Misery Or Joy Waits For Royals At Wembley

By Hob Nob Anyone?

The whole season comes down to one massive game on Monday, when the Royals head to Wembley Stadium for a 3pm kick-off to face Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final. It'll be misery for one half of the stadium and huge joy for the other half. The winning side will head off to the Premier League next season, and earn multiple millions of pounds in the process, while the losers will face another season in the Championship. A defeat will be very hard to take after getting within touching distance of the big time. The play-offs are exciting and cruel in equal measures. But surely after five defeats in the play-offs, three of which came in play-off finals, Reading are due that elusive joy at Wembley this time?

One thing is for certain, whoever comes out top between Reading and Huddersfield Town, they will become a surprise addition to the Premier League. Both sides started the season unfancied after failing to impress last season. Both teams rose high in the table but were still written off. After securing play-off positions they found themselves as outsiders with no-one paying much attention to either side until they upset the bookies and made their way into the play-off final. Reading secured a place in the final, thanks to a Kermorgant penalty, with a dramatic 1-0 home win over Fulham in the second leg. Huddersfield needed a penalty shoot out to edge past Sheffield Wednesday.

The winner of this fixture will be immediately installed as favourites for the drop next season - but will get such a big boost in income next season that it will all be worthwhile. It is a massive opportunity which both sides will be desperate to take. It couldn't be any more 50/50, with neither side a clear favourite. It was Reading that finished higher in the table - two places above Huddersfield - and it was also Reading that knocked out overall favourites Fulham. So, it still seems strange that Huddersfield are slight favourites with the bookies as you can currently see on CrownBet's EFL odds.

Both teams have been allocated approaching 40,000 tickets each for Monday's final after going back to the FA to request more tickets. Huddersfield are set to entirely sell out their allocation despite the inflated ticket prices. The Royals appear to still have tickets on sale having failed to shift all their availability so far. After tickets initially went on sale to season ticket holders and members with points only, they have now been released on general sale where anyone can now snap up a pair of tickets. As was said before day one of ticket sales - anyone that wants tickets will be able to get them without difficulties. Reading fans have until tomorrow (Friday) at 3pm to buy through SEE tickets, and the game could yet be a sell out.

It feels like it has been a long time since Reading fans spilled onto the Madjski Stadium pitch to celebrate victory over Fulham. Reading fans will be hoping it has been long enough for Jordan Obita to make a recovery from the injury he picked up in the first leg. The Royals owe at lot to Obita whose amazing performance in the first leg, including the vital goal in the 1-1 draw, set-up Reading nicely for the second leg. There has been some good news with Obita re-starting training today and Jaap Stam confirming that he may be fit for Monday. So Obita remains a maybe. Meanwhile McShane is a definately not as he remains suspended following his straight red card for a high tackle in the match at Craven Cottage. All the players that earned our place at Wembley last Tuesday will be available for selection - and Gareth McCleary will be back to full strength after returning from injury with an appearance off the substitutes bench during that game.

Reading's Previous Play-Off Final Appearances

DATE	COMPETITION	OPPOSITION	SCORE	REPORT
30 May 2011	Championship Play-Off Final	Swansea City (Wembley)	L: 2-4	Read report...
27 May 2001	Division Two Play-Off Final	Walsall (Millenium Stadium)	L: 2-3	Read report...
29 May 1995	Division One Play-Off Final	Bolton Wanderers (Wembley)	L: 3-4	Read report...

Recent Meetings With Huddersfield Town

DATE	COMPETITION	OPPOSITION	SCORE	REPORT
21 February 2017	Championship	Huddersfield (Away)	L: 0-1	Read report...
24 September 2016	Championship	Huddersfield (HOME)	W: 1-0	Read report...
08 March 2016	Championship	Huddersfield (Away)	L: 1-3	Read report...
19 January 2016	FA Cup	Huddersfield (HOME)	W: 5-2	Read report...
09 January 2016	FA Cup	Huddersfield (Away)	D: 2-2	Read report...
03 November 2015	Championship	Huddersfield (HOME)	D: 2-2	Read report...
24 February 2015	Championship	Huddersfield (Away)	L: 0-3	Read report...
03 January 2015	FA Cup	Huddersfield (Away)	W: 1-0	Read report...
19 August 2014	Championship	Huddersfield (HOME)	L: 1-2	Read report...
29 March 2014	Championship	Huddersfield (HOME)	D: 1-1	Read report...
14 December 2013	Championship	Huddersfield (Away)	W: 1-0	Read report...

From the Discussion

SU Sutekh 20 May 2017 · 1:19pm

Well I don’t know how it happened but after two seasons of complete and utter cr@ppy cr@p, from Cr@pton in deepest Cr@ptonshire, an inspired management change that had lots of us slagging the board and slating Jaap before a ball had even been kicked has seen the club rise up to earn a place in the most valuable game in the world. http://www.readingfc.co.uk/cms_images/stam-4x3154-3589709_478x359.jpg Jaap Stam on being appointed After a slow start to the season, with plenty of discontent from the great unwashed at the style of play, Reading crept up the table and kept on creeping until the top six was reached in October. Then, as the…
WS West Stand Man 20 May 2017 · 1:25pm

Can we assume that reference to Cooper and Hurtado was a tad tongue in cheek? (Although I do think the latter might well feature next season).
GH glass half full 20 May 2017 · 1:57pm

Thanks, Sutekh. As always, it is entertaining and informative. Thank you for all your contributions over the season.
PI PieEater 20 May 2017 · 4:06pm

I'm really looking forward to the to day. If we win then great but if we don't I'll be content that the Terriers deserved their chance to be last on MOTD, have all the big decisions go against them, experience the better standard of cheating, and wonder where the points are coming from after months of getting thrashed and getting generally written off by pundits that know nothing about them. That £200m will help console them. I'll be happy with another year in the Championship and we'll see what our new Chinese overlords do as well as a trip to Burton with time for a decent prematch. If we win probably the only thing I'll look…
TF TFF 20 May 2017 · 4:23pm

Nice work Sutekh
LI Libertine 20 May 2017 · 5:01pm

Thanks for all the updates this season sutekh. They have been informative and entertaining. Even though it is, as you say there, a bank holiday here on the 29th I will be working. By the time I get around to watching it the tears of joy, or sorrow, will have been flowing there for a few hours. Win or lose it has been a fantastic season which exceeded the expectations of the most RTG amongst us and bodes well for the future. I would imagine that karma should be on our side after all of the play-off heartbreaks but as I have found out karma can be a cruel mistress. One thing I am certain of is Stam will have the team prepared to…
AL alfie9 20 May 2017 · 5:27pm

I won't be crushed if we don't go up, but I will be if we lose Jaap. Only way to guarantee we don't is to get promoted. For that reason I'm incredibly nervous for this game. I need more Dutch revolution in my life
CO CountryRoyal 20 May 2017 · 5:39pm

I won't be crushed if we don't go up, but I will be if we lose Jaap. Only way to guarantee we don't is to get promoted. For that reason I'm incredibly nervous for this game. I need more Dutch revolution in my life Jaap's got another year on his contract and with the new ownership will have the resources to mount a more legitimate and planned promotion compaign. His ownly grievances earlier in the season came from the uncertainty of ownership. Unless Man U sack Moaninho and give him a call, he's not going anywhere.

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