Old McGalphsmiths Farm
Bottom of Kilner Bank
A short walk from Leeds Road
Don't forget to buy a pint of Town Lager 
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Kick-off 15:00 UK Time
Saturday 28/08/2021


On the tellybox
Not showing anywhere at the moment other than iPlayer

The Intro

Warning.
This thread might get a bit self-indulgent.
Unless you've been living in a cave all week, it won't take you long to work out why.



Town are at home to Reading on Saturday in the last match before the first International break. For the 2nd Saturday runing we play a team we've beaten with penalties in a Play-Off final at Wmberlee. The penalty shoot outs being more memorable than the games themselves.

Formerly known as The Biscuitmen from the days when Huntley and Palmers were one of, if not the biggest employers in the town, they've more recently been calling themselves The Royals, associating themselves with The Royal County of Berkshire.

Quite why they want to associate themselves with a bunch of misfits that occasionally hang out in Windsor is beyond me, but here they are posing for a photo during a recent family get together.



Apparently Andy had been sent to collect the pizzas. 

On the naughty step.

Since losing to Town on penalties ("Oh what a night") at Wemberlee, Reading have been spending heavily (not that they weren't before then) in an attempt to gain promotion to the Prima Donna League. As a result they've been found guilty of breaking FFP rules and have had sanctions such as a transfer embargo applied. Similar sanctions have been applied to Hull City and Direby County this season.

Some high earners have been released on freebies and they recently sold Michael Olise to Crystal Palace for just over £8m.

EFL guidance states that: "'An embargo prevents a club from strengthening its team or adding to its playing staff costs until such time as it has met its existing financial obligations and/or the club has rectified the relevant breach of EFL regulation."

After losing to Town, having finished 3rd that season, as Town did everything they could to avoid Fulham in the play-off's, the following two seasons they had a bit of a play-off hangover and finished 20th for the next two seasons. They improved slightly in the 19/20 campaign and finished 14th. Last season they set off like a house on fire, were top by acountry mile after 6 or 7 games than the wheels started to wobble. They hung onto a top 6 position for the rest of the season before fading again and finishing 7th last season and missing out on the play-off's by 7 points at the death.



Latest news
First out of the hat on Wednesday night for the EFL Cup 3rd Round draw was QPR, followed by Everton.
Look what we could have won.



With the end of the Transfer window looming next Tuesday and L666s still not coughing up the rumoured £10m we're asking for LOB it's likely no further changes will happen other than maybe tipping Mbenza out of the boat he doesn't want to be in. Anyone new has to be better than what we have (i.e. improve the team). Watch this space.

Levi Colwill called up to England U21's

Out Injured / Suspended / Isolating

Pipa and Rhodes won't be around for a while, obviously.


Back training / Back in the frame

Ruffels back working with the first team, Aaron Rowe will be back after the break.

Last time out

Town lost to Everton in the Cup but put in a much improved performance, following on from our first away win of the season at The Blunts.
Reading had already lost 0-3 at home to Swansea in the first round so they have had the week off. They lost 2-1 at Coventry last weekend.



Can Town keep up the play that led to the 3 points at The Chefs and some well deserved praise for taking the game to Everton in midweek?

 

Tables & Form
Reading have only won once this season, they have scored 7 goals in doing so (Town 5).



Their only win so far came against Preston in their home opener on the 2nd Saturday of the season. There's been no shortage of goals in any of their games so far.



Will Paunovic continue to feel the heat from the Reading fans?
https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reading-fc-fans-say-veljko-21390895

Innies and Outies

With only being allowed freebies and loan players, so far only two new players have joined Reading, while 8 have done an Elvis.



STOP THE PRESS - they just signed a 3rd with more possibly in the pipeline.

Who's banging 'em in

All their goals have been shared by 3 players so far. All five of ours have been shared by five different players, so including the o.g. we've 5 joint top scorers at the moment.



They can't all win

but some of them will.



Can Town come out of this one smelling of roses, or will Careless Carlos be looking for somewhere to hide again?



Will there be any "Sympathy for the Devil" if we revert to playing like we did against Fulham?

We've played 'em before

Reading have the slight upper hand here, recently in particular - apart from that penalty shoot-out at Wemberlee.



Next up?

The International Break followed by Stoke away on 11th September

Pressers

Careless calls it (in Esperanto)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09td2kc

Translation with YouTube video for the 'ard of 'earing

https://www.htafc.com/news/2021/august/carlos-previews-reading-test/

Tom Lees celebrates his 3rd goal for Town - even if this is the first he's actually been able to celebrate.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09td58g

Paunovic's ponderings

(To be added when available)

The Reading Point of View on the match

https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2021/august/Ending-August-against-the-Terriers/

The Outro

RIP Charlie - the quiet, well dressed one at the back of the stage, the glue that stuck the band together.



*No relationship with Reading that I'm aware of, it just happens that things sometimes happen in the same week.