Harry took advantage of the opportunity to unplug from Reading Football Club almost fully this summer, and it has left him feeling energised for the next season.
Following a football club is mentally exhausting. I may be biassed here, but there is nothing else in sports that compares to the emotional investment and grip a club has on the lives of its supporters. Few other places have as many fans spending so much money flying across the country to watch their favourite team play another game.
We experience every high and every low to our core. Unfortunately, there haven’t been many of the former for Reading supporters to enjoy in recent years. Instead, we have had to deal with low after low after low. Since Dai Yongge joined Reading Football Club, the term “rock bottom” has taken on new meaning every few months.
Many of us reached our breaking point last season. No football fan should have to endure a season like we did. No football club should ever reach the level that ours attained.
That’s why, as much as soon as the season ended and I walked out of the SCL after the 3-2 win over Blackpool, I deactivated Twitter and cut off all things Reading FC until around three weeks ago. Except for the occasional Google to see if there was an update on the ownership saga, I did not look at anything. Like many of you, I’m sure, I’d reached an emotional tether; last season had ripped me up and spat me out. It was exhausting.
I wasn’t even that interested during the Euros – the only games I watched were the England ones. But when they finished, that said to me the season was just around the corner, and I should probably immerse myself back into things.
Predictably, nothing had changed. No new owners, no new players. But I felt refreshed – and still do. There were times last year when I’m sure we all were dragging ourselves out of our home to go to games – or not going at all, which is completely understandable.
But now, even though Dai is still our owner, and we’re yet to sign any new players, I feel excited and was logged on at 10am on the dot to get my Birmingham City ticket last Wednesday.
It’s hard to explain really. Nothing has changed (yet), but there seems to be an air of positivity and optimism among around the club that, honestly, we have absolutely no right to feel. Our club nearly died last season and that dark cloud is still very much hovering above us. But there’s no doubting the sun is starting to break through now.
First and foremost, we’ve actually won some friendlies. And we’ve played against some so-called better opposition, with a squad teeming with youngsters who few of us had probably ever seen play before. But the kids look alright, and there’s more than a few who look like they could play a big part in the coming season.
Secondly, Ruben Selles is still here. I mean, I’m sure I would’ve heard if Selles had walked out during my Reading FC sabbatical, but the fact that he was still here when I returned was massive for me. At the end of last season he’d made it abundantly clear that he wouldn’t stay if he was going to have to go through another season like he did – which, again, is completely understandable. But he’s still here. God, I love that bloke.
Then there’s what I consider to be the most thrilling aspect of last season’s second half. You could see a distinct personality and style of play being implemented and becoming more visible with each game. It has persisted into the preseason. Every single player understands how Selles expects them to play, and they are executing it. The days of Inceball are long gone.
Finally, and most crucially, it appears like Dai’s rule is about to come to an end. I know we’ve said it before.
All of this has been exacerbated by time apart. In a funny way, I feel like a new fan, learning all about the club anew. We were maybe a touch too active last season; as I’ve already stated, no fans should ever have to take to the streets and have a game postponed in order to rescue their team. Being a fan should be about showing up on a Saturday, enjoying 90 minutes of football the way you want, and then going home.
However, in recent years, we have experienced far more than that. For some, it has been a second job.
But I feel renewed, as if I am seeing everything through new eyes. I feel like I’ve coped with and moved on from the pain of the last seven years. I feel like I just got out of a toxic relationship and am ready to start seeking for love again.
But that passion has always been and will continue to be Reading Football Club. And I’m prepared to be hurt all over again.
