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.

Promotion Celebrations (continued)

When he finally stopped outside a door some way inside the stand, I only had the briefest of chances to see where we were, before the door was opened and I was shoved through............

Ok, did that really say “Away Dressing Room”. It soon became apparent that it was, as I was confronted by the sight of the Reading players, all in various stages of dress or undress. To my left, I couldn’t help but noticed Steve Coppell in the toilets, peeing into a urinal, was this really happening?

For a few seconds it felt as though we were strangers, intruding into “their” world, a place where only they belonged, somewhere where we would only be tolerated for a few minutes. As it turned out, the players were all still buzzing from the result and gaining promotion, still in a celebratory mood. I began to take random pictures, nervously at first, but then encouraged and even confident enough to ask for a few poses. Then there was the group picture with Champagne sprayed around the dressing room.

The floor was strewn with discarded boots, grass, mud, shirts, socks and shorts, just like every dressing room after a game. It also brought it home to me no matter how famous players or teams become, at the end of the day they are still only 11 men who kick a ball around a field, and even professional players have to stand on the bench when getting dry so as not to get their feet dirty.

Away Players Dressing Room at the Walkers Stadium

As things began to settle down at bit, I took the time to look around, and take in the scene. It struck me just how basic the facilities were, no better than some of the Sunday league facilities that you would find at your local sports field. I understand that most clubs do this for the Away dressing room, so as to make it as least comfortable and relaxing as possible for the visiting team, at least that’s what I was told on a White Hart Lane Stadium Tour. Having said that, I have been inside the Home dressing room at the Madejski, not exactly palatial, so heaven knows what the away teams get. I have to say that I much preferred the Home dressing room at Arsenal’s Highbury ground. Did I mention that I have been inside that one two?

Eventually, we retreated towards the exit and found ourselves once again banished to the outside world, a world full of wouldbe professional footballers all aspired to live the dream, a dream that the Reading players were living. We hung about just outside the door of the dressing room. Eventually the players and staff began to come out in dribs and drabs, heading for the coach ride home. For some strange reason, Glen Little decided to award me his players match day pass, and much like an Olympic medallist being presented with his medal, he hung it round my neck as he left the dressing room.

At the end of a very tiring and emotionally charged day, we arrived back at the Madejski Stadium still buzzing from our experience.

Bobby Convey relaxes after a tough game

James Harper sorting out his bling

A happy Steve Sidwell

Ibrahima Sonko shows off his six pack

Graeme Murty and Ibrahima Sonko happy to be Number 1

John Oster & Dave Kitson on the phone

Nicky Shorey still keeping his feet clean

Promotion Celebrations with the Fans

From here on in, I will let the pictures tell the story. How on a cold damp Saturday afternoon in March 2006, in one corner of an empty Walkers Stadium in Leicester, the players, management and 3,000 travelling fans celebrated promotion to the Premiership. It was maybe sad that promotion could not have been won at the Madejski Stadium in front of more fans, but for all those fans that were there, it was maybe made all the more special because they were the privileged few.

With the Championship still to play for, the rest of the home fans would still have a chance to celebrate the next target, promotion as Champions.

Travelling Royals Fans hear the promotion news

News of promotion gets through to the players

and it's smiles all round

This scarf says it all as fans show their joy at winning promotion

Marcus Hahnemann salutes the fans

Steve Coppell gets ready to lose his coat...!!!!

John Madejski and Steve Coppell show their joy

Steve Sidwell goes a little "over the top"

Glen Little applauds the travelling fans.

As Glen Little left the chaning room, he hung his matchday pass round my neck, not sure why but it made a nice momento of the day.

The "Management" team come together to celebrate promotion

Just in case anyone was in any doubt....!!!!

More happy faces..............

.....and a "silly" one.....!!!!

Graeme Murty arm in arm with kit man Ron Grant

New boy Shane Long applauds the crowd

Reading fans to wild with delight................

some more than others.........!!!!!

After sometime celebrating with the fans, pictures taken, and generally everyone having a great time, the players and staff slowly began to make their way back to the changing rooms. With nothing left to photograph and needing to catch my breath, I began to disassemble my camera for the second time since the game had finished. Now pack away, and chatting with my opo, I felt a tug on my sleeve. It was Craig Mortimer, now Communications Manager at Reading FC, "Hey mate", he whispered, "come with me and bring a camera", he sounded out of breath having run across the pitch to fetch us. What, bring a camera, it's not that easy to just bring a camera. I quickly unpacked my gear a-g-a-i-n, attached lens and flashgun, and was told to follow him. We ran, he ran, I followed at a more sedate pace, I wasn't going to leave my gear unprotected beside the pitch, while I was going god knows where. By the time I caught him up, just inside the tunnel, it was my turn to be out of breath, and with no time to explain,  on again into the stand.

When he finally stopped outside a door some way inside the stand, I only had the briefest of chances to see where we were, before the door was opened and I was shoved through............

To be continued.......

Leicester City v Reading 25.03.06

Being one of the two official Reading FC photographers at the time, I had guaranteed my seat in the clubs “press boys” car for the trip to the Walkers Stadium for the 40^th league game of the Championship Season 2005/6 to play Leicester City. Also a front row seat on what was hopefully going to be an historic day. The stats were quite simple, win the game, three more points, and Reading would be guaranteed promotion to the Premiership for the first time in their 135 year history.

You could cut the atmosphere with a knife, no not at the ground in the car. With kick off only 30 minutes away, we were lost on a council estate, somewhere on the outskirts of Leicester. We stopped to asked directions from the first local that we came across. After several attempts to understand his broken English (local accent), we were off again in hopefully the right direction, hoping that he hadn’t sent us the wrong way. Fifteen minutes later and with the kick off looming, we were stuck in traffic, this can’t be happening. Don’t say after all this, for such a crucial game we were going to miss the start of the game. Ten minutes to go, we were near the ground but still stuck in traffic and looking for somewhere to park. Bugger this, a mate, another photographer, and me jumped ship, rushing the last 500 yards to the ground, dragging our kit behind us.

The whistle blew, kick off, and the game was underway, just as we arrived pitch side. Like some embarrassed later arrives at the theatre, we scurried around the pitch, no doubt annoying the fans that we walked in from of, and even more those who we sat in front of at our chosen locations next to the pitch. Then scrambled to set everything up, cameras, lenses to cameras, lens hoods to lenses, monopod to camera, seat, settle down, and compose myself. Right what’s happening, get into the game.

Understandably, Reading were a little hesitant at first, and for most of the first half Leicester were the much better side. It was no surprise then, that Leicester took a 38th minute lead, Iain Hume’s strike beating Marcus Hahnemann for a 1-0 lead.

During the second half, Reading had a few chances but couldn’t really make the break through that they so desperately wanted. That all changed, when on 85 minutes Kevin Doyle dramatically equalised with a header from a James Harper corner. The Reading supports directly behind me went wild, as Kevin Doyle wield away after scoring his vital goal, and ran to celebrate in front of them, soon to be joined by the rest of the players. The score was now 1-1 but a draw was not good enough to guarantee promotion.

When the final whistle went it was still only 1-1, with Reading only picking up one point. Any thoughts of promotion were going to have to wait, or so the players thought. By the time that news that other results had gone in Reading’s favour, and in fact a draw was enough to guarantee promotion, many of the players had already left the pitch for the dressing room.

It was only when the Reading players started to remerge from the tunnel and began milling about on the pitch that I was aware that something might be happening. James Harper seemed to be particularly happy and when he started hugging some of his team mates, and there seemed to be a general move towards the Reading fans still waiting in their corner of the ground. I quickly had to reassemble one of my cameras that had already been packed away, and attached a flash if I was going to capture any of the celebrations that were sure to follow.

When it was finally confirmed that indeed that other results had favoured Reading and that they had been promoted, the celebrations could really start.

For the record, to achieve certain promotion Reading had played 40 games, won 27, drawn 11, lost 2, scored 82 goals and conceded only 26, on 92 points.

To be continued……..

Bobby Convey is tackled by two Leicester City players

Marcus Hahnemann cuts out a dangerous cross

Two Reading fans show off their hats

Ivar ingimarsson is tackled at full stretch to deny him the ball

Kevin Doyle takes control of the ball

This young fan is showing no signs of nerves

1-0 down and the tensions is showing on the bench

James Harper battles for the ball

Kevin Doyle turns to celebrate after scoring his 85th minute equaliser

Shane Long joins in with the celebrations

Doyle, Kitson & Long celebrate in front of the travelling fans