Bitter about Reading?

[terryjolleysboot]

I remember going to Elm park in either the first away game of the 79/80 or 80/81 season and Gills won 3-1 with sub Danny Westwood scoring a wonder goal!
The reason I ponder on this is look at them now,back then a smaller fan base than us and a dilapidated stadium,our potential has always been bigger!
Fast forward to the modern day and Reading are in a Fa Cup Semi final and tasted Premiership football plus play in a lovely stadium!
I love the Gills but I cannot help feeling bitter about Reading because look what a smaller club than us has acheived under fantastic chairmanship!
It just shows what great PR can do,take Wankelman sorry Winkelman at Mk look what a club not fit for the southern league are doing now!

[jogills]

Reading were indeed a modest club but they were much more consistently a third tier club than us. We spent as much time in the fourth tier as the third and had to seek re-election several times. Their crowds were always a bit bigger than ours and then they got a benefactor. Majdeski may not be an oil millionaire but is seriously wealthy and invested heavily in the club in his early days. Finally there is geography, bigger and richer populations West of London.

If we dream of becoming a Reading, or a Swansea there are two routes. One, a benefactor. Two a long, slow improvement and an accumulation of fortune and good decisions. Look down and there are clubs like Stockport, Tranmere, Wrexham, Bristol Rovers and Grimsby, who once looked down on us.

[terryjolleysboot]

Readings support was never as big as ours!
Without looking at stats I always thought up to Madjeski their success was on a par with the Gills!
I must admit I was surprised to hear that they have reached a cup semi final before, if my calculations are correct that was the year 1927 that the cup left England for the one and only time when Cardiff beat Arsenal!

[jogills]

Their support has been consistently bigger than ours over time Terry. Check the following links:

european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/gill.htm

european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/read.htm

[terryjolleysboot]

I will have a look thank you but I will be surprised if it was before the mid eighties!
Another statistic site for me to peruse!

[terryjolleysboot]

Mar 17, 2015 13:48:14 GMT 1 jogills said:

Their support has been consistently bigger than ours over time Terry. Check the following links:

european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/gill.htm

european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/read.htm

Good site,but I am genuinely shocked regarding Reading!
Brentford as well?