A Reading 4 Perspective

Mine's a pint!
By bisach
February 28 2003

Whilst collecting pieces for an article I was looking to put together, I asked some people how they came to be supporting LI. Bill Newton sent this gem to me, which is deserving of a story in it's own right. Especially as it contains references to the Kassam game (Loobs).

First, some background, Bill's handle, bisach is an anagram of the first 2 letters of his family's names, Bi(ll), Sa(rah) and Ch(arles).

Over to Bill:

Charles had expressed an interest in playing Rugby and started playing for the minis at Reading. During his time at U9's I started "helping out" with the coaching and qualified during the summer as an England Rugby Mini/Midi Level I coach.

During his U10 year, we started going to see London Irish who'd recently moved to the MadStad.We'd not had any interest in seeing Richmond when they were there, but the LI "aura" appealed to us all. We were Westies at the time for no other reason than it just seemed easier to get to from the car park. We must have sat in every section of the West Stand except Peter's Patch, even the Upper West. I seem to remember midweek games when Newcastle visited. Leicester were, and still are, a pain. It may have been nearer the car park but boy, was the car park a beggar to get out of after the games. We used to leave as soon as the final whistle blew and then sit in the car for an hour waiting to move.

The Paddy's day game that year was our first foray into the mists of "the Craic". Several times I'd "asked" Sarah if we could visit what I now know to be called the Cow Shed but being slightly averse to crushed humanity she kept declining. Paddy's Day came along and she relented and we spent a while in the marquee before going back to the car and finding an empty road before us!

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to leave after the rush in future. This we started to do and although Sarah still didn't like the crush she persevered (like any good wife should) and let me wander to the front by the band and those speakers. Honest guv, it wasn't an excuse for me not to be able to hear what she said to me for the rest of the night.

At the start of Charles' U11 year, there weren't enough kids in Charles' age group at Reading to form a team so we looked elasewhere for him to get a game. Why not LI? We contacted Gerry Gallagher and were invited to Sunbury to see if we liked it. It was a bit of a shock to us both to suddenly see all the kids there. The LI minis are so well supported in numbers. The kids immediately made Charles feel welcome. During the summer, Sarah and I had talked about buying season tickets, but we couldn't really afford the one off payments for them both. We decided just to buy Charles a season ticket and thus join the Digger Club. Not thinking anything about it, the ST turned up and we found that it was in the East Stand in row Y or something. To Hell with it we thought, kids tickets are still just £1 so we stayed as Westies and just bought a ticket for each game for Charles.

Naturally, memories of last season have all to be measured against the Cup Final, the pre/post match west car park party, the game and the Stoop afterwards. None can for fun or intensity, but some do come to mind.

We'd decided to go to some of the away games and our first was, I think (memory, old age etc) Northampton. Never again would I complain about our car park queues. Doris accosting us as we drove by the team coach and wound down the window to commiserate with the bandaged players was the abiding memory.

During the start of the season we started to get to know some of the "Usual Suspects" in the cow shed and we also found the Message Board (singular).

We travelled up to Leeds where we met Glen and Mary and OxonRob for the first time as well as a few others. Adam Luck's tattoos spring to mind here as well. Fortunately, work took me north at the same time as the Newcastle game where I met this huge bloke who turned out to be TPL. I can't remember what game it was but for some reason we decided to visit the East Stand. We've never looked back.

The Cup semi at the Stoop where Brian's wigs made their first mass appearance. The thought going through my mind that something needs to be done to stop the wind blowing them across your face.

My first attempt at writing this now had a section which said "All good things come to an end and the season seemed to peter out after the cup final, starting with the semi at the freezing Kassam." But that's not true.

Granted, the results dropped off, but the Craic didn't. It is all true, "LI Is A State Of Mind" and "It's more than 80 minutes of Rugby", yes spirits were dampened but the Craic did, and still does, continue. The faces and voices are a constant. There are people who I can't remember meeting for the first time but seem to have known for ages. Kevin and Annette, FatBoy, PaddyG, Loobs, Murph, MWM. Thank God there are people supporting this club like them. The last off season would have been hell without them.

What do you do during a summer with no rugby? You get a bunch of like minded people who like to do it their way. Henley, The MelonSucksSevens, Dublin. Where did JoeV spring from? I'd stood near Eek so many times at the front of the CowShed but still didn't recognize him as he sped by me, honking his horn on the way to Henley. Thinking back at it, it reminds me of Toad, "Poop Poop".

SubTel's carpark space at HQ with his flag and balloons flying. Being introduced to the Coochies and Mutts and Fran. This season started with the joyous knowledge that we'd be able to afford a season ticket each. At £99, a bargain in anyone's books.

The playing season started the way the last ended but it seemed that everyone had learnt over the summer how to overcome this with the Craic.

Toulouse is a highlight of the season. I'm sure Kevin would agree that it's an excellent city for lovers of walking. Just the place for someone of the Orange persuasion to spend the night standing under a Celtic flag. You can get big green toblerones there too, can't you MWM and Fran?

Hopefully, this weekend's visit to the Kassam will close the indifferent playing circle. The only regret I have is that when we win, I won't be able to make the final this year. The wig will be making and appearance at EuroDisney on the 5th to mark our appearance in the final.