Hob Nob Anyone? Reading FC Match Previews

MATCH PREVIEW: 2002/2003 Season

10 August 2002: LEAGUE DIVISION ONE DERBY COUNTY (AWAY)
when and where	Saturday 10 August 2002 Kick-Off: 15:00 Pride Park Stadium, Derby, DE24 8XL
ticket information	Tickets in advance only from the Reading FC ticket office. Tickets go on sale to season ticket holders on Wednesday 24 July. Tickets are then available to RFSC members from the following Monday and go on general sale the day after. Reading have an initial allocation of 3,000 seats. Adults: £20 Concessions: £10 Children: £1 To buy your ticket please call the ticket office on 0118 968 1000.
travel, food, beer	Car Exit the M1 at Junction 25 and take the A52 Derby direction. Eventually the ground is sign-posted down this road. Follow signs for car parking. Expect to pay about £5 for parking at the ground. Train Pride Park is a fifteen minute from Derby's main station. There are bars and food outlets at the ground. Failing that there are a couple of half decent pubs near the station if arriving by train.
teams	Reading From: Whitehead, Murty, Williams, Viveash, Whitbread, Mackie, Shorey, Watson, Salako, Hughes, Harper, Smith, Igoe, Parkinson, Rougier, Henderson, Forster, Butler, Cureton.
previous meetings	Reading wins: 7 Draws: 3 Derby wins: 4 Last time the two sides met was back in the 1995/1996 season in Division One with the sides each earning three points at home: 1995/1996 Season 13 Jan 96: Derby County 3 Reading 0 (Division One) 19 Aug 95: Reading 3 Derby County 2 (Division One)
form	The start of the brand new Division One season. Reading newly promoted and Derby newly relegated. Latest First Division Table And Results >>
predictions	A nice away draw to start the season in style. What do you think? Enter your Prediction now >>
web links	RAMSNet http://www.wheaty.co.uk/ramsnet.html Internet Football Ground Guide http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/park/yfh45/derby.htm

FANS' OPINION
dean howarth	I will wake up tomorrow and the first thing that will enter my head will be the above at Pride Park about 2.50pm, when things are really buzzing and we are singing our hearts out for the lads! In my opinion Derby will win the league this year. They have very good 1st division talent in people like Rob Lee, Warren Barton & Branco Strupar and in Malcolm Christie they have a potential full international. I am hugely disappointed we haven't bought close season. I know about ITV digital etc but in midfield I think we will be overrun by a number of teams. I would have thought that people like Merson, Ince & co would have enjoyed the prospect of playing at the Mad Stad and I think particularly someone like Ince would have been our missing link. An assessment of our current midfielders : Watson - Great passer, a little slow Igoe - Has great positional sense and gives the team balance and creates opportunities Salako - Shows class occasionally and can be a threat Rougier - I predict another disappointing campaign and the usual comparisons with Mass Sarr! Tony is average at best. Parkinson - Still could play a part against weaker sides but will be exposed against the good clubs Hughes - Energetic - other than that I think he has enormous flaws and gives the ball away ALL the time (Why he is such a fans favourite is beyond me!) Harper - A bit like Hughes but with some skill evident. Still runs around like a headless chicken too much but could be good this year. Gamble - Has shown he could be a decent 1st division footballer Put yourself in Dave Jones, John Gregory's, Micky Adams, or Gary Mcallister's shoes - SERIOUSLY, WOULD ANY OF THOSE GIVE YOU ANY WORRIES? The answer is an emphatic NO! Let's finish on a positive - Team spirit is good, we have quality players especially up front and in defence. We could on a good day turn over Derby. My team for tomorrow would be: (Right to left each time) (4-5-1) WHITEHEAD MURTY, MACKIE, WILLIAMS, SHOREY FORSTER, IGOE, WATSON, PARKINSON, SALAKO BUTLER Come on URZ!
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