James Earnshaw

February proved a hectic month for Reading, with seven fixtures to cram in as the season began to enter its final stages. 1,400 supporters made the short hop to Oxford for the reverse Thames Valley Derby, this one moved forward to a 12.30pm kick-off at the request of Thames Valley Police. Falling behind in the first half to Mark Harris’ strike, many feared the worst. However, the Royals dug in at the Kassam Stadium and were rewarded with an own goal 15 minutes from time to ensure the spoils were shared yet again with the Us.

I’m a parent, so I know how demanding parenting can be. I am full of admiration for anyone who has to juggle working and looking after children, for example. Yes, we want the best for our children, but parenting is not without its challenges. Including cost. My own children are growing up fast and, since I started coaching last year, I’ve seen less of them. I’ve really enjoyed the one-to-one and team coaching sessions I’ve done since I launched The Dave Kitson Academy in November – but I’ve been getting a lot of feedback from parents, asking if I will be putting on more group sessions.

Reading Football Club and its supporters have been represented in Parliament today as Sarah Turner, Chair of the Supporters Trust at Reading [STAR] was asked to give her verdict on the incoming Independent Regulator for football. Mrs Turner answered questions on the Football Governance Bill, which is pushing for independent regulation in the game. Since becoming chair of STAR, Sarah has been crucial in the current off-field battles with Dai Yongge. The legislation has already had first and second readings in the House of Commons, but Sarah was one of several figures called upon to give their input to politicians, including Reading East MP Matt Rodda and former Minister for Sport, Tracey Crouch.

Reading legend Ady Williams was among the 600+ strong crowd at Bottom Meadow, Sandhurst, to witness the Royals lift the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup. Noel Hunt's Under-21s beat Marlow 2-1, a repeat of the first-ever final in 1879, with goals from Jeremiah Okine-Peters and Adrian Akande. This is the second Senior Cup title since 2022, with Reading beating Ascot United 4-0 in Hunt's debut campaign in charge. Williams, a Bracknell native, rose through the youth ranks to make over 300 appearances for his boyhood team over two spells.

Reading Under-21s coach Noel Hunt was left 'delighted' with his sides 2-1 win over Marlow last night, lifting the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup for the second time in three years. Jeremiah Okine-Peters and Adrian Akande netted in a dominant first half, but the non-league outfit hit back early in the second half through Brandon Curtis and tested the Royals. Having said that, Michael Stickland hit the crossbar and Aaron Watkins was kept busy between the posts as Reading failed to put the Blues to bed.

Supporters Trust at Reading [STAR] have backed the club and three staff members following Football Association sanctions for breaching agent rules. Legendary figure Michael Gilkes has received a warning, as has long-time secretary Sue Hewett, for their involvement in breaching FA Rule E1.2. Meanwhile, the club has been fined £200,000 and former CEO Nigel Howe has ben fined and suspended from working in football for 12 months. This is all in relation to the agent of Michael Olise, who has also been suspended for a period, and an alleged illegal financial agreement.

Reading Under-21s started their crunch week with silverware, lifting the historic Berks and Bucks Senior Cup. In a rematch of the first-ever Senior Cup final way back in 1879, Noel Hunt's Royals enacted revenge on Marlow for last year's semi-final exit, beating Mark Bartley's side 2-1 at Bottom Meadow, Sandhurst. The young Royals dominated their non-league opponents in the first half, putting themselves in the driving seat at the break after goals from Jeremiah Okine-Peters and Adrian Akande.

January proved a monumental and unforgettable month for supporters of Reading Football Club, and unfortunately not all for the right reasons. It began as well as it possibly could have, with the Royals beating Exeter City 3-2 on New Year’s Day and leapfrogging the Grecians to move out of the relegation zone. Off the field, financial issues were stealing most of the headlines as respected coaches Eddie Niedzwiecki and Andrew Sparkes were made redundant in order to save costs. CEO Dayong Pang met with supporters and assured them that player sales would not be necessary to fund the club and that they were not expected to lose players before the window.

Reading nemesis Neil Warnock has come out of retirement, again, to take a role with National League side Torquay United. Warnock, 75, was a regular foe of the Royals for the past 20 years, a figure supporters loved to hate, a pantomime role the Yorkshireman thrived in. Losing to Reading more times in his career than any other team, the former Cardiff City and Sheffield United boss has earned eight promotions in his career which spans over 40 years.

Three former Reading stars are in a position to grace the iconic Wembley Stadium turf this weekend as the League One and League Two play-offs come to a close. Rivals Oxford United are facing Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon to earn the right to walk out in the Championship next season, while Crawley Town head to the national stadium for the first time ever to battle Crewe Alexandra for promotion into League One. All three former Reading players involved in the end-of-season play-offs have made it through to the final, with one having featured for the Royals under the famous arch seven years ago.