TODAY WE HERE FROM STAR BOARD DEPUTY CHAIR, ROGER TITFORD:
TWO BIG EVENTS
There are two big events coming up in the STAR Calendar in the next month. On Thursday 28 February we have our first Fans Forum with new manager Jose Gomes. Judging from his media interviews he has strong views about football and doesn’t pull his punches so it should be a very interesting evening. The Forum starts at 8pm in the 1871 Suite. Entry is free, limited to STAR members but you can join at the door.
Then on Sunday 17 March we have the fourth set of inductions into STAR’s Reading FC Hall of Fame. There will be 25 new names, legends and great contributors to the life of the club, and several have indicated they will be there on the big night to receive their awards, say a few words and meet supporters. This year they span from the very first day of the club’s existence to men still playing today. Entry is free and open to all supporters. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start and it’s in the Princess Suite. The Tilehurst End, Community Trust and Collectors & Historians will all have stalls at the event – which will be a great opportunity to find out about all aspects of our club.
ONE NEW WEBSITE
It’s the same old address www.star-reading.org but a great new look and far more compatibility with mobile devices. Enormous thanks to STAR Board member Steve Benton who has project-managed this transition during the course of the season and to our retiring web-master Ian Holt who has curated the site since, it seems, the dawn of the internet age. We will be able to get more news out more quickly to members and supporters. Please take a look.
THREE OLD RIVALS
The research I did for my book ‘The Lost Years of Reading FC’ (our early history as an amateur club to 1895) highlighted the importance of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup as a competition. It was the first thing we ever won back in 1879 but surprisingly we have won it only twice more since – in 1892 and 1995. I went to Flackwell Heath to see our very young U23s win their quarter-final tie a few days ago. Also in the semi-finals this year are Marlow and Maidenhead, our great rivals for this cup back in the 1880s and 1890s! As Bill Shankly once said, “there’s nothing new in football”. It may not be the biggest task on our list but it’s always nice to win a trophy – here’s hoping.
ONE VITAL GAME
Today’s game against Rotherham certainly is the biggest task on the list – with the clubs separated only by goal difference at the foot of the table. Our home form has picked up and Nelson Oliveira’s late winner against Blackburn was a truly magnificent moment from the man in the mask. The support and noise behind the team at the end was great – let’s do it again. URZ!
