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Tarpaulin:


MADJESKI STADIUM



Reading - Madejski Stadium
Website - http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/   
Unofficial Sites:
Hob Nob Anyone?

Squad Profile
To see a full squad list and details CLICK HERE

Address: Reading FC, Madejski Stadium, Junction 11, M4, Reading, RG2 0FL
Telephone: 0118 968 1100
Fax: 0870 999 1001
Tickets: 0870 999 1871
Clubcall:
Capacity: 24,200
Away end: up to 2,327

Fixtures
For Reading's remaining fixtures CLICK HERE

DIRECTIONS
For a street map of the area & the ground click here

Getting to Madejski Stadium is extremely simple with excellent links to all transport networks.

By Road
From Junction 11 of the M4, follow signs towards Reading. The Madejski Stadium is well sign-posted and is on your left-hand side after less than a mile.

By Rail
The nearest rail station is Reading around two miles away. From there take a bus/taxi to the stadium.

By Bus
Catch the number 79 "Football Special" bus from outside the main railway station (also called the Reading Station Shuttle). If you walk out of the main entrance you'll see buses leaving from just along opposite the road entrance to the Three Guineas Station pub (stop SQ). Number 79 buses run every 15 minutes from a couple of hours before the kick-off and take roughly 15 minutes to get to the ground. The number 79 bus service is shared between home and away fans travelling to and from the ground from town. The return journey leaves frequently after the final whistle from the layby down the hill away from the North side of the ground.

Adult single £2.50, Child single £1.00, Adult reurn £3.00, Child return £1.50.

By Taxi
Black cabs can be found at the large taxi rank outside Reading Train Station and should cost around £9 to get to the stadium. Allow a little longer than the bus as they can't use the bus lanes in Reading.

By Air
The nearest airport is London Heathrow. From there, you can take the RailAir bus direct to Reading train station and then a bus.



Parking

Foster Wheeler, Shinfield Park, 500 spaces
Free
This involves a short bus ride to and from the stadium. Fares on return bus shuttle are £3 adult return and £1.50 child return.
Directions: from J11, M4, take exit B3270 (signposted Earley) and follow yellow signs to "Match Reading FC Park & Ride ".
This is the best option for away supporters.

Greyhound Stadium, 500 spaces
£6 per car
Three minutes walk to the stadium.
Directions: from J11, M4, proceed towards Reading along the A33 dual carriageway, past the Madejski Stadium and past B&Q retail park. Straight ahead at traffic lights on gyratory roundabout, past Green Park turning and take the next left. Normally full 1 hour before kick off.

HP Invent - Imperial Way, 900 spaces
£7 per car
Five minutes walk to the stadium.
Directions: from J11, M4 motorway, drive towards Reading along the A33 dual carriageway, turn right at the 1st roundabout. Normally full 30 minutes before kick off.

Terranova Crane, Bennet Road, 200 spaces
£7 per car
Five minutes walk to the stadium. The car park is on Bennet Road, opposite the Jaguar garage.

Thoughts

This will be our first visit to the Madejski Stadium. We've never faced Reading in our history which given they were formed in 1871 and we followed in 1892 is pretty remarkable. As such we also missed out on a visit to their old stadium Elm Park which Reading left after 102 years in 1998. If you want a bit of history though pop along to the Spread Eagle pub which sat directly opposite the turnstiles for the home end - the walls are still covered in Reading memorabilia and they run a free bus to Saturday games.

The Madejski itself is a modern bowl which last season was apparently voted the best stadium in Europe with a capacity below 30,000! The design allows the outside of the stadium, the inner concourse with bars and food outlets and the entrances into the seating area to all be on the same level, giving superb disabled access.

The town of Reading has expanded rapidly with the IT and insurance services ranking highly among local employers. It's also an important computer town for London being only 25 minutes from Paddington by train. Heathrow is 35 minutes down the motorway on a good day. With the boom in economic fortunes the centre has undergone a rapid transformation and what once was an arid wasteland when it came to entertainment is now filled with the same chain pubs you'd see in most towns and cities.

The traditional rivalry for Reading's fans has been with Swindon and Oxford. The fanzine was named The Whiff after the horrible smell which emanated from the sewerage works in south Reading, which if the wind was blowing in the wrong direction engulfed the Madejski. Thankfully a new sewerage works opened in 2004 alleviating this pungent problem.



Pub Guide and extras
The Madejski is situated in the south of Reading near the M4 in an industrial estate. As a result pubs nearby are extremely limited and there's no designated away pub for a pre-match sing-along. The closest pubs within walking distance are the Post House (which you won't get in) and the Harvester on Basingstoke Road (the old A33) which is more of a family pub.

You are far better off drinking in the town centre before jumping a bus/taxi to the stadium. Be warned though that most pubs in the town centre are very strict as regards to colours, so unless you cover up well be prepared to get turned away. There's the usual range of chain pubs within 5 minutes walk of the train station. For further information on Reading pubs try:

http://www.readingpubs.co.uk

Away Fans:
Away fans are located in the South Stand (turnstile gates 9 & 10) behind one goal: capacity up to 2,327. Underneath the seating bowl you'll find concourse bars serving food and ale. The Madejski is a new stadium with an all-seater fully covered bowl. Views, comfort and leg room are all excellent.

N.B. Smoking is not permitted in the South Stand and smokers are not permitted to leave or re-enter the Stand.

South Stand: Adults £39, 17-21 or Over 65 £31, 13-16 year olds £25, 12 and under £20

Official Programme £-.--

Stadium Plan

Click on image to enlarge.





Disabled Facilities:
For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) CLICK HERE

mathewwales:
iv driven past the stadium but never really looked at the parking is there many spaces available or anyone recomend somewere to park there

js2212:
Parking is absolutly dreadful, people just park on the sides of the roads which the local traffic wardens love. I actually work in Reading ind if you want to park close to the ground (10mins walk) ask someone for directions to Gillette. I work there and we have a small car park in front of our building which is always covered by cctv, we don't charge anything for parking.

If you need the full street address for sat-navs pm me and i'll message you with it

Johnny

Ashfordian:
Thoughts from people that went yesterday?

Emlyn18:
Found it dead easy to park by the ground then walked about 2 mins down the road to Holiday inn where there was a decent size boozer on the side. Was quite pricey but was only there for 3 or 4 pints so was sound. Only short walk from ground to.

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