Royal
Member
Posts: 361
Joined: 15 Feb 2012 18:29
Location: Eating ramen in Shibuya

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Cape Town Royal » 26 Apr 2012 17:30

I must admit after selling Gylfi, the play off final dfeat and then selling Long, I really thought we'd struggle this season (well we did for about 5 weeks).. so have loved the wave this season has been. Memories of the last 4 seasons

Bad ones

Burnley - play off defeat - the manner was a like watching a team die.
Plymouth away - the 4-1 defeat - Living in the SW that was painful..
Wembley - I took my son for his first trip to Wembley and he was heartbroken after..
Sig going - most talented player I have ever seen come through Readings youth set up in the 35 years i've been watching this club.

Small things

Beating Plymouth with a late penalty the same season as the 4-1 defeat.
Ledge signing on full term.
Thinking when we drew at home to Southampton this there's something in this team.
Reading the inflatables link just now..

BIG Things (many) including.....

Liverpool cup win
The thought of the impact the take over could make to our beloved club
West Ham (H & A)
Southampton away - Felt so proud sitting in their end through the game as we worked our way through that game and chatting to Murts at half time.
The moment promotion was secured... Total joy and relief that the hard work of this season had a deserved end product...

User avatar
Ark Royal
Hob Nob Subscriber
Hob Nob Subscriber
Posts: 3335
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 15:01
Location: ...in towards Quinn!

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Ark Royal » 26 Apr 2012 18:22

I though the nadir was witnessing the shocking performances under The Big Bad Watch against Scunthorpe and Palace. We were awful - Moses parted our arse cheeks and ripped us a new one; Rodgers completely lost it with Dellor. At that point I was convinced we were going down.

The highs? The cup replay win over Liverpool. The resurrection of the club can be directly linked to that night, albeit with the hiccup of a play-off final defeat; the Wet Sham and Southampton performances will live long in the memory.

loyalroyal4life
Hob Nob Addict
Posts: 5594
Joined: 15 May 2007 11:58

Re: Four years in the Championship

by loyalroyal4life » 26 Apr 2012 18:25

i am extremely glad we got out this year as i do think the league overall was not one of the strongest! Add to this i have every confidence we will stay in the prem past first season!

Bring on the russian revolution

handbags_harris
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 3793
Joined: 10 Jul 2005 12:57

Re: Four years in the Championship

by handbags_harris » 26 Apr 2012 18:33

Optimist I said to myself after Burnley in the play-offs that we'd definetely play in League 1 before we played in the Premier League again... :oops:


You, sir, are not the only well-recognised Nobber to have said something like that.

Eh floyd?

User avatar
urz13
Hob Nob Regular
Posts: 2058
Joined: 16 May 2011 20:37
Location: The following statement is false. The previous statement is true.

Re: Four years in the Championship

by urz13 » 26 Apr 2012 20:35

Ark Royal I though the nadir was witnessing the shocking performances under The Big Bad Watch against Scunthorpe and Palace. We were awful - Moses parted our arse cheeks and ripped us a new one; Rodgers completely lost it with Dellor. At that point I was convinced we were going down.

The highs? The cup replay win over Liverpool. The resurrection of the club can be directly linked to that night, albeit with the hiccup of a play-off final defeat; the Wet Sham and Southampton performances will live long in the memory.

What actually happened between Dellor and Rodgers?

User avatar
St Pauli
Hob Nob Legend
Posts: 23570
Joined: 22 Sep 2006 14:17
Location: Vote Brogue for Mod!

Re: Four years in the Championship

by St Pauli » 26 Apr 2012 20:38

Ark Royal I though the nadir was witnessing the shocking performances under The Big Bad Watch against Scunthorpe and Palace. We were awful - Moses parted our arse cheeks and ripped us a new one; Rodgers completely lost it with Dellor. At that point I was convinced we were going down.

The highs? The cup replay win over Liverpool. The resurrection of the club can be directly linked to that night, albeit with the hiccup of a play-off final defeat; the Wet Sham and Southampton performances will live long in the memory.


Got to add QPR away under Big Bad Watch to my list- remember the away end singing 'how shit you must be, it's only 4-1' and a lone QPR fan in the home end loling and give us a clap.

Big Foot
Hob Nob Addict
Posts: 8335
Joined: 30 Jun 2008 15:19
Location: #MagicOfTheCup #RoadToWembley

Re: Four years in the Championship

by Big Foot » 26 Apr 2012 20:55

Big Foot Spookily enough, I wrote a piece for The Tilehurst End this afternoon about our very own '4 year plan'.

Available here - http://thetilehurstend.co.uk/2012/04/20 ... xile-over/

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ankeny, East Grinstead Royal, morganb, WestYorksRoyal and 382 guests

It is currently 28 Mar 2024 19:37