Pre Season friendlies

[paultheroyal]

Reading play Crystal Palace in the only home friendly on Saturday 11th August

Championship starting same time as Premier League this season?

[robinsfriday]

Franchisees away, please

+1

We could do a sponsored walk to the stadium - take me about 15 minutes, you about 45 ?

Correct. Who should the money go to? The landlord I reckon...

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Palace at home

Worst friendly ever.

When I saw it I assumed it was a quote from the Palace site, as their only home friendly of the season. Alas no, we really haved arranged a home friendly against a team from a lower division.

I don't think even does it justice.

Home friendlies are usually fairly dull anyway, but I'm struggling to think of a less inspiring one

[Barry the bird boggler]

Reading play Crystal Palace in the only home friendly on Saturday 11th August

Championship starting same time as Premier League this season?

Yes, the PL and FL are starting on the same date due to the Euros and excitement ( ) of the Olympics etc.

[winchester_royal]

Palace at home

Worst friendly ever.

When I saw it I assumed it was a quote from the Palace site, as their only home friendly of the season. Alas no, we really haved arranged a home friendly against a team from a lower division.

I don't think even does it justice.

Home friendlies are usually fairly dull anyway, but I'm struggling to think of a less inspiring one

Were we supposed to arrange a friendly against a team from a higher division?

Is there an English Elite League that we don't know about?

[leww_rfc]

Palace - ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Kingsley Junior]

Were we supposed to arrange a friendly against a team from a higher division?

Is there an English Elite League that we don't know about?

A top European side perhaps? As I said earlier, we had Feyenoord last time we were newly promoted. Not the biggest European team ever, but still preferable over Palace.

[winchester_royal]

Were we supposed to arrange a friendly against a team from a higher division?

Is there an English Elite League that we don't know about?

A top European side perhaps? As I said earlier, we had Feyenoord last time we were newly promoted. Not the biggest European team ever, but still preferable over Palace.

Lolzz at Feyenoord being a 'top' European team. Palace will provide more of a test.

McDermott doesn't want a side that will excite the fans, he wants a team that will provide a stern test.

Any European team willing to play a friendly that day will be in the early stages of their preparation, won't be fully motivated, and it won't be a test anything like the one we'll get the following weekend.

Palace will be at the same stage in their pre-season as we will be, so their fitness levels should match ours, and it will be a far more useful test.

We've got 38 big games that start the week after, isn't that enough for some people?

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

We've got 38 big games that start the week after, isn't that enough for some people?

Not if they are expected to pay to get into the friendly, no.

Friendlies are just a training exercise, but there still needs to be something different about it to lure fans in. We'll be lucky to get 5000 for that one. If all we wanted was a tough game we could have played away.

Besides, who's to say Feyenoord or any other foreign side will be behind in their preparation? It's not as if all other leagues start in September. Most start the same time or maybe a week later.

The Eredivisie actually started a week earlier than the premier league last season. So much for still being "early in their pre-season".

And while Feyenoord were just an example, the idea that a team finishing 2nd in the Dutch top flight would be weaker than a team finish 17th in the championship, is laughable.

[Kingsley Junior]

My issue is not with playing Palace in a friendly, it is with playing Palace at home. Over the years, we have generally had a final friendly game played at home against a bigger team - off the top of my head I can think of going to see Spurs, City, Southampton, Feyenoord, probably others (obviously at a time when Southampton were in a higher league etc). Surely the point of them playing a friendly in front of a crowd is that they want to entice us fans to come and pay to see an extra game, so why make it an unattractive fixture? If this was held at Palace, it would probably be a bigger draw at the moment for their fans - a Premier League side hopefully with a few new biggish name signings.

To laugh at Feyenoord being a top European side is pointless - I said top European side in answer to who Reading are supposed to play if not a lower division side. I said that Feyenoord were "not the biggest European side ever" so was hardly suggesting them for this time, but they would still be a far more attractive prospect to many than Palace and have just finished second to an Ajax side who are reasonably competitive in the Champions League.

As for the comment about isn't 38 games starting a week after enough for some - well it is not me who has scheduled a home friendly with the intention of selling tickets. If the club just wanted a run out for the players, they would do it behind closed doors.

[royalp-we]

So thats Wimbledon, Salisbury and Palace so far. I'm never one to undermine how well run a club we are and the good job the coaching staff do, I just really, really hope we have some better quality opposition lined up. Regardless of who we get on the opening day, whoever the opposition is will look at our pre season schedule and how we go about ourselves. Poor quality sides (bar Palace, but hey, they ain't gonna be playing in the best league in the world) will not test our players.

Before anyone says it, I'm not panicking, just a little and a tad

[winchester_royal]

We've got 38 big games that start the week after, isn't that enough for some people?

Not if they are expected to pay to get into the friendly, no.

Friendlies are just a training exercise, but there still needs to be something different about it to lure fans in. We'll be lucky to get 5000 for that one. If all we wanted was a tough game we could have played away.

Besides, who's to say Feyenoord or any other foreign side will be behind in their preparation? It's not as if all other leagues start in September. Most start the same time or maybe a week later.

The Eredivisie actually started a week earlier than the premier league last season. So much for still being "early in their pre-season".

And while Feyenoord were just an example, the idea that a team finishing 2nd in the Dutch top flight would be weaker than a team finish 17th in the championship, is laughable.

Well nobody's forcing you to go to the fcuking thing.

Most teams in their final preparation week tend not to go away to a foreign side.

How is when they started last year relevant in the slightest? And if they start a week earlier this season then we wouldn't be able to have them as our final friendly anyway.

And finally, I never said that. I said a fully fit team would provide a sterner test, than one that is still building up to full fitness. The whole point of a final pre-season game is to have one that is as close to a league game as possible. An English team is more likely to provide that then any foreign side that will most likely come over and play keep ball in their half for 90 minutes.

I'll be going, I want to go and see how Reading are shaping up for pre-season, and hopefully see a few new signings. If you want to see a load of foreign stars go to the Emirates Cup.

[winchester_royal]

My issue is not with playing Palace in a friendly, it is with playing Palace at home. Over the years, we have generally had a final friendly game played at home against a bigger team - off the top of my head I can think of going to see Spurs, City, Southampton, Feyenoord, probably others (obviously at a time when Southampton were in a higher league etc). Surely the point of them playing a friendly in front of a crowd is that they want to entice us fans to come and pay to see an extra game, so why make it an unattractive fixture? If this was held at Palace, it would probably be a bigger draw at the moment for their fans - a Premier League side hopefully with a few new biggish name signings.

To laugh at Feyenoord being a top European side is pointless - I said top European side in answer to who Reading are supposed to play if not a lower division side. I said that Feyenoord were "not the biggest European side ever" so was hardly suggesting them for this time, but they would still be a far more attractive prospect to many than Palace and have just finished second to an Ajax side who are reasonably competitive in the Champions League.

As for the comment about isn't 38 games starting a week after enough for some - well it is not me who has scheduled a home friendly with the intention of selling tickets. If the club just wanted a run out for the players, they would do it behind closed doors.

The point of playing a friendly in front of a crowd is to generate as close to a league-match experience as possible. That, plus the fact that some fans just want to go and see their team play. I don't care who we're playing, I just want to see a competitive game played at a decent tempo. Which will be exactly what McDermott wants too.

I'd rather we were ready to hit the ground running come kick-off in our first league game than see a few 'stars'.

Each to their own I guess.

[Kingsley Junior]

I take your point. At the same time, surely it would replicate a league match more if we had a bigger draw of an opponent than Palace. Whatever it says about people as fans, bigger teams means more paying fans, hence why we are going to have big crowds next season in the Premier League. To replicate Premier League crowds we need similarly attractive opposition hence the suggestion of a side from another European top flight. Money permitting, I hope to get to some of our away friendlies to see different grounds etc., but there are going to be many like me less enthusiastic about paying to see us at home to Palace when we then have matchday expenses 19 more times against teams where points are at stake. With that in mind, the club would be better advised to have found opposition offering something extra to Palace.
I actually would still have gone to see Palace had I not already got a wedding to go to, but I am certainly less gutted than I would have been if the opposition had been different. Many others would be even less bothered than me.

[RoyalJames101]

LOL @ this thread. Its a fcuking friendly.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Well nobody's forcing you to go to the fcuking thing.

They aren't, but I, and loads of others I'd expect, would rather be offered something more appealing.

Most teams in their final preparation week tend not to go away to a foreign side.

Feyenoord did. They kicked off their 2006/7 season the same day we played Middlesbrough.

How is when they started last year relevant in the slightest? And if they start a week earlier this season then we wouldn't be able to have them as our final friendly anyway.

Try and understand the concept of something being an example. Feyenoord were no doubt mentioned because we did play them. It wasn't a plead that we must play them again.

An it's relevant as you seemed to be under the impression that all other teams in europe would till be early in their pre-season preparation, and presented that as a reason why we shouldn't play someone like that.

And finally, I never said that. I said a fully fit team would provide a sterner test, than one that is still building up to full fitness.

which was nonsense, as above

The whole point of a final pre-season game is to have one that is as close to a league game as possible. An English team is more likely to provide that then any foreign side that will most likely come over and play keep ball in their half for 90 minutes.

What, so we'd have pratice playing against teams who keep possession rather than playing championship football?

I'll be going, I want to go and see how Reading are shaping up for pre-season, and hopefully see a few new signings.

Well aren't you the super fan

[RG30]

Here's a thought. Pre-season clashes with the Olympics which has rammed up prices everywhere. No foreign teams as far as I am aware are having pre-season tours in the UK (happy to be proved wrong). Furthermore I suspect most football clubs based in London have been asked not to schedule matches in the capital because of the Olympics which could be a reason why we are hosting Palace. Ultimately it doesn't matter if we win all our games or lose all our games as the only result that matters is that on the opening weekend of the season.

[winchester_royal]

They aren't, but I, and loads of others I'd expect, would rather be offered something more appealing.

Feyenoord did. They kicked off their 2006/7 season the same day we played Middlesbrough.

Wonderful. How were our first 30 minutes againt Middlesbrough btw?

Try and understand the concept of something being an example. Feyenoord were no doubt mentioned because we did play them. It wasn't a plead that we must play them again.

Okay, so who should we play? Who would satisfy your need for a 'big' team?

An it's relevant as you seemed to be under the impression that all other teams in europe would till be early in their pre-season preparation, and presented that as a reason why we shouldn't play someone like that.

I believe that an English championship team will provide a more useful test than any European team we could get. Feel free to offer a reasonable argument against.

What, so we'd have pratice playing against teams who keep possession rather than playing championship football?

How many teams in the premiership play 'possession' football? How many teams play like Palace, i.e. fast, direct football based on width?

Well aren't you the super fan

Cheers, see you there?

[Elliott]

Has anyone thought the Palace friendly might just be a sign of good gesture... We'll take Zaha and then give you guys a lovely friendly as part of the negotiations

[Barry the bird boggler]

Promoted too late to be able to attract any top foreign opposition anyway, therefore if we wanted to have a home friendly this season we'd have to pick on the next best avaialble league after the PL which is the Championship, thus we have Palace a localish team so we might get a good few of their supporters in to make up for the lack of interest likely from our fans (unless of course by then we've signed Owen, Cole, Yakubu and Hoilet etc.)