RTG’s totally and utterly (we hope) indispensable guide to this season’s away grounds.
THE OPPO – Reading FC
VENUE – The Madejski Stadium, Reading, Berkshire
DATE – Saturday 20th March
KO TIME – 3.00pm
THE GROUND – The Madejski Stadium – click here and here for maps of the area – the circle/arrow near the middle shows where the ground is.
The Madejski is about three miles south of Reading in Berkshire, close to jcn 11 of the M4 motorway and also the A4 with its links to both London and the south west. The stadium holds 24,200 (all seated).
A maximum of 4,300 visiting supporters can be accommodated in the south stand, accessible via gates 9 and 10.
Wheelchair spaces are available in all stands (128 in total), set well back from the pitch to give protection from bad weather, contact Reading FC direct to book one.
The stadium was opened in August 1998 and is built on the site of a former household waste dump – the cylindrical metallic posts surrounding the stadium are actually methane gas vents, to prevent the build up of gases underground from the buried waste. It was named ‘Europe’s Best Mid-Size Arena’ by American sports TV channel ESPN. Club chairman John Madejski earned his fortune by founding ‘Autotrader’ magazine. Reading FC ground-share with London Irish rugby club.
Tickets are now on general sale, priced £18 for adults, £10 concessions.
GOING BY CAR?
Travelling from the north east, get yourself onto the A1/A1M southbound; just after you pass junction 45 (for the A64 Leeds/York road) you’ll see signs for the M1 – so take the M1 southbound.
You join the M1 at jcn 48 and you need to stay on it until you reach jcn 15A.
Then leave the M1 and at the roundabout take the second exit for the A43 under the motorway bridge, then at the next roundabout straight forward – you want to be on the A43 westbound.
Stay on the A43 for about 24 miles until you reach the junction with the M40. At the roundabout take the second exit signposted ‘London’ – you’re on the M40.
Leave the M40 at jcn 4 – at the roundabout take the 5th exit signposted ‘Marlow, Maidenhead’
After 5 miles take the A404(M), signposted ‘Reading’.
Leave at jcn 9A – at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto the M4, signposted ‘The West’.
Leave at jcn 11, at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto the A33
At Worton Grange Business Park (on the right) take the 2nd exit off the roundabout.
You’ll see the stadium on your left.
PARKING
Free park at Shinfield Park then a shuttle bus to the stadium (£1.50 adults/75p kids). To get to Shinfield Park, leave the M4 at jcn 11 and go onto the B3270 signposted for Earley, follow signs to ‘Football Car Park C’. Reading FC recommend this option for away supporters.
Or for £4 per car, park at the Greyhound Stadium and it’s only a short walk to the stadium (from M4 jcn 11 head up the A33 towards Reading, follow signs for Football Car Park A but get there early, it’s usually full about an hour before kickoff.
GOING BY TRAIN?
The 8.32 GNER from Newcastle will get you to London King’s Cross just after midday – get the tube across London (or a cab) to Paddington Station and catch the 12.45 First Great Western service to Reading, arriving 25 minutes later.
Or The 8.57 GNER gets you to King’s Cross at 12.23, get across town to London Paddington and catch the 1.15pm Great Western service to Reading, arriving at 140pm.
At Reading station, catch bus no 79 at stop ‘SQ’ which runs between the station and the stadium, leaving every 5 minutes between 1pm and 2.40pm.
Going home, service 79 bus leaves the stadium (stop ‘MA’) heading to the station every 5 minutes between 4.45 and 5.35.
The 5.57pm service from Reading gets you to Paddington about 6.30pm; get yourself across town to King’s Cross then catch the 7.15pm GNER heading north. You’ll arrive at Darlington at 10.05pm where because of engineering work you’ll need to get on the bus transfer (provided) which gets into Newcastle at 11.15. It’ll cost you a minimum £44 (standard class off peak return), rising to £93 for a ‘Saver Return’, depending upon seat/ticket availability – for all train times for that day and online booking, check the National Rail website.
OR EVEN…….
Not so flush?
Take the ALS coach and tell them mine’s a red wine.
STOPPING OVER?
The Millennium Madejski hotel is attached to the stadium. If yer feeling flush, for £47.50 a head you get a 7 course meal in the hotel restaurant AND a room for the night. The price includes use of the hotel’s leisure facilities and free parking on site. Tel 0118 925 3500.
Travelodge Reading Central/Whitley/M4 jcn 11-12 – tel 08700 850950.
Travel Inn Bracknell (10 miles) – tel 08701 977036
Express by Holiday Inn, Reading – tel 0118 958 2558.
Comfort Inn Reading – tel 0118 971 3282
SCRAN AND BOOZE
Bad news – there are no pubs near the ground. Your best bet is either to drink in Reading town centre (Friar Street recommended) or there are bars at the back of the stands where you can get a pint. But apparently many of the pubs in town don’t allow fans in who are wearing colours, although most establishments are friendly.
There’s a pub called The Three Guineas close to Reading Station or close by on Forbury Road, the Corn Exchange – upstairs is an Italian Restaurant.
If you want a pie to go with your pint, head for the Sweeney And Todd in Reading town centre: go in and buy a pint at the counter upstairs then take a seat and order a pie. It came highly recommended by a London-based Burnley fan who reckons no visit to Reading is complete without a pie and pint from this place.
LEND US A FIVER I’M OUT OF CASH
If you’re going by train, there are cash machines at both Paddington train station and Paddington Underground station.
Closer to the stadium there’s a Halifax cash machine at Reading Gate Retail Park, a stone’s throw from the stadium and an Abbey cash machine just along the road.
THEM AND US
Sunderland P33 W15 D10 L8 Pts 55 GD +12
Reading P36 W15 D9 L12 Pts 54 GD -3
HEAD TO HEAD
Last four games between Reading and Sunderland
27.09.03 Sunderland 2 Reading 0 (Arca, Oster)
17.02.98 Sunderland 4 Reading 1 (Quinn, Rae, Phillips x 2)
04.10.97 Reading 4 Sunderland 0
16.12.95 Reading 1 Sunderland 1 (Martin Smith)
FEELING RIGHT AT HOME?
This is what the Lads are up against – Reading’s home form this season is as follows:
P18 W9 D5 L4 F25 A21 Pts 32 GD 4
Credits: Reading FC, Link, Soccerbase, London Clarets, Yellow Pages, The AA, Streetmap, Multimap, National Rail.
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