When : Friday March 29 2024, 3pm
Where : SCL Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161
Easter time sees Reading pitched up in two anti-local derbies. Instead of what you'd logically hope for (games v Wycombe and Pompey) the players and fans have Northampton and then a trip to Bolton to which to look forward.
First up is Northampton who are pretty much as safe from relegation as you can get if you're not troubling the promotion fight. The Cobblers are 11th on 53 points, their issue this season is one of not turning more of their defeats into draws. Form currently isn't exactly the best it's been for them either with their 1-0 home win over Derby on Saturday being their first win anywhere in 6 games and, therefore, only 5 points recovered from those 6 games.
Midfielder Sam Hoskins is again leading scorer with 15 so far to add to his 22 league goals from last season, therefore it's fairly obvious where the threat will come from given his haul is 1 more than both forwards Keiron Bowie and Mitch Pinnock have managed between them this season. Expect also the that the matcch may see the return of Liam Moore who should be up for the game and no doubt his determination may well spread throughout the Northampton mindset so if he does play perhaps it might be best to give him a warm welcome to try and dampen that effect a little rather than promoting it with the expected booing.
Only Yiadom (suspended) and Holmes (injured) are likely to be missing so Selles should have more or less a full squad of players to pull from - perhaps even the forgotten Monlouis might get on the bench.
Referee
The Thomas "Alan" Parsons Project
Previously
Nothing
Historically
This is the 45th season shared with the Cobblers with league games going back to 1921. Since then Reading have won 30 and drawn 10 home games but Reading have NOT beaten Northampton at home in any competition since a 3-0 League Cup win in 1993, since then they've played 4 games in all competitions and managed just 3 draws (and one of those was ultimately lost on penalties). Therefore the Cobblers have never been beaten at the Mad Stad/SCL.
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket and travel to the Mad Stad
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use a RoyalTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
