Reading FC has been the best team among the 3 promoted to the premiership this season. Currently at 9th spot, John Madejski, Steve Coppell and the gang are pushing for a UEFA Cup place. With 3 more games to play, can they follow what Ipswitch Town did in early 2000s?

For those who didnt know, John Madejski makes millions by publishing a magazine call Auto Trader in UK. Here, the magazine is called Motor Trader Malaysia.

Any Royals supporters here? Hope to get feedback from you all about this team. TQ

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Added on April 30, 2007, 10:20 amAmong the website you can go to:

Reading FC Official Website

Fan's View of Reading Football Club

I have been a supporter of The Royals since 1994-1995 season when they nearly got promoted to premier league. They lost 3-4 to Bolton during the Division One play-off final match at Wembley on 29 May 1995. At that time, their homeground was at Elm Park. They shifted to their current ground, Madejski Stadium during the 98-99 season.

Here's a summary of their league positions since 94-95 season:
1994/1995 Season: Football League Division One - Royals finish 2nd (Play-Off finalists)
1995/1996 Season: Football League Division One - Royals finish 19th
1996/1997 Season: Football League Division One - Royals finish 18th
1997/1998 Season: Football League Division One - Royals finish 24th (Relegated to Division Two)
1998/1999 Season: Football League Division Two - Royals finish 11th
1999/2000 Season: Football League Division Two - Royals finish 10th
2000/2001 Season: Football League Division Two - Royals finish 3rd (Play-Off finalists)
2001/2002 Season: Football League Division Two - Royals finish 2nd (Promoted to Division One)
2002/2003 Season: Football League Division One - Royals finish 4th (Defeated in play-off semi-finals)
2003/2004 Season: Football League Division One - Royals finish 9th
2004/2005 Season: Football League Championship - Royals finish 7th
2005/2006 Season: Football League Championship - Royals finish 1st - Champions (Promoted to Premiership)



This post has been edited by razlan: Apr 3 2011, 01:16 AM

good to know that there are few among us who followed Reading meteoric rise in the premiership. i would agree with you, Duke Red. If they don't increase their squad numbers and purchase higher rated player, they might follow and become like ipswitch and wigan.

The 64k questions are:
1) Will Sir John (what The Royals' supporters are calling John Madejski, the chairman) pump in more money for next season? There's rumours that he's looking for a billionaire to buy the club from him.
2) Is Reading's short track record in the premiership be enough to attract a billionaire investor?

Whatever happens, Sir John and Sir Steve (Coppell) & the players, we salute you for what you guys have done FOR the premiership this season.

aaahhhh... black cat's supporter. who's numero uno?

u didnt hurt my feeling, no need to apologise everybody is entitled to their own opinion, right. as long as dont flame others.

u said sunderland is no 2, reading no 3, who is ur no 1 team?

btw, reading vs newcastle tomorrow morning at 2.50am, live on ESPN, Astro Ch81. Come on Reading!!!

didnt disable siggy... only after posting i realised... kekeke... doohhhh

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Added on May 1, 2007, 12:35 amwhile waiting for the reading vs newcastle game, i'm posting this picture of the Club's official team photo for the 2006/7 Barclays Premiership season



Back row (left to right): Selby Armstrong (Assistant Kit Manager), Ron Grant (Kit Manager), Scott Golbourne, Simon Cox, Shane Long, Curtis Osano, John Halls, Chris Makin (now Southampton), Curtis Ujah, Sam Sodje, Scott Davies, Pierre Joseph-Dubois, Jonathan Hayes, Andy Stanbury (Masseur), Stephen Brown (Video Analyst)

Middle row: Sal Bibbo (Goalkeeping Coach), Leroy Lita, Stephen Hunt, John Oster, Kevin Doyle, Glen Little, Adam Federici, Marcus Hahnemann, Graham Stack, Ibrahima Sonko, Aaron Brown, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Brynjar Gunnarsson, Bobby Convey, Jon Goodman (Sports Scientist)

Front row: Brian McDermott (Chief Scout and Reserve Team Manager), James Harper, Dave Kitson, Graeme Murty, Kevin Dillon (First Team Coach), Wally Downes (First Team Coach), Nick Hammond (Director of Football), John Madejski OBE, DL (Chairman), Nigel Howe (Chief Executive), Steve Coppell (Manager), Jon Fearn (Head Physiotherapist), Ivar Ingimarsson, Steve Sidwell, Nicky Shorey, Nigel Gibbs (Coach)

source: readingfc.co.uk

This post has been edited by razlan: May 1 2007, 12:35 AM

everybody can join, no matter Reading's supporter or other team's (read MU, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle etc) supporter

in my opinion, when lita is on form, he'll play really good football, just like in the early stages of the premiership. but when he is off form, he can't score even in an easy situation, just like in the middle stages of the premiership.


however, the player to watch for is Kevin Doyle. If Sir John can keep him at Reading, Doyle can help Reading achieve a higher level. Just look at how he scored 2 goals in the last 6 minutes to help Reading beat Bolton 3-1 at Reebok Std last week. This lost probably caused Allerdyce to quit his job? kekeke


pictures courtesy of readingfc.co.uk

aiyahh.. really wanted to watch the match after waiting for soo long but, hehehe, fall asleep infront of the tv before the game start

reading won and thats 3 points in the bag and now their total is 54. another 6 to go. The balance 2 matchs are:
5 May 07 vs Watford (Home) - should be a no brainer, another 3 points
13 May 07 vs Blackburn (Away) - reading lost 1-2 to this team at home in dec last year, probably another 1 point here.

so, in total, 58 points. is that enough to secure 7th place?

this thread will be here irrespective of where they are, and your point is?

remember: Please read the rules and regulations for this sub-forum :

5) Criticism - When criticizing a team or a player, state the reason for it so that the fans of the particular team/player won't feel insulted and start a war.

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Added on May 1, 2007, 4:05 pmTo those who doesnt know where Reading is. Reading is located about 40miles west of London in the county of Berkshire. Below is the location map of Reading (circled in Red)


This post has been edited by razlan: May 1 2007, 04:05 PM

what a joke when the referee cant tell a difference between a human and a lion. But in truth, it is against FIFA rule to have another person to wear the same jersey color with players on the pitch. it happened to me once while photographing a TM Liga Malaysia match. I'm wearing a shirt with same color as the home team. so the referee ask me to wear a vest that is different in color. it'll confuse them especially in situation where the match officials need to make a quick decision.

so what mike riley did was within FIFA rules.

that's totally the opposite of what coppell said at the official site and i quote "Yes, we're going for Europe...honest!"

is coppell playing mind games?

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Added on May 2, 2007, 11:54 amto me, there are 3 type of supporter out there
1) Those who support a team because they are famous. If the team is not doing well, they dont support them
2) Those who support a team because thats what their friends are doing
3) Those who support a team out of shear love, for whatever reason, of that football club

i know which type i'm and there's nothin fashionable about it

tachikoma, maybe you can enlighten us with what does 'fashionable' means to you.

This post has been edited by razlan: May 2 2007, 12:54 PM

honestly typing, first time i read ur statement, i felt insulted. but, being a thinker, i read again ur statement and i dont felt insulted at all. thats why i asked what do u mean by fashionable cause i dont want to assume. i prefer to hear it from the horse's mouth.

today, reading has a home game against watford. no live coverage on tv, so have to rely on certain website for updates.

Sidwell and Lita both set to start as Coppell prepares for tough Watford tie

Steve Sidwell and Leroy Lita are set to return to the starting eleven for our game with Watford on Saturday.

Sidwell was not involved against Newcastle on Monday, but boss Steve Coppell has confirmed he will start in what could be the midfielder's final game at Madejski Stadium.

The boss did say however that he would not pick Sidwell on sentimental reasons, it would be a decision made from a footballing perspective.

He said, "Sid will definitely be playing. It's not for those [sentimental] reasons, I have to do what I think is right.

"I probably selected the last six teams in one go, before all the games. I did it one afternoon because I wanted to see the combinations.

"I'm close to satisfying that now, and we've been in a luxurious position to test a few things.

"Leroy will almost definitely start as well. His suspension put a spanner in the works. He was retrospectively condemned for an alleged incident.

"I'll spread my different permutations up front over the final two games."

Graeme Murty will not play again this season, but Glen Little has a slim chance for Blackburn.



Nearing the end
This final home game of the season marks the penultimate match of a superb campaign, and Coppell has been delighted with our progress.

"It only feels a couple weeks ago that we started against Middlesbrough, but the reality is that it's been a long journey for us.

"Thankfully it's coming to an end, and a reasonably happy one at that.

"The players want to finish as strong as they can, and it could be a great finish if we play well until the end.

"We won't breeze through, we want to be as high as we can."



Facing the Hornets
Watford were one of only two teams we failed to beat in the Championship last season, and we have found it unusually difficult against Aidy Boothroyd's team.

Coppell said, "They're hard to play and we've not been able to get the three points against them.

"This is another test, and it's high on our agenda to pass that test. It's something we've not done before.

"It's hard to explain why we've found it particularly difficult. There are various things.

"It'll be hard, with a high tempo. I've got got great respect despite the season not working out as they would have liked. You can't question their commiment; they're so resolute every week.

"I don't know Aidy, but you see his incredible optimism. In that situation I would be fairly down on occasion, but what he does must resound around the place. There's so much energy, enthusiasm and commitment.

"It will be uncomfortable for us. They'd love to beat us, they want to go out on a high and Aidy will have an eye on the future. The game means a lot to both sides."

source: readingfc.co.uk

hope not but if his heart is already somewhere else, no point in keeping him at reading.

anyhow, all the best to reading. it has been the best season ever for me as a Royals supporter. They are going to Korea for a summer tour. hope Motor Trader Malaysia will bring them here as well, not for playing friendly but maybe for a press conference to introduce Reading FC to Malaysia's soccer fans.

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Added on May 5, 2007, 5:19 pmBoss excited by Korea but unsure about Europe!

Steve Coppell is pleased to be going to Korea this summer, but he's still not sure about playing in Europe in the autumn!

The Royals have this week confirmed their participation in Korea's Peace Cup pre-season tournament in July, and the boss is very much looking forward to what he believes will be a fantastic experience.

He said, "Football and travelling are both education, so to combine the two just shows how fortunate we are to be in this job.

"This is a great opportunity to play teams from South America & Asia, and when would we get that opportunity again? We were sounded out, we had various options but we knew this would be tasty.

"Also we've got enough time after the tournament to come back and get into English mode again.

"Finance wasn't the main reason, but it was a consideration, of course. There's a lot of money if you win it, Spurs got $2million in 2005. But it's just a unique opportunity for us and time to change the usual routine of going to Sweden."

Steve questioned the significance of any marketing opportunities in the far east, and said the decision to participate was purely made on football grounds.

He said, "We won't be taking a container load of kit! Call me naive, but I don't see how we can tap into anything out there. In the far east you can get any team's fake shirt for less than a fiver, so I don't think they'd pay full whack for our strip.

"Maybe there are other ways of making money, I don't know.

"I believe we do have a strong following out there, but it's not necessarily to do with Seol. That's what I've been told anyway.

"We're a new team so a lot of younger fans like us; we're different. I don't think it's to do with Seol, I really don't."

While he is looking forward to Korea, he remains unconvinced about the benefits of potential qualification for the UEFA Cup.

He said, "I suppose I've been ambigious, because I want us to finish as high as we can, but I still maintain my thoughts on the UEFA Cup.

"Firstly, we're not going to win the thing.

"Second, it's not a great money spinner for the Club.

"Third, we'd need more players and that makes us a more cumbersome unit.

"It's just not that beneficial. Yes, we can say we got into Europe, but it doesn't actually mean a great deal.

"We could have a party if we qualify, but that won't help us next season, will it?!

"The Premiership is 100% my priority. An away day might be great for someone else, but not me.

"A nice day in Seoul in July will do me nicely!"

Our players have frequently said they would love to play in Europe, but Steve says he is certainly not at loggerheads with his squad.

"There's no conflict because we all want to finish with as many points as we can.

"People might think I'm sabotaging from within, but absolutely not. Wherever we finish, be it 5th. 7th or 9th then brilliant. We'll have deserved it.

"But don't ask me to celebrate and say 'oh brilliant we're in Europe!'"

The boss said in his post-match press conference on Monday night that he would play his reserves in Europe, but the irony was lost in some of the subsequent reports!

"I said it jokingly, the same way I said we'd have £200million to spend but someone still printed it!

"I've not even thought that far ahead!

"First of all we've got to get there, and there's immense competition around us.

"We'll deal with it if it happens, but who's to say that it will.

"I'll talk about it in the same way that I've talked about FA Cup finals. Our Premiership games are the number one priority by a massive distance."

source: readingfc.co.uk

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Added on May 6, 2007, 2:42 amReading lost 0-2 to watford

This post has been edited by razlan: May 6 2007, 02:42 AM

Reading got push-out of top 7 by spurs, who won against charlton. now, they 8th

Reading has a good back-up squad with their reserve being crowned 'Barclays Premiership reserve league champions'

The Royals were crowned national Barclays Premership reserve league champions last Friday night with a 2-0 win over Bolton.

Boss Brian McDermott told readingfc.co.uk, "It was a fabulous night. The Chairman was on the pitch with us, and he spoke to the boys before and after, which was a terrific lift.

"I didn't know all the fireworks were coming after the game, and I almost fell down a hole on the podium! I was ready to sue the Premier League!"

Brian wanted to pay homage to Nigel Gibbs, who coaches our reserves. "Watford's loss has been our gain. He has been terrific with the boys, as well as the first team. He's a great guy."

source: readingfc.co.uk

Brand new artist impression images are released of proposed Stadium expansion

11:10am, Friday 1st June 2007

The Royals have released two new artist impressions of our proposed Madejski Stadium expansion.

They give an indication of how the Stadium will look when work is complete.

Work will not begin until the summer of 2008, and it is envisaged that one stand will be done each year.





source: readingfc.co.uk

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Added on June 16, 2007, 9:18 amExclusive pictures of our brand new away kit for the next Premiership season

readingfc.co.uk can now bring you full images of our brand new 2007/8 away shirt.

The full release will take place on Saturday 7th July, and pre-orders will be sent out in advance of that date.

The shirt is priced £38 for adults and £28 for children. Ladies shirts are £32.

The Premier League have launched new name & number printing for this season, as well as new sleeve badges, and you can order those with your new shirt.







source: readingfc.co.uk

This post has been edited by razlan: Jun 16 2007, 09:18 AM

marvellous opening game for reading with a 0-0 draw at old trafford. man of the match shud be marcus hahnemann, reading's goalkeeper

next game at home against chelski tomorrow...

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Added on August 17, 2007, 6:37 pmreading lost 1-2 to chelsea...hmmm first lost of the season but many many games to win after this

This post has been edited by razlan: Aug 17 2007, 06:37 PM

after winning 1-0 against derby few weeks ago, they travel to blackburn today. currently 1 minute before half-time, reading is trailing the home team 0-3

today's match is against boro at home. score is still 0-0 at HT