Contributors

Here’s the team that make up The Tilehurst End, all views they express are their own.

Wimbles

My name’s Dan and I’m a broadcast journalist who’s worked for various UK media organisations over the past few years,  as well as spending three years hosting various shows on Bailrigg FM, the student radio station for Lancaster University.

I’ve been supporting the Royals since I was 8 years old, with my first match being a 3-1 defeat to Oldham in the FA Cup Third Round in 1995, a game I watched from the Tilehurst End!

On the site you’ll find blogs from me on all things Reading FC and football in general. You’ll also find me posting Royals News Bites, a daily summary of what’s being said about the club across the world wide web.

You can follow my personal twitter @wimby if you want to know more!

Dan

urzz1871

I’m Jon, a Reading supporter since April 1976 – I started coming to Elm Park as a glory-hunting plastic in the heady days of promotion from Division Four.

I’m quite heavily involved in the Football Supporters’ Federation and a founder member and past Vice-Chair of STAR, Supporters’ Trust At Reading, so in a small way I’ve had the dubious privilege of being able to lift up a tiny corner of the carpet covering the football industry and peeking at what’s underneath – sometimes good, but more often rotten and crawling with maggots!

Although I’m sure at times I won’t be able to resist writing about what actually happens on the field of play, I’ll mostly be concentrating on off-field matters such as club governance, finance and organisation; ticketing; supporter rights and treatment; supporters’ organisations; disciplinary matters and similar issues of football regulation as they affect Reading FC.

My personal Twitter is @urzz1871

Jon

West & Williams

Hello! We’re West and Williams from the Reading Football Fancast

What are we all about? Well we have been friends for many years and have been lucky to see some of the best moments in the club’s history. Personally I’ve (Westie) been watching Reading since 1985 and Paul (Williams) started going just after that in 1986.

Supporting any club is a rollercoaster of emotion and Reading FC is no different. Take for example the Simod Cup win that was followed by our relegation in 1988. The Play-off misery of 1995 that took place despite Reading having in my opinion it’s best ever side. Years of ups and downs followed but culminated in us winning 106pts promotion to the Premiership, but that too proved bittersweet as it was followed again by relegation!

Football is in my opinion the best game on the plant! And is still the only thing I know that can make you experience a wide range of emotions in 90 short minutes. That’s why we love it and that’s why we talk about it!!!!!!

We’ll be posting updates about the Fancast as well as some of our own opinions here on The Tilehurst End over the coming months so stay tuned.

Stepacu

Hey! My name’s Steve but considering we already have a Steve on the team, I’ll most likely be called Hoops around here.

I’m a student at the University of Portsmouth, studying Journalism and English Literature, but I’m not completely sure what I intend to do once I graduate next summer.

I’ve been a Royals fan since our first season in the Premiership, which leads people to call me a plastic, but I think by now I’ve proved I’m not!

I’ll be writing opinion pieces on the Royals, and the majority of Twitter reviews that will pop up here.

My personal Twitter is @stepacu, but my Royals Twitter account is @RoyalHoops.

URZ!

Samrfc

Hello, I’m Sam, a teenage Reading supporter and season ticket holder.

I’ve been a Royal since the 2002/03 season so am too young to have experienced moments like the Simod Cup, Bolton Play-Off heartbreak and promotion out of Division Two, but have experienced the highs and lows of the past 8 years very closely as a season ticket holder.

I love the club, and always have opinions on players, matches, referees, anything to do with the Royals and enjoy sharing them. I’ve got aspirations to be a journalist when I’m older, so writing is something I really enjoy. I hope you enjoy reading whatever I’m ranting, raving, moaning or marvelling about on the site. I’ll also be doing the regular loan reports.

You can follow me on Twitter on @samrfc.

See you round

Sam 

 

Tommy RFC

Hi, my name’s Tom and I’ve decided to get into this blogging lark so stick with me if  I’m a bit ropey to start with. I’ve been a Reading fan for nearly 20 years now so am one  of the last generation of fans to remember Elm Park. That makes me feel so old.

 My early heroes were Simon Osborn, Trevor Morley and Michael Gilkes but they’ve  been supplanted by the legends that are Graeme Murty, James Harper and Brynjar  Gunnarsson in recent years. I’ve survived the heartache of two playoff final defeats  and a relegation so I guess I’m stuck for life

You can also follow me on twitter @tommyrfc .

Simplylangersrfc

 Hello, my name’s Richard and after the fantastic result at Forest on the 9^th of  April I decided to restart my blogging obsession. I studied Geography at  Swansea University so I know my way to an away game! I’ve been a Reading  fan since 1995, my first game being a 2-2 draw against Tranmere Rovers, and  I’ve been hooked ever since. I am also currently a home and away season ticket  holder, and have been since 2005. So in my time as a fan we’ve had plenty of  ups and downs, and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything!Even though he’s  only been our manager for the best part of a year and a half Brian McDermott is a real hero of mine, to transform a squad who were disjointed and being played in the wrong system under Rodgers into play-off contenders in less than a month was staggering. Coppell obviously is another hero. Also this year I’ve had the pleasure, and luck of being in the same team as Graeme Murty and Brynjar Gunnarsson in the recent “Question of Reading” quiz, we won naturally!You can also follow me on twitter @simply_langers.

JW351

Hi, my name’s Jonny and for the past 15 years I’ve been proud to call myself a Royals fan! Living a five-minute walk away from Elm Park certainly helped matters, and the move to the Mad Stad saw me and my dad get season tickets – it’s stayed that way ever since. Highlights include being a mascot on my 8th birthday, Pants Day, “that” goal at Brentford, “that” goal at Leicester, “that” goal at Liverpool… you get the idea, Reading certainly know how to entertain! I’m currently at Exeter University studying English (where I was also Station Manager at Xpression FM), and I’m going to City University next year to study Broadcast Journalism. You can also follow me on Twitter: @jonnafon.

Andrew Wearing

My name’s Andrew Wearing and I help write the transfer rumours section (mostly under the guest writer tag!)

I’m a teenage fan, who went to his first Reading  game when I was just 3 years old! My next game wasn’t until I was eleven so I haven’t suffered the depression of the third tier and not celebrated the Simod Cup.

My favourite Reading players would be Doyle, Murty and Sidwell.

Reading is my life therefore would like to become a journalist reporting on Reading season after season.

If you wish to get in touch, feel free to add me on twitter @thewearing.

Swoody8

 Writer. Poet. Regular footballer.

Pioneer. Protagonist. Mass Saar lover.

Howdy! My name is Steven Woodgate and has no relations to the injury-prone  centre half, Jonathan.

I’m just one of many Reading fans that has seen our wonderful (I have been told to say that) club go from the doldrums of Division Two to the Premier League and back again…ish. Never a lover of PL and prefer the mediocrity of Championship football.

I’m graduate in Sport Journalism and will be completing a Masters in Sport and Development so I am using this blog shamelessly as an advertisement ploy for potential suitors to employ me or give me relevant work experience. Please. It’s really hard out there.

My first Reading game was a 6-1 defeat to the hands of Crystal Palace. The entire game I spent jumping at the Tilehurst End, not through sheer joy or desperation but because I couldn’t see a bloody thing. My dad, upset at being 6-0 down, dragged me out therefore I missed Trevor Morley’s penalty and was seemingly heartbroken.

Tenancy to wear flip-flops.

Twitter: @StevenWoodgate

Steve Wood

Hi,

I’m Steve and I’ll be helping out with the admin and tech side of the website.  I’m a Liverpool fan (for my sins) but used to watch Reading regularly during the Burns era and have followed their results ever since. I live near Reading and play Sunday league football at the weekends, as well as watching as much sport as I can.

You can follow my personal twitter @woodrott