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 – Tuesday 31 August
KO TIME – 8.00pm
This match was postponed within hours of this season’s fixture list being published, because the original date – Monday 31st August – clashed with the final day of this year’s Reading Festival, and Thames Valley Police requested that the fixture was moved because they couldn’t police both events.
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. By the way it’s pronounced “mad-day-ski”…..the owner gets a bit narked at people who don’t pronounce it properly.
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
General sale commenced at 10.00 am on Wednesday 18th August 2004.
Advance ticket prices
– Adults £19
– Senior citizens £11
– Juniors (Under 15’s) £11
Match day prices
– Adults £21
– Senior citizens £14
– Juniors (Under 15’s) £14
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?
Trains leave around every half-hour from Newcastle – GNER Service – heading to London Kings Cross, but probably the latest you should leave there is on the 1.28pm service. From Kings Cross, head across town to Paddington Station and catch a First Great Western service to Reading – the journey will take about 25 – 30 minutes.
Because it’s a late kickoff, there are no trains that will get you back to the north east on the same night – scroll down to our ‘Stopping Over’ section for hotel details!
But if you’re willing to travel back the next day, get a train back to Paddington, nip across town to Kings Cross, then GNER services leave for the journey north every half an hour.
For all train times for that day and online booking, check the National Rail website.
OR EVEN…….
Not so flush?
Take the ALS coach.
STOPPING OVER?
The Millennium Madejski hotel is attached to the stadium, 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.
SMB regular TAFKARLC suggests “if you park in the Hewlett Packard car park (I think?) factory which is right at the first roundabout as you come off the M4 and first right into the car park (again I think) there is a Holiday Inn almost diagonally opposite and on the near corner is an Irish style bar with a massive screen and Guinness by the boatload!”
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.
HEAD TO HEAD
Last five games between Reading and Sunderland
20.03.04 Reading 0 Sunderland 2 (Byfield, Smith)
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)
MACKEMS WITH A READING CONNECTION
Paul Lemon went to Reading on loan briefly in the 89/90 season
Similarly, Ian Porterfield went there on loan during the 76/77 season
Billy Whitehurst came to Sunderland from Reading
Steve Hetzke started his career at Reading
Credits: Reading FC, Link, Soccerbase, ‘TAFKARLC’, London Clarets, Yellow Pages, The AA, Streetmap, Multimap, National Rail.
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