Not the Sale I Thought

Thank God – the weekend huge clearance sale at Madejski was just limited to the season’s kit and glossy books and not our first team squad. Although I’m sure promoted teams will be able to pick up a bargain or two when the transfer window gets underway.

When this sale was first mentioned to me, I joked that Nicky Hammond and Co went devastatingly loopy and were going to get rid of everything – the players, the management, the match day staff, etc - when they mean a ‘new era’, they mean a ‘new era’. It wouldn’t be entirely bad, would it?

But after calming down from too many dodgy tasting Carling’s and exchanging way too many awkward stares with unattractive women, rationality kicked in and I realised that the items on sale are just endless reminders of when we were unconditionally loved by world football, well England anyway.

Merchandise is cheap; memories are priceless.

The football we played was sensational – the Arsenal of the Championship, some touted – and the support we got was tremendous. But all these memories are ever so slightly in vain if they are going to be casted of the shelves for a pound a piece to capricious supporters that only ‘like’ Reading when the going is good. It is a little disheartening to say the least.

All of this illusive merchandise was all going for bargain prices, it epitomises our distinguishing past, to those that paid hundreds, even thousands to live those memories of promotion but I least I can say, like many others, I was there and knowing that means a lot more. Those feelings can’t be merely brought for a flipping pound.

In essence, it looks as if the club just made the most of our small stint in the Premier League and completely overestimated how many fans supported Reading as their first club.

I, being the complete sad fuck I am, have all of them. The promotion DVD, the Premier League season– both discs, the relegation season and I will probably buy last season’s failure as well just remind myself what reality is like.

Now many of those players that made my wildest dreams come true – well not all of my wildest dreams, I’m still waiting for Jessica Alba to get back to me – will be sold off to the highest bidder and the good luck to them.

I saw Kevin Doyle’s first goal, I saw Leroy Lita slam in the winner against Middlesbrough, I saw Dave Kitson’s chip, and Bobby Convey running the length of the pitch to score against Millwal – these memories will forever be with me.

But I dwelling too much on the past so thanks for the memories lads, but it’s time to have some new ones.

A new season, a new manager, a new team, new prospects and a new way of doing things, this is going to be one hell of a season. I just hope more Reading fans will live every kick with me and perhaps the next lot of merchandise may not end up being worthless.