The Oxford/Swindon rivalry explained

[Wax Jacket]

once in the League Cup

[Ian Royal]

we do this subject often. Our mutual rivals are Aldershot. Ok, this mostly started during my young days (70's and 80's) but to suggest Oxford and/or Swindon is just wrong. They don't like us at all, but I doubt you would find many of their fans, of any age, who would call us their main rivals.

The comments on Bournemouth are true. They see us as number one, but no-one cares here. Disagree with Wycombe. Absolutely no feelings anywhere there.

You'll be hard pressed to find many of our fans who think of Aldershot as a rival. Have we even played a competitive game against them? I think you'd find more Oxford or Swindon fans who say Reading (if not first then after the other one) than you would find Reading fans who say Aldershot.

I've been going for 17 years and Aldershot simply aren't on my radar. It's Swindon with Oxford a way behind for me. And, I think, the same goes for the friends I started going with. Just because your experience (being an antique ) says it's Aldershot, not Swindon or Oxford, doesn't mean you are right.

Essentially one potential ceased to exist over 20 years ago and the other two potentials are part of a three way thing. We haven't really got a proper rival any more because we've out grown them all anyway.

[FiNeRaIn]

Agreed ^

We don't really have one tbh.

[From Despair To Where?]

we do this subject often. Our mutual rivals are Aldershot. Ok, this mostly started during my young days (70's and 80's) but to suggest Oxford and/or Swindon is just wrong. They don't like us at all, but I doubt you would find many of their fans, of any age, who would call us their main rivals.

The comments on Bournemouth are true. They see us as number one, but no-one cares here. Disagree with Wycombe. Absolutely no feelings anywhere there.

You'll be hard pressed to find many of our fans who think of Aldershot as a rival. Have we even played a competitive game against them? I think you'd find more Oxford or Swindon fans who say Reading (if not first then after the other one) than you would find Reading fans who say Aldershot.

I've been going for 17 years and Aldershot simply aren't on my radar. It's Swindon with Oxford a way behind for me. And, I think, the same goes for the friends I started going with. Just because your experience (being an antique ) says it's Aldershot, not Swindon or Oxford, doesn't mean you are right.

Essentially one potential ceased to exist over 20 years ago and the other two potentials are part of a three way thing. We haven't really got a proper rival any more because we've out grown them all anyway.

I take your point about it being dependant on your own formative years but in the 80's, Aldershot were most definitely the big derby. I particularly remember a particularly nasty match at the Rec in 1989, with some heavy handed policing, serious overcrowding, general mayhem and violence and a very, very dodgy late penalty to give us a 1-1 draw. Mixed feelings about them going bust because our last ever competitive game against them was a 3-1 defeat in the Johnstones Freight Auto Paint Windscreen Rover Cup Shield thingy. A particularly dire performance, most notable for a Martin Hicks 20yd headed own goal.

Oxford was given more resonance by Maxwell but by the mid 80's, they'd sailed off towards the iceberg on the good ship FatBob.

To me Swindon has always been the least intense of the 3 rivalries, a rivalry of convenience when there's no-one closer to hate. I actually think they hate Bristol City more than us, but again that's a one way rivalry.

[bobby m's syrup]

we do this subject often. Our mutual rivals are Aldershot. Ok, this mostly started during my young days (70's and 80's) but to suggest Oxford and/or Swindon is just wrong. They don't like us at all, but I doubt you would find many of their fans, of any age, who would call us their main rivals.

The comments on Bournemouth are true. They see us as number one, but no-one cares here. Disagree with Wycombe. Absolutely no feelings anywhere there.

You'll be hard pressed to find many of our fans who think of Aldershot as a rival. Have we even played a competitive game against them? I think you'd find more Oxford or Swindon fans who say Reading (if not first then after the other one) than you would find Reading fans who say Aldershot.

I've been going for 17 years and Aldershot simply aren't on my radar. It's Swindon with Oxford a way behind for me. And, I think, the same goes for the friends I started going with. Just because your experience (being an antique ) says it's Aldershot, not Swindon or Oxford, doesn't mean you are right.

Essentially one potential ceased to exist over 20 years ago and the other two potentials are part of a three way thing. We haven't really got a proper rival any more because we've out grown them all anyway.

I've been going since 1965 and Aldershot were never rivals back then, although we did have the odd cup scrap with them. It was always Swindon, Oxford, Brentford and Watford, pretty much in that order, with the odd slap at Bournemouth and (Leyton) Orient. With the major changes of the 70s and 80s (Oxford and Swindon both playing at times in higher leagues than Reading), Aldershot gained brief prominence, although we pretty much dominated them on the pitch.

I remember cartoons in the Reading Chronicle from the late 60s, depicting Swindon as a mechanic carrying a big spanner and Oxford as a 'don'. Reading was a chef carrying a tray of biscuits. Nary a mention of Aldershot.

IIRC, crowds at Elm Park v Swindon in the 60s used to be around the 17K mark and v Oxford c 14K. Those were our biggest games outside of cup events.

[DelBoyRodders]

Reading don't have a local rival, but our rivals over the last few years has been against any team that Warnock was managing.

[Deadlock]

The 3-0 win over Swindon at Elm Park when Archie scored a hat-trick is one of my happiest memories of that ground

They'd recently sold Tore Andre Flo and Archie celebrated his goals by doing Flo's "aeroplane" move in front of the Town End. Happy days.

Torre Andre Flo? you mean Jan Åge Fjørtoft

Er ... yes!

[Ian Herring]

we do this subject often. Our mutual rivals are Aldershot. Ok, this mostly started during my young days (70's and 80's) but to suggest Oxford and/or Swindon is just wrong. They don't like us at all, but I doubt you would find many of their fans, of any age, who would call us their main rivals.

The comments on Bournemouth are true. They see us as number one, but no-one cares here. Disagree with Wycombe. Absolutely no feelings anywhere there.

You'll be hard pressed to find many of our fans who think of Aldershot as a rival. Have we even played a competitive game against them? I think you'd find more Oxford or Swindon fans who say Reading (if not first then after the other one) than you would find Reading fans who say Aldershot.

I've been going for 17 years and Aldershot simply aren't on my radar. It's Swindon with Oxford a way behind for me. And, I think, the same goes for the friends I started going with. Just because your experience (being an antique ) says it's Aldershot, not Swindon or Oxford, doesn't mean you are right.

Essentially one potential ceased to exist over 20 years ago and the other two potentials are part of a three way thing. We haven't really got a proper rival any more because we've out grown them all anyway.

I take your point about it being dependant on your own formative years but in the 80's, Aldershot were most definitely the big derby. I particularly remember a particularly nasty match at the Rec in 1989, with some heavy handed policing, serious overcrowding, general mayhem and violence and a very, very dodgy late penalty to give us a 1-1 draw. Mixed feelings about them going bust because our last ever competitive game against them was a 3-1 defeat in the Johnstones Freight Auto Paint Windscreen Rover Cup Shield thingy. A particularly dire performance, most notable for a Martin Hicks 20yd headed own goal.

Oxford was given more resonance by Maxwell but by the mid 80's, they'd sailed off towards the iceberg on the good ship FatBob.

To me Swindon has always been the least intense of the 3 rivalries, a rivalry of convenience when there's no-one closer to hate. I actually think they hate Bristol City more than us, but again that's a one way rivalry.

Was at this. Quite violent. Reminded me of Oxford away many years later, the smell of rhodedendrums for some reason. Both a pair of shithouses. English provincial knuckle exchange. Good day out, mind.

[From Despair To Where?]

Was at this. Quite violent. Reminded me of Oxford away many years later, the smell of rhodedendrums for some reason. Both a pair of shithouses. English provincial knuckle exchange. Good day out, mind.

Smell of rhodedendrums? That would be the flower bed that constitutes one end of the Rec.

[Bowman's Quiver]

I'm close to fifty years old now and was at Elm Park through the mid to late 70's and most of the bank holiday derby games against Oxford, Swindon, Aldershot and even Portsmouth.

I've never been able to understand the Aldershot thing, then or now. It's almost an urban myth that they ever were our main 'rivals'.

Portsmouth was more hostile, Oxford a bit half-hearted but heated nontheless (the only place I've ever taken a wack), but Swindon was much more the real deal. Running battles down the Norfolk Road and outside the County Ground were a regular feature of those encounters. An obnoxious club.

[LUX]

OK, it seems few on here consider Aldershot to have ever been our main rivals (and, as I said, my formative years were when we were playing them regularly, so I am biased). My point was, though, that Oxford and Swindon do not consider us to be their principal local rivals at all. Indeed, in the case of Swindon, we are probably behind the Bristol clubs, Gillingham and even Cheltenham as well as Oxford.

I suggested Aldershot because there is at least some form of mutual dislike. We are most certainly the team they consider to be their hated rivals. Ditto Bournemouth, but that is only one way.

It should be Brentford (closer than Swindon, ignored by their neighbours, played them loads of times over the decades), but that has never taken off. I quite like them, tbh.

One last point, in a recent survey, we were apparently voted Wolves' second biggest rivals (disliked club), after WBA. I think we have had lots of key and tasty meetings since the 80's.

[LUX]

might be interesting to do a poll. Not sure how to phrase the question. "Which club do you dislike the most" would get responses like Liverpool/Chelsea etc, which, whilst understandable, is not the point.

"who are Reading's main local rivals" would be best, but Southampton might be the sensible answer there (localish and look at the table).

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Why do Swindon hate Gillingham?

[Jackson Corner]

I can remember Swindon taking the Southbank in the early 80's. Pompey at least two ocasions. Oxford and Aldershot never managed it in games I went to. I can recall us taking over the rec a few times, which for me is always why I always looked at them as our main rivals as it was always a ground we could take.

[Royal With Cheese]

Mixed feelings about them going bust because our last ever competitive game against them was a 3-1 defeat in the Johnstones Freight Auto Paint Windscreen Rover Cup Shield thingy. A particularly dire performance, most notable for a Martin Hicks 20yd headed own goal.

Remembered as well for th day that John Major became leader of the Conservative Party.

[postwhisperer]

in terms of rivalry...1 being biggest rival
1. Chelsea
2 West Ham
3. York City
4. Aldershot
5. Liverpool
6. Oxford/Swindon

[LUX]

I can remember Swindon taking the Southbank in the early 80's. Pompey at least two ocasions. Oxford and Aldershot never managed it in games I went to. I can recall us taking over the rec a few times, which for me is always why I always looked at them as our main rivals as it was always a ground we could take.

Oxford certainly did in 1977 (April). They occupied the SB. We were winning 2 0 and they left the South Bank early, turned left and left again to try and get to the Reading fans in the Town End, who all ran or (better option 'cos there was no way in) stayed put.

Also seen Northampton and Sheff Wed occupy the SB in the 70's. Millwall in the 80's.

I was at the Rec a lot, always violent, but only outside the ground. Never saw us "take" their end. There was a big fence keeping the two groups apart.

[who are ya?]

lulz @ Reading taking anything

[Red]

in terms of rivalry...1 being biggest rival
1. Chelsea
2 West Ham
3. York City
4. Aldershot
5. Liverpool
6. Oxford/Swindon

Was an absolute nightmare for Neville Stamp up there by all accounts.

[Fox Talbot]

Why do Swindon hate Gillingham?

Play-off semis in the 80s IIRC.

Wycombe v Colchester similar kind of hatred - this from non-league days in early 90s.