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Archived News - July 2003

Thursday, 31st July

For those with Sky digiboxes and outside the local area, you may be able to get more TV coverage of Reading now that all BBC1 regions are available. BBC1 South is on channel 954, although their main news programme South Today hardly ever mentions Reading except when we play a South Coast club (so we'll be lucky to get on at all this season apart from the friendly against Southampton!). You'll probably be able to see more and better coverage of Reading by tuning into the region relevant for whoever our last or next opponents are. Best times will be the Monday to Friday local news programmes at 6.30pm either on the day of a midweek match, on the Friday before a weekend fixture, or on the next weekday after a game. You can find all of the BBC1 regions in the range from channel 942 to channel 956.

Wednesday, 30th July

In tonight's friendly match at Didcot Town, Reading came away with a 3-1 victory. Click here for a match details and a brief report. Trialist Marc Edworthy played the whole game for Reading, at centre-back and then left-back. Edworthy spent last season at Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing 23 games for them (but not any of the four against Reading).

Tuesday, 29th July

Reading and Bournemouth fought out a truly dire 0-0 draw this evening - click here for a brief match report.

I've been asked to publicise an on-line survey being run from Northumbria University. They are currently researching a range of football issues, concentrating on six professional teams including Reading. For the data to be valid they need at least 100 responses from Reading fans. If you want to take part, click here to go to the start page of the survey.

Monday, 28th July

The friendly with Didcot Town, originally set for tomorrow, has been put back a day to Wednesday, 30th July, with kick-off at 7.30pm. When first arranged the game did not clash with the friendly against Bournemouth, but the South Coast game was subsequently moved. It seems likely that at this stage of the season, the Didcot game will see more of a reserve team on view, but it's likely to be of a higher standard than would have been available for selection on Tuesday.

Thursday, 24th July

The tour of Sweden ends with a 1-1 draw against IK Brage this evening. Reading's opponents play in Division 2 Västra Svealand (very roughly the equivalent of Division 2 in England but regionalised) and at the moment are a long way clear at the top of that division. Both Nicky Forster and Graeme Murty played in the game, meaning that all first-team squad members have now taken part in pre-season, although Murty left the field earlier than planned. Click here for match details.

Wednesday, 23rd July

It seems that the hunt for a new forward has turned towards Shaun Goater, as his club Manchester City have said that they have accepted a bid from Reading for the Bermudan. One day earlier the Premiership club had stated that they were holding out for a £1m transfer fee and that no-one had yet made them an offer. As yet, Reading have not spoken to Goater, who is currently in Denmark on his current club's pre-season tour. I can't help thinking that Alan Pardew would have preferred this bid to have stayed out of the public domain until negotiations were complete. (Later news: The Evening Post says that the fee agreed between the two clubs is £500,000, the Reading Chronicle says it is £600,000.)

Tuesday, 22nd July

The first match of Reading's pre-season tour in Sweden saw a 3-1 victory over Gefle IF of the Swedish Superettan (equivalent of Division 1 in England). Click here for match details.

Reading have stated that they are no longer pursuing David Connolly of Wimbledon. The clubs had agreed a fee some time ago, now revealed to be £500,000. Alan Pardew has however said that he still expects to sign a forward before the start of the season, and he is also thought to still be looking for a centre-back.

Friday, 18th July

The Reading squad today left for the two-game pre-season tour of Sweden. The party includes 19 players - the only notable absentee is Joe Gamble who has started his loan spell at Barnet earlier than the club had originally stated.

Wednesday, 16th July

A Reading side made up mostly of those players not taking part on Tuesday night beat Brentford 3-0 at Bradfield this morning, in a game played behind closed doors and at a previously undisclosed location (like we couldn't guess!).

Tuesday, 15th July

The season started with a bang as Reading went into a 2-0 lead after only six minutes in tonight's friendly at Brentford, but eventually lost 3-2. Scott Murray scored the first goal, after just five minutes of his first appearance in a Reading shirt. For match details and a brief eye-witness match report, click here.

Monday, 14th July

The Oldham Evening Chronicle has said that both Reading and Stoke City are interested in signing the Oldham Athletic centre-back Clint Hill, although they add that Oldham are confident of keeping him. 24-year-old Hill missed over half of last season after breaking a leg but did return to make a couple of appearances in May. (Later news: Hill signed for Stoke.)

Reading have now confirmed that there will not be a friendly international match at Madejski Stadium, so my caution on Saturday was well founded. The BBC have clearly again resorted to gutter press tactics based on one unconfirmed source.

Saturday, 12th July

The BBC are reporting that the Nigerian national side will play a "home" friendly match against Venezuela at Madejski Stadium on Saturday, 26th July. After the previous announcements about India and Australia wanting to use Reading's stadium for games, I think I'll wait a little before believing that this game will take place. If the match does happen, I predict that all the build-up will surround some of the big name Nigerian players, and that none of them will be made available by their clubs.

The season started early for Andre Boucaud as he played for Peterborough United last night in a 1-0 friendly match victory over Arsenal. Boucaud had originally been scheduled to join Peterborough on loan later this week, although as I understand it his official loan spell will start the day before the first League game of the season and run for 30 days.

Reading have announced squad numbers for the coming season. As if he didn't need telling that he does not feature highly in the manager's plans, Martin Butler has lost the number 9 shirt which is currently unallocated. Marcus Hahnemann and Steve Brown have claimed single digit shirt numbers from departing players (1 and 5 respectively) whilst as already stated Scott Murray takes number 7. Some other players have received lower numbers this season but with the exception of Butler there has been no obvious changes that give away Alan Pardew's thoughts on team selection.

Wokingham District Council have given Reading planning permission to develop part of the Arborfield Garrison site into the club's new training ground and Academy complex. The first team will not use the land until next season, but the Academy may be able to move in before the end of the current campaign.

Meanwhile, first team training has started at Bradfield College this week. Reading will use this venue until the ground at Sonning is available once the cricket season has finished. All players were at training except for Marcus Hahnemann who was given an extra week off after being on international duty until late June. The only injury concern is to Nicky Forster who is still working back to full fitness and hopes to be there by the start of the season proper.

Tuesday, 8th July

Scott Murray has joined Reading on a three-year contract. The Scotland B player signs from Bristol City for an initial £400,000 and will have the vacant number 7 shirt. Although he has played at right-back and right wing-back in the past, it seems most likely that he will play on the right side of our five-man midfield.

The three out-of-contract players who Reading offered new deals have all now made their decisions. Ricky Newman has signed the one-year contract that Reading offered him, but did apparently speak to other clubs over the summer. Adi Viveash signed for Swindon Town last week, in the hope of getting more regular football. Jamie Cureton is set to sign for South Korean club Busan Icons, in the hope of getting more regular football and a lot more money!

FOR NEWS FROM JUNE 2003, CLICK HERE

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