MATCHWATCH : Queens Park Rangers (h) sponsored by a Merry Christmas to one and all

[Sutekh]

When : Thursday, 26 December, 7.30pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161


Season at halfway situation and clubs are now starting to come round for a second time. Realistically there wont be a lot of change for most clubs in the league now, save for a handful of places at most. True a club could make a late run for promotion from the very depths or sink like a rock from the greatest of heights but these do tend to be fairly uncommon so what you see now is likely what you'll get in 4/5 months time.

As it's QPR it's on the telly. Quite why SKY keep selecting this fixture is beyond me as, historically, it's usually an utterly dreadful and instantly forgettable game. I suppose it's because it's just down the road for them so is the least inconvenience after losing the Boxing Day PL fixtures to Amazon. The fact that changing the kick off maximises inconvenience to many supporters at this time of year though really doesn't seem to matter.

QPR had a brightish start to the season and garnered a good few points but since then the last 15 league games played have seen just 4 wins and 4 draws though that has been enough to keep them comfortably floating around halfway in the table. They concede a lot of goals (only and Barnsley have shipped more) but they also score a load (only WBA have scored more) so this lot are dangerous and recently they have also managed their first two clean sheets of the season so let's hope that doesn't happen again.

Eberechi Eze (9), Jordan Hugill (8) and, as per usual, Nahki Wells (8) are the players to stop having managed 25 league goals between them thus far, after them the goals drop right off with defender Grant Hall the next highest on 3.

Yoann Barbet and Angel Rangel are QPR doubts for the game while Charlie Owens is still sidelined. Reading will be without Yiadom and McIntyre but otherwise I believe everyone else is available, though Puscas may need a couple more training sessions to be sure of his shoulder problem.

Referee

James Linington

Previously....

03 Aug 19 > Reading 1-3 Sheffield Wednesday
08 Dec 18 > Reading 0-2 Sheffield United
03 Nov 18 > Reading 3-2 Bristol City
06 Mar 18 > Reading 1-1 Bolton Wanderers
02 Jan 18 > Reading 0-2 Birmingham City
09 Sep 17 > Reading 0-1 Bristol City
08 Apr 17 > Norwich City 7-1 Reading
24 Sep 16 > Reading 1-0 Huddersfield Town
21 Nov 15 > Reading 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
02 May 15 > Derby County 0-3 Reading
28 Dec 14 > Reading 2-1 Norwich City
21 Nov 14 > Cardiff City 2-1 Reading
12 Aug 14 > Reading 3-1 Newport County (League Cup)
10 Sep 11 > Reading 0-2 Watford
30 Apr 11 > Coventry City 0-0 Reading
22 Jan 11 > Reading 1-1 Hull City
02 May 10 > Reading 4-0 Preston North End
30 Jan 10 > Reading 1-0 Barnsley

Historically

Overall Reading have an edge on league fixtures in the "binary" derby by 37 wins to 30. There have been 24 stalemates.

Thus this game is the 46th league visit from that lot just up the M4 and Reading have recorded 26 victories to 10 from the Rangers but have only won 1 of the previous 7 home fixtures.

Why binary derby? Well the last 9 home games have been truly IT techie like and dull in the extreme with about as many shots as there have been goals resulting in scores of 0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 0-0, 1-1, 0-1, 0-1, 1-0 and 0-1

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the game
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use an iFollow subscription
5. SKY
6. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[The Royal Forester]

When we played QPR earlier this season, someone asked which of us are the original hoops. Since then I have found a couple of websites that may give the answer.
http://www.kitclassics.co.uk and http://www.historicalkits.co.uk
They both say our colours in 1871-72 were blue and white hoops (but don't agree how many hoops there were). Then our strips were unknown for about 20 years. We wore vertical stripes from the start of the 20th century until 1938 and have worn hoops since, except for a few seasons in the 1950's 1960's and 1980's.
For QPR one site says they wore hoops from 1892, the other says 1897. They have also worn plain shirts on the odd occasion since then. If QPR fans disregard our 1871-2 hoops, some people reckon we did not play any games that season, (does anyone know if this is true?), they still cannot claim to be the ORIGiNAL hoops, as both Preston North End and WBA wore them in 1882, also Aston Villa wore them in 1877 and 1881. There may have been more teams wearing hoops around that time, but I only clicked on a few teams that I knew were around then.
So. it seems our colours, even if we did not wear them, make US THE ORIGINAL HOOPS.

[URZZZZ]

Rafael

Gunter
Morrison
Moore
Blackett

Meite
Pele
Swift
Ejaria

Baldock
Joao

Walker Obita Miazga Rino Adam McCleary Boye

[Singing Defective]

Anyone know if Bluecollar will be catering for this one? Kentucky fried fingers sounds a bit dire for Boxing Day...

[Hound]

Rafael

Gunter
Morrison
Moore
Blackett

Meite
Pele
Swift
Ejaria

Baldock
Joao

Walker Obita Miazga Rino Adam McCleary Boye

Yeah would be happy with that. Miazga for Morrison I wouldn’t argue with.

But then you don’t change a back 4 after 2 clean sheets in a row

[Sutekh]

When we played QPR earlier this season, someone asked which of us are the original hoops. Since then I have found a couple of websites that may give the answer.
http://www.kitclassics.co.uk and http://www.historicalkits.co.uk
They both say our colours in 1871-72 were blue and white hoops (but don't agree how many hoops there were). Then our strips were unknown for about 20 years. We wore vertical stripes from the start of the 20th century until 1938 and have worn hoops since, except for a few seasons in the 1950's 1960's and 1980's.
For QPR one site says they wore hoops from 1892, the other says 1897. They have also worn plain shirts on the odd occasion since then. If QPR fans disregard our 1871-2 hoops, some people reckon we did not play any games that season, (does anyone know if this is true?), they still cannot claim to be the ORIGiNAL hoops, as both Preston North End and WBA wore them in 1882, also Aston Villa wore them in 1877 and 1881. There may have been more teams wearing hoops around that time, but I only clicked on a few teams that I knew were around then.
So. it seems our colours, even if we did not wear them, make US THE ORIGINAL HOOPS.

Well that’s good enough for me. Reading are the original association football hoopees.

Next, i wonder what/where the oldest surviving original Reading shirt is.

[JoeyJoeJoeJnrShabadoo]

thanks

[NewCorkSeth]

Rafael

Gunter
Morrison
Moore
Blackett

Meite
Pele
Swift
Ejaria

Baldock
Joao

Walker Obita Miazga Rino Adam McCleary Boye

Think I'm with you for the moment. Feels like the right team but I wouldn't mind seeing Baldock take Ejarias position on the pitch at some point. His work rate matches Meites so could be good ti have him shuttle the ball up the pitch.

[andrew1957]

Personally I would stick with the same starting 11 as yesterday on the basis that Rino has been excellent in the DFM role this season and was ill yesterday and so provided he recovers health I think he deserves his spot. And Swift is only just coming back from injury and so giving how 30-35 minutes towards the end when he can really influence the result against a tiring team makes most sense.

And Adam was actually quite good yesterday and I have not really been a fan so let's give him 50-60 minutes and then replace him with Swift.

[royalp-we]

Thanks Sutekh - Merry Christmas


Really looking forward to this! An excuse to get the bus and enjoy a few more beverages than usual before and after.

We’ve had quite a few incidents with referee James Linington over the years. In recent times Jaap Stam openly criticised him for being too lenient.

Then there was the Fulham game at home, which he abandoned at half time due to fog.

Also tried to give Alex Pearce(?) a red card in 2011 - only to have lost his cards somewhere on the pitch (the players weren’t going to fess up ) so had to ask the linesman to give him his marching orders...

[STAR Liaison]

When we played QPR earlier this season, someone asked which of us are the original hoops. Since then I have found a couple of websites that may give the answer.
http://www.kitclassics.co.uk and http://www.historicalkits.co.uk
They both say our colours in 1871-72 were blue and white hoops (but don't agree how many hoops there were). Then our strips were unknown for about 20 years. We wore vertical stripes from the start of the 20th century until 1938 and have worn hoops since, except for a few seasons in the 1950's 1960's and 1980's.
For QPR one site says they wore hoops from 1892, the other says 1897. They have also worn plain shirts on the odd occasion since then. If QPR fans disregard our 1871-2 hoops, some people reckon we did not play any games that season, (does anyone know if this is true?), they still cannot claim to be the ORIGiNAL hoops, as both Preston North End and WBA wore them in 1882, also Aston Villa wore them in 1877 and 1881. There may have been more teams wearing hoops around that time, but I only clicked on a few teams that I knew were around then.
So. it seems our colours, even if we did not wear them, make US THE ORIGINAL HOOPS.

Well that’s good enough for me. Reading are the original association football hoopees.

Next, i wonder what/where the oldest surviving original Reading shirt is.

We played two games in 1871-72 - both ended 0-0. The oldest Reading team photo may have been taken after the second game or early in 1872-73 season and shows us in narrow blue and white hoops - b/w photo obvs but the club colours registered with the FA were blue and white.

The next known photo is the B&B Cup-winning side of 1879 - here we are in blue and white halved shirts (the Blackburn style). The next known photo is the 1892 B&B Cup winning team - here we are in dark blue and white stripes / blue shorts which essentially remained our kit until we changed to hoops in 1938.

There is one more photo of interest. It is of Reading Hornets so therefore taken between 1873-77 and they appear to be wearing the same (or certainly very similar) shirts as in the Reading photo of 1872. The Hornets were a 'half-brother' team - that is at least half their players played for Reading and half Reading's players played for the Hornets. So it's possible these were the same shirts and thus still in use after Reading's first season. The Hornets might have borrowed them for the photo-shoot despite the fact that Hornets official colours were amber and black.

Many clubs would have worn hoops in 1872 but none of the current league clubs as far as we know. We might have 'borrowed' our kit colours and hoops style from Lancing College where our star player Haygarth had been a student.

The oldest surviving Reading shirt is from the 1910s / 1920s and on display in the club restaurant.

[The Royal Forester]

Thanks Star. Now that that we have evidence to show that we are the original hoops will the fake ones please shut up!

[WestYorksRoyal]

A few interesting selection choices for Bowen if Miazga and Swift are fit to start. Do we go back to 532? Will it be as effective with Gunter in for Yiadom? Is it fair to drop Meite after yesterday? Surely you don't play him up front?

Do you go 442 against a good, skilful midfield and waste the best of Ejaria on the left?

My solution would be 4321/433. Baldock can do a decent pressing job slightly out of position, Meite is much better out wide. Rino, Swift and Ejaria in midfield can match up against any good opposition. Baldock would be better up front, but I think it's the best compromise.

[Snowflake Royal]

Thanks Star. Now that that we have evidence to show that we are the original hoops will the fake ones please shut up!

QPR's argument is that they've consistently played in them whereas we haven't isn't it, rather than being first.

[tidus_mi2]

There are so many teams that play in similar kits, red and white vertical stripes are quite common for example.

Why is the blue and white hoops thing such a big deal?

[Sutekh]

Thanks Star. Now that that we have evidence to show that we are the original hoops will the fake ones please shut up!

QPR's argument is that they've consistently played in them whereas we haven't isn't it, rather than being first.

That argument would fall flat as they haven’t done so either. QPR did not wear blue and white hoops until 1926, they were green and white (like Yeovil) before this and in their first few years of existence they were light/dark blue halved shirts. Since 1926 they’ve also had seasons with no hoops e.g 1949 and much of the 50s they wore white shirts with blue trim. They have been consistently hooped since 1959 though.

[The Royal Forester]

There are so many teams that play in similar kits, red and white vertical stripes are quite common for example.

Why is the blue and white hoops thing such a big deal?

Because there are only a few teams that wear them? Yeovil and Doncaster of the English clubs spring to mind.

[Barb]

Thanks Star. Now that that we have evidence to show that we are the original hoops will the fake ones please shut up!

Fcuk sake. Every time we play them this stupid fcuking debate comes up.

It's boring. Nobody fcucking cares.

[WTRoyal]

Thanks Star. Now that that we have evidence to show that we are the original hoops will the fake ones please shut up!

Fcuk sake. Every time we play them this stupid fcuking debate comes up.

It's boring. Nobody fcucking cares.

Nice sig

[Sutekh]

Thanks Star. Now that that we have evidence to show that we are the original hoops will the fake ones please shut up!

Fcuk sake. Every time we play them this stupid fcuking debate comes up.

It's boring. Nobody fcucking cares.

+1

It's just a kit. Don't see us crying about Huddersfield kits being blue and white.

Agree. As long as it is blue and white I personally don’t care what design shirt Reading decide to wear.

In some ways it would be nice to vary it some seasons. Don’t recall too many people moaning about the non hooped shirts the club wore in the mid 80s and early 90s but then there was less fan base and less media to report those sorts of things at that time.