[Lord Snooty]

Reading v Huddersfield Town
The Sky Bet Championship
Saturday May 8th - 12:30 ko
at the Madejski Stadium

Huddersfield Town travel to Berkshire to play Reading at the Madejski stadium on Saturday afternoon for the last game of a very, very disappointing season. So disappointing that Amelia can't even be arsed to do the match thread and has asked me to step in. Well I can't be bothered either, so I'm just going to recycle stuff from earlier in the season. Maybe not even all that, let's just see how we get on before I stop and lose interest like the players have been doing since the start of 2021.




A brief history of Reading: formed in blah blah blah...... follow the link if you can be bothered. https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=9955





Head to Head



Reading lead the head to head with 26 wins to Town's 15, with 13 draws.

https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=9955






Last week's line up at Norwich:

33 Cabral Barbosa
17 Yiadom
29 Holmes
15 Gibson
3 Richards
34 Tetek
28 Laurent
7 Olise
10 Swift
14 Ejaria
18 Lucas João

Subs:
2 Pontes Esteves
9 Baldock
11 Meite
22 Southwood
24 Aluko
30 Semedo
47 Puscas
48 Dorsett
50 Camara


Club connections:  
https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=9955





Reading in popular culture: https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=9955






Other Championship matches this weekend:

Well there are only two meaningful games in this lot. Two of the three must drop to League One with Wycombe (who need to beat Boro 12-0 to stand a chance). Which of Rotterdam, Wendy or Wayne County would you like to see go down. And why?

Barnsley v Norwich City
Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City
AFC Bournemouth v Stoke City
Bristol City v Brentford
Cardiff City v Rotherham United
Coventry City v Millwall
Derby County v Sheffield Wednesday
Middlesbrough v Wycombe Wanderers
Nottingham Forest v Preston North End
Queens Park Rangers v Luton Town
Watford v Swansea City

Great punk song from Wayne County from 1977.  Warning! Contains swearing.




Recent form - last 6 matches:

Town 1-1 Coventry
Blackburn 5-2 Town
Town 0-1 Barnsley
Forest 0-2 Town
Town 1-2 Bournemouth
Town 0-0 Rotherham

Norwich 4-1 Reading
Reading 2-2 Swansea
Luton 0-0 Reading
Reading 1-1 Cardiff
Watford 2-0 Reading
Reading 3-1 Derby


Town are 20th with 48 points, Reading are in 7th with 69.

Leading scorers:
Terriers:
Frazier Campbell (7)
Josh Koroma (7)
Isaac Mbenza (5)
Juninho Bacuna (5)
Naby Sarr (4)
Own Goals (4)  

Royals:
Lucas João (22)
Yakou Meite (11)
Michael Olise (6)
Michael Morrison (4)
George Puscas (4)


May the 8th down the ages: How did we get on in previous matches played on this date?

1926: Leeds United (n) West Riding Cup, lost 1-4 (?????)
1943: Sunderland (h) Wartime League North, WON 4-1 (Willie Watson 3, Rickett)
1945: Barnsley (a) Wartime League North, WON 4-2 (Arnold Rodgers, Mosby, Eddie Boot)
1982: Brentford (h) Div 3, drew 1-1 (Peter Valentine)
1993: Stockport County (h) Div Two (3rd tier), WON 2-1 (Mark Cooper, Gary Barnett)
2004: Cheltenham Town (a) Div Three (4th tier), drew 1-1 (Andy Booth)
2010: Exeter City (a) League One (3rd tier), lost 1-2 (Gary Roberts)


Only seven games played on this date and we didn't get a league game until 1982. We've won more than we've lost though.

The 1926 defeat against Leeds in the West Riding Cup came just a week after we had completed our third season as League Champions. The game was played at Bradford's Park Avenue stadium and was played during the General Strike. Newspapers were on strike and so nobody made a note of the scorer. Getting beaten by the bums from Beeston, I think the Town team must've been on strike too.

The game in 2004 is quite a famous one. Boothy scored his 100th goal for the club as we looked to be heading for automatic promotion. But then Pawel Abbott, who's goals had got us into a promotion spot in the first place, went on a mazy dribble down the wing in the wrong direction, ran out of places to go and sent a woefully short back pass to the keeper.  



Quiz time:

The start of next season, we will have a starting XI of players who have returned to the club, having had glittering careers elsewhere. We already have three names in this season's squad, who no doubt will still be here (maybe not Keogh). So fill in the blanks of who you'd like to come back, realistic or fantasy, whichever you fancy. Or don't bother if you can't be arsed.

1. …...
2. …...
3. …...
4. …...
5. Richard Keogh
6. …...
7. …...
8. Duane Holmes
9. …...
10. …...
11. Danny Ward


2017 Play Offs anagrams: All these are to do with the Play Offs of 2017.

1. Oh Brillo Gush  
   
2. VAR Japan Arrival  
   
3. Trev Nestle Chef  
   
4. Perth Childish Corners  
   
5. Jam Pasta  
   
6. Wrinklier Scab  
   
7. Rosanne Refortified  
   
8. Ravaged Wind  
   
9. Whelk Snail  
   
10. Moo Mailer  
    
11. Randy Dawn  
    

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Thanks Snoots. I have read it. 

---

5. Jaap Stam

---

11. Danny Ward, the other one

---

10. Liam Moore

---

8. David Wagner

[ritchiebaby]

2. Rajiv van la Parra
6. Neil Swarbrick

[Amelia Chaffinch]

4. Christopher Schindler

---

3. Steven Fletcher

[Lord Snooty]

1. Alex Smithies
2. Jack Hunt
3. Scott Malone
4. Conor Coady
5. Richard Keogh
6. Adam Clayton
7. Rajiv van La Parra
8. Duane Holmes
9. Jordan Rhodes
10. Aaron Mooy
11. Danny Ward

---

Well done, Chaffers. Wondered which one of you would spot that first. I said Play Offs of 2017, not Play Off Final of 2017.

[theo_luddite]

Wasn't that song used for his election campaign by Trump?

Which of Rotterdam, Wendy or Wayne County would you like to see go down. And why?

Easy that one - the two that have been playing fast and loose with FFP and in at least one case not paying players on time (more than once) either. If you can't afford the players, don't sign them on for silly money contracts.

[jjamez]

Fernando forestierri must be in there somewhere and Hillsborough as 1 and 7

---

Returning xi realistic

1- Jed steer
2- lee peltier
3- jazz Richards
4- Richard Keogh
5- Murray Wallace
6- Adam Clayton
7- Rajiv van la Parra
8- Duane Holmes
9- Jordan Rhodes
10- Matt crooks
11- Danny ward

Fantasy

1- Alex smithies
2- Tommy Smith
3- Chris Lowe
4- Michael hefele (one we signed)
5- Chris Schindler (after we've released him)
6- Connor coady
7- Emile Smith Rowe
8- Aaron moody
9- nahki wells
10- Jamie Paterson
11- Joe lolley

[Lord Snooty]

Campbell still out. Possibly played his last game for us then.

Also missing will be Pipa and Toffolo.

[Lord Snooty]

For the last time.......?

[Amelia Chaffinch]

2. Rajiv van La Parra