Rivalry

[larry1971]

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

just proves how farcicle these surveys are.

[ZacNaloen]

Depends what they find offensive about us.

[Turnball ACs]

Bournemouth in the early 90s was a game we looked forward to, not entirely sure why. They had a mob in the Albion and we were in the Pond House one game. Interesting day. I missed the game..... Clearly Aldershot of old and Swindon I particularly hate. And Oxford, w@nkers.

[Blakey's Right Peg]

Aside from the obvious clubs, I used to think we were generally held in high regard among a number of neutrals.

Smallish club who mostly try to play the right way and enjoy good success without spending bucket loads of cash.

Apparently I was wrong!

[grey_squirrel]

Interesting article

A lot of the "rivalries" are based on meeting frequency, and specific events that occured during them, not necessarily location

Take Palace and Brighton for example. Their rivalry stemmed from numerous bad tempered encounters in 1976/7 in the Cups, culmanating in one of their managers putting up a derogatory press article from the other team's manager (can't remember which way round it was, but I think it stemmed from Brighton) in the dressing room, which leaked out to the fans and it all kicked off from there. Geographically, Palace don't give 2 hoots about The Clowns (Charlton) despite their promixity and the ground sharing event of the mid 80's.

Swindon and Oxford are primarily rivals because of the frequency of their meetings in the '70's, although their main"beef" with each other was over a car plant manufacturing dispute where one of the plants walked out and the other stayed at work, and workers were shipped in from the other palnt. Bearing in mind football in those days was very much working class, this caused a bitter long lasting hatred.

Despite what we may fantasize about, as I have said before, neither Oxford (irrespective of the 1983 merger), nor Swindon give a monkeys about us as 'rivals'

Our natural rivals based on proximity and regular fixtures (previously) over the years are, whether we like it or not, Aldershot. Bournemouth have come to regard us as rivals because from a playing frequency perspective, we were their local rivals for much of the 70's and 80's, such that they have never ever played Southampton (who are nearer to them) on a regular basis.

The West Ham thing again is based on regular frequency, with there often being an explosive element - ie Sockgate, 6-0 thrashing, Pardew etc, though doubt this will be long lasting.

QPR hate Chelsea. Chelsea hate Spurs. Spurs hate Arsenal. The wheels on the bus go round and round!

[Optimist]

Aside from the obvious clubs, I used to think we were generally held in high regard among a number of neutrals.

Smallish club who mostly try to play the right way and enjoy good success without spending bucket loads of cash.

Apparently I was wrong!

We must have done something offensive since our time as "everyone's 2nd team" in 06/07.

[larry1971]

Aside from the obvious clubs, I used to think we were generally held in high regard among a number of neutrals.

Smallish club who mostly try to play the right way and enjoy good success without spending bucket loads of cash.

Apparently I was wrong!

We must have done something offensive since our time as "everyone's 2nd team" in 06/07.

doubt it's got anything to do with "something offensive" in 06/07 Reading were new to the Premiership and played some lovely football as did Blackpool, in 10/11 and Swansea last season who will now probably be everybody's 2nd team . I just guess in Reading's case once you are relegated you're quickly forgotten about by fans of Premiership clubs.

[frimmers3]

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.

you have never played aldershot town in a competative fixture. some "rivals".

[Royal Dee]

A deluded aldersh*t fan showed me this article as if to brag they were still our rivals... Like most aldersh*t fans, he still believes that they can compete with us and have an illogical hatred for us, even though most of their fans cant remember the last time we played. I do understand the older generations that remember Reading vs aldersh*t, and the rivalry that took place some 20 seasons ago, but for the average aldersh*t fan that started supporting them since they have been known as AFC IT MAKES NO SENSE! how can you hate a club that you have never played? Should we start a rivalry with Real Madrid? since that's the barrier in class between us and aldersh*t? and to those fans that claim its about the close proximity between the clubs then in that case we should just start a rivalry with Reading town? I guess what im trying to say is that aldersh*t will always be a tinpot club with no ambitions where as Reading will no doubt be competing with decent sized clubs in the future.

[frimmers3]

"most" aldershot fans? most aldershot town fans are pleased to have a club that represents the town when it appeared to all and sundry that that premise was one consigned to history.ambition(or lack of) is a valid point.on the plus side,aldershot town are one of the few league clubs that can boast as to never being relegated during their history.

[Royal Dee]

"most" aldershot fans? most aldershot town fans are pleased to have a club that represents the town when it appeared to all and sundry that that premise was one consigned to history.ambition(or lack of) is a valid point.on the plus side,aldershot town are one of the few league clubs that can boast as to never being relegated during their history.

I respect the fact that you built your club from the bottom up but i dont respect the fans thats sing about burning the madejski down at your matches and when you had your 15mins (or rather 90) of fame on tv against man u and started chanting we hate reading. its those fans i was on about that dont do your club any good.

[frimmers3]

all clubs have a neanderthal sub section of "followers".aldershot included.

[SHORT AND CURLY]

all clubs have a neanderthal sub section of "followers".aldershot included.

Adershit had around 1900 for a home game yesterday.

Despite my hatred for them in the 70's/80s I actually have pity on them now

Perhaps they should have Farnborough or Basingstoke as their rivals

[harryroyal]

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.

Are firms still around?

[leicsRoyal]

all clubs have a neanderthal sub section of "followers".aldershot included.

Adershit had around 1900 for a home game yesterday.

Despite my hatred for them in the 70's/80s I actually have pity on them now

Perhaps they should have Farnborough or Basingstoke as their rivals

Worse than that....... 1,196.

[frimmers3]

farnborough were rivals when the club was founded, back when farnborough were the conference elite.

[Royal Dee]

Aldershit actually do make me laugh, they spend their whole time talking about us rather than their pathetic excuse of a club. Heres their recent forum which was sent to me from one of there fans (not that they have many).
Cant see where all this hate comes from since most of them have never seen an aldershot Reading game... how they see us as rivals...

http://www.shotsweb.co.uk/mb/viewtopic. ... 9131b4b87b

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Because to so many people we appear to be the epitome of middle-class, family-friendly football - and the complete antithesis of what traditional football was all about.

Faceless concrete bowl out of town? - Tick
No pubs near the ground? - Tick
Cringeworthy announcements before the game? - Tick
Image that we got where we are through an owner's money? - Only indirectly, but that's the common perception
Music after goals? - Tick
Stewards killing any atmosphere or spontaneity? - Tick
Use of flags/banner/clappers? - Tick
No history? - Not true, but again that's a common perception as out history is long but modest
Failure to fill our ground when things aren't going well? - Tick
2/3 of the ground make virtually no noise? - Tick
Everything stage-managed and aimed at families? - Tick

Tiebreaker - Name of sponsor? Ah ....

We are undoubtedly the most clear representation of middle-class football in the game today - and people don't like us for it.

[Vision]

Because to so many people we appear to be the epitome of middle-class, family-friendly football - and the complete antithesis of what traditional football was all about.

Faceless concrete bowl out of town? - Tick
No pubs near the ground? - Tick
Cringeworthy announcements before the game? - Tick
Image that we got where we are through an owner's money? - Only indirectly, but that's the common perception
Music after goals? - Tick
Stewards killing any atmosphere or spontaneity? - Tick
Use of flags/banner/clappers? - Tick
No history? - Not true, but again that's a common perception as out history is long but modest
Failure to fill our ground when things aren't going well? - Tick
2/3 of the ground make virtually no noise? - Tick
Everything stage-managed and aimed at families? - Tick

Tiebreaker - Name of sponsor? Ah ....

We are undoubtedly the most clear representation of middle-class football in the game today - and people don't like us for it.

Aldershot hated us long before any of the above was true though. If none of the above was true they'd still hate us. Basically most of the rest of the football world couldn't give two shiny shits about us really unless they're playing us or competing with us for promotion/relegation/gheyness etc.

[SCIAG]

I don't think this is worth getting worked up over. It's a tiny sample size, 12 or 13 fans per club, which will never be representative of the country as a whole. I bet we could find 12 Reading fans who think Dominic Samuel should be playing ahead of Jason Roberts.