Reading

Stoke sign Reading defender Sonko
Reading defender Ibrahima Sonko has joined Premier League new boys Stoke City on a three-year deal for £2m. The Senegalese centre-back joined the Royals from Brentford in 2004 and played a big part in their Championship-winning season in 2005/06. The 27-year-old told Radio Stoke: "I was really happy when my agent told me that Stoke were interested. "Every player wants to play in the Premier League so when Stoke gave me the opportunity I couldn't say no." The fee for the international could rise to £2.25m depending on appearances and the Potters' future success. The centre-half was injured during their first Premier League campaign and was in and out of the side last season. He was suspended for two weeks after a breach of club discipline in May and in June said he wanted to leave although he has started this season in the side. "As much as I love Reading it was time for me to leave and join the big boys again," said Sonko. "I already know some of the guys at Stoke so they should make me feel welcome straight away. "Hopefully will all the new signings Stoke can enjoy a long time in the Premier League." Sonko is currently Reading's top scorer after finding the net twice against Plymouth two weekends ago and then getting another goal before collecting a red card at Charlton last Saturday.

Downes hails Reading turnaround
Reading coach Wally Downes says the 6-0 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday will help the team learn where they have been going wrong in other games. The Royals maintained their 100% home record, but they are yet to win away from the Madejski Stadium. Downes told Radio Berkshire: "We're not worried about how well they can play, it's how often they play well. "Coming off a bad game, to put in a good performance has made the players realise where they were going wrong." He added that having gone in at half-time leading 3-0, he was impressed with how the team kept up the momentum. "It's a funny scoreline because you know the opposition will be stung - they're professionals and their pride has been hurt - and it's normally not as good in the second half. "So to come out and perform as we did for the first 15 minutes of the second half, well that broke its back." Reading are now fourth in the Championship table, six points behind leaders Wolves. Downes said: "Ideally you'd be top all season and win every game, but that's not going to happen. We're nicely positioned where we are now."

League says no to Watford replay
The Football League has said there is no chance that Saturday's game between Watford and Reading will be replayed. Assistant referee Nigel Bannister mistakenly awarded Reading's first goal in the 2-2 draw after the ball had gone wide of the post. Royals boss Steve Coppell said he would not object to a replay but Watford said they were not seeking another game. The League's chief operating officer Andy Williamson confirmed the decision to award the goal was final. "The laws of the game give no discretion in these matters," said Williamson. "The referee's decision regarding whether a goal is scored or not is final and binding. "Given this explicit position, the League cannot intervene." The 'goal' was registered as an own goal by Watford's John Eustace. He thought his side had been given a goal-kick after a corner had hit him and gone out of play before being hooked back in by Reading's Noel Hunt. Assistant referee Bannister advised referee Stuart Atwell to give the goal, to the horror of the Watford players. Before the League made their statement, Coppell had said: "We don't want to be seen to be taking advantage of anything. I have sympathy with Watford and I really don't know what to say to make it right." However, Royals keeper Marcus Hahnemann had told BBC Radio 5 Live that he believed replaying the game would set a dangerous precedent. For their part Watford said they wanted to know if the yellow cards given to their players in the row following the decision to give the goal would stand. The Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOB) released a statement after reviewing the incident. "It is clear that the ball did not cross the goal-line between the goalposts," it said. "According to the Laws of the Game, the decision of the referee, regarding facts connected with play are final and that includes whether a goal is scored or not. "The referee cannot change that decision once the game has been restarted. "Football is a human game played at a fast pace where mistakes are made by players and match officials alike. "We regret this error of judgement and will now work with the officials concerned to determine how this occurred in an attempt to minimise such mistakes in the future." Former Premier League referee Graham Poll said the decision was inexplicable and had sympathy for the Watford players and manager, Aidy Boothroyd, who was sent to the stands after remonstrating with the officials. Poll told BBC Radio 5 Live: "This is the most bizarre situation I've ever seen in 40 years watching football and 27 years refereeing. "I heard about it then watched the highlights thinking 'it can't be how it's described', but it is. He (Bannister) has got a clear view of it. It's completely inexplicable. "The referee must be respected, obviously, but in such circumstances, as a player, how do you not lose your temper?" After the match, Boothroyd told BBC London 94.9: "I went to see the referee and in fairness to him, although he wasn't brilliant today, you can't blame him if there's a guy in his ear telling him it's a goal. "The linesman has decided it's a goal. I've asked him about it and he said it was an optical illusion. "I saw the ball go out for a goal-kick and my centre-half has put his hand up and asked for the goal-kick and for some strange reason a goal has been given." Boothroyd rejected the idea that the Reading players should have allowed Watford to score following the error. "I don't expect players to take things into their own hands. It's not up to them," he added. "If someone stops you in a car park and gives you a present you don't say no do you?" Watford's players failed to get the decision changed after confronting the referee and linesman Watford's players confront the officials after the controversial goal Coppell also played down the emphasis on the players to take action. "The responsibility is not with the opposition to right a wrong. It is up to the officials to get it as right as they can," said Coppell. Reading winger Stephen Hunt was bemused by the decision but tried to alleviate the blame from referee Atwell. Hunt said: "It was a screamer! No, it was probably the worst decision I have ever witnessed. "We can't do anything about it. It's not our mistake, but what can you do? You can't say 'no ref, it wasn't in'. "He seemed all right. He's a young referee. But after this he'll probably be sitting at home next week. "I've had him before and he's been all right. It was just a bad day at the office. He talks, he respects you and you respect him. "I can understand Watford's frustration, but everyone makes mistakes."

Reading complete deal for Antonio
Reading have signed 18-year-old forward Michail Antonio from Ryman Premier League club Tooting & Mitcham United. Antonio, who joins the Championship side for an undisclosed fee, has signed a contract that will keep him at the Madejski Stadium until 2010. Reading director football Nicky Hammond said: "Michail has never really had any professional involvement with a club. "We are hoping that working with him on a day-to-day basis will help him quickly improve as a footballer." Antonio caught the attention of Reading after scoring four goals in six games for Tooting this season. He was then brought in on trial and impressed after playing for half an hour of the reserves' 4-0 win against Brighton earlier this month.

Reading's Hunt wins monthly award
Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt has been named the Championship's player of the month for December. Hunt's good form has helped the Royals climb to second in the table, just four points behind leaders Wolves. Reading chalked up five straight wins, and Hunt netted his eighth goal of the season in the victory against Norwich. Leicester City striker Matty Fryatt was named League One's player of the month and in League Two, the award went to Brentford midfielder Marcus Bean. Hunt claimed his award ahead of Cardiff's Jay Bothroyd, Crystal Palace's Patrick McCarthy and Swansea's Jason Scotland. The other contenders for Fryatt's League One honour were Huddersfield's Gary Roberts, Peterborough's Aaron McLean and Tranmere's Antony Kay. Meanwhile, Bean was chosen in League Two ahead of Aldershot's Kirk Hudson, Dagenham & Redbridge's Paul Benson and former Macclesfield striker Martin Gritton, who has subsequently joined Chesterfield.

Fae makes Nice switch permanent
Midfielder Emerse Fae has left Reading to make his loan stay at Nice a permanent move, for an undisclosed fee. The 25-year-old Ivorian signed for Reading from Nantes in 2007 but was unable to hold down a regular first-team place, starting only six games. He returned to France at the start of this season to play for Nice, who have now taken up their option to buy him. Royals director of football Nicky Hammond said: "Sometimes for one reason or another it doesn't work out." "He is a good player and has gone to a good club. The deal suits both parties and we wish him all the best," he said.

Reading's Bossman moves to Woking
Woking have completed the signing of teenage Reading striker Kelvin Bossman on a work-experience arrangement. The 18-year-old, who went to school with Cards striker Charlie Moone, will stay with the Blue Square Premier side until the end of the season. Woking boss Phil Gilchrist told Southern Counties Radio: "Kelvin Bossman is a big, strong, mobile centre-forward. "He has looked good in training and has fitted in really well." Bossman played for Ghana in the Under-17 World Cup in 2007.

Loss steels McDermott's resolve
Royals boss Brian McDermott had to deal with the disappointment of a home defeat to QPR on Friday night, and it is not an emotion that rests easy with the manager. Brian prides himself on giving our home supporters excitement and most importantly positive results. On Friday we came up against a QPR side that looks odds-on for the Premier League, but despite the visitors' obviously quality, the boss always want us to give the best possible performance for our fans. He said, "We don't get beat here very often and we want to make sure it doesn't happen often, it's not a good feeling. "There's plenty of points to play for. It's a tough month, Cardiff, QPR, Norwich, but we have to do better. In the second half of the QPR game we didn't make the 'keeper work enough. "I look at the Cardiff game, we played some really good stuff, but not so much against QPR. We didn't take up the best positions in the second half." Our home record under Brian is very good, and it was only our third home League defeat of the season, a second loss in 16 games overall. He continued, "We go back to how we play, we play with pace and width. The pitch isn't great for running with the ball at the moment, but that's not an excuse, it is what it is, the same for both sides. "It's been a difficult week for us to take, Cardiff got a point off us in the 97th minute and QPR had one shot and scored. Newcastle did the same thing last season, had two shots and won the game. We have to learn from it. If it's only going to be 0-0 then fine. "We've had a really horrible couple of moments, I don't know any other way to describe them. From what should have been a fantastic result at Cardiff, it turned into carnage. We've been charged with three things, Ledge has got a three-match ban and that's come off the back of the referee's decision late on. If we'd won that game, I'm convinced we'd have beaten QPR as well. "Their team cost a lot of money to put together. We're a growing team, we're learning. We have to take it on the chin and move on to Norwich next week." The boss will take the opportunity to use the weekend for important family time, saying, "When you lose it's usually a horrible weekend. But my daughter is going to Australia for a year next week so I'll spend time with her and the family. I'll very much look forward to doing that after these two games!"

View Full Version: Reading