Record attendance at Scours Lane

I was just looking at Reading Town's Wikipedia and see that the record at SL was against AFC Wimbledon in 2003 when a crowd of 1067 turned up... is there anyone here that witnessed the event seven years ago?

No not me I am afraid.

One interesting thing about that game was that AFC Wimbledon had only just been founded the year before that game by disgruntled fans who refused to travel to Milton Keynes where the old Wimbledon were to be based. They became MK Dons but the fans started a new team in 2002 and in just 8 short years they've gone from playing Reading Town to where they sit today, top of the National Conference and could well be in the football league this time next season.

This brings me onto my second point...is there any chance that Reading Town could do something similar if they became a PLC? i know there isn't the strength in numbers of support like AFC Wimbledon would have started with but could there be enough numbers to give RT more financial clout than currently exist to jump up another level or two? Even if Reading could find themselves in the Southern League premier in a few years it would put them on the football radar i.e more media attention, bigger attendances even seeing their name pop up on the vidiprinters like we see Oxford City and Swindon Supermarine etc... once you get more attention you might even then get more sponsorship deals and even some rich benefactor who might see it as a great opportunity to kick on up the leagues especially with the natives over at RFC getting restless with the Madmans 'cloth cutting' exercises. I hear more and more RFC fans who are increasingly getting fed up with how greedy and expensive league football has become and have had comfort in trying out non league games including RT so with some slight improvements RT could capture some of these fans.

I am looking forward to the time when Wimbledon AFC play MK Dons. I won't be anywhere near there when it happens though. On the subject of disgruntled fans starting their own clubs. The Northern Premier has FC united Manchester. Distgruntled Man United fans, fed up with the Glaziers, started this club a few years ago, they are already looking to build their own ground. They get attendances of 8000 at some games.

And fair play to them James.... how can you get pi$$ed with a non league team you accept there is no money you just say this is whats available and get on with it... My point with Reading Town although it's hard when there is no money available for improvements you realise that it's as much luck than judgement but people just need to be realistic. It's pretty much mutiny over at the Madejski with the possibilily of selling a star player... Reading Town on the otherhand is trying to bring in the odd decent player to take the club forward.

I started to come down to Reading Town games on the basis of the promotion bandwaggon. I now discover that was probably the wrong thing to do, that's not to say I am not a Reading Town fan, as I have started coming to games, joining in with the Barmy Army, and intend to come many more. It's hard to be a non leauge football fan committed to one team, especially considering there other teams on the doorstep, I am sticking to Reading Town, and will keep the red flag flying high.

It's annoying to see your team losing, when things start looking good, no one is "[******] off", the Helenic Premier is a tough one, which I am sure Reading Town will get promoted from. Crowds are certainly higher than last year, looking at the attendance stats, I am one of the new comers, so it must be true, does more money = greater chance of promotion in this leauge though?

I think you have to take games at this level with a pinch of salt sometimes as you know what you get for your money. Coming to these games shouldn't always be about results (although it's better when things are going well of course) it's for the fun of it, the banter, and a few beers.

As Reading Town are concerned they are Reading's second team so will get more attention than say Woodley Town at this time, but Reading isn't blessed with too many venues that can hold level 9 football and even if Woodley finish in the top two i don't think they have the facilities to join the Hellenic prem? However, if RT are still at this level for several years to come they may lose the second team in Reading tag to another.

I am happy to see RT's attendancies climb this season long may it continue, but RT really do need some investment from somewhere at least if you have money you can go bring in players from a higher league and success breeds success and you will start to see the attendancies go up rapidly as the word gets out that the team are going places.