Looking For Some Info

[MouldyRoyal]

They'll come in the post.

[RoyalWire]

Awesome, for the first time in my 26 year existence, I pumped for the start of the football season.

Targeting Liverpool at Anfield as my first live game.

[urz13]

Away tickets will be posted to you. Home games will be loaded onto your member card, so remember that when you get to your first!

[Royal Lady]

Hi Jay!

You have no interest in football yet you know about Big Sam's hoof it and hope tactics....

Anyway, welcome to the board - just a word of advice, don't upset some of the legendary board members, such as cmonurz and TheSiege or it could get nasty in here.

Cheers then.

[RoyalWire]

You have no interest in football yet you know about Big Sam's hoof it and hope tactics....

Anyway, welcome to the board - just a word of advice, don't upset some of the legendary board members, such as cmonurz and TheSiege or it could get nasty in here.

I hear alot from my colleagues over the last couple of years, that's why I am aware of bits and bobs. My manager is a Blackpool fan, so he used to slate West Ham last year.

The reason behind me having a team is to join in the work banter etc, I'm just taking it more serious that my colleagues expected I think ha-ha!

[genome]

You are Tony Pulis AICMFP

[paultheroyal]

St Helens fan but have soft spot for Warrington only because ex sister in law lived there and i watched them a few times.

Welcome aboard.

[melonhead]

Also Membership Card ordered.

Would it just be a case of ordering the tickets on line and them coming in the post or would i collect from the various grounds?

post if you get away end tickets

[RoyalWire]

Thanks for all the pointers everyone, certainly have more of a feel for things now.

Really looking forward to seeing the games. Hopefully the Stoke match will be online somewhere at the weekend.

[ZacNaloen]

Should be able to find most prem games on vipbox.tv

[Loyal-Royal_1997]

I'm a Rugby League fan by nature, however all of my colleague's are big into football. They decided that I should select a team at random to support. We put the names of all clubs from the Premier League and Championship into a hat an Reading were the team to come up!

I've decided that I will be jumping in with both feet. I'm not content with just looking out for results, I intend to support Reading as strongly as I do my rugby team, Warrington.

I am just after a bit of an overview of the club really. If I could have people's views on the following:

1. Who is the key man for the team;
2. Where is the squad at its strongest;
3. Where is the squad at its weakest;
4. What style of football can I expect to see...I hope its not The Big Sam Patent Pending Long Ball!!!;
5. What do you all think of Mcdermott;
6. What is the ground like;
7. Will we stay up?;
8. Any other useful info?

Also, with being new to football, will it be easy to get tickets for games in my local area...these would be Liverpool, Everton, Wigan, Man utd, and Man City. How much would I be looking at for a ticket. I intend to go to as many local games as I can and maybe squeeze in one or two home games if finances allow!

My new home shirt got delivered this morning ready for the new season! Come on Reading!

1. A big variety of key men... no one in particular standing out. Federici, Guthrie, McAnuff/Kebe (on their day), Pogrebnyak, ALF (off the bench)
2. Goalkeeper... every other area has weak points
3. Defence. Very little pace
4. Counter attacking, always go for the win
5. McD is the joint best Reading manager ever (with Coppell)
6. The ground is quiet, little atmosphere
7. Debatable. If Pog and ALF score, yes. If not, no
8. Ridiculous prices when buying food/drink in the stadium. Top quality programmes

Prices will be extortionate. Try Wigan or Everton, possibly the only two reasonably priced games

[pea]

Nice to see an untypically friendly welcome for HNA*,

I personally think the hat threw up a good club for you to support. We're not the most decorated of sides but over the last 12 seasons the last game of the season has decided which league we'll be playing in next year. In the two seasons that didn't happen we we're playing to get into the Europa league one year and the other was a relief that the last few games meant nothing after we were in a relegation battle most the season but pulled off a great escape to finish 9th. So being a Reading fan is not without its excitement!

think the standout players this year could be Federici, who is a model professional, always first one in and last one out of the training ground, moved to the UK from Australia and slept rough whilst trying to get trials in the UK and Italy before we eventually let him train with us. Soon to be the Australian number one keeper and was the best keeper outside the Premier League last season. Also new signing Danny Guthrie, a central midfielder, who left Newcastle in the hope that regular football will get him a chance at an England call-up. The praise he received from Newcastle fans when he signed for us was phenomenal, unlike any I’ve seen before and he looks an exciting player from pre-season matches.

*until RL showed up

[RoyalWire]

[quote="pea"]I personally think the hat threw up a good club for you to support. We're not the most decorated of sides but over the last 12 seasons the last game of the season has decided which league we'll be playing in next year. In the two seasons that didn't happen we we're playing to get into the Europa league one year and the other was a relief that the last few games meant nothing after we were in a relegation battle most the season but pulled off a great escape to finish 9th. So being a Reading fan is not without its excitement!
quote]

This is what the guys at work said. The next two years will be exciting one way or another. This season to see if we can stay up, and next season to see if we can avoid second season syndrome or bounce back up depending on year one outcome.

Great post...interesting facts about Federici and how he got picked up! Also be good to see if Guthrie can fulfill his ambition with us!

[Royal Bahamas]

I am just after a bit of an overview of the club really. If I could have people's views on the following:

1. Who is the key man for the team;
2. Where is the squad at its strongest;
3. Where is the squad at its weakest;
4. What style of football can I expect to see...I hope its not The Big Sam Patent Pending Long Ball!!!;
5. What do you all think of Mcdermott;
6. What is the ground like;
7. Will we stay up?;
8. Any other useful info?

Also, with being new to football, will it be easy to get tickets for games in my local area...these would be Liverpool, Everton, Wigan, Man utd, and Man City. How much would I be looking at for a ticket. I intend to go to as many local games as I can and maybe squeeze in one or two home games if finances allow!

My new home shirt got delivered this morning ready for the new season! Come on Reading!

In for full gusto yet arbitrary supporting of a team!

Here are my own opinions for your queries above:

1. Hard question as we're more a team unit than one that relies on a couple of individual stars, but new signing and Russian International Pavel Pogrebnyak (Pav, Pog, The Cellar) will be the man relied upon to be getting goals needed to keep us up. Guthrie will be expected to be giving us creativity in midfield, McAnuff and (if/when fit) Kebe on the wings will be the men called for pace and trickery. Austalian Adam Federici in goal is probably the most unsung hero however and will clearly be tested this year.

2. McDermott has strengthened all over, aiming to get two capable players for each position. However our defence was the strongest in the Championship last year and I expect it to be reasonably solid this year even against far better attacks.

3. Most would suggest strikers are our weak point. We relied on goals from all over the pitch last season and our top scoring striker had only 12 goals. Whilst Pog has come in, it's yet to be seen whether he will be able to score consistently in the Prem, the concensus seems to be that we're still looking for a second striker.

4. Fast breaking counter-attacking football. We're very direct. As soon as we get the ball we break for opposition goal. Wing play has been the focus of our football for several years now (ignoring a brief flirtation with possession football under now Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers) so expect the ball to be sprayed out wide to one of our wingers to then try to cross in for a striker. We like our set pieces too, with strong dead ball potential in Ian Harte and Danny Guthrie. Don't expect the ball to stay completely on the deck however, we have been known to "route one" it with some regularity.

5. Universally liked. Took us from the verge of relegation into League 1 to the Premier League. Most of this has been performed on a shoe string budget too. A pragmatist who is some how able to get the best out of his players through savvy man-management. Deadpan sense of humour.

6. Relatively new and fairly boring concrete bowl I'm afraid! Not often the loudest place in the world either. Good views from everywhere, however.

7. Ummm, 50/50 I'd say. This is only our 3rd season in the top division and we're favourites for relegation. We're definitely going to lose more games than we win. If we do go down though, it really isn't the end of the world. Arguably the Championship is a lot more competitive (anyone can beat anyone, there are rarely any shock results) definitely much more cheaper and there is never any struggle to get tickets (useful for a new fan such as yourself).

8. Fans of other teams will say that we have no history, despite being over 140 years old as a club. We do have history, it's just a lot of it is in the third division! Oh, and our new owner's wife is a Victoria's Secret model. I'm guessing that's important.

Ticketing: Everton an Wigan you will definitely be able to get tickets for. City and Utd may not be so lucky. Liverpool I'd suggest there's a good chance of tickets being available. Away tickets are prioritised so that they're available to season ticket holders with lots of "royalty points" first and non season ticket holding general members (i.e. you) last. But for example, the Chelsea away game a week tomorrow is not sold out, available to all members already, so with that as a guide, Liverpool should be ok. Price wise, you're looking at between £30 and £50 depending on the club we're playing I'm afraid.

Not sure how much you know about our squad, but a possible starting XI for Saturday is:

Goal: Adam Federici
RightBack: Chris Gunter
CentreBacks: Alex Pearce and Kaspars Gorkss
LeftBack: Ian Harte
RightWing: Garath McLeary
CentreMids: Danny Guthrie and Mikele Leigertwood
LeftWing: Jobi McAnuff (c)
Forwards: Pavel Pogrebnyak and Adam Le Fondre
(Gives you some names to look up on wikipedia and some faces to get to know!)

One other thing, since we're in the Prem now, most of the games are likely to be live somewhere on the internet if you know where to look.

Welcome!

This is well thought through and written. Thanks from me as well!

[pea]

Clearly the work of another graduate from the 606 school of fandom

[Royal Bahamas]

This is without a doubt the nicest series of posts I have ever seen on HNA. It bodes well for the future!

[MouldyRoyal]

A proper finishing school of fannery, that. RIP in peace 606.

[winchester_royal]

This is without a doubt the nicest series of posts I have ever seen on HNA. It bodes well for the future!

Most of the HNA aggression is currently being besieged over on UR&G.

[creative_username_1]

Don't take this personally RoyalWire but i'm not sure you'll fit in here. Rugby League is a bit working class and northern

[RoyalWire]

Don't take this personally RoyalWire but i'm not sure you'll fit in here. Rugby League is a bit working class and northern

There's no doubt that it is a mainly northern sport, nor that it is viewed in the eyes of the media as a working class game. Not really anything to be ashamed about, and national participation is higher than ever before and some teams, such as Warrington, are being managed in a way which attracts more desirable sponsor, such as Emirates.

However, whilst I'm happy to discuss Rugby with anyone who wants to, I am only here to learn about Reading and then join in with any discussions.

All the information's been great, and I'm glad that some seem to think my lack of knowledge has brought out the best in people's posts ha-ha!