Following Bournemouth’s win at Huddersfield, I think it’s safe to say that it would take a greater capitulation than ours in 08/09 by them or Barnsley for us to make it into the Play Offs now. On Friday we go to Reading who will be desperate for a win, because they are the ones out of the top seven, which contains all of the realistic top six candidates now, that are beginning to look like the ones to miss out.
Here’s seven questions on Reading dating back to the 60s
60s. This Glaswegian never played in his home city or country. Moving south to start his career at a ground which sounded like a lofty fruit, he needed to move slightly north to angry buzzers to play first team football, but it was when he signed for Reading that he established himself during an eight year stay in which he scored the only goals of his career. Leaving Elm Park after nearly three hundred league appearances, he signed next for a side starting off in the Football League and then, after a stay at a non league west London borough where the planes fly low, he finished his playing days with a team soon to drop out of the Football League, never to return – can you name him?
70s. Starting off at a ground no longer in use which had a scrapyard next to it, (City had a pretty miserable record there), this striker’s goals attracted the attention of one of the giants of the game in its early days who were trying to regain their spot among the elite – instead they dropped to the third tier not too long after he left having made a minimal impact. Reading were his next team and it was here that he played most games and scored most goals over a five year period before moving north to a place that has featured sports teams called Belles, Dragons and Lakers at one time or another. He struggled for goals at his next, and final, club and was, effectively, displaced by someone who came in as player manager and eventually offered him a job on the coaching staff – ironically, it was our man who took over as caretaker manager (one of two spells he had in the role at that club) when the man who had introduced him to coaching was sacked, Who am I describing?
80s. Which Reading player from this decade do these quotes refer to;-
“I stayed away from him as much as possible!” – David Beckham
When Neil Ruddock was asked what his favourite animal was, he answered with this player’s name.
“Some of us were playfully goading ………. about what he was going to do to Vinnie Jones in the upcoming fixture with Wimbledon. Without saying a word, he got up from the table and walked to the entrance of the pub and ripped the door off its hinges”
90s.Reading loser at Ninian Park seen on steamer in part of November? (5,5)
00s. Name someone, who has scored against us this season, who started a game for Reading at Ninian Park in this decade.
10s. This former City outfield player, who was with us for less than a year and played once for us against Reading during this decade, later saved a penalty when he took over in goal in a Championship game after his team’s keeper was sent off – name him and, for an extra bonus point that will win you absolutely nothing, who was the former City striker who was fouled for the penalty?
20s. Living quarters for male pets?
Answers:
60s. Colin Meldrum began his career with Arsenal, but never made their first team and signed for Watford in 1960. Two years later, he moved to Reading and was a regular in their team until 1970 when he moved to Cambridge United for their first season in the Football League. Meldrum had three spells as manager of Workington, the first of which was in a player boss capacity after he left Hillingdon Boroug, where he had also been a player-manager.
70s. Les Chappell signed for Blackburn after making an impact at his first club, Rotherham, but, after seven league matches without a goal, he moved on to Reading for whom he played just over two hundred league matches, scoring seventy eight goals in the process. Chappell signed for Doncaster in 1974 and then Swansea two years later where his playing days virtually ended when John Toshack arrived as player manager – Chappell was given the first of two spells of caretaker manager of the jacks in 1984 following Toshack’s dismissal.
80s. Terry Hurlock.
90s. Steve Moran was in the Reading side beaten 3-2 in Cardiff in May 1990.
00s. Shane Long was in the Reading side beaten 2-0 at Ninian Park in a Third Round FA Cup tie in January 2009 and he scored for Bournemouth against us last month.
10s. Alex Revell was in the City team beaten in the FA Cup by Reading in a Fourth Round tie in January 2015. Just over a year later while playing for MK Dons, Revell saved a penalty taken by Preston’s Joe Garner after Eoin Doyle had been fouled by goalkeeper Cody Cropper who was shown a red card for his offence.
20s. Tom Holmes..