20th August 2022
Reading vs Middlesbrough @ Madejski Stadium - Reading
EFL Championship
15:00 KO
£29 entry
Attendance - 12,318 (1,336 away fans)
Half-time score: Reading 1-0 Middlesbrough
Goal:
Reading: Fornah - 28'
Brief match highlights are on YouTube, see link below:
Final Score: Reading 1-0 Middlesbrough
Growing-up in Reading, they have always been my team and I have followed them avidly since 1993 when some of the players made a visit to my school, and in those days it was a legendary side including players like Jimmy Quinn, Michael Gilkes, Mick Gooding, Stuart Lovell, Ady Williams, Keith McPherson, Phil Parkinson and of course, Shaka Hislop. Within my first two seasons I had tasted the highs and the lowest of the lows which would set the scene for the next 30 years, with promotion in the first season from the 3rd to the 2nd tier, followed by the most heart-breaking season that still haunts me to this day. Back then, the Premier League had 22 teams, but they were downsizing for the 95-96 season, so that meant only 2 teams were to go up. In typical fashion, Reading finished 2nd, 3 points behind Middlesbrough, which in any other season in history, before and after, would have seen them promoted to the top tier of English football for the first time in their history. But alas, they had to go through the play-offs, but having turned over Tranmere Rovers 3-1 on aggregate, they met Bolton Wanderers in the play-off final at the old Wembley Stadium. On this fateful day, Reading burst out of the blocks to go 2-0 up at half-time, but they even had a chance to go 3-0 up, with Lovell's penalty kick being saved, and the rebound skied over the bar, a gut-wrenching clip I find hard to watch to this day. The 2nd half was a nervy affair, and in the 76th minute, Bolton got a goal back to make it a nail-biting finish, then in the 86th minute, disaster struck as Bolton got an equaliser to make it 2-2 to take the game beyond 90 minutes. Reading fell apart in extra-time to go 4-2 down, with Jimmy Quinn scoring a consolation goal to make it 4-3 AET, but it was too little too late and plucky Reading had failed at the final hurdle. The next season Reading crumbled to finish just above the relegation zone, finally getting relegated back to the 3rd tier in 1997, and it seemed like the Premier League dream was buried in the dust. It took Reading 11 years after that fateful sunny afternoon in London to finally break into the big time, this time in emphatic fashion, scoring 106 points, a record still not broken to this day, courtesy of a brilliant Steve Coppell team full of Berkshire idols including Kevin Doyle, Dave Kitson, Leroy Lita, Shane Long, Glen Little, Steve Sidwell, James Harper, Bobby Convey, Graeme Murty, Nicky Shorey, Ivar Ingimarsson, Stephen Hunt and Marcus Hahnemann.
I say all this because I am a huge Reading fan, but since moving to East Anglia and having a family, seeing The Royals is no longer feasible, other than the odd away game at Carrow Road or Portman Road. It has in unbelievably been at least 10 years since I was last at the Mad Stad (never the Select Car Leasing Stadium in my book), a place I used to have a season ticket for several seasons, so I decided to right that wrong and get down to Reading to watch them play against promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough, who were having a slow start to the season. Reading are blowing hot and cold, a squad ravaged by injuries with key players like Ovie Ejaria, Yakou Meite, Scott Dann and Femi Azeez injured, a squad also depleted by years of EFL transfer embargos, and the Naby Sarr saga taking an age to complete. This was all compounded by a 4-0 walloping away at Rotherham United, but was miraculously followed up by a 3-0 smashing of Blackburn Rovers, who had a 100% record until this point, with one of the best performances seen at the Mad Stad since the Brian McDermott era in the early 2010's. So clearly, I was hoping the team that performed against Blackburn would be the one turning up today.
I took the family down to Reading with me and spent the morning mooching around the town centre, and we all went out for lunch, a cheeky Nando's. The initial plan was to get a bus to the ground, but with rumours of reduced services, this felt like a bad idea, so instead I drove to the ground, parking in the old greyhound stadium for £8, and I must say it was a very smooth operation, and even getting out was relatively painless. It was a short 5 minute walk to the ground and it was great to see the familiar shape of the stadium come into view, although was odd seeing the 'Select Car Leasing' branding all over it.
I had a browse around the Club Shop, but having seen the new kits in the flesh, despite the important messaging on the sleeves displaying a temperature chart of Berkshire over the last few decades - highlighting a general warming trend, I thought it looks a bit jarring, so decided to stick with my 20/21 shirt, one of my all-time favourite Reading kits having a smart collar, and I saw quite a few fans still wearing this shirt. I then headed over to the fan zone, outside the John Madejski Stand, who under his stewardship took us to the Premier League twice, for The Royals most successful era in our 151 year history.
I went to the West Berkshire Brewery stall, a wonderful brewery based in Yattendon in the middle of the beautiful local countryside with a great selection of beers, and whilst tempted by the 150 year anniversary lager, I decided to go for an old favourite of mine, a pint of Good Old Boy, a brilliant 4% best bitter.
I drank this whilst watching the end of the Spurs-Wolves game, then walked around to the opposite side of the stadium to the West Stand, where my seat was for this afternoon. The ground was still looking nice and modern with a sharp high resolution big screen and a great PA system. I also liked seeing the newly named stands, with Club 1871 (the Reading 'ultras') in Coppell Corner - next to the away fans, and the Eamonn Dolan Stand, named in honour a legendary coach at the club. The teams came out to a huge reception, and both teams looked up for it on a glorious sunny afternoon in Berkshire.
KEY MOMENTS
RDG = Reading
MB = Middlesbrough
13' - RDG - Hoilett bursts down the left wing, cuts in at the by-line and into the box, making room for a strike at the near post, which forces a save from Steffen.
28' - RDG - GOAL (1-0) - Yiadom sends in a cross from the right wing, a poor headed clearance falls to Fornah outside of the box, and he strikes the ball on the half-volley, and it flies into the right corner of the goal like a bullet, with so much pace that Steffen does not even have time to react, a sublime goal!
76' - MB - Giles crosses the ball into the box and substitute Crooks flashes a header across the face of goal, narrowly wide.
78' - RDG - A well hit 20 yards strike from Hoilett flies just beyond the uprights.
79' - MB - McNair floats in a deft cross and Lenihan hits a powerful header goal-bound which forces a great save from Bouzanis.
82' - MB - A ball is whipped into the box and both the attacker and the defender go down, and the referee point to the penalty spot, but much to the relief of the Reading fans, the Middlesbrough attacker Crooks was flagged offside.
93' - MB - Another ball is sent into the box, and Watmore gets a touch, forcing a diving save from Bouzanis, sealing a massive 3-points for The Ding!
Whilst not the best attacking game to watch from a Reading perspective, it was a huge 3-points for Reading, moving them up to 3rd in table, in a year where most people were writing off Reading, and I absolutely loved being back in the Mad Stad! Reading looked really solid at the back, and were well-organised, and even though Middlesbrough had a lot of possession, they never looked threatening until the final 10 minutes when they stepped it up in desperation to get some points. It should be reminded that Boro were one of the favourites this year with Wilder at the helm, and that Reading has a threadbare squad, so keeping a clean-sheet and clearing up with all 3-points is impressive - before the game I was a bit worried that Reading could have been hammered like they were a week ago away at Rotherham. It was great seeing the youngster Fornah play so well, and to get a fantastic goal, a sweetly struck half-volley, and other players that impressed me were Loum, Hoilett, Bouzanis and the ever dependable captain Andy Yiadom. I am planning to see Reading again this season when they play Norwich City away in December, but until then, I hope that Reading continue the early form, and as key players come back off injury, and the possible signing of Sarr, I think Reading should only get stronger. I think play-offs may be a bit too ambitious, but I hope that we have a strong season away from the relegation zone, which would make a nice change. Until then, all that is left to say is, UP THE F**KING DING!!
Line-Ups:
READING: Dean Bouzanis, Tom Holmes, Sam Hutchinson, Tom McIntyre, Andy Yiadom (C), Jeff Hendrick, Mamadou Loum, Tyrese Fornah, Junior Hoilett, Shane Long, Tom Ince. SUBS: Lucas Joao, Jokull Andresson, Mamadi Camara, Kelvin Abrefa, John Clarke, Kelvin Ehibhationham, Michael Craig.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Zack Steffen, Marc Bola, Darragh Lenihan, Dael Fry, Ryan Giles, Alex Mowatt, Jonny Howson (C), Paddy McNair, Isaiah Jones, Riley McGree, Marcus Forss. SUBS: Matthew Hoppe, Tommy Smith, Anfernee Dijksteel, Duncan Watmore, Caolan Boyd-Munce, Liam Roberts, Matt Crooks.
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