Money, Money …. Money?

Many people are getting excited about the new Premier League TV deal, announced yesterday, and what it means to clubs like Reading. Local media have been sensationalising this as much as possible, using words like “TV windfall” – so let’s have a brief look at what this actually does mean for a club like Reading.

2011/12 Reading FC Report Card – The Forwards

Our final stop in our position by position review of the 2011/12 season sees us look at the strikers.  Of the four strikers involved at the start of the campaign, just two would last the season, while two key additions would arrive over the course of the campaign.

The Source of Frustration that is Simon Church

2011/12 will go down in the annals of Reading Football Club history as one their greatest successes. Promotion to the top flight for only the second time in 141 years was achieved by a team that was more than the sum of its parts. A hodge podge of young players and veterans who’d not quite cut it in the top flight. What saw them through was an incredible self-belief that enabled previously average players to suddenly find a new gear that took them to a higher playing level than any fan dared dream in the summer. In amongst it all though is the incredibly frustrating figure of Simon Church. The Wales international started the season as Shane Long’s replacement yet by the end of it, despite some goals in big games, he’s ended it as fourth choice with a disappointing return of 7 goals in 32 games. How is it that when everyone else seems to have produced their best season for the club to date, Church has stagnated and fallen by the wayside? Is it a lack of games, faith from the manager, confidence or is he simply not very good?

Tilehurst End – End Of Season Round Table 2011/12

With the season done and dusted, a few Tilehurst End writers got together to chew the fat, look back on a memorable season and cast one eye on the Premier League adventure to come.

2011/12 Reading FC Report Card – The Midfield

After looking at the Goalkeepers & Defenders last week, we continue our position by position breakdown of all those that have made an appearance for the Royals this year, with a look at the midfield.

Getting the old gang back together again….?

Every summer transfer speculation is always rife, and even more so following a promotion. And as clubs publish their lists of released players and former Royals become available, there’s discussion about which former Royals would be worth bringing back for this second spell in the Premier League.

So, just for fun, here are some thoughts on just which of the former Royals from the record-breaking 2005/06 team and the subsequent Premier League seasons we should consider re-signing.  For simplicity, I’ve only considered players who made a significant contribution or played in a reasonable number of matches, and as this my opinion piece I get to decide what a “significant contribution” or a “reasonable number of matches” actually means!

2011/12 Reading FC Report Card – Goalkeepers & The Defence

Now that the parade is over and the trophy safely in the cabinet there’s time to reflect on what has been a remarkable season for Reading Football Club. Over the next few weeks we’ll take detailed looks at lots of different areas of the 2011/12 season and today we’ll start our position by position breakdown of all those that have made an appearance for the Royals this year, starting today with the goalkeepers and the defenders.

Saying Goodbye – Cheers Griff, Brian and Tomasz

When the team is doing badly we can’t wait to clear the decks and kick out players we don’t think are performing, but when things are going so well, it’s always that bit harder to say goodbye. Today Reading began the first steps towards building their 25-man Premier League squad by releasing 13 players, the most notable of which are defender Andy Griffin and midfielders Brian Howard and Tomasz Cykwa.

While none of the three featured heavily during our title run, all three made important contributions at some stage or another and it’s only right to remember some of those good times as they depart with our very best wishes.

Who Are Reading’s Biggest Villains? – The Inaugural Class Of The Reading FC Hall Of Shame

It’s football’s awards season and congratulations must go to Ian Harte who’s been named in the PFA Team Of The Year for the second year running. More accolades will surely follow for Brian McDermott and the players but as a bit of fun I thought I’d hand out a few awards to people who over the years have made Reading’s life a misery  and put them into a Reading FC Hall of Shame.

7 Reasons To Look Forward To Reading FC Being Back In The Premier League

So we’re back in the big time for the first time since 2008. For those of you who have forgotten, here’s a flavour of the things you can look forward to now that Reading are back in the Premier League.

Reading FC Promotion Watch – Matchday 44/46

It’s getting close… ever, ever so close. Promotion could come as soon as 9.45pm on Tuesday night… let’s let that sink in for just a second. We could be waking up Wednesday morning with Reading in the Premier League.

Brilliant feeling isn’t it?

But let’s not get too carried away because there’s still a lot of work to be done and having come this far we must set out to win every game to make sure we’re Champions and not the biggest choke artists the Championship has ever seen.

Reading FC Promotion Watch – Matchday 43/46

Another game safely navigated and Reading find themselves in an even better position after picking up three points at Brighton, while West Ham could only manage one against Birmingham. A win for Southampton keeps them top on goal difference but with just four games to go, what do we need to make it back to the Premier League?

Jem Karacan’s Season Over – Who Steps Up?

Pic Courtesy Reading OS

The fantastic win over Leeds on Friday was soured somewhat by the news that Royals midfielder Jem Karacan will miss the rest of the season after breaking his ankle during a challenge with Michael Brown. It’s a sad end on what has been a great season for the Turkish midfielder but the good news is that he should be fit to take part in pre-season and we wish him all of the best in his road back to fitnes.

So with five games to go Reading now face the prospect of replacing their influential midfielder but who is best placed to take the mantle on.

Reading FC Promotion Watch – Matchday 42/46

After the ‘Battle of the Madejski’ on Friday, Reading were briefly top of the Championship and seven points clear of third placed West Ham.  Sadly the Hammers destroyed Barnsley at Oakwell but Southampton slipped up at home to Portsmouth to make the run-in that bit more interesting.

Reading FC Promotion Watch – Matchday 41/46

So just six games remaining this season starting with the first set of fixtures over the Easter Weekend. The top three all have staggered kick-off times, with Reading playing early Friday afternoon, followed by West Ham later that day and then Southampton on Saturday.

So here’s how this first set of games could change the promotion landscape and the mathematical permutations going forward.

Let’s Run Down This Promotion Run In

So this is it, it’s crunch time. With eight games to go Reading hold the chance of automatic promotion in their own hands as simply put, eight wins from eight will seal promotion either in first or second place.

As we found out on Tuesday night the Championship is an unpredictable beast but it’s worth trying to look at where the key battles will be between now and the end of the season at around 2.15 on Saturday April 28th.

Brian McDermott – To Wander To Wolves or Remain A Royal?

I recieved a tweet yesterday lunchtime from a source saying that Brian had told the Wolves chairman he wanted their vacant manger’s job. My intial reaction was one of disbelief, not because I didn’t trust the source but more because my first thought was why on earth would he leave a club he knows so well, is doing so well with and has a bright future with – for a club in a relegation dogfight and with fans expectations so high?

However the more I thought about it and analysed the situation the more I came to the sobering conclusion that the move would make a lot of sense from Brian’s perspective and that really could you blame him for taking the chance?

As of this moment Brian is the 13/8 favourite for the job and the Reading Post have reported that he’s been in Wolves for talks over the job. None of this has been confirmed by either club and there’s still a long way to go but I thought I’d muse over whether taking the job would make sense for the man and what impact it might have on Reading.

Goals, Goals, Goals.

While Reading have been grinding their way up the table, the goals still aren’t flowing freely, with Chris Hartley pondering just why that is.

Seeing goals is what keeps fans coming back week after week, each of them coming to the ground hoping for that sweet unexpected moment that makes the game what it is.

With 30 games played Reading have netted just 38 goals, that is just thirty-eight times us fans have had the chance to leap from our seats and celebrate. For me, It’s a pitiful total for a team that views themselves as a play-off chasing side but despite the lack of goals in this side, Reading lay 6^th  in the Championship table  just in the last of the playoff places but question is how have they done this?

Simon Church – A Right To Boo, Or Being Written Off Too Soon?

At the time of writing Simon Church is the joint top goalscorer for a team sitting seventh in the Championship and a side who could be within four points of second placed Southampton with a game in hand by the time tonight’s games are over. Yet despite being young, a full international, a Reading Academy graduate and our top goalscorer this season, Simon Church continues to divide opinion in the stands and in cyberspace.

The question is, has Church done anything to justify criticism and in the opinion of a small minority, deserving of beeing booed?

Lets take a look at a blind comparison of three strikers and ask yourself to which of them would you be giving stick?

Player A)  24 games (17 starts)   6 goals

Player B)  27 games (20 starts)   6 goals

Player C)   29 games  (15 starts)   4 goals

A Takeover Reaction & Hopefully Considered Thoughts

Last week The Tilehurst End’s own Jon Keen gave his reaction to the TSI takeover, asking fans to remain patient and to remain cautious until the deal is done with due diligence.

Tonight we welcome Singer-Songwriter and Reading fan Daniel Ward-Murphy, who gives his own views on the takeover and looks at how Reading fans have reacted.