The Waiting's Nearly Over....

Last updated : 15 July 2003 By Rob Cooper
Jamie Cureton and John Madejski celebrate promotion to Division One
Jamie Cureton and John Madejski celebrate promotion to Division One at Griffin Park along with a gatcrasher (right)
Wednesday 14th May was a long time ago - two months ago yesterday to be exact. Yet that was the last time the Royals were in action.

But Reading fans who have been missing their football fix these past nine weeks at last have some relief. The Royals play Brentford tonight at Griffin Park in their first pre-season friendly as they prepare for the big kick-off on August 9th.

A summer without football will surely tempt many fans to make the short trip into London for the 7.45pm kick off, but many more will travel in order to return to the site of possibly the club's greatest ever triumph sixteen months ago. After all, Griffin Park is Reading Football Club's Lourdes.

At 4.35pm, as Reading played Brentford, on Saturday 20th April 2002 Jamie Cureton calmly flicked a delicate lob over Bees goalkeeper Paul Smith to square the game at 1-1. A nervous quarter of an hour followed, which saw every fingernail bitten into non-existense, but the Royals somehow managed to hold onto the draw to earn the point that won them promotion to Division One.

Hero of the hour Jamie Cureton sadly will not be making the return to Griffin Park tonight, having agreed a deal that will take him to Korean side Busan Icons. Sammy Igoe, Anthony Rougier, Adi Viveash and Phil Whitehead, all heroes of that promotion winning season, will also not be involved having left the club over the summer months.

However, there could be a debut for winger Scott Murray who last week signed for a fee of £650,000 from Bristol City. Save an appearance from an up-and-coming academy star, there will be no more debuts tonight as the Royals have signed just one player thus far.

Jamie Ashdown should play in goal for Reading as number one Marcus Hahnemann is only just back in training. USA goalkeeper Marcus only returned to training on Monday having been given extra time off by Alan & Kev due to his Confederations Cup-filled summer. England schoolboy international Jamie Young could feature in goal in the second half.

Steve Sidwell is expected to play against his former side. The England Under 21 man, now of course with the Royals, spent the 2001-02 season on loan at Griffin Park and played against Pardew's side in the fateful promotion decider.

Nicky Forster will not feature, however. The 29-year-old, who has been Reading's top scorer in each of the past two years, is yet to fully get over an ankle ligament injury sustained in the first leg of last season's Play-Off game against Wolves.

Brentford, now managed by Willy Downes, are expected to be at full strength. However, Downes may choose to give games to trialists Brent Rahim and Paul Geddes. Martin Rowlands, who scored against the Royals last time the two sides met will not feature as he has since left the London side.

Whether this season is to end in promotion, relegation or something in between for Reading this is where it all begins.