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1912/13 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goal: Joe Bailey
Opposition goals: Gallina II (18 minutes), Sarasso (43 minutes)
Half-time: Casale 2 Reading 0
Attendance:
Weather:
Referee: Henry Goodley (an Englishman in Italy but also an international referee)

Reading line-up: Dr J H Burnham (goalkeeper), Joe Bailey, plus probably Jack Smith (captain), Fred Bartholomew, Joe Dickenson, Alan Foster, and five of Ivor Brown, A Burton, Jimmy Lofthouse, Ted Hanney, Dave Willis, J Morris, Charlie Stevens and Jock Comrie
Subs: Probably not allowed
Casale line-up: Gallina I; Maggiani, Scrivano; Parodi, Barbesino, Passerone; Caire, Mattea, Varese, Gallina II, Sarasso

Match report:

Reports from the three local Reading papers will appear here eventually, plus any others I can find.

Match notes:

This was the third match of the five-game Italian tour and the only defeat. Reading were presented as "runners up of English League, after Sunderland"! Whilst Sunderland really were the Football League champions in 1913, it was Aston Villa who were runners-up, whilst Reading finished eighth in the Southern League Division 1.

The match was played in the town of Casale Monferrato. There is some disagreement over the size of the pitch, but it was clearly much smaller than Reading were used to, and apparently smaller than the laws of the game allowed. The length was probably about 90 yards and the width just under 50 yards, although one report put the width at 34 yards which is 10 yards narrower than a normal-sized penalty area!

According to Italian newspapers, the Reading line-up was recorded as:
J H Burnham; Smith, Stevens; Comrie, Hanney, Willis; Brown, Morris, Joe Bailey, Burton, Prinfield.
This cannot be right as the amateur Reggie Pinfield pulled out of the tour late on (I assume that's who "Prinfield" is meant to be), whilst also the Reading papers said that we had made changes from the previous game and were without several first teamers. I believe that the line-up publicised in Italy was simply the first-choice eleven who had been expected to travel. It is interesting, though, in that it shows the expected 2-3-5 formation.

Casale were formed in 1905. No doubt buoyed by their success over Reading, they went on to win the Italian title for the first and only time in 1914. The club does still exist and play in Girone A of Serie D (so I think that's something like Division 4 north).

Match preview:

Previews from the three local Reading papers will appear here eventually.

Ticket information:

Prices for the five games on the tour were generally from from the equivalent of 1s/8d to 4s. The minimum price at most games was 2 francs (1s/8d) - however, one or two were lower.

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