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Archived News - September 2002

Monday, 30th September

International squads will be named this week for the round of matches on the second weekend in October. One thing to look out for is the number of players called up from Crystal Palace, as our scheduled visit to Selhurst Park on 12th October is likely to be called off by the home side. For the last international date, Palace had call-ups for Andrejs Rubins, Alexanders Kolinko (both Latvia) and Aki Riihilahti (Finland), each of whom appeared in the full internationals played by their country. Both Latvia and Finland have European qualifiers on 12th October but Kolinko is out injured for a few weeks and so unlikely to be in the Latvia squad. Assuming that Rubins and Riihilahti are named again, then for our game to be called off, there will need to be at least one other Crystal Palace player named in an international squad. (Later news: Gareth Williams is in the Wales Under-21 squad, so that's one!)

Sunday, 29th September

Today's result in Division 1 sees us drop one place in the table to 12th.

An article in today's Observer says that at a recent meeting of Division 1 chairmen and chief executives, only three clubs said that they could guarantee to fulfil their fixtures this season following the collapse of ITV Digital. We were not one of the three.

Wales Under-17s beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1 in their final game in the UEFA Under-17 European Championship first qualifying round yesterday. This means that Wales win their four-team group and so progress to the next round, to be played in Spain. Reading's Russell Lucas played in their first two games, but may have been rested for yesterady as Wales had already qualified before the third set of games took place.

Saturday, 28th September

Reading draw 1-1 with Stoke City in a game memorable only for that rare occurrence, an Anthony Rougier goal. And a very good one, too. Click here for a match report. We climb one place to 11th in the League table.

Phil Whitehead played his first game on loan at Tranmere Rovers, and kept a clean sheet as they beat Stockport County 1-0. He made a couple of late saves to preserve the win.

Reading's Under-17 Academy side drew 1-1 against West Ham United, in a game played at Upton Park. Our Under-19 side lost 3-1 away to Watford.

Friday, 27th September

Academy 1st year scholar Russell Lucas has been playing for Wales in the UEFA Under-17 Championships first qualifying round this week. He has played the whole 90 minutes in both their games so far, in his favoured central midfield position. He also scored his first international goal in the 1-0 win over Luxembourg on Thursday, and that win means that Wales have already qualified for the next round. For more details, click here to go to the current internationals page of this website. There is one game left for Wales in the first qualifying round, but they are likely to use that game to give other squad members a run-out.

Incidentally, Scotland play in this competition at the same stage in early October in Azerbaijan, with Darren Campbell likely to be one of their squad. (England have automatically progressed to the second qualifying round despite the likely lack of Reading players in the squad.) The final tournament will be held in Portugal in May 2003.

Phil Whitehead has joined Tranmere Rovers on a month's loan (later news: actually a 33-day loan with an expiry date of 29th October). Both of the Tranmere keepers are injured so Phil is certain to start their home game against Stockport County tomorrow. Jamie Ashdown will presumably take his place on the bench in our game against Stoke City.

If you want to relive some aspects of a trip to Elm Park, then there's an opportunity to do so before the Stoke City game. The Spread Eagle pub now runs a bus to Madejski Stadium for its customers on Saturdays, leaving at around 2pm and returning after the game. (For the benefit of younger readers, the Spread Eagle used to be just outside the Tilehurst End turnstiles before the Tilehurst End and the rest of the ground became a housing estate.) Before the Stoke game there will also be a chance to join the STAR Heritage Team and look for surviving remnants of Elm Park. Marvel at the "Watch Live Football Here" sign! Check out the "blue post"! Scoff at the Quinn Court plaque signed by Paul Brayson (48 games as a striker, 1 goal)! Look for retaining walls! Locate the centre-spot! If demand is there, then there will also be a group walk and / or cycle ride to the MadStad mostly using the canal towpath.

Reading's Under-17 away game with West Ham United tomorrow has been moved to Upton Park (or the Boleyn Ground as it is properly known). The game will kick-off at 1pm, and there should be a decent crowd to watch our victory because at 3pm West Ham are showing their first team's trip to Chelsea on a big screen.

Wednesday, 25th September

Despite my fears expressed in yesterday's news, Reading stay in 12th place after the two Division 1 games played this evening.

A Reading Academy side, mostly of Under-18s, lost 1-0 to Exeter City in a friendly played at Bisham Abbey this afternoon. Click here for a brief match report.

Tuesday, 24th September

The results of tonight's Division 1 games mean that Reading drop to 12th place. We could go back a further two places after tomorrow night's games.

Reading have arranged a friendly game with Exeter City at Bisham Abbey tomorrow afternoon. This is in preparation for the two clubs' FA Youth Cup campaigns, so presumably will be played as an Under-18 game. Reading begin the competition in Round 3, which will not begin until mid-November.

Meanwhile, Darren Campbell won't be playing as the first year Academy scholar is training with Manchester United for a week in order to teach their players a thing or two (or, officially, to gain experience).

A reserve side managed by Phil Parkinson and Academy coach Alex Dyer drew 1-1 with Portsmouth in a behind-closed-doors friendly today. Click here for match details.

Monday, 23rd September

Some Academy results from the weekend. On Saturday, the Under-19s lost 5-1 away to Aston Villa whilst the Under-17s lost 2-1 at home to Fulham. On Sunday, our younger age-group sides all played Ipswich Town. The results I know are that the Under-15/16s and Under-14s both drew 2-2, whilst the Under-9s drew 5-5.

Saturday, 21st September

A stunning long-range Andy Hughes strike in the second half is enough for Reading to win 1-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers, against all predictions (including mine!). For a match report, click here. We move two places up the table, to 11th.

Thursday, 19th September

Goalkeeper substitute last night was Jamie Young, getting squad number 32 and presumably a named shirt although I don't think we had a chance to see it. Reading are reporting that Alan Pardew did not select Phil Whitehead as substitute because he only wanted to name players who were committed to the club. There had been an attempt to formally recall Jamie Ashdown from his loan spell at Bournemouth, but this did not go through and so Jamie Young was left to fill the gap.

Now Ashdown's first appearance for Bournemouth (in the reserve team) was on 21st August. Assuming that that was also the first day of his loan, the 28th day was 17th September, so there is no reason why we can't recall him. His chances of further games on the South Coast have decreased since his recent injury, as Bournemouth subsequently signed another loan keeper (their third at the same time!). As I understood it, he was informally back with Reading over a week ago as he was training with our team rather than with theirs.

Wednesday, 18th September

Reading lose 2-0 at home to Norwich City after going two goals down in the first five minutes. John Mackie is sent off before half-time for a second yellow card. We stay in 13th position in the League. For a match report, click here.

I don't normally go into details about a game on the news page but two things are worth mentioning:
(a) A player cannot be offside from a goal-kick, and there's absolutely no point moaning at a linesman for not waving his flag in that situation.
(b) If the referee ever darkens the doors of Madejski Stadium again, it will be too soon. The catalogue of his offences were too great to list them here. I'm prepared to accept that he may have been totally incompetent rather than heavily biased, but it has to be one of the two. The scheduled referee was Matt Messias, but the man in charge was apparently Steve Bennett. Steve Bennett is the guest speaker at the Reading Referees Association meeting this week. It's on Thursday at 7.45pm, at Madejski Stadium, should you wish to heckle.

Following on from yesterday's story about Five Live Sports Extra, it is now definite that the game covered tonight is Reading v Norwich City. Commentary can be found from the following link:
Five Live Sports Extra index
There is also live commentary via the BBC Radio Berkshire website - not sure if it is the same commentary as on Five Live, or if this is the BBC Radio Berkshire commntary. To compare and contrast, follow this link:
BBC Radio Berkshire - Reading v Norwich City
(will only work during the game, and generates an error message at other times)

Tuesday, 17th September

Results from tonight's League games mean that Reading drop only one place, to 13th in the table. A win against Norwiuch City tomorrow night would probably put us back in ninth place.

Alan Pardew was one of the guests on the Soccer Special on Sky Sports News tonight, commenting on the Portsmouth v Wimbledon game. Tomorrow night's programme is also likely to feature a Division 1 game - looking at the fixtures, that game could well be our home game against Norwich City. Sky Sports also have an agreement to show goals from the night's Division 1 action during this programme, once a half has been completed. They don't show goals from all games, and I don't know what governs their choice.

Also for tomorrow's game, there is a possibility of live commentary via Five Live Sports Extra. They have commentary on one of the night's Division 1 games, but don't yet say which. You can see the schedule, and find a link to listen live over the internet, by following this link (opens in a new window):
Five Live Sports Extra
(Later news - Reading v Norwich City is the commentary game.)

Sunday, 15th September

Some advance news, certain to have been forgotten by the time that it applies! Starting with the Ipswich Town game on Saturday, 19th October, the bus services to Madejski Stadium (except for the number 78 from Newbury) will operate on a "cash vault" basis. This means that passengers place their money in a receptacle and will not receive any change. So if you use the bus services you should plan to have the exact fare on you before boarding. As far as I know the the fares will stay at the same price.

A couple of results from this morning - Reading's Under-9 side beat West Ham United 5-3 whilst the Under-15/16 team lost 2-1 to the same opponents. Apparently, Reading's team were mostly Under-15s whilst West Ham fielded mostly Under-16s.

A number of Reading's reserve games in the next couple of months have been rearranged. In particular, the trip to Millwall scheduled for Wednesday of this week has been put back to January, presumably because of the direct clash with our League game against Norwich City.

Saturday, 14th September

(Bringing you the important stories!) Reading get a mention on the "It'll be Alright on the Night" Silver Jubilee Special, shown on ITV tonight. The then Port Vale manager John Rudge says that his team have just won at Brentford who hadn't lost at home for a year, and the interviewer corrects him and says that actually it was Reading. The game referred to was presumably our 2-1 defeat on 5/2/1994, because Reading's previous home League defeat was on 27/1/1993. As clips on that show go, it probably wasn't one of the better ones.......

Reading lose 1-0 at home to Wimbledon, with the winner a last-gasp goal. Click here for a match report. We drop to 12th in the League table.

In the FA Premier Academy League, the Under-19s lose 2-0 at home to Ipswich Town whilst the Under-17s draw 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur. See the latest standings here.

Friday, 13th September

I went to Bradfield College this morning to watch a training sesssion. It was the first time I had been to the new venue and the facilities look superb. Of our recently injured or ill players, Graeme Murty, Kevin Watson, Darius Henderson and Jamie Ashdown all appeared to be training normally, but Adrian Whitbread did not train during the period I was there. After his operation earlier this week, it was no surprise that Bas Savage did not appear to be present at all.

Adrian Williams has been named in the Football League's Team of the Week for Division 1 for the second time in four weeks.

Wednesday, 11th September

A Reading side containing a mixture of reserves and Academy players lost 3-0 to Arsenal at their training ground. Click here for match details. The most significant feature of the game was Darius Henderson's first run-out since picking up an injury several weeks ago.

Tuesday, 10th September

Yes, it's the latest in the long series of "atrocious Reading Cup performances" as a team of players who clearly didn't have the slightest interest in the Worthington Cup contrive a 3-1 defeat away to Cambridge United (two full divisions below us, remember) in Round 1. For a brief match report, click here.

Arsenal have given clearance for Matthew Upson to play in tonight's Worthington Cup tie against Cambridge United.

Monday, 9th September

Alan Pardew was on Radio 5 Live tonight, talking about scouting and young prospects. Didn't catch the whole programme, but at one point when asked about our best upcoming player, he talked about Nicky Shorey and said that he was pushing for him to get a place in the England Under-21 squad for the game at Madejski Stadium against Macedonia next month. So this seems the right time to mention that back in May I suggested to Shorey that he must be in with a chance of a call-up and he said that he would just be happy to keep his place in the Reading first team.

When asked if he had ever signed anyone and later thought to himself "What a mistake that was", Pardew said yes but declined to name who. Let the speculation begin!

The draw for the second round of the Worthington Cup will be made live on Sky Sports at 2.30pm on Saturday, 14th September. So, assuming that all goes well tomorrow night, the concourses at Madejski Stadium will be the place to be seen (for once). The Soccer Saturday programme will include all the draws for the Worthington Cup this season except that for the quarter-finals.

Both Andy Hughes and John Salako made the Nationwide Division 1 Team of the Week for last week.

Sunday, 8th September

Reading's Under-15/16 team won 2-1 at Crystal Palace this morning.

Saturday, 7th September

In an entertaining game, Reading drew 0-0 with Rotherham United this afternoon. Click here for a match report. We move up to eighth in the league table.

Loan news - Jamie Ashdown did not recover from the knee injury he picked up last Saturday and so was not one of the 16 players named by Bournemouth for their game today. However, Adi Viveash did play the full 90 minutes for Oxford United. This makes him one of a select band to play for each of Reading, Swindon Town and Oxford United - in fact, excluding trialists he's the only such person I can think of!

(published Sunday, 8th September) Reading's Under-19s drew 2-2 away to Norwich City in the FA Premier Academy League, whilst in the first competitive home fixture played at Bisham Abbey the Under-17s lost 2-1 to Ipswich Town. Click here for the latest league tables.

Friday, 6th September

Oxford United report that they are in talks with Adi Viveash for a one-month loan deal. Interestingly, their manager has said that the deal might have gone ahead last week had Viveash not been required a substitute for our game against Walsall. Viveash himself was interviewed on BBC Radio Oxford this morning and suggested that the deal was done. (Later news: Viveash has joined them on loan until Saturday, 5th October.)

Thursday, 5th September

Reading are set to sign Arsenal's Matthew Upson on loan. The deal will go through tomorrow and is for three months with Upson taking the number 29 shirt. Assuming that it is really a 93-day loan (the longest allowable), then his last day will be Saturday, 7th December, scheduled as the home game against Portsmouth. Upson is an England Under-21 centre-back and reputedly very good in the air. He joined Arsenal five years ago in a big-money move from Luton Town.

And here's a thought - last December whilst we were losing 4-1 away to Barnet in the LDV Vans Trophy, Matthew Upson was just a few miles away at Highbury playing in Arsenal's 3-1 win over Juventus, and up against the forward pairing of Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet!

The arrival of Upson, even on a temporary basis, probably leaves the way open for Adi Viveash to move on. Viveash has said that he is not prepared to move home from Swindon, because his child has regular treatment at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. However, the Oxford United management duo watched him at the reserve game yesterday, and that would seem a likely destination.

Wednesday, 4th September

When we signed Graeme Murty from York City, part of the deal was that we would pay them £50,000 when we gained promotion. Clearly, the detail was not quite that simple as back in April Reading refused to pay the money on the basis that Murty had signed a new contract with us during last season. York took the matter up with the Football League, who apparently failed to resolve it. However, Reading have now paid a sum to York and the issue is closed. Even if we were technically within our rights to quibble over the payment, this whole sorry spell has sullied the name of our club. Unless further details are made public, I will never believe that we were not morally in the wrong here and it is a pretty safe bet that somewhere down the line this attempted penny-pinching will backfire as soon as the authorities get the chance to take some revenge.

Reading's reserves had a comfortable 3-1 home win over Gillingham this afternoon. For a match report, click here. We are now sixth in the Avon Insurance Combination League table.

Tuesday, 3rd September

An update on yesterday's car crash. Martin Butler trained today and so is clearly suffering no after-effects. Graeme Murty was in a neck-brace today and did not train - however, Alan Pardew believes that he may be available to play on Saturday. If not it would seem most likely that Ricky Newman would replace him.

Monday, 2nd September

Graeme Murty and Martin Butler have been involved in a car crash on the A340 near Theale. They were returning from training at Bradfield at the time. Murty was taken to hospital, apparently suffering from whiplash, but is expected to be OK. Butler, who was driving the car they were both in, was unhurt.

Sunday, 1st September

Mark McGhee has replaced Alan Pardew! However, only as a half-time substitute in a celebrity football match in Sonning Common this afternoon. Alan Pardew, Kevin Dillon, Brian McDermott and a host of former Reading players took part as a Reading FC team beat an All Stars team 6-4. Of particular note was an (unsuccessful) attempt by Kevin Dillon to score straight from a kick-off. The event, organised by former Reading reserve player Matt Stowell, raised around £2,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

FOR NEWS FROM AUGUST 2002, CLICK HERE

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