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| Birmingham v Reading MATCH THREAD [28/04/2012]; Match Information, pre-match chat, live comments and final whistle | |
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| Topic Started: 22 Apr 2012, 07:40 PM (4,740 Views) | |
| daib0 | 22 Apr 2012, 07:40 PM Post #1 |
A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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The very last game of the 2011-2012 season has arrived, and a most warm welcome to any Birmingham City fans looking in - fullest respect shown to you, guaranteed no ‘wind ups’ here! Furthermore, you are able to post in our open fan section “Rivals, but Friends”, http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/forum/3832070 and even start article topics there as a guest – just be sociable & language decency please. Passion IS very much welcome, knowing that you’ll root for your team, just as we do – so enjoy it on here! RR MATCH PRESENTATION Birmingham City v Reading Saturday 28th April 2012 - Kick off 12.30 (please note early kick off time - true of ALL championship games today) St. Andrew’s (St Andrews Ground, Birmingham B9 4RL) Championship Members participating in the Royals Rendezvous Prediction game - don’t forget to cast your final score, HT score, and your Reading goalscorers - see link near end of this match thread ... see the fun FFF on Birmingham City by a Derby fan in “Rivals, but Friends” – strictly not to be taken seriously!: http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/topic/9513870/1 Game Introduction RFC AWAY - If you’re going and want to know more, see this great link about the stadium, travelling and food – http://www.footballgroundguide.com/birmingham_city A short note about the ground St Andrew's has been the home ground of Birmingham City Football Club for more than a century. Constructed and opened in 1906 to replace the Muntz Street ground, which had become too small to meet the club's needs, the original St Andrew's could hold an estimated 75,000 spectators. The attendance record, variously recorded as 66,844 or 67,341, was set at a 1939 FA Cup tie against Everton. During the Second World War, St Andrew's suffered bomb damage and the grandstand, housing a temporary fire station, burned down in an accidental fire. In the 1950s, the club replaced the stand and installed floodlights, and later erected a second small stand and roofed over the open terraces, but there were few further changes. Approximately three quarters of the ground have been rebuilt since the mid 90's. One large single tiered stand, incorporating the Tilton Road End and Spion Kop, completely surrounds half the pitch and replaced a former huge terrace. The new Tilton Road End was opened for the start of the 1994-95 season, with the new Spion Kop following in 1995. The seating capacity of the modern stadium is just over 30,000. It has function rooms suitable for business or social events and a club store selling Birmingham City merchandise. St Andrew's has been the venue for England international football matches at all levels below the senior national team, and for semifinal matches in the FA Cup and finals of lesser competitions. It has played host to events in other sports, including rugby union and professional boxing, and more recently has staged music concerts. Away supporters are housed on one side of the Gil Merrick Stand, which is at one end of the stadium in the lower tier. The normal allocation is 3,000 tickets, but this can be increased to around 4,500 for cup games (when the whole of the lower tier is allocated). There are Birmingham fans housed above the away supporters, as well as to the other side of the stand (fans are separated by plastic netting). The facilities and the view from this stand are pretty good. First the Main Stand, then the Tilton Road End:   FORM GUIDE Table Positions: Birmingham City 5th - 73 points (played 45 games) Reading 1st - 89 points (played 45 games) Birmingham City Recent form: Birmingham City are showing good form generally but they are letting in almost as many as they score, hence too many draws in the recent games. If we analyze the 12 games since their FA Cup campaign ended v Chelsea, we get a sequence of: W4 D 6 L2. However, some of those draws have come against teams they really should have beaten: Ipswich (A) 1-1, Bristol City (H) 2-2, Coventry (A) 1-1. Other draws against Cardiff (1-1 H), West Ham (A 3-3) and Brighton (A 1-1) can be seen as good returns, along with wins over Palace (H 3-1), Burnley (A 3-1), Doncaster (A 3-1) and Middlesbrough (H 3-0). Still, the two away defeats in this 12 game plan might have been avoided too – Portsmouth (A 1-4) and Leicester (A 1-3). However, they sit pretty at 5th in the table, with play-offs now mathematically assured. Reading Recent form: Well, it’s been a pure joy in recent times to report on Reading’s recent form, and we are unlikely to see such a run in the premiership for quite some time! Let’s just give ourselves a pat on the back for once: last 18 games – 15 wins and 2 draws: WWWWWWWWDWLWWWWWWD. And going back farther, we managed (before last Saturday) a heaven-sent 61 points out of a possible 72!! Recent form table – last 8 games: Well, it’s a turn up for the books, but we’re actually pipped on goal difference for 1st spot during last 8-games table by Millwall, though we both show a W6 D1 L1 reading. So those 19 points each are some way in front of Blackpool (15 pts), and Birmingham and Cardiff, both with 14 pts. What’s more, both Cardiff and Birmingham are unbeaten, and both with a W3 D5 L0 sequence. In fact both Brum and Reading have scored 17, but Reading let in less. Worst? Funnily enough, Crystal Palace, who earnt a noble point against Reading last weekend – but the only Championship side without a win in 8. Current Manager of Birmingham: Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard "Chris" Hughton (born in1958 in Stratford, London) is a professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Birmingham City F.C. Hughton spent most of his playing career with Tottenham Hotspur as a left back, but had relatively brief spells with West Ham United and Brentford. He also earned 53 caps for the Republic of Ireland national team, becoming their first mixed-race international. Hughton retired from playing in 1993 aged 34. From 1993 to 2008 Hughton served as a coach and then assistant manager (from 1998 onwards) for Tottenham. He joined Newcastle as first team coach in 2008, and following their relegation Hughton, given the caretaker-manager role, took charge of their first season in the Championship, before being announced as permanent manager in October 2009. However, he was sacked as manager by perhaps overly-ambitious Newcastle chairman Mike Ashley in December 2010. But his pedigree was clear to see, and he was strongly linked at the end of last season to the vacancies at W.B.A., West Ham and Cardiff, before agreeing to take on Birmingham City in June 2011. This season has surely been a success, even if Birmingham do not go up in the play-offs.  BIRMINGHAM CITY FC – a short history: * In 1888 Birmingham became the first club in the world to become a limited company, with a proper board of directors. Ah, so present day boardroom problems can be traced to being all their fault then?! Anyway, formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance they turned professional in 1885, again one of the very first British (and indeed world!) clubs to do so. * They were called simply Birmingham Football club from 1905, until the definitive name – Birmingham City F.C. – was adopted in 1943. * The good times started to arrive after World War I. Frank Womack's captaincy and the creativity of Scottish international playmaker Johnny Crosbie contributed much to Birmingham winning their second Division Two title in 1920–21. Womack went on to make 515 appearances, a club record for an outfielder, over a twenty-year career. 1920 also saw the debut of the 19-year-old Joe Bradford, who went on to score a club record 267 goals in 445 games, and won 12 caps for England. * Birmingham were the first English side to take part in an official European competition, reaching the semi-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup before losing to Barcelona in a replay (after a 4-4 draw!). And a few years later, in 1960, they became the first English club to actually get to a final (and in the same competition) but Barcelona were proving to be their ‘bogey’ side once again. * All summed up, Birmingham have had a great history of being nearly best … but finally runners-up. For example, in the second tier of English football they have been champions 4 times, but runners-up 7, and a play-off winner too (a decade ago). Twice FA cup finalists (without winning), and twice Inter-Cities Fair cup finalists (again no victory). Twice league Cup winners though, and also a losing finalist; the most important for younger fans was their victory last year which means they played European football once again (see next entry). EUROPEAN GLORY 2011-12 On 25 August 2011, Hughton led Birmingham City into the group stages of the Europa League courtesy of a 3-0 aggregate win against Portuguese side Nacional. Wonderful for them - this was Birmingham's first European tie for 49 years! Back in European competition once again – here are ‘Brum lining up against CD Nacional in their renewed European baptism!  And so on to the group stages, where by a whisker Birmingham were not able to pass on to the knock-out stages ... but giving the Championship League enormous credit by their exploits. Do you know about the City of Birmingham? Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 (2010 estimate), and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census). Birmingham's metropolitan area is also the United Kingdom's second most populous with a population of 3,683,000. Foreigners immediately notice it’s a big city – Birmingham’s Spaghetti Junction!  Whilst only a medium-sized market town during the medieval period, Birmingham grew to international prominence in the 18th century at the heart of the Midlands Enlightenment and subsequent Industrial Revolution, which saw the town at the forefront of worldwide developments in science, technology and economic organisation, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society. By 1791 it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world". Birmingham's distinctive economic profile, with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialized and highly-skilled trades, encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation and provided a diverse and resilient economic base for an industrial prosperity that was to last into the final quarter of the 20th century. Its resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of broad-based political radicalism that under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy. Today Birmingham is a major international commercial centre, ranked as a beta− world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network; and an important transport, retail, events and conference hub. With a GDP of $90bn (2008 estimate, PPP), the economy of the urban agglomeration is the second largest in the UK and the 72nd largest in the world. It is also the fourth-most visited city by foreign visitors in the UK and is often referred to as the second city of the United Kingdom. Museum and Art Gallery:  Birmingham's three universities and two university colleges make it the largest centre of higher education in the United Kingdom outside London, and its major cultural institutions, including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, enjoy international reputations. The Big City Plan is a large redevelopment plan currently underway in the city centre with the aim of making Birmingham one of the top 20 most liveable cities in the world within 20 years. More Photos, firstly a collage of city centre places, then an overall aerial view:   WEB SITES Official Birmingham City Club Web Site: http://www.bcfc.com Unofficial Web Sites – daib0’s suggestion: Some fans use the local newspaper forum (Birmingham Mail) and Facebook groups, but I’d suggest this site - Birmingham City Fans Forum – http://www.birminghamcityforum.co.uk ... quite a nice initial appearance, not so far removed from ourselves in format. Includes a section for away fans to contribute too. Their Chat Box (there called ‘Blues Forum Live Chat’) is used extensively – really is live! So in all, quite a pleasant discovery: OPPOSING FANS SECTION Rivalries: The biggest rivalry for Birmingham City is undoubtedly that against Aston Villa, and their derby matches are sometimes referred to as the Second City Derby. These two big Midland teams are indeed eternal rivals – the first meeting was way back in 1879 when Birmingham were still known as Small Heath Alliance! However between the years 1988 to 2002 the clubs were playing in different leagues, so Brum fans forged other rivalries as well; one could mention Wolves and W.B.A. for example. But ‘hostilities’ have renewed in recent times – interestingly, an episode of the TV programme Police Academy UK (aired in April this year) covered the problems (and indeed violence) of the derby match in December 2010. For an exhaustive listing and commentaries on all the derby matches, check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_City_derby Famous Fans: Quite an assorted mix of celebrities who support, or have supported, Birmingham City in their free time – Firstly a real crop of musicians this week: Jeff Lynne – ELO, Travelling Wilburys), Nigel Clarke – of the band ‘Dodgy’, John Lodge -the Moody Blues, Martin Saunders – The Twang, Mike Skinner – The Streets, Adam Zindani – The Stereophonics, Dan Worton – Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, Roy Wood, Simon Fowler – Ocean Colour Scheme, and perhaps most noteworthy is virtually the whole band of UB40! Following on from these we have the radio broadcasters Tom Ross and Ian Danter – radio (DJ and football commentator); and also in the entertainments business - Jasper Carrott – comedian (photo below), Colin Buchanan – actor (Dalziel & Pascoe), and James Phelps – actor (playing Fred Weasley in the Harry Potter films). From sport there is Wayne Elcock – boxer, Frankie Gavin – boxer, Tor Andre Flo – footballer, Paul Manning – cycling (Olympic gold medallist), and Chris Skudder – the Sky Sports commentator (photo below). Finally Glynn Purnell, the Michelin starred celebrity chef. Jasper Carrott:  Chris Skudder:  NICKNAMES ETC. The Blues is the normal one, and fans are sometimes called the ‘Bluenoses’. Between 1994 and 1997 the club mascot took the form of a blue nose, but got dropped (I suspect because of derogatory use by opposing fans), so it is now a dog called Beau Brummie, a word play on the name Beau Brummell and Brummie, the slang word for a person from Birmingham. Actually, Beau Brummie came into being in 1966:- http://www.bcfc.com/page/ClubMascot (info thanks to bluenoseden of the JA 606 Forum). And here is the mascot Beau Brummie:  The press and media often refer to the team as ‘Brum’, which is simply the most abbreviated way of writing in short. MATCH DAY EXPECTATIONS Attendances: Birmingham’s average at home this season is 18,837, meaning that they are 10th in the Championship home attendances charts. That is nearly 63% of capacity. By co-incidence Reading sit just one place higher – after the Crystal Palace game, our average has increased to 19,219 per game, working out at nearly 80% capacity (and 5th best championship capacity levels) – sorry Mr. Zingarevich, but what are you going to do about all those Reading fans who won’t be able to get in next season, as we behead the premier giants?! Birmingham’s historical attendances chart – see the recovery from the early 1990’s:  Squads and Team News: Not available yet - please add any news in your posts and comments - one of the most important things to add here before kick-off! SCORE PREDICTIONS My own verdict: It’s end of season, both teams haven’t anything really pressing to play for, so let’s have a fiesta of goals!!: Birmingham City 3 Reading 5 (HT Reading losing 1-2) For most of your predictions see: Will be edited in ASAP - Please do ADD your prediction on this special link, which counts for the last of the RR Prediction Game 2011-12, being organized by RoyalJoe - couldn't be easier, and you'll have some practise for next season! If you want to be more anonymous, just leave any prediction on this Match thread itself (we don’t take these into account ...) What do others say? The Oddschecker site, listing nearly all the major betting companies, shows Reading and Birmingham are both about equally placed to get a win – and best best for a flitter is a draw – which is somewhere between 3/1 and 4/1. Reading FC SUPERSTITIONS THIS DATE in history! Good omens for Reading fans – the club has played 14 times on this day with results of W6 D6 L2. The best win was way back in 1934, when we disposed of Orient 4-0 at Elm Park. But last time out, in 2001 we suffered a defeat – 1-2 away to Colchester United, Cureton scoring our goal on 24 mins, and it was a turn up for the books as we were 3rd, 10 points ahead of the 4th team Walsall and Colchester in a modest 16th, but this result putting paid to catching the top two: Millwall & Rotherham (one game left for all). How do Birmingham do? They have played some 19 times, with a decent set of results of W9 D4 L6. Their first seven games produced 5 victories and two draws – including a truly amazing away 7-3 victory at Leicester City in 1934 – but then entered a mediocre run of results. However, lately they’ve come out of the doldrums, and last three pairings were in 2001 away to Grimsby (1-0 win, goal by Marcelo), in 2002 at home to Millwall (1-1 draw), and 2007 in the Championship (2-0 home victory v Sheff Wednesday, with late goals from Jerome 74’ and Larsson 84’). And in 2007 this last game of the season saw them finish as champions, just pipping Sunderland by a point to the winner’s trophy! Talking of dates and anniversaries – HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sir John Madejski!  Our (still) chairman is 71 today! But he still likes to have fun!  Finally The Birmingham Crest:  Apparently, it’s sort of modelled on this old map …  Let’s start up - and keep going - the comments as you wish, and as they happen up to and during the game. In your hands, make this a nice thread! Enjoy it! daib0 Postlude - It’s been well over a hundred match presentation threads for me now. In no way do I wish to monopolize this aspect of RR - we mods always say that this is no glory ride for us, so ... if anyone fancies becoming a regular contributor to this in my place next season I’d be really delighted for someone else to come on board. And these presentations don’t have to be so extensive by any stretch of the imagination anyway, these recent bumper threads are the result of the interest they seem to be producing due to our wonderful promotion exploits – but it would free me up to do other things on here. And of course, we could contribute perfectly well in later posts with things like ticket sales, Ref Check, rivals, famous fans etc. Edited by daib0, 22 Apr 2012, 09:38 PM.
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Royals Rendezvous - a friendly Reading forum // twitter: @johnstone_cello | |
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| SuffolkRoyal | 22 Apr 2012, 09:26 PM Post #2 |
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This will be a strange game. Neither team has anything to play for except pride. Birmingham have already secured their play off place and Reading have secured the title. Birmingham will possibly keep a few first team players out of it to avoid any unnecessary injuries for the play off games., and who knows what team McDermott will put out. All in all its all set up for an end of season kick about. |
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| daib0 | 22 Apr 2012, 09:39 PM Post #3 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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Vital Football - Reading Former striker praises Royals following promotion http://www.reading.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=280296 Former Reading striker Kevin Doyle has praised his former club, following their promotion back to the Premier League. The 28-year old enjoyed the most successful time of his career with the Royals, scoring 55 goals in his four year tenure with the club that guided them to the Premier League in 2006. Doyle was a big hit in the top division, being nominated for Young Player of Year, where he just lost out to Cesc Fabregas. However, the Republic of Ireland was sold to Wolves in 2009 for a £6.5 million fee. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Doyle said: 'I am delighted for the club because even though I only know a few of the players left from when I was there the people behind the scenes, the staff and the management, are really good people. Brian McDermott was chief scout at Reading when I signed for them and he came to see me at some really far flung places in Ireland.' 'I am really delighted for them. I did not realise they were playing until I turned on Sky Sports News later on in the night and saw the scenes on the pitch and it looked like complete mayhem and brought back some good memories. The run they have been on is unbelievable with 14 or 15 wins and only one defeat. I am really pleased because they are a really great club.' Doyle has also been recently linked with a £5 million return to the Madejski Stadium, as it appears Wolves are primed for relegation to the Championship. Royals boss McDermott has been linked with several of his former players, including West Brom striker Shane Long and highly-rated midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson. |
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| daib0 | 22 Apr 2012, 09:46 PM Post #4 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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Recap on Blues Dail Express Brighton 1 - Birmingham 1: Chris Hughton’s top-six relief http://www.express.co.uk/football/view/315931 BIRMINGHAM booked their place in the play-offs but were denied victory by an Ashley Barnes equaliser six minutes from time. The striker was in the right place at the right time to tuck home a cross from skipper Inigo Calderon after teenager Nathan Redmond’s stunner had given Birmingham the lead in the 69th minute. Birmingham manager Chris Hughton said: “We very much deserve it. We have had so many games this season and nobody was quite sure what to expect. We would have settled for a play-off spot at the start of the season so we’re happy to have done that.” Brighton boss Gus Poyet said: “It was very important to finish off the first season at the Amex on a positive note.” Sporting Life Hughton Pleased With Play-OFF Hopes http://www.sportinglife.com/football/cc_championship/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/12/04/21/manual_191439.html Birmingham boss Chis Hughton expressed his delight for the entire squad after a fourth successive draw at Brighton left his side on the brink of securing a play-off place in the npower Championship. The Blues looked to be heading towards victory at the Amex when substitute Nathan Redmond fired them into a 69th-minute lead, but Brighton levelled six minutes from time through Ashley Barnes. A delighted Hughton said: "I am delighted for this group of players. I've had great support and I am happy for all of them. "It was a tough summer but it doesn't matter as long as we are in the play-offs. Getting there is the main thing, although a second leg at home would be nice." Birmingham entertain promoted Reading in their final match of the regular season unbeaten in eight games, and Hughton admitted his players had thought they had done enough to edge out Brighton. He said: "There are never easy games in the Championship but once we took the lead I thought we would hold on. It was a disappointed changing room as we conceded rather a soft equaliser." Hughton felt that the longer the season went on, so expectations have grown and he has been delighted with the way his team have been competitive. He added: "At the start of the season had we been offered it we would have settled for a play-off position - absolutely we would have done. Despite playing a lot of games we have been competitive and the good thing is we have managed to be competitive all season." Midfielder Redmond has no doubts Birmingham have enough in reserve to make a strong challenge in the play-offs. He said: "We definitely feel we have enough in the tank. The lads are a little bit disappointed only to get a point after going ahead but it's all about securing that play-off spot. In November we were 15th but now we have achieved it and everyone has played a part. Everyone is ready and mentally prepared for the challenge ahead." Birmingham broke the deadlock when Marlon King laid the ball off for Redmond to turn and fire in a low shot from the edge of the area. Redmond added: "It was an important goal to effectively clinch a play-off place. Marlon held the ball up for me so well and I got a yard ahead before I hit it." Brighton manager Gus Poyet expressed optimism over keeping Spanish playmaker Vicente Rodriguez after Barnes' late goal rescued a point for the Seagulls. Poyet's men missed out on a play-off place due to a dip in form which has seen them take only four points from their last seven games. But Poyet believes their challenge next season will be significantly boosted with the return of the former Valencia star and is hopeful he can hang on to the 30-year-old. Poyet said: "It won't be difficult to keep him (Vicente) as long as we get a team he deserves. He is a joy to watch. There is a big opportunity and we will decide on it together. We'll follow my line and the way I like to treat players." Poyet admitted he could not help wondering what another two months with Vicente in his team would have done for Brighton's play-off challenge. He added: "We didn't have Vicente in the side for a couple of months. What we want to do is challenge for the Premier League with him. He is the best player the club has. He was different class in this game - outstanding, and a pleasure to watch. We need more of him." Despite missing out on a play-off position, Poyet felt his objectives for the season had still been realised. He said: "I'm proud of what we've done. I wanted us to be a competitive Championship team and we've proved it. Now we need to get better and I know we can get better, we've got a great chance." |
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| daib0 | 22 Apr 2012, 09:49 PM Post #5 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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Sunday Mercury I am delighted for my players - Chris Hughton http://www.sundaymercury.net/midlands-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2012/04/22/birmingham-city-i-am-delighted-for-my-players-chris-hughton-66331-30810456 CHRIS Hughton dedicated Blues’ play-off qualification to his players and the club’s board. The draw at Brighton & Hove Albion brought Blues the point they needed to finish in the Championship’s top six and Hughton deflected praise from himself to those around him. “I am delighted for this group of players,” he said. “They have worked very hard all season. Me, I have had great support from the chairman [Peter Pannu] and the owner at this club and I am happy for them – they deserve it. It was a tough summer and it has been a tough season, with the amount of games we’ve had to play.” Hughton revealed that his side were dejected that they didn’t go on and win at the Amex Stadium after Nathan Redmond’s 69th-minute goal. “Once we took the lead I genuinely felt we would hold onto it” he said. |
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| daib0 | 22 Apr 2012, 10:10 PM Post #6 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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FUN RUN-DOWN! Mail Online The Royals Family! Skipper McAnuff reveals all on the stars of Reading's promotion http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2131741/Reading-promoted-Jobi-McAnuff-Royals-Family.html Reading are back in the Premier League after clinching promotion on Tuesday night, but what can we expect from them next season? Reading skipper Jobi McAnuff gives Sportsmail the lowdown on his team-mates... ADAM FEDERICI, goalkeeper, 27 The hardest-working player, let alone goalkeeper, that I know. He never stops. If we have a day off or recovery day he will be out there training. He absolutely hates getting beaten - even in training. KASPARS GORKSS, defender, 30 A real man's man and a get-on-with-the-job kind of guy. The fact he's won back-to-back promotions sums him up. He's been a rock in our defence and it's no surprise we've had a great run since he's come in. IAN HARTE, defender, 34 Been there and done it - and told us about it more than a few times, especially his Champions League quarter-final goal against Deportivo. He's got one of the best left feet I've ever seen - it's the proverbial wand. SHAUN CUMMINGS, defender, 23 Very quiet and reserved. But in terms of what he does on the pitch, he most definitely lets his football do the talking. He's been great for us since coming back into the side. ALEX PEARCE, defender, 23 A real old-school centre half. I've been trying to get him into a pair of white boots but he's not having it, sticking to the trusted black ones he thinks all centre halves should wear. He has really come of age this season. JOSEPH MILLS, defender, 22 Has settled in well since he arrived from Doncaster last summer. He's on overdrive to get his beach body ready at the moment - so much so that I'm a bit worried about him. He spends more time in the gym than he does in training. JEM KARACAN, midfielder, 23 He is so hyperactive, a really lively character. He plays how he is, full of energy and drive. He's always bubbly and having a laugh. He is a great guy to have around the place. JIMMY KEBE, midfielder, 28 Another quiet one, but he's come out of his shell a bit more. He has got a really dry sense of humour and on the odd day he throws in a joke, he'll have the whole squad in stitches. MIKELE LEIGERTWOOD, midfielder, 29 The nicest man in football and one of my best pals, so to have him with me in a promotion-winning team makes it extra special. He's been a massive influence for us this season and chipped in with important goals. JOBI McANUFF, midfield, 30 I'm trying to be the mature one. I try to keep things together but also have a laugh at the same time. Having the captaincy this year has meant I've tried to be as much of a leader as I can. I hope that the boys think I've done a good job. HAYDEN MULLINS, midfield, 33 Massive experience and played his 600th career game recently. He has slipped into the side effortlessly since joining from Pompey and his experience has been vital for us - he holds things together for us in midfield. HAL ROBSON-KANU, midfield, 22 One of the best athletes I have ever seen. He has ability, strength, pace, skill - the lot. He really can go a long way in the game. But I'm not quite sure how he qualifies for Wales - he's got about four different nationalities! JAY TABB, midfield, 28 He's got a really wicked sense of humour. He is a real team player and does a great job for us - he just gets on with his work. He has been an important part of our success. ADAM LE FONDRE, forward, 25 'Alfie' is a real jack in the box. He comes alive when there's a chance to be had. His goal return has been great, particularly given he's not played as much as he would have liked. Typical northerner - thinks everything about the south isn't as good as it is in the north. JASON ROBERTS, forward, 34 One of the most experienced players but since he's come in the level of childishness has increased. He's a bit of a stirrer - he does not do any deeds himself. A proper wind-up merchant - but he's been massive on the pitch for us. SIMON CHURCH, forward, 23 He's a massive talent and will go on to have a great career. His other great talent is his impressions - but I'm sure he won't thank me for saying who he impersonates so I'd better not say. A funny guy. NOEL HUNT, forward, 28 The class clown - and he wants to be known as that. The joker of the pack, he's a bubbly Irish character. If there's something going on at the training ground then he will definitely have something to do with it. AND THE BOSS... BRIAN McDERMOTT, 51 So level-headed and calm. Nothing seems to faze him. He manages to keep the group level-headed. The best thing I can say about him is that he lets us do our jobs when other managers may interfere. He trusts us and that's all you want as a player. |
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Royals Rendezvous - a friendly Reading forum // twitter: @johnstone_cello | |
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| Spread Eagle | 23 Apr 2012, 07:07 AM Post #7 |
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Looking forward to this one, it should be a day of celebration for both clubs who have had very good seasons. I would like to see Birmingham go up through the play offs, they deserve it in my opinion. I can't help but like Hughton as a manager, he seems to just get on with what he has got with no moaning and groaning. It is well documented the amount of games that Birmingham have had to play this season but it's not something that the club have used as an excuse at any time. I'd be more than happy with a nice high scoring, entertaining draw for both sets of fans to enjoy the day. |
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| daib0 | 23 Apr 2012, 09:15 AM Post #8 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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Provocative reading? It's funny that when Reading win the league it's not somehow such a good league this year - but if West Ham or Saints had done so??! The Seventy Two Six reasons why this Championship season has been worse than last year http://theseventytwo.com/football-league/championship/2012/04/23/six-reasons-why-this-championship-season-has-been-worse-than-last-year The overall impression from many seasoned Championship watchers is that this has not been a vintage year for the second tier. Reading are worthy champions and their extraordinary run has been something to behold, but the remarkable has been few and far between this term in comparison with the 2010/11 campaign. Here are six reasons why. Fewer goals The headline reason is the average number of goals scored per game in the Championship, which has dropped from 2.74 in 2010/11 to 2.57 this time around. With one full round of matches plus tonight’s meeting between Leicester City and West Ham United yet to come, it seems highly unlikely that this season’s total number of goals (currently 1383) will get anywhere near the final tally last time around (1510). In truth, that was an unusually high average – the 2002/03 season is the only one to contain more goals (1512) since 1989/90′s total of 1526 – so perhaps there was a lot to live up to. There have also been half as many games with at least six goals – 19 this term as opposed to 38 during 2010/11. It probably hasn’t helped that the Premier League’s most hyperbolic games have produced an unusually high number of goals, a timely example of which came yesterday with Manchester United and Everton’s 4-4 draw. Fewer stars Last season saw a number of high-profile over-30s head to the Championship – Edgar Davids, David James and Craig Bellamy all pitched up in the division but all three disappointed to differing degrees. We’ve seen the same again with less of a fanfare – Vicente has dazzled when available in an injury-hit spell at Brighton and John Carew’s impact at West Ham has been non-existent. Vicente is a player who could have ignited wider interest had he not succumbed to injury for long periods and, although fans of the Seagulls and Eagles will baulk at this comparison, the same is true of the promising Crystal Palace youngster Jonathan Williams. They are both players who could have roused the national media’s interest if they had remained fit for longer. Meanwhile, we saw two familiar sights in the Premier League on Saturday. Loftus Road rose to acclaim a long-range goal by Adel Taarabt just hours after Scott Sinclair weaved his way infield from the left wing and drove the ball high into the net for Swansea City. All that was missing was a jinking run and assist from Wes Hoolahan at Ewood Park. Two of the key creative players of the 2010/11 Championship season were doing the business in the top flight this weekend. So who have been their successors during the current campaign in the second tier? At Championship level, both 2009/10 and 2010/11 were dominated by central midfielders playing in advanced role behind the attack – the former in the shape of goalscorers such as Kevin Nolan, then of Newcastle, Graham Dorrans at West Bromwich Albion and Charlie Adam during his time at Blackpool; the latter through Taarabt and Hoolahan for the two automatically-promoted clubs. This role has been conspicuous by its absence at the leading Championship clubs this season. Reading have put in a team effort as part of a flat 4-4-2 and if any one player could be said to have made the difference in recent weeks, it would be the veteran striker Jason Roberts. Nolan’s much-heralded return to the Football League with West Ham hasn’t been the universal success that helped result in Newcastle’s title win. Directionless clubs At the foot of the table, those that were already losing have lost out if you consider the directions taken by the people in power at Portsmouth, Coventry City and Doncaster Rovers in recent times. They have contributed to what has happened on the field through overinvestment, underinvestment and the wrong kind of investment, respectively. Between them, they have additionally managed to alienate fans, fail to pay players on time and threaten the existence of their club. There has also been an air of failure attached to a number of the bigger clubs in the division. While they hauled themselves clear of danger, Nottingham Forest’s season should never have been so perilous and they also had to make the demoralising decision to sell both their most promising youngster and their longest-serving player to enable the arrival of loanees. Further north, Leeds United ditched their Leeds United-supporting manager and replaced him with Neil Warnock without success. Leicester City spent millions last summer but failed to purchase any creativity or flair. Big Sam’s West Ham And then there’s West Ham United. Supporters of West Ham and other Championship clubs alike knew what they were getting with Big Sam, but plenty of both have still been left disappointed. The Hammers go into their final two games knowing that only six points will suffice to have a chance of automatic promotion. Even then, with Southampton facing relegated Coventry at home on the final day, it looks as though Allardyce’s side have left themselves with too much to do. For those who have long since grown tired of Big Sam’s arrogant bluster, the lottery of the play-offs will be as enjoyable as it will be nerve-shredding for the man in the Upton Park dugout. In truth, West Ham haven’t offered the Championship much this season in the way of entertainment. By their own fans’ admission, the football has not been great for the majority of the campaign and the only real pleasure for neutrals has involved Allardyce’s post-match comments following poor results, particularly the series of costly home draws against lowly opposition. Like Leicester, West Ham have invested a lot of money this season and it would have been nice to see some of it go towards attractive football rather than, in the Hammers’ case, a variety of forwards who cannot all play at once. The worst play-off chase in history For months, it was the race no-one seemed to want to win. The form of the catalogue of sides battling it out for the play-off places below the runaway top three of Reading, Southampton and West Ham was catastrophic, with Cardiff looking set to book their place in the top six next weekend despite winning just two of the 12 league games they played in February and March. Of course, had they endured this poor run earlier in the season instead and ended up on the cusp of a play-off place, they would be hailed from all sides. And to a certain extent, the same goes for Birmingham and Blackpool. But the failure of teams like Hull, Brighton, Leeds and Leicester to put any sort of run together led many fans of sides in the top half to bemoan the overall quality of the division. Less storied glory What have been the most memorable moments of this Championship season? Every supporter will have their own – Derby County fans would point to the Rams’ two victories over Nottingham Forest, while City Ground dwellers would instead probably highlight an incredible 7-3 win at Elland Road. At the top, Reading’s run to the title included important away wins at both West Ham and Southampton. At the bottom, Bristol City won twice in three days over Easter to see off Forest and Coventry and lift themselves towards safety. You might also pick out that magnificent David Norris volley deep into stoppage time at St Mary’s, Crystal Palace’s 3-1 win at Brighton or Will Buckley’s opening day double to give the Amex a perfect start. The likelihood is that you know about each of these events, but you might not have seen many of them live. When you think of the 2010/11 season from a neutral perspective, however, you might think of Taarabt providing one of the greatest assists of all time for Wayne Routledge’s goal against Coventry, Simeon Jackson’s winner at Portsmouth which sent Norwich into the top flight, Darren Pratley’s strike from the halfway line in the play-off semi-final second leg between Swansea and Nottingham Forest or Danny Graham putting QPR to the sword at Loftus Road. They all took place in televised games. We still, of course, have the play-offs to come and there will surely be plenty of drama involved in those, but the matches selected by BBC and Sky this season have failed to spark more often than not. So far, at least… |
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Royals Rendezvous - a friendly Reading forum // twitter: @johnstone_cello | |
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| daib0 | 23 Apr 2012, 09:21 AM Post #9 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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Goal Magazine Meet the new boys: Everything you need to know about Premier League-bound Reading Brian McDermott's Royals secured promotion from the Championship by beating Nottingham Forest and return to the top flight for the first time since the 2007-08 season http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/04/23/3054280/meet-the-new-boys-everything-you-need-to-know-about-premier PROFILE By Ed Aarons Mikele Leigertwood's late header against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night was the goal that sent Reading back into the Premier League for the first time since 2007-08. Indeed, thanks to the Royals' 2-2 follow-up draw with Crystal Palace four days later and Southampton's shock defeat at Middlesbrough, Brian McDermott's men have been confirmed as the winners of the Championship with a game to spare. So what's the story on the newest member of the top-flight family? Goal.com gives you the lowdown on how they got here - and how they could get on in 2012-13. KEY MAN - ALEX PEARCE With the emphasis very much on the team as a whole at the Madejski Stadium, it’s hard to single anyone in particular out. Astonishingly, winger Jimmy Kebe was the only member of Brian McDermott’s squad to be named in FourFourTwo’s list of the Football League’s 50 best players, while promotion rivals Southampton boasted two of the top three. But, despite superb contributions from the likes of Adam Federici, Ian Harte, Kaspars Gorkss, skipper Jobi McAnuff, Jem Karacan and Jason Roberts, it’s a player who first joined the Royals as a 12-year-old who has impressed most this term. Now 23, Alex Pearce has marshalled the Championship’s meanest defence with a poise and maturity that belies his tender age and is now odds-on to earn a call-up for the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2012 squad after he decided to turn his back on Scotland. The Premier League awaits, although if Pearce performs like he has this season against Italy and Spain, Reading may find it tough to keep hold of their best player. MANAGER - BRIAN McDERMOTT ‘Brian who?’ was the common reaction when McDermott took over as Reading’s caretaker boss in November 2009 after the departure of Brendan Rodgers. Yet after claiming his first victory in the Royals’ shock win against Liverpool at Anfield in the FA Cup, the former Arsenal player, who cut his managerial teeth at Slough and Woking, has shown that he is a class act. The devastating experience of losing last season’s playoff final against Swansea City clearly had an effect on Reading’s slow start to this season. But, after being forced to sell defender Matt Mills and striker Shane Long for a combined total of nearly £13 million in the summer, the way in which McDermott has turned things around has been nothing short of remarkable. His acquisition of Jason Roberts from Blackburn in January was a masterstroke that gave his squad the cutting edge when it mattered most. And having created such a tight-knit bunch, who’s to say that McDermott can’t follow in the footsteps of predecessor Steve Coppell and lead Reading to a top-10 finish in their first season back in the top flight? WHAT TO EXPECT Organisation. With goalkeeper Federici and central defenders Pearce and Gorkss in place, Reading have conceded just 29 goals in 40 Championship matches and their solidity underpins the entire side. Left-back Harte’s experience and dead-ball delivery has also played a crucial part, with Shaun Cummings dependable on the other flank. In midfield, Mikele Leigertwood provides further defensive protection (and the odd goal) in the holding role, with Karacan, Jobi McAnuff, Hal Robson-Kanu and Jimmy Kebe all capable of providing a creative spark but also ingrained with the work ethic demanded by their manager. In particular, the passing ability of London-born Turkey Under-21 international Karacan will ensure that he thrives in the top flight. Strikers Roberts, Noel Hunt, Simon Church and Adam Le Fondre have only contributed a total of 33 goals between them but all add something different to the Royals’ front line. The latter - a £350,000 snip from Rotherham last summer - has now scored a remarkable 66 times in his last 117 league starts. HOW THEY GOT PROMOTED After a disastrous run that saw them lose four matches on the trot in August and September, it looked like the Royals may have had a relegation fight on their hands. But Gorkss’ arrival from QPR helped steady the ship and McDermott’s side began to find their feet, although a run of five draws in seven matches still left them near the bottom at the end of October. But two injury-time goals against Ipswich on November 26 in a 3-2 victory were the catalyst for an astonishing run of 23 wins out of their next 28 matches that catapulted Reading ahead of both Southampton and West Ham. Aside from a 1-1 draw against Doncaster and a surprise 3-1 loss to Peterborough, the Royals have now picked up three points at every single league fixture since January 28 – a remarkable haul of 50 points from a possible 54. Le Fondre’s winner against Nottingham Forest last week saw them finally clinch promotion, with Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace confirming that they will go up as champions. WHAT THEY NEED TO STAY UP During their first spell in the top flight back in 2006-07, Steve Coppell kept faith with the team that had romped to the Championship title with a record 106 points and guided Reading to a superb eighth-placed finish. But, while there are many similarities with this year’s edition under McDermott, the presence of new Russian owner Anton Zingarevich could make it a different ball game this time around. The 29-year-old with a supermodel wife (look her up) has ambitious plans to expand the Madejski Stadium and has already drawn up a shortlist of summer targets designed to help Reading compete at the higher end of the Premier League. In the short term, reinforcements in defence, central midfield and up front are needed, although Le Fondre could be their answer to Grant Holt or Danny Graham next season. Elsewhere, McDermott will be loath to make too many changes to the winning formula that has served him so well. Yet the pressures of the Premier League may call for a different approach if things aren’t quite working out come January. |
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Royals Rendezvous - a friendly Reading forum // twitter: @johnstone_cello | |
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| daib0 | 23 Apr 2012, 09:23 AM Post #10 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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Often Partisan (Brimingham City Blog Page) Trophy on the Pitch? http://www.oftenpartisan.co.uk/archives/5261/trophy-on-the-pitch.html Would you want to see Reading presented with the Championship trophy at St Andrews this weekend? It’s a question that’s doing the rounds of the forums at the moment and it’s one I’ve been thinking about myself. I can easily understand why many people are inclined to say “no” straight away. It’s almost like the ultimate insult in some ways to see the opposition handed a trophy on our turf; to let them celebrate in front of their away following winning a trophy whilst Blues look on like the forgotten bridesmaids. As much as it’s the “proper” thing to do to applaud the winners I can agree with those that say it would stick in their craw somewhat. The other thing that would worry me about them having the trophy on the pitch is that I think some fans would take it badly enough to maybe do something that we really wouldn’t want to see; whilst I have no problem with fans making St Andrews a hostile place to come with intimidating noise etc I have no desire to see the club penalised because some fans can’t see the line and are willing to take things too far. I can see reasons to be happy with the idea too. As much as it’s in the Corinthian spirit to be sporting losers and allow the winning team some glory, I think there are good reasons for allowing it that are maybe not quite so moral. You see, what concerns me is that Blues really could do with winning the game this weekend, and Reading are on a bit of a run – 48 points from their 54 points to a team that just don’t stop winning games. However, they were held to a draw on Saturday by Crystal Palace at the Madejski stadium and I wonder if a feeling of “after the Lord Mayor’s parade” might creep in if they know they’re getting the trophy at St Andrews. I mean, with the trophy won, promotion sorted and everyone happy wouldn’t it be just possible for the Reading players to be mentally on holiday against Blues? Is it all likely that despite there being a whopping 4250 away following wanting a successful end to the season it could end in anti-climax? I’d like to think there is a chance – and beating Reading on our turf would be enough for me to be happy with them parading their trophy. I’ve not seen anything to say one way or another what will be happening with regards to the trophy. I suspect much will be decided tonight by West Ham; if they turn over Leicester then I reckon Sky will be covering the Southampton v Coventry and West Ham v Hull games on the final day as the battle for second; if West Ham lose then everything is pretty much decided barring the outside chance Middlesbrough getting into the playoffs and it might just be that Sky will want to cover the champions. If that’s the case, then I don’t imagine Blues will have much say in what happens re the trophy presentation. |
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