When : Saturday 23 December 2023, 3pm
Where : Madejski Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161
It's Chriiiiiiiiiiiiiiistmaaaaaas! And Wigan bounce back to the stadium for the first time in 8 months. Yes this lot dropped with Reading in May and have gone through similar ownership troubles with non payment of wages, though to be fair their owners actually cared enough to sell the club and since then things have picked up for the Latics, even with an 8 point deduction.
That 8 point deduction had been wiped out by the end of August mainly due to an away stuffing of Derby on the opening day then Bolton at the temple of sheet (or what ever they call their ground these days) a couple of weeks later. As you'd expect this lot are fairly deadly at this level rather than the perennial strugglers that turn up when in the Championship.
If nothing had been deducted Wigan would be 10th with 31 points but instead they are 17th with 23 points (a good 7 points above the drop zone) and on a totally nondescript run of league form (1 win in 5) and did lose last time out, at Port Vale, so this could be the best time to play them (especially if Reading's management can get things right for a change).
Callum McManaman, Stephen Humphrys and Charlie and Wyke are the main dangermen here with 16 goals between them plus Stephen Sessegnon joined from Fulham in the summer so plenty of talent that needs to be shut away by the Royals.
Ruben Selles is suspended for this one so he'll only be able to watch from the stands and not contribute to the match day experience as he would normally. Tom McIntyre could well be back in the reckoning and Reading could therefore be at what is now considered full strength (for the first time mid-season since god knows when) as only the "quarantined" Ejaria and the "season-over" Ballard (and possibly the "footballer" known as Mola) are unavailable .
Referee
Martin Woods
Previously
Nowt.
Historically
Wigan are one of the very few clubs that Reading have played in all four divisions. There have been twenty four previous visits from the Latics for league points and more often than not the outcome is decisive as there’s only been three draws (all 1-1) in that time.
Of the remaining twenty one games Reading have won thirteen to Wigan’s eight but Wigan have won 4 of the last 7 games played in Reading.
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket and travel to the Mad Stad
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use a RoyalTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
