Winning the Championship - Directors Box

Now where had I heard those words before? Once a-g-a-i-n, I found myself being pushed through a dressing room door, this time of course, it was the Home dressing room. The room was crowded with players and management team, everyone preoccupied with congratulating each other for winning the game and becoming Champions with still 5 games to go. There was a lot of handshaking, back slapping, all the things that you would imagine goes on under these circumstances.

I didn’t really get much chance to take many pictures, because before long the word went out, everybody up to the Directors Box. And so it was that I was swept along with everyone else, temporarily part of the “team” as we made our way through the internal stairs, out into the corridor, through the Directors Bar and into the Directors Box, to huge cheers from the fans waiting on the pitch below.

Now clearly none of these cheers were for me, but I have to say just how easy it is to get caught up in the euphoria of the moment, to feel that sense of great belonging and affinity with the players and fans alike.

Once again, not for the first time this season, I found myself in a privileged position, taking pictures and generally joining in with the celebrations.

Stevel Coppell shakes hands with Steve Sidwell

Marcus Hahnemann bares all

Hugs and smiles all round

View from the Directors Box

Chairman John Madejski and Players applaud the fans

Marcus Hahnemann is joined by his two sons

Dave Kitson, Bobby Convey and Ivar Ingimarsson happy to be Champions

Shane Long, Glen Little and Stephen Hunt all smiles

Leroy Lita nursing his broken ankle still joins in

A happy Bobby Convey

Ibrahima Sonko being interviewed for radio

A proud and happy Chairman John Madejski

Steve Sidwell shows his delight

Dave Kitson and Ivar Ingimarsson

Captain Graeme Murty being interview

A day that this Young Royals fan won't forget

What do you have to do, to get the Captain's Boots

Show your own "Boots" of course.....!!!!

A great result, a great day, a great season, but with still 5 games to go, could this Reading side set a new points total for winning the Championship. The win against Derby County left Reading on 95points, 10 points behind Sunderland's 105 point record.