Match Thread Reading away Saturday 3rd October

I have a feeling he’ll be third choice, Kelly is the only one of the keepers that they’ve called up that isn’t a first team regular. Gunn has been conceding for fun and Bain has kept one clean sheet all season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see McCracken start at least once.

 

They don't play the micky mouse trophy or rounds 1 and 2 of the FA cup. That said, I'd happily bin the trophy off; it may have good financial implications (if you do well), but I don't see it as enough of a benefit. Personally, I don't think it will last forever, and if it wasn't for some big clubs getting to the final in recent years, then I think it would have been called into question before now.

 

Been going since 1984 in various forms, can’t see it finishing anytime soon, in fact it’s getting a new sponsor.

 

Well said. Then there is no argument.

 

There needs to be a much bigger incentive to winning it. A few hundred grand and a Wembley day out is not enough.

 

I think with the lack of reserve team football which I used to go watch at VP (anyone remember Robbie Whellans?), competitions like the Trophy and the league cup give teams a chance to play fringe players and youngsters in something resembling competitive football.

 

For all the lack of inventive the big premiership teams tend to always sell out no matter what round and one of the big clubs pretty much always wins it.

 

Well the other way is also not fair ie all clubs play regardless of those who are missing. In my view we have too many cup competitions, cancel a couple of them. That would help with the fixtures. Other countries don’t have seem to have this problem or do they.

 

Sorry I meant the Vertu trophy needs more incentive.
Winning the EFL cup gets you into Europe and for the lower end of the PL / top of Champ that should be incentive enough

 

I don't think other countries have such large professional league structures where the lower end are signing foreign international players. Our top two leagues manage to have the weekends off, Premier league due to less teams and Championship due to less cup matches. In theory getting rid of League Trophy would free up three games for every club and more for others so that alone should allow for international windows to be closed

 

Oh I don't disagree, it's more thinking of ways to have an international break like the top two flights and something would have to give. There is now only 1 game scheduled to go ahead on the 26th September, just seems bonkers to me.

 

What’s the latest date this can be postponed?

 

The deadline for home clubs to request a postponement is five days before the fixture, while away teams must give notice at least seven days in advance.

 

It stinks that it could be postponed as late as Tuesday meaning some fans will be out of pocket on travel plans.
The thought process for fans, especially away fans is just not there and they don’t care.

 

Do we know the identity of the Reading player and his country we are waiting on before it gets postponed?

 

According to my chat gpt…
As of 18 September, I’d watch these:

• Jeriel Dorsett — Montserrat . He’s the big one. He’s a regular Reading defender this season (six appearances), and already a Montserrat senior international. If Montserrat select him for this window, that should be a qualifying call-up.
• Andy Rinomhota — Zimbabwe . Another established senior international and Reading regular. We need firm confirmation of his final status for this specific international window rather than provisional/possible selection.
• Liam Fraser — Canada . He’s played five times for Reading this season and has senior Canada caps. Again, the key is whether Canada actually select him for this window.
• Charlie Savage — Wales is another name worth watching because of his previous Wales involvement, although a call-up isn’t something I’d currently assume.
• 
  
• Liam Fraser — NOT called up. Canada announced its 26-man squad on 15 September for the entire September/October window, and Fraser isn’t in it. So we can effectively cross him off the danger list.
  
  Jeriel Dorsett — still the important one. Montserrat have four Nations League matches during the window, including 1 October and 6 October, which would definitely clash with Reading–Bradford. However, the current official Concacaf roster page does not list Dorsett. Interestingly, some current squad databases do list him, so I’m not yet treating this as settled until the final match squad is clear.
  
  So at the moment, there hasn’t been a new Reading call-up that pushes them closer to three. Fraser being omitted from Canada actually reduces the risk compared with where we thought we were a few days ago.
  
  I’ll keep a particularly close eye on Dorsett and Rinomhota. If Dorsett is formally called up, that’s the development that matters most.
  
  

 

This the latest I could find on line .
Bradford City are currently awaiting official confirmation on whether their upcoming fixture against Reading FC will go ahead or be postponed due to international call-ups.

 

There is a possible call up to Jamacia today for Kyreece Lisbie but they also have a player, Jamie Reid, who is on stand by for Northern Ireland. Not sure if either fits the criteria for the game to be called off due to what they have played this year.