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Madejski Stadium News

NB This page is by no means complete.

28th September 2002 - new bus stop signs have appeared

26th December 2001 - signs for Ultima Business Solutions have appeared on the West Stand. This is presumably a new sponsor (confirmed on 3rd January 2002).

31st July 2001 - the North Stand now has npower logos all over it. The URL of the club's official website has been removed from the outside of the North Stand, and apparently placed behind the pressbox in the inside of the West Stand. The northern end of the Lower West Stand is designated as a family enclosure. A new block of message bricks has been put up, plus four rather lonely looking ones in the next panel.

24th July 2001 - the South Stand is renamed the Foster's Stand following a sponsorship deal.

16th July 2001 - new sponsors of the East Stand are unveiled. It's Kyocera Mita.

June 2001 - the signs on the outside of the East Stand are changed to show "The ? Stand" to indicate an upcoming changed of sponsorship.

21st April 2001 - suggestion box in the East Stand concourse plus the URL of the official website appears over the North Stand.

18th November 2000 - the PA system breaks down 20 minutes before kick-off, the first time that I can remember that happening. The club later said that it was a software problem (and added that it was fixed by Monday!).

29th October 2000 - the stadium gets its first public proposal. Before the game, the PA announcer says "Helen Brown in row JJ, seat 236, are you listening? Now that I've got your attention, look at the scoreboard." The scoreboard flashes up "Will You Marry Me?" At half-time, the announcer states that we have a decision. Everyone turns to the scoreboard, and after a dramatic pause, the answer flashes up, "Yes!" [The names have been changed to protect the guilty.]

14th October 2000 - the designated car parking spaces are now for the manager, assistant manager and first team coach. Have they changed? Or did I read them incorrectly back in July?

9th September 2000 - posters depicting former Reading players appear in the concourses. In the East Stand they feature Bobby Williams, Ray Reeves, Maurice Evans, Gordon Neate, Steve Death and Robin Friday. There are also posters advertising the club's website and the Golden Gamble competition. Inside the bowl there is now one of those inflatable players (in the style of those seen at Euro 2000) wearing a blue-and-white hooped kit.

29th July 2000 - it's my first sight of the stadium since May, and there have been plenty of changes. The club name now appears prominently on the West Stand between the Megastore and the hotel. However, the Berkshire Conference Centre and Millennium Madejski Hotel names get more prominence. There are designated parking bays for the manager, assistant manager and reserve team manager, located near the officials' entrance in the south-west corner of the ground. There's also a section of players car parking, situated at the south-east corner and on the away fans side of the safety gate. Let's see how many of our team park there for the Millwall home game.

 

Sign over tunnel

Signs appear at last

26th August 1998 - the second game. 15 minutes late. Stairway now out of use.

22nd August 1998 - the stadium opens to the public for the first time. Balloons, marching band, Stuart Hall, skydiver, scattering of Elm Park grass, 3-0 win. Kickoff delayed 15 minutes. Stairway problems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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