Reading FC Womens World

[Father Flipper]

Huge three points (and another clean sheet), which effectively keeps them safe. Should have won by more, Dench and Bradley both hit the bar in the second half, so that when Badshot threw it forward late on, it got a little bit nervy.

Thought Maya R did well on her debut, every time she picked the ball up, she drove forward and caused problems until the game got scrappy in the second half. And Bolitho being used up front as a target was effective. Most assured performance so far that I've seen.

Chatting to Badshot Lea people, they're not sure what level they will be at next season - only 13 players available today, they lost a lot of players in the last year, the best ones going to moneybags club Farnham (I do not begrudge players, especially in women's football, earning money from the game, but a club paying £100 a week at that level is bonkers). Their goalkeeper got subbed with ten minutes to go, just so she could play up front as they threw players forward (she almost scored as well).

Terrific win. Think Pedro and the team can breathe a little easier now....

[AthleticoSpizz]

Thanx for the ‘write-up’ FF

Everybody loves an underdog, and for too long, we have been that.

Onwards and upwards

[Royals and Racers]

My mate went to the match and afterwards spoke to the twins father who has a job over here. They are living in Surrey and he is really happy the girls can get game time here before returning to university in the States.
Maya’s twin is available from next week.

[RoyalBlue]

Huge three points (and another clean sheet), which effectively keeps them safe. Should have won by more, Dench and Bradley both hit the bar in the second half, so that when Badshot threw it forward late on, it got a little bit nervy.

Thought Maya R did well on her debut, every time she picked the ball up, she drove forward and caused problems until the game got scrappy in the second half. And Bolitho being used up front as a target was effective. Most assured performance so far that I've seen.

Chatting to Badshot Lea people, they're not sure what level they will be at next season - only 13 players available today, they lost a lot of players in the last year, the best ones going to moneybags club Farnham (I do not begrudge players, especially in women's football, earning money from the game, but a club paying £100 a week at that level is bonkers).

£100 a week at such a low level is absolutely insane!

When our daughter played at that level (and above) you used to have to pay to play!

[Royals and Racers]

Final of the Berks and Bucks Women's senior cup is this Sunday 16th at Beaconsfield Town FC ground between Newport Pagnell Town and Maidenhead Utd KO 2pm - that’s tier 6 v tier 4

[Royals and Racers]

Final of the Berks and Bucks Women's senior cup is this Sunday 16th at Beaconsfield Town FC ground between Newport Pagnell Town and Maidenhead Utd KO 2pm - that’s tier 6 v tier 4

H -T Newport Pagnell 0 Maidenhead 2
F-T Newport Pagnell 1 Maidenhead Utd 3

[Royals and Racers]

F-T 0-1
Other result today of note
Selsey 0 Oxford City 3
Current table
8th Reading P 13 points 9 GD — 35
9th Badshot Lea P 15 points 3 GD — 38
10th Selsey P 15 points 2 GD — 35

Today’s league matches
Badshot lea 0 Ascot 1
Selsey 0 Winchester City 2
Updated table
8th Reading p 13 points 9 GD — 35
9th Badshot Lea P 16 points 3 GD — 39
10th Selsey P 16 points 2 GD — 37

[Royals and Racers]

Day off next Sunday 16th for the Royals as their next match is on Tuesday 18th March away to local rivals Wycombe Wanderers KO 7.30pm. Rather surprisingly the match is being played at Adams park, which will be the best ground the Royals play at this season.

Team
Preisner
Poole
Lloyd
Gajzler
K Raghunandanan
Morl
Bradley
M Raghunandanan
Herbert
Bolitho
Dench
SUBS
Brooke-Cousins
Levy
Giles
Reid
Lee

Wycombe 1 Reading 0 5 mins
2-0 8 mins
3-0 11 mins
H-T 3-0
4-0 47 mins
5-0 57 mins
6-0 73 mins
6-1 90 mins Maya R
F-T 6-1

[Sutekh]

Day off next Sunday 16th for the Royals as their next match is on Tuesday 18th March away to local rivals Wycombe Wanderers KO 7.30pm. Rather surprisingly the match is being played at Adams park, which will be the best ground the Royals play at this season.

Team
Preisner
Poole
Lloyd
Gajzler
K Raghunandanan
Morl
Bradley
M Raghunandanan
Herbert
Bolitho
Dench
SUBS
Brooke-Cousins
Levy
Giles
Reid
Lee

Wycombe 1 Reading 0 5 mins
2-0 8 mins
3-0 11 mins
H-T 3-0
4-0 47 mins
5-0 57 mins
6-0 73 mins
6-1 90 mins Maya R
F-T 6-1

Nice to see Dame Judi still getting a game.

[Father Flipper]

Unless GCSE Maths has failed me, we're safe now, and will probably finish 8th (unless we win our last four and have results go our way to finish 7th). Between Selsey and Badshot Lea for bottom place - won't say relegation spot, as there always seems to be clubs dropping out at various levels, and one of Selsey's games is champions elect Ascot, so I fear it may be them.

The first game I went to this season was at home to Porchester - it was jarring going from seeing international players at the SCL, to seeing an U18 team in all but name, playing in front of about 75 people at Slough. And yet, I have - despite some of the shellackings we've had - enjoyed this season more than any of our last few in the WSL. The cup tie at Caversham, on essentially a park pitch, drew around 400 and had such a fun atmosphere; watching the squad and players get better, properly learning on the job. Expectations as a fan have had to be massively recalibrated, so comparisons are a little difficult, but personally, I think I celebrated Lucy Bolitho's winner against Selsey to register our first win of the season just as much as Rakel Honnudottir's last minute winner in the FA Cup against Man United six (!) years ago. Can only think of one game I was at - Winchester - where the heads dropped towards the end. Other than that, Bruno, Emma, Dave, Shelley et al have managed to keep the spirits up (from the outside) and slowly added to the group as the season has gone on.

A year of playing adult football hopefully will help the players. A full pre-season with them for the management team hopefully will help as well. There's a core of the group who I think would definitely be great to see in blue and white again next season - Preisner, Bolitho, Bradley, Dench, Fatri, Airey I think would be essential, the twins would be a welcome bonus, but as posted above, I imagine that may not be feasible.

Two games left, before a very well-earned break. I hope when the glorious day comes and the chinese lad is no longer involved and we have shiny new owners, that the women's team isn't left out of things and is formally intergrated back into the club.

[AthleticoSpizz]

^nice^

[Royals and Racers]

Unless GCSE Maths has failed me, we're safe now, and will probably finish 8th (unless we win our last four and have results go our way to finish 7th). Between Selsey and Badshot Lea for bottom place - won't say relegation spot, as there always seems to be clubs dropping out at various levels, and one of Selsey's games is champions elect Ascot, so I fear it may be them.

The first game I went to this season was at home to Porchester - it was jarring going from seeing international players at the SCL, to seeing an U18 team in all but name, playing in front of about 75 people at Slough. And yet, I have - despite some of the shellackings we've had - enjoyed this season more than any of our last few in the WSL. The cup tie at Caversham, on essentially a park pitch, drew around 400 and had such a fun atmosphere; watching the squad and players get better, properly learning on the job. Expectations as a fan have had to be massively recalibrated, so comparisons are a little difficult, but personally, I think I celebrated Lucy Bolitho's winner against Selsey to register our first win of the season just as much as Rakel Honnudottir's last minute winner in the FA Cup against Man United six (!) years ago. Can only think of one game I was at - Winchester - where the heads dropped towards the end. Other than that, Bruno, Emma, Dave, Shelley et al have managed to keep the spirits up (from the outside) and slowly added to the group as the season has gone on.

A year of playing adult football hopefully will help the players. A full pre-season with them for the management team hopefully will help as well. There's a core of the group who I think would definitely be great to see in blue and white again next season - Preisner, Bolitho, Bradley, Dench, Fatri, Airey I think would be essential, the twins would be a welcome bonus, but as posted above, I imagine that may not be feasible.

Two games left, before a very well-earned break. I hope when the glorious day comes and the chinese lad is no longer involved and we have shiny new owners, that the women's team isn't left out of things and is formally intergrated back into the club.

4 games left.
23rd and 30th March
6th and 13th April

[Father Flipper]

Of course, apologies - forgot to scroll down on the fixtures page [face palm].

[RoyalBlue]

Unless GCSE Maths has failed me, we're safe now, and will probably finish 8th (unless we win our last four and have results go our way to finish 7th). Between Selsey and Badshot Lea for bottom place - won't say relegation spot, as there always seems to be clubs dropping out at various levels, and one of Selsey's games is champions elect Ascot, so I fear it may be them.

The first game I went to this season was at home to Porchester - it was jarring going from seeing international players at the SCL, to seeing an U18 team in all but name, playing in front of about 75 people at Slough. And yet, I have - despite some of the shellackings we've had - enjoyed this season more than any of our last few in the WSL. The cup tie at Caversham, on essentially a park pitch, drew around 400 and had such a fun atmosphere; watching the squad and players get better, properly learning on the job. Expectations as a fan have had to be massively recalibrated, so comparisons are a little difficult, but personally, I think I celebrated Lucy Bolitho's winner against Selsey to register our first win of the season just as much as Rakel Honnudottir's last minute winner in the FA Cup against Man United six (!) years ago. Can only think of one game I was at - Winchester - where the heads dropped towards the end. Other than that, Bruno, Emma, Dave, Shelley et al have managed to keep the spirits up (from the outside) and slowly added to the group as the season has gone on.

A year of playing adult football hopefully will help the players. A full pre-season with them for the management team hopefully will help as well. There's a core of the group who I think would definitely be great to see in blue and white again next season - Preisner, Bolitho, Bradley, Dench, Fatri, Airey I think would be essential, the twins would be a welcome bonus, but as posted above, I imagine that may not be feasible.

Sadly not a chance. They are both committed to join NCAA 1 College Teams later this year from what I understand. Would be like asking them to walk away from playing for a PL team (and everything that goes with that) to join a struggling L2 team.

NCAA 1 is one of the highest levels you can play at in the US before joining one of the professional teams in NWSL or USL and they pick up a heavily subsidised or possibly completely free university education in the process.

[Royals and Racers]

567 at Adams park last evening- decent crowd.

[RoyalBlue]

567 at Adams park last evening- decent crowd.

That is a very good crowd for that level.

[Mr Angry]

Unless GCSE Maths has failed me, we're safe now, and will probably finish 8th (unless we win our last four and have results go our way to finish 7th). Between Selsey and Badshot Lea for bottom place - won't say relegation spot, as there always seems to be clubs dropping out at various levels, and one of Selsey's games is champions elect Ascot, so I fear it may be them.

The first game I went to this season was at home to Porchester - it was jarring going from seeing international players at the SCL, to seeing an U18 team in all but name, playing in front of about 75 people at Slough. And yet, I have - despite some of the shellackings we've had - enjoyed this season more than any of our last few in the WSL. The cup tie at Caversham, on essentially a park pitch, drew around 400 and had such a fun atmosphere; watching the squad and players get better, properly learning on the job. Expectations as a fan have had to be massively recalibrated, so comparisons are a little difficult, but personally, I think I celebrated Lucy Bolitho's winner against Selsey to register our first win of the season just as much as Rakel Honnudottir's last minute winner in the FA Cup against Man United six (!) years ago. Can only think of one game I was at - Winchester - where the heads dropped towards the end. Other than that, Bruno, Emma, Dave, Shelley et al have managed to keep the spirits up (from the outside) and slowly added to the group as the season has gone on.

A year of playing adult football hopefully will help the players. A full pre-season with them for the management team hopefully will help as well. There's a core of the group who I think would definitely be great to see in blue and white again next season - Preisner, Bolitho, Bradley, Dench, Fatri, Airey I think would be essential, the twins would be a welcome bonus, but as posted above, I imagine that may not be feasible.

Two games left, before a very well-earned break. I hope when the glorious day comes and the chinese lad is no longer involved and we have shiny new owners, that the women's team isn't left out of things and is formally intergrated back into the club.

Post of the season; any thread, any forum.

[RoyalBlue]

Unless GCSE Maths has failed me, we're safe now, and will probably finish 8th (unless we win our last four and have results go our way to finish 7th). Between Selsey and Badshot Lea for bottom place - won't say relegation spot, as there always seems to be clubs dropping out at various levels, and one of Selsey's games is champions elect Ascot, so I fear it may be them.

The first game I went to this season was at home to Porchester - it was jarring going from seeing international players at the SCL, to seeing an U18 team in all but name, playing in front of about 75 people at Slough. And yet, I have - despite some of the shellackings we've had - enjoyed this season more than any of our last few in the WSL. The cup tie at Caversham, on essentially a park pitch, drew around 400 and had such a fun atmosphere; watching the squad and players get better, properly learning on the job. Expectations as a fan have had to be massively recalibrated, so comparisons are a little difficult, but personally, I think I celebrated Lucy Bolitho's winner against Selsey to register our first win of the season just as much as Rakel Honnudottir's last minute winner in the FA Cup against Man United six (!) years ago. Can only think of one game I was at - Winchester - where the heads dropped towards the end. Other than that, Bruno, Emma, Dave, Shelley et al have managed to keep the spirits up (from the outside) and slowly added to the group as the season has gone on.

A year of playing adult football hopefully will help the players. A full pre-season with them for the management team hopefully will help as well. There's a core of the group who I think would definitely be great to see in blue and white again next season - Preisner, Bolitho, Bradley, Dench, Fatri, Airey I think would be essential, the twins would be a welcome bonus, but as posted above, I imagine that may not be feasible.

Two games left, before a very well-earned break. I hope when the glorious day comes and the chinese lad is no longer involved and we have shiny new owners, that the women's team isn't left out of things and is formally intergrated back into the club.

Fair play to you for keeping the faith and continuing to support the women's side, despite everything that's happened/been done to them and the comparatively dire situation they have found themselves in this season.

I have to admit that, having religiously supported them up the leagues and into the WSL and seen their tremendous achievements there, where they consistently punched above their weight, it just hurt too much to see how the whole setup was pretty much destroyed and I haven't been able to bring myself to go along to watch what was left of it.

Yes, that probably does make me, in many ways, a poor 'supporter' but it was just too much on top of what was happening to our club thanks to Dai, Pang & co. Maybe, one day, I'll get to 'Acceptance and hope' in the seven stages of grief and will start attending games again.

[Royals and Racers]

Next up on Sunday(23rd) is the local derby away to Woodley Utd KO 2pm. The match is being played at the Bulmershe Pavilion ground.
Entry is free and in addition they are having a collection for the Woodley Foodbank.

[Royals and Racers]

Pundit Pete who all season has done excellent reports on the Women’s team for the Tilehurst end has interviewed manager Pedro Bruno in a lengthy piece for TTE- worth a read.