When: Tuesday January 9 2024, 7pm
Where: American Express Stadium, Station Approach, off A27, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9PU
Capacity: 31,876
Big game time. This, I think, is the round that produces a set of winners that will start realistically thinking of a day out at Wembley and while Reading thankfully wouldn't be favourites if the club won through (that epithet would probably go to the likes of Bolton, Derby or Peterborough if they progress) it would be something positive and attainable even given the utter mess the imbecile owner has been causing this last couple of years.
The Seagulls academy has progressed thus far by finishing as runners up (after 2 draws and a win) in their qualifying group and then beating the franchise 4-0 away in the last round. Difficult to know who will play and who won't but for anyone out there who has some knowledge of Brighton's academy the team fielded in that win at the franchise was; Tom McGill; Ben Jackson, Casper Nilsson, Ruairi McConville, Jacob Slater; Jack Hinchy, Samy Chouchane, Jamie Mullins; Joshua Duffus, Brody Peart, Louis Flower
Reading will, I hope, field a fairly strong starting XI, given the long break between the Exeter and Port Vale games and the various other game commitments this coming week for the Academy, so they can hopefully maintain some sort of positive feeling on the playing side and strengthen the understanding of various on field partnerships.
It's the usual (for this competition) 90 minutes followed by penalties if still level at full time.
For reference the other ties in this round (16 teams remaining across both the north and south sections) are:
Accrington Stanley v Bolton
Blackpool v Burton
Derby v Bradford
Doncaster v Wigan
Peterborough v Crawley
Wimbledon v Oxford
Wycombe v West Ham U21
Referee
Will Finnie
Previously
26 Aug 23 > Exeter City 2-1 Reading
Historically
Obviously never played matches with Brighton's U21s before but the playing record against Brighton, as a whole, is extensive with 98 previous games played stretching all the way back to 1920. There have been 6 cup games and 92 league excursions against each other with a total of 50 games being played in Brighton (46 league, 4 cup).
The record across all competitions in Brighton is 13 wins 16 draws and 21 defeats so probably about what you'd expect away from home for a club like Reading. Biggest defeat was by 8-3 at the Goldstone back in April 1957 while the bigest win was by 4-1 back in October 1946, also at the Goldstone. Credit out to anyone who was at either, or both, of those games.
