Reading legend and former manager Steve Coppell criticised the current state of the club’s football after watching them lose 2-1 to Lincoln City at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Easter Monday.
A former Manchester United and England winger in the 1970s, 70-year-old has enjoyed an illustrious managerial career since first taking over Crystal Palace in 1984.
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Taking in four separate spells at Selhurst Park and leading the Eagles to some of their most successful days, including a third-place finish in the top-flight and FA Cup final, he has also been in charge of the likes of Manchester City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford.
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Arriving in Berkshire in 2003 after Alan Pardew’s exit for West Ham United, the footballing legend famously took the Royals into the Premier League for the first time ever in 2005/06, doing so with a Championship record points haul of 106.
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Named Manager of the Year by the League Manager’s Association, he lifted the trophy back-to-back in both 2006 and 2007 after taking the Royals to eighth in the Premier League in their debut campaign.
Coppell was at the Select Car Leasing Stadium for a special celebration of the 20th anniversary of the 106 season. The Reading legend was joined by his former players in Nicky Shorey, Marcus Hahnemann, Ibrahima Sonko and many more including former owner and chairman Sir John Madejski.
Glen Little (Image: ©Jason Dawson)
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Part of the cohort of players was Glen Little, who made 35 appearances and made nine goal contributions in the league in Reading’s record-breaking 2005/6 season, since leaving football he has been a regular on BBC Berkshire to give his insight and commentary on his former club.
According to Little, his former gaffer told BBC Berkshire after Reading succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Lincoln City with a last minute winner, “I wouldn’t want to watch that every week.”
Still an idol for Royals supporters, affectionately knighted ‘Sir’ Steve Coppell despite no official title from the Royal Family as of yet, he still makes occasional visits back to watch his old side.