BFT(final)G

[Hound]

It is. One thing to hold onto is it should ease considerably this time next year. All the loans probably would have come if we had a genuine chance of challenging next season and the money to afford them

[SpaghettiHoop]

BTW, I remember standing on the terraces at Newport (is there a river nearby?) made up of railway sleepers, in the 60s.

And a speedway track on the outside of the pitch!

[Royals and Racers]

And a speedway track on the outside of the pitch!

Somerton Park https://www.google.com/search?q=somerto ... LpcAurz_UM%2

[Victor Meldrew]

And a speedway track on the outside of the pitch!

Somerton Park https://www.google.com/search?q=somerto ... LpcAurz_UM%2

Ironically there is a photo within that of Trevor Senior and (?) Dean Horrix in 1985 with Trevor having a left-footed (of course) shot.

[The Royal Forester]

My memory of Somerton Park was going there for a FA Cup replay in the mid 1960's. A special train was laid on for the Reading fans and we all walked from Newport Station to the ground, and as we passed a fish & chip shop, a wag at the front of the long snaking queue went in and asked for "fish and chips please, five hundred times" and walked out again to the laughter and smiles of the staff and customers in there. Nearing the end of the game and it still being 0-0 an announcement came over the tannoy saying "Reading fans, if the game goes into extra time your train will be delayed for you". Just as he finished speaking, we scored and won the game 1-0.

[RG7Fan]

Should have won that comfortably. Thought our front 3 (whilst promising) are lightweight and can't help but think we'd have won with Oliveira and maybe Barrow starting. Olise, Barrett and Loader did well. That shot in the 2nd half was almost a worldy. That'd have been one of the best goals I've ever seen had that gone a tad lower and left.

Really hope we can keep at least Baker, Miazga and Oliveira. Whilst I like Martinez, he can be replaced easier. I have a feeling we might only bring 1 of them in permanently if we're lucky. Can definitely see us selling 2 of Moore, Rinomhota and Swift in the summer to raise funds which would be a shame. I'd rather lose Swift of those 3.

Can see McShane, Baldock, Rinomhota, Swift, Jaakkola, Blackett, Meyler, McNulty in addition to O' Shea and Van Den Berg going as a minimum. We need to trim the squad down but only our higher earners and try bring 5-6 quality signings.

Whilst I think we've got the identity right I think next season is also going to be tough.

Gomes said in the post match interview that they need to get next year sorted now by the end of May! Mentioned cutting the squad down, and also getting in 5-6 new players. Sounds like we could see a lot of change this summer.

[Snowball]

And a speedway track on the outside of the pitch!

Somerton Park has a railway behind, no river. Frankly, unless it was packed for a big game it was a bit soulless

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

Nice.

The lady he presented the flowers to sorts out the goalkeeper's jerseys for him. Apparently they are all long-sleeved, and Martinez prefers playing in short sleeves, so she alters them for him.

Thanks for the info. What a great gesture.

Do you think it was planned, or off the cuff?

[Hendo]

The lady he presented the flowers to sorts out the goalkeeper's jerseys for him. Apparently they are all long-sleeved, and Martinez prefers playing in short sleeves, so she alters them for him.

Thanks for the info. What a great gesture.

Do you think it was planned, or off the cuff?

No sure, but it is always good to have something like that up your sleeve.

[Millsy]

Excuse the RTG but

we were VERY VERY good

Yes I know, nothing to play for etc etc but seriously for the first half I was sitting there wondering if Brum were even on the pitch.

Youngsters were fantastic! Never saw Barrett play before. Loader was class not just in the way he attacked but reminds me of Kitson how he'd be there in defence as well. Olisa great. Rino - no more needs to be said, PL player with or without us sadly.

The rest of the team of course brilliant too.

MUST keep Martinez, Baker, Miazga. Ejaria too.

If this is any indication of what next season will be like I'll be surprised if we're not upper midtable pushing for a playoff spot. Very exciting times... only IF we can keep this squad together though

JOSE GOMES' BARMY ARMY!!!

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

Thanks for the info. What a great gesture.

Do you think it was planned, or off the cuff?

No sure, but it is always good to have something like that up your sleeve.

it would seam so.

[Hendo]

[paultheroyal]

Stayed behind so my lad could get photos with the players. God they must really hate that. Anyway, everyone was waiting for Martinez but no show. So we left to go home. Walked through hotel car park and there was Martinez sat in his very large fancy pick up. Wind down the window for a pic with my lad.

Lad - "Martinez, please stay, are you staying?"
Martinez - "Hope so".

My lad beaming.

(clearly he wont be staying though)

[paultheroyal]

Me and my boys joined the autograph hunters queue after the match and I'm not sure what can be read into who came down the line but only four of the loan players appeared - Oliveira, Miazga, Ezatolahi and Martinez. No sign of Ejaria, and Baker snuck out of the other door but did sign a handful of autographs when spotted. A number of the injured players were there too - Blackett and McShane - plus the non-playing Kelly. No sign of Bodvarsson or Jakkola. One of the young lads in the queue out of the blue asked Rinomhota if he was leaving and his reply seemed totally genuine when he said no.

Baker stayed around for quite awhile in the end and Blackett was first out. He wanted to get away but was also good signing autographs and the like. Jakkola was also one of the first out and did sign etc.

[morganb]

Do you think it was planned, or off the cuff?

No sure, but it is always good to have something like that up your sleeve.

it would seam so.

I wonder how he got into the stand so quickly - he probably had a shortcut

[paultheroyal]

Finally the Ref. Is this our worst season for Officials ? I have missed two home games this season; yet apart from Friend (who is a Prem Ref) and a couple who were at best average-this season we have had a succession of absolute plonkers. Where do the League get them from ? Something is wrong here with the whole system of appointing Refs. What must Div 1 and 2 be like ? I rate Friend and Oliver , but no English Ref made the World Cup finals last year and that is just shameful. Yesterday the Officiating by the assistants was very inconsistent. The West stand Lino gave a few decisions to help the Ref; but the East stand Ref didn't. The pull back on Loader ? , second half was blatant and he must have seen it, but did nothing. Was he instructed not to give anything other than Offside and throws ?

I know I am criticised for defending ref's but come on, this sort of comment gets my goat. Some of the refereeing has been debateable and yes even I get off my seat and remonstrate in a pantomime type of way but are you really telling me that of the 23 referee's at the stadiums this season 18+ are absolute plonkers? And you rate that scoring because they are inconsistent.

How do you know they are inconsistent? It's a team of 3 - just because one assistant raised his flag to give a decision, it doesn't mean the other one needs to. Maybe there was no foul over there to give. If a referee see's a blatant foul he will give it, end of. So perhaps whilst in moving he didn't see it, or felt the tug was minimal.

And no, he would not be instructed to just give offside and throws.

I don't think refereeing has been of a high standard, and I actually think it will deteriorate somewhat over the coming seasons because of the young brigade and robotic refs' coming through but calling "hobby ref's" plonkers is just ridiculous.

[Sutekh]

Finally the Ref. Is this our worst season for Officials ? I have missed two home games this season; yet apart from Friend (who is a Prem Ref) and a couple who were at best average-this season we have had a succession of absolute plonkers. Where do the League get them from ? Something is wrong here with the whole system of appointing Refs. What must Div 1 and 2 be like ? I rate Friend and Oliver , but no English Ref made the World Cup finals last year and that is just shameful. Yesterday the Officiating by the assistants was very inconsistent. The West stand Lino gave a few decisions to help the Ref; but the East stand Ref didn't. The pull back on Loader ? , second half was blatant and he must have seen it, but did nothing. Was he instructed not to give anything other than Offside and throws ?

I know I am criticised for defending ref's but come on, this sort of comment gets my goat. Some of the refereeing has been debateable and yes even I get off my seat and remonstrate in a pantomime type of way but are you really telling me that of the 23 referee's at the stadiums this season 18+ are absolute plonkers? And you rate that scoring because they are inconsistent.

How do you know they are inconsistent? It's a team of 3 - just because one assistant raised his flag to give a decision, it doesn't mean the other one needs to. Maybe there was no foul over there to give. If a referee see's a blatant foul he will give it, end of. So perhaps whilst in moving he didn't see it, or felt the tug was minimal.

And no, he would not be instructed to just give offside and throws.

I don't think refereeing has been of a high standard, and I actually think it will deteriorate somewhat over the coming seasons because of the young brigade and robotic refs' coming through but calling "hobby ref's" plonkers is just ridiculous.

Not helped by the FA/FL/PL stance that they can't look at something again that the ref has already seen from an awful angle in a split second. Though somehow they can overturn straight red cards so at least there's the usual inconsistency there.

Just waiting for VAR to fully kick in and in a lot of cases the ref getting to see the same incident from 10 inconclusive angles and taking several minutes to come up with the same disputed decision he would have done before it was introduced.

Still as long as money talks we can't just have a game can we.

[URZZZZ]

If a player doesn't deliver, they're dropped. If a manager doesn't deliver, they're sacked. If a referee doesn't deliver, then what? Nothing. The people that say "referees have it so difficult" are wrong, refs make mistakes time and time again and are very rarely punished for it, yet when managers dare to speak out about it with their jobs on the line, they are the ones who are punished

End of the day it's their job to deliver, and if they can't stand up to the pressure, what's the point of them being there. Time and time again, the ref has been abysmal for many seasons now but nothing is ever done about it

[Denver Royal]

Finally the Ref. Is this our worst season for Officials ? I have missed two home games this season; yet apart from Friend (who is a Prem Ref) and a couple who were at best average-this season we have had a succession of absolute plonkers. Where do the League get them from ? Something is wrong here with the whole system of appointing Refs. What must Div 1 and 2 be like ? I rate Friend and Oliver , but no English Ref made the World Cup finals last year and that is just shameful. Yesterday the Officiating by the assistants was very inconsistent. The West stand Lino gave a few decisions to help the Ref; but the East stand Ref didn't. The pull back on Loader ? , second half was blatant and he must have seen it, but did nothing. Was he instructed not to give anything other than Offside and throws ?

I know I am criticised for defending ref's but come on, this sort of comment gets my goat. Some of the refereeing has been debateable and yes even I get off my seat and remonstrate in a pantomime type of way but are you really telling me that of the 23 referee's at the stadiums this season 18+ are absolute plonkers? And you rate that scoring because they are inconsistent.

How do you know they are inconsistent? It's a team of 3 - just because one assistant raised his flag to give a decision, it doesn't mean the other one needs to. Maybe there was no foul over there to give. If a referee see's a blatant foul he will give it, end of. So perhaps whilst in moving he didn't see it, or felt the tug was minimal.

And no, he would not be instructed to just give offside and throws.

I don't think refereeing has been of a high standard, and I actually think it will deteriorate somewhat over the coming seasons because of the young brigade and robotic refs' coming through but calling "hobby ref's" plonkers is just ridiculous.

Not helped by the FA/FL/PL stance that they can't look at something again that the ref has already seen from an awful angle in a split second. Though somehow they can overturn straight red cards so at least there's the usual inconsistency there.

Just waiting for VAR to fully kick in and in a lot of cases the ref getting to see the same incident from 10 inconclusive angles and taking several minutes to come up with the same disputed decision he would have done before it was introduced.

Still as long as money talks we can't just have a game can we.

Yep, VAR will be interesting. Watching some of the PL games, it's been an eye opener to see just how close some of the incidents and decisions really are.
Paul, I hear ya, some refs do get a bad rap. (Then again, Chelsea vs Cardiff couple weeks back, the missed offside was astonishing. It wasn't even close, and Cardiff got shafted there).

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

Which raises a question about Martinez Not being with them.

Came into the East Stand (in front of us in Y24) to present a large bouquet of flowers to a lady. (I believe the guy with her is connected to STAR).

Had a chat with him on the way out. His wife was altering the GK tops this season as Puma didn't do short sleeves. A very nice touch from Martinez with the flowers.