▁un work able ". ▁Most ▁Reading ▁fans ▁like wise ▁react ed ▁to ▁the ▁scheme ▁with ▁rev ulsion ; ▁Mike ▁H abb its , ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Reading ▁Supp or ters ▁Club , ▁said ▁" O ur ▁fans ▁can ' t ▁stand ▁Oxford ▁fans ▁and ▁I ▁can ' t ▁see ▁them ▁trav elling ▁to ▁Oxford ▁to ▁watch ▁the ▁new ▁team ". ▁Supp or ters ▁and ▁press men ▁al ike ▁rid ic u led ▁the ▁" Th ames ▁Valley ▁Roy als " ▁name , ▁which ▁the ▁sports ▁historian ▁John ▁B ale ▁later ▁described ▁as ▁" mid - At l antic "; ▁obser vers ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁various ly ▁perce ived ▁it ▁as ▁sound ing ▁more ▁like ▁an ▁American ▁football , ▁ice ▁hockey ▁or ▁speed way ▁team ▁than ▁a ▁football ▁club . ▁Some ▁Oxford ▁fans ▁supported ▁Max well ' s ▁proposal , ▁saying ▁that ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁stad ium ▁and ▁the ▁po o led ▁financial ▁resources ▁of ▁Oxford ▁and ▁Reading , ▁an ▁am alg am ated ▁team ▁might ▁be ▁successful , ▁but ▁these ▁were ▁a ▁minor ity . ▁One ▁angry ▁fan ▁wrote ▁to ▁the ▁Oxford ▁Mail ▁that ▁" I ▁will ▁not ▁follow ▁Th ames ▁Valley ▁Roy als ▁or ▁whatever ▁their ▁name ▁is ▁if ▁they ▁played ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁my ▁street ". ▁ ▁Play ers ▁at ▁both ▁clubs ▁received ▁the ▁news ▁with ▁app reh ension . ▁As ▁Ley ▁put ▁it , ▁" When ▁you ▁merge ▁two ▁clubs ▁into ▁one , ▁you ▁cannot ▁have ▁a ▁squad ▁of ▁ 4 5 ." ▁The ▁Oxford ▁team ▁learned ▁of ▁the