BEST MATE Hungary for success

Peering through the transfer window like Tiny Tim gazing into Ebeneezer Scrooge's richly furnished front room, Reading yesterday completetd the signing of Hunagry Under 21 defender Peter Mate on a 1 year loan deal from Hungarian champions Debreceni. With Champions League experience under his belt, Mate joins Andre Bikey and Ulises De La Cruz as new defensive additions to the squad.

Meanwhile, it would appear that Leroy Lita has got himself in trouble in Bristol again. Having been glassed in the face on a previously ill-advised visit to that city earlier in the year, it is alleged that Leroy headbutted a Bristol man in the early hours of Sunday morning. Avon & Somerset police have confirmed that "a 21 year old man voluntarily attended Trinity Road Police Station in Bristol at 8:30 am today". Floyd on Football suspects that if Leroy Lita had a brain he really would be dangerous.

PIERLESS Wigan Athletic 1-0 Reading

It was rather appropriate that the weekend on which the town of Reading hosts its world famous music festival that the football team should be sent to the home of Northern Soul. Unfortunately, this was a turgid match in which neither team managed to make sweet music.

Reading made one enforced change to their line up. Calamity Sam Sodje stepped up in place of Ibrahima Sonko who was banished from the Villa Park pitch on Wednesday and would serve a one match ban. The podgy barm-pot put in a midly eccentric display and ocassional looked as comfortable as Mel Gibson holidaying in Tel Aviv, but credit where it is due - by and large (and Sodje is nothing if not large) he fared remarkably well.

It looked like a Reading Festival in the early stages as we settled well, Lita extended Kirkland from the edge of the area but with reinforcements not coming the chance goalkeeper's spillage was easily mopped up by a Kleenex-esque Wigan defence who, truth be told, were rarely unduly threatened throughout. At the other end, Emile Heskey was doing his usual Norman Wisdom impression for Wigan, spending more time on his backside than Abi Titmuss at a John Leslie gang-bang. However, it was the expensive flop who went close with a header from a Valencia flag kick which thudded the crossbar and then shortly before halfime Reading were undone ball a simple ball over the top which Sodje failed to cut out following McCulloch's flick into the path of that man HESKEY and even 'the black Chuckle Brother' doesn't miss chances like that. Poking past Hahnemann, he chose to celebrate gleefully with the Reading supporters behind that goal rather than hunt out a home fan in a frankly embarassing JJB crowd of 14,636.

Reading were a little better after the break, although that in itself is much like saying that Douglas Bader felt much better after the amputation, for this was still uninspired stuff for the most part from a rudderless looking side who lacked inspiration. We won a series of corners throughout which were mostly taken short and wasted; the reasoning presumably being that a straightforward into the mixer delivery would bring us little joy with the short-arsed combination of Doyle and Lita stooping well below the giants of De Zeeuw and the excellent Fitz Hall. Unfortunately our crossing throughout was indeed enough to make Floyd on Football rather cross; Convey and Seol had mediocre games it must be said and both were withdrawn in favour of Hunt and Oster, who looked the part when he came on. Indeed, it was an excellent cross from Oster which Lita missed by inches - you couldn't help but feel that chance would have been meat and drink for the 6 foot plus ginger frame of Kitson - and a brainy piece of play from the welsh subtsitute to put Lita in clean through with a matter of minutes left. Kirkland somethered, Reading never recovered.

At the other end, Heskey's ambitious attempt at a lob sailed all too obviously over the goal and substitute Kavanagh was denied by the chunky cheeseburger legs of Hahnemann when clean through. Truth be told, save a late Reading rally at the end, Wigan were comfortable value for the victory although this was achieved with time wasting tactics which started with more than twenty minutes to go and which went unpunished by the otherwise fussy Mike Riley, the Hyacinth Bucket of referees who would be far better suited to umpiring Basketball matches such was his dislike of the meerest contact upon a Wigan player by a Reading man. The wiry Stephen Hunt twisted and turned his man in the box only to be denied by Valencia as he pulled the trigger in the dying embers of the match, but for the most part for Reading this was the footballing equivalent of taking a long walk off a short pier.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sodje, Seol (Hunt, 69), Sidwell, Harper (Lomg, 87), Convey (Oster, 64), Doyle, Lita. Subs not used: Stack, Gunnarsson.

Floyd's Favourite: Oster. Belatedly arrived to add some quality which was so lacking.

CRUZ CONTROL Royals make defensive signings

Reading have added some much needed cover to our defensive ranks with a couple of signings at the tail end of the week before the transfer window is nailed shut. Ulises De La Cruz - most recently with Aston Villa - joins us on that perennial RFC favourite, the free transfer. Having played every minute of Ecuador's world cup campaign which ended with defeat to England in the second round, De La Cruz at least has the know how at the top level and can supply cover on the right side. Meanwhile, Andre Bikey - him of the headbutt in Sweden - joins us on a season long loan from Lokomotiv Moscow and we can only hope that he has cleaned up his act.

JAM AND BLAST Aston Villa 2-1 Reading

You can understand why people refer to residents of the second city as whingeing Brummies. If you had to live in that grey, drab hole of a town with its gridlocked motorways you would be miserable as well.

Misery was indeed the order of the day yesterday. Cramped in the back of the car forever delayed by the lousy M42 and the M6, Floyd on Football missed the first 40 minutes of this exceptionally inconvenient midweek outing. The infamous fixture computer and the closure of Junction 6 on the M6 conspired to make this particular outing about as enjoyable as a Hezbollah-organised bus trip to Haifa.

News had reached the car whilst sat in a stationary queue of cars of Reading taking a 4th minute lead - Floyd on Football's network of experts described good work on the right from Seol and a perfect cross to provide DOYLE with a simple headed chance - and as we finally parked up and joined the meandering ranks of latecomers delayed by the wretched gridlocked traffic in this godforsaken city a roar could be heard in the distance, followed 60 seconds later by a second roar. Sonko had (according to an exclusive post-match interview granted to Floyd on Football by Steve Coppell conducted in Warwick Services filling station) accidentally tripped himself up and brought down Luke Moore in the area. Referee Mason decreed that this was deliberate and Sonks became the first Reading player to be dismissed in a league match since April 2004. When a player slips and brings down an opponent to concede a penalty, surely this cannot be deliberate denial of a goalscoring opportunity? Reading, who can expect no favours in this old boys network of a league, had to re-organise and Lita was withdrawn in favour of Gunnarsson who was slotted into the centre of defence. ANGEL scored the penalty.

Down to ten men and using a 4-4-1 formation, Reading remarkably took the game to Villa in the opening stages of the second half. Shorey's freekick was tipped away unconvincingly by Sorensen and Seol struck a firm effort from distance as we totally dominated possession. It was the Korean who failed to close down his man - unforgiveable when already numerically disadvantaged - which gave Villa the opening for their wholly unmerited lead; BARRY getting in ahead of Ingimarsson at the near post and looping a header past Hahnemann from Whittingham's decent centre. The remainder of the game saw a poor Villa side flagged offside so often you'd have thought that the linesman was using semaphore whilst Reading worked possession intelligently with ten men but in all honesty failing to create any real openings with the final ball. The Korean's head went down after Villa's winner and he spent the rest of the game Seol-king, something we could ill afford and which had better not be a sign of things to come from our record signing.

Inside a Villa Park providing less atmosphere than the Moon, Reading tried to shake things up by introducing the physicality of Long and the enthusiasm and energy of Hunt and we won a succession of late thrown-ins and corners with Villa pinned back. A man disadvantage against an established, albeit thorooughly mediocre, Premiership outfit - Reading were not overawed. Yet even so, we battled back to the car through teeming rain on the end of our first defeat since February and a bedraggled and wetter-than-an-otter's- pocket Floyd on Football complained bitterly at being confronted by a huge line of damp and hungry Reading supporters thanks to the sheer incompetence of Warwick Services who had provided just one overworked member of staff at the counter of the solitary fast food counter which remained open. It would honestly have been quicker and easier queuing for bread in Moscow at the fall of the Soviet Union than getting served by these buffoons.

And so, it was with sheer delight that we waved goodbye to the midlands (baring an unfortunate cup draw) for the season - for not only are the motorways and service stations in this part of the world totally and utterly useless, their football teams are also utter gash, with Villa their sole Premiership representatives these days. In fact, if we never visit blasted Birmingham again it would suit Floyd on Football down to the ground.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Seol, Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 65), Doyle (Long, 81), Lita (Gunnarsson, 37). Subs not used: Stack, Oster.

Floyd's (fifty minute) Favourite: Hunt. Provided a much-needed energy rush. Honourable mention also the Geordie fella in the cramped, crappy toilets at half time who went off on a vocal rant about "Premiership pooftas who can't afford a bottle of Toilet Duck from the pound shop".

STARK RAVING BONKERS Reading 3-2 Middlesbrough

It has been scientifically proven that football is a funny old game; funnier than Tommy Cannon, Bobby Ball, Gareth Hale, Norman Pace, Sid Little and Eddie Large combined. Not so funny for poor Gareth Southgate. Forever remember as the cretin who missed the penalty in England's Euro 96 defeat to the Germans, his managerial debut was just as much of a cock up as his Middlesbrough side surrendered a 2-0 lead to rampant, rip-roaring - and any other superlatives which begin with 'R' - Reading.

Whatever happened yesterday was always going to have it's own page in history. But to comeback to win from 2 down inside twenty minutes was a magnificent achievement on a par with anything we saw during the record breaking 2005/06 season. The teams ran out into a MadStad arena filled to bursting and the showers of the morning had given away to sunshine on a rainy day, proof once again if needed that God is a Reading supporter. Reading kicked off and had the first effort on goal of the game; debutant Seol's inswinging freekick was fingertipped over the crossbar by Mark Schwarzer.

But then, for a little while, our red letter day began to go horribly wrong. Seol and Murty were dozing at the far post as DOWNING cunningly volleyed Yakubu's cross under Hahnemann and the bald yank was at fault within a further ten minutes as Rochemback's free kick spilled back off his chest allowing YAKUBU an easy chance which he duly gobbled up before sprinting away on a quite ridiculous goal celebration. 2 down and Reading looked as hesitant as Gareth Gates attempts to to ask for directions to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

But, like the afternoon weather, after the showers came the sunshine. It seemed like perhaps the most unlikely comeback since a drowned Harold Bishop re-appeared in neighbours, but Reading began to shake off their nerves and express themselves - Kitson was denied by last ditch Riggott who was later booked for a disgusting challenge on our striker and Shorey's flighted freekick was nudged around the post by Schwarzer. With half time a matter of minutes away came the amazing turnaround; the busy Seol took advantage as Arca tied himself up in knots and the loose ball was poked home by KITSON for Reading's first ever top flight goal in 135 years of football.

Reading goals and girls from Swindon - they are like buses. Barely 60 seconds after that 135 year was finally over, Ingimarsson fed SIDWELL from the left flank and his angled drive prompted scenes of unconcealed ecstasy around 90% of the stadium. The Boro fans, who earlier had taunted us with chants of are you Sunderland in disguise? and this is the Premier League were made to eat those very words which were sang right back at them by the gleeful Reading support. The only disappointment was that half time came when were so much on top, but we started the second period brightly and Leroy Lita, on as substitute for the injured Kitson, took only ten minutes to find the inevitable Reading winner. Seol caused havoc down the right flank again and his centre saw Doyle bundled to the ground by Davies and the loose ball falling after what seemed an ice age to LITA who buried the ball into the net. 3 goals in 12 minutes of football - it's a real step-up in class, this Premiership lark.

Reading were dominant now and Hahnemann didn't have a shot to save until the closing stages when he flipped away Mendieta's fizzer and then denied Viduka following dalliance by Sonko. Viduka had the ball in the back of the net with ten minutes remaing but the linesman ruled against the lardy Aussie whose belly was clearly offside even if his feet weren't. But by hook or by crook we had held on to a memorable victory and the full time whistle sparked a roar so loud that the early departing Boro fans must have assumed that their side had gone 4-2 down. People hugged in the stands, danced, sang and shook hands in the knowledge that they had seen a genuine piece of history unfold before them.

Outside the ground the madness continued; one young Reading fan took a deserved shoeing for taunting a bus queue of grumpy Boro fans with chants of 2-0 and you f*cked it up. Down at the corner shop near Harry Ramsden's at the bottom of Whitley Wood Lane, Floyd on Football unwittingly aided and abbeted a robbery as, upon opening the fridge door to take out a celebratory drink, a Reading supporter had ran in with his shirt lifted over his head, lifted 4 cans of lager swiftly from the cooler and made good with his legs to escape with the angry shouts in vain of the poor shop owner straned behind the counter ringing in his ears. People wanted to party, and with Reading currently occupying a UEFA Cup spot with a mere 37 games remaining who can blame them.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Seol (Gunnarsson, 84), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 84), Doyle, Kitson (Lita, HT). Subs not used: Stack, Oster.

Floyd's Favourite: Ingimarsson. Set up the equaliser and didn't look ruffled even when we were 2 down.

SEASON TO BE CHEERFUL? The Reading FC Premiership Prospectus 06/07

But we're never gonna survive, unless we get a little crazy. Perhaps Seal had Reading FC in mind when those lyrics were written, for if you believe the doom merchants then our chances of success (and for success read 'survival') in the Premiership in the forthcoming season have been hindered by the typical Coppellism frugalness we have come to expect over the past 34 months of Sir Steve's reign. Floyd on Football begs to differ and backs the management and the board 100%. Well, sort of.

7 years ago, Reading finished in a typically drab midtable position in the old Division 2. Bradford City celebrated promotion to the Premiership, gambled big money, failed and were down within 2 seasons and down again within another 3 having fought off possible liquidation. 6 years ago, Reading again finished in midtable in Division 2 whilst Ipswich Town went up to the big league, qualified for europe at first go, spent money like it was going out of fashion and were relegated the following season and have remained financially crippled in the Championship ever since. When Reading kick off against Middlesbrough tomorrow, pointless Ipswich attempt to haul themselves off the bottom of the Championship table with a home game against Hull whilst Bradford City travel to glamorous Gresty Road in a League One fixture. Flashing cash you simply haven't got isn't just risky, it's potentially death or glory stuff.

That said, however talented this young Reading team is, surely we could have expected an outlay of more than 2 million pounds on transfer fees this summer? Sunderland had spent 3 times that this time last year and ended up with less points than an Ashmead School university applicant. This Reading team is hungrier than Michelle McManus during Lent, but is sheer desire enough to keep up with the big boys? We are about to find out, for any last ditch attempts to bring in cover at the back before the historic first Premiership fixture appear to have failed although both Coppell and Hammond have assured us that one, maybe two, signings will be made before deadline day at the end of the month. What happens in the transfer market in the next fortnight may shape our destiny for the season.

Do we have enough to compete? We must surely play the way we did last season to be a success; pace, power and counter attacking worked wonders for Wigan and West Ham last term. Premiership teams will take a while to suss out how to handle the nippy and tricky likes of Doyle and Convey; Kitson and Lita have made the step up to Championship level with ease and talented goal poachers will find the net at any level provided the service is good - and besides Convey, we have plenty of options in that department with Seol, Little, Oster and Hunt vying for their places in a tight, competitive squad. Sidwell must live up to his contract rebel hype in the Premiership otherwise he might have to eat a large portion of humble pie whilst Gunnarsson and Harper should be able to mix it.

At the back is perhaps where we appear to have the most to worry about. Can Murty, Ingimarsson and Sonko make the step up? Floyd on Football is totally confident in the ability of Nicky Shorey at left back, but Sam Sodje, who looked at times like Frank Bruno on Ice during Brentford's recent play-off failures, will really need to up his game. There is plenty of young talent to supplement what we already have in the likes of Shane Long, Simon Cox, Curtis Osano and Johnny Hayes but the very fact that, scratching below the surface of our small but perfectly formed first team squad, we may have to rely on such inexperience at some stage given an injury epedimic is in itself more daunting than the thought of the big spending opposition we will face. Will the fringe players be capable of stepping up to the plate?

Whatever happens between now and next May (and Floyd on Football is not prepared to forecast given the wretched offerings last August:- "a top half finish" hesitantly predicted for Reading, relegation for Watford, Wolves for automatic promotion), we are entering uncharted territory for Reading Football Club - now the oldest football club in the Premiership. Many of the sporting media have smugly tipped us for the drop already. Floyd on Football is hopeful that it is us who are feeling smug in 9 months time.

MAKIN HISTORY Defender Chris joins Saints

Veteran left-back Chris Makin has been released and has joined Championship side Southampton on a two year contract. With young Scott Golbourne also heading out on loan to Wycombe and Steve Coppell re-iterating his desire to add to our defensive options, the timing of this move a matter of days before the commencement of Premiership proceedings strikes Floyd on Football as a little odd. Makin played a bit-part role in the title winning campaign but was a steady, experienced head who would have been our only defender to have experienced top flight football. We can only assume Coppell and Hammond have a couple of shit-hot signings lined up otherwise our defensive cover is going to be weaker than a Tim Henman serve.

NOT AT THE RACES Combination League Final

A fresh faced Reading reserve line-up lost the Pontins Holiday Combination Final to Western Division champions Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road last night. Team coach driver Ronnie of Horseman's Coaches has probably driven school field trips of a higher average age than the team taken to Gloucestershire last night and it showed with a 2-1 loss to a stronger and more determined home side. Goalscorer Simon Cox was the pick of the Reading side for whom James Henry also impressed with Pierre Josep-Dubois showing glimpses of real ability in the second half. Centre-half Alex Pearce is another good prospect and he won everything in the air although he let himself down with some sloppiness in possession - indicative of a Reading who tried to be too flash on several ocassions throughout the game - which gifted Cheltenham's first goal. Despite defeat, this was at times a promising display and the young guns should learn from their mistakes which cost them the game.

DUTCH CLOGGED Reading 2-1 Feyenoord

A magnificent piece of cheating from Ibrahima Sonko earned Reading a 2-1 win over our visitors from the Netherlands at the MadStad yesterday afternoon. With Reading holding onto a 2-1 lead and the game entering the final ten minutes, Sonko raced back to cover as Dutch international striker Dirk Kuyt ran clear and clearly muscled his man to the ground. The referee kindly chose not so brandish what would normally have been a mandatory red card in this final pre-season friendly fixture and the resulting freekick was wasted.

Van Hooijdonk, well known to us from his days at Nottingham Forest, later rapped the post with a delightful curling effort but despite these two let offs Reading deserved their win, with two goals within 60 seconds midway through the first half. Kitson headed a measured Convey free kick delivery home with familiar authority and within a minute had struck the post from a sensational Shorey centre which was follow up by Ingimarsson stabbing the loose ball home. The first half was all Reading but the Dutch men were flying after the break and De Ceulear knocked Van Hooijdonk's flick from a corner into the roof of the Reading net to give some cheer to the several hundred vocal Feyenoord fans who had made the trip.

A good win for Reading against a side who had recently beaten our first Premiership opposition Middlesbrough by two goals to nil. Let us hope that is a sign of thinsg to come next Saturday when Reading begin their first ever season in the top flight of english football.

ON YOUR BIKEY Nutcase trialist sent-off

As a trialist, how do you go about getting yourself a contract? You certainly don't win friends and influence people by getting sent off for head butting an opponent in retaliation to a bad challenge, but this was the approach taken by Andre Bikey which marred the 2-1 win (Convey and Seol the scorers) at Swedish top flight outfit Orgryte last night on the final game of the tour. The incident, described by Steve Coppell as "inexcusable" must raise a real question mark over the mentality of the 21 year old Cameroonian who is desperate to leave Lokomotiv Moscow. Floyd on Football reasons that if this kind of behaviour is typical of Bikey's attitude then Coppell would be best off looking elsewhere for defensive cover.

SWEDE LITTLE MYSTERY Sverige tour 2006

The tour of Sweden comes to a close after Tuesday's game at Orgryte with the Royals having thus far mashed the swedes on their sojourn to Scandanavia. Gallstads were the first victims, dispatched 6-0 on Thursday with Kitson, Doyle, a Long hatrick and Seol Ki-Hyeon on the scoresheet. Lanna GoIF were trounced 10-1 on Saturday; Lita bagged three in the first half with Seol, Long (2), Sam Sodje (2), Kitson and Hunt also finding the net against opposition described by a disatisfied Steve Sidwell as "the worst team we've played against".

Floyd on Football also has grave concerns about the mickey mouse standard of opposition we appear to have faced so far on this tour, but there will presumably be a step up in class when we face top flight outfit Orgryte tomorrow evening with the visit of Feyenoord to the MadStad to follow next Saturday when the Royals return to blightly.