The captain of the 1969 University of Reading Football Team shares his experience of a very special reunion.
Whether you graduated in 1948 or 2018, have a significant anniversary on the horizon, or just fancy a trip down memory lane, it’s always a great idea to reconnect with friends from University.
And that’s exactly what the Captain of the 1969 University of Reading Football Team did earlier this year, having realised that half a century had passed since an unforgettable cup match took place – a match which almost saw them victorious in a prestigious universities tournament.
Returning to Whiteknights
The Captain, with the help of the University’s Alumni office, joined forces with his Vice Captain to re-unite all but two of the original squad who were involved in the memorable cup competition. The former team mates travelled to Reading from all over the UK as well as overseas for a 50th anniversary reunion back where it all began.
“Most of us had not seen each other since graduation, so it was a really special occasion, with much reminiscing. We had a fantastic weekend together.”
– UoR Football Team Vice-Captain
Rekindling friendships on campus, they had a chance to reminisce while exploring how the sports provision on campus has evolved since their time to include the state-of-the-art SportsPark and the Sports Hall of Fame.
Enjoying Reading’s hospitality
The team were also invited to spend a special afternoon at the Madejski Stadium to watch Reading FC alongside the current University of Reading Ladies First Team squad, in recognition of the connections the men’s team and Reading FC had back in the day.
The reunion was captured for posterity by our friends at BBC Radio Berkshire and the Reading Chronicle, to the delight of the whole team.
Marking those special dates
As well as sports team anniversaries, some of our Schools have celebrated significant milestones this year, and to mark those we hosted special 50th anniversary reunion events for Computer Science on 16th July, and for Botany on 27th July.
Let us help you with your own reunion
The Alumni team at Reading is here to assist you with the organisation of your own reunion. We can offer practical help or simply give advice. Check out these tips about how to plan your own reunion, or if you’ve lost touch and want to track down members of your gang, our ‘find-a-friend’ service is available to all.
Email alumni@reading.ac.uk for more information.
