Hob Nob Anyone? News and Views

Optimism Crushed By Blackpool

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:09:55 +0000

Setting aside the continued uncertainty of ownership hanging over Reading Football Club, and the recent and sudden departure of an undoubtedly successful manager, this was a very worrying and disappointing result and performance. There were so many factors contributing to the outcome of this fixture it is hard to know where to begin.

Some of the shock and disappointment of Ruben Selles' departure had subsided following last week's fine away result at league leaders Wycombe, giving way to a degree of optimism with the prompt appointment of Noel Hunt. Despite a relatively small contingent of travelling fans, a crowd of over fourteen thousand (second highest of the season) turned up in anticipation of a continuation of the recent run of strong performances from the home side. Sadly, that was not how it turned out.
Reading 0 Blackpool 3 - Match Report: READ MORE...

Noel Hunt Immediately Replaces Selles

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 21:46:32 +0000

Noel Hunt has immediately been appointed as Reading FC's new first team manager after Ruben Selles left for Championship strugglers Hull City. As soon as Selles was out of the door, Hunt signed a two and a half year contract to keep him as manager until the summer of 2027. This time around the Royals avoided the usual weeks of speculation and had clearly already made arrangements for Hunt to step in well before Selles move to Hull was made official. Hunt is a natural appointment for the club, moving into the role from his previous job as Under 21 team manager and is already being a very familiar face at Reading FC after his playing days as a striker for the Royals. Hunt was also caretaker manager at the end of the 2023/2024 season after Paul Ince was sacked, and oversaw five matches as team manager which included three draws and two defeats.

After retiring from a long and successful playing career which included spells at Dundee United, Reading, Leeds, Ipswich, Portsmouth and Wigan he took his coaching qualifications and was assistant manager at Swindon Town and Doncaster Rovers. Nearly three years ago he came back to the club where he played his best football to manage Reading's under 21s. Reading have relied on their academy players stepping up into the first team in recent seasons, and there is no one that knows them better than Noel Hunt.

Noel will take charge of the Royals for tomorrow's visit to Wycombe Wanderers in the League and will be hoping to continue Reading's good form that has been them move into the play-off positions.

Reading In Top Six With Another Home Win

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:02:20 +0000

Reading swept aside the challenge of a struggling United side in a fifteen minute spell after the interval with three superbly taken goals. After dominating possession and creating chances without finding the required finish in the first half, four minutes into the second, Lewis Wing pounced on a loose ball just outside the box and drilled it low into the bottom corner to set Reading on their way. Ten minutes later Elliot bursting forward, slipped a well- timed pass to Camara, who with remarkable composure, made space for a strike before hammering the ball past United 'keeper Reyes from close range.
MATCH REPORT: Reading 3 Cambridge United 0 - Read More...

Reading Get Burnley At Home In Round Three

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 09:45:44 +0000

Reading have been drawn at home against Championship side Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup. The game is likely to take place on Saturday 11 January at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. The Royals made it to the third round after beating non-league Harborough Town 5-3 on Sunday after the visitors took the game to exta time. Our last FA Cup fixture against Burnley was also a home match back in January 2010 in the fourth round of the competition with Reading winning 1-0 thanks to an 87th minute goal from Sigurdsson

Reading Recover To Win In Extra Time

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Falling behind twice against the run of play to an organised and resilient Harborough side in the first half, Reading recovered after the interval to take the lead through goals from Savage and Akande. Fifteen minutes from time Reading were reduced to ten men when Kanu was sent off. With nothing to lose, a man advantage, and three thousand fans roaring them on, Town equalised through Tonge four minutes from time. It looked ominous for Reading, but they hung on until full-time. Early in extra time Town were stunned by two fine goals from Chem Campbell and never looked like coming back and Reading progressed into the 3rd Round.
FA Cup Round 2: Reading 5 Harborough Town 3 (After Extra Time) - READ MORE...

Royals Get Away Win At Peterborough

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:02:28 +0000

As storm Bert wreaked havoc with rail schedules throughout the country this young Reading side made light of tricky conditions against a Peterborough side unbeaten at home since August and had rattled in fifteen goals their three recent league and cup fixtures. Reading played with an intensity from start to finish and raced into a two-goal lead inside the opening twenty-three minutes. Both goals were superbly created and clinically finished by Harvey Knibbs. Peterborough also carried an attacking threat throughout the match, but Reading were quick on the break, took their chances early in the game and outstanding at the back.
Match Report: Peterborough United 1 Reading 2 - READ MORE...

Reading To Play Harborough Town In Round Two

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:20:58 +0000

Following the weekend's 2-0 home victory over Fleetwood in the first round of the FA Cup, the Royals have been drawn against Southern League Premier Central team Harborough Town. The seventh tier side are currently 16th in their divison - over 100 places below Reading in the football pyramid. The game will be Harborough's seventh FA Cup fixture of the season so far having got through all the qualifying rounds before a 4-1 first round proper victory away at Tonbridge Angels. The game will be played at the Select Car Leasing Stadium beetween 29 November and 2 December.

Royals Ease Into Round Two

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:02:16 +0000

Reading eased into the second round of the FA Cup with a comfortable, if not convincing, two goal home win against mid table League Two opponents Fleetwood Town. In a congested fixture list, Ruben Selles understandably fielded several youngsters, including a debut for the impressive seventeen-year-old Ashqar Ahmed at right back, with a sprinkling of experienced regular first team players in the starting eleven or on the bench. Understandably, Reading took a while to settle into the game, but as the game progressed, the individual skill of the Reading players and the quality of their play left Fleetwood looking outclassed.
MATCH REPORT: FA Cup Round 1: Reading 2 Fleetwood 0 - Read More...

Reading Make It Three Wins From Three

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Reading climbed into the top six with their third successive victory in eight days, but it was a far from comfortable victory against a feisty Rovers side. After being reduced to ten men after fifty-five minutes, and falling behind to a subtle Sam Smith finish on sixty-six minutes, they came back strongly. Denied a point by two excellent saves from Pereira in the closing stages of a lively encounter, the travelling fans were clearly appreciative of their team's efforts, enthusiastically applauding them off the pitch after the final whistle.
MATCH REPORT: Reading 1 Bristol Rovers 0 - Read More...

Reading Hold On To Climb To Seventh

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:49:00 +0000

Despite constant late pressure from the home team, Reading held out to secure three more points at Exeter City and climb to seventh place in the League One - just outside of the play-off positions on goal difference. The Royals opted for several changes after the weekend's 4-1 home victory over Crawley Town, which included swapping the front three and handing Jayden Wareham his first league start for Reading after 13 appearances from the bench. From kick-off, and after 45 seconds of Exeter playing the ball around in their defensive third, Wareham made the perfect start when Knibbs stole the ball from the defender and passed to Wareham who fired across the goalkeeper, putting the ball inside the post to put Reading ahead inside the first minute.

Reading had been the better side in the first half and extended their lead with nine minutes left to play of the first half, again scoring inside the box with Exeter failing to deal with Reading pressure close to goal. Michael Craig took full advantage after a shot came back out to him to make it 2-0 at half time.

After the break, Exeter improved and Reading were forced to go on the defensive. After failing to take advantage moments before when they should have scored, Exter finally pulled one back on 58 minutes to set up a very nervous last 30 minutes for the travelling Reading fans. The final 10 minutes of the game Exeter dominated and it felt like it was just a matter of time before the equaliser came, but somehow Reading held out thanks to some determined defending, the post, and Exeter's inability to take advantage of a string of decent chances.
Exeter City 1 Reading 2

Reading Struggle But Notch Up Big Win

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

There will be few goals at any level this season, and certainly not in League One, to match Lewis Wing's sublime strike after forty minutes this afternoon. Furthermore, from Reading's point of view, the timing of Wing's goal could not have been better. Having taken the lead after twenty minutes against a Crawley side without a league win in eight games, Reading struggled to escape from their own half, and it was no surprise when they were pegged back by the visitors with a deflected shot from Forster ten minutes later. Wing's breathtaking long-range strike just before half time, came out of the blue, took the wind out of Crawley's sails, and silenced the away fans.
Read More: Reading 4 Crawley Town 1 - Match Report

Chem Campbell Scores Twice As Reading Win Again

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:28:20 +0000

Two first half strikes from loan signing Chem Campbell laid the foundations of a comfortable home win for Reading, the second in four days at the Select Car Leasing stadium. Having failed to impress in his previous appearances the young Wolves loanee turned quickly in the box to tuck away a half chance when the ball fell to him following a run and cut back from Ehibhatiomhan. Buoyed by scoring his first Reading goal the nineteen-year-old added a second just before half time pouncing on a moment of hesitation by full back Williams on the edge of the box. Dispossessing the dithering Williams, Campbell took a deft touch to tee up a low strike inside the post. On the stroke of half time he might have added a third but his shot flew wide.
READ MORE: Reading 3 Burton Albion 1 - Match Report