Hob Nob Anyone? News and Views

Mbengue And Wareham Leave After Turning Down Contracts

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:40:35 +0100

Two key first team players have turned down new contract offers to stay at Reading, presumably to accept better offers elsewhere. Both Mbengue amd Wareham's contracts have now expired leaving them free to join new clubs. Defender Amadou Mbengue, who had a superb season, will be joining Queens Park Rangers as his Reading contract expires. Mbengue joined Reading in September 2022 from Metz and went on to have a big impact in Berkshire, making over 100 first team appearances in all competitions and scoring 3 goals.

Jayden Wareham has left to join another League One club, signing a contract with Exeter City, in what feels like a sideways move at best. Wareham featured for Chelsea's development sides before moving to Reading after a loan spell at Leyton Orient. At only twenty two years old Wareham feels like a strong prospect for the future. After mostly featuring from the bench he began to make a real impact last season, scoring 7 goals across the season.

Reading are still clearly struggling to find funds to offer competitive contracts.

Pre-Season Fixtures Begin At Hungerford Town

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:29:21 +0100

Reading's pre-season fixtures kick off this Saturday 5 July as the Royals make the short trip down the A4 to play Hungerford Town at Bulpit Lane. Tickets are available on the day for 10 pounds for adults and 5 pounds for Under 16s. You can get two pounds off adult prices and a pound off children prices by buying in advance on-line. The Crusaders finished 7th in the Southern League Premier Division South last season and will be hoping for a big crowd to raise funds for their season ahead. The following Saturday Reading travel to Gillingham beofre two friendlies at Bearwood training ground behind closed doors against local rivals Swindon Town (15 July) and Oxford United (22 July).

Inbetween our two training ground friendlies Premier League Tottenham Hotspur will visit the Select Car Leasing stadium in an attractive pre-season friendly on Saturday 19 July with a 3pm kick-off. Spurs finished one place outside of the drop zone last season and will be hoping for an upbeat pre-season to kick-off a more successful season. Pre-season wraps up with the visit of Portsmouth on Saturday 26 July. Tickets for both the home games against Spurs and Pompey can now be purchased on-line. Reading's new season kicks off the follwing week as Reading make the journey to take on Lincoln City in League One.

New Season Fixture List In Full

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:02:10 +0100

Reading will kick off the new League One 2025/2026 season with a visit to Lincoln City on 2 August 2025. The Royals first home fixture is the following weekend when Huddersfield Town visit the Select Car Stadium. The new season fixtures, which were released today, see Reading have a long trip to Plymouth Argyle on Boxing Day, and a home game against Burton Albion on New Years Day. The season wraps up on 2 May 2026 when Blackpool are the visitors.

DATE	OPPOSITION	COMPETITION	H/A
Sat 2 Aug 2025	Lincoln City	League One	A
Sat 9 Aug 2025	Huddersfield Town	League One	H
Tue 12 Aug 2025	Portsmouth	League One	A
Sat 16 Aug 2025	AFC Wimbledon	League One	H
Tue 19 Aug 2025	Bolton Wanderers	League One	A
Sat 23 Aug 2025	Wycombe Wanderers	League One	A
Sat 30 Aug 2025	Port Vale	League One	H
Sat 6 Sep 2025	Northampton Town	League One	H
Sat 13 Sep 2025	Barnsley	League One	A
Sat 20 Sep 2025	Leyton Orient	League One	H
Sat 27 Sep 2025	Stockport County	League One	A
Sat 4 Oct 2025	Mansfield Town	League One	H
Sat 11 Oct 2025	Exeter City	League One	A
Sat 18 Oct 2025	Cardiff City	League One	A
Sat 25 Oct 2025	Doncaster Rovers	League One	H
Sat 8 Nov 2025	Stevenage	League One	H
Sat 15 Nov 2025	Wigan Athletic	League One	A
Sat 22 Nov 2025	Rotherham United	League One	H
Sat 29 Nov 2025	Blackpool	League One	A
Tue 9 Dec 2025	Peterborough United	League One	H
Sat 13 Dec 2025	Bradford City	League One	A
Sat 20 Dec 2025	Luton Town	League One	H
Fri 26 Dec 2025	Plymouth Argyle	League One	A
Mon 29 Dec 2025	Peterborough United	League One	A
Thu 1 Jan 2026	Burton Albion	League One	H
Sun 4 Jan 2026	Stockport County	League One	H
Sat 10 Jan 2026	Mansfield Town	League One	A
Sat 17 Jan 2026	Leyton Orient	League One	A
Sat 24 Jan 2026	Barnsley	League One	H
Tue 27 Jan 2026	Exeter City	League One	H
Sat 31 Jan 2026	Northampton Town	League One	A
Sat 7 Feb 2026	AFC Wimbledon	League One	A
Sat 14 Feb 2026	Wycombe Wanderers	League One	H
Tue 17 Feb 2026	Bolton Wanderers	League One	H
Sat 21 Feb 2026	Port Vale	League One	A
Sat 28 Feb 2026	Bradford City	League One	H
Sat 7 Mar 2026	Luton Town	League One	A
Sat 14 Mar 2026	Plymouth Argyle	League One	H
Tue 17 Mar 2026	Burton Albion	League One	A
Sat 21 Mar 2026	Stevenage	League One	A
Sat 28 Mar 2026	Wigan Athletic	League One	H
Fri 3 Apr 2026	Huddersfield Town	League One	A
Mon 6 Apr 2026	Lincoln City	League One	H
Sat 11 Apr 2026	Doncaster Rovers	League One	A
Sat 18 Apr 2026	Cardiff City	League One	H
Sat 25 Apr 2026	Rotherham United	League One	A
Sat 2 May 2026	Blackpool	League One	H

Six First Team Players Not Offered Contracts

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Fri, 16 May 2025 16:25:25 +0100

With a new owner in place, Reading have offered new contracts to players who are out of contract this summer - with the exception of six players from the first team who will now be allowed to leave the club. The list of players who will now need to find new clubs is probably not surprising but includes players who have played a number of games for the first team.

Heading the released players list is defender Harlee Dean who was with the Royals for two years after signing from Birmingham on a free transfer. Dean made 30 league appearances for the Royals with half of those from the bench. David Button made 49 appearances for the club and wore the number one shirt this season but the 36 year old will also be on the hunt for a new club. He was first choice keeper last season but last his place this season with the fantastic form of Joel Pereira keeping him out of the side. Coniah Boyce-Clarke was further down the order for goalkeepers and will leave after making just 7 appearances in over 4 years as a professional with the club, but spent a lot of his time out on loan.

Forward Adrian Akande failed to make much of an impression on the first team after arriving from West Ham's youth set-up. He was limited to coming off the bench and made just 4 league starts this season. Tom Carroll and Louie Holzman have been also released. The departures will leave room in Noel Hunt's squad for new arrivals as Reading may finally get the chance to strenghten the squad ahead of a new season.

Reading Have New Owners - Takeover Finally Completes

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Wed, 14 May 2025 15:39:29 +0100

Reading's long running ownership saga is finally at an end with the official announcement today that the club have new owners. The sale has finally completed and Dai Yongge, who took the club on a steady downward spiral after taking ownership in 2017, will no longer be involved in the club. Reading's new owner is effectively former Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig whose previous attempt to purchase the club last year fell through. This time the sale has successfully completed:

The Club are pleased to announce that Redwood Holdings Limited – a subsidiary company of Dogwood LLC, owned by Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair of New Orleans, Louisiana – has completed the acquisition of 100% of the shareholding in Reading Football Club.

The new owners will take on the complete package of the football club, the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Reading FC's Bearwood training ground. All these assets pass from Dai Yongge to the new owners.

Rob Couhig has been confirmed as Reading's new Chairman.

The takeover has EFL clearance and approval.

Hopefully the club can now move on without the shadow of transfer embagos and points deductions that have hung over the club during recent seasons. After an impressive season under Noel Hunt, that included an unexpected seventh place finish, we should be well placed to build on this next season with the aim of returning to the Championship.

Near Sell Out As Reading Aim For Sixth

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Thu, 01 May 2025 12:53:35 +0100

Reading are expecting a near sell out crowd for the final league game of the season as Barnsley visit the Select Car Leasing Stadium this Saturday (3pm kick-off). All eyes will be on Leyton Orient who travel to Huddersfield Town at the same time with Orient holding the final play-off place and above Reading on goal difference. Only Reading or Orient can now claim sixth spot in the final league table and progress into the play-offs. With an eight goal superior goal difference over the Royals, Orient will claim the final play-off place if they match Reading's result. Assuming Reading don't win by eight goals or more than Orient, the Royals must either win and hope Orient fail to win, or draw and home Orient lose at Huddersfield. If both Reading and Orient draw or lose then it will be Orient that retain their sixth place finish and Reading's season will be over.

Given Reading's ownership issues, transfer embargos and lack of funds, it is an incredible achievement to be going into the final game of the season with promotion to the Championship still a possibility - even if the odds are stacked against us. Noel Hunt has done an amazing job in picking up as manager midway through the season and guiding his side to a guaranteed top seven finish. Reading held off a lot of first half pressure from Bristol Rovers last Saturday before stepping up in the second half with Wing and Campbell scoring the goals to pick up a vital 2-0 away win. For a brief moment a play-off finish was back in Reading's hands as they moved into sixth place in the live table before news filtered through that Orient had also taken the lead at home against Wycombe Wanderers.

Orient went on to pick up the full three points, remain in control of their play-off finish, and also confirm Wrexham's second spot and prevent Wycombe from claiming automatic promotion. Reading's form is good but Orient's is better, and they travel to Huddersfield on the back of five straight wins. Both Huddersfield and Reading's opposition Barnsley have nothing left to play for and are all set for mid-table finishes. Reading will have to win the game and hope Huddersfield can finally do us a favour.

Reading Lose Control Of Play-Off Finish

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 11:41:06 +0100

Reading slipped out of the top six with a disappointing home defeat in front of a good Easter Bank Holiday crowd. Lincoln City had a game plan which worked perfectly, preventing the Royals from establishing control of the game, or mounting any significant pressure on their well-organised and determined defence. From start to finish Reading could not cope with the physicality or intensity of City's play all over the pitch.

18 April 2025 - Match Report: Reading 0 Lincoln City 1

Back In Top Six As Unbeaten Run Continues

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:29:46 +0100

A goal of remarkable quality gave Reading an early lead, setting the tone for what turned out to be a highly entertaining match. A move involving literally half the team in and around the box in a series four exquisitely timed and weighted passes, ended with a slightly fortunate, but thoroughly deserved, own goal touch by Hughes before Campbell could apply the tap-in finish. Wing, Savage, Rushesha, Camara and Ehibhatiomhan combined to mesmerise the visitors defence with a move worthy of a much higher level than League One.
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Match Report: Reading 3 Peterborough 1

Points Dropped But Undefeated Run Continues

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 10:45:27 +0000

Reading extended their unbeaten run to ten games with a draw in a scrappy, and at times chaotic, match. Reading dominated possession over the ninety minutes but created few chances. Both sides squandered good chances in the first half. Borough skipper Carl Piergianni scored a goal at either end in the space of eleven minutes early in the second half before the quality of the football, which was not that good at any stage, rapidly declined further.
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Match Report: Reading 1 Stevenage 1

Now Nine Game Undefeated After Win Against Wrexham

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:54:47 +0000

Apart from a stunning second half goal scored by Lewis Wing, two significant moments stood out for me on a night of some excellent individual performances by this young Reading side. Finding himself the wrong side of his winger, Andre Garcia raced back, dispossessed the Wrexham forward and dribbled up field to initiate a counter-attack. Late in the game, after running unselfishly all evening, Jayden Wareham accelerated past a Wrexham defender to reach a loose ball to comfortably beat his opponent to the ball as it rolled back towards his own half. Those two moments epitomises the commitment and spirit of this squad that has gradually grown in confidence and maturity as the season has progressed.
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Match Report: Reading 2 Wrexham 0

Another Goalless Draw

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:09:21 +0000

At the final whistle a scuffle broke out on the halfway line which pretty much summed the evening up. It was a scrappy ill-tempered affair in which either side could have come away with three points, but probably neither deserved. With a foul committed at rate of approximately one every three minutes the referee must take some responsibility for the lack of discipline by failing, in spite of showing City five yellow cards, to take control of the game. Players were allowed steal a few yards at most throw-ins, a blatant dive went unpunished, and an injured City player took over a minute to meander off the pitch instead of leaving at the nearest point.

Expectations were high for Reading fans with their team fresh from an impressive away win at Wigan and City struggling at the wrong end of the table. Reading dominated possession, and City pressed in midfield and sat deep, frustrating their attempts to create chances. Wing and Knibbs had shots blocked in the opening minutes and Garcia was brought down outside the box. From the free kick Savage teed up Wing who was way off target. Garcia was frequently involved going forward but was either unceremoniously stopped or gave the ball away with a poor choice of passing option.
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Match Report: Reading 0 Exeter City 0

Knibbs Double As Reading Get Late Win

graham@royals.org (Graham Loader) — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 16:02:44 +0000

A dramatic climax to a match, which Reading should have wrapped up by half time, was provided by a stoppage time penalty converted by the ever-reliable Harvey Knibbs, giving Reading the three points they deserved in a lively and entertaining match, slightly marred by some abysmal refereeing. Playing with greater urgency and commitment Reading had their opponents on the back foot from the kick off. Wareham set the tone for the afternoon in the first minute, holding off a couple of strong challenges to release Wing on the right who was immediately fouled. The free kick produced a chance for Ehibhatiomhan who fired wide. A minute later Wing squared a pass outside the box to Savage strike first time. Phillips reacted well to push his attempt over the bar at full stretch.
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MATCH REPORT: Reading 2 Rotherham 1