When : Saturday September 20 2024, 3pm
Where : SCL Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161
Just over one year ago a literally pointless team from east London turned up at the SCL and collected its first three points of the season to lift themselves off the bottom of the division. Now pretty much exactly one year on Orient are here again for more points having seen 10 come their way since league hostilities were restored in 2023.
Last season Reading were top 10 when Orient visited, this season Orient are equal 12th while it's Reading who are struggling and looking for points so hopefully the reverse of fortunes will also see a reverse in the result.
Orient have not lost since the end of August and though have been stuffed badly at Huddersfield and Mansfield they have won at Plymouth and drawn with Bolton and Stockport so they are still rather useful despite the loss of last season's loan star Charlie Kelman and their very own Ethan Galbraith over the summer.
Fifteen players arrived at Brisbane Road over the summer including 5 loanees and former Reading players Michael Craig, Dom Ballard and Charlie Wellens. Biggest signing over the summer though was probably Huddersfield's Josh Koroma who is already their leading goalscorer with 3 goals, however Dom Ballard has the best goalscoring ratio with 1 in 2 appearances. In addition Aaron Connolly (ex Millwall) and Idris el Mizouni (ex Oxford) are starting to stand out in midfield so there'll be plenty to keep Reading busy on Saturday.
Yiadom is still out but Paudie might well make it to the bench and O'Mahoney should be available after his late return from international duty last week. There could be injury doubts over Mamadi Camara and Finley Burns however but otherwise Noel should have plenty of options to consider.
Referee
Ollie Yates
Previously
01 Mar 25 > Wigan Athletic 1-2 Reading
24 Feb 24 > Reading 2-3 Shrewsbury Town
09 Dec 23 > Reading 1-3 Barnsley
Historically
In the 35 previous seasons the clubs have shared together Reading have won 19 games in Reading compared to Orient's 6. There has only ever been one 0-0 (back in December 1934). However Reading's record against Leyton Orient recently is shocking with 0 wins from the last 6 games played (just 2 draws in that run). The last win against Orient was in the Tonka Toy Associate Virtue Cup thing back in December 1999 when a team containing the likes of Mark Bowen, Graham Potter and Sean Evers scraped a 1-0 against the red griffin things courtesy of a goal from Andy Bernal, while the last win that actually mattered occurred 32 years ago at Elm Park!
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
- 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)
