We Can Still Escape
Reading caretaker-manager Alan Pardew believes his team can still escape relegation despite the 2-0 defeat against Huddersfield.
The turning point came when goalkeeper Nicky Hammond failed to hold a Marcus Stewart shot which rolled over the line for Huddersfield's opening goal in the 73rd minute.
"Nicky's very upset about that," said Pardew, "He has not really recovered from a broken knuckle in his hand and he needed a painkilling injection before the game.
"It left his hand feeling numb and he feels he would have stopped the shot under normal circumstances.
"But I can only praise him for turning out. There was a danger that he could have broken his hand but with three other keepers injured Nicky knew we were in trouble and he wanted to play his part. That's the kind of person he is.
"When you are down the luck seems to go against you. On another day Phil Parkinson's late header might have gone in, but today it hit one of his own team-mates and stayed out.
"I can't fault the crowd. They were magnificent towards us although I was worried about their reaction after Terry Bullivant's departure. I wondered whether they would see me as one of Bully's boys.
"We didn't get the start I hoped for but even midway through the second-half I still thought we were going to win."
And he added: "Now we will just have to pick up points in some of the tough away games we face."
Pardew will hope to emulate the performance of Huddersfield boss Peter Jackson who has turned his side's fortunes around.
"We probably need two more wins to be safe and considering it was 14 matches before we collected our first win of the season I have to be happy with our present position," he said. - Sporting Life (21st Mar. 1998)

Pitch invasion at Elm Park

The pitch invasion was relatively small, starting with a lone youth sitting in the centre circle. A photographer positioned just by the dugout took pictures of him holding his scarf above his head and some other youngsters, encouraged by this, joined him from the South Bank posing for more snaps. This started a steady trickle of people from the South Bank, although many remained behind, chanting noisily in support of the Club and deriding those now walking and running onto the pitch.

Most of those on the grass appeared to be aged 13-14. The stewards let the crowd spill onto the pitch and even opened the gates to let them on. [The only steward I saw trying to stop people was the same stupid girl who came to our 'aid' during the City match when a kid in front of us was injured.] A sizable, vocal crowd remained on the South Bank chanting in support of Bullivant and the Club.

As I live just round the corner from Elm Park, I switched on the radio once I arrived home a few minutes later, and started the tape recorder. Mike Lewis tried to cut to Richard Shepherd with a microphone on the pitch, just as John Madejski started to address the crowd, but after a second or two Lewis was told by the studio that they would play a recording of John Madejski's address later.

The following is transcribed EXACTLY from Classic Gold's broadcast recording of John Madejski's megaphone address to the crowd at Elm Park:

"You know... you know... you know we have enormous ambitions for Reading Football Club..."
[Crowd shouting prevents JM from continuing for a while]
"Sometimes things go wrong. And we're determined to put it right. And we will get it right..."

[Prolonged chanting of 'Bullivant out, Bullivant out']

"I do not react like that, and we will have a full investigation, and you will be kept informed of what we do. Please - just keep faith."

[More crowd noise]

There's a obvious edit in the broadcast here - I have no idea what has been cut out, although earlier in the broadcast, when Mike Lewis tried to cut live to Madejski, I heard JM saying '...get behind the Club..." to the crowd, so this at least has been lost.

"We will do the best for Reading Club; thank you for your support, and have a safe trip home. Thank you very much."

The programme then cut to a recorded interview with Richard Shepherd (with crowd still chanting in background):

RS: John, what is your reaction to this situation?

JM: Well, obviously, emotions are running high, we're all desperately disappointed with the result. And - you know, I mean I have a sympathy for the way they feel, but I cannot, I cannot, I cannot react to mob rule. And obviously we've got to look at things properly in our own good time. And that's all I'm prepared to say, and I'm desperately sorry that we lost three-nil this afternoon.

RS: But, er, the situation that the Club finds itself in, very, ah, in or about the relegation zone now. When you say that you're going to do the best for the Club, what do you mean by that?

JM: Well... (Long pause)

JM: Exactly what I say. We have a very good team of players and we've got to get it right. Now then I can't, I can't add to that any more. I mean we thought we were going to win this afternoon obviously - we didn't. But lone players out of position and stuff like that, we've got to find out what we feel is going on and try and look at it constructively and meaningfully. There's no panacea in changing everything for sake of change. You've got to analyse it in a professional way to find out what's gone wrong, and if it can be put right, to put it right otherwise we'll have to make other... other, other recommendations.

RS: So whereas these fans are talking for a change of manager, you're saying that you're not in a, you're not prepared to look at that situation at the moment.

JM: I said I'm not about to be intimidated by mob rule. I'll look at the thing and if in the ultimate analysis we have to make changes we will make changes.

[Obvious edit] Cut back to studio.

The news above was from the Reading Mailing list and was writen by Dean Madden.
"Thanks Dean." (7th March 1998)