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1872/73 Reports

Competition Date Opponent Venue Result
Friendly Wednesday, 4th December Reading Grammar School Football Club Away Won 1-0

Match facts:

Reading goal: Oakshott
Opposition goals: None
Half-time:
Attendance:

Weather:
Referee: Probably two umpires, one provided by each club

Reading line-up:
Subs not used: Substitutes not allowed?

Match report:

From the Reading Mercury, 7/12/1872 edition:

"Football Match - On Wednesday last the return match was played between the Reading and Reading School Clubs, on the ground of the latter and resulted in a victory for the Town Club, who played a very week [sic] team, by one goal (Oakshott) to move [sic]."

Obviously the last word of the report should be "none" instead of "move". I assume that "week" should be "weak" (unless someone can point out to me that both were alternative spellings of the same word in 1872). I think the report is implying that Reading fielded a very weak team, rather than played against a very weak team, although either interpretation seems possible.

From the Berkshire Chronicle, 7/12/1872 edition:

"Football - The return match between the Reading School and the Reading Football Clubs was played at the School Ground on Wednesday last. After a very good game the Reading club won by a single goal to none."

Match notes:

This was the fifth game in Reading's history and the first win.

Reading's goalscorer is listed as Oakshott. At the moment, this is the second oldest known mention of a Reading player in a contemporary match report. Also, I currently have no other record of Oakshott playing in any other game, which might fit with the match report's implication that Reading fielded a weak line-up.

Match preview:

None.

Ticket information:

None.

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