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Akande double sees Reading into quarter final at the expense of Middlesbrough
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Adrian Akande's second-half double was enough for Reading to beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in the round of 16 in the PL2 play-offs. More than 800 supporters enjoyed the Under-21 action at the SCL Stadium as Noel Hunt's men booked their place in the last eight of the prestigious academy competition with a dominant display. Creating chances at will in the first half, the ball would not cross the line as the Teessider's rode their luck in Berkshire.
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Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town join Reading in League One next season
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Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town have joined Rotherham United in being relegated into League One next season. On a dramatic final day in the Championship, Ipswich Town sealed back-to-back promotions and will be in the Premier League for the first time in over 20 years. At the other end of the table, Rotherham United cruised to victory over Cardiff City but the Millers' fate was already confirmed rooted firmly to the bottom of the table.
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Reading legend admits 'tears have been shed' over current off-field crisis
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Former Reading striker Dave Kitson has admitted that 'tears have been shed' during the off-field crisis at the club witnessing his side's 'legacy' tarnished. Kitson, a weekly columnist at the Reading Chronicle, continues to invest in the local area almost 15 years after leaving the Royals- setting up The Dave Kitson Academy and helping coach at Bluecoats School. Since leaving with the club fresh out of the Premier League in 2008, the Royals now find themselves in League One and lurching from one financial crisis to another under the ownership of Dai Yongge. Surviving last season despite being docked points for a third campaign in a row, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel as exclusive negotiations rumble on with potential new owners.
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EFL veteran tips Reading to 'become a stronger club' after off-field difficulties
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EFL veteran Neil Warnock believes Reading will be a stronger club in the future for going through the current off-field strife. The Royals have had five years of transfer embargoes, three seasons with points deductions and have had months where the staff were paid late. As a result, the club have fallen from the Premier League in 2013 to its lowest finish in 35 years in the season just gone. Despite this, supporters have rallied behind the manager, Ruben Selles, and his squad to create an unbreakable bond, with supporters backing the club and its staff through this crisis caused by owner Dai Yongge. Warnock, who has seven promotions under his belt and has played the role of pantomime villain against the Royals for the past 20 years, was in charge of Huddersfield Town on the day Reading were relegated, admitting he has a soft spot for the club.
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Dave Kitson Column: Not much sympathy for a team that keeps winning, but…
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I doubt if Manchester City complaining about their fixture congestion garnered too much sympathy among the football fraternity. After all, the Citizens are on course to achieve back to back doubles to go with the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup they won last season. Times are hard for City with Rodri’s Vo2 Max test in danger of being a ml/kg/min down on last season. City officials are scrambling, High-level meetings are being had. City keep winning. But there is a truth to what City and Pep are saying. I said many years ago that the future of football for TV executives all depended on getting the best players on the box more often. It has come to pass, and nobody whose trophy cabinet is under threat particularly likes it.
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'We needed to make the changes' Reading boss reflects on hardest moment of the season
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Reading boss Ruben Selles labelled a rotten run in October 'the hardest moment' of the season when reflecting on the campaign. The Royals, who had a disrupted pre-season amid non-stop off-field drama, failed to hit the ground running upon relegation to the third tier, sitting bottom of the table and cut adrift in a bleak mid-winter. Failing to win from September 16 until November 25, a run of seven defeats and two draws, the club looked doomed for relegation and endured late defeats at Shrewsbury and Leyton Orient as well as heavy defeats to Charlton Athletic and Blackpool. As the saying goes, it is darkest before dawn and Reading rallied over the international break in November to return a revived force and slowly overturn a 10-point deficit to end nine points clear of the relegation zone come the final day.
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Former Reading defenders released by Charlton Athletic after bottom-half finish
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Former Reading pair Terell Thomas and Michael Hector have been released by Charlton Athletic following a bottom-half finish in Leauge One. The Addicks, who were battling relegation alongside the Royals for most of the campaign, finished above Reading on goal difference after a 14-game unbeaten run under new manager Nathan Jones. The South-East London club have released eight players from their squad now the season has come to a close, including Thomas and Hector. 28-year-old Thomas featured just twice for Reading in 2022 but has proved a regular at the Valley, playing 43 matches in 2023/24- including in both matches against the Royals.
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Reading winger releases brief goodbye as short-term spell comes to an end
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Reading winger Paul Mukariu posted a very brief 'goodbye' message after his loan spell ended. The 24-year-old spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Danish giants FC Copenhagen and scored six goals in 38 matches in all competitions. Unable to truly stamp down a position out wide, regularly swapping with Caylan Vickers or Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, he left supporters often wanting to see more.
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Reading nemesis recounts flash points of yesteryear and why he frequently lost
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‘Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio’ rung out around the Madejski Stadium in December 2017 as Reading led Cardiff City 2-0 and pantomime villain boss, Neil Warnock, was sent to the stands for remonstrating with the officials one too many times. Traipsing down the tunnel 13 minutes early and looking set to be pulled back into the play off picture with defeat in Berkshire, little did Warnock know that he would walk away with a point following a dramatic turnaround and his Bluebirds team would go on to secure promotion to the Premier League. “I knew on that day that we were going to get promotion,” the veteran told the Reading Chronicle. “We had to come from behind and I can remember Lee Tomlin and the way we came back; I knew we would go up. It was always a battle.”
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Every player released in League One so far as supporters await Reading decision
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As with the end of every season, May proves a tricky month for players and managers alike as decisions are made on futures. So far, nine League One clubs have published their Released and Retained lists, with Reading yet to do so but expected to announce theirs in the next fortnight. Take a look below at all of those released so far and let us know in the comments if there are any you would like to see in Berkshire next season.
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