Friday 29 December 2023

Wycombe Wanderers

Wycombe Wanderers v Reading

Sky Bet League One
Adams Park
Saturday 25th November 2023
3pm

Journey Time to the ground: 55 minutes.  We were staying with friends in Wokingham for the night as they had managed to secure us hospitality tickets for Reading's game at Wycombe.  It was decided we'd get a taxi to and from the ground as Adams Park is quite a way from the train station.  The taxi picked us up from our friends house at 12:40pm and dropped us outside the group just before 1:30pm.  We made our way straight into the ground and were treated to a pie, mash and winter vegetables for lunch, followed by a chocolate brownie.

Ticket Price: Free as we were in hospitality, however tickets in the away end were £27.

Programme Price: Wycombe no longer produce a programme, however we were provided with a free teamsheet.

Attendance: 7,073 with 1,851 Reading fans.

I have been to Adams Park more times than I can remember but this was my first visit in over twenty years.  Our hospitality seats were part of the Woodlands Executive Lounge which is housed between the two-tiers of the large all-seater Frank Adams Stand which is the biggest stand at Adams Park.  The actual lounge housed a bar and comfortable dining area with windows which had curtains pulled so the game could only be viewed from outside.  We were situated halfway between the goal and halfway line on one side of the pitch, and had a good view of the whole pitch.  The legroom and seats were very comfortable.  

To the left of the Frank Adams Stand is the Home Terrace, which is single-tiered and where the most vociferous Wycombe fans seemed to congregate.  Opposite the Frank Adams Stand is the Origin Stand.  This small single-tiered all-seater stand is the main stand at Adams Park and housed the team dug-outs at its front.  To the right of the Frank Adams Stand is the Whiffaway Stand, a single-tiered all-seater stand which houses away fans and was sold out on this occassion.

Reading and Wycombe had met in the Championship during the Covid lockdown season so this was the first league game played in front of fans since 2002.  Reading had also now gone a calendar year without an away win in the league so fans were definitely travelling more in hope than expectation to our closest away game of the season.  

Reading took the lead on the half-hour mark with Sam Smith getting a deft touch on Femi Azeez's left-wing cross after a poor clearance from Max Stryjek.  The goal followed a lengthy break after Dom Ballard was stretchered off and one of our travelling party missed it as he had made a mis-timed trip to the toilets!  Wycombe hit straight back, equalising just two minutes later when Killian Phillips curled in a lovely effort from just inside the box.  Reading regained the lead five minutes before the break when ex-Chairboy Lewis Wing's deflected effort found the back of the net from Azeez's neat pass.  The goal was again missed by the same member of our party as he had decided to head into the bar to get the drinks in before the half-time rush!

With Reading having a tendency to concede goals, especially late in the game, I was anticipating a nervy second-half.  However, this never really materialised with Reading going closest to scoring again when Smith forced Stryjek into a neat save at his near post, and Reading held on to pick up three points on the road for the first time since November 2022!

Atmosphere: The atmosphere was quite muted due to us being in hospitality, although there was probably a 50/50 Wycombe Reading split within the Woodlands Lounge.  The Wycombe fans didn't have too much to shout about and although the atmosphere in the away end looked good, the sound didn't really seem to travel to where we were sat. 

Journey Time home: 1 hour 25 minutes.  With the taxi being booked for 5:20pm, we had one more drink before heading to meet the taxi.  Unfortunately the traffic heading away from Adams Park was very heavy and it took us almost 45 minutes to get out of Wycombe and onto the A404.  Due to the amount of alcohol consumed the taxi driver was forced to make an unscheduled stop on the A404 to allow three of us to relieve ourselves before making the journey back to Wokingham.  We arrived at our friends house just before 6:45pm.

I really enjoyed my trip to Wycombe.  The hospitality experience was excellent, as was the company, and I got to see Reading win a game live for the first time since February 2020!  What more could you want?!

Tuesday 26 September 2023

Blackpool

Blackpool v Reading

Sky Bet League One
Bloomfield Road
Saturday 23rd September 2023
3pm

Journey Time to the ground: 5 hours 55 minutes.  As Blackpool was a long trip we decide to stay the night so actually headed up on the Friday.  We left home at 10:15am and had a half hour stop at Frankley services to grab some Burger King for lunch.  The weather was pretty atrocious on the way up and coupled with roadworks on the M6 meant we didn't end up getting to our hotel, the Skye Ocean, until 4:10pm.  We spent an evening walking up and down the promenade, taking in the tower, illuminations and arcades, before having dinner at The Albert and The Lion Wetherspoons close to Blackpool Tower.  In the morning we moved the car from the hotel and parked up in Shetland Road which was around a ten minute walk from the ground.

Ticket Price: £25

Programme Price: £3

Attendance: 10,104 with 644 Reading fans.

This was my first visit to Blackpool, a team that, like Reading, were relegated last season.  After having some lunch at the Velvet Coaster Wetherspoons close to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, we spent some time on the South Pier before heading to the ground.  We left it a bit late so didn't have time to look in the club shop before heading to the ground.  We had tickets in the away end, which was half of the East Stand on one side of the ground, closest to the Armfield South Stand.  This temporary stand is a single-tiered all-seater stand which is incredibly close to the pitch.  The view from our seats was ok as there a number of supporting pillars running across the front of the stand.  The leg room wasn't too bad.

To the left of the East Stand is the Armfield South Stand which is a single-tiered all-seater stand.  Opposite the East Stand is the Matthews West Stand.  This is a single-tiered all-seater stand which is the main stand at Bloomfield Road and houses the team dug-outs at its front.  To the right of the East Stand is the Mortensen North Stand which is another single-tiered all-seater stand where the most vociferous Blackpool fans tend to congregate.

Although Reading and Blackpool had met a number of times over the last few seasons, I'd missed out on the chance of a trip to the seaside.  Reading started the game well but fell behind against the run of play when CJ Hamilton was brought down in the box by a mindless attempted tackle by Sam Hutchinson.  Jordan Rhodes struck his penalty into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal and despite David Button getting his hand to the ball, it sneaked in.  Reading proceeded to fall apart and the lead was doubled on the 27th minute when Kylian Kouassi headed home Owen Dale's left-wing cross.  The game was over as a contest just four minutes later as Rhodes scored his second of the game, capitialising on a loose ball in the box before firing home.

Reading made a raft of changes at the break to go three at the back but conceded just five minutes into the second-half, with Rhodes completing his hat-trick.  The second-half then petered into a non-event, although Reading did manage to score a consolation through a James Husband own-goal from Hutchinson's left-wing cross.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere wasn't too bad.  The Blackpool fans were slightly disappointing, only really making any noise when they scored.  The atmosphere in the away end was pretty good, with the chant of "we've got the ball/we've lost the ball" providing the entertainment in the second-half.

Journey Time home: 4 hours 55 minutes.  We got back to the car at 5:10pm and it was pretty straight forward to get out of Blackpool.  We had a 40-minute stop at Sandbach services to get some dinner at McDonalds and arrived home at 10:05pm.

I did enjoy my trip to Blackpool but have to say that I didn't find the home fans particularly friendly.  I visited Blackpool once as a child to see the illuminations and have to say that the place has seen better days, which I found quite sad.  The ground was a good size, however it seemed smaller inside than it looked from the outside.  The game was the worst I've seen Reading play for a while and Blackpool really didn't have to do a lot to come away with all three points and a comfortable victory.

Wednesday 6 September 2023

Cambridge United

Cambridge United v Reading
Sky Bet League One
Abbey Stadium
Monday 4th September 2023
8pm

Journey Time to the ground: 3 hours 40 minutes.  We left home at 3:25pm and arrived in Cambridge at 7:05pm after a 45-minute stop at South Mimms Services to have a cold drink from Starbucks and to get some petrol.  The traffic wasn't too bad but on a blisteringly hot day we needed some time out of the car!  We managed to park up in Ditton Fields which is about a ten-minute walk from the ground.

Ticket Price: £25

Programme Price: £3.50

Attendance: 6,789 with 1,151 Reading fans.

This was my second visit to the Abbey Stadium having previously visited over twenty years ago when Reading were last in this division.  We had a quick look in the club shop before making the pleasant walk along the footpath through parkland to the away end.  We were housed in the newest stand at the Abbey Stadium, the Mead Plant & Grab Stand behind one of the goals.  This is a single tiered all-seater stand raised above pitch level and set quite a way back from the goal-line.  The view from this stand was very good as was the legroom.  

To the left of the Mead Plant & Grab Stand is the Habbin Terrace.  This terrace is mostly covered apart from a small section at the south end of the stand.  On my previous visit to the Abbey Stadium the away fans had been housed in this area as the new stand was being built.  Opposite the Mead Plant & Grab Stand is the Newmarket Road End Terrace which is a covered terrace running around two third the width of the pitch where the most vociferous Cambridge fans congregated.  To the right of the Mead Plant & Grab Stand is the Main Stand, a single-tiered all-seater stand which houses the team dug-outs at its front.

This game had been moved to the Monday night as it was on Sky but that didn't stop Reading fans turning up in good numbers despite our woeful recent away form.  It had been a beautiful day and was still pleasantly warm when the game kicked off.  The first-half was a pretty even affair with both goalkeepers being forced into saves to keep the half-time score goalless.

Into the second-half and Reading came out of the blocks quickly but struggled to create any clear-cut chances.  Both teams were pressing for a winner and it was Cambridge who broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute when substitute Fejiri Okenabirhie swept in James Brophy's low right-wing cross.  Reading pressed for an equaliser and deep into six minutes of added time the best chance of the game for Reading fell to former Cambridge player Harvey Knibbs, who headed an effort which hit the bar and bounced down onto the goal-line before being collected by Will Mannion in the Cambridge goal.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere in the away end was pretty good with noise being made through most of the game.  This was helped by a decent atmosphere from Cambridge fans in the Newmarket Road End who sang and bounced about throughout the game.

Journey Time home: 2 hours 40 minutes.  We got back to the car at 10:05pm and it took about 45-minutes to get through the traffic around the ground and in Cambridge, but once through that it was plain sailing and we arrived home at 12:45am.

I really enjoyed my trip to Cambridge.  The home fans were very friendly and helpful, and it's a decent sized ground for the club.  The game was fairly event and a draw would probably have been a fair result but Reading don't really look like scoring at the moment.  It's also a shame that the game had been moved to the Monday to accommodate Sky as it meant I wasn't able to explore any of the city centre, which looked beautiful when we were driving through it.

Tuesday 29 August 2023

Exeter City

Exeter City v Reading
Sky Bet League One
St James Park
Saturday 26th August 2023
3pm

Journey Time to the ground: 4 hours 40 minutes.  We left home at 9:05pm and arrived in Exeter at 1:45pm after a short stop at Taunton Deane Services to get some petrol, as traffic was very heavy on the M5 due to the bank holiday weekend.  We managed to park up in Union Road which is about a ten-minute walk from the ground.

Ticket Price: £20

Programme Price: £3.50

Attendance: 7,956 with 1,261 Reading fans.

This was my first visit to St James Park and Reading's first visit in over thirty years after relegation to League One last season.  As we arrived a bit later than anticipated we decided to have a look in the club shop before heading into the ground.  We had tickets in the Tracks Suzuki St James Road Stand.  This is a single-tiered covered terrace which is split into two separate stands.  As we had sold out the away end we decided to find a space on the terrace as soon as we could and ended up in the smaller of the two stands, next to a wall.  The view from here was good although we were pretty much in line with the corner flag.  

To the left of the Tracks Suzuki St James Road Stand is the Optimising IT Adam Stansfield Stand, which is a single-tiered all-seater stand which runs about half the length of the pitch closest to the away end.  Opposite the Tracks Suzuki St James Road Stand is the Thatchers' Cider Big Bank which is a single-tiered covered terrace where the most vociferous Exeter fans seemed to congregate.  This is the largest standing terrace left in the football league and was an impressive sight.  To the right of the Tracks Suzuki St James Road Stand is the Nevada Construction Main Stand, a single-tiered all-seater stand which houses the teams dug-outs at it's front.

Reading were coming into this game on the back of successive home wins and having a point deducted for failing to pay player's wages on time so were sat in mid-table.  Exeter had made a decent start to the season and were sat just outside the top six.  Reading started the game brightly but were quickly on the back-foot against a slick Exeter side.  The home side came close to breaking the deadlock through Tom Carroll's long-range effort which hit the foot of the post.  The Royals goal was living a charmed life as Exeter struck the woodwork for the second time with Jack Aitchison's left-footed shot cannoning off the upright into David Button's arms.  The Grecians finally took the lead in the 34th minute with Will Aimson heading home from a corner.  Reading had been on the rack for most of the first-half but grabbed an equaliser against the run of play in first-half stoppage time with Harvey Knibbs neat finish from Femi Azeez left-wing pull-back.

The Royals came out in the second-half galvanised from the late equaliser and could have taken the lead as Azeez saw his effort strike the post before being cleared away to safety.  Both teams continued to press for a winner and it looked like the game would finish in a draw before second-half sub Reece Cole unleashed an unstoppable half-volley from the edge of the area in the 93rd minute to give the home side all three points.  This was quite harsh on a young Reading side who had done enough to earn a point.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere was pretty good with the Exeter fans on the Big Bank providing noise throughout the game.  The atmosphere in the away end was pretty muted for most of the game despite a sold out away end and a pretty solid performance from the team.

Journey Time home: 3 hours 30 minutes.  We decided to walk into Exeter after the game to grab some food and have a look at the city.  We had dinner at The Chevalier Inn and then walked to George's Meeting House for pudding to tick off a couple of Wetherspoons.  We had a look at the cathedral before getting back to the car at 7:40pm.  We arrived home at 11:10pm after a short stop at Taunton Deane Services for some fuel, in time to hear the end of The Killers set at Reading Festival from our home.

I really enjoyed my trip to Exeter.  The ground is smart and a good size for the club, the locals are extremely friendly and Exeter is a beautiful city.  The only bad point was conceding a late goal as a draw would have been a fair result, however I was pleased that I actually got to see us score a goal!

Monday 14 August 2023

Port Vale

Port Vale v Reading

Sky Bet League One
Vale Park
Saturday 12th August 2023
3pm

Journey Time to the ground: 3 hours 55 minutes.  We left home at 9:25pm and arrived in Stoke at 1:20pm after a short stop at Warwick Services to get some petrol and despite the M42 being completely closed between two junctions for roadworks .  We managed to park up in Louise Street which is about a five-minute walk from the ground.

Ticket Price: £25

Programme Price: £3

Attendance: 8,789 with 1,132 Reading fans.

This was my first visit to Vale Park and Reading's first visit in over twenty years after relegation to League One last season.  Although we arrived early we decided to stay close to the ground.  We walked around the ground and bumped in to Robbie Savage who was at the game to watch his son Charlie.  We had a look in the club shop and the fan zone then made our way to the away end.  We had tickets in the Bycars Stand which was previously the main home end.  The Bycars Stand is a single-tiered all-seater stand.  The view from close to the front of the middle of the stand was very good and leg room was good although we stood for the whole game.

To the left of the Bycars Stand is the Lorne Street Stand.  This two-tiered all-seater stand is the main stand at Vale Park and houses the team dug-outs at its front.  Opposite the Bycars Stand is the Hamil Road Stand, which is a single-tiered all-seater stand and was where the most vociferous Port Vale fans seemed to congregate.  To the right of the Bycars Stand is the Railway Stand, a two-tiered all-seater stand.

This was Reading's first away game in the third tier for over twenty years and followed a tumuluous summer with various transfer embargoes and struggles to build a squad capable of competing at this level.  As such I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a team composed of a few first-teamers from last season mixed with a number of academy graduates and free signings.  Reading started the first-half on the front foot and were awarded a penalty in the 12th minute when Nesta Guiness-Walker's mazy run was ended by Dan Jones.  Up stepped Andy Carroll who's effort was saved by Connor Ripley in the Vale goal.   Vale had the ball in the net against the run of play just after the half-hour mark but Alex Iacovitti's half-volley was ruled out for offside.

Into the second-half and Port Vale came into the game more, creating more chances with Reading struggling to get a foothold in the game.  The deadlock was broken in the 72nd minute when Ben Garrity capitalised on pinball inside the Reading box and saw his deflected effort loop over debutant David Button in the Reading goal.  Things could have got worse for Reading with Button tipping Funso Ojo's effort onto the crossbar after Ojo had been played in by Mitch Clark.  Despite being second best for most of the second period Reading came agonisingly close to an equaliser in stoppage time as Lewis Wing's cross-shot hit the bar and Vale held on for the win.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere in the away end was very good until Port Vale scored, at which point it became quite toxic.  The Port Vale fans were very quiet, only really making any noise for about five minutes after they opened the scoring and at full-time.

Journey Time home: 3 hours 30 minutes.  We arrived back at the car at 5:15pm and drove to Hanley to get some dinner at The Reginald Mitchell Wetherspoons.  We left Stoke at 6:35pm and after stopping for an hour at Hilton Park Services for a hot chocolate and some fuel arrived home just after 10:35pm.

I enjoyed my trip to Port Vale despite the result.  The ground was relatively simple to find and parking close to the ground was easy.  Vale Park is a pretty good ground and the atmosphere in the away end more than made up for the poor performance on the pitch.  Having said that, I feel if Carroll had converted the early penalty it would have been a comfortable victory for the Royals.