We have all dreamt about scoring for our boyhood club. On Saturday afternoon against Hull City, Tom Holmes got to do it for real.
John Swift whipped in a corner from the right and it was flicked to the back post by Scott Dann where Josh Laurent nodded it back across goal.
That’s where Holmes was waiting, but with his back to goal. It takes a certain type of individual to try an overhead kick, particularly if you are a defender. But that is exactly what the 21-year-old did. It went in.
Holmes wheeled away in celebration, Laurent tagging on behind, and completed a knee slide in the south east corner of the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Despite Hull finding an equaliser in the second half, Holmes’s goal will go down as one of the most special moments of the season. The sheer joy on his face was glorious as he made his dream a reality.
Holmes came close to scoring a few times last season and you could see that he was desperate to do so.
He even admitted after Saturday’s game that he had “forgotten” that scoring was part of the game for a defender. That will have made the moment the ball hit the net even more sweet.
The fact that the goal came in front of supporters, who were absent from the stadium last season, will surely have made it worth the wait.
Reading have always had a proud tradition of there being a strong presence of academy graduates in the first team.
That is brilliant enough, but when those academy graduates have grown up supporting the football club, it is even more special.
Holmes has sat where we have as fans. He has cheered on his heroes, celebrated madly and felt the pain that we all have. Therefore every minute on the pitch, every win, every goal just means that bit more.
It is the same with Luke Southwood, who has also been at the club since the age of eight. The images of Southwood and Holmes celebrating together in front of the away ends at Birmingham and Swansea recently show their love for the club. Unrivalled passion.
Of course Tom McIntyre, currently out injured, is another boyhood fan. The emotion on his face when he scored his first goal for Reading last season was just as joyous as it was with Holmes on Saturday.
The thought of a Holmes and McIntyre centre-back partnership, in front of Southwood in goal, for years to come is really exciting. Getting Holmes to sign a new contract should be a priority in the coming months.
Having these ‘fans on the pitch’ is so important.
A connection existing between players and fans, especially at this level of football, is hard to come by in the modern era so it’s very special to see Holmes, McIntyre and Southwood living out our dreams.
By Olly Allen
