THERE'S ONLY ONE Elm Park

At a loose end on a day off having completed some errands around town, Floyd on Football took a trip on the Number 17 bus down the Oxford Road to visit the site of what, up until 7 and a half years ago, was the centre of the known universe.

Having visited that grand old palace Highbury only the night before, Floyd on Football got to thinking about old times. Highbury, packed in amongst roads of housing, was similar to Elm Park. A football ground rather than a stadium; entrenched in it's local community, hemmed in with little room for redevelopment and brimming with history and identity. Arsenal supporters, in the same way as we Reading supportes did in 1998, will lose much of that when they move to their new gaff at Ashburton Grove next year. The Emirates Stadium - if ever sponsorship by some faceless corporation highlighted the gulf between football's glorious past and it's penny-pinching present.

As someone who last resided in West Reading well over twenty years ago, there is very little to attract Floyd on Football over to that generally rather shabby part of town any more. The rare journey taken down the Oxford Road today stirred memories of people, matches, chip shops and times past. Passing by the many varied food and retail outlets on the Oxford Road, disembarking the bus at the foot of Kensington Road for the walk up towards Elm Park, past rows of scruffy terraced housing - Berkshire's answer to Coronation Street. Up past the Kensington Road recreation ground on the right hand side where the towering beacons of the Elm Park floodlights no longer loom large on the landscape. Those candles, the glow which used to be visible on a midweek match night from the Streete residence way across town at Shepherd's Hill, acting almost as a beam to guide the hoardes towards that evening's feast of football - as if to say "Reading Football Club, here". Floodlight pylons - something else which the modern and comfortable 21st century football stadia lack. Remember those drunken Swansea hooligans climbing up those floodlights? Some people would have you believe that binge-drinking was a modern phenomenon.

Strolling by the Kensington Road rec car park now, where Floyd on Football was once almost run-over by a hurried David Pleat trying to find a space for his car, and then right into Norfolk Road. More memories, a slate falling off one of those houses narrowly missing our heads and a Policewoman coming over.....to ask one of our number to put his handfull of change back into his pocket. The first thing Floyd on Football noticed on a first visit to Norfolk Road since the old ground was pulled down was the red brick of the houses; you don't get a much more obvious example of local identity than that. Once upon a time, the red of the houses must have contrasted starkly with the royal blue frontage of the entrance to the club offices and the (Main) Stand opposite. Alas, no longer; whereas an old fashioned football ground looked almost at home shoe-horned in between Norfolk Road and Tilehurst Road the other end side, the new-ish housing Elm Park development sticks out like a sore thumb against it's neighbouring red-brick.

Whereas in the past Floyd on Football would normally bear left at this point into Suffolk Road en route to the wonderful Soyth Bank, today it was the inention to continue along Norfolk Road and into the Spread Eagle. Part of RFC folklore, the pub was always packed with supporters before and after a game, so much so that Floyd on Football only actually visited this establishment in person once or twice before today. Two pints of IPA and a couple of quid, money for a programme if you will, poured into a Quiz Machine. The pub was nearly deserted, the landlady's young son trampling around the place provided the only background noise other than SKY Sports 1's coverage of England's cricket tour to Pakistan. How different it must have sounded on a match day as the flat-capped and the tatooed met up to moan and murmur about the latest happenings over the road.

A modest amount of RFC memoribilia on the walls of the pub was a trifle disappointing, prompting the decision to leave to embark on the next leg of the tour. Turn right on leaving the pub and left into Wantage Road, walking past where the entrance to the Tilehurst End would have been. Onwards to Tilehurst Road, via Waverley Road and amused at the boarded up Coffee/Juice shop, formerly a proper old fashioned corner shop, at the Wantage/Waverley Road junction. Amused because this wouldn't really seem the best location for such an establishment, no wonder it was now deserted!

Along the Tilehurst Road now and walking towards where once upon a time the Royals Rendezvous and the South Bank would have stood proud. Again, thoughts turned to days gone by - the different routes to Elm Park. The 17 bus route from Wokingham Road via the town centre and chips on the way home? Parking at the Meadway and walking down the Tilehurst Road, trampling through leaves? Parking in Prospect Park and wrapped up against prevailing wind and rain down Liebenrood Road? Or perhaps even the car left on Southcote Road and a stroll up Parkside Road with the scent of spring and promotion in the nostrils? It all seemed so close in the mind yet so very far, far away in reality when suddenly a road sign stared starkly without any sense of guilt or ceremony: Elm Park.

A housing development. No Rendezvous, no South Bank. Of course, Floyd on Football has driven along the Tilehurst Road on ocassion since 1998 staring wistfully out of the window over what once was. But this was different, this was walking through the South Bank as someone's front room. The slope, closed after many a powederkeg game, was no longer a puddle-ridden gravel path, more a thoroughfare into another part of the Elm Park estate. Walking across the hallowed turf, long since asphalted, peering into people's living rooms and wisely quickening the step somewhat - not wanting to alarm the residents and appear menacing with, in reality, the most wistful of intentions. A fenced off area of turf, the centre-spot perhaps?

After a short lived pitch invasion, back on the Norfolk Road now, bearing right this time back towards Kensington Road. The next thing to catch Floyd on Football's eye was P.E time in the cramped confines of the Battle Primary School, an Adie Williams clearance from what was until 7 and a half years ago a football league ground. The noise of the kids tearing around enthusiastically sounded at least a little more like a football crowd than an otherwise cold and quiet West Reading Wednesday, albeit a school-boy international crowd. A child in a familiar blue and white hooped football shirt - was he even born when Elm Park was torn and RFC moved away? Possibly not, but it was pleasing to see a young lad proudly donning the colours in what was once Reading Football Club heartland, now of course relocated to next to Junction 11 of the M4.

MORE NOISE Arsenal 3-0 Reading

Reading came, saw and lost last night at Highbury as 23 million pounds worth of striking talent proved the difference between Arsenal's impressive young guns and the Championship leaders, themselves having made 4 changes to the starting line-up which defeated Plymouth Argyle.

This was a chance to make some national headlines and ensure that people sit up and take notice of the best team outside of the Premiership, but with both sides fielding line-ups rather different to their usual league offering this game was often lacking in bite and was verging on the tedious at times. That is to take nothing away from Reading, who passed the ball well and created plenty of half-chances. Unfortunately, Leroy Lita and a recouperating Dave Kitson are not quite in the class of Jose Antonio Reyes and Robin Van Persie and it was the tidy finishing of the latter pair which put Arsenal well on the way to a place in the Carling Cup quater-finals before half time.

Any sense of disappointment at a first loss for Reading in any competition since August 6th must be tempered by the fact that Coppell was using his 'Carling Cup line-up' to sensibly rest the likes of Hahnemann, Convey and Little for the more important league games ahead; if that policy is good enough for Arsene Wenger it's good enough for us. The league, after all, is our bread and butter which presumably makes the Carling Cup the raisins and sultanas. Nothing really was learned or gained from last night's visit to the historic Highbury in it's final season, but nothing was really lost either. Pride most certainly intact, and that view seems to be shared by the national media and Arsene Wenger, going on what Floyd on Football has read today.

On a chilly night more suited to staying in in front of the telly, it was a case of I'm a Celebrity.....Get Me Out Of Here! as far as Arsenal were concerned, as the likes of Henry, Pires and Pires were predictably rested in favour of a rather unfamiliar and fresh faced side. It was the star names of Reyes and Van Persie who did the damage on the night though, and it was the Dutchman who had the game's first effort on goal with a skidding shot that flew past the post with Stack, one of three ex-Gunners in the Reading line-up, beaten. It was not one way traffic though, and Reading came close to scoring when Kitson flicked on Hunt's cross with Sidwell in attendance, before the flame-haired striker with twenty stitches from a recent training ground head wound was denied by the advancing Almunia after creating an opening with his own clever foot work.

This got the majority of the 7,000+ travelling support out of their seats to give their team some vocal support, but generally the noise-levels were mediocre throughout. The Arsenal supporters, to be fair to them, made as much noise and got about as excited as we would with a Carling Cup victory over, for instance, Swansea City. You could sense amongst the Reading support, however, that many were there on a rare night-out as day-trippers. The people sat directly in front and behind where Floyd on Football's team of reporters were seated in the middle of the Clock End were impassive, almost mute at times. Whilst Floyd on Football would, within reason, defend the right of any supporter to follow the team in whatever way they see fit, it would be quite fair to say that as many as ten times fewer travelling Reading supporters have made considerably more noise on opposition grounds in the past. It would also be fair to say that 7,000+ is not the usual size of an RFC away following and you have to wonder what exactly in life excites those hushed part-timers because it certainly isn't football; Dado Rails perhaps, 20% off at House of Fraser or possibly (and aptly) an episode of Waking The Dead?

Any excitement was tempered after 12 minutes as Arsenal moved ahead courtesy of REYES springing the off-side trap and easily rounding Stack. Reyes showed with his movement and passing what a wonderful footballer he is, but Floyd on Football found his constant cheating rather tiresome and would be loathe to call the man a class act. Luckily, referee Mason did not buy into the Spaniard's cheating which failed as badly the Armada. Van Persie was foiled by Stack and Lita was similarly stopped by Almunia, whilst Harper, on a mission to prove that Wenger was wrong to let him leave Highbury 4 and a half years ago, was denied by a camera-save by the Arsenal 'keeper following a clever curling effort. Shortly before half time Kitson stooped to head straight at Almunia and, in a style not disimilar to Reading's opener at Home Park on Saturday last, the Gunners counter attack was of swift and devastating quality - VAN PERSIE netting with a low drive after a Reyes lay off.

The game already just about up for Reading. Perhaps Little and Convey may have provided more attacking quality than the willing but at times unable Oster and Hunt, but Coppell chose to leave two key players on the bench for the duration. Reading refused to buckle without a fight and continued to play some decent football, Hunt taking the ball off Djourou's toes and advancing in on Almunia who smothered the Irishman's indecisiveness. The loose ball fell to the otherwise imperious Sidwell was generally back to something approaching his domineering best on the night but his effort was smashed wide and thus highlighted the key difference between the sides. The flattering third goal arrived when Superman was caught in possession and a rare mistake allowed LUPOLI to run clear and round Stack in a Reyes-esque manner. Stack, who earlier denied Gilbert in sensational style, is number 2 for a reason; that reason in the opinion of Floyd on Football being that he is slow off his line on ocassion and when he does react it does seem that he can be rounded with almost consumate ease - a definite weakness.

Doyle came on and injected some life and pace into proceedings; he was hacked down by Cygan earning the clumsy Collina lookalike a yellow card and then arrowing a header which was touched over the bar by Almunia. That would have given Reading the goal we most definitely deserved, but in the end it was the quality of Arsenal's finishing which took them through to leave Reading to concentrate on accumulating enough points to make visits to Premiership grounds a regular fixture next season. That will be something worth making plenty of noise about.


Reading: Stack (Hahnemann, 82), Murty, Shorey (Makin, 59), Ingimarsson, Sonko, Oster, Sidwell, Harper, Hunt, Kitson, Lita (Doyle, 72). Subs not used: Little, Convey.

Floyd's Favourite: Sidwell. Performed admirably on former stomping ground.

PIECE OF CAKE Pymouth Argyle 0-2 Reading

Forget the fact that Plymouth dominated possession and territory in the opening 20 minutes of this game, this was a simple win for Reading in the end after we rolled up our sleeves to fight off Tony Pulis's typcially combative side and killed them off with two goals of the kind of quality that the home side could only dream about. Sheffield United were defeated at Leicester and with Watford failing to win at Preston, Reading are now 4 points clear of the Blades at the top and, more importantly, 13 clear of third place.

Initial omens weren't good for Reading. No win at Home Park since 1988, the only side to defeat us in league or cup this season and with a blanket of snow across parts of the West Country in the past couple of days there was a worry that the weather could be our enemy as well. We needn't have worried; our fifth consecutive victory was forthcoming, the conditions were sunny and bright if not warm and even the trains ran like a dream. Certainly the best journey to and from a game this season; Floyd on Football particularly enjoyed the picturesque Tippex-covering of snow across the Somerset landscape on the way down and, by contrast, the raucous chanting of the delirious Reading fans for almost the entirety of the three hour journey home.

Plymouth came at us for the first twenty minutes. This was not unexpected; we have come up against Tony Pulis teams several times over the years and in terms of playing style this Plymouth side was a clone for those teams he assembled at Gillingham, Stoke et al. They pressurized us with long-ball, physical football which was bordering on rough-house tactics at times. Referee Wright was more often than not wrong, making a series of harsh decisions in favour of the home team whilst consistently failing to punish the likes of Evans and the physical Chadwick for Plymouth. Time and time again they got away with shirt pulling, pushing, grabbing and holding but Reading were in no mood to surrender to intimdation. Apart from a series of generously awarded free-kicks which were wasted by the home side, their only clear-cut opening fell to Chadwick who muscled through and was denied by the arms of Hahnemann. Reading scored on the counter-attack and the game was up.

From that smart piece of alertness by Hahnemann, the loose ball was gobbled up by the tenacious Sidwell who seems back to his snappy best in midfield. He turned the ball out wide to Little, who showed tremendous close control to work his way to the edge of the eighteen yard box. LITTLE duly scored his fifth of a tremendous season so far for the lanky winger with a gorgeous chip in off the post. The only thing Reading had to fear from now on was the increasingly eccentric performance from Mr Wright and his equally incompetent linesman nearest the massed ranks of Reading fans behind the goal. The assistant flagged for a freekick against the diminutive Convey for a supposed push, and the fussy Wright pulled up Hahnemann for supposed time-wasting, a nonsensical piece of refereeing which sent Floyd on Football into fits of rage.

Half time came and went with the general consensus that the longer the game was dragged down to Argyle's scrappy level the more likely we would be to surrender the lead, so it was with immense satisfaction that a well crafted second goal ten minutes into the second half won the day for us. Convey broke with the ball, found Lita who once again provided the supply line for a DOYLE tap-in; three in three games for the smart little Irishman who has been in brilliant form ever since signing from Cork City. From then on it was a cake-walk for Reading, save Chadwick's header onto the crossbar and a couple of half-hearted penalty appeals. Indeed, the best penalty shout appeared to come right in front of us second half; Lita was the meat in an Argyle sandwich but Mr Wright, who booked Doyle for celebrating his goal and did us no favours all afternoon, turned away the appeals. We settled for what was overall a thoroughly comfortable 2-0 victory and Floyd on Football celebrated a piece of club history in going 20 consecutive league matches without defeat, our best ever, with a cigar at Plymouth station. Truly, the cigars are out already.

Sometimes, an international break becomes an unwelcome delay for teams flying-high in both confidence and league position, but this past 7 days has shown, with three convincing league wins, that this current Reading side can't be shaken by the stop-start nature of the fixture list. In fact, there doesn't seem to be anything capable of stopping us at the moment. It would be nice to think that beating Arsenal in the Carling Cup on Tuesday might similarly be another piece of cake.


Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 82), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 84), Doyle (Cox, 90), Lita. Subs not used: Stack, Makin.

Floyd's Favourite: Little. Inspirational goal.

TOP Ipswich Town 0-3 Reading

Reading deservedly assumed the leadership of the Championship on Tuesday night with a magnificently easy win at Portman Road, never usually a happy hunting ground for us. SIDWELL gaves Reading a half time lead as the visitors dominated the opening 45 minutes, thumping home a rebound after Doyle's shot was blocked. After a short period of Ipswich pressure, the home side were killed off by an instinctive first time shot by LITA set up by Doyle, and the favour was returned near the close after Lita helped Sonko's flick-on into the path of the Irishman following a corner, giving DOYLE a simpletap-in for his sixth goal for Reading.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 78), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 78), Doyle, Lita. Subs not used: Stack, Makin, Obinna.

AND BACK Reading 3-1 Hull City

The twenty-two legged juggernaut of Reading Football Club, some sort of crazed Calcio caterpillar if you will, took another giant stride forward this afternoon with a thrashing of Hull City which flattered our toothless Tiger visitors.

It was the usual high-tempo start as Reading gushed forward in the early stages, stretching Hull from hither to thither. Convey had already seen a blistering first time shot balmed over the crossbar by the busily inspired Boaz Myhill before giving us the lead inside the first seven minutes. The leprechaun Doyle won the ball halfway and played in CONVEY who had the City defence looking over their shoulder as he timed his run perfectly to avoid the offside trap. Advancing in on Myhill and with Lita waiting for a tap-in, the Yank smashed home the opening goal. Absolute perfection in it's intricacy.

The good football continued in the opening half hour; Reading, an Astin Martin to Hull's Volkswagon Golf, almost drove in a second when Little's effort straight down Myhill's gullet following the usual high-standard of approach play by Doyle. Lita was next to be denied by the agile Hull 'keeper, his first time thumper from an angle being finger-tipped away for a corner following Convey's cross and Doyle's knock down. At the other end, Hull threatened fleetingly - Burgess denied by Hahnemann after being allowed to twist and turn in the Reading box. Back on the offensive, Lita attempted the outrageous and Murty had n effort deflected wide. From the resultant flag kick, Superman Sonko ghosted in to fire narrowly over. The chances had come and gone with only a one goal lead established, Hull gave a taste of things to come when Hahnemann denied Cort in the closing stages of the half and then watch helplessly as Barmby's header clipped the post.

For a period of the second half, it looked as if Reading would pay for their profligacy and Myhill's magnificent form. Hull's Lynch cross was aimed at Big Ben Burgess who nodded on for BARMBY to score, softly. This felt like a big blow after we had largely dominated, but for the second game in succession Reading recovered from the concession of an early second half equaliser and Floyd on Football would venture that this is the sign of a side likely to achieve something. That said, the response wasn't immediate and for a depressing fifteen minute spell, Reading failed to get their fast-moving game going and the bonnet was up on the Aston Martin for a while as moves failed to get going and a moment of inspiration was needed. That came after 69 minutes; Lita failed to get a good headed connection on a left wing cross, but the ball landed kindly for Glen Little who chipped the ball in to the chest of DOYLE. The former Cork City man brought the ball down and scissor-kicked the ball towards goal. Once again, Myhill attempted to pull off the breathtaking, but could only shove the ball onto the crossbar and the ball bounced over the line.

Tails up, the game was won within sixty seconds. Convey's run in-field, through ball to LITTLE who dribbled tightly through the breathless Hull defence and rolled the ball home. The MadStad crowd, which for a good hour or so had been church mouse quiet, erupted in a mixture of disbelief and relief at a memorable minute of sheer quality football which summed up the difference between Reading and Hull City. The final twenty minutes was the Leroy Lita show, I'm a Centre-Forward.....Get Me a Goal. Going through a barren spell, the little striker could have had a hatrick in the final minutes; firing over from six yards when he seemed to want to break the net and being denied twice by the meddling Myhill. Doyle fired a fraction wide and substitute Obinna seemed to divert a goal bound header from Sidwell over the crossbar. It would be no exaggeration to say that it could easily have been six or seven, but the important thing was that the Tigers, for all their petulantly bitchy pushing of Reading players and pulling of shirts, got the mauling they deserved having been let off the hook time and time again by weak referee Mr Penton.


Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 76), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 76), Doyle (Obinna, 84), Lita. Subs not used: Stack, Makin.

Floyd's Favourite: Convey. Turbo-charged.

REMEMBER, REMEMBER QPR 1-2 Reading

The only people in Berkshire who, following that opening day loss against Plymouth, would have confidently predicted that Reading would then go unbeaten until fireworks night and beyond would have been inmates at Broadmoor Hospital. However that is exactly what Reading have achieved and yesterday's fine win in Shepherd's Bush stretched that unbeaten run in league and cup to 20 games. There were only fleeting fireworks in this latest win and the game, although full of commitment, was no sparkler - but if we are celebrating come spring time it'll be wins like this which we can look back upon with some satisfaction.

Reading should have led this game as early as the first minute. Kevin Doyle has been a revelation for us since coming from the anonymity of the League of Ireland but he looked the proverbial gift Hercules in the mouth after barely 30 seconds, putting a low drive against the legs of the advancing Simon Royce. Floyd on Football, although delighted with Doyle's continued progress, is of the opinion that the young Irishman needs to be finishing this kind of chance.

Despite this early scare, Reading were on the back foot early on; Hahnemann flapped at a corner and Gallen headed wide, George Santos (acting, for the most part, as a highly ineffective emergency centre-forward for the injury-hit hosts) set up Langley to blaze dreadfully wide. It is the sign of a good side that soaks up pressure and scores on the break and that is exactly what Reading did after 10 minutes. Sidwell's ball in to Kitson on the edge of the area, his back heel to HARPER who finished cooly and decisively.

Decisive certainly wasn't the operative word as Rangers, who dominated the rest of the half, flashed a couple of headers harmlessly wide of Hahnemann who was largely untroubled. Once ahead, Floyd on Football tends to fancy Reading to hold out, our defence had only shipped 9 goals in the league prior to yesterday. Unfortunately the goals-against column is now in double figures - substitute Ainsworth's good work, Sidwell failed to cut out the pass and Lee COOK beat Hahnemann with an accurate low angled effort barely two minutes into the second half. A rare lapse in concentration from Reading.

The goal against was in many ways what we needed. Reading began to consistently make inroads on the QPR defence from then on, stung by conceding and hungry for the win. The goal lifted the home crowd and in turn the large travelling support who responded as their team poured forward. Reading took the lead in rather ironic circumstances. Glen Little, earlier cautioned, must have been close to being dismissed with the home crowd baying for blood after what was deemed as a bad tackle on Doherty. The QPR fans jeered as Coppell wisely withdrew our right-winger, who was being targetted by some very obvious QPR gamesmanship, in place of John Oster. And Oster it was, three minutes after coming on, who took a second corner after an initial poor effort was cleared - this time his delivery was perfect, as was INGIMARSSON's timing to thump a superb header into the roof of the net with the Rangers defence caught napping. The celebrations behind that goal were raucous; Floyd on Football had a superb view of what proved to be the winner from the front row of the upper tier of the School End, as the chap sat immediately to the right celebrated in style by climbing rather foolishly on to the ledge, precariously balanced above the lower tier several feet below.

Reading never looked like relinquishing that reclaimed lead and should have furthered it. The ball fell once again to Ingimarsson from a corner, this time at his feet and he poked the ball high and over when scoring seemed easier as far as Steve Sidwell, head in hands, was concerned. Despite forcing a few harmless corners and Gallen's lob which landed on top of the Reading net, Rangers never really caused any palpitations and it was Reading who went closest to scoring again late on as Hunt burst through with the ball not falling kindly for him. Full time whistle brought further raucous celebration as the players and supporters showed their mutual respect. There is a belief amongst supporters in this Reading team these days, almost an arrogance as chants of we are unbeatable rang out. Pymouth Argyle would take issue with that of course - but Brighton, Preston, Millwall, Swansea, Watford, Burnley, Coventry, Crystal Palace, Crewe, Luton, Norwich, Southampton, Ipswich, Hull, Stoke, Leeds, both United and Wednesday of Sheffield as well as QPR might just concur.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 63), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 71), Doyle, Kitson. Subs not used: Stack, Makin, Obinna.

Floyd's Favourite: Ingimarsson. Back to his best.

LOOPY Reading 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield. The home of snooker and benefactors of 6 league points and a cup victory to the Royals already this season. In fact, if Reading and Sheffield's own Blades continue on current form then the rest of the Championship will require snookers to catch up at this rate.

The Owls were pussycats at the Madejski last night; after a bright opening they rolled over and had their metaphorical tummy's tickled. It was a bitty, scrappy, tatty first half and Reading were relieved to take a half time lead with a scruffy goal. The second 45 however was a masterclass; a Ronnie O'Sullivan 147 maximum break of a performance on the green baize of the Mad Stad. The passing football was crisp, accurate, swift and thrilling to watch even if it only yielded one further goal. With the Blades demolishing Luton Town 4-0, the gap between the Royals and 3rd place is now a mammoth 9 points. Even the stoical Floyd on Football is finding it hard not to get carried away.

The Owls ruffled a few furthers early on though as Reading flapped defensively in the opening exchanges. Ibrahima Sonko was clearly less than 100% fit and there were gaps at both ends early on; Richard Wood failed to find the target with an early header for the northerners, Kitson was denied by Lucas and Convey climbed well to head a half chance well over. David Blunkett is a famous Sheffield man and even with guide dog in tow he would have fancied his chances as Richie Partridge was put through a Grand Canyon of a gap in the Reading defence. Hahnemann advanced, smothered and that was just about the last we saw of Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday. The lead which Reading had barely merited came immediately after that glaring show of profligacy in front of goal by Partridge; Hahnemann's long accurate throw, Doyle stretched his legs and the Owls defence down the left flank, his ball inside for Kitson ended up in the visitors net via the hapless Glenn WHELAN. Kitson wheeled away in celebration, the tannoy announced his goal and the crowd chanted his name - but this goal was clearly not Kitson's.

The second half was much more convincing and not unlike the alamo at times. Reading pegged Wednesday back for long periods, squeezing the life out of their opponents with Boa Constrictor passing, slithering across the park with the excellent James Harper picking out the tricky wingers Convey and Harper with almost nonchalant ease. The visitor's goal was always under threat, never more so than when in an astonishing passage of play Murty's fierce cross was deflected goal bound and blocked, Convey's follow up was desperately ushered onto a post by the Owls defence, Sidwell's further follow up was heroically saved by the excellent Lucas with the ball falling to Doyle whose effort at point blank range was hacked off the line. The referee was next to come to the rescue for Wednesday; that man Doyle again skipping into the area only to be brought down and awarded.....a free kick when a penalty was the glaringly obvious outcome to 16,000+ people inside the stadium.

Such wonderful football wouldn't go unrewarded for too long. The deviously brilliant Glen Little tormented Wednesday once again down the right flank and put Kitson in on goal with a marvellous through ball. KITSON, at an angle to the goal, went for the middle pocket and laruped the ball past Lucas who did very well to get out of the way. A quite brilliant goal which sent the MadStad crowd potty. That was the end of the scoring but by no means the end of the entertainment; Royals kept the crowd on their feet with a series of ole' style one touch passing which was a joy to behold and kept Wednesday against the cushion for the remainder of the game.

The Wednesday supporters began to file their way home long before the end, knowing that their team were a mere sideshow to far superior opposition. Amongst their disgruntled number was the famous Tangoman, whose party piece seems to be proving what a wonderfully dedicated supporter he is by going topless at matches. Give that man an orange. Floyd on Football noticed that well before the full time whistle he had finally covered up his wide girth and perhaps next time he removes his shirt he might want to consider putting it on Reading FC for promotion.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 81), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 72), Doyle, Kitson. Subs not used: Stack, Osano, Obinna.

Floyd's Favourite: Little. The Figo of the Championship.