MATCHWATCH : Wigan Athletic (h) sponsored by 1 point needed

[Sutekh]

One point. That’s all that is needed. Just one more point to be able to extend this rather odd season by at least another two games.

Struggling Wigan are the next visitors for the last regulation home game of the season and they can’t afford to sit back and defend as Wigan need to win both their remaining games to have a remotest chance of staying up and even then it’d take a lot of other results to go their way.

They do have some pretty useful players about them though in the likes of Nick Powell, Gabriel Obertan, one time rumoured Reading target Omar Bogle and the wonderfully named Max Power.

Reading will be without Berg and McShane so another permutation of those that have been selected in recent weeks will be applied again while Wigan will be without Will Grigg with a knee injury.

Referee

Tim Robinson from West Sussex will be officiating



Previously

01 Oct 16 > Reading 1-1 Derby County
02 Feb 16 > Ipswich Town 2-1 Reading
21 Sep 13 > Derby County 1-3 Reading

So no clean sheets for either teams in those games then….

Historically

This will be the 21st league game in Reading between the two teams. Reading have won 11 of the previous 20 games and gained a couple of 1-1 draws. However Wigan have won on each of their last 3 visits to the Madejski Stadium and as we’ve seen with opposition on similar runs, e.g. QPR, Reading seem to be just as eager as the opposition to leave things just as they are.

[genome]

South Stand open for Reading fans tomorrow.

Shots fired by the OS as well:

We want to see the stadium packed on Saturday… and no excuses! At every home matchday, seats are left empty by Season Ticket holders who don’t show up. Cancel your other plans – come and get behind the boys for one last push!

Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... oGGcm5v.99

[Hound]

I think thats fair enough. Be genuinely annoyed if less than 20k show up tomorrow

[tidus_mi2]

South Stand open for Reading fans tomorrow.

Shots fired by the OS as well:

We want to see the stadium packed on Saturday… and no excuses! At every home matchday, seats are left empty by Season Ticket holders who don’t show up. Cancel your other plans – come and get behind the boys for one last push!

Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... oGGcm5v.99

We've only missed one home match this season thankfully and that happened to be the QPR game.

[Sutekh]

I imagine Wigan will bring about 200 so the South Stand will only have about 2500 or so if Reading sell out that stand - which they probably won't.

East Stand should be pretty full but the other two stands is anyone's guess as it's been pretty pathetic showing there most of the season.

However with with it being the last game of the league season and the fact we should really seal a play off place I would hope that those two stands will be full at least which should take us over the 20k mark

[BR2]

I think thats fair enough. Be genuinely annoyed if less than 20k show up tomorrow

No point getting annoyed.
It's not as if big crowd support is needed to roar our boys across the line-it has been more a case of sleeping through these recent games as we wait for the ones that really matter post-season..
I expect with it being a holiday weekend and unattractive opposition the crowd to be around 15,500.

[Hound]

I know there's no point getting annoyed, but I still will . More annoyed on behalf of the owners than taking personal offence to it.

Last game of the regular season, warmer weather, plenty of cheap ticket deals, chance to nail a spot in the play offs. Really it should be a sell out

[genome]

Rotherham attendance was decent, skewed by the low away end turnout. With a packed away end it would've been 21k

[Nameless]

Bank holiday should boost the crowd, it's not like people go abroad for the weekend. People can go to the game and still have 2 days to sit around and watch television.
Having said that I can see it being well under 20k which will be a shame.
The one concern I have over the summer is that Stam will decide that Reading fans don't care and he'd rather wrk somewhere with a bit of passion and accepts the West Ham job....

[CountryRoyal]

Bank holiday should boost the crowd, it's not like people go abroad for the weekend. People can go to the game and still have 2 days to sit around and watch television.
Having said that I can see it being well under 20k which will be a shame.
The one concern I have over the summer is that Stam will decide that Reading fans don't care and he'd rather wrk somewhere with a bit of passion and accepts the West Ham job....

Couldn't fault him either which is a shame. I know if I had no affiliation to the club it wouldn't be high on my list of places I'd like to work.

[percy_freeman]

Would like to think he'd at least try to finish what he has started here at Reading but it certainly won't be the fans that swing his decision but the uncertainty over the ownership which would obviously tie his hands financially. Whilst I have nothing but praise for Jap, you would of though the one area of our team which would of benefited most would of been our defence. 7-1 at Norwich and 3-0 down at Forrest don't exactly support this. we have out done most of our expectations this season, I for one thought mid table, but there's a long way to go.

[genome]

Bank holiday should boost the crowd, it's not like people go abroad for the weekend. People can go to the game and still have 2 days to sit around and watch television.
Having said that I can see it being well under 20k which will be a shame.
The one concern I have over the summer is that Stam will decide that Reading fans don't care and he'd rather wrk somewhere with a bit of passion and accepts the West Ham job....

Couldn't fault him either which is a shame. I know if I had no affiliation to the club it wouldn't be high on my list of places I'd like to work.

He has said before that fans' opinion doesn't faze him. So I suspect that it wouldn't be a reason for him to leave the club.

[Sutekh]

For those interested there will be a "lap of appreciation" when the game is over. Buses will therefore be departing later for those that want to stay and applaud players as they slowly amble around the pitch.

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 90462.aspx

And if Reading are in the play-offs no doubt you'll get to do it all over again next month.....

[Cureton's Volley]

Expecting a pitch invasion if we secure the point?

[Sutekh]

Reading XI : Habsi, Gunter, Moore, Blackett, Obita, Evans, McCleary, Beerens, Swift, Kelly, Kermorgant

Subs : Jaakkola, Popa, Grabban, Mendes, Ilori, Oxford, Williams

[Sutekh]

Wigan XI : Gilks, Perkins, MacDonald, Tunnicliffe, Jacobs, Morgan, Warnock, Powell, Hanson, Burn, Burke

Subs : Jaaskelainen, Power, Connolly, Bogle, Bruce, Colclough, Byrne

[bobby1413]

Sat in car for a bit until I walk down to the ground. Thought I'd switch from music to BBCRB just to see what's happening as I gave up on Ady Williams a while back.

This is what I heard:

Ady: now Tim. Here is a stat for you and it really demonstrates how stats can be read in various ways. Wigan have won 2 of their last 4. Correct?

Tim: Yep that is right.

Ady: Well... they've won 2 of their last 4. But .... they've won 2 of their last 8!!! It's the same stat isn't it?!

Me and Tim:

[From Despair To Where?]

WTF are Huddersfield doing with their line up today? 10 changes. Are they trying to avoid Fulham in the playoffs?

[Libertine]

Kermorgant! GTFI...

[dontbedaft]

Expecting a pitch invasion if we secure the point?

I'm expecting a pitch invasion even if we end up 7th