Burton the latest visitors to the SCL
The Royals return home on Saturday, with Rubén Sellés' side looking to make amends for last weekend's disappointing result away at Blackpool.
Burton Albion will be the opponents as we look to continue our strong home form in only our fifth league meeting against the Brewers.
As ever, your support of the team is absolutely necessary. So let's back the boys, make some noise, and cheer on our Royals as we look to get back to winning ways.
TICKETS
Tickets for this fixture can be purchased online, over the phone, or in-person at the Select Car Leasing Stadium Ticket Office.
GET YOUR BURTON ALBION TICKETS
Information on ticketing, including Google & Apple Wallets, Print-at-Home tickets, opneing hours and collections can all be found by following the link below.
CASHLESS STADIUM
A reminder that we now operate as a cashless stadium.
TRAVEL
You can find out all you need to know about getting to the SCL, car parking, and public transport by clicking the below link.
ROYALSTV
Click below to find out what audio and video passes are available in your region. A reminder this game cannot be accessed on RoyalsTV in the UK and Ireland.
Subscriptions are also on offer: Monthly audio passes cost £4.49, whilst overseas fans can get hold of monthly (£25) and seasonal (£170) video passes.
See our available subscriptions
PRE-MATCH ENTERTAINMENT
Win a copy of EA FC24 at the Big Quiz
The top three quizzers will win a copy of the brand-new FC24 on either Xbox or Playstation just a day after launch. The quiz gets underway at 2.40pm sharp, and you will need to sign up, which you can do now by clicking the button below.
Sign up for the Big Quiz to win
Send your Selfies
Take a snap and submit it using the link below to be displayed on the big screen.
Send your Selfies
Match Predictor with Rapidz
Guess the score of the game using the Rapidz Match Predictor and earn URZ tokens. Accumulate enough and you can exchange them for Reading-related prizes.
Predict the score and win URZ tokens
SCHOOLS AND GRASSROOTS FIXTURE
This fixture marks our first Schools and Grassroots match of the 2023-24 season. The widely successful scheme saw us welcome over 20,000 extra fans through the gates, with discounted tickets offered to local schools and football clubs.
Don't forget, you can vote for your school or club to be in with a chance to win a variety of different prizes. Use the link below for more information, and to get your vote in.
THE OPPOSITION
Burton find themselves just above the Royals in 19th place in League One, having picked up one win, and six points, from their nine matches in the competition to date.
The Brewers started their campaign will three straight defeats, before successive draws away to Wycombe and at home to Bolton saw them put some points on the board.
Defeats to Exeter City and Barnsley followed, before a difficult Tuesday night trip to Port Vale saw a change in fortunes. Despite having considerably less possession and shots, the Brewers picked up their first win with a 3-2 victory.
This started a run of three games unbeaten in all competitions coming in this game, including a 2-0 win midweek over Everton Under-21s in the EFL Trophy.
ONE TO WATCH: Max Crocombe
Having a good goalkeeper is a must in League One, so Crocombe being one of the Brewers top performers at the start of the season is good news for Burton fans.
Despite not being number one at the start of the season, the New Zealand international came off the bench midway through the first half in the defeat against Shrewsbury, and has retained his place since.
Since Crocombe assumed the position as starting goalkeeper, Burton's results have started to change. They have picked up all their positive results since the 30-year-old came into the side, with the Kiwi making 31 saves in just seven appearances.
He came through the Academy at Oxford United, before spells at Salford City and Carlisle United, as well as several non-league teams on loan. He moved down under in 2019, featuring for Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory, before moving back to England with Grimsby Town in 2021.
Crocombe joined the Brewers this summer, and will look to add to his three international caps after once again being called into the New Zealand squad for the upcoming international break alongside our very own Tyler Bindon.
Head-to-head
As already mentioned, there is a distinct lack of history between these two clubs with the first meeting coming in 2009.
This came in the League Cup, with the Royals certainly getting the better of the game that day in a 5-1 win. In Burton's first-ever League Cup appearance, David Mooney and Nicolas Bignall recorded braces, whilst Jimmy Phillips' consolation marked Albion's goal in the competition.
The two sides would have to wait until November 2016 for their next meeting, coming in the Championship. Reading were once again comfortable winners, with Dominic Samuel, Danny Williams, and a John Brayford own goal all contributing to a 3-0 win.
The Royals completed the double over the Brewers with a 4-2 win on the final day, but Burton picked up their first win against Reading the following season with a 2-1 away win in December 2017. Reading picked up their second win in as many years at the Pirelli Stadium with a 3-1 victory the following January.
REF WATCH
Sam Purkiss will be the man in charge of this fixture, marking his third League One match of this season, and the first including either of these sides.
In fact, this marks Purkiss' first time refereeing Reading's senior side. He has overseen four matches including the Royals Under-21s, with Sam Smith, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, and Tom Holmes all involved.
He has refereed three Burton Albion games in his career, which began taking charge of academy-level fixtures in the 2016-17 season.
Dean Treleaven and Adrian Tranter will be running the line, with James Vallance as the fourth official.
REMINDER
It is important to reiterate to our supporters that no matter the strength of feeling – and as a club we are fully aware and understand fans’ frustrations - it is unacceptable for any supporters to enter the field of play before, during or after the match or to throw missiles of any description onto the pitch.
We acknowledge that fans have the right to a voice and to make that voice heard, but any supporter protests which disrupt the running of a matchday or the club’s day-to-day operations, threaten to directly impact the staff, the players and other fans. Disruption to matchday operations can lead to significant penalties and fines for the club, which cannot possibly aid the club’s cause. Supporters in breach of the rules may also receive a criminal record or a banning order, so we would strongly advise against any supporter action which might bring the club into disrepute and impact the running of this weekend’s fixture.