Reading's 2012-13 Premier League campaign; what does Zingarevich's takeover mean? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

On Tuesday newly-promoted Reading announced that Thames Sports Investment has completed a 51 per cent buyout of the club. The new owners, led by Russian businessman Anton Zingarevich, are rumoured to be ready to spend the required revenue to help the Royals compete in the English top-flight, and ensure their return to the big time is not on a temporary basis.

McDermott's Reading - worthy champions?

The world's best division (TM me, all rights reserved) certainly did not disappoint this season, offering all kinds of twists and turns, finally resulting in a triumphant return to the Premier League promised land for Reading, Southampton, and West Ham.

Newly promoted Reading are ready to launch an ambitious move for Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole who has spent the last season on-loan at French outfit Lille.
The former Chelsea midfielder still has two years left on his contract at Liverpool but his future is certainly up in the air after the owners of the club made the decision to part company with Kenny Dalglish.

With the European Championships getting closer by the day, Reading full-back Ian Harte believes his hopes of playing for the Republic of Ireland again are drifting away.
The 34-year-old has been a loyal servant to his country over the years, since his glory days with Leeds United, playing football in the Champions League a decade ago.

Npower Championship 2011/2012: Promotion and Relegation Review - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The 2011-12 Championship league fixtures have come to an end and finally the automatic promotion positions have been confirmed. However, at the other end of the table, the relegation picture had been clear for some time.

By Chris Wright

After an incredible late surge of form that has seen them claim 46 points from their last 51 and stream up the table over the past couple of months, Mikele Leigertwood's goal in last night's 1-0 win over Forest (results elsewhere also rendered Forest unrelegateable, YEEHAA!

By Chris Wright

After an incredible late surge of form that has seen them claim 46 points from their last 51 and stream up the table over the past couple of months, Mikele Leigertwood's goal in last night's 1-0 win over Forest (results elsewhere also rendered Forest unrelegateable, YEEHAA!

By Chris Wright

"Quick Robin, to the Bat Cave!"

A week after coming off the bench and scoring two goals in the last five minutes to sink Leeds, Adam 'The Melt' Le Fondre knocked in another couple of late'ns after coming off the bench at St Mary's last night to send Reading three-points clear of Southampton at the top of the pile.

Photo by Joe Toth/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

Despite some concern earlier this week, it turns out Liverpool will have the full services of forward Craig Bellamy at its disposal Sunday in the Carling Cup final against Cardiff City.

Bellamy, who leads Liverpool this season with six Premier League goals, missed last weekend's F.

By Chris Wright

After all that fannying around with Alan Curbishley, Brian McDermott, Walter Smith, etc, Wolves have formally announced that Terry Connor, Mick McCarty's former assistant, has been appointed as manager for the remaining 13 games of the season which, you can safely assume, wasn't the plan when they sacked Mick a fortnight ago.

It now seems unlikely that Wolves will have their new manager in placed when Newcastle play them on Saturday at St. James' Park. Terry Connor likely to be in charge of Wolves on Saturday It seems that their approaches to Reading manager Brian McDermott and Brighton manager Gus Poyet have come to nothing.

Wolves are still interviewing for a new manager to replace the fired Mick McCarthy. Brian McDermott interviewed for Wolves position News today that Wolves have put both Reading manager Brian McDermott and Brighton's Gus Poyet on their list of candidates to be the new boss of the Premier League side, who are currently 3rd [.

One of this website's latest followers on Twitter, Simeon F. W. Pickup states his interests as ‘Reading FC, Atheism, Labour. In that order.' Although Ed Miliband's negligible impact on the polls may have something to do with his party being relegated behind Brian McDermott and Richard Dawkins in Simeon's thinking, I did read this as tongue in cheek.

Okay, if the next England manager has to be English, who do we choose? Here are some of the English manager currently employed as football managers (seems like a good filter), in order of preference (some rational, some not):

Alan Pardew hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Lee Clark knows how to win, was a good player, should be a dark horse, but ideally would have managed and succeeded in the Premiership.

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Reading v Swansea: Championship 2011 Playoff Final Preview is a post from: Just Football

On Monday, Swansea City and Reading will compete in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium for the right to play in the Premier League next season. Both clubs have sold out their allocations for this match, which is worth tens of millions of pounds to the victor the precise value tends to increase every time somebody reports it.

Reading v Swansea: Championship 2011 Playoff Final Preview is a post from: Just Football

On Monday, Swansea City and Reading will compete in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium for the right to play in the Premier League next season. Both clubs have sold out their allocations for this match, which is worth tens of millions of pounds to the victor the precise value tends to increase every time somebody reports it.

It is back to the drawing board for Cardiff City following their second successive failure in the Championship playoffs.

The Bluebirds' 3-0 aggregate defeat to Reading in last week's semi-final was a bitter pill to swallow for the supporters, particularly with their side still well in with a shout of automatic promotion just days before the season finale.

Inspired by our rediscovery of Neil Shipperley, and his subsequent inclusion on our Top 10 fattest football managers list, here's a group of personalities who have undergone quite a transformation. 1. Neil Shipperley Where better to start than the man who planted the seed from which this list grew? Don't get us wrong, the ex-Southampton, [.

Liverpool are lining up a shock summer move for Reading striker Shane Long.
The Republic of Ireland international was named Reading's Player of the Season after scoring 21 Championship goals this season, helping Brian McDermott's side into the play-offs.
Reading take on Cardiff tomorrow in the first leg of their play-off semi-final and Long is expected to start up front.

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Reading manager Brian McDermott has hailed the Irish striker partnership of Noel Hunt and Shane Long after they secured a 2-1 Championship win over Millwall at the Madejski Stadium last night.
Waterford born Hunt broke the deadlock three minutes in and even though Millwall equalised through Neil Harris, Long claimed the winner in the 55th-minute.