New

[Dookie200]

Hi,

I’m coming to my first Reading game Saturday, been to the stadium before but not for a league game.

I am a Leyton Orient fan.. or at least, I was a Leyton Orient fan. I’m sure many of you know what’s gone on with Orient the last few years, the club is not recognisable to me any more. To me, Orient is dead.. maybe not completely, but it is certainly not the same. I’ve had season tickets, I’ve followed up and down the country.. the results, the league position, all of that stuff is irrelevant. Everything that was good about the club to me has vanished, no matter how much the new owners try.

I haven’t had anywhere to watch football for a while now, I literally can’t bear going to orient games.

So Saturday, I will be venturing to my nearest club.. Reading.

Any recommendations of places around and about to get a pint before the game? Anything else I should know?

Cheers

[bcubed]

Advice?

If you haven't bought your ticket don't go

[CountryRoyal]

I haven’t had anywhere to watch football for a while now

Well you're not going to watch any here that's for sure.

I would strongly urge you to reconsider, you have one life, live it. Don't waste several precious hours by watching us. Hell most of us who feel we have to, don't.

[starbug]

Leyton Orient have had a shocking and depressing time in recent years and at your lowest ebb you thought you'd come to see Reading? well welcome to a new world of pain and misery.

[windermereROYAL]

Well you don't give any indication where you are travelling but if your looking for pubs its advisable to have a beer or 8 in town then get the bus to the stadium.
Don`t listen to miserable sods on here, yes we are having a bad season, but we`ve been an established championship side since 2002. whether we are next season is open to debate. but welcome to our club,
Enjoy the game

[CountryRoyal]

Enjoy the game

That's a good one.

[muirinho]

Well you don't give any indication where you are travelling but if your looking for pubs its advisable to have a beer or 8 in town then get the bus to the stadium.
Don`t listen to miserable sods on here, yes we are having a bad season, but we`ve been an established championship side since 2002. whether we are next season is open to debate. but welcome to our club,
Enjoy the game

And when you've got the bus to the game, if there's still time for a quick one, go around towards gate 8, there's a couple of places to get beer (local ale as well as lager), and a big screen which will be showing whatever match is on Sky - unless it's piddling down, it's better than the concourse.

Not that we're trying to put you off or anything, but getting well bladdered up before taking your seat does improve what you're watching.

[Elm Park Kid]

If you're after old-school football qualities like loyalty, passion and community then I'd advise going to watch a different local non-league side rather than Reading. The club has never really recovered from when it fired McDermott the first time.

[tidus_mi2]

If we play our best football of the season and win comfortably on Saturday you're not allowed to go back to Orient.

[Steve_Upper_West]

Would you like my season ticket - I stopped using it weeks ago !

[Dookie200]

Thanks all for the replies and advice!

Whilst I’ve not been to see Reading before I have always followed results etc. I know it’s been a rough season, hopefully I’ll bring a little good luck.

I will certainly be having a few before the game!

Re season tickets, you can swap me for my Orient one if you like? Haven’t used it once all season because I can’t bear going and watching, only bought it to try and support the new owners really. Feels like I bought a season ticket at a random club!

[Hound]

Definitely not chosen the best time to come and watch us. Real low ebb at the moment

Still, not a bad game to choose with Leeds coming down - they bring plenty so should be a good atmosphere

The game will likely be a turgid borefest between two inept teams and end 1-1, so set your expectations at rock bottom and you may have a good afternoon

[finchroyal]

Enjoy the day,ononon

[Hound]

Shame about Orient btw. Proper local club, had a lot of time for them and a couple of good trips to Brisbane road.

[Dookie200]

Sorry, my posts are getting delayed on here because I’m a new member.. need approval!

Yeah it’s a massive shame about orient.. there is still a hard core loyal fan base so they should be ok long run, and hopefully get back where they belong. I honestly don’t know how the fans do it, clearly much stronger than me.. Francesco becchetti ruined orient for me, clearly to others they feel they have their club back.. not for me though.

Funnily enough before he bought orient he was apparently interested in Reading.. lucky escape!

[leon]

Leave the house without a belt or your shoe laces.

[Hound]

Leave the house without a belt or your shoe laces.

[Old Man Andrews]

It is a horrible time to start coming to watch Reading but it won't always be. The good far outweighs the bad.

[Sutekh]

Reading seem to be completely stuck in transition . Have been for 4/5 years having first been flogged to a Russian with no money and then being sold to Thais with a fetish for converting car parks into real estate who then sold to a Chinese brother and sister.

The Chinese pair do appear to have money and do run a club in Belgium and another in China, all appear to be run in a very low profile and (apparent) hands off manner which seems to upset people here as the owners are rarely seen which gives rise to the standard conspiracy theorists and tales of asset stripping etc. However I think all that is cobblers given they've invested in a CEO ex of Chelsea and ManU to run the club on a daily basis, are putting money into the Class 1 Academy redevelopment at Hogwood Park and have backed Jaap Stam in the transfer market as much as FFFP allows.

Playing wise it's currently awful. Don't expect entertainment (from Reading) unless you enjoy comedy defending and an inability to create anything of any note despite a talented squad. But then you get periods like this at any club and it just so happens it's Reading's turn again.

Jaap should have gone ages ago but the achievement last year has probably given him a good deal of stock with the board for this bad run. Sticking with him is commendable in this day and the board must see what he's trying to do as a long term plan for the club as a whole and if this season can be survived then everyone should be better for it.

At least the Leeds game will bring an atmosphere, though that will mostly be from the Leeds fans towards Jaap for his ManU connections.

Enjoy it, there is a good club in here somewhere but it's like having a dense cat when the door's ajar - it doesn't have the necessary brains to pull it open.

[Theroyalbox]

Firstly sorry to hear you've fallen out of love with Orient, never nice and makes me a bit more grateful for what we have. even though we are really bad this year.

I always find with Reading the home games are mundane, nowhere really to get a pint around the ground unless in town although having a few in the concourse is great! The best experience of Reading comes at away games probably the same with most clubs, but I just don't think you can beat it so when we draw 0-0 and its cold probably raining and listening to Leeds fans spout shit all game don't give up on us then come to an away game its a right laugh