When : Saturday November 29 2025, 12.30pm
Where : Bloomfield Road, Seasiders Way, Blackpool, FY1 6JJ
Capacity : 17,338
So SKY can amaze and enchant everyone with a full blood and thunder league game between two of the division’s most enterprising and entertaining attacking outfits
we’ve all got to be in the far north west by 12.30 - still I suppose it means we can all be back in civilisation at a reasonable hour but then a seaside day trip in pretty much the depths of winter is not exactly going to be of much interest to many so expect Sky to get an audience in its 10s after all. At least Reading had the good sense to crash out of the FA Cup and therefore avoid what would have become two trips to the seaside on successive Saturdays.
This masterpiece of entertainment sees what is likely to be another outing for Charity FC take one of the division’s strongest away records (it’s helping hold up another 22 away records in that particular table) up to the team with the 23rd best home record in the same division so this is likely to have “home win” written all the way through it.
Free from the millstone of having any away wins this season to live up to (the last away league win was at Bristol Rovers in April) Reading can can more readily concentrate on attempting to score from a set piece for the first time in the league this season.
Blackpool are having a miserable season so far, Steve Bruce was sacked at the beginning of October and Ian Evatt, the former Bolton boss, arrived in mid October and this will be his 7th league game as the Blackpool big cheese, so well and truly into new manager bounce territory. Despite their lowly position and current struggles it'll be a real challenge for Reading to rise to given Blackpool have not lost at home since the defeat to Wimbledon that cost Bruce his job at the beginning of October. Their current form is 2 wins and 2 draws from their last 6 league games and Evatt has led the Seasiders to wins in both the homes games he's been in charge of so far (1-0 v Scunthorpe in the cup followed by a 3-1 stuffing of Cardiff City). So this is probably not really the sort of game a team with a cr@p away record that is still trying to sort itself out on the pitch wouldiswally choose to go with.
For the first time in a while Blackpool are a team without any former Reading players looking forward to the action, the closest they have is one of Brogue's top tips as a summer signing in Josh Bowler. The high profile players at the club include Bailey Peacock-Farrell, leading scorer (5 goals) Ashley Fletcher and midfielder George Honeyman so there is a decent amount of talent to cause trouble if you let it!
The injury list might be long, at least we think it is though as Leam has decided to put a moratorium on such things I guess we'll never know if a player is injured again let alone if they're ever close to a return.
Anyway, believed knackered are: Elliott, Burns, Marriott, Jacob, Lane and Fraser but Kyerewaa should be back after his suspension. Meanwhile Blackpool have key defender James Husband back after missing the start of the season leaving just doubts over Niall Ennis, Dale Taylor and Albie Morgan.
Meanwhile Leam is backing Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan as a striker despite what most fans say
Referee
“The” Thomas “Alan” Parsons “Project” - let’s hope there’s no Reading player waiting on the turn of a card.
Previously
30 Aug 25 > Reading 1-0 Port Vale
15 Feb 25 > Reading 2-1 Rotherham United
29 Oct 24 > Stockport County 4-1 Reading
29 Mar 24 > Reading 1-0 Northampton Town
Historically
Bloomfield Road has not been particularly hospitable to Reading down the years, the first 5 games played at the venue saw 0 points returned and 22 goals conceded (including the heaviest defeat there of 7-0) so there is something by way of a precedent already set for cr@p experiences in this part of Lancashire.
There have been 24 league visits in total to this part of the coast and Reading have won on 5 occasions while losing on 14 but haven’t won on any of the last 9 league visits (earning just 2 points) including 4 defeats, conceding 12 goals, in the last 4 visits - so getting a point would probably seem like winning the FA Cup.
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket and travel
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- SKY/Now app
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use a RoyalsTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
