Brentford V Reading - 20th April 2002 - Promotion decider.

[letsgotolourdes]

Having attended last night's game brought back memories of the above match, I was also at that match and like other Bees fans was gutted at the outcome. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going on a football forum, (not sure which one, it could have been the GPG if it was going then) and spent the evening hurling abuse at Reading supporters who were on the site laughing at us and generally taking the mick. It got to around midnight and I thought what am I doing arguing with a lot of saddo's who if it was me would be out celebrating promotion, not trying to wind up opposing fans in their bedrooms, never liked them since then or their Ex chairman Madejski. Looking around their big half empty stadium last night I remembered those jibes from nearly 25 years ago and had to smile and think what goes around comes around, oh and of you're reading this Reading supporters last nights opponents are what a properly run football club can acheive.

 

[Ghost]

Having attended last night's game brought back memories of the above match, I was also at that match and like other Bees fans was gutted at the outcome. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going on a football forum, (not sure which one, it could have been the GPG if it was going then) and spent the evening hurling abuse at Reading supporters who were on the site laughing at us and generally taking the mick. It got to around midnight and I thought what am I doing arguing with a lot of saddo's who if it was me would be out celebrating promotion, not trying to wind up opposing fans in their bedrooms, never liked them since then or their Ex chairman Madejski. Looking around their big half empty stadium last night I remembered those jibes from nearly 25 years ago and had to smile and think what goes around comes around, oh and of you're reading this Reading supporters last nights opponents are what a properly run football club can acheive.

Even better look at where Doncaster and Yeovil are now.

 

[bexleybee]

I was in New York in a sports bar with a close friend and Reading fan. There was obviously no live coverage of the game in that era. We ended finding an internet cafe to get onto the bbc website to find out what had happened

 

[JCMcBee]

Even better look at where Doncaster and Yeovil are now.

...Indeed... when I now think of Cureton...a crossbar...and that non event at Wembley.....it makes me appreciate games like our next one on Friday under the lights so much more... thank goodness for MB and his long game... and there's more to come.

 

[Chorlton Bee]

Even better look at where Doncaster and Yeovil are now.

Put Stoke, Crewe and Tranmere on the pile too.

#TopGrudger

 

[Houghton Bee]

Having attended last night's game brought back memories of the above match, I was also at that match and like other Bees fans was gutted at the outcome. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going on a football forum, (not sure which one, it could have been the GPG if it was going then) and spent the evening hurling abuse at Reading supporters who were on the site laughing at us and generally taking the mick. It got to around midnight and I thought what am I doing arguing with a lot of saddo's who if it was me would be out celebrating promotion, not trying to wind up opposing fans in their bedrooms, never liked them since then or their Ex chairman Madejski. Looking around their big half empty stadium last night I remembered those jibes from nearly 25 years ago and had to smile and think what goes around comes around, oh and of you're reading this Reading supporters last nights opponents are what a properly run football club can acheive.

I believe some of their gobshites were dealt with successfully on Ealing Road post-match.

 

[RT]

I was at Uni and was watching it on Soccer Saturday

I was blind drunk

My mate told me he had to physically remove me from the middle of the road when I tried to fall asleep there and some bloke had come out at 3:30am and threatened to smack me cos I was being so noisy

 

[gbems92]

I remember being stood at the front of the brook road, having my first taste of true Brentford heartbreak. Pretty sure the reading fans came on the pitch, hanging from the crossbar down Ealing road. A terrible but vital experience for any young football fan games like that

 

[TorbayBee]

I had to drive back from Brighton after a boozy client dinner the night before, had a massive hangover. Drove to Oxfordshire picked up my wife then drove to the game. A terrible day made worse by the Reading fans on the M4 giving us grief.
I now have nothing but disdain for Reading , the town , the people, the football club and it supporters.

 

[Hullbee]

When we scored it was one of the loudest I ever experienced at GP in the Brook Road End.

Also one of the worst experience when cureton scored

 

[shaun]

Flew to South Africa that night after the game - agree re: the noise.

Spent the first week of my holiday sulking. Totally ruined it.

 

[badgerbee]

Still can't make up my mind whether I felt worse leaving the ground after this one, or going out after Doncaster game...........
Both very similar.........
Huddersfield play off penalties game is up there with both too.......

 

[Bungey]

I wrote about this last night: Reading victory a reminder of Brentford’s incredible turnaround

 

[Mr Tree]

Came down with @Gazza Bee from Sheffield (uni) for the match. Solemn journey back. Obviously bumping into loads of fans around the country, generally saying "How'd you lot get on? Draw, that's not so bad! Cheer up!"

 

[Ghost]

Also one of the worst experience when cureton scored

Part of me still thinks that Ingimarsson is going to clear it.

 

[Banana]

I actually had trouble getting tickets for this match. Left it too late. It the end I called the club and asked to speak to @Peter G who I don't think I had ever spoken with before and I'm certain didn't know me from Adam. Got us two seats in Row 1 of D Block. Great service!

 

[badgerbee]

I actually had trouble getting tickets for this match. Left it too late. It the end I called the club and asked to speak to @Peter G who I don't think I had ever spoken with before and I'm certain didn't know me from Adam. Got us two seats in Row 1 of D Block. Great service!

Gloryhunter!!!
Your fault we lost then!!!

 

[David Brentford]

I delayed going on holiday to Cornwall for a day and drove down to meet up with the rest of the family straight after the match - long and sombre journey. Actually sat upstairs in the Wendy House. Gosh it seems a long time ago...

 

[fencer/bee]

I actually had trouble getting tickets for this match. Left it too late. It the end I called the club and asked to speak to @Peter G who I don't think I had ever spoken with before and I'm certain didn't know me from Adam. Got us two seats in Row 1 of D Block. Great service!

That was the first time anyone requested tickets for Brenda

 

[Gazza Bee]

Came down with @Gazza Bee from Sheffield (uni) for the match. Solemn journey back. Obviously bumping into loads of fans around the country, generally saying "How'd you lot get on? Draw, that's not so bad! Cheer up!"

I was explaining this exact game to someone last night as they didn't know the history between us and Reading - not quite as bad as Donny but pretty damn close.

If only we knew then what we know now...

 

[BlueJayBee]

Still can't make up my mind whether I felt worse leaving the ground after this one, or going out after Doncaster game...........
Both very similar.........
Huddersfield play off penalties game is up there with both too.......

I think the Doncaster game just shades it, simply because we had our destiny in our (Trotta's) own hands and, in the blink of an eye, all our dreams being realised changed to total despair.

The Yeovil result just sat on top of that despair and compounded it. I remember saying to my mate, as we said goodbye at Wembley Park station, "We've got to do it all over again, next year".

Little did we know...

 

[Chorlton Bee]

I was selling Beesotted outside Brook Road, when a Yank barged up “hey buddy where do I get a ticket?”

“It’s sold out mate”

“Pffft, where’s the scalpers then?”

“Errr dunno, you don’t really get them here”

He stomped off fuming, remember Rick Wakeman made a miraculous reappearance for the first time in about 20 years too.

 

[IslandBee]

I was on a supporting sabbatical after the birth of my first child, missed the game and could only get it on BBC Radio Berkshire!!

It was excruciating and the main reason I never now listen to radio-style commentaries of our games even if it is the only 'live' option

 

[Jezybee]

They included a very grainy clip of Cureton's goal in the pre-match montage.
Entirely the right thing for them to do and rub our noses in it a bit. Felt doubly sweet when Wilson answered in the best possible way after 3 minutes

 

[mundee4england]

I had a uni exam so let my mate have my ticket. Couldn’t focus on the exam, and didn’t know enough anyway, so walked out after 30 mins of a 3 hour exam to follow the game on text messages and Soccer Saturday.

Failed the exam and had to resit a whole year… should have just gone to the game!

 

[nocoat]

Second worst day of my life behind Donny

And i lost my Brentford duvet along with it’s questionable stains

Who the f*** steals a used duvet

 

[Ghost]

And i lost my Brentford duvet along with it’s questionable stains

Before the tummy problems?

 

[whyteleafebee76]

Second worst day of my life behind Donny

And i lost my Brentford duvet along with it’s questionable stains

Who the f*** steals a used duvet

Did you bring the duvet to the game rather than a coat?

Or did someone break into your house and steal the duvet during the game?

 

[nocoat]

Did you bring the duvet to the game rather than a coat?

Or did someone break into your house and steal the duvet during the game?

I hung it up outside the Albany arms next to the other Brentford flags - obvs

 

[whyteleafebee76]

I hung it up outside the Albany arms next to the other Brentford flags - obvs

Obviously. Not sure why I didn't think of that.

 

[HollywoodBee]

I flew back for this game and ended up going to Huddersfield and Cardiff. It's those memories that make our current situation so sweet.

 

[NorthamptonBee]

Felt like the club was in real trouble if we didn’t go up that season so this was huge but luckily we still had the play offs!
Noades was a cnut and about to become a bigger one, we could all tell.
The most deflated I’d ever felt after that one, Crewe was bad too as we’d hit decent dudes both times and we knew they’d both be dismantled.

 

[NorthamptonBee]

Phil Parkinson was giving it large on the pitch after the game, the Wrexham story bores me and I wish their manager every bit of hard cheese going, I luckily don’t hold grudges.

 

[CTBee]

We had a great team for that level that season. The majority of the team went on to play in the top 2 leagues.

 

[WarrenBee]

Every time I looked at my watch after Rowlands scored, I assumed that it was broken as time just seemed to stand still.
Huddersfied was worse for me though purely down to the whole injustice of finishing second and not going up.

 

[Brentford_till_die]

We had a great team for that level that season. The majority of the team went on to play in the top 2 leagues.

Mostly for Reading too

Ingarmarsson, Hunt, Sidwell, Lloyd.

Plus Coppell & Downes.

 

[Hullbee]

We had a great team for that level that season. The majority of the team went on to play in the top 2 leagues.

That squad team was our ticket out of the bottom two leagues for a sustained period of time. Was terrible to see them fall short not beating QPR the week cost us dearly and we were absolutely shot mentally in that playoff final. Thankfully I was pretty pissed which helped to numb the pain as did a rather advantageous welsh bird later tgat evening

 

[Hullbee]

That squad team was our ticket out of the bottom two leagues for a sustained period of time. Was terrible to see them fall short not beating QPR the week cost us dearly and we were absolutely shot mentally in that playoff final. Thankfully I was pretty pissed which helped to numb the pain as did a rather advantageous welsh bird later tgat evening

Yes she was rather heavy even with beer googles on

 

[CTBee]

Mostly for Reading too

Ingarmarsson, Hunt, Sidwell, Lloyd.

Plus Coppell & Downes.

Tabb too I think

 

[EastBilneyBee]

Every time I looked at my watch after Rowlands scored, I assumed that it was broken as time just seemed to stand still.
Huddersfied was worse for me though purely down to the whole injustice of finishing second and not going up.

.....Huddersfield was my worst too - was that the match that Robert Taylor missed an absolute sitter from virtually on the goal line? Hit the bar? Or is my memory playing tricks?

That Reading game, I was watching Soccer Saturday (or the BBC equivalent?) at that bloody huge furniture warehouse just off the A1 at Grantham - Downton, was it called? - and drew the attention of just about everybody in the building with one of the loudest "FUKC IT!" ever uttered when Jeff/BBC equivalent mentioned that Reading had equalised......interesting journey home with my wife absolutely livid with me

 

[WarrenBee]

.....Huddersfield was my worst too - was that the match that Robert Taylor missed an absolute sitter from virtually on the goal line? Hit the bar? Or is my memory playing tricks?

That was in the away leg right in front of us! He was inside the 6 yard box, and put it straight over the bar!!

 

[Chorlton Bee]

That was in the away leg right in front of us! He was inside the 6 yard box, and put it straight over the bar!!

There was an incredible photo of it in one of the Brentford books, 10 Traumatic Years maybe, book of the 90s

 

[Houghton Bee]

There was an incredible photo of it in one of the Brentford books, 10 Traumatic Years maybe, book of the 90s

2 page spread in Positively Brentford.

 

[badgerbee]

That was in the away leg right in front of us! He was inside the 6 yard box, and put it straight over the bar!!

Couldn't help but mention it to RT, when he was one of the Legends when I did hospitality one time at a game at GP.
I was 4 or 5 pints in, and his (lack of) response suggested it wasn't the first time he'd been reminded of it by a Bees fan!!!

 

[nocoat]

There was an incredible photo of it in one of the Brentford books, 10 Traumatic Years maybe, book of the 90s

Im in that photo !!

Blue and white away shirt at the front

 

[Voice from the Braemar]

Lots from that day but the funniest moment was madjeskii getting interviewed by bbc Berkshire on the pitch near the away end and madeyes/dangerous going up to him and the reporter and telling them to “get off our fkin pitch or else” …they took the advice

 

[Simon W]

The Huddersfield penalties for me. I really felt like giving it all up that night . 24 years later I’m still here!

 

[Untouchable]

The Huddersfield penalties for me. I really felt like giving it all up that night . 24 years later I’m still here!

That was 1995!

 

[Simon W]

That was 1995!

I have never been good at maths!

 

[Guildford Bee]

A horrible day. Some scenes when scored though, I remember Carl Hutchings and his mates jumping onto the pitch from the Paddock.