The Tilehurst End - A Reading FC Podcast

The Whitley Bowl is open and Ben is there, but not in the Dolan! Ross picks his brain on Reading’s return to a packed stadium for a pre-season clash with Tottenham Hotspur. The pair discuss the performance against the Europa League champions and touch on the clashes with Gillingham and Swindon Town.

A big mailbag includes chat about what Reading still need before the season starts, and what’s yet to emerge among this squad.

Thanks ...

The Royals get a rare Berkshire away day as they kick off their pre-season schedule at Hungerford Town. Constant away-dayer and stalwart editor of The Tilehurst End Simeon Pickup joins the pod for his yearly visit to discuss the trip and a 5-1 victory for the Royals courtesy of a young lineup.

Plus, Reading sign three players in a week! Ross analyses what Mark O’Mahony, Finley Burns and Matty Jacob could bring to the team. Meanwhil...

The boys are back in town, and Ben and Ross are here too. The pair discuss the returning players who have signed new contracts, and ponder whether the club could have done more by this stage of the summer.

Could the Royals start the new season with a centre-back pair of Paudie O'Connor and Michael Stickland, or are more reinforcements needed?

Plus, Reading have a new investor on the board, and a large mailbag sees the boys big up H...

The new home kit drops, Reading sign Paudie O’Connor and Joel Pereira is staying! The Royals are acting like a real football club, and there’s a lot for Ben and Ross to talk about. 

In the middle section, Reading FC retail store manager Dale Why pops on to answer questions about the home kit launch.

Recap: 5:00 Dale Why Interview: 28:45 Mailbag: 52:45

Thanks as always to our friends at ZCZ Films for sponsoring the pod! Thank you...

New Reading FC owner Rob Couhig joins the podcast! Just hours removed from a flight from Louisiana, Rob gives fascinating insight on his history in sport, his plans for the matchday experience and his excitement about the upcoming months. 

The boys ask about Rob’s thoughts on the academy and the Women’s team, and learn more about Disco Demolition night.

Plus, Ross and Ben get to the bottom of the most important mystery out there: j...

With the dust settling on both the 2024/25 season and the Dai Yongge era, Ben and Ross decide it’s time for a look back at the season as a whole, and do some redecorating of their own…

In a deluxe pod, the boys discuss the off-field events in the first half, including the key moments in the season-long sale saga. In the second half, Ross takes us through some key games during the season and the tactics that defined them. 

Thanks as...

Ben and Ross spend an afternoon enjoying discussing things that Reading could do with their future. And hey, isn’t that nice speculation to engage in as Reading fans?

The pair discuss what the new American owners could do with our club, and what should be high up on the priority list off the pitch. Ross pitches a strange backwards marketing campaign for the club whereby they right the wrongs of years past, plus there’s a bumper mai...

Ben and Ross record before the takeover is officially confirmed, but handily provide new owners Rob and Todd with a suggested retained list of Reading players approaching the end of their contracts.

Plus, after a beefy mailbag, the boys run through their first priorities for the new owners, including exactly what parts of the stadium could do with some TLC.

Thanks as always to our friends at ZCZ Films for sponsoring the pod!

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Charlie Savage’s dad joins the pod for a wide-ranging chat about Reading FC, and Charlie’s experience at the club so far. Robbie gives a detailed rundown of his take on Reading over the past two seasons, and gives real insight on the team dynamic.

Plus, with a hugely successful first season in management under his belt with Macclesfield, Robbie tells Ben and Ross his thoughts on why man-management is s...

He’s only gone and flipping done it. Reading Football Club is pleased to announce the sale in principle of the club to Redwood Holdings Limited: owned by one Rob Couhig (and Todd Trosclair).

Ben drags Ross out of bed at 6am on the East Coast to celebrate the news before heading straight to the Amazons’ show at the Purple Turtle stage!

Thanks as always to our friends at ZCZ Films for sponsoring the pod!

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Reading take the playoff race to the final day and score one of their best goals of the season against Bristol Rovers. Ben and Ross are here to break down victory over the Gas and try to help a bulging mailbag of Reading fans get through the long wait for Saturday.

Plus there’s time to hear about how Ben became a hero of the people this week at the megastore…

Thanks as always to our friends at ZCZ Films for sponsoring the pod!

Foll...

The Premier League brings out all the big guns for the under-18s cup final (and hopefully pays for them too), but the young Royals fall 2-1 at home in a late shock defeat to West Ham United. Ben runs us through that game before Ross recaps the men's team's 5-1 thrashing of Mansfield Town.

There’s yet another club statement for the pod to make a statement about relating to the ownership crisis, plus lots of excitement (and a fair am...

Lead Professional Development Phase Coach and Reading FC's under-18s manager Harrison Gilkes joins Ben and Ross for a fascinating interview ahead of his side's PL Cup final on Tuesday against West Ham United at the SCL Stadium.

Harrison gives insight on the development process, the difficulties of inspiring youth players to do their schoolwork, and just what it is that makes Reading's academy so good. 

Thanks as always to our frien...

Two wins on the bounce take Reading two points clear into the playoff places with five games to go, while the club announce another period of exclusivity has ended, with a familiar face seemingly waiting in the wings.

That gives Ben and Ross plenty to discuss, with the performance of Harvey Knibbs against Shrewsbury Town on Ross’ mind in particular.

A meaty mailbag is mostly focused on the ownership saga, but there’s also time for ...

The boys hop back into the studio a match earlier than expected because that Peterborough United victory was just too exciting for Ross to handle. Ben’s got plenty to say about Charlie Savage, and Noel Hunt’s game plan gives Ross much to be excited about.

Tivonge Rushesha dance-y dances his way to 20 more touches than any other Reading defender, and Michael Stickland shows an understated calm in his au...

It’s the international break and the team is resting, but it’s still a huge week off the pitch for Reading. Ben and Ross break down the outcome of the court case on Friday before turning their eyes to the newly submitted accounts for the 2022/23 season.

There’s even time for some discussion of football at the end, with the visit of (still Darren Ferguson’s) Peterborough United on the horizon.

Thanks as always to our friends at ZCZ ...

The Royals extend their unbeaten run to double figures, but does it feel like it? Ben and Ross are as mixed on that as the fanbase as a whole. The pair discuss the draw with Stevenage, as well as the ever-thinning personnel available for Reading at centre-back. 

Plus lots of discussion of the run-in and how Reading might fare over the remaining nine matches. Will a rest help with the playoff run-in, and does the fixture list favour...

Reading put together another four-point week to maintain the recent 'two points per game' form and keep Ross dreaming of the playoffs. With Ben out knitting, Ryan joins the pod to give his take on the full-backs, and a full-throttle victory against Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham.

Plus discussion on the Crawley Town result, in which Ross tries to argue that there was very little difference on show from the four 'nothing results' Reading h...

Reading pick up fur points with a deserved win on the road against Wigan Athletic, followed by a rocky draw at home to Exeter City. Ben and Ross break down both games with a focus on Reading’s trouble creating chances against well drilled defences, but celebrate the progress Reading have made in 2024/25..

The mailbag spills over with differing opinions, ending in a discussion of whether Reading are ‘ready’ in the unlikely event the...