"This is the first ever league meeting between Reading and...."

[superdave]

The commentators mentioned, a few times ;), that Saturday was the first ever league meeting between Reading and ManU. How many other clubs in the Prem will that be true for?

Obviously NOT SUnited and Watford. And not Wigan or West Ham. I presume Reading and ManCity met up sometime in that, what was it, 8 year stretch in which ManCity got either promoted or relegated every year? I kind of assume Reading met Charlton in the mid 90s.

Sure, I could do the research, but I'm lazy. So

Arsenal-
Aston Villa-
Blackburn-
Bolton-
Chelsea-
Everton-
Fulham-
Liverpool-
Middlesborough-
Newcastle-
Portsmouth-
Tottenham-

[prvev]

Bolton and Reading played in Division 1 numerous times in the 90's, including a Playoff Final with a Premiership spot on the line which Reading lost in extra time. Reading has also played Charlton, Fulham, Portsmouth, Man City, West Ham, and Wigan in league play, all pretty recently. There's probably a few others they've played, but I'm not sure.

[olegunnar]

Reading has never played Liverpool in league or cup and now they get to go to Anfield twice in two weeks, thanks to the 3rd round League Cup Draw.

[superdave]

Oh yeah, can't believe I didn't remember Bolton.

Ok, updated

Arsenal-
Aston Villa-
Blackburn-
Bolton-YES
Chelsea-
Everton-
Fulham-YES
Liverpool-NO
Middlesborough-
Newcastle-
Portsmouth-YES
Tottenham-

[mschofield]

Oh yeah, can't believe I didn't remember Bolton.

Ok, updated

Arsenal-
Aston Villa-
Blackburn-
Bolton-YES
Chelsea-
Everton-
Fulham-YES
Liverpool-NO
Middlesborough-
Newcastle-
Portsmouth-YES
Tottenham-
Never played in league:
Arse (five cup matches, 0-5),
Newcastle (1-1-4).
and never played liverpool in any competition, as noted earlier.

they have played everyone else listed in league.

[RichardL]

Liverpool are the only one of the 92 "league" clubs that Reading have never played in any competition, although technically we haven't played Accrington Stanley either, as the current club isn't really the same one that folded in 1962.

Of the rest, in terms of league meetings

Arsenal-No

Aston Villa-yes, in three divisions (Villa had a season in the old Div 3 in 1970 - and fans think the bad times were under doug ellis)

Blackburn-yes

Bolton-YES

Chelsea-in the 1920s

Everton-in 1930/31

Fulham-YES

Liverpool-NO

Middlesborough-yes

Newcastle-No

Portsmouth-YES - we'll have played them at all 4 pro levels (as we have now done with wigan) when we met this season.

Tottenham-yes, in the 1920s


One stat nobody picked up on, presuming my sums are correct, is that Man Utd became Reading's 100th different league opponent,

[prvev]

I had thought Chelsea and Reading would have crossed paths in the '80s, but I guess the few years Reading were in the Second Division were during the time Chelsea reached the first, and then when Chelsea got relegated, Reading got relegated to the Third Division.

And interesting fact on Man United being the 100th different league opponent, I didn't know that.

[superdave]

Aston Villa-yes, in three divisions (Villa had a season in the old Div 3 in 1970 - and fans think the bad times were under doug ellis)

Wow, from the 3rd flight to winning the European Cup within, what, 8 years? When did Villa win that?

Man, that would never happen today. Outside of the total anomaly of Juve, the only club outside a top flight I can conceive of winning the CL before 2017 is Leeds, unless some club gets an Abramovich situation.

Everton-in 1930/31

A bit surprising to me, as Everton have the most seasons in the top flight of anyone...but it looks like they happened to cross paths for one year.

Newcastle-No

This mildly surprises me.

[prvev]

Wow, from the 3rd flight to winning the European Cup within, what, 8 years? When did Villa win that?

Man, that would never happen today. Outside of the total anomaly of Juve, the only club outside a top flight I can conceive of winning the CL before 2017is Leeds, unless some club gets an Abramovich situation.


Maybe Napoli, just because of their large support, or 1860 Munich. But it would be extremely unlikely.

[superdave]

Well, FC Porto is the model. Either has the potential to build a team as good as that one. But the thing is, Porto was playing weekends in the Portuguese league, a nice league, but completely lacking the depth of Serie A or the Bundesliga.

[RichardL]

for the record, Reading don't hold the record for the most league opponents, not by a long shot. That "honour" falls to Grimsby Town who've met 125 league opponents, having played at all four levels.

As for Aston Villa, they just had an unexplained rubbish spell of 8 years or so. Their promotion season from Div 3 saw them average 32,000 per game - only 2000 less than the number that saw them win the league 10 years later.

[mschofield]

for the record, Reading don't hold the record for the most league opponents, not by a long shot. That "honour" falls to Grimsby Town who've met 125 league opponents, having played at all four levels.

As for Aston Villa, they just had an unexplained rubbish spell of 8 years or so. Their promotion season from Div 3 saw them average 32,000 per game - only 2000 less than the number that saw them win the league 10 years later.
I like the line under the avitar (what is that called). Must admit I took a 20 year break (75-95). Nice to bask in a bit, isn't it?