When : Tuesday September 19 2023, 7pm
Where : St James Park, Stadium Way, Exeter, EX4 6PX
Capacity : 8,197
Back to Exeter less than month after the largely promising but unrewarding performance in the league.
This is for the Associate Members Cup which is currently branded as the English Football League Trophy. Reading once won the equivalent Full Members Cup back in 1988 and many will remember what a great day out that was, if not the run to final, so I'm hoping the club take the competition seriously as it would be a real achievement for Reading to get another day out at Wembley that they might actually be able win.
Don't know whether Exeter will see it as a distraction and play a weakened side from the league game but hopefully their rather brighter start to the league season will encourage them to do that.
Reading will certainly be without Smith and the, forever injured, Ejaria. Whether anyone picked up any knocks against Bolton is unknown as yet.
Competition Format
Player eligibility
Each FL league club MUST play a minimum of four qualifying outfield players in their starting XI. A qualifying outfield player was one who met any of the following requirements:
- Any player who started the previous or following first-team fixture.
- Any player who is in the top 10 players at the club who has made the most starting appearances in league and domestic cup competitions this season.
- Any player with forty or more first-team starting appearances in their career, including International matches.
- Any player on loan from a Premier League club or any EFL Category One Academy club.
- A club can play any eligible goalkeeper in the competition.
- Any player out on a long loan term at a National League, National League North, or National League South team can play as long as the loaning team agree to allow the player to return for the match.
- Minimum of six players in the starting line-up who are aged under 21 on 30 June 2023.
- Maximum of two players on the team sheet who are aged over 21 and have also made forty or more senior appearances.
Game format
The format of the competition is 3 group games against, in this case, Exeter, Swindon and Arsenal U21 with the winners progressing to the regionalised knockout stages. Reading are in group SG (South, group G). As I recall it's 3 points for a win 2 points for a winning draw and 1 point for a losing draw (a drawn game goes to penalties after 90 minutes).
Referee
Carl Brook
Previously...
Nothing known
Historically
There's previous history as the only cup game played between the clubs before was in the same competition back in February 1993 at St James' Park when Reading went out 4-2 on penalties in their first ever shootout defeat in a game.
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket and go
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use a RoyalsTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
