MATCHWATCH : Blackpool (h)

[Sutekh]

When : Saturday, April 27 2024, 12.30pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161

Last home game and, indeed, the last game of quite possibly the most miserable season Reading have ever had to endure in their history.

So before the optimism can start to resurface and the close season stories can start there's a small matter of trying to finish Blackpool's interest in extending their season. Blackpool are 8th in the table and really MUST win, while hoping any 2 of Lincoln, Barnsley and Oxford fail to do likewise, to have any chance of making the playoffs. Their form is pretty good being unbeaten in the last 5 league games (W4 D1) and only conceding 2 goals but the run included 3 games against weaker sides (Carlisle, Cambridge and Fleetwood - all won by a solitary goal) so there should be opportunity if Reading can get themselves in the right frame of mind (which would be an achievement in itself).

Huddersfield loanee Jordan Rhodes has been causing inordinates amounts of hassle for opposition defenders this season and as a result he's scored 15 goals in 29 league appearances for the Tangerines, so the fact he's been out injured for the last few weeks and is rated doubtful is possibly the best news Reading could get for this game. After Jordan the scoring threats come from Jake Beesley and Karamoko Dembele who have each hit the net 7 times so far.

Andy Yiadom (knee) is unlikely to feature for Reading through injury but the rest of the squad should be available for selection. There should be a lap of "honour" after the game so long as home supporters can stay in the stands and not run on the pitch at the end like a load of 12 year olds.

The other three games that will have a bearing on Blackpool (and maybe also their performance) on Saturday are:

Barnsley v Northampton
Exeter v Oxford
Lincoln v Portsmouth

And once it's all over we can all hope the club sale gets quickly confirmed so plans for next season can start actually being put in place rather than just being talked about as possibilities.

Referee

Benjamin Speedie

Previously

16 Mar 24 > Reading 4-0 Cambridge United
15 Aug 23 > Reading 1-0 Cheltenham

Historically

Previous league games between the clubs have returned 18 Reading wins to 16 for the Seasiders from 45 games played and of those 45, 39 have been played since December 1979.

In Reading there have been 13 wins for the Royals against 3 for Blackpool and Reading have won 6 of the last 7 league games played at home.

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the game
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use a RoyalsTV subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Stranded]

Tough game to call - Blackpool need it, we don't.

Big crowd, which of late, is not a good thing when it comes to positive home results but if, as rumoured, we see positive news on the takeover before the game, then this could well fire up the crowd and players.

[PieEater]

Big crowd inevitably means we'll bottle it .

[windermereROYAL]

Big crowd inevitably means we'll bottle it .

Yes pretty much like the last 3 where we`ve got 15k plus.

[NathStPaul]

Fear a heavy defeat in this one.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Big crowd inevitably means we'll bottle it .

There's nothing to bottle. We could lose 6-0 and it wouldn't matter.

[Snowflake Royal]

Right, time for some positional shenanigans.

CBC
Abrefa, Bindon, Dorsett, Mola
Wing, Craig
Azeez, Elliott, Knibbs
Ehibhatiomhan

Pereira, Mbengue, Carson, Savage, Camara, Senga, Smith

Please. Carson, Camara and Senga to all get minutes.

[Stranded]

Nope, strongest team for me - going into the summer on a win feels important to me - if we don't win, then we are 3 without a win since Rovers - fed up of us getting over a line (when we do) and immediately failing to accumulate any more points.

[NathStPaul]

Why on earth would we play a weakened team? Completely pointless.

[Hendo]

Nope, strongest team for me - going into the summer on a win feels important to me - if we don't win, then we are 3 without a win since Rovers - fed up of us getting over a line (when we do) and immediately failing to accumulate any more points.

Agreed, plus I think the players who have saved us deserve a final showing in-front of a bumper crowd.

[Sutekh]

Fear a heavy defeat in this one.

[NathStPaul]

Fear a heavy defeat in this one.

Big difference in league positions and form. Grow up.

[windermereROYAL]

Fear a heavy defeat in this one.

Big difference in league positions and form. Grow up.

Pots and kettles spring to mind.

[Gunny Fishcake]

When : Saturday, April 27 2024, 12.30pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161

Last home game and, indeed, the last game of quite possibly the most miserable season Reading have ever had to endure in their history.

So before the optimism can start to resurface and the close season stories can start there's a small matter of trying to finish Blackpool's interest in extending their season. Blackpool are 8th in the table and really MUST win, while hoping any 2 of Lincoln, Barnsley and Oxford fail to do likewise, to have any chance of making the playoffs. Their form is pretty good being unbeaten in the last 5 league games (W4 D1) and only conceding 2 goals but the run included 3 games against weaker sides (Carlisle, Cambridge and Fleetwood - all won by a solitary goal) so there should be opportunity if Reading can get themselves in the right frame of mind (which would be an achievement in itself).

Huddersfield loanee Jordan Rhodes has been causing inordinates amounts of hassle for opposition defenders this season and as a result he's scored 15 goals in 29 league appearances for the Tangerines, so the fact he's been out injured for the last few weeks and is rated doubtful is possibly the best news Reading could get for this game. After Jordan the scoring threats come from Jake Beesley and Karamoko Dembele who have each hit the net 7 times so far.

Andy Yiadom (knee) is unlikely to feature for Reading through injury but the rest of the squad should be available for selection. There should be a lap of "honour" after the game so long as home supporters can stay in the stands and not run on the pitch at the end like a load of 12 year olds.

The other three games that will have a bearing on Blackpool (and maybe also their performance) on Saturday are:

Barnsley v Northampton
Exeter v Oxford
Lincoln v Portsmouth

And once it's all over we can all hope the club sale gets quickly confirmed so plans for next season can start actually being put in place rather than just being talked about as possibilities.

Referee

Benjamin Speedie

Previously

16 Mar 24 > Reading 4-0 Cambridge United
15 Aug 23 > Reading 1-0 Cheltenham

Historically

Previous league games between the clubs have returned 18 Reading wins to 16 for the Seasiders from 45 games played and of those 45, 39 have been played since December 1979.

In Reading there have been 13 wins for the Royals against 3 for Blackpool and Reading have won 6 of the last 7 league games played at home.

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the game
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use a RoyalsTV subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

Unsung hero of the season award Sutekh, these previews are just fantastic and I for one is very much appreciative

[Snowflake Royal]

Why on earth would we play a weakened team? Completely pointless.

Because we're safe and its useful to look forward at next season in terms of who can step up and what we need.

[Clyde1998]

To update and port over what was said on the thread in Club Policies.

On the crowd, I'm estimating we've sold 13,941 tickets to home fans so far (excluding hospitality and disabled). If that was the final total, it would be our fourth largest home crowd of the season (when excluding away fans) - our highest was Cambridge (14,660).

Typically home crowds increase by 30-35% between now and the final figure. That would imply around 18,500 home fans as the final number. I doubt the increase will be as much for this one, due to the abnormal amount of early tickets sold; sections of the stadium starting to sell out; single seats being left; etc. I'd still suggest we're heading for a home turnout of greater than 17,500.

Add in a conservative(?) estimate of 1,500 Blackpool fans and we could be looking at around a 20,000 overall attendance for this one. Looking at their website, they appear to have been allocated tickets in both the South Stand and Upper West. I'd guess they have an allocation of up to 2,300 at the moment.

Only five regular season third tier matches at the Madejski Stadium have exceeded 20,000 (officially) - Man City in March 1999 (20,055); Bournemouth in May 2001 (20,589); Stoke in February 2002 (21,032); Brighton in March 2002 (22,009) and Peterborough in April 2002 (22,151). For all but the Peterborough match, it's likely the opposition brought over 3,000 away fans.

[Clyde1998]

Player of the Season will be announced after the match, followed by the lap of appreciation: https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2024/a ... s-2023-24/

[West Stand Man]

Well, if the BBC is to be believed we currently sit top of the table on -6 points! So it's all to play for on Saturday.

[Wycombe Royal]

Why on earth would we play a weakened team? Completely pointless.

Because we're safe and its useful to look forward at next season in terms of who can step up and what we need.

It's also disrespectful to Lincoln in the playoff race (don't care about Oxford).

[Mr Angry]

We go all out for the win; we play the strongest possible side and play on Blackpool's need for a victory.

I can see us having to withstand heavy pressure in the first 20/25 minutes but if we can keep a clean sheet and then nick a goal on the break before half-time, the game will really open up 2nd half.

3-0 Reading for me.