Match Preview

Match date Saturday 18 November 2000, 3.00pm kick-off
Opposition Grays Athletic (Home - FA Cup Round One)
Ticket information

Pay in advance or on the day. Reading have reduced admission prices for this game with a below average crowd expected. Grays home gates are normally in the region of 300, so even though this might be the biggest game of the season it's hard to imagine a full away end! The Upper West stand will also be closed.

Lower West, East and North Stands:

Adults: £10 if purchased in advance, £12 if bought on the day.
Concessions: £5 in advance, £6 on the day.
(These prices also apply for visitors in the South stand)
The East Stand is unreserved seating.
The North Stand is unreserved seating.
The Upper West Stand will be closed for this fixture.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the ticket office on 0118 968 1000.

Travel, pubs, food 

Home match - See away fans guide for travel, food and beer guide.

Team news

Reading will be without Darren Caskey and Andy Gurney who are both suspended from action for this game after picking up too many yellow cards so far this season. Matt Robinson and Tony Rougier could both make starts for the Royals.

Reading - from: Whitehead, Robinson, Viveash, Mackie, Newman, Rougier, Igoe, Jones, Parkinson, Cureton, Butler, McIntyre, Hodges, Howie, Murty.

Grays Athletic - likely line-up: 1. Desborough or Baker, 2. Moseley, 3. Taylor, 4. Dickinson, 5.Fiddis, 6. O Sullivan, 7. Risley, 8. Hazel, 9. Wright, 10. Dickinson, 11. Haxelden. Substitutes: Nesling, Blaney, Snowshill.
Thanks to Phil Watkins for team information.

Form Guide

Grays' run through the FA Cup has been a relief for their fans after a poor league season after getting promoted from the Ryman First Division last season. Grays entered the FA Cup in the second qualifying round. The side drew at Chelmsford in the second round before winning 2-1 at home, and managed a rare away win in the third round at Mildenhall before defeating Northwood 1-0 after getting a draw at their place. In the league Grays are well and truly bottom. Grays last league match was a 0-0 draw away at Hampton, but before that they lost 0-1 at Basingstoke and 0-6 at Aldershot. Apart from the cup Grays greatest moment of the season so far was a 2-1 home victory over Maidenhead United - their only win of the season so far!

Reading may have lost their last two league matches - but a 1-2 at previous league leaders Walsall and a 0-1 defeat against Colchester hardly compares with a 0-6 defeat at the hands of Aldershot. Grays have scored just 2 goals away from home in the league all season - and let in 19! Quite how they're going to cope with Butler and Cureton remains to be seen. By their own admission the Ryman Premier League contains teams far bigger than Grays Athletic, and relegation might not exactly come as a suprise. This is Grays big moment for a bit of FA Cup history - so anything is possible of course. However Grays should take a look at Reading's home form over the season and see plenty of wins by four or five goals...

Ryman Premier League
Bottom, 13 November 2000.
18. Maidenhead Utd. 12 points from 14 games. Scored 16, conceeded 26.
19. Purfleet. 9 pounts from 13 games. Scored 17, conceeded 22.
20. Croydon. 9 points from 14 games. Scored 12, conceeded 26.
21. Dulwich. 7 points from 13 games. Scored 12, conceeded 25.
22. Grays Athletic. 6 points from 13 games. Scored 7, conceeded 27.

  • View Latest Second Division Table

  • Match Odds

    Available at Bet 247, where you can currently get a free 5 quid bet:
    It's only to be expected really comparing Reading's home form in Division Two against Grays' away form in the Ryman Premier Division. On paper the only realistic result can be a huge victory for the Royals - and that's exactly reflected in the odds from the bookies! Reading are 1/7 for victory (ie. as certain as it gets) and Grays are 12/1 for victory.
    Reading win: 1/7
    Draw: 5/1
    Grays Athletic win: 12/1
    Reading win 1-0: 10/1
    Reading win 2-0: 9/1
    Reading win 2-1: 16/1
    Reading win 3-0: 13/2
    Reading win 3-1: 10/1
    Reading win 3-2: 66/1
    Reading win 4-0: 7/1
    Reading win 4-1: 10/1
    Reading win 4-2: 66/1
    Reading win 5-0: 11/1
    Reading win 5-1: 14/1
    Reading win 6-0: 18/1
    Reading win 6-1: 25/1
    Reading win 7-0: 28/1
    Reading win 7-1: 40/1
    Bet247 are only listing odds up to a seven goal victory.

    Opposition Site http://www.my.treeway.com/graysath/
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