The average age of the squad that lined up in three rows for our first team photo this season was 23 years, 2 months, 9 days.
The facts are plain for all to see - this is a very young group of players, featuring in first team football for the very first time in their careers in many, many cases.
And one way to remind ourselves of how young the current crop are is by putting their birthdates and placing them in context with all so recent Royals history! Many fans will remember being at many of the games listed below... and yet our first team stars were only babes in arms when the likes of Forster and Kitson, Williams and Gooding were battling for points in the blue and white hoops...
Back row:
Basil Tuma
Born: 24/04/2005
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers, Saturday 30th April 2005
Rohan Ricketts scored with six minutes remaining to deny Nick Forster’s lobbed opener anything at the Madejski. The Tottenham loanee cut inside Ibrahima Sonko to roll home a late winner for Glenn Hoddle’s men, leaving Steve Coppell’s Royals behind play-off chasing West Ham on goal difference going into the final game of the season.
Kelvin Abrefa
Born: 09/12/2003
First Royals match he was alive for: Stoke City 3-0 Reading, Saturday 13th December 2003
A Peter Hoekstra hat-trick proved Reading’s undoing at the Britannia Stadium in December 2003 – the Potters striker added a penalty kick to his two first half finishes to ease clear of the relegation zone.
Mamadi Camara
Born: 31/12/2003
First Royals match he was alive for: Preston North End 3-3 Reading, Saturday 3rd January 2004
North End scored five of the six goals in an entertaining FA Cup Third Round tie, but two were in their own net – meaning the cup clash would go to a replay in RG2 later that month. Shaun Goater had opened the scoring but a Ricardo Fuller brace forced a rematch which the Lilywhites would edge 2-1.
Matthew Carson
Born: 17/10/2002
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 3-1 Ipswich Town, Saturday 19th October 2002
Matty Carson had only just arrived in this world when Nicky Forster scored a treble at home to Ipswich Town to inflict Tony Mowbray’s first defeat in charge of the Tractorboys – the visitors finished the game with 10 men after Pablo Counago’s red card for a late challenge on Ady Williams.
Taylan Harris
Born: 30/10/2005
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday, Tuesday 1st November 2005
Just the day after Taylan was born, a goal from striker Dave Kitson sealed victory for the Royals against the Owls in RG2. Kitson had played a part in the opener which went down as a Glenn Whelan own goal in the end, but a home win took Steve Coppell’s side nine points clear of third-placed Watford.
Jeriel Dorsett
Born: 04/05/2002
First Royals match he was alive for: Derby County 3-0 Reading, Saturday 10th August 2002
Tivonge Rushesha
Born: 24/07/2002
First Royals match he was alive for: Derby County 3-0 Reading, Saturday 10th August 2002
Reading were back in the second tier after the drama of Griffin Park on the final day – but Alan Pardew’s men suffered a 3-0 away defeat at Derby on the opening day of the 2002-03 campaign; Rob Lee, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Malcolm Christie scored past Phil Whitehead for the recently relegated Rams at Pride Park. This was both Dorsett and Rushesha’s first Reading game on this Earth.
Ovie Ejaria
Born: 18/11/1997
First Royals match he was alive for: Leeds United 2-3 Reading, Tuesday 18th November 1997
On the very day Ovie was born, Reading were turning the tables on Leeds United at Elland Road. David Wetherall and Lee Bowyer had cancelled out Carl Asaba’s opener, but Martin Williams drew us level before Trevor Morley netted the winner with five minutes remaining as Reading played their final season at Elm Park.
Nesta Guinness-Walker
Born: 14/09/1999
First Royals match he was alive for: Bradford City 1-1 Reading, Tuesday 14th September 1999
It was a tale of two penalties at Valley Parade when the Royals took on the Bantams on the date of Nesta’s birth. Robbie Blake had rippled the net from 12 yards initially only for Darren Caskey to level from the spot in the second half and take the League Cup clash to a replay which was eventually decided…on penalties!
Caylan Vickers
Born: 22/12/2004
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 3-0 Watford, Sunday 26th December 2004
Before Christmas, Caylan was born. The day after Christmas, Reading romped to a memorable 3-0 Boxing Day victory over Watford in front of a packed Madejski Stadium. Sonko headed home an opener, Steve Sidwell added a second and Lloyd Owusu raised the roof when he capped off a superb counter attack with a bullet header to make it 3-0.
Jayden Wareham
Born: 13/05/2003
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 0-1 Wolves, Wednesday 14th May 2003
The day after our new young striker was born, Reading’s play-off hopes were dashed by noneother than future Royals coach Alex Rae. A 2-1 defeat at Molineux already had the Royals on the backfoot and Rae scored an 81st minute winner at the Madejski in the reverse leg to send Wolves, and Rae’s fellow midfielder Paul Ince, to Wales and a triumphant final against Sheffield United at the Millennium Stadium.
Michael Craig
Born: 16/04/2003
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 1-0 Nottingham Forest, Friday 18th April 2003
The play-off chase was on and Andy Hughes headed home Graeme Murty’s 76th minute cross against rivals Nottingham Forest to earn a vital victory at Madejski Stadium, a victory which moved the Royals four points clear of Forest.
Middle row:
Amadou Mbengue
Born: 05/01/2002
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 1-0 QPR, Saturday 5th January 2002
Amadou was clearly always destined to be a Royal – born on the same day as a 1-0 win in the battle of the hoops at the Madejski! Andy Hughes scored the only goal in front of 19,000 in RG2, taking Alan Pardew’s side level on points with Stoke City at the top of the table.
Charlie Savage
Born: 02/05/2003
First Royals match he was alive for: Stoke City 1-0 Reading, Sunday 4th May 2003
On loan from Crystal Palace, Adi Akinbiyi scored the only goal of the game on the final day of the 2002-03 campaign, securing Stoke City’s survival as the Royals pinned their hopes on a play-off semi-final against Wolves.
Sam Smith
Born: 08/03/1998
First Royals match he was alive for: Sheffield United 4-0 Reading, Saturday 14th March 1998
A goal at the very end of the first half was followed by a goal at the very start of the second as the Blades romped to a 4-0 home win over Reading in March 1998 – the Royals’ final season at Elm Park was ending dismally and Sam Smith was only days old so unable to make his impact for many years to come.
Clinton Mola
Born: 15/03/2001
First Royals match he was alive for: Wrexham 1-2 Reading, Saturday 17th March 2001
Lee Trundle was on target for the Welsh hosts, but a Martin Butler brace was enough to earn three points for Reading at the Racecourse Ground. In the Wrexham side that day was Royals recruitment guru Brian Carey.
Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan
Born: 23/04/2003
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 2-1 Grimsby Town, Saturday 26th April 2003
Who was a days old Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan inspired by goalscoring-wise when the Royals hosted Grimsby at the Madejski in April 2003? Glen Little was the first to find the net in just the second minute of the match before Andy Hughes doubled the Royals’ advantage midway through the half!
Coniah Boyce-Clarke
Born: 01/03/2003
First Royals match he was alive for: Wimbledon 2-0 Reading, Saturday 1st March 2003
Marcus Hahnemann stood between the sticks at Selhurst Park but he couldn’t keep out goals from Damien Francis and Alex Tapp as the Dons secured a 2-0 home win on the day Coniah Boyce-Clarke was born in March 2003.
David Button
Born: 27/02/1989
First Royals match he was alive for: Bristol Rovers 1-1 Reading, Wednesday 1st March 1989
Simple Minds were at no.1 in the charts, Rain Man had just been released and Ian Porterfield’s Reading drew 1-1 at Gerry Francis’ Bristol Rovers in a midweek meeting back in March 1989. Most of the squad were born before Finding Nemo was released, so David Button’s birthday gives us a rare glimpse of the late 1980s.
Joel Pereira
Born: 28/06/1996
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 1-0 Sheffield United, Saturday 17th August 1996
Bulgarian Bobby Mikhailov was the keeper for Reading on the opening day of the 1996-97 season and he kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 home win over Sheffield United that summer’s day. Jimmy Quinn scored the winner two minutes after the Royals had been reduced to ten men following Andy Bernal’s 80th minute dismissal.
Tyler Bindon
Born: 27/01/2005
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 1-2 Leicester City, Saturday 29th January 2005
Will Tyler remember when Reading bowed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Leicester City? No, he was only two days old. But many a Reading fan will remember Nicky Forster’s Fourth Round finish, Les Ferdinand making only his second start in blue and white hoops, Ricky Newman’s red card and a late winner from the head of James Scowcroft to send the Foxes through.
Thomas Holmes
Born: 12/03/2000
First Royals match he was alive for: Burnley 3-0 Reading, Saturday 18th March 2000
Ian Wright was on the scoresheet at Turf Moor in a 3-0 win over Reading back in March 2000, little less than a week after Tom Holmes arrived in the world. He would grow up as a Royals fan, a Royals player and even a Royals captain – and now he is considered an elder statesman of the squad despite only turning 23 earlier this year!
Femi Azeez
Born: 05/06/2001
First Royals match he was alive for: Burnley 3-0 Reading, Saturday 11th August 2001
Just as supporters last weekend will have learned, Blackpool is a long way away. And the opening day of the 2001-02 campaign earned Reading a 2-0 victory to sweeten the motorway drive home – Phil Parkinson and Nicky Forster scored the goals at Bloomfield Road.
Ben Elliott
Born: 05/11/2002
First Royals match he was alive for: Gillingham 0-1 Reading, Saturday 9th November 2002
Tony Rougier only scored six goals in Reading colours and one of those proved the winner at Priestfield back in 2002! Ben Elliot had been born on bonfire night that year and although Rougier left on loan for Brighton soon after scoring that match-winning goal, the fireworks continued for Alan Pardew’s men that season as Reading reached the play-off semi-finals.
Dominic Ballard
Born: 01/04/2005
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 0-0 Sheffield United, Saturday 2nd April 2005
No joke – Dom was born on April Fools Day in 2005. But there weren’t many smiles after an uneventful goalless draw the day after as Reading and Sheffield United played out a stalemate. The two teams locked horns to much more eventful scenes the following season of course…
Front row:
Lewis Wing
Born: 23/06/1995
First Royals match he was alive for: Gillingham 0-1 Reading, Saturday 12th August 1995
When Lewis Wing was only a nipper, Ady Williams was scoring goals for the Royals. The former skipper was on the scoresheet with Ray Wallace in a 1-1 draw at Stoke City on the opening day in 1995-96, casting off memories of a heartbreaking Wembley play-off final with a point on the board at the start of the new campaign.
Harvey Knibbs
Born: 26/04/1999
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 2-0 Millwall, Saturday 1st May 1999
The very first season at Madejski Stadium had begun with a 3-0 win over Luton. The last league game at our new home ended in a win too, just days after Harvey Knibbs had been born! Phil Parkinson and Stuart Gray scored first half goals to deny Millwall anything from a trip to Berkshire.
Sam Hutchinson
Born: 03/08/1989
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 3-3 Shrewsbury Town, Saturday 19th August 1989
Six goals kick started our 1989-90 campaign, but Reading were forced to share the points with Shrewsbury Town after a 3-3 opening day draw at Elm Park.
Andy Yiadom
Born: 02/12/1991
First Royals match he was alive for: Peterborough United 0-0 Reading, Saturday 7th December 1991
Gooding, Williams and Gilkes all started in this FA Cup Second Round encounter with the Posh, but no-one could find a breakthrough and Manchester United loanee Jim Leighton kept a clean sheet for the Royals. Reading would emerge victorious with a 1-0 win in the replay, earning Mark McGhee’s men a Third Round meeting with Bolton Wanderers.
Nelson Abbey
Born: 28/08/2003
First Royals match he was alive for: Wimbledon 0-3 Reading, Saturday30th August 2003
Nelson has been a Royal since a small child, learning under Mikele Leigertwood in our Academy and supporting from the stands as captain Jobi McAnuff made his mazy runs down the wing in blue and white hoops. Well both were playing against Reading in the week Abbey was born – Wimbledon losing 3-0 at home at the end of August 2003, courtesy of Andy Hughes and a Shaun Goater brace.
Harlee Dean
Born: 26/07/1991
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 0-1 Hull City, Saturday 17th August 1991
Just as Harlee entered the world wide-eyed and full of hope, Reading began the new season with similar optimism in the summer of 1991 – but a home defeat to Hull City brought the club back down to Earth on the opening day of the 1991-92 campaign. Reading went on to lose their opening four that season in fact, before breaking that pattern with a home win over Bury.
Tom McIntyre
Born: 06/11/1998
First Royals match he was alive for: Reading 3-3 Bournemouth, Saturday 7th November 1998
If anyone already knows what he Reading result was in the week he was born, it would be Tom McIntyre. Bleeding blue and white from the moment he arrived in the world, McIntyre would probably know that the first match he was alive for was a six-goal thriller; Darren Caskey, Martin Williams and Phil Parkinson were all on target in a 3-3 draw with Bournemouth at the Madejski.
Paul Mukairu
Born: 18/01/2000
First Royals match he was alive for: Barnet 1-2 Reading, Tuesday 18th January 2000
And the prolific Caskey was on target when new recruit Paul Mukairu was born the following season- this time in a 2-1 Football League Trophy win secured by an extra time winner from Keith Scott.
