Reading v Arsenal 22.10.06

The less said about Reading’s home game against Arsenal at the start of the 2006/7 Season, the better.

I don’t personally have many memories of the game, accept maybe that it highlighted to me, the pace at which top professional players, play the game at times. The speed at which they move the ball, control and pass, is at times quite breath taking. I often wondered, what is it that makes a first or second division game look so slow and cumbersome, as if the ball is somehow heavier or the grass much longer. Or how you can take two comparably fit players, but one can be so much better than the other. Maybe it’s the training, tactics, their mentality, or maybe it’s just playing with a group of better players. Probably a combination of all of these factors, but then again some players just have more skill and the footballing brain to put those skills to better use.

Whatever the reason, you could expect a team that contained players like Fabregas, Van Persie, Gallas, Henry, and Adebayor, to be a good side. And that’s what Reading found to their cost in late October 2006. Of course, it didn’t help Reading’s confidence much, conceding a goal in the first minute, but then Arsenal did go on to give the Royals a real lesson in how to play football at the highest level.

Here are just a few of the images that I captured that day. Just seeing Henry, up close and personal through my lens, was an experience in itself. Anyway I hope that you enjoy shoots.

Ivar Ingimarsson shadows Arsenal's Rosicky

Ex Gunner James Harper tussles with Robin Van Persie

James Harper at full stretch

Stephen Hunt watched by Toure

Simply Henry

Henry celebrates his goal after 60 seconds

Alex Song stretching for the ball

Steve Coppell in discussion with Kevin Dillion

Stephen Hunt v Toure

Ivar Ingimarsson marking Adebayor

Arsne Wenger

Lehmann warns Hunt

Seol tackled by Van Persie

Nicky Shorey

Competition Results

The winner of the Picture Competiton is Simeon Pickup who was the only one who correctly guessed the four Reading players as:

1. James Harper

2. Graeme Murty

3. Ibrahima Sonko

4. Glen Little

Reading v Chelsea 14.10.06

Following on from a 1-0 away win at Upton Park against West Ham, next up at the Madejski, in Reading’s inaugural season in the Premiership, was another London club, Chelsea.

If, however, big spending Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side were expecting an easy game at the Premiership's newest boys, they were in for a bit of a rude awakening. Another capacity crowd at the Madejski settled down at 5.15 to watch the start of the game, what they didn’t know then was that the game would be remembered for two goal mouth incidents, that saw both Chelsea’s goalkeepers stretchered off the field. 

Maybe not surprisingly, I can’t really remember much about the football, other than it was a scrappy bad tempered game.  Within the first minute of the game things got bad after Stephen Hunt and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech collided as they both went for the ball. Apparently, Hunts knee had accidentally struck Cech’s head and fractured his skull. Cech was eventually stretchered off and straight to hospital where he later had surgery.

The game continued but tensions were increased by the incident. Chelsea managed to find the back of the net on 43 minutes, but only after Frank Lampard’s shot had ricocheted off several legs before hitting Ivar Ingimarssons shine and in for an own goal.

Things only got worse when Chelsea’s substitute goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was knocked out by Sonko as he threw himself at the ball. Cudicini was eventually stretchered off after a long time being treated on the pitch.  John Terry went in goal.

The game also had two red cards, Bikey and Obi Mikel, both being sent off. In the end Chelsea retained their lead and went home with a 1-0 win.

Reading Fans

Petr Cech would end up in hospital with a fractured skull

Michael Essien warms up before the game

John Terry would end up playing in goal

Petr Cech about to be stretchered off the pitch

Stephen Hunt

Leroy Lita

Sonko sells Drogba a dummy

Undeterred Stephen Hun goes in hard on Michael Essien

Kevin Doyle gets his shot away under pressure

Leroy Lita battles for the ball

Kevin Doyle closely marked

The tackles are still flying in....!!!

How many defenders does it take to clear the ball....!!!!

Steve Sidwell challenges Joe Cole for the ball

Tempers flare, look who's in the thick of it again

Reading v Manchester Utd 23.09.06

I am going to change my treatment slightly for the 2006/7 Season. I am not going to be concentrating so much on who scored what, when, and how, but looking more at each game from my own observations and memories. It would be great if anyone reading this blog, would add their own comments, maybe recounting their experiences from the games. It doesn’t matter how long or short you make your comment, but I would certainly be interested to hear how other people remember things, especially from the away games. Any unusual or funny stories would certainly be welcome.

I also intend to add, in addition to the more obvious and important moments captured through my lenses, a far greater selection of images captured from the crowd, the characters, the fans, the people that make a football crowd what it is. Also I am going to include some of the less obvious or more unusual images, most of which would never have been seen before, that are captured during a game but never used. These include some great and often amusing facial expressions, compromising and strange positions that players often find themselves in, only the camera can capture in a fraction of a second.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the images from this season, an historical and exciting adventure for Reading FC.

In much the same way as I missed the start of the 2005/6 Season, I missed the start of the 2006/7 Season due to a medical condition that would eventually put pay to my fledgling photographic career, although I didn’t know that at the time. For now at least, I was mad keen to get fit enough and start covering my first game of the season.

For obvious reasons, I set Manchester United at home, as my target match to get myself back on that stool and taking pictures again.

By the time of the Man U game, I had already missed five league games and one cup game.  These included Reading’s first game in the Premiership against Middlesbrough, a five goal thriller that saw the Royals come back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, what a game to miss. Games against Aston Villa, Wigan Athletic, Sheffield Utd and Man City in the league, and a home tie in the Carling Cup against Doncaster, another high scoring game.

It’s interesting to note that of the players that Man City fielded the day they played Reading at the Madejski, only one Micha Richards is still at the club, plus Joe Hart who was on the bench.

It was, therefore, with some anticipation that I made my way to the Madejski Stadium on Saturday 23^rd September 2006 for the visit, of what I am sure for most football fans, regardless of allegiance, is still one of the worlds most charismatic, and successful clubs of all time, Manchester United.

I think that I have already described in any early post http://pitchsiderfc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/promotion-to-premiership-or-not-just.html a bit about what it feels like to be pitch side for a game, and how seeing the players close up through your lenses, gives you a unique and some how intimate view of them. It probably sounds a bit silly, but having been in this position for most of last seasons home games, it was starting to feel as though I actually knew all of the Reading players personally, especially those goal scorers who more often than not made a point of seeking out the cameramen around the ground, to pose and celebrate their goals in front of them. I’m not criticising, I’d do exactly the same in their position, for it is often these pictures that will make the sports pages of the newspapers.

I have to say though, that it is the forwards, the players that score the most goals, that are the ones that pose the most. Players like Leroy Lita, Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle and Stephen Hunt, all knew exactly where the cameras were and how to make the most of it. Maybe it’s because these players get more practice, or it’s something about the type of character you need to be to make a goal scorer, but these players seemed most keen to pose and play to the crowd. On the other hand, players like Nicky Shorey, Ivar Ingimarsson and Graeme Murty for example who rarely scored, seemed somehow awkward and school boyish in their goal celebrations.

Anyway, back to the Manchester United game. Not surprisingly, the stadium was at capacity for the visit of Alex Ferguson and his Red Devils.

From what I remember, the game was a tense affair. I know that I, and I am sure many others, were expecting Man U to take charge and dominate the Premiership’s new boys, but it never happened. As the game went on, Reading seemed to grow in confidence, and at half time it was still goalless, the crowd seemingly buzzing with admiration.

Early in the second half Gary Neville was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, so Reading were awarded a penalty. Kevin Doyle stepped up and slotted the ball pass Edwin Van der Sar, 1-0 Reading, the fans went wild.

Reading’s lead lasted until the 73^rd minute. I distinctly remember seeing Cristiano Ronaldo through my lens, he was cutting inside from the right midfield, I noticed how fast he was moving, and how I thought that the Reading defender, Graeme Murty, never looked close enough to block his shot. And so it turned out to be the case, as Ronaldo’s unchallenged shot flashed past Marcus Hahneman’s dive. The final score Reading 1-1 Manchester United.

So that was my first Premiership game behind a camera. The highlights for me, the result, being close to so many household named football players, seeing how fast they played the game, and the picture I got of Sir Alex Ferguson in the dugout see below.

Nervous fasces in the crowd, and this was before the game kicked off

Marcus Hahnemann stands tall in the Reading goal

A young Rooney pre-transplant

Ibrahima Sonko superb tackle stops Rooney

A balletic pose from Kevin Doyle

Rio Ferdinand wasn't happy with someone...!!!

Ivar Ingimarsson clears the ball from danger

Sir Alex Ferguson stands out in a crowd

Kevin Doyle only has to get past Vidic and Van de Sar to score

Leroy Lita fends off Rio Ferdinand

Kevin Doyle attempts to beat Edwin Van der Sar

Man U subs Wes Brown and Solskjaer

Brynjar Gunarsson last man standing in the current Reading squad

Sir Alex Ferguson conducting things at the Madejski Stadium

Ivar Ingimarsson and Louis Saha at full stretch

Leroy Lita protects the ball from Rio Ferdinand

Wes Brown stretching those hamstrings

Goal scorer Cristano Ronaldo

Rio Ferdinand eyes shut and tongue out

Louis Saha takes a ride on the back of Sonko, Marcus is keeping his eyes shut