Match Preview

Match date Saturday 28 October 2000, 3.00pm kick-off
Opposition Oxford United (Home - League)
Ticket information

Pay in advance or on the day, normal home match prices apply.
Fans are advised to purchase tickets in advance to save potentially long queues on the day!
The match is expected to produce the bigest gate of the season for any Second Division game.
Upper West Stand: Adults: £18 in advance, £20 on the day. Concessions: £12 in advance, £14 on the day.
Lower West, East and North Stands:
Adults: £12 in advance, £14 on the day. Concessions: £7 in advance, £8 on the day.
(These prices also apply for visitors in the South stand)
The East Stand is RESERVED seating for this fixture.
The North Stand is unreserved seating.
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 centre back Adrian Williams. Having come back from injury recently after a knee injury he's out for another six weeks with another knee injury - on the other leg. Adie limped off during the first half of Reading's defeat at Bristol City last Saturday and will definately miss this encounter. In his place will probably be Mackie again after an excellent performance at Bury on Tuesday night. He'll probably play alongside Viveash in the centre of defence with Hunter on the bench. Meanwhile, Rougier who has just returned from injury is likely to start on the bench.

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

Oxford - from: Knight, Robertson, Ricketts, Richardson, Shepheard, Jarman, Linighan, Weatherstone, Beauchamp, Fear, Murphy, Cook, Hackett, Lilley, Anthrobus, Glass.

Form Guide

No-one will forget last season's 1-2 home defeat against Oxford United at the Madejski Stadium live in front of the Sky TV cameras. However, things have changed a huge amount since that match nearly a full season ago. Reading sit in second place in the table with the chance of going top of the league, while Oxford are firmly rooted at the foot of the table with just 5 points from a possible 45!

Reading bounced back from the 0-4 defeat at Bristol City last Saturday with a convincing 2-0 win at Bury on Tuesday. Pardew mentioned after the City game that perhaps the players had got a bit too used to winning - so the defeat might well have been a blessing in disguise. After that we should be well focused again for another home victory as the Royals look to extend the current home run of wins. Reading have won the last five home league matches consecutively - scoring 20 goals and conceeding just 2. Our average home score recently is 4-0, but then we've been playing some half decent sides. Oxford aren't such a decent side - so on paper we should be looking at a far better win that just 4-0. I can't believe I've just typed that.

Oxford with 12 defeats from 15 matches seem destined for relegation already. Their away record is something special - 7 matches, 7 straight defeats with 23 goals conceeded. On Tuesday night Oxford went down 0-2 at home to Wigan and on Saturday they travelled to Rotherham to get stuffed 1-3. Away from home this season the U's have already lost 0-4 to Stoke and 0-5 to Millwall.

As the odds below demonstrate the form guide says there can only be one outcome from this match - a high scoring Reading victory. So beware, it might be the perfect game for an upset! But I doubt it...

View Latest Second Division Table

Match Odds

Available at Bet 247, where you can currently get a free 5 quid bet:
Never has a Reading side been such hot favourites for victory! The bookies thing it's near impossible that Oxford could get anything from this game, while you'll get bugger all return on your money for backing the Royals.
Reading win: 2/7
Draw: 7/2
Oxford win: 8/1
Reading have scored more goals than any other side in the Division while Oxford have conceeded more goals than any other side in the Division. You can understand the bookies decision to offer very small returns for high scoring home wins!
A 5-0 Reading win is only 20/1 - it's that likely to happen! Perhaps it's worth a few quid on 6-0 - but the odds are still only 40/1!
Reading win 1-0: 8/1
Reading win 2-0: 7/1
Reading win 2-1: 10/1
Reading win 3-0: 7/1
Reading win 3-1: 8/1
Reading win 3-2: 40/1
Reading win 4-0: 11/1
Reading win 4-1: 11/1
Reading win 4-2: 50/1
Reading win 5-0: 20/1
Reading win 5-1: 22/1
Reading win 6-0: 40/1
Reading win 6-1: 40/1
Reading win 7-0: 80/1

Opposition Site http://www.oxtales.com/
Got an Opinion?
Feel this preview is missing something? - email previews@royals.cx with additions!
Appropriate submissions will appear on match preview pages!