Reality Hits

Fixtures announced today and the first game back in realisation is Nottingham Forest away.

Reading are definitely back in the Championship. Exciting times ahead.

The City Ground awaits my fellow fans and me and to be fair it is not a shame by any means. Let us not forget Nottingham Forest were two time European Champions with a host of famous players in their history such as Stuart Pearce, Roy Keane, the first 1 million pound man -Trevor Francis, Teddy Sheringham, Martin O’Neill, Archie Gemmill, John Robinson, Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Hans Segers, and Steve Stone. Managed by the famous, or infamous, however you like to remember him, Brain Clough. The best Englishmen to have never managed England.

Now we will be playing a Nottingham Forest side consisting of Rob Earnshaw, ex-Royal Nathan Tyson, Paul Smith, Grant Holt, Matthew Lockwood, Junior Agogo and Tom Sharpe. Managed by Colin Calderwood, quite the contrast.

It is still a tad difference to play Manchester United on the opening day last year. Remember the very hard fought 0 -0, one point gained from the champions. We want a little more exciting game though.

Nott’s Forest will be am epic encounter and I am for one looking forward to it, I believe the last we went to the City Ground we won 3 -0. I am obviously hoping for a repeat.

Then who is our first game at home? Plymouth Argyle. Remember our record-breaking Championship winning season where we lost one of two games that season. A shameful 2 -1 defeat with Nick Chadwick grabbing a last minute winner in our opening game.

Finding trips to Doncaster and Burnley may be the hard part, satellite navigation is necessary.

First, a trip to Victoria Road to play Dagenham and Redbridge for the first time in our history a complete contrast to what we have become accustomed too.

During the Christmas stage, we play Southampton and Cardiff with a trip to Derby over Easter. This league is definitely for our taking. Who is there to match us?

Derby is rebuilding under the fine Paul Jewell, Dave Jones’s Cardiff will not be ready, Wolves seem to be a threat with Mick McCarthy bringing in a decent player in Sam Vokes from Bournemouth, Southampton need a miracle, Watford may be there or there abouts.

We match the old enemy in Sheffield United and Crystal Palace who both deserve a decent shout. Birmingham will be there, Alex McLeish will try to keep a similar squad, and they will be difficult. Ipswich and Charlton may warrant a mention.

May predictions are Reading to win, Birmingham second with Wolves clinching it in the play offs. Obviously, I am biased but I do not think there is a better team than us now. Steve Coppell did this so easily last time, perhaps it we may not take the title as easily as last time. I want this league to be much more competitive and I believe that it will be.