WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE, SAY WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!!!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally finally FINALLY, with thanks and praises to God, Reading were officially promoted to the Premier League today. Even though we only drew at Leicester, results elsewhere meant that the one point was enough to secure our place in the top two of the Championship. I remember hearing someone say in February that Reading would be "up before the daffodils". I thought that was a bit fanciful but British Summer Time only starts tomorrow and I haven't seen any sign of spring so far. I'm happy I was wrong.

I can't describe the feeling. I don't really know what to compare it to. As a childhood Man United fan as well, winning the Champions League in 1999 was very similar. Today may just have shaded it though. I think the fact that I have been a regular at our home matches and sit so close to the touchline makes me feel a closer connection to the Reading players that makes me so happy and proud for them. As well as this, Reading are obviously also my local team and that makes it even better.

It was not an easy afternoon. I went up to Oakham to pick up my sisters at the end of their term. We listened to Radio 5 in the car on the way down and listened out for the updates from the Reading game. It was highly unpleasant not knowing exactly what was going espescially as the updates kept telling us how badly Reading were playing. Hearing that we were losing 1-0 didn't help either. Couple this with the fact that I didn't have much petrol left in the car and was bombing down the motorway without a service station in sight and you had a very anxious me.

Got home with about half an hour to go and sat in front of Sky Sports News looking at the updates. I spent the whole time doing the calculations in my head about what results were needed around the country in order for us to go up. With Sheffield United winning and Watford clearly losing, it became clear that the important result would be the one at Leeds. Reading's equaliser was reported and suddenly promotion became very very real. News eventually came through that Leeds had drawn 0-0, which meant that we were guaranteed promotion.

The pictures proved it - we were definetly up. It was unbelievable to see that caption below the score - "Reading promoted".

I did a little jig around the sitting room then got a call from Warren. He was probably a bit surprised to be greeted by me singing down the phone "We are going up, said we are going up!" Omaier got the same treatment a bit later on. Only my innate conservatism stopped me from running out to streak in town.

It's really weird to see us all over the internet and television news at the moment. I don't think I've known a day where Reading were headline news around the country. Maybe I should get used to it. Thanks to everyone who's called, e-mailed or text me to say congrats. It's quite odd because it's not actually us fans but the players and the management who have done the hard work!

If there's a downside it's only that it didn't happen at the Madejski where I would have seen it. However, we play Derby at home next a week. A win in that game will confirm us as league champions. I can't wait for that. For now, it's back to the singing.

E- I - E - I - E - I - E - O!
Up the football league we go!
Up the football league we go,
We are Reading, we are Reading,
Coppell is our king!
(repeat ad infitum)