[St Charles Owl]

RTHE MATCH - SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY 2016 3PM KO

   v    

So after 5 wins in our last 6 league games we finally see ourselves break into the playoff spots, albeit only on goal difference.  We have had a few chances so far this season to get in there so now we need to put in a performance to actually stay there!!

This weekend we visit Reading, a club that are in their third season back in the Championship after one unsuccessful season in the prem.  Considering they are still on parachute payments they were close to the playoffs in their first season in the championship but have really shown no form to challenge the playoffs since then and after a promising start this season they have recently dropped back down the table to their current 14th place, 11 points behind us.

It was Brian McDermott who managed them when they were promoted to the prem but he was stupidly sacked after the struggled in the Prem halfway through the season.  He was replaced with Nigel Adkins who couldn't save them from relegation and was the manager when they pushed for the playoff but he too was sacked part way through last season, to be replaced by Steve Clarke.  Clarke almost got them relegated but held onto his job until last month when after less than a year in charge he too was fired.  So now they have come full circle by appointing McDermott again in the hopes of repeating the glory they had for one season.  Should just have stuck with him in the first place!!!!

This will only be our 20th meeting with Reading and our record is very even at W8 D3 L8.  Our record against them at their place is a mixed W4 D0 L6.  Last season saw us lose 2-0 in a game that I remember nothing about!!  Our last win there was the season before last when we won 2-0 with goals from Maguire and Imre's favorite striker Afobe!!   Here is the video:




CURRENT FORM
SWFC - 
Reading - 


LINKS BETWEEN THE CLUBS

Leroy Lita is the only player I am aware of that has played for both clubs, if you know of any other please post them in the thread.

From a management perspective Ian Porterfield was their manager 10 years after he finished playing with us and Ian Branfoot also managed them after playing for us.

One other tenuous link is that we are both now have Thai owners, although their ownership is still a joint version with Sir John Madejski.


THE LAST MATCH

Another very solid performance saw us in the end get a comfortable win against L**ds.  A brace from Gary Hooper in a three minute spell just into the second half was easily enough to beat a mediocre team led by the as per usual animated Fat Boy!!  The "goal" they scored of course made the headlines, not the manner of our easy win but hey, ho, we got the points and they can xxxx off back up the M1 to console themselves in the arms of their West Yorkshire biased media!!



OUR TEAM

Who will play in goal??  Will Hunt or Palmer play?  Will Pudil or Bennett play?  Are Lees or Turner anywhere near the team?  Is Hutchinson fit?  Will Hooper be signed in time to play?  So many questions and in years gone by this sort of indecision was all because we were crap, now its because we don't know which of our good players to stick on the pitch.  

What do you think will be the starting 11??


WHO'S THE BASTARD IN THE BLACK

REF - STEPHEN MARTIN
Assts - Ronald Ganfield and Robert Massey-Ellis
Fourth Official - Dean Treleaven

MS will give us the skinny on this guy.


BIG MAN'S LEAGUE

Current Table

Owlkev  
Imre        
Jacko  
Towinjustonce 
Pei  
Madsteve    
Wereham  
Thurnscoe  
Maddix  
Consilio  
Stateside  
St Charles  
Wellowlbe
Bottesford  
Southey    
Washington
Owlshighgreen
A57owl 


SCORE AND SCORER (SWFC score first please, no copying, correct for both only will win, defeats are allowed)

1-0 Lee - Consilio
1-1 Hooper - Jacko
2-0 Hooper - Washington
2-1 Loovens - St Charles
2-1 Hooper - Madsteve
2-1 Lee - Imre
2-1 Forestieri - Towinjustonce
2-1 Wallace - Owlkev
2-1 Bannan - A57
2-2 Lee - Bottesford
2-2 Hooper - Wellowlbe
3-0 Forestieri - Wereham
3-1 Forestieri - Stateside
3-1 Hooper - Southey
3-1 Joao - Thurnscoe
3-2 Hooper - Pei
6-1 Nuhiu - Maddix


TIME OF OUR FIRST ATTEMPT ON TARGET PLUS OUR FIRST BOOKING (Closest to wins, no copying so read the thread to see what has gone and the BBC Text determines the correct numbers.)

11 - Wellowlbe
17 - Maddix
21 - Thurnscoe
25 - Madsteve
30 - Towinjustonce
32 - Bottesford
34 - Imre
37 - Stateside
40 - Southey
45 - Jacko
48 - St Charles
53 - Wereham
56 - Washington
60 - Owlkev
65 - Pei
73 - Consilio


OTHER RESULTS TO PREDICT (Copying is allowed, all 5 correct will win)
Birmingham v Ipswich
Brighton v Huddersfield
Cardiff v Rotherham
Fulham v Hull
Preston v Brentford

DAHAH - Madsteve
DDDAA - Thurnscoe
DDDAD - Washington
DDHAH - Jacko
DDHDD - Imre, Towinjustonce
DHHAA - Owlkev, A57
DHHAH - Stateside
DHHDD - Bottesford
HDHAH - St Charles
HHAAD - Southey, Pei
HHHAA - Wellowlbe
HHHAD - Maddix
HHHAH - Wereham
HHHHH - Consilio


THE MUPPET LEAGUE

Its empty waiting for those who stray!!!

Not empty now, one match stay for A57!!!




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PICS





Love this pic!!




The thread awaits the Meggo of Stateside's choice.

[Washington]

Beat stateside to it

2-0 Hooper

56

DDDAD

[Statesideowl]

Damnit!!

Well in Washington

Nice one SCO. I should've stuck around a bit longer, Washington caught me snoozing.

3-1 Fessi

37

DHHAH

[consilio]

73

1-0 Lee

HHHHH

[madsteve]

2-1 Hooper

25 Minutes

DAHAH

---

Do I spy a MUPPET?

---

The Bastard in Black is Stephen Martin from Stoke. Our previous record with this clown is:

Sept 15 - Burnley 3-1 OWLS - 2Y
Feb 15 - OWLS 2-0 Middlesbrough - 3Y
Dec 14 - Blackburn 1-2 OWLS - 1Y
Mar 14 - OWLS 4-1 Birmingham - 2Y

Three wins and one defeat from four matches is pretty good. Interestingly in 2013, he went nine matches without issuing any cards and he has only issued 8 cards in 4 Wednesday matches. This season he has issued 57 yellows & 4 reds from 22 games.

[Was Wereham Owl]

3-0 FF

53

HHHAH

[BottesfordOwl]

2-2 Lee

D H H D D

32 minutes

[Maddix]

HHHAD

17

6-1 Atdhe  

This week also see's Burnley V Derby and Brum v Ipswich so a win would be handy as teams around us have to drop points  

PS Charlie, have you never heard of Michail Antonio ? 

[Southeyowl]

3-1 Hooper

40 mins

HHAAD

[Jacko The Flopsy Piglet]

1 - 1, Hooper

45 mins

DDHAH

Hope I'm wrong but I just get the feeling we've been riding our luck a little bit lately, plus it would be just like Wednesday not to take advantage when our rivals are playing each other!