This would be amazing

[MartinRdg]

Only thing on our last game might be the chance for us to knock Brum out of an auto spot.

Question then is: would we prefer Sheff Utd or Brum to be in the play-offs.

Definitely Brum. They will be so disheartened that they slipped out of an auto place.

[SteveRoyal]

It would be amazing... because it's highly unlikely.
Let's take a look at the odds for Reading to be automatically promoted.
http://odds.bestbetting.com/football/en ... /promotion
I'm not sure if that is automatic or not - but the point still stands, even if my evidence sucks.

[Rawlie19]

There's no disgrace in the TV schedule. It's a fact of life you'd think people would have got used to by now.

I think the point was that the whole reason that all the final matches are on Sunday at 1:30pm is so that ALL the games kick-off at exactly the same time and there's none of the "we know exactly what we have to do because in THEIR final game they ... etc". That said, it's just the luck of the draw and we've got to put up with it. It's our own fault for not picking up at least 3 more points before now tbh. Look back on some of our results in the years to come and we'll be baffled at just how we ended up in this position.

[Nezhen]

Well this is what I posted on the 'Do your predictions thread' on the 20th Mar:

'The only certainty there is, is that we will go into our last home game against Brum needing to win to secure automatic promotion by goal difference. I am absolutely sure of this, it is the Reading way!

Personally, I think that this is the only way we can get promoted. If we end up in the play-offs we won't have a hope in hell!'

At the moment I am still standing by this as I've just got decent odds on a Preston 2-1 victory against Birmingham on Saturday. Fingers, toes and other bits are all crossed for Sat. Come on Swansea

[parky]

If the Birmingham game becomes winner takes all I see us seeing the Brentford game of 2002 from their persepctive

[JR]

It would be amazing... because it's highly unlikely.
Let's take a look at the odds for Reading to be automatically promoted.
http://odds.bestbetting.com/football/en ... /promotion
I'm not sure if that is automatic or not - but the point still stands, even if my evidence sucks.

I got odds of 50/1 yesterday for reading to get automatic promotion which i am very happy with as only needs 4 favourable results

[Arch]

There's no disgrace in the TV schedule. It's a fact of life you'd think people would have got used to by now.

I think the point was that the whole reason that all the final matches are on Sunday at 1:30pm is so that ALL the games kick-off at exactly the same time and there's none of the "we know exactly what we have to do because in THEIR final game they ... etc". That said, it's just the luck of the draw and we've got to put up with it. It's our own fault for not picking up at least 3 more points before now tbh. Look back on some of our results in the years to come and we'll be baffled at just how we ended up in this position.

Understood. You just want to avoid the slippery slope of applying the same reasoning to the penultimate game, then the pen-penultimate game, etc. Otherwise all the games each week would be played at the same time and the advantages (there are some) of having televised games at irregular times would be lost. I guess you could make the case that the games should be played simultaneously for as many as the last three weeks, since quite a few issues are decided in that spell. My only objection is to calling the current situation a "disgrace", but I guess you knew that.

[Upper West Ginger]

... to the penultimate game, then the pen-penultimate game, etc....

[/Spacey mode on] ... penultimate, ante-penultimate, etc.... [/Spacey mode off]

[Dirk Gently]

It would be amazing... because it's highly unlikely.
Let's take a look at the odds for Reading to be automatically promoted.
http://odds.bestbetting.com/football/en ... /promotion
I'm not sure if that is automatic or not - but the point still stands, even if my evidence sucks.

I got odds of 50/1 yesterday for reading to get automatic promotion which i am very happy with as only needs 4 favourable results

Out of interest, any ideas how those odds of 50/1 compare with the odds you'd get on a 4-way accumulator on the 4 individual results?

[Bill Oddie's Beard]

It would be amazing... because it's highly unlikely.
Let's take a look at the odds for Reading to be automatically promoted.
http://odds.bestbetting.com/football/en ... /promotion
I'm not sure if that is automatic or not - but the point still stands, even if my evidence sucks.

I got odds of 50/1 yesterday for reading to get automatic promotion which i am very happy with as only needs 4 favourable results

Out of interest, any ideas how those odds of 50/1 compare with the odds you'd get on a 4-way accumulator on the 4 individual results?

That wouldn't work cos although it's straight forward B'ham losing, Reading winning, Sheff U could draw or lose against Swansea or draw or lose against Palace.

[Schards#2]

Preston are a best price 4/1 to beat Birmingham.

I'm wondering if Sheffield United beating Swansea wouldn't be the best result for us so that Birmingham have to beat Preston to go up on Saturday.

Although that means we need Palace to get something the following week, that's arguably more probable than Birmingham losing at home to Preston when they only need a draw to be promoted.

We could really do with Burnley or Cardiff losing at 3.00pm Saturday so that Preston still have something to play for at 5.15pm.

Either way, it's highly unlikely even before you consider the possibility of reading winning their last two if everything else DID fall into place.

[Dirk Gently]

....
Either way, it's highly unlikely even before you consider the possibility of reading winning their last two if everything else DID fall into place.

Agreed - extremely unlikely that everything will come out the way it needs to.

But a year ago on Sunday, when Fulham were two goals down at Man City with 21 minutes to play, they required an unlikely set of things to happen.

[rotherwick_royal]

We could really do with Burnley or Cardiff losing at 3.00pm Saturday so that Preston still have something to play for at 5.15pm.

I can really see that happening - Cardiff now have to play an Ipswich side with Roy Keane's first game in charge. I'm sure he will have told them all they are playing for their jobs

[Ian Royal]

....
Either way, it's highly unlikely even before you consider the possibility of reading winning their last two if everything else DID fall into place.

Agreed - extremely unlikely that everything will come out the way it needs to.

But a year ago on Sunday, when Fulham were two goals down at Man City with 21 minutes to play, they required an unlikely set of things to happen.

In fairness to Schards, Fulham had had two of their best players out most of the season and got them back fit in time for the run in.

[seahawk10]

I am hoping for a perfect weekend so that come Monday it will be back in our hands (win 2 and we are up).

[Ian Royal]

Well it's not looking like you'll get it so far.

[Arch]

Close though. Three out of four relevant results went to plan.

[Ian Royal]

It got a lot better once I posted the above.

The only really important result went our way.

Now all we need is three things, two of which are in our control.

Beat Norwich.
Beat Brum.
Sheff Utd DON'T beat Palace.

oxf*rd it, even if that doesn't happen, we've got a fair chance of going into the play offs as the form team! Burnley aren't playing well, Cardiff have been spanked twice in a row. If B'ham get pipped by Utd they'll be on a downer. And we're Sheff's bogey team.

[rhroyal]

And we're Sheff's bogey team.

Still?

[Ian Royal]

They've beat us about once in 6 years.