Reading FC in the Premier League (part one) with Sam Michael and Johnny Hunt

[00:00:00] Do you actually believe ready getting the Premier League unreal and that season was unreal?

[00:00:05] And that of course was the day Mertie scored as well. Perfect ending.

[00:00:08] I took out Kingsley wasn't he?

[00:00:09] Like Kingsley was goading him.

[00:00:11] Just to let you know by the way, Carl, I guess you're wondering, Kingsley is our mascot lion.

[00:00:15] So if you want to imagine, so you know, Mertie scores this amazing goal, runs across the fans of the hero,

[00:00:21] then you see him take out this giant cuddly lion and I mean he takes him out.

[00:00:25] Stephen Hunt actually missed him and landed on the runway, didn't he?

[00:00:28] He kind of went over the top because he was so excited.

[00:00:30] He just actually jumped over the top of it.

[00:00:33] Hello and welcome to When Football Began Again, the podcast that tries to remember the times

[00:00:38] when we weren't just staying together with the Premier League for the sake of the kids.

[00:00:42] My name is Carl Jones.

[00:00:43] I am your host and today's show is a countdown of the all time Premier League table.

[00:00:50] We are up to 43rd and that is Reading Football Club.

[00:00:55] My guests were absolutely marvellous.

[00:00:59] The amount that we had to cover in this show was so much that thanks to a few tech issues as well,

[00:01:05] we recorded close to three hours.

[00:01:08] In the end, I decided the only way to cut this down was to release it in two parts.

[00:01:12] So this is part one cover.

[00:01:16] Reading's history as a football club.

[00:01:19] We also get to their first spell in the Premier League, those two seasons that were quite different in how they turned out.

[00:01:27] We cover all of that in today's show.

[00:01:29] Then on the next show, part two, we cover their second spell in the Premier League

[00:01:35] and also put a Burundian player in the Premier League Hall of Fame before playing player apps.

[00:01:42] And in that second episode, where there is quite a considerable chunk dedicated to the difficulties that Reading FC have found themselves in,

[00:01:50] to say the least, Dayong at the time of releasing this is still the owner of Reading Football Club.

[00:01:57] Despite some movement towards him potentially selling up, we recorded this a couple of months ago back in March,

[00:02:03] where things really were looking very, very bleak.

[00:02:06] And I think that comes across in both episodes, but especially the second episode that I'll be releasing soon.

[00:02:12] So if you are new to the show, particularly, I guess if you're a Reading fan and you've found this through that,

[00:02:17] please hit subscribe, make sure that you follow the show so you don't miss episode two.

[00:02:23] But there is lots and lots of fantastic episodes in the back catalogue.

[00:02:26] The Blackpool episode in particular, this reminded me of another football club

[00:02:32] that really their fans put through the ringer by let's face it, absolutely abysmal ownership.

[00:02:38] So this is the first section is probably a little bit more upbeat than the second section,

[00:02:44] although we do play some fun games in the next episode as well.

[00:02:48] My guests, Sam Michael of Comedians Talking Football Podcast and the standup comedian himself

[00:02:56] and also Johnny Hunt, a cult hero on the Reading FC terraces.

[00:03:01] A very passionate man does some amazing things with the fan base, with the Royals fan base.

[00:03:07] We talk about that quite a bit as well.

[00:03:09] So let's crack on with it.

[00:03:11] I mean, basically if you are new here, please do hit subscribe,

[00:03:14] leave a review if you enjoy the show and don't forget that part two will be coming very, very shortly after this.

[00:03:21] Let's crack on with it now.

[00:03:22] My chat with Johnny and Sam all about Reading Football Club,

[00:03:26] forty third in our All Time Premier League table.

[00:03:29] Enjoy.

[00:03:34] Today's show is a continuation of our count up the All Time Premier League table.

[00:03:40] We're up to forty third and today's show is all about Reading FC.

[00:03:45] I have two Royal Superfans with me both making their debuts on the show.

[00:03:50] It's absolutely fantastic to have them both.

[00:03:52] Sam, Johnny, welcome to the show.

[00:03:54] Thank you for joining me.

[00:03:56] Pleasure. Thank you.

[00:03:57] Thank you, mate.

[00:03:58] Let's start with you, Sam.

[00:04:00] How long have you been a Reading fan?

[00:04:02] What was your first game?

[00:04:03] I go back to when I was about, I think I was 10 years old.

[00:04:06] I liked football when I was younger.

[00:04:07] I watched a lot of the Premier League, but I never quite got behind a team.

[00:04:11] And then one day for some reason, I don't know why my dad tells the story better.

[00:04:15] I was about 10 years old and I just said to my dad,

[00:04:18] Dad, I think I want to support Reading.

[00:04:19] So he took me to the next game that was on,

[00:04:23] which was a lovely cheap game.

[00:04:25] I believe it was FA Cup first round proper against Grey's Athletic,

[00:04:29] which I think we won one nil.

[00:04:31] And I think that was in the year.

[00:04:33] It was either 1990, 2000, 2001 season.

[00:04:37] And and I I enjoyed it and we went to a couple of more games

[00:04:41] and I was getting into it and then came the playoff semi final

[00:04:47] against Wigan, 2001.

[00:04:49] Yeah, Division two semi final playoff,

[00:04:52] which in my still to me is the greatest football game I've ever seen in my life.

[00:04:57] It's still the greatest moment ever supporting a football team.

[00:05:01] It was absolutely incredible.

[00:05:02] I've never I still believe that's the loudest the Medeski has ever been

[00:05:06] that night when that second goal went in. Unbelievable.

[00:05:09] Johnny nodding away there as well about that match.

[00:05:11] And I think there's especially something really special

[00:05:14] when you're that sort of age that have won a football match in Plants itself

[00:05:17] in your memory, Johnny, same question to you.

[00:05:19] Tell me about your first game and what the Royals mean to you.

[00:05:23] Oh, geez, first game was Bournemouth away.

[00:05:26] I think it's 1981.

[00:05:28] My dad took me. I think it was a cup game.

[00:05:30] I think we lost one nil.

[00:05:31] I was doing down that part of the world.

[00:05:32] I was brought up in Reading, but my dad used to go out drinking

[00:05:35] with Robin Friday back in the 70s and came home with his soft one night,

[00:05:38] which probably sums up Friday as a person.

[00:05:40] A different era of football.

[00:05:41] I never, unfortunately, got to see Robin Friday play.

[00:05:43] But anyone that knows Reading is Robin Friday was the legend.

[00:05:46] But yeah, I was born there and it's my home.

[00:05:51] It's my town. It means the world to me.

[00:05:53] And that that Wigan game I remember so well because I was living up in Cambridge.

[00:05:57] So I came down for it and like Reading do,

[00:05:59] which is probably a theme for this, we lost.

[00:06:02] I know with the goal off Rugey's bum.

[00:06:05] I think that was who's actually my dog named after Rugey.

[00:06:09] So that's kind of where my life was at that time.

[00:06:13] But yeah, yeah, it's memories.

[00:06:15] It's fine. Obviously I'm a bit older than New York's who's during the war, you know?

[00:06:18] But yeah, it's memories and like those games, individual games

[00:06:22] that you've watched as a fan, you know, the club like Reading means the world to us.

[00:06:26] You can't you can't have taken his memories away.

[00:06:28] And well, and you were also wearing one of those memories,

[00:06:32] I believe for anyone that's watching on YouTube,

[00:06:34] to give us a background on the shirt you're wearing.

[00:06:37] So this is the shirt from the promotion season, the one of six point season.

[00:06:42] Actually hasn't been washed since the QPR game

[00:06:45] where I've got signatures that are still on there.

[00:06:48] Just glad we're not in person doing this because you probably asked me to leave.

[00:06:52] My family have asked me to leave many times so it's up in the cupboard.

[00:06:55] But yeah, like that this shirt is iconic for me.

[00:06:58] It's a yeah, I came over from Australia for the game.

[00:07:01] I was living in Australia at the time and got to yeah,

[00:07:05] I was watching the games over there and you do when you actually had a shrine to Reading

[00:07:10] when I was living over there in my apartment, a signed match ball,

[00:07:13] but they couldn't send it over to Australia.

[00:07:15] So I ended up getting assigned shirts.

[00:07:16] I still got the sad things that you do as a Reading fan.

[00:07:19] And just like it's actually kind of, you know, it is comedy without being funny.

[00:07:24] But we do it.

[00:07:25] But yeah, like that day to me was I met Mertz and I got them

[00:07:29] got to wear his medal and like, you know, as a fan for years,

[00:07:33] do you actually believe Reading getting the Premier League was unreal?

[00:07:37] And that season was unreal.

[00:07:40] Of course, it was the day Mertz scored as well as the last outfield player to score.

[00:07:45] You know, in the first team, you know, everyone had scored except Mertz.

[00:07:48] Then we got the penalty and it was just it was just written for it.

[00:07:51] It was like a script.

[00:07:52] It was the perfect ending.

[00:07:53] So yeah, it's just took out.

[00:07:55] Took out Kingsley, wasn't it?

[00:07:56] Like Kingsley smashed him.

[00:07:58] He said that Kingsley was goading him that he hadn't scored.

[00:08:02] So you asked for it.

[00:08:03] Kingsley got all these deserved at the end of the day, but it was that just

[00:08:06] was summed up the season for us, I think as fans, you know, for a little old club

[00:08:12] like Reading to be up with the big boys.

[00:08:15] Just to let you know, by the way, Karn, in case you wondered,

[00:08:17] you might know this or you might not, Kingsley is our mascot lion.

[00:08:21] So if you want to imagine, do you want to imagine like so,

[00:08:24] so, you know, Mertz scores this amazing girl runs across the fans of the

[00:08:27] hero, then you see him take out this giant cuddly lion.

[00:08:30] And I mean, he takes him out.

[00:08:32] And if I remember right, didn't James Harpher get a couple of kicks in as well?

[00:08:35] Yeah.

[00:08:36] And I think what I think was Stephen Hunt actually missed him and landed on the

[00:08:39] runway, didn't he?

[00:08:40] He's kind of gone over the top because he was so excited.

[00:08:42] He just actually jumped over the top of it.

[00:08:44] Nowadays, you're probably putting jail for five years because it's not

[00:08:47] particularly correct to abuse the mascot.

[00:08:49] But at the time it was it was it was it was the end to a fun season.

[00:08:54] You know, like, you know, we talked about the Premier League, but that

[00:08:56] season where we only lost two games or lost the first game this season.

[00:09:00] Then we lost to Luton.

[00:09:01] Yeah, about 30 games in, but we were unreal.

[00:09:04] It was an unreal team that didn't cost much money.

[00:09:07] Leroy Lieter cost a million.

[00:09:09] John Majeska, I think he's still choking about how much he actually spent for him.

[00:09:12] And it was it was a team that was made from top to bottom as a club,

[00:09:16] as as managers, as background staff and players that that just gelled.

[00:09:23] The passion, obviously, that you both speak about that team.

[00:09:25] And we are going to actually cover a little bit about that team,

[00:09:27] but an all time legendary team.

[00:09:30] And I think also one of those teams as well that kind of penetrates

[00:09:33] the subconscious of the neutral fan, you know, that 106 record is remembered

[00:09:37] by fans who aren't Redding fans.

[00:09:39] And I think obviously that's the thing when you get a record breaking

[00:09:42] team and a team that sets those records as Redding did.

[00:09:45] Well, in 43rd place, as I've mentioned in the all time Premier League

[00:09:48] table, having spent three seasons across two different spells

[00:09:51] of the 32 Premier League era, it's ready.

[00:09:54] Football didn't begin in 1992, though, as we well know.

[00:09:57] And while these three seasons do remain Redding's only top flight

[00:10:01] campaigns in their history, there is a wider all time top flight table.

[00:10:04] They also proudly sit on as well.

[00:10:07] Now, there have been 65 teams in the history of English football

[00:10:11] that have been in the top flight.

[00:10:13] If we take that from the beginning of the all time first division table,

[00:10:17] obviously, Redding's three seasons in the Premier League, any guess

[00:10:19] where they might be on those 65 teams?

[00:10:22] I mean, that's pureness.

[00:10:23] We're talking about a team here who half the people who listened to

[00:10:25] your podcast car. When they saw there was a Redding episode,

[00:10:28] I guarantee 90% of them all went, oh, yeah.

[00:10:31] That looks like League one.

[00:10:33] Yeah, I thought that was QPR.

[00:10:35] Any guesses?

[00:10:37] 60?

[00:10:39] 60?

[00:10:40] Are you going higher or lower?

[00:10:41] 57.

[00:10:42] You're actually closest, Johnny.

[00:10:43] 56th.

[00:10:44] 65 teams in the all time top flight table.

[00:10:47] So there are nine teams below you in that all time table

[00:10:51] at your above Oxford United on goal difference.

[00:10:53] I thought that one would go down well.

[00:10:54] Are we above the fake teams?

[00:10:57] I know, no.

[00:11:00] I'm fortunate I'm going without checking just behind Bradford Park

[00:11:04] Avenue in Aquantan FC, but 56th.

[00:11:07] There we go.

[00:11:07] And 43rd on the Premier League table.

[00:11:10] So before we get to that Premier League era,

[00:11:13] let's have a part of history lesson on a pre-top flight, Redding FC

[00:11:17] formed on Christmas Day, 1871.

[00:11:19] They first joined the Football League in 1920,

[00:11:22] just after the recommencement of football following the First World War.

[00:11:25] After playing at various locations in the area,

[00:11:27] a switch to professionalism in the back end of the Victorian era

[00:11:30] saw them move to the purpose built Elm Park in 1896,

[00:11:34] where they would spend the next century and a bit up until 1998.

[00:11:39] Johnny, let's come to you.

[00:11:40] What are your memories of Elm Park?

[00:11:43] Probably haven't changed since the first built way into the holiday.

[00:11:46] It is the greatest grand, but like Redding,

[00:11:48] you know, we now to shoot ourselves in the foot

[00:11:50] because the season that we were going to move to our new wonderful stadium.

[00:11:54] We got relegated from Elm Park and in the league,

[00:11:58] wherever it was championship now.

[00:11:59] But yeah, that's some redding up at the time.

[00:12:02] But Elm Park was the one those grounds just the atmosphere was just tin roof rain.

[00:12:07] Doesn't matter. The noise was great.

[00:12:10] What you were stood in, you didn't want to know from the toilet areas.

[00:12:14] They had the Royal Rendezvous for beers and the fun.

[00:12:18] But it was a special ground because the atmosphere was just immense,

[00:12:21] especially the good seasons that we had,

[00:12:25] you know, 86, the record breaking rails to the McGee season.

[00:12:30] And then the season where we didn't quite just make it in the playoff final again,

[00:12:35] hint as a pattern.

[00:12:36] But it was it was immense.

[00:12:38] And even after that, like, you know, it was old school football.

[00:12:41] I think that you actually had evacuated the stand one day.

[00:12:44] I think the because of a fire risk is that, you know, it's wooden,

[00:12:47] you know, obviously then, you know, joking aside, you know, what happened with Bradford

[00:12:51] and all the stuff, you know, it was a stadium that wasn't fit.

[00:12:55] I'd love to have seen out in the Premier League.

[00:12:56] I mean, like you got Luton Kenilworth Road now.

[00:12:58] Like there's not much difference, to be honest.

[00:13:01] So in 1991, businessman John Medeski takes over redding

[00:13:04] in what will be the beginning of a golden period for the club.

[00:13:07] The man who'd made millions launching auto trader magazine

[00:13:10] and was once rumoured to have had a romance with Silla Black

[00:13:13] would eventually he did would eventually lead the Royals

[00:13:17] into the top light in 2006 for the first time

[00:13:21] in the Super Stadium he built in his own name.

[00:13:23] He did come pretty close over a decade before that, though,

[00:13:26] taking redding over in the third tier.

[00:13:28] They quickly promoted as champions in 1994

[00:13:31] before finishing runners up to Middlesbrough

[00:13:33] in their first season back in division one.

[00:13:35] It's a position that would have been enough for promotion

[00:13:37] pretty much every other season, but had it not been for the reduction

[00:13:40] of the premiership from 22 teams to 20.

[00:13:43] Meaning they had to settle for the playoffs.

[00:13:45] They would lose for three to Baltimore Wanderers

[00:13:47] after extra time at Wembley.

[00:13:48] And again, they led 2-0 at one stage.

[00:13:51] It would take more than a decade for them to get that chance again

[00:13:54] as three seasons have struggled to follow that heartbreak

[00:13:57] culminating in relegation back to the third tier.

[00:14:00] Sam John Medeski clearly supercharged the ambitions of a club

[00:14:04] that has spent much of his existence up to this point in the lower divisions.

[00:14:07] He very nearly got ready into the big time

[00:14:09] within just a few years of taking over.

[00:14:11] Let's allow ourselves to fantasise just for a moment.

[00:14:14] How different might the future of Redding has looked?

[00:14:16] Have the top two gone up that season

[00:14:18] and Elm Park had hosted the superstars of the 90s?

[00:14:22] Well, it's interesting that you did get a slight taste of it.

[00:14:26] And I have very faint memories of this with the FA Cup game

[00:14:29] against Manchester United, where we had the likes of Cantonar

[00:14:33] playing at Elm Park.

[00:14:34] And that in a weird way was my first introduction to redding

[00:14:37] because it was on telly.

[00:14:39] There was John Motson and there was this big media thing about it,

[00:14:43] not just because Man United, Eric Cantona,

[00:14:47] Reading Small Club versus Big Club,

[00:14:49] but because Urie Geller was involved.

[00:14:53] Now, now you've got to remember,

[00:14:54] we talk about the back room staff and the history of the club.

[00:14:56] Urie Geller at one point was brought in as a spiritual adviser at Redding.

[00:15:00] I say I never forget.

[00:15:02] Yeah, that's it.

[00:15:02] Do I never forget that John Motson line?

[00:15:04] Well, he's very good at bending spoons.

[00:15:06] But what about cup ties?

[00:15:08] I always remember that.

[00:15:10] I just remember that.

[00:15:11] And in fact, there's a great documentary you can find out on YouTube

[00:15:13] all about Urie Geller's time at Redding.

[00:15:15] It's the funniest thing ever.

[00:15:17] It should be up there, you know, with like the Graham Taylor documentary.

[00:15:21] And Motson is so proud of that line.

[00:15:24] He repeats it five times during the day.

[00:15:26] He says it to each person he meets.

[00:15:28] There's also a fantastic bit where they're blatantly filming Urie Geller

[00:15:31] at different times of the day.

[00:15:33] So they're leaving on the way to the match and he goes,

[00:15:35] and I'm ashamed now.

[00:15:36] I say to you, the game will end five nil to Redding.

[00:15:41] The game doesn't end five nil to Redding.

[00:15:42] It ends one all.

[00:15:44] And it very quickly cuts in him blatantly later in the day going,

[00:15:46] actually, I changed my mind.

[00:15:48] My prediction is one all.

[00:15:50] And then the games one on.

[00:15:51] He's like, well, I told you, I told you.

[00:15:53] So there was there was that.

[00:15:54] And I think, you know, we all sort of talk about

[00:15:57] Kettleworth Road now and everything there.

[00:15:58] I honestly don't think it would have been as big a deal

[00:16:00] as people may have thought that then.

[00:16:01] I do think they would have had to have done something

[00:16:03] with that kind of bank that was there,

[00:16:05] which is kind of a way that just all stood.

[00:16:08] But ultimately, I assume that money would have gone in

[00:16:10] to change that.

[00:16:11] I always sort of wonder about that because it would have changed

[00:16:14] the history of Redding forever.

[00:16:16] So so many of these positive memories

[00:16:18] that we're going to be talking about today wouldn't exist.

[00:16:21] I don't know how we would have fared in the Premier League

[00:16:24] back then. There's no way of knowing.

[00:16:25] We don't know how much we would have spent,

[00:16:27] who we would have bought in,

[00:16:28] how we would have survived, who knows.

[00:16:30] So it could have been a case of that would have been

[00:16:31] our one season in the Premier League never again.

[00:16:33] One thing I do know is that John Medeski's,

[00:16:35] and correct me if I'm wrong, John,

[00:16:36] but his plan was always to get Redding into the Premier League

[00:16:39] and then look for a quick sale essentially.

[00:16:41] It was kind of that was his job.

[00:16:42] That was the end game.

[00:16:43] I know he wanted to build a stadium.

[00:16:45] That was certainly there.

[00:16:46] But I don't know how long he maybe would have lasted

[00:16:48] had we gone into the Premier League back then.

[00:16:50] So we might have had different owners come in.

[00:16:52] It would have changed everything.

[00:16:53] Would have been a completely different course

[00:16:55] of direction had we gone up.

[00:16:57] The best thing though that season,

[00:16:58] the river that I heard,

[00:17:00] we had, we signed Boris Mahilov,

[00:17:02] who was the Bulgarian national goalkeeper.

[00:17:04] Wiggy, as we called him,

[00:17:05] because he had a bit of a syrup to it.

[00:17:07] And apparently he signed for us

[00:17:09] because he saw us playing at Wembley

[00:17:11] and he thought that was our home ground.

[00:17:15] Then he went to Elm Park and it was like...

[00:17:20] You know, one of the memories I think going back to,

[00:17:22] you know, we've talked about previously

[00:17:24] was about the 83 when the Thames Valley Royals

[00:17:26] was going to happen with Robert Maxwell.

[00:17:29] That was a big moment in Redding's history,

[00:17:31] which we've had recently with the protests and stuff.

[00:17:34] That could have been a game changer

[00:17:36] having to share a change

[00:17:38] when the young washed people of Oxford.

[00:17:39] I mean, it was just, you know...

[00:17:41] It was close, you know,

[00:17:42] it was only certain people made a stand.

[00:17:45] And again, that could have been a big game changer

[00:17:48] back in the day for the club.

[00:17:50] So, you know, John was a legend.

[00:17:53] What I was going to say with Desky

[00:17:55] is that's the tragedy really, is that,

[00:17:57] and I'm sure we'll talk about the owner and everything

[00:17:59] coming forward, but half for me as a fan,

[00:18:02] for us the fans, but half for him

[00:18:04] because that guy invested his life into the team,

[00:18:07] into the club.

[00:18:08] And you know, he's financially worse off

[00:18:10] because of the club.

[00:18:12] He would die a richer man

[00:18:14] if he'd never really had much involvement with Redding FC.

[00:18:18] And the amount of money he put into it,

[00:18:20] the amount of money he had to come back

[00:18:21] and put into it after everything went wrong,

[00:18:23] he was sold a lie when, you know,

[00:18:27] we had the Russian owners come in

[00:18:28] and that was really,

[00:18:30] I really felt he was manipulated into that sale.

[00:18:33] We were told that, you know,

[00:18:35] this new owner's coming in, he went to university,

[00:18:37] no, it ended up being the son of an oligarch.

[00:18:39] It was actually oligarch's money

[00:18:40] and you know, son of an oligarch.

[00:18:42] But, you know, he owned Victoria's Secrets,

[00:18:44] he had this glamorous model wife

[00:18:46] who was going to sort of come in.

[00:18:47] It was all modern and he'd been to university at Redding.

[00:18:50] He'd gone to Elm Park.

[00:18:52] He was just sold this sob store.

[00:18:54] They completely manipulated him.

[00:18:57] The sale was made.

[00:18:58] We go up to the Premier League

[00:18:59] and he's leaving thinking, great,

[00:19:01] what a perfect ending to a perfect run.

[00:19:03] And then everything that's happened since,

[00:19:05] you know, I'm very lucky that, you know,

[00:19:07] a couple of times I bumped into Sir John Modaiski

[00:19:09] at the game, even if I've just seen him from a distance,

[00:19:11] always wanting to always give him a wave,

[00:19:14] always give him a shout

[00:19:15] because I want him to know how much he loved.

[00:19:20] That's a bit of a pot of history.

[00:19:22] The first 125 years or so of Redding FC covered,

[00:19:25] let's move a century or so forward

[00:19:28] and start in 2002, 2003.

[00:19:31] Redding have been in their fancy new stadium for five years

[00:19:34] but remaining the third tier

[00:19:35] before Alan Pardue leads them into the first division

[00:19:38] and then into the play of finals the following year

[00:19:40] before leaving for West Ham.

[00:19:42] He's replaced by Steve Coppel

[00:19:43] who continues the good work

[00:19:44] keeping Redding in the promotion hunt

[00:19:46] for the next couple of seasons

[00:19:47] before eventually leading them to a record break-in,

[00:19:50] 106 points and automatic promotion

[00:19:53] as champions to the top flight

[00:19:54] for the first time in their history back in 2006.

[00:19:58] Johnny, we've covered it a little bit already.

[00:20:00] That team I would imagine is legendary.

[00:20:03] What is so special about them to use a Redding fan?

[00:20:06] Ah, you can't put it in words.

[00:20:07] Like again, I'm not picking up,

[00:20:10] we spoke to Steve Coppel on a podcast

[00:20:12] and he's just such a grounded lovely guy.

[00:20:16] You can see why the team worked

[00:20:17] but it wasn't just Steve.

[00:20:18] It was Brian McDermott who was the head of the scouting.

[00:20:23] We had Nikki Hammond, recruitment.

[00:20:25] We had John Fern who was physio.

[00:20:27] We had one of the nicest, best people ever in football,

[00:20:31] Aiman Dolan, bless him, his past

[00:20:33] who set up our academy and made it what it was.

[00:20:36] It was, you speak to all these guys

[00:20:40] and anyone that's played under that system

[00:20:43] just it was just a special time.

[00:20:45] Brian, they had this setup that was just,

[00:20:48] it was the Redding way as we called it with John.

[00:20:52] It was just this, how things were done

[00:20:54] and they did the homework on players.

[00:20:57] Steve, when they went and saw Kevin Doyle play over here

[00:21:00] in Ireland, he didn't do anything

[00:21:01] and then Doyle scored a screemer and then we signed him.

[00:21:05] Transfer fees, Doyle and Long, I think it was 80 grand

[00:21:09] they paid for both of them which is just insane

[00:21:11] because Doyle was just, and Shane a bit younger

[00:21:15] but he still did his job that season

[00:21:17] but it was just, there was just a plan

[00:21:20] and Steve is so relaxed and did what he did.

[00:21:25] He didn't have to say much

[00:21:26] but everyone knew what they had to do as a team member

[00:21:30] and you had Mertz as the captain

[00:21:31] who he struggled when he first signed for a Redding

[00:21:34] at Elm Park, he was injured for a long time

[00:21:37] and when he got fit, got Nicky Shory

[00:21:41] from late and Oriental Reserves.

[00:21:42] That team was worth about a million and a half

[00:21:46] I think probably, I could be wrong

[00:21:47] Marcus Hanuman came in from Fulham, Sonco, Sidders, Harps

[00:21:52] it was a culture, it's building a culture of a team

[00:21:56] that gelled, that worked together

[00:22:00] and you had Dave Kitson who come through from,

[00:22:04] oh these are Cambridge to Redding

[00:22:06] these guys were hungry, they were all hungry

[00:22:08] to prove themselves and then you had guys that were calm

[00:22:12] Glenn Little was just the most slowest winger

[00:22:14] I've ever seen in football but he was brilliant

[00:22:17] and then you had Bobby Convey on the other side

[00:22:20] but what it was, it was a culture as a team

[00:22:22] and like we know from all the guys that we've spoken to

[00:22:24] and it's not about plugging the podcast

[00:22:26] but if you want to listen to you can listen

[00:22:28] but like you listen to these guys talk

[00:22:30] and you go wow and it was that culture

[00:22:32] it was a mindset where Steve, Brian, all of them

[00:22:36] just there was no ego, they were all just in it together

[00:22:40] and they worked for each other

[00:22:42] they believed in each other, the effort

[00:22:45] and they played good football

[00:22:46] and like when you've probably got the best two central midfielders

[00:22:49] that Redding have had in Harps and SIDS dominating it

[00:22:52] and it was unreal but then I think Steve said himself was

[00:22:57] if you've got Leroy, Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle, Shane Long

[00:23:03] and you're having to juggle them

[00:23:04] well he didn't have to because injuries meant

[00:23:06] that they literally just kind of all literally only had two

[00:23:09] to pick from for most of the season

[00:23:10] because one got, so it's kind of like a dream

[00:23:13] kind of a squad and that's probably where the next season

[00:23:17] when the limelight hit Redding

[00:23:19] and different things which we were talking about

[00:23:21] it didn't go as well because when you're unknown

[00:23:25] and that mindset that we had as a team was brilliant

[00:23:29] it's the best ever team I've seen for Redding

[00:23:31] I was just going to add that it's such an important point

[00:23:33] you made there Johnny about the built, the backroom staff

[00:23:37] famously Steve Copper, we've just talked about

[00:23:39] some amazing time assigning Steve Copper made

[00:23:41] Steve Copper has always gone on record to say

[00:23:43] his greatest signing of all time was Brian McDermott

[00:23:45] getting him in on the backroom staff

[00:23:47] and I feel that is the big mistake we made

[00:23:50] when Copper left was to get in Brendan Rodgers

[00:23:54] and basically wipe out the backroom staff

[00:23:56] that was why it went wrong for Rodgers

[00:23:58] I do feel that Rodgers needed a bit more time

[00:24:01] because we've seen the biggest shift ever

[00:24:04] the squad didn't necessarily change that drastically

[00:24:07] but it was the backroom staff that we'd known

[00:24:10] and we'd come to love and had worked with all those players

[00:24:14] for the best part of six, seven years

[00:24:15] was just suddenly all gone

[00:24:17] and Brendan Rodgers had his new way of doing things

[00:24:19] it was a very modern way

[00:24:20] and eventually that way did work for Swansea

[00:24:22] did work at Liverpool for a long time

[00:24:24] Big watch as well didn't he?

[00:24:25] Massive watch

[00:24:27] Yeah, the big old watch

[00:24:29] and so he comes in and it's just

[00:24:33] that was the worst thing we did when Copper left

[00:24:35] but there should have been a suitable replacement

[00:24:39] to come in, work with that same squad

[00:24:40] and carry on that same as we call it Readingway

[00:24:43] There's a reason why the successful replacement

[00:24:46] after Steve Copper was of course

[00:24:48] Brian McDermott who was part of that initial setup

[00:24:50] recreated that setup essentially

[00:24:52] he knew what worked at Reading

[00:24:54] he knew the family way that this club was gonna work

[00:24:56] he said it all up again and away we went

[00:24:58] From that championship winning team

[00:24:59] the reticent of record signing Leroy Lita

[00:25:02] unknown talent from Ireland

[00:25:03] Shane Long and Kevin Doyle alongside

[00:25:05] free signing Stephen Hunt came into complement

[00:25:07] established players like Marcus Hanuman, Nicky Shory

[00:25:09] Steve Sidwell, Dave Kitson to lift Reading

[00:25:12] into the top flight for the very first time

[00:25:14] in their history

[00:25:15] I think in that next transfer window

[00:25:17] I mean Sam, teams do normally rip it up a little bit

[00:25:20] add lots of signings to strength and coming up

[00:25:23] with the exception of Solky Hewn from Wolves

[00:25:25] Sam Soggy from Brentford

[00:25:27] Michael Jubry on a free transfer

[00:25:29] Steve Copper is sticking with his trusted squad

[00:25:32] I mean, I imagine that something is already

[00:25:34] in front of you felt confident in having just seen

[00:25:36] the greatest team in your club's history

[00:25:39] get 106 points, is that fair?

[00:25:41] Yeah, I mean, I was almost shocked

[00:25:42] that we were written off

[00:25:44] right before the season even started

[00:25:45] it was, we were completely written off

[00:25:47] I think we were seen as quite a few aged players

[00:25:50] in there and don't be wrong

[00:25:51] I had some worry

[00:25:53] I mean, you got to remember

[00:25:54] this was a time when we went

[00:25:56] that the Premier League was changing

[00:25:57] into the modern game that we know it today

[00:25:59] we were seeing, you know

[00:26:01] when I grew up in the 90s

[00:26:02] you had players like Razor Ruddock

[00:26:04] like Tony Adams, you know

[00:26:06] your every man was playing football

[00:26:08] and our squad looked like a bunch of every men

[00:26:11] now Glenn Little we mentioned earlier

[00:26:13] sort of guy you'd see down the pub

[00:26:14] in fact, you probably would see him down the pub

[00:26:16] you know, same with, you know

[00:26:18] Stephen Hunt, you know, Stephen and all that

[00:26:20] and you know, they were

[00:26:22] John Oster

[00:26:23] John Oster was a fringe

[00:26:24] Yeah, you know, they were sort of the guys

[00:26:26] you know, they just felt like normal blight

[00:26:29] which is you don't get that much of football now anymore

[00:26:31] you know, you feel like you see

[00:26:34] people of your community playing football

[00:26:35] and this was the time in the Premier League

[00:26:37] you had the likes of Ronaldo playing

[00:26:38] and some real world-class players in the Premier League

[00:26:41] and there was a little bit of anxiety about it

[00:26:44] but I just felt that there was just something unstoppable

[00:26:46] there was just some magic in that squad

[00:26:49] that just meant they get the job done

[00:26:51] and I just remember the glee of

[00:26:53] I didn't go to the first game of the season

[00:26:55] I was working

[00:26:56] and I remember everyone where I was working that day

[00:26:59] was saying, well, you know

[00:27:01] I'm glad you enjoyed the championship

[00:27:02] the Premier League's a completely different kettle of fish

[00:27:04] and you know, before we did it

[00:27:05] we're two nil down to Gareth Southgate

[00:27:08] whatever happened to him

[00:27:09] Gareth Southgate's middle's right

[00:27:11] you know, we're down to

[00:27:12] you know, there was his first ever managerial game

[00:27:14] I believe is that Gareth Southgate

[00:27:16] two, we're two nil down

[00:27:17] and everyone at my work is gonna

[00:27:18] there you go see, it's not all easy

[00:27:20] anyway, I still kept the faith

[00:27:22] I know that that squad is capable of doing amazing things

[00:27:25] they've done it all season before

[00:27:28] one thing they never did was give up

[00:27:29] I think even top teams now

[00:27:31] you could be a man city fan

[00:27:32] go two nil down and you still think, oh, that's it

[00:27:35] you know, that's such a real trouble

[00:27:37] but somehow that day we're two nil down to Middlesbrough

[00:27:40] it's coming into the break

[00:27:41] and I'm thinking we're gonna win this

[00:27:42] we're definitely gonna win this

[00:27:43] and as soon as you know

[00:27:45] things just started playing into part

[00:27:46] we knew Kitsom was gonna come on

[00:27:47] we knew this was gonna happen

[00:27:49] we go on and we win three, two

[00:27:50] and it was absolutely fantastic

[00:27:53] and there's just a few times that season

[00:27:54] we just managed to turn things around

[00:27:56] by using that same skill, that same mindset

[00:27:59] that we've had in the championship to win games

[00:28:01] Reading do win that first game of the season

[00:28:04] and throw in three, two victory over Middlesbrough

[00:28:05] they come from two nil down

[00:28:07] it's the beginning of a very solid start

[00:28:08] to life in the Premier League

[00:28:10] with wins over Man City, Spurs, West Ham

[00:28:12] and Bolton in that first half of the season

[00:28:15] Johnny by the end of 2006 you're in ninth

[00:28:18] you're as close to the European places

[00:28:20] as you are to the drop zone

[00:28:22] were you surprised at how well the team adapted?

[00:28:25] To a point, yeah, but then we smashed West Ham

[00:28:27] I think it was like New Year's Day, beat 6-0

[00:28:29] and I think that went well

[00:28:31] that was like the belief in that team

[00:28:34] so I'm saying like, you know

[00:28:35] that first game, you know

[00:28:36] if we'd lost that first game

[00:28:38] after being two nil down

[00:28:39] it could have been a different thing

[00:28:40] but Steve Kopple, the team had that belief in themselves

[00:28:44] they got that win

[00:28:45] and you know, the only team I think

[00:28:47] we really were outclassed by all seasons

[00:28:49] Arsenal was just a different beast

[00:28:52] we couldn't ever get a hold of Arsenal

[00:28:54] we battled with Chelsea

[00:28:55] we took out two goalkeepers

[00:28:57] and we drew one all joking aside

[00:28:59] with the Stephen Hunt thing

[00:29:02] which everyone still talks about now

[00:29:04] but like, we're competitive

[00:29:06] and as a running fan

[00:29:08] it was like, Jesus, we're in their faces

[00:29:11] and we're not phased by playing Chelsea, Liverpool

[00:29:16] they didn't maybe win every game

[00:29:18] but like, we're competing with these teams

[00:29:20] and you look at them and you go and like

[00:29:22] yeah, they're going out there

[00:29:23] and they're not scared

[00:29:25] and that was the huge thing

[00:29:26] that Steve set up with that team

[00:29:29] they believed that they were all like, you know

[00:29:31] as I said, they're free transfers

[00:29:34] and cheap deals

[00:29:35] and they're playing against Ronaldo

[00:29:36] and Roonies and whatever else

[00:29:38] but they're like, here bring it on

[00:29:40] and I don't think we were ever in that season

[00:29:43] apart from Arsenal

[00:29:44] I think we lost 4-0

[00:29:45] we were ever embarrassed by any team

[00:29:47] we were in the games all of the time

[00:29:49] and we showed that we could actually compete

[00:29:51] we beat teams by teams

[00:29:53] and Sidwell was probably

[00:29:55] I think the big link in that team

[00:29:58] that we missed the second season

[00:30:01] because you can't replace Steve Sidwell

[00:30:04] in that Redding team

[00:30:05] because he was, him and Harps were good

[00:30:08] you know, we lost that

[00:30:10] and we had, you know

[00:30:12] guys at Glen Little, Bobby Convey

[00:30:14] I didn't really probably do it as much in the Premier League

[00:30:16] because they were in the Championship

[00:30:18] they had injuries and whatever else

[00:30:19] but we found a way

[00:30:20] Stephen Hunt came in and played

[00:30:23] played as a winger

[00:30:24] and you know, we still

[00:30:25] I think Dave Kitson got sent off

[00:30:27] I think 30 seconds into the next season against United

[00:30:31] but like it was just fun to watch

[00:30:34] because it's like

[00:30:36] it's little old Redding

[00:30:38] annoying the crap out of all these fucking superstar football teams

[00:30:41] that think they're like, we're competing with you

[00:30:43] and we're not scared of you

[00:30:44] they were never ever frightened by playing those teams

[00:30:48] No, I'll just like

[00:30:49] you're right there

[00:30:50] we really did wind up teams

[00:30:53] you know, and we really held our own

[00:30:56] I think the real turning point

[00:30:57] was when we really held our own against

[00:30:59] Man United in that one draw

[00:31:01] you know, you had Rooney, Ronaldo

[00:31:04] which, you know, we held our own really

[00:31:06] in that one all draw

[00:31:07] it was what was great is

[00:31:09] and I hate to go back

[00:31:10] and I don't mean this any offense

[00:31:11] to any of the players

[00:31:12] about then

[00:31:13] but they really did look like

[00:31:14] your average blokes

[00:31:15] and not only that

[00:31:16] see how the way footballers look now

[00:31:18] you know, skin tight

[00:31:20] and all that stuff

[00:31:20] look at the

[00:31:21] you can't quite see it

[00:31:22] the image behind us

[00:31:22] if you're watching this on YouTube

[00:31:24] no doubt you had to, you know

[00:31:25] Google image

[00:31:26] some of the Redding squad from about then

[00:31:28] they don't

[00:31:29] they look like they've just got out of bed after them

[00:31:31] and again, I'm not trying to like have a go at them

[00:31:32] but I mean

[00:31:33] they would just come out with shirts

[00:31:34] that were too big for them

[00:31:36] shorts that were too short

[00:31:37] shorts that were too long

[00:31:38] and again, no disrespect

[00:31:40] to the wonderful kit manager we had back then

[00:31:42] you know, he liked a good dance

[00:31:43] with Rooney the half of that then

[00:31:45] yeah

[00:31:45] but we just

[00:31:46] was this real?

[00:31:47] Just sort of like

[00:31:48] yeah, we're here

[00:31:49] we're not

[00:31:50] we're not

[00:31:50] we're not playing your

[00:31:51] fancy thing

[00:31:52] we're here to win

[00:31:52] and we'll do it anyway we can

[00:31:54] and it was just

[00:31:54] it was just absolutely fantastic

[00:31:56] it was great fun

[00:31:57] 2007 gets off to a great start

[00:31:59] with a six-in-a-win

[00:32:00] over relegation

[00:32:00] Haunted West Ham

[00:32:01] as we mentioned

[00:32:02] it's going to get even better

[00:32:04] in those opening months

[00:32:05] a run of five wins in six

[00:32:06] means Coppels men

[00:32:08] reach the Magic 40 points

[00:32:09] with 12 games to spare

[00:32:11] in a period where they rise

[00:32:12] as high as sixth

[00:32:14] by mid-February

[00:32:14] there's just three points

[00:32:16] behind fourth placed Arsenal

[00:32:17] it is a high watermark

[00:32:18] that's followed by a bit of a wobble

[00:32:20] but ready to finish the season

[00:32:21] eighth place on 55 points

[00:32:23] narrowly missing out

[00:32:24] on European qualification

[00:32:25] by a point

[00:32:26] behind Sam Allardis's Bolton

[00:32:28] I mean, Johnny

[00:32:29] that is an incredible

[00:32:30] first season in the top fly

[00:32:31] it very nearly does end

[00:32:33] in European football

[00:32:34] going into that second season

[00:32:36] again, are you confident

[00:32:38] that the team is going to push on?

[00:32:40] Obviously we know how

[00:32:40] that second season is going to end

[00:32:42] but what were your memories of that

[00:32:44] of kind of finishing in eighth place

[00:32:46] and thinking what's next season poll

[00:32:49] On the day I remember

[00:32:50] I was listening

[00:32:51] I was listening to Australia at the time

[00:32:53] I was listening to the game

[00:32:54] and like we had

[00:32:55] we could have probably won that game

[00:32:56] and you know, I think at the time

[00:32:59] it's which has been in Europe

[00:33:00] and they struggled the next season

[00:33:02] and we were like going

[00:33:03] well, if we go into Europe

[00:33:04] is that a bad team?

[00:33:05] Because we haven't got a big squad

[00:33:07] so if we don't

[00:33:09] you know, we just want to be

[00:33:10] a mid table Premier League team

[00:33:12] to be honest

[00:33:13] you know, from where we come from

[00:33:14] and then, you know, Sidwell left

[00:33:16] which I think, you know

[00:33:17] for me personally as a fan

[00:33:19] you couldn't replace Steve Sidwell

[00:33:21] in that team

[00:33:22] because he was the engine

[00:33:23] alongside Harper

[00:33:24] but he wanted to go

[00:33:26] he wanted to go to Chelsea

[00:33:27] he wanted to go

[00:33:28] and that's fine

[00:33:29] fair play to him

[00:33:31] you know, sure he could be caught up to England

[00:33:33] Mourinho is Chelsea at the time

[00:33:35] Yeah, and I think

[00:33:37] you know, from the secret foot blurt

[00:33:40] that may have played for Redding

[00:33:42] with ginger hair possibly

[00:33:45] you know, heads returned I think

[00:33:47] and I think, you know

[00:33:48] you've come through Redding's team

[00:33:52] you know, and you have a bunch of liquor shaw sorts

[00:33:54] and that's no disrespect to all our players

[00:33:56] because they've come from different backgrounds

[00:33:58] and they've done what they did

[00:34:01] to win the championship

[00:34:02] the way they did

[00:34:03] to then go to the Premier League

[00:34:04] the way they did to get to where they were

[00:34:07] second season syndrome

[00:34:09] always is going to kick in

[00:34:10] and you know, players are getting a bit older

[00:34:13] players, you know

[00:34:14] we lost Sol Kion

[00:34:16] he didn't last

[00:34:17] I don't know what happened

[00:34:18] why he wanted to leave

[00:34:19] and so he got MSFAY

[00:34:21] I don't think we had the options

[00:34:23] that, you know, we really could have

[00:34:25] built on the team that we had

[00:34:28] financially wise

[00:34:29] whether that's just a John

[00:34:30] you know, it's the Premier League then

[00:34:32] is not the Premier League now

[00:34:33] where you can throw thousands of millions at it

[00:34:36] whatever you want to do

[00:34:37] it was a different world

[00:34:39] and so John was trying to keep it controlled

[00:34:41] you have to ask one of the players

[00:34:42] or the managers, whatever about that

[00:34:44] but we had

[00:34:45] still a competitive squad

[00:34:48] and we were still, you know

[00:34:49] in the mix for that whole season

[00:34:52] where when I was looking at my Premier League 11

[00:34:55] the first season Lero was on fire

[00:34:57] the second season Dave Kitson was on fire

[00:35:00] because of injuries and whatever else

[00:35:02] and we lost a lot of momentum

[00:35:04] in that squad

[00:35:06] and we kind of

[00:35:07] the 3-1 win over Liverpool at home

[00:35:10] was pretty enjoyable

[00:35:12] but a lot of bad results

[00:35:14] you know, we lost to West Ham

[00:35:16] and you're like

[00:35:16] yeah, we're in trouble

[00:35:17] they find a way to get results still

[00:35:20] but then I sat there watching the

[00:35:22] I think it was Portsmouth Fulham game

[00:35:25] and I'm not saying Harry Rednap

[00:35:26] any cash in a brown pocket

[00:35:28] that was a hard one

[00:35:29] that was a hard one to take

[00:35:31] because I think

[00:35:32] we were better than that

[00:35:33] and we just really didn't

[00:35:34] we just ran out of steam

[00:35:37] Steve

[00:35:38] couple was

[00:35:39] doing what he could with the squad

[00:35:41] you know

[00:35:41] and then all of a sudden there was up

[00:35:44] but I remember

[00:35:45] Sonco

[00:35:46] didn't want to play in a game

[00:35:48] all of a sudden we're starting

[00:35:49] getting to the negativity about the team

[00:35:51] which I've never heard

[00:35:53] for years before

[00:35:54] they didn't want to play in a reserve game

[00:35:56] if anyone else wants to listen

[00:35:58] and says I'm wrong

[00:35:59] but I do remember that

[00:36:00] and there's another player

[00:36:01] that didn't want to play as well

[00:36:02] I think it was Faye

[00:36:03] in Mercy Faye

[00:36:03] didn't want to play in the reserve game

[00:36:05] and there was an issue around that

[00:36:07] so it was

[00:36:08] he is actually

[00:36:09] Stank

[00:36:10] I mean

[00:36:10] in Mercy Faye if you

[00:36:12] if you are real

[00:36:13] I still struggle to know

[00:36:15] if you even exist

[00:36:16] but I mean

[00:36:17] he's actually Stank

[00:36:18] he just didn't fit in with that squad

[00:36:20] it did

[00:36:20] he was

[00:36:21] he was

[00:36:22] there's loads that came out about him

[00:36:23] you know

[00:36:24] he was

[00:36:25] he's a coach now

[00:36:25] was it a dish when the

[00:36:26] after he was the wrong fit

[00:36:27] and unfortunately

[00:36:28] he's just won AFKON

[00:36:30] without bringing most

[00:36:31] I don't realise that

[00:36:33] yeah

[00:36:33] yeah

[00:36:34] I didn't realise that

[00:36:36] no

[00:36:36] I didn't think

[00:36:37] I still don't think he exists

[00:36:39] obviously that loss of Steve Sidwell

[00:36:41] to Chelsea

[00:36:41] it's a huge blow

[00:36:42] I mean in that second season

[00:36:44] you're bringing Khalifa Cece

[00:36:45] Liam Racinha

[00:36:46] Emma Sfaye

[00:36:47] as we've mentioned

[00:36:48] who's just won AFKON

[00:36:49] he's still only 45 by the way

[00:36:51] I can't believe that

[00:36:52] he's still only 40 years of age

[00:36:54] as well Sam

[00:36:54] so there you go

[00:36:55] but again

[00:36:55] who knows

[00:36:55] Sam

[00:36:56] I'm still a back

[00:36:56] still a back

[00:36:57] come back

[00:36:58] and redeem himself

[00:36:59] there's still a chance

[00:37:00] a promising start

[00:37:01] to the second season

[00:37:03] with a point at Old Trafford

[00:37:04] despite being down to 10 men

[00:37:05] for the final period of the game

[00:37:06] he's followed by a two

[00:37:07] followed by a two

[00:37:09] home defeat to Chelsea

[00:37:10] in what is a very difficult start

[00:37:11] by anyone's standards

[00:37:12] there was a 1-0 win over

[00:37:14] and in the opening weeks as well

[00:37:15] but signs of struggle

[00:37:16] ahead are apparent

[00:37:17] when the Royals find themselves

[00:37:18] in the early season drop zone

[00:37:20] something that was completely

[00:37:21] unfamiliar to them

[00:37:22] in their previous season

[00:37:24] then comes one of the Premier League's

[00:37:26] most remarkable matches of all time

[00:37:29] on a trip to Fratton Park

[00:37:31] Sam

[00:37:32] what happened that day?

[00:37:34] summarised for us

[00:37:36] as Johnny covers his head

[00:37:37] I'll tell you what

[00:37:38] I've just got to uni back then

[00:37:40] and I remember

[00:37:42] one of my first mates at uni

[00:37:44] still is a good friend of mine

[00:37:46] is a Leicester fan

[00:37:48] and when we met

[00:37:49] I think we were just talking about

[00:37:50] our expectations for the

[00:37:52] for our each of our teams

[00:37:54] and I said, oh, I'd like us to make

[00:37:56] get into Europe this season

[00:37:57] ideally following how we nearly

[00:37:59] missed out last season

[00:38:00] and he being a Leicester fan said

[00:38:01] well, I just quite like us

[00:38:02] to sit mid-table in the championship

[00:38:04] and I laughed in his face

[00:38:05] at that

[00:38:06] and he does to say

[00:38:07] he had the last laugh as a Leicester fan

[00:38:09] but yeah, so it was a weird day

[00:38:11] I remember getting the text updates

[00:38:13] from my dad

[00:38:14] and being like, well, he's on

[00:38:16] he's on a wind up

[00:38:17] this is a wind up

[00:38:18] not this isn't the results

[00:38:20] this is

[00:38:20] I'm getting these stupid results come through

[00:38:22] it's an odd game

[00:38:23] like if you I mean

[00:38:24] I'd say to anybody go and watch the highlights

[00:38:27] I remember it for a few reasons

[00:38:28] one of the rare times we have a war

[00:38:29] our beautiful black and silver kit

[00:38:31] and just the goals are strange

[00:38:33] like there's just a lot of mucking around

[00:38:35] it feels like

[00:38:37] and it looks like at times

[00:38:39] you know

[00:38:40] so there are some great goals in it

[00:38:41] but there are also some goals that look like

[00:38:43] they're kids playing in a park

[00:38:45] you know, it's kind of like

[00:38:46] a terrible kind of clearance results

[00:38:49] in a long shot

[00:38:50] and all this sort of stuff

[00:38:51] and it's just one of those things again

[00:38:52] which happened with

[00:38:53] with with Reading that season

[00:38:55] is that we would kind of get back into a game

[00:38:57] that was lost

[00:38:58] but ultimately

[00:39:00] we could have lost that game maybe 3-0

[00:39:02] but we couldn't just do the

[00:39:05] easy way

[00:39:05] we had to go and lose it 7-4

[00:39:08] same with the with the

[00:39:10] Tottenham game

[00:39:10] we couldn't just lose that 2-0

[00:39:12] we had to go all the way

[00:39:14] they score

[00:39:14] we score

[00:39:15] they score

[00:39:16] we're back in it

[00:39:17] we're not in it

[00:39:18] and that's what really

[00:39:19] I think did us in that season

[00:39:21] was that we would fight

[00:39:22] really hard

[00:39:23] and get nothing out of it

[00:39:25] it was really frustrating

[00:39:26] like I remember another game that season

[00:39:28] was Man City

[00:39:28] where we got a really good draw

[00:39:30] that turned into a loss

[00:39:31] in like the 94th minute

[00:39:33] and that was one of James Harper's

[00:39:34] wonder goals that season

[00:39:35] if you ever get a chance

[00:39:36] go look James Harper's goals

[00:39:38] 2007-2008 season

[00:39:39] they're incredible

[00:39:40] and it was just

[00:39:41] we were scoring these great goals

[00:39:43] and you know we had kids

[00:39:43] who was on fire

[00:39:44] and we just were not getting

[00:39:45] all we were doing was dropping down the table

[00:39:47] and that must just get into the player's head

[00:39:49] at some point

[00:39:50] that you put in all that effort

[00:39:51] you keep going

[00:39:51] you keep going to the final whistle

[00:39:53] and all you get at the end of it is a loss

[00:39:55] and I don't know what happened that day

[00:39:57] I don't think anyone understands it

[00:39:59] it's kind of more remembered now

[00:40:00] for just sort of Chris Kamara

[00:40:02] having a breakdown

[00:40:02] but it was just

[00:40:05] it's just mad

[00:40:05] it just summarized the season for me

[00:40:07] that game

[00:40:08] and it's the fact that

[00:40:10] you know

[00:40:10] we should be talking about

[00:40:12] the 6-4 game in that season

[00:40:14] but we don't

[00:40:14] we talk about the 7-4

[00:40:16] it's just

[00:40:16] it was just bizarre

[00:40:17] and yeah

[00:40:18] that's it really

[00:40:19] it was a strange season

[00:40:21] it was night and day

[00:40:23] to the season before

[00:40:24] for many reasons

[00:40:25] and

[00:40:26] yeah it was

[00:40:27] it's just one of them

[00:40:28] it just was one of them things

[00:40:29] I've never quite got over

[00:40:31] is that season

[00:40:32] it's just feels still unfair

[00:40:34] it like Johnny said

[00:40:35] we were better than that

[00:40:36] we were better

[00:40:37] than some of the games we were playing in

[00:40:38] and

[00:40:39] at the end of the day

[00:40:40] we went down on like

[00:40:42] goal difference

[00:40:43] you just see these up

[00:40:44] these games

[00:40:44] where we beat Middlesbrough 1-0

[00:40:46] we were all over them

[00:40:47] we should have smashed them 3-4-0

[00:40:48] why didn't we

[00:40:49] it's just

[00:40:50] oh it's frustrating

[00:40:51] it's frustrating to look back on

[00:40:52] and that game in particular

[00:40:54] just sums it up

[00:40:55] yeah that 7-4

[00:40:56] defeat won't be the last

[00:40:57] of running away day woes this season

[00:40:59] while home wins against

[00:40:59] the footballer Newcastle

[00:41:00] among others keep the head

[00:41:01] above the drop

[00:41:02] in a tightly packed bottom half

[00:41:04] 2007 does end with

[00:41:05] that 6-4 defeat at Spurs

[00:41:07] and that is actually

[00:41:08] the start of an 8-game losing streak

[00:41:10] that finally ends in March

[00:41:11] with James Harper's

[00:41:12] injury time winner

[00:41:13] against Middlesbrough

[00:41:14] securing their first three points

[00:41:15] on the road of the year

[00:41:17] it's followed by

[00:41:18] home wins against Man City

[00:41:19] and Birmingham

[00:41:20] but by final day

[00:41:21] Coppall's men find themselves

[00:41:22] visiting a dreadful derby

[00:41:24] needed snookers

[00:41:25] only a win

[00:41:26] and Fulham dropping points

[00:41:28] at Fratt & Park would keep them up

[00:41:29] a 4-0 win for Redding

[00:41:30] looked to be enough

[00:41:31] for much of that afternoon

[00:41:32] but Danny Murphy's

[00:41:33] 76th minute winner

[00:41:34] for Roy Hodgson's Fulham

[00:41:36] would keep the cottages up

[00:41:38] Johnny it's heartbreak

[00:41:39] at the end

[00:41:40] that 8-game losing streak

[00:41:41] really did it for the Royals

[00:41:42] was there ever

[00:41:43] any unrest with the fans

[00:41:45] like you know

[00:41:45] like with the fans

[00:41:47] always backing Coppall

[00:41:48] because he got so much

[00:41:50] in the bank

[00:41:50] or was there ever that kind of

[00:41:52] often sometimes you see a team

[00:41:54] change as a manager

[00:41:55] eight games from the end

[00:41:55] was that ever

[00:41:57] like even thought about

[00:41:58] I think it's a different era

[00:42:00] to be honest

[00:42:00] I think you know

[00:42:01] you like

[00:42:02] who else is going to do a better job

[00:42:04] than Coppall at Redding

[00:42:05] at that time

[00:42:06] it's not Coppall

[00:42:06] it was the players

[00:42:07] there was issues

[00:42:09] I still say now

[00:42:11] like it's about

[00:42:12] you know they've got their

[00:42:13] you know

[00:42:14] they've got their

[00:42:15] the watches

[00:42:15] they've got the cars

[00:42:16] they've got the money

[00:42:17] now you know

[00:42:18] you've come from little

[00:42:19] you know

[00:42:20] it's like David Brent

[00:42:21] in the office

[00:42:22] now all of a sudden

[00:42:23] you've gone

[00:42:23] you know

[00:42:24] to the Oscars

[00:42:26] for the players

[00:42:27] that all of a sudden

[00:42:27] these guys that were

[00:42:29] playing and they were hungry

[00:42:30] and they were fighting

[00:42:31] for the team

[00:42:33] but all of a sudden

[00:42:33] it's like

[00:42:34] well actually

[00:42:35] it's about me now

[00:42:36] and anyone must

[00:42:38] like maybe as a player

[00:42:39] but Nicky Shorrie

[00:42:40] was one that did that

[00:42:41] and I think

[00:42:42] you know

[00:42:42] it

[00:42:43] momentum in football

[00:42:45] any sport happens

[00:42:46] and that was

[00:42:47] the way it was

[00:42:48] it was just

[00:42:49] we didn't have Steve Sidwell

[00:42:51] Sidders was that

[00:42:52] that

[00:42:53] benchmark as a team

[00:42:55] player in central midfield

[00:42:57] we tried to replace

[00:42:58] we've bring

[00:42:58] we've M-S-E-F-A

[00:42:59] whatever you know

[00:43:00] Khalifa C say

[00:43:02] wasn't the same

[00:43:03] it's never going to be the same

[00:43:04] you know

[00:43:04] and if you

[00:43:05] as a player

[00:43:06] you lose one of your best teammates

[00:43:08] Harps

[00:43:09] was one of

[00:43:10] you know

[00:43:10] his engine was brilliant

[00:43:12] but you lose Sid's

[00:43:13] alongside you

[00:43:15] that you know

[00:43:16] it's almost like telepathic

[00:43:17] as a player

[00:43:18] you know what each other's going to do

[00:43:20] and they did for years

[00:43:21] and years and years and years

[00:43:23] but one once it gone

[00:43:24] and like

[00:43:25] it's like

[00:43:25] well what you're going to do

[00:43:26] and that

[00:43:27] that's shown that season

[00:43:28] we're still competitive

[00:43:29] but eight game

[00:43:31] streak is not good

[00:43:33] like yeah

[00:43:33] and then got down

[00:43:34] to the last day

[00:43:35] and you know

[00:43:37] I said like

[00:43:38] Danny Murphy

[00:43:39] hurt

[00:43:39] it really did hurt so much

[00:43:41] that we

[00:43:41] that's how close we got

[00:43:43] as football

[00:43:44] it hurts

[00:43:44] it you know

[00:43:45] I was watching about

[00:43:46] four o'clock

[00:43:47] in the morning in Australia

[00:43:48] full of

[00:43:49] full of

[00:43:49] and probably

[00:43:50] it was like

[00:43:51] it was like a friendly game

[00:43:52] let's be honest

[00:43:53] they weren't

[00:43:54] once they got the girl

[00:43:55] it was like

[00:43:55] yeah

[00:43:56] I'll see you

[00:43:56] I'll see you out

[00:43:57] in the back of the stand

[00:43:58] how much

[00:43:58] it was hard to watch

[00:43:59] the running fans

[00:44:00] you know we went down

[00:44:01] we all wanted Steve

[00:44:02] Cobbled to stay

[00:44:03] because we believed in him

[00:44:05] so much

[00:44:06] as a coach

[00:44:08] and there was

[00:44:08] you know

[00:44:09] that season

[00:44:10] was probably the worst

[00:44:11] out of the three

[00:44:12] for me as a fan

[00:44:13] because we should have gone back up

[00:44:15] with

[00:44:17] the squad

[00:44:17] and the squad that we had

[00:44:18] and it

[00:44:19] just

[00:44:20] tailed off at the end

[00:44:21] which

[00:44:22] for reasons

[00:44:23] I don't

[00:44:23] I'll never know

[00:44:24] that was the hardest part

[00:44:25] because everyone goes down

[00:44:26] everyone goes up

[00:44:28] that's football

[00:44:28] your question about

[00:44:29] Cobble

[00:44:30] and

[00:44:31] the

[00:44:32] the fans faith in him

[00:44:33] it was always

[00:44:34] we were

[00:44:34] we wanted Cobbled to stay

[00:44:36] there was a huge

[00:44:37] movement

[00:44:38] like campaign after the

[00:44:40] we got relegated

[00:44:41] asking him to stay

[00:44:43] looking back

[00:44:44] I don't think he wanted to

[00:44:46] I do

[00:44:48] feel that the season after

[00:44:50] that Johnny

[00:44:51] talked about a little bit

[00:44:52] he

[00:44:53] he was a bit burnt out

[00:44:54] I think it's almost like

[00:44:55] trying to redo

[00:44:56] trying to recapture

[00:44:57] the magic of the last time

[00:44:58] we were in the championship

[00:44:59] and that's

[00:45:00] that's a hard thing to do

[00:45:01] and I think we sort of saw it

[00:45:02] into

[00:45:03] minds

[00:45:04] and I think part of us

[00:45:05] just sort of saw this as a blip

[00:45:06] like we didn't mean to go down

[00:45:08] we went down on goal difference

[00:45:09] we're good enough to be in the Premier League

[00:45:11] we'll just get through this season

[00:45:12] and go back up

[00:45:13] it almost felt that

[00:45:14] especially when things start going well

[00:45:15] the following season

[00:45:17] it's kind of like

[00:45:17] this is fine

[00:45:18] we'll just go back up

[00:45:19] it's not an issue

[00:45:20] we keep the players

[00:45:21] blah blah

[00:45:21] we carry on

[00:45:22] we pretend this never happened

[00:45:23] we continue being a Premier League team

[00:45:25] you might call that arrogance

[00:45:26] but there was genuinely

[00:45:26] the belief we had

[00:45:27] from Steve Copper

[00:45:28] we knew what a good manager he was

[00:45:30] at the same time

[00:45:30] you can't remember

[00:45:31] he was being

[00:45:32] you know

[00:45:32] pipped for the

[00:45:33] England job

[00:45:34] you know

[00:45:34] people forget that

[00:45:35] back then

[00:45:35] after

[00:45:36] you know

[00:45:36] everything that happened

[00:45:36] with McLaren

[00:45:37] you know

[00:45:37] his name was up there

[00:45:39] and and deservedly

[00:45:40] from the years

[00:45:40] he's had in management

[00:45:41] but

[00:45:42] sorry going back

[00:45:42] to the question

[00:45:43] I do

[00:45:44] for me personally

[00:45:45] I look at that

[00:45:46] latter part of the Premier League

[00:45:47] season 07-08

[00:45:48] our second season

[00:45:49] the Premier League

[00:45:50] and I do just

[00:45:51] questions

[00:45:52] some of the decisions

[00:45:53] I wonder why

[00:45:55] Leroy Lita

[00:45:56] wasn't

[00:45:57] wasn't playing more

[00:45:58] I felt like

[00:45:59] he deserved

[00:46:01] a place in that team

[00:46:02] I felt we were playing

[00:46:02] Shane Long too much

[00:46:04] don't be wrong

[00:46:04] I love Shane Long

[00:46:05] he is a Reading

[00:46:06] legend

[00:46:07] I didn't think he was good enough

[00:46:09] to be starting games

[00:46:10] at that point

[00:46:10] and he was being played

[00:46:11] on the right wing as well

[00:46:12] with this sort of strange

[00:46:14] sort of gap

[00:46:14] on the right wing

[00:46:15] back then

[00:46:16] and he was kind of filling it in

[00:46:17] and

[00:46:18] there was just this strange

[00:46:20] kind of

[00:46:22] wind down to that season

[00:46:23] where we just didn't look good enough

[00:46:25] we were just a team

[00:46:26] who were going to lose games

[00:46:28] and

[00:46:28] it was

[00:46:29] it was

[00:46:30] it was

[00:46:30] it was a difficult pill to swallow

[00:46:32] like you said

[00:46:33] we couldn't do things

[00:46:33] the easy way either

[00:46:34] and just lose our games

[00:46:35] and go

[00:46:36] we had that

[00:46:37] that last push

[00:46:37] against Man City

[00:46:39] and Middlesbrough

[00:46:40] I think where it really

[00:46:41] felt like

[00:46:42] and I think some of us

[00:46:43] have sort of thought

[00:46:44] things were over was the Fulham game

[00:46:46] where we lost it

[00:46:47] Roy Hodgson's Fulham

[00:46:48] and they were in the

[00:46:49] insane run wasn't they Sam

[00:46:50] they

[00:46:51] they went on a

[00:46:52] mad run

[00:46:53] to stay up

[00:46:54] like we would have stayed up

[00:46:55] if they hadn't done that

[00:46:56] I don't know what the stats were

[00:46:58] but it was

[00:46:59] mad, wasn't it?

[00:46:59] and you know

[00:47:00] they beat Man City

[00:47:01] they did

[00:47:02] whatever they did

[00:47:03] to get out of the

[00:47:04] it was insane

[00:47:05] and you know

[00:47:05] is they have great escape

[00:47:06] they remember it

[00:47:07] and you know

[00:47:07] and you look at the success

[00:47:08] they had following

[00:47:09] them staying up

[00:47:10] and before they knew it

[00:47:11] they were in Europa

[00:47:12] Europa League final

[00:47:13] you know, so

[00:47:14] you sort of think what happened that day

[00:47:16] had Fulham gone down

[00:47:16] and we stayed up

[00:47:17] it could have changed the history of football

[00:47:18] yet again

[00:47:19] but

[00:47:20] it was

[00:47:20] it was difficult

[00:47:21] and like

[00:47:22] going back to that final game

[00:47:23] of the season against Derby

[00:47:25] and again

[00:47:25] like Johnny Sutton

[00:47:26] it was a different time

[00:47:27] you didn't have social media back then really

[00:47:29] teaking up the scores

[00:47:30] I'll never forget

[00:47:31] when

[00:47:32] Lee Roy Lieter

[00:47:33] scored that goal

[00:47:34] that kind of

[00:47:35] went to celebrate

[00:47:36] then saw the

[00:47:36] fans faces

[00:47:37] and was like

[00:47:38] okay this

[00:47:38] this doesn't mean anything

[00:47:39] yeah that

[00:47:40] that kind of agony

[00:47:41] on a final day

[00:47:42] when everybody's

[00:47:43] almost attention is

[00:47:45] in a game

[00:47:46] that's happening

[00:47:46] quite a few miles away

[00:47:47] speaking of few miles away

[00:47:49] I

[00:47:49] I think Johnny was saying

[00:47:51] you were watching that game

[00:47:52] in Australia

[00:47:53] at the time

[00:47:53] where you were living

[00:47:54] so I was

[00:47:55] I was at uni at the time

[00:47:56] and I was working in a bar

[00:47:57] in a sports bar that day

[00:47:58] and

[00:47:59] they had the games on

[00:48:00] and it was

[00:48:01] Man United one

[00:48:02] on the last

[00:48:03] game of the season

[00:48:04] and I was the only

[00:48:05] Reading fan in there

[00:48:06] by one very depressed

[00:48:07] looking bloke

[00:48:08] and

[00:48:09] there were Chelsea fans in there

[00:48:10] there were

[00:48:11] Man United fans in there

[00:48:12] and there was nothing more depressing

[00:48:13] than hearing about my team

[00:48:14] go down

[00:48:15] and just seeing a load of

[00:48:17] Southern Man United fans

[00:48:20] go yeah

[00:48:20] Man United

[00:48:21] oh yeah

[00:48:22] my granddad was

[00:48:24] went to the toilet once

[00:48:25] service station in Manchester

[00:48:27] so it

[00:48:27] I'm part of it

[00:48:28] and it's like

[00:48:29] you know

[00:48:30] and it was just

[00:48:30] yeah that has changed

[00:48:31] to be honest

[00:48:31] I'd love to see them now

[00:48:32] but

[00:48:33] just seeing them

[00:48:34] will celebrate this

[00:48:35] team

[00:48:36] miles away

[00:48:37] you know

[00:48:38] you know

[00:48:38] and then there was me

[00:48:39] and

[00:48:40] I was on the bar

[00:48:41] and all day I had people go

[00:48:42] no cheer up mate

[00:48:43] mine never happened

[00:48:44] and

[00:48:44] the guys working behind the bar

[00:48:46] with was a Man City fan

[00:48:47] before Man City

[00:48:47] were

[00:48:48] Man City

[00:48:49] and he did

[00:48:49] quite a funny thing

[00:48:50] he

[00:48:51] after they won the title

[00:48:52] turned all the telly off

[00:48:53] turned it onto songs of praise

[00:48:55] because you didn't want to see them

[00:48:56] lift the title

[00:48:57] and all these

[00:48:57] Man United fans

[00:48:58] are getting really lairy

[00:48:59] and I remember him saying

[00:49:00] sure

[00:49:01] sure

[00:49:01] you've had your game of football

[00:49:02] as advertised

[00:49:03] we now have songs of praise on now

[00:49:05] if you wish to stay and watch that

[00:49:06] if you want to see them

[00:49:07] lift the title

[00:49:08] you'll have to go elsewhere

[00:49:09] and all these Man United fans

[00:49:10] have just left

[00:49:11] it was brilliant

[00:49:11] that's

[00:49:12] God

[00:49:12] that's

[00:49:13] that's banter

[00:49:13] when you are in charge of the TV remote

[00:49:15] your

[00:49:15] your opposition's

[00:49:17] is winning the league

[00:49:21] so that

[00:49:22] was

[00:49:23] Johnny and Sam

[00:49:24] an abrupt end in there

[00:49:25] I do apologise

[00:49:26] part two

[00:49:27] will follow

[00:49:28] very very shortly

[00:49:29] please do hit subscribe

[00:49:31] follow the show

[00:49:32] for part two

[00:49:33] where we cover

[00:49:34] in much much more detail

[00:49:35] the

[00:49:36] reign of Dijong

[00:49:37] the second spell

[00:49:39] in the Premier League

[00:49:40] kind of where the lads

[00:49:42] reading

[00:49:43] going

[00:49:44] and what

[00:49:44] they would be happy with

[00:49:46] over the next few years

[00:49:47] what would represent success

[00:49:48] we also put

[00:49:49] a reading

[00:49:50] FC 11

[00:49:51] into

[00:49:52] the

[00:49:52] archives as well

[00:49:54] as always

[00:49:55] thank you for listening to the show

[00:49:56] thank you for sharing it

[00:49:57] thank you for

[00:49:58] leaving reviews

[00:49:59] all of these things really really helpful

[00:50:01] we're back in the charts again

[00:50:03] last week

[00:50:04] after my episode with Jack Campbell

[00:50:05] lovely

[00:50:06] response I got to that show

[00:50:08] as well

[00:50:08] so thank you very much

[00:50:10] we are now nearing the end of the series

[00:50:12] those part two

[00:50:13] of the reading episode

[00:50:14] come soon

[00:50:15] I then have

[00:50:16] a

[00:50:17] Manchester United themed episode

[00:50:19] all about the treble winning season

[00:50:22] that will be coming in a couple of weeks time

[00:50:24] we will end this series

[00:50:25] with 98.99 as well

[00:50:28] in our season by season

[00:50:29] so as we approach

[00:50:30] 25 years

[00:50:31] a little bit Manchester United heavy

[00:50:33] I appreciate

[00:50:33] although

[00:50:34] chronologically

[00:50:35] not much we can do about that

[00:50:36] to be perfect

[00:50:36] unless with you they do dominate

[00:50:38] but

[00:50:39] there is plenty in it for

[00:50:41] non Manchester United fans as well

[00:50:43] I can assure you of that

[00:50:45] so

[00:50:46] all the links you need for today's show

[00:50:48] including our social media

[00:50:49] is in the description for this show

[00:50:51] you can also buy me a beer on there

[00:50:53] should you so wish

[00:50:54] just helps towards

[00:50:56] the production

[00:50:57] and

[00:50:58] the various costs

[00:51:00] involved in releasing the show

[00:51:01] if you really enjoy the show

[00:51:03] I'd really appreciate you doing that

[00:51:04] that would be fantastic

[00:51:06] but as ever

[00:51:07] please keep on sharing the show

[00:51:08] leave us a review

[00:51:09] take a couple of minutes

[00:51:10] to leave a review

[00:51:11] it would really really help me find

[00:51:13] new listeners

[00:51:15] but that's it for today's show

[00:51:18] part two of Redding

[00:51:19] is coming very very soon

[00:51:21] this episode was a little bit late out

[00:51:23] so I do apologise

[00:51:24] it won't be quite as long away

[00:51:26] for part two

[00:51:27] do hit subscribe

[00:51:28] so you don't miss that episode

[00:51:30] but until then

[00:51:32] I will see you soon

[00:51:33] thank you for watching

[00:51:34] thank you for listening

[00:51:35] see you soon