We will iFollow the Reading on laptop and TV

[STAR Liaison]

STAR is pushing this entirely off our own bat because we hear supporters are missing out when we're top of the table. Here's what it says on our website:

This is Reading’s best start to the season since 1985 – but just like back then it’s not as easy to follow the team as we’d like. In 1985 stadium capacities were restricted for safety reasons after the Bradford fire. And there was a boycott by the TV companies so not one minute of Reading’s amazing 13 wins on the bounce was filmed (legally, that is!).

But in 2020 we have iFollow! For £10 a go – the price of a car parking space or two pints at the Madstad – you can follow every game home and away from the comfort and security of your sofa. Coverage includes multiple camera angles, replays, match stats and commentary from the BBC Radio Berks team.

Of course, it’s not the same as being there but it’s as near as we’re likely to get over the next few weeks and months. So it would be a shame for supporters to miss out on the goals of Lucas Joao, the fast emerging Omar Richards and the silky skills of Michael Olise. These could be players we’ll be talking about in years to come – and we’d like every fan to have their say on them.

The iFollow service is also a way of supporting our club financially. After the government have taken their VAT cut and a small handling fee is deducted the rest of the much-needed money – about £8 in every £10 goes to Reading FC for each home match iFollow pass purchased (whether by a home or away supporter). The £10 price is set by the EFL and applies to all clubs in the League so there is no scope for Reading to reduce it.

Here’s how to access the next games away at Warnock’s Middlesbrough Sat 17 Oct KO 3pm and the local derby home to Wycombe Tues 20 Oct KO 8pm as Reading seek to extend the 100% record.

Visit http://www.readingfc.co.uk then hover over iFollow in the top menu. Click on Subscribe then choose the Match Pass you want (at the bottom). Click Subscribe Now and then create a free account (if you haven’t already got one). Then enter your payment details (these can be saved for the next matches) and pay. You’re all set!

So, say 10-15 minutes before kick-off, head to the Match Centre either via the Next Match link on the iFollow dropdown menu or the club website home page. You should then hear the BBC Radio Berks commentators and see moving pictures of the stadium pre-kick-off.

And here’s how different supporters are getting the most out of iFollow:

- There’s a team sheet you can download ahead of KO from the Match Centre
- Family viewing together in home
- Pre-match / half time / post-match WhatsApp or Zoom chats about the game with your mates
- Or follow the game whilst on another device talking to friends about the game – so long as there’s no time difference between your streams – nothing worse than someone else seeing a goal 20 seconds before you!

We know the technology isn’t quite perfect yet – and the issues could be with your connection or equipment – but it works for the great majority of supporters. If there are problems, contact the EFL / i-Follow, not Reading FC or STAR – we can’t help.

Whilst iFollow sits on the Club’s website, the technical delivery of the platform is done by a third party on behalf of the EFL. Therefore fans who require technical assistance, should use the following support contacts:

- Email – ifollow@efl.com

- Live Chat – Available by clicking the speech bubble icon that will appear on the Club website during the match

Reading FC (and STAR) will NOT be able to help you with technical issues, so please be sure to use the above methods should you require assistance.

Last words, Reading are doing well and iFollow is your best chance of keeping up with the action and excitement. All we can suggest is – join in. C’mon URRRRRZ.

[WoodleyRoyal]

lol at the comparison to two overly priced things as a way of saying ifollow is good value. £10 for parking is shockingly expensive as is £5 a pint of piss water fosters.

[Whore Jackie]

Well indeed. TBF, it's probably slightly better value than £15 for West Brom v Burnley.

Actually didn't know that the club get 80% of the iFollow proceeds.

[Snowflake Royal]

Bit nonplussed by this.

Assumed STAR were offering some sort of crazy deal to provide laptops / access to supporters who couldn't get the service.

Instead it's just a PSA pimping it.

Er, yeah. We know about it. It's discussed on here at length repeatedly. What a lame attempt at outreach.

[LUX]

Great faux outrage there.

Wgaf.

[muirinho]

Bit nonplussed by this.

Assumed STAR were offering some sort of crazy deal to provide laptops / access to supporters who couldn't get the service.

Instead it's just a PSA pimping it.

Er, yeah. We know about it. It's discussed on here at length repeatedly. What a lame attempt at outreach.

Yet at least one poster above didn't know that the club get 80% of the proceeds. So as a PSA, it's already proving its worth. In what way does it harm you,? You seem to be looking for a reason to whine.

[RoyalBlue]

Bit nonplussed by this.

Assumed STAR were offering some sort of crazy deal to provide laptops / access to supporters who couldn't get the service.

Instead it's just a PSA pimping it.

Er, yeah. We know about it. It's discussed on here at length repeatedly. What a lame attempt at outreach.

Yet at least one poster above didn't know that the club get 80% of the proceeds. So as a PSA, it's already proving its worth. In what way does it harm you,? You seem to be looking for a reason to whine.

Agreed. However, I thought I'd read somewhere that once the number of away fans buying passes for a game exceeds a certain number their club get some income from that game too. That's why it's important to select Reading as the club whether buying iFollow passes for home or away passes.

[Lower West]

Bit nonplussed by this.

Assumed STAR were offering some sort of crazy deal to provide laptops / access to supporters who couldn't get the service.

Instead it's just a PSA pimping it.

Er, yeah. We know about it. It's discussed on here at length repeatedly. What a lame attempt at outreach.

Yet at least one poster above didn't know that the club get 80% of the proceeds. So as a PSA, it's already proving its worth. In what way does it harm you,? You seem to be looking for a reason to whine.

Agreed. However, I thought I'd read somewhere that once the number of away fans buying passes for a game exceeds a certain number their club get some income from that game too. That's why it's important to select Reading as the club whether buying iFollow passes for home or away passes.

Don't you buy your passes through Reading FC irrespective if they are home or away?

[RoyalBlue]

Yet at least one poster above didn't know that the club get 80% of the proceeds. So as a PSA, it's already proving its worth. In what way does it harm you,? You seem to be looking for a reason to whine.

Agreed. However, I thought I'd read somewhere that once the number of away fans buying passes for a game exceeds a certain number their club get some income from that game too. That's why it's important to select Reading as the club whether buying iFollow passes for home or away passes.

Don't you buy your passes through Reading FC irrespective if they are home or away?

Yes, but you have to select a league and club if you go through the iFollow site rather than through Reading FC.

[STAR Liaison]

Bit nonplussed by this.

Assumed STAR were offering some sort of crazy deal to provide laptops / access to supporters who couldn't get the service.

Instead it's just a PSA pimping it.

Er, yeah. We know about it. It's discussed on here at length repeatedly. What a lame attempt at outreach.

Yet at least one poster above didn't know that the club get 80% of the proceeds. So as a PSA, it's already proving its worth. In what way does it harm you,? You seem to be looking for a reason to whine.

Agreed. However, I thought I'd read somewhere that once the number of away fans buying passes for a game exceeds a certain number their club get some income from that game too. That's why it's important to select Reading as the club whether buying iFollow passes for home or away passes.

Might be mistaken on this but I believe for Champ clubs the home team gets all the money whereas in L1 and L2 the aways do get some. Did read some ho-ha involving Colchester and Bolton on this.

[Zip]

Does anyone know how many Reading supporters on average are using iFollow to watch the games?

[Lower West]

Does anyone know how many Reading supporters on average are using iFollow to watch the games?

Perhaps the club should offer Royalty points to members that do .

[Zip]

Does anyone know how many Reading supporters on average are using iFollow to watch the games?

Perhaps the club should offer Royalty points to members that do .

Why not. It’s putting money into the club.

[Stranded]

Yet at least one poster above didn't know that the club get 80% of the proceeds. So as a PSA, it's already proving its worth. In what way does it harm you,? You seem to be looking for a reason to whine.

Agreed. However, I thought I'd read somewhere that once the number of away fans buying passes for a game exceeds a certain number their club get some income from that game too. That's why it's important to select Reading as the club whether buying iFollow passes for home or away passes.

Might be mistaken on this but I believe for Champ clubs the home team gets all the money whereas in L1 and L2 the aways do get some. Did read some ho-ha involving Colchester and Bolton on this.

As far as I understand it, home clubs get all the proceeds from fans purchasing streams and for the first X number of away streams. In L1 and L2 it is the first 500, it may well be higher in the Champ. From the X+1 number of away streams, the away side get the revenue - so using 500 as the benchmark, if 2,000 fans had signed up to watch the Boro game, Reading would have received about 12k from the 1499 streams that count for them.

[paultheroyal]

I for one think £10 to watch Reading FC is terrific value and for the life of me cannot understand those on here or on Twitter who go into absolute meltdown about the cost pleading to the club to lower it.

[Green]

Whether £10 represents good value probably depends on what value you put on the day out as part of the overall fan experience - for some it's incidental, for others it's everything.

Is it on the expensive side, probably, but that's football. It's not been a cheap hobby for decades now.

The dichotomy is that those complaining the loudest are also, in part at least, the ones buying every match of it. As usual, the rules of the free market don't seem to apply with football and people feel a tribal allegiance so strong they will pay more than they think is reasonable for a form of entertainment they wouldn't do elsewhere. And then feel good about giving money to the millionaire owners and players in the process. Again, that's football.

STAR are just making people aware of the service, don't feel they deserve any of the vitriol on here on this occasion.

[Zammo]

Happy to pay a tenner (although red button tonight).

Let's face it, I'd probably already be in the boozer for a few pre-match pints, bus up to the ground, hot dog for Zammo jnr and half-time refreshments. Defo saving myself a few quid, this stadium ban lol.

[muirinho]

Happy to pay a tenner (although red button tonight).

Let's face it, I'd probably already be in the boozer for a few pre-match pints, bus up to the ground, hot dog for Zammo jnr and half-time refreshments. Defo saving myself a few quid, this stadium ban lol.

It's definitely saving me money, as I usually stand my son pre-match lunch and a halftime drink. On top of the bus fare. And he has to stump up day return from London.
I'd obviously rather spend more money and be at the match. But this is the best I can do right now.

[Zip]

£10 seems a fair price to me.

[RoyalBlue]

Having used the Red Button last night, I think I will pay a tenner for iFollow for future midweek home games and let the club have the benefit of that (tiny I know) extra bit of income.

The quality of the picture on the Red Button was absolute crap, particularly when compared to that which I've experienced with iFollow this year) and the game was also filmed from a single camera high up in the West Stand.

Our daughter was watching on iFollow in the US and reckoned at least two cameras were used, whilst she also benefitted from being able to see replays of key incidents throughout the game.

Oh, and the Sky commentator also displayed the Dellor/Gooding trait of struggling to distinguish between our players. At one point Ejaria (Olise) apparently played a good ball from right of centre out to a player wide on the left who also happened to be Ejaria! At least the Sky commentator has the excuse of only turning up to watch us once or twice a season!