| Phil Whitehead
|
| Squad number |
1 |
| Position |
Goalkeeper |
| Signed from |
West Brom, October 1999, £250,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Halifax, Barnsley, Scunthorpe (Loan), Bradford
(Loan), Oxford, West Brom |
| More info |
Whitehead was a popular keeper at West Brom and lost his place in
the first team when a new keeper was signed. His luck at Reading didn't
last long after picking up a long term injury and losing his place
in the first team to Scott Howie. Howie picked up his form and forced
Whitehead out until the end of the 1999/2000 season when Phil was
given a chance back in the side. Whitehead easily won the battle for
first team keeper spot from Howie during the 2000/2001 season, resulting
in Howie's departure. The 2001/2002 season saw Whitehead miss out
mid-season through injury before making a confident come back as the
Royals won promotion. A solid keeper who has now made over 100 appearances
for the Royals and will feature all season long unless he gets injured. |
| Graeme Murty
|
| Squad number |
2 |
| Position |
Defender/Midfielder |
| Signed from |
York, July 1998, £700,000 |
| Previous clubs |
York |
| More info |
Murty was signed for a huge wad of dosh from York as a pacey winger.
Once again though Burns had signed a player suffering from injury,
and it was ages before we got a chance to see the mystery man of Reading
FC. When we did see him we weren't disappointed by the size of his
sideburns. And when we saw him leg to down the wing there was even
more to get excited about. Murty got injured again and then returned
as a full back / wing back, where he still continues to play. Great
going forward, and he's now proved himself as a great defender too.
Murty had a superb 2001/2002 where he avoided injury and was voted
Hob Nob Anyone? player of the season by a long way. One of
the first players you'd pick for the starting eleven. |
| Nicky Shorey |
| Squad number |
3 |
| Position |
Defender |
| Signed from |
Leyton Orient, February 2001, £25,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Leyton Orient |
| More info |
An impressive full back who broke into the team last
season as a regular and looked fantastic. Signed from third Division
Leyton Orient. The Royals initially paid 25,000 for the player but
the transfer fee will increase if Shorey makes a certain number of
appearances for the Royals. Shorey signed a professional contract
with Orient in the summer of 1998 and went on to make 16 appearances
- 13 in the starting eleven - before moving to Reading, signing a
three and a half year contract. At only 20 he's got a massive future
at Reading. |
| Kevin Watson |
| Squad number |
4 |
| Position |
Midfielder |
| Signed from |
Rotherham, March 2002, £150,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Tottenham, Brentford, Bristol City, Barnet, Swindon
Town, Rotherham, Reading (loan). |
| More info |
Watson signed for Reading in March 2002 after strangely falling
out of favour at Rotherham. Watson had already enjoyed a successful
loan spell at Reading in which Reading's season finally came together.
Watson is a great passer of the ball and holds the midfield together
a treat. A bargain signing. |
| Ade Viveash |
| Squad number |
5 |
| Position |
Defender |
| Signed from |
Walsall, July 2000, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Swindon, Reading (Loan), Barnsley (Loan), Walsall |
| More info |
Viveash seemed to set to eventually sign for the Royals after spending
two loan periods at Reading in 1993 and 1995. Viveash made over 200
appearances for Walsall after signing for them from Swindon. Viveash
looks set to feature regularly during the next season but has competition
with Mackie and Williams for the centre back positions. |
| John Mackie |
| Squad number |
6 |
| Position |
Defender |
| Signed from |
Sutton United, October 1999, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Crawley Town, Sutton United |
| More info |
Mackie signed for Reading in October 1999 and then promptly returned
to Sutton United on loan as if nothing had happened. After picking
up an injury we didn't see what he was capable of doing on the pitch
until last season where he exploded onto the scene and looked like
a very experienced centre back despite his lack of professional games.
His sudden impressive appearance rightly earned him the Hob Nob
Anyone? award for most improved player of the season during 2001/2002. |
| Tony Rougier
|
| Squad number |
7 |
| Position |
Forward |
| Signed from |
Port Vale, 11 August 2000, £325,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Raith, Hibernian, Port Vale |
| More info |
Rougier was signed at the start of the 2000/2001
season as replacement for Nicky Forster who was ruled out for the
whole season due to a knee injury sustained in a pre-season friendly
against Charlton. Rougier, who made his debut against Millwall on
the first day of the 2000/20001 season, had scored 21 goals from 169
senior appearances before joining the Royals. Since joining the Royals,
Rougier has been hot and cold. He seems capable of doing great things
but often fails to deliver and has trouble finding the net. Rougier's
scored just 3 goals in about 80 matches to the start of the 2002/2003
season. |
| Adie Williams
|
| Squad number |
8
|
| Position |
Defender |
| Signed from |
Wolves, July 2000, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Reading, Wolves |
| More info |
Popular central defender who fits in perfectly in a side modeled
on passion and the will to win. Adie is 100% a Reading player after
spending most of his career with the Royals after originally signing
for Reading way back in 1989 as a trainee. Williams spent seven years
at Reading as a regular first team player before moving to Wolves
to follow McGhee for 750,000 quid in 1996. After failing to get the
success at Wolves that he previously enjoyed at Reading - mainly due
to injury - Adie came back to the Royals on loan in February 2000
and stayed until the end of the season. With his contract up at Wolves,
and Reading fans desperate for his return, he was more than happy
to return to Reading in the summer of 2000. Injury kept Williams out
during the 2000/2001 season - but he returned during the 2001/2002
season. |
| Martin Butler |
| Squad number |
9 |
| Position |
Striker |
| Signed from |
Cambridge, February 2000, £750,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Walsall, Cambridge |
| More info |
Martin scored four goals for the Royals during the 1999-2000 after
signing from Cambridge in February when he was the Division's leading
goalscorer. However, he made up for the lack of goals by setting up
plenty and starting off a potentially lethal combination up front
with Nicky Forster. Butler scored 28 goals during the 2000-2001 season
- but also helped Jamie Cureton by setting plenty more up. Last season
Butler was ruled out for a long time through injury, scoring just
two goals up until he was ruled out from November onwards. Butler
returned with two games of the season left and will look to return
to full action this season coming. |
| Nicky Forster |
| Squad number |
10 |
| Position |
Striker |
| Signed from |
Birmingham City, June 1999, £650,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Hythe, Gillingham, Brentford, Birmingham |
| More info |
Brilliant player worth every penny of the 650,000 quid. Not only
a natural goal-scorer but a really talented player who loves to go
on his own little runs past players. Great at winning the ball and
great at keeping it. There's nothing like watching Forster cut in
from the wing. Signs are that he's just going to get better and better.
Unfortunately with such a promising future ahead of him Forster was
ruled out for the entire 2000/2001 season after suffering a cruciate
ligament injury in his right knee during a pre-season game against
Charlton at the Madejski Stadium. Forster returned to full fitness
last season and is set to cause panic in Division One defences during
Reading's 2002/2003 campaign. Forster was voted runner up in last
season's Hob Nob Anyone? end of season awards. |
| Andy Hughes |
| Squad number |
11 |
| Position |
Midfielder |
| Signed from |
Notts County, July 2001, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Oldham, Notts County. |
| More info |
Hughes looked to be a fantstic signing after joining in the summer
of 2001 when his contract at Notts County expired. Hughes, with over
100 league starts to his name at County, impressed in pre-season friendlies
- scoring on his debut at Aldershot and setting up the other. Hughes
can be a determined and solid winger but struggled during the 2001/2002
season to reach full form. His crossing was disappointing at times
and he played far better when he wasn't left out on the wing. |
| Jamie Cureton |
| Squad number |
12 |
| Position |
Striker |
| Signed from |
Bristol Rovers, 21 August 2000, £250,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Norwich, Bournemouth (Loan), Bristol Rovers |
| More info |
Reading signed the highly rated striker Jamie Cureton from Bristol
Rovers just into the 2000/2001 season in a bargain £250,000 deal.
The clubs agreed the fee after Cureton had expressed a interest in
moving after failing to pledge his future to the West Country club.
After an unhappy close season spell Cureton was keen to move on and
saw Reading as a perfect opportunity to further his career. With Nicky
Forster out all season the news could not have been better for Reading
fans who will remember Cureton as the player who hit four past Reading
in January 1999 at the Madejski Stadium when Bristol Rovers won 0-6.
Cureton, born in Bristol, had a fantastic strike rate for Rovers after
signing for 200,000 quid in October 1996 from Norwich City - and was
expected to have a far larger price tag. In 200 games for Rovers,
Cureton hit 78 goals. At Reading he's been fantastic, despite playing
through injury a lot of the time and getting substituted far too much.
He scored a huge 30 goals for the Royals during the 2000/2001 season
and followed it up with 16 goals during the 2001/2002 campaign. |
| Sammy Igoe |
| Squad number |
14 |
| Position |
Midfielder |
| Signed from |
Portsmouth, March 2000, £100,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Portsmouth |
| More info |
Sammy made over 100 league appearances for Portmouth after joining
as a trainee in 1994. Martin Allen tipped off Pardew and Reading picked
him up for a potentially bargain sum of £100,000. Sammy played
just a handful of games during the 1999/2000 for the Royals, but followed
that up with substantially more games the following season before
becoming a regular during the 2001/2002 season. The sight of Sammy
in his super shorts running down the wing is a delight, that's for
sure. |
| James Harper |
| Squad number |
15 |
| Position |
Midfielder |
| Signed from |
Arsenal, February 2001, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Arsenal, Cardiff (Loan) |
| More info |
Signed from Arsenal on a free transfer, Harper kicks off his professional
career at Reading. Harper failed to appear at Arsenal and made just
three appearances on loan at Cardiff before being snapped up by the
Royals. Harper has plenty of potential and tonnes of skill. In his
debut for the Royals he impressed so much Pardew told him off for
"show-boating". He's been on the fringes since and not helped
by injury, but could be set for a big impression during the 2002/2003
season. |
| Phil Parkinson
|
| Squad number |
16 |
| Position |
Midfielder |
| Signed from |
Bury, July 1992, £37,500 |
| Previous clubs |
Southampton, Bury |
| More info |
Player of the season during both the 1997/98 and 1998/99 seasons.
Parky is Reading FC through and through and bleeds blue and white
hooped blood for the club he loves. Parky is always tackling hard,
chasing every ball, and has been a perfect club captain. Parky is
one of the longest serving player's left at the club, and completed
his testimonal last season - and we all hope he's still got enough
left in him for a few more successful seasons. Parky signed a new
two year contract for the start of the 2001/2002 season. When the
contract expires, and probably before that, he'll move into coaching.
|
| John Salako |
| Squad number |
17 |
| Position |
Forward |
| Signed from |
Charlton, January 2002, £50,000 |
| Previous clubs |
Crystal Palace, Swansea (loan), Coventry, Bolton
(loan), Fulham, Charlton, Reading (loan). |
| More info |
Salako, perhaps approaching the end of his playing career, was clearly
pure class in Division Two when he arrived on loan in November 2001
at Reading. His ball skills were perhaps the best seen at the Madejski
during the 2001/2002 season. After fifteen league games on loan and
four goals he signed a full deal in January 2002. His form dipped
a little bit, but there's no doubting his quality. |
| Adrian Whitbread |
| Squad number |
18 |
| Position |
Defender |
| Signed from |
Portsmouth, July 2001, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Leyton Orient, Swindon, West Ham, Portsmouth,
Luton Town (loan), Reading (loan). |
| More info |
Reading signed Portsmouth centre-back Adrian Whitbread in July 2001
after a three month loan deal at the end of the 2000/2001 season.
With Adrian Williams out injured Whitbread was brought in on loan
to provide defensive cover - and come straight into the team. Whitbread
was well known by Reading assistant manager Martin Allen after making
144 starts for Portsmouth after signing for 250,000 quid in October
1996. Whitbread also made 13 league appearances while on loan at Portsmouth
while on West Ham's books. His career started at Leyton Orient where
he made 154 starts after signing as a trainee in 1989. This was followed
by two 500,000 pound moves - firstly to Swindon in 1993 where he made
37 starts before moving to West Ham in the summer of 1994. Whitbread
should feature week in week out after his sold performances last season
and the end of the season before. |
| Joe Gamble |
| Squad number |
19 |
| Position |
Midfield |
| Signed from |
Cork City, August 200, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Cork City, Crawley Town (loan). |
| More info |
Joe Gamble has been restricted to just a handful of first team
appearances so far: one substitute appearance during the 2000/2001
season and a further ten games during the 2001/2002 season. A youngster
who should feature more and more.
|
| Bas Savage |
| Squad number |
20 |
| Position |
Forward |
| Signed from |
Trainee |
| Previous clubs |
- |
| More info |
Player who has graduated from the Royals academy
to become a squad member. Bas is a powerful forward player with a
bright future ahead of him. Yet to break into the first team. |
| Jamie Ashdown |
| Squad number |
21 |
| Position |
Goalkeeper |
| Signed from |
Trainee |
| Previous clubs |
Gravesend & Northfleet (loan while at Reading) |
| More info |
Ashdown become second choice keeper after the departure of Howie.
Ashdown has shown himself to be a decent keeper but found it hard
to break into the first team. After the injury to Whitehead, Ashdown
got his chance last season and played in the 0-1 home league defeat
against Colchester. He wasn't given an extended run however with loan
keepers brought in and he found himself back on the bench yet again. |
| Nathan Tyson
|
| Squad number |
22 |
| Position |
Striker |
| Signed from |
Trainee |
| Previous clubs |
Maidenhead United (loan while at Reading) |
| More info |
Tyson looks to be a nippy young player who could run rings round
defenders. Tyson banged in plenty of goals for the youth side and
looks certain to make an impression, despite only a limited number
of appearances for the first team so far. |
| Andre Boucaud |
| Squad number |
23 |
| Position |
Midfielder |
| Signed from |
Trainee |
| Previous clubs |
- |
| More info |
Player who has graduated from the Royals academy
to become a squad member. Yet to break into the first team, and should
see himself on the fringes during the coming season. |
| Darius Henderson |
| Squad number |
24 |
| Position |
Striker |
| Signed from |
Trainee |
| Previous clubs |
- |
| More info |
A big striker who had a few games towards the end of the 1999/2000
season, but failed to make much of an impression after looking a bit
slow. He followed that up with a dramatic start to the 2001/2002 season
after becoming a regular in the starting line-up or on the bench.
Despite limited starts he scored 11 goals last season. He still needs
to sharpen his game but he'll always get a few goals due to his size
and awkwardness. |
| Ricky Newman |
| Squad number |
25 |
| Position |
Midfielder |
| Signed from |
Millwall, 27 July 2000, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Crystal Palace, Maidstone (Loan), Millwall, Reading
(Loan) |
| More info |
Newman had always been expected to sign after ending the 2000/2001
season on loan to the Royals. Millwall paid 500,000 quid for the midfielder
in July 1995 when they signed him from Crystal Palace, and he went
on to make 150 league appearances for Millwall. Newman made seven
appearances for Reading while on loan at the end of the 2000/2001
season, scoring one goal. Unfortunately Newman missed the 2001/2002
season through injury, but is set to make a return now. |
| Alex Smith |
| Squad number |
26 |
| Position |
Defender/Midfielder |
| Signed from |
Port Vale, July 2001, Free |
| Previous clubs |
Everton, Swindon, Huddersfield (loan), Chester,
Port Vale |
| More info |
Twenty-six year old Smith can play on the left side of either defence
or midfield and signed a two year contract with the Royals in July
2001 after his contract at Port Vale expired. Smith started his professional
career with Everton as a trainee in 1994 but never appeared for the
first team before moving to Swindon Town on a free transfer. Smith
then moved without fee to Chester and then Port Vale before signing
for the Royals. Smith has made over 100 league starts with five league
goals to his name before playing at Reading. Last season he found
it hard to win a regular first team start. |
| Ricky Allaway |
| Squad number |
27 |
| Position |
Defender |
| Signed from |
Trainee |
| Previous clubs |
- |
| More info |
Player who has graduated from the Royals academy
to become a squad member. Yet to break into the first team. Ricky
has been under plenty of media attention after his brother Shaun signed
for Leeds in 2000 in a big money deal. |
| Steve Warren |
| Squad number |
28 |
| Position |
|
| Signed from |
Trainee |
| Previous clubs |
- |
| More info |
Warren impressed during the 2002/2003 pre-season
friendlies, earning himself a squad number after playing in the academy
team. Yet to break into the first team, and should see himself on
the fringes during the coming season. |
Team
Management
| Alan Pardew |
| Position |
Team Manager |
| Previous clubs |
As a player: Yeovil, Crystal Palace, Charlton,
Tottenham, Barnet
As a manager: None |
| More info |
Alan Pardew became Reading FC manager on 13 October
1999, replacing Tommy Burns. Pardew had also been Reading manager
before - as caretaker manager in March 1998 when Bullivant was booted
out. Pardew managed one game as caretaker manager, a defeat, before
Burns arrived. Pardew, who's previous management experience had been
managing the Reading reserve side, has already put together a better
record for himself than either Bullivant or Burns could manage in
their short stays in charge. Pardew's first full season in charge
saw Reading reach the 2000/2001 Division Two play-off final. His second
full season saw automatic promotion from Division Two in 2001/2002.
Pardew is well settled in his job and should do enough to keep his
popularity during the coming season. |
| Kevin Dillon |
| Position |
Assistant Manager |
| Previous clubs |
As a player: Birmingham City, Portsmouth,
Newcastle, Reading, Stevenage
As a manager: None |
| More info |
Kevin Dillon took over from Martin Allen in December 2001 as assistant
manager under Alan Pardew. Like Pardew, Dillon's experience comes
primarily from managing Reading's reserve side. After a successful
playing career Dillon returned to Reading from Stevenage, where he
started as Youth Team manager before progressing to reserve team boss. |
|
