When : Saturday February 1 2025, 3pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161
Reading next continue to try and turn a comfortable top half finish into a relegation battle against Bolton Wanderers.
The Trotters are right on the fringes of the play offs in 7th place while Reading are now 10th. A win for Reading would see them leap frog Bolton and could put them back in the play off places if Orient badly slip up in their game. Trouble is Reading seem to have developed a serious aversion to home games starting at 3pm on a Saturday, having lost v Stockport, v Orient and v Blackpool in the last three home games to have kicked off at this time.
Bolton have won both of their most recent games in the league (3-1 v Northampton and 1-0 at Huddersfield) so are starting to look like a team capable of promotion after a fairly erratic run previously that saw them take just 3 points from 18. This “upturn” seems to have coincided with dumping Ian Evatt a couple of weeks ago and letting former player Julian Darby pick up as caretaker, so we would definitely have a team on the proverbial new manager “bounce” to try and stop as well.
The obvious dangers are the forwards with Victor Adeboyejo and Josh Collins taking up the reins following the sale of Dion Charles to Huddersfield (so we get the pleasure of his company next week). One time Royal Luke Southwood has taken up keeper duties recently too, so there’s likely to be quite a bit of determination to not foul up defensively from Bolton on top of it all.
Reading lack Mbengue and Dorsett but are otherwise believed to have a full complement and Yiadom has to start being involved in some capacity at some point so could this game be the one?
On the bright side this is the last game before the window shuts so this time next week the club will know what they have left.
Referee
Anthony Backhouse
Previously...
14 Dec 24 > Reading 0-3 Blackpool
01 Jan 24 > Reading 3-2 Exeter City
19 Aug 23 > Reading 1-0 Stevenage
Historically
Seventeen previous league head to heads played against Bolton Wanderers in Reading. Of those games Reading have won 10, drawn 3 and lost 4 scoring 27 to Bolton's 15.
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket and travel to the game
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use an RoyalsTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
How about 4-2-3-1 for shits and giggles!!
