What makes a good match day experience?

[Coppelled Streets]

There's plenty of comments everywhere where fans don't enjoy watching the football anymore and so on.

So what makes a good match day experience then? And what could Reading Football Club do to improve it?

[Compo's Hat]

Lots of singing and lots of beer!

When i go on away days, the match is only a part of the day. I like to have a laugh with my mates traveling there and back while visiting a few pubs and chatting to opposition fans who give good honest opinions.

[Hugo Boss]

The journey then the drinking before and after the game.

[Winchester Royal]

The journey then the drinking before and after the game.

Seconded.
Football doesn't make or break the day, by no means.

[Farnborough Royal]

The journey, the booze, the people you travel with, standing at the match and a good atmosphere.

[Jerry St Clair]

The journey, the booze, the people you travel with, standing at the match and a good atmosphere.

Spot on

[Magnus]

The Prawn Sandwiches

[RoyalBlue]

Stewards who know a bit about football, exercise a fair level of common sense and discretion and do not regard shouting and making a lot of noise as an offence!

They do exist in places and I am sure most of us have met some (and even some good police!) on our travels.

[Warfield Royal]

Ticket cost
Journey cost
Journey
Parking
Walk to the ground
Drink
Seat
People sitting nearby
Atmosphere
Exciting match whatever the outcome
Exit from the car park and surrounding roads
Journey home

[Hugo Boss]

The Prawn Sandwiches

ALOL!!

[Ginger Ninjas]

Away games certainly offer a different (and, imho, better) experience fo a number of reasons. Firstly, home games tend to be a very set routine for me whereby I know that: I will arrive at my parents for lunch and football focus/early sky kick off, then drive the same route, pick up the same people, park in the same spot, sit in the same seat (listening to the same moaners behind me - twats) and go to the same pub after the game as I did for the previous match. Familiarity breeds contempt. There are now only a few home games which I get genuinely excited about much before kick off.

On the other hand, away games offer a little venture into the unknown: Setting off at different times, picking the way up the motorway network (though the M6 can only be traveled so many times), stopping in the services and seeing fans from all over teh country, finding the ground, somewhere to park where the car won't get nicked, discovering a decent pub near the ground (big up to Brum, Fulham and Charlton), few beers before hand, different seat often with a crap view (WHU esp), feeling like it's us against them, singing and sometimes standing for the whole game, not being too bothered if it's a crap game, falling asleep on the journey home.

The two Fulham matches last year were far from classic encounters, both of which Reading won, but you'll not find a single person who went to both who found the home game more enjoyable

[Jerry St Clair]

The fighting

[sheshnu]

Getting home in time for Gladiators.

[Skin]

The fighting and the drugs

[Huntley & Palmer]

The journey then the drinking before and after the game.

or just watching the game in town if you can't be arsed, with more drinking. Though Boro away last season was the longest and most depressing homeward journey I have had in a long time, even though I was shit faced

[Hugo Boss]

Agreed.

I think future games might be watched from the comfort of a boozer when possible.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Try the Bradford Arms

[bb0118]

The Half Time Entertainment!

[Farnborough Royal]

Tom Hark!!

[Sharpy]

homes games at present...

best thing about it is getting back home, changed and back in town for 7pm