Bikey - What was you thinking?

I wondered if you looked for the definition of the word ‘Twat’ in the dictionary it may come out with Andre Bikey.

Well that is what Bikey symbolises – a man who is a stupid, incompetent fool.

He gave away a needless penalty where he tugged an opponent’s shirt when the ball was not even close to him.

He then started to perform some strange S Club 7 dance routine after he was sent off for embarrassingly stamping on Robbie Blake.

He may have been throwing his shirt around ‘like he just don’t care’ but he was making a laughing stock out of himself and his club, Reading.

Bikey’s girly tantrum coincides with Chelsea’s Didier Drogba rant last week. There is no element of accepting a decision and moving on instead some player just cry about what has happened and refuse to be rational or gracious.

Steve Coppell found it hard to defend Bikey, so he didn’t. And good on him for doing that.

He said, “There is no space for that in football. He got it 100% what he deserves – I have no reservations about that.

“His reaction was just a hugely emotional one, given the five minutes he’d had. He was fouled first which frustrated him, but there is no excuse for is behaviour.

“We just don’t accept that at our club.”

Throwing his shirt to the ground after being dismissed was disrespectful and to the neutral, it probably appeared outrageously entertaining but for Reading fans it probably the confounding end to their promotion push.

The Cameroonian also refused to settle down when American Marcus Hahnemann came over to try to make peace. But his efforts just feel duly on death ears. He took an age to leave the pitch as his all round attitude and performance was a thorough let down.

Bikey has always been one to make headlines, he was sent off on a preseason tour whilst he was on trial at the Berkshire Club. And that was in a friendly in Sweden for a headbutt that Mike Tyson would have been proud off.

He moved from Lokomotiv Moscow, where he did not shy from controversy as he alleged racial abuse from fans of rival teams. This was his excuse for not settling.

Everyone would famously remember his sending off for Cameroon at last year’s African Cup of Nations. A bizarre incident to say the least, he pushed over a stretcher-bearer, with much force, who was helping his teammate Rigobert Song after he was injured.

It was as if that this was written for a comedy gaff DVD.

Bikey will be known for all the wrong reasons.

de la Cruz - Your not that far?

The love affair with football is often one that can be unpredictable at times. Imagine being born out in a village in the middle of nowhere and having the ability to be a pretty decent footballer. What would be the chance that you will be scouted, or even be able to play in a proper game.
In an era where most footballers come from richly enhanced surroundings, Ulises de la Cruz is very different and it is welcomed that his love story with the game continues.
He does not go out spending his top-pound wages on fast cars and big house, but on rebuilding an entire community where he grew up.
He is back in English football after his release from Reading, playing for Birmingham City and is on a mission to raise funds for his personal charity Fundecruz.
He is a cult figure back in his native Ecuador where his charity helps the village he was grew up in. He has kindly donate around 15 per cent of each wage packet he received, for it to be sent home to fund several projects in one of the country’s poorest regions where many ramshackle homes are obvious.
But his primary quest is education. He has supplied the village school with books, a playground and a brand new roof. And each day the 100 primary children receive breakfast and lunch courtesy of de la Cruz.
He is building a sports centre to get more children to have the opportunities that he didn’t have, however disappointingly the footballers that come through the ranks are seen as assets by the governments, so their careers may not have the chance to flourish.
Now he is urging the Birmingham fans alike to help his cause.
At Reading, they agreed a day worth of collecting for the charity and a few thousand pounds was raised.
He may be known at an International player that has played in almost 100 games for his country but to the people of Ecuador, he is so much more than that.

Duo Return

The return of favourites Glen Little and Dave Kitson may give Reading that last extra boost to clinch promotion in stunning fashion.
The pair have been ruthlessly pulled as Reading form has stumbled recently. Manager Steve Coppell never really want to get rid of the pair in the first place as they both ventured for extended Premier League adventures. Their return is not a massive surprise as leaving Reading doesn’t mean your career is necessarily going to prosper (Ask Nicky Shorey or Ibrahima Sonko about that), the return of the duo symbolises that it was at Reading they played their best football.
After he joined Potsmouth, Little found himself drifting in and out the team endlessly and even an impressive 45 minutes against Italian giants AC Milan couldn’t make him a regular under Paul Hart or Tony Adams.
He left Reading last summer after his contract ran out, even though the club offered him a new one he rejected the terms to join Pompey, obviously the lure of the FA Cup and European football was too difficult to turn down and rightly so. But as Portsmouth fight for pretty much nothing in every department, Little was eager to get some football and there would be no one better than joining the club he already knows and if he does well there maybe another Premier League for him.
Kitson on the other hand couldn’t score a goal to save his life at Stoke City as his 10 starts haven’t warranted too much. The ex-shelf packer was sensational at Reading where his scored a very respectable 54 goals in 104 games and manager Steve Coppell would hope he could repeat feat that for the rest of the season. Since the arrival of James Beattie, Kitson has been overlooked on many occasions and it feels like Tony Pulis has lost of faith in him.
These two can only be to Reading’s benefit, Little and Kitson can be those players to fire Reading to promotion again. These last ten games are the most difficult part to the rest of the season and Reading have got two quality signings. They were two of the vital members of their famous 2005 record-breaking season where Reading went up as champions and they have no reason why they can’t do it again this season.

Coppell looking for Number Three

In a time that all current trigger-happy chairmen are stuck in a persistent routine of dismissing Managers at their peril, it remains a remarkable, even astonishing, that Steve Coppell remains the only man that has a realistic opportunity of achieving a hat trick of promotions to the Premier League.
Normally with relegation the manager, more often or not, receive their P45. It’s a testament for Reading to keep utter faith in Coppell; well the Royals would have been foolish to get rid of their most successful manager in history.
While with Crystal Palace, Coppell won promotion in 1997 steering the Eagles through the playoffs for his first promotion. He then masterminded the historic Reading record-breaking season in 2005 to give the club their first taste of top-flight football for his second. Now he has the opportunity to make history once again with his current Reading team for his third.
Obviously, being constantly in the top flight would be the much greater reward but having the audacity to rebuild and supply a team that can obtain promotion time after time is a talent in itself. Losing key players then having the knowledge to replace those players with better ones is not a task for the lighthearted.
At present, Coppell is in a select group of managers that have achieved two Premier League Promotions but unfortunately, some of these managers’ potential and reward have never materialised. Some of these men find it difficult to warrant a job and find it harder getting one, Reading kept faith in Coppell and that has paid dividends this term but for other clubs this has not been the case.
Bryan Robson won promotion twice with Middlesbrough in 94/95 and 97/98 where the directors kept much deserving faith in the ex-Manchester United Captain. Ironically, he wouldn’t have to win back promotion in 97/98 if Middlesbrough had not suffered that three-point deduction for cancelling a fixture at late notice but he suffered the fate of relegation.
But as Middlesbrough have kept their top flight status, Robson hasn’t. He could have achieved a third promotion with West Brom, but he wrecked their chances with bad buy’s and bad form, he soon left by ‘mutual consent’ after just eight games of which three he won. Robson’s ill-fate spell with Sheffield United did nothing to help his cause. He has been since chucked into managerial wilderness.
Kevin Keegan had the habit of taking big clubs back to the top and he duly delivered this with Newcastle United and Manchester City in 92/93 and 01/02 respectively as they both saw a return of top flight football. He could have easily made it a third if it was not for the public demand of the England job. He succeeded Glenn Hoddle back in 1999 and Fulham, whom he managed and built the foundations of, were promoted two seasons later under the guidance of Jean Tigana.
Peter Reid won promotion twice with his beloved Black Cats. Sunderland reached the top flight in 95/96 and 98/99 and Reid was so close to making it three in the 97/98 season for only Michael Gray’s saved penalty resulting in Charlton Athletic to win the penalty shootout to win promotion but Reid and Sunderland bounced back to win the division with a, then, record of 105 points. He was soon sacked and spells at Leeds United and Coventry City never promised much.
Alan Curbishley twice steered Charlton Athletic to the Premier League, one with that famous penalty shootout win against Reid’s Sunderland and one in 99/00. Curbishley will have to look for a Championship club if you were to make it three after leaving West Ham United as finding a job in the top division has been difficult. Surely, there are making takers in the Championship.
Gary Megson took West Brom back to the top league on more than one occasion; his first full season saw a defeat in the Semi-final stage of the playoffs to the hands off Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers but Megson bounced back and won promotion in 01/02.
After being relegated the following season, Megson and West Brom soon returned to the Premier League for the 04/05 season with the help of newly installed Jeremy Peace’s financial prudence. Megson is currently doing a good job at Bolton, after ill spell times at Nottingham Forest and Leicester City but doesn’t look like adding to his two promotions at any time soon.
Steve Bruce took Birmingham City up twice in 01/02 and 06/07. Birmingham beat his old club Norwich City on penalties in the playoff final to win promotion in 2002 and lasted until their relegation in 2006. Bruce soon took his team back up in sluggish fashion as they finished second place to Sunderland after Derby County’s defeat at Crystal Palace in 2007.
Paul Jewell remains the last body of this list. He famously won promotion with Bradford City back in 1999 before leading Wigan Athletic to the top flight for the ever first time in their history in 2005. His third attempt with Derby County did not go quite to plan as the team struggled immensely throughout this season, Jewell was eventually replaced by Nigel Clough to postpone his search of a ‘hat-trick’ of promotions.
This season Mick McCarthy (Wolves), Dave Jones (Cardiff) and Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace), all look to join this select group of men that have achieved promotion twice.
Nevertheless, it leaves Steve Coppell to become the first manager who can claim a third promotion to the Promised Land. No mean feat indeed.

Reading calling the Tabb

The Irish contingent continues at Reading with Jay Tabb joining Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, Stephen Hunt and Noel Hunt at the Madejski Stadium.
Tabb joins on an undisclosed fee from Coventry City and he will add more flair and balance to the flourishing Reading side. Coventry will miss the midfielder as their side are urgently losing much creativity; he was the Sky Blues player of the year last season.
Tabb had played for Steve Coppell before, giving him a chance at a youthful 17 years of age. However, he made more of an impression when Wally Downes was at the helm at Brentford becoming a huge cult figure a Griffin Park.
Being a modest 5’7” in height will not give him the powerhouse affect but he has the craft and cunning ability to find that through pass. He has already played at the Madejski this term and was on the end of 3-1 defeat.
He will find it difficult to break into the first team at Reading as the midfield is brimming with talent. Tabb will have to get through the competition of Hunt, James Harper, Brynjar Gunnarsson, Marek Matejovsky, Kalifa Ciise, Jem Karacan, Bobby Convey, and Jimmy Kebe. Being a versatile midfielder will obviously aid his cause. However, the signing of a midfielder where the competition is fierce signals a departure.
Coppell must have a big offer coming in for one of his players, Hunt has been linked with a host of clubs and Harper has been touted by Middlesbrough.
Despite the defeat at Swansea City, Reading look on course to an immediate return to the Premier League and adding a player of Tabb’s ability will only be an asset to the squad.

Coppell 'Hunt' Strikers

Steve Coppell may be that man who can find the needle in a haystack.

His craft eye in scouring the country and overseas is the sole reason why Reading have so many priced gems.

Premier League clubs may be walloping the door down with bag full’s of money to snatch these players away but Coppell remains that his modest and honest attitude have helped players develop and become some of the finest he has ever witnessed.
Some have gone and some have stayed but all in all Coppell must be considered a master in changing lower league strikers into fine, top rate players.

Coppell was the man responsible for Ian Wright’s spectacular career as he joined Crystal Palace after being touted from non-league Greenwich Borough. The Wright and Bright combination did Palace a world of good as they gained promotion almost 20 years ago.

Now Coppell is re-establishing the same torment with recent addition Noel Hunt and partnering him with Kevin Doyle.

Hunt’s brace against Coventry City is a welcomed reminder that Coppell has a thing for strikers and plucking them from lower divisions to produce them into world-beaters.

Even though Hunt originally was signed from Dundee United where he had a one in three strike rate, Coppell knew his potential when he started out for Shamrock Rovers and when he struggled at Dunfermline

He has now have eight goals in the Championship so far and have no signs of slowing down. He is sparking up a lethal partnership with fellow compatriot Doyle, they are the envy of any Manager in the division.

Under Coppell’s guidance, Hunt has begun his international career with the senior squad, coming on as a substitute against Poland back in November. He has followed in Kevin Doyle’s steps and Coppell is hoping that Hunt can contribute similar to what Doyle had done.

Doyle scored 19 goals in his first season of English football as Reading achieved promotion in stunning fashion. Coppell will be wanting similar benefits.

Dave Kitson came for a modest £150,000, even though Coppell did take massive advantage of Cambridge United’s worsening financial state. What a player he turned out to be. The club made a smooth £6 million pound profit in the meantime as he moved on to Stoke City.
Leroy Lita could be added to that list. Costing £1 million from Bristol City seems money well spent, even after his phone exploits.
David Mooney joined from Cork City as well and may the next rising talent. He was the top goal scorer in Ireland in 2007 and is the next one for Coppell to take credit.
Shane Long is another up and coming talent. He is now an established squad member of the Republic of Ireland squad and been having more impact than he had in previous seasons.
Now Reading have some strike force and if one is to leave, Coppell will have another gem to pick from.

Reading FC: 1995 v Current Squad

As Reading sit pondering in the play off places I threw my mind back to their classic 1995 play-off defeat to Bolton Wanderers and debate whether which is the better team that 1995 team or the current one.
Reading famously went two up with goals from Lee Nogan and Adie Williams, before Stuart Lovell missed a penalty. That allowed Bolton to score two to take the game into extra time. Bolton eventually ran out 4-3 winners with Jimmy Quinn scoring the third for Reading. That heartbreak is often hard to take, but it was a superb season. Reading finished second behind Middlesbrough and had to go into the playoffs as the Premier League was reduced to 20 clubs from 22. Any other season we would have been playing in the Premier League.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City are currently in the driving seat and with Reading’s inconsistency so far this season, a place in the playoff is on the cards. Of course, I would prefer to see us promoted automatically but a trip to Wembley. How could I turn that down?
I may have been the tender age of eight at the time of the 1995 final, but as an avid Reading fan I have passionately looked back and seen some of the play and been told many stories. The easiest thing I can do is compare every player in every position and debate whether who should take the starting line up spot. I will compare the 1995 play off final side to the current line up.
Shaka Hislop v Marcus Hahnemann
Shaka was one of the finest goalkeepers to wear the jersey for Reading and he led the mass player exodus following ‘that’ defeat to Bolton in 1995 where Newcastle United snapped him up for £1.575 million a British record for a goalkeeper at the time. He became a runner up twice in the top division with Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle.
He was a firm fan favourite and managed to earn the Royals Player of the Year award twice. Hislop was known for his speed and agility in claiming crosses and was a great shot stopper. Hislop’s 20 clean sheets in the 1994/95 season were valuable as Reading took the division by surprise.
Marcus, like Hislop, has always been a fan favourite. Handing his goalkeeper’s shirt to a member of the crowd after every match has given him a cult-like status where kids adore him and everyone else loves him. A fantastic shot stopper and brilliant dispatcher of the ball, he often creates attacks from his big kicks or long throws. Having played in over 280 games for the Royals and was the only one to play in the Premier League. He will be difficult to replace.
Andy Bernal v Liam Rosenior/ Graeme Murty
Bernal may not be remembered solely for his football, as he became a football agent and personal assistant for David Beckham.
His 187 appearances and two goals made him a regular at right back. He signed in 1994 from Ipswich Town. Bernal represented his native Australia 21 times before retiring at the age of 34.
Currently this season, Rosenior has been playing the role of right as Murty has been suffering from injury. Murty will forever be associated as our finest right back ever as he led the club to the Premier League for the first time in their history. Murty and Rosenior play in similar ways, as they both like to attack even though goals came too few and far between.
Dariusz Wdowczyk v Andre Bikey
Wdowczyk was originally the Polish national teams left back before reverting to one of three centre backs for Reading during the 1994/95 season. He was signed from Celtic after Reading supposedly offered him a derisory pay deal. He was able to deliver pinpoint passes and provided the front men with accurate cross balls.
Bikey on the hand is often reckless but with full concentration, he is one of the Championships finest. If he had ten seconds to do something, he will take nine of them and that is often nail biting watching on the terraces. Superb in the tackle and is an often a threat from set pieces.
Adie Williams v Ivar Ingimarsson
Two of the finest centre halves to ever grace Reading football club along with Martin Hicks, and both have been ever influential in the Royals success.
Williams played 398 games and was captain before Coppell ended his love affair with Reading. Since his first appearance in 1991-1992 season, he has played in every position from centre forward to emergency goalkeeper, wearing every shirt number 1-11 in the process. Dominate in the air and an elegant passer of the ball. He was pure genius.
Ingimarsson was Coppell’s first signing and played a crucial since. He formed good partnerships with Williams (in his third spell with the club) and with Ibrahima Sonko, to become the king pin of the side. He took over the captain role from Murty where he has been injured.
Simon Osborn v Chris Armstrong
Osborn is naturally a midfielder but played at left wing back in the final due to the injury of Dylan Kerr. Osborn moved to Premier League club Queens Park Rangers before going into the lower league wilderness but what a fine player he was for Reading.
Armstrong has recently joined the club to replace Nicky Shorey and so far he has not done a great deal wrong as he has slotted nicely in the keeping of the back four.
Jimmy Kebe v Michael Gilkes
A race to the death, these two pace men are probably the fastest two players you will ever see in the hoops. Gilkes played in over 400 games for Reading as his right wing exploits made him a huge fan favourite as he went from the old fourth division to the brink of the top-flight. He was also a part of the 1988 Milk Cup winners squad that defeated Top division side Luton Town 4-1 in the final.
Jimmy Kebe, despite having a poor season in the Premier League, is playing full of confidence and he has made that right wing spot his own after the departure of Glen Little.
Mick Gooding v James Harper
Gooding spent eight years at Reading and was the joint manager for the remainder of the 1994/95 season with Jimmy Quinn as McGhee left controversially for Leicester City. He was a sitting midfielder and linked play very well, bringing in every teammate into the game. He was able to inspire.
Harper covers every blade of grass and certainly makes his presences felt. He joined from Arsenal and was trusted to start in the Walsall play off final ahead of Darren Caskey, since then he was ever present in the teams of Alan Pardew and Steve Coppell.
Keith McPherson v Kalifa Ciise
McPherson also played one the three centre halves and his power and determination has singled him out amongst the rest. He was ever present in the side during the 1990s before his transfer to Brighton.
Ciise plays a defensive position for Reading and he is known to pop up with the occasion goal. Similar in stature with McPherson, and has an uncanny resemblance to the way they both go in for a tackle.
Scott Taylor v Stephen Hunt
Taylor was a flying midfielder and has many attributes that Hunt has. After the playoff defeat, he refused a new contract and swiftly joined Leicester City. He was a trainee at Reading before playing in over 200 games for the Royals and was instrumental in our promotion to the first division in 1994.
Hunt was signed from Brentford on a free in the 2004/05 season, where he was mainly used as a substitute for Bobby Convey in his first season but he soon made that spot his own with an unusual style of flair and hard work. He is loved by Reading and hated by everyone else. Touted by Premier League clubs throughout the summer, he is one of prized assets.
Lee Nogan v Noël Hunt
Nogan came in half way through the 1994/95 season and hit 10 goals in 20 games to make sure Reading secured second spot. He began his career at local rivals Oxford United before moving to Reading via Watford. He scored the first in the playoff defeat.
Noel, Stephen’s brother, have jumped straight into the starting line up and contributed massively to this seasons form. His goals have been constant, as he has sparked up a good partnership with Kevin Doyle. His move from Dundee United came about when Dave Kitson moved on to Premier League side Stoke City.
Stuart Lovell v Kevin Doyle
Lovell was unorthodox striker where he played most of the game trying to create rather than score. ‘Archie’ had a modest goal scoring record for Reading where he scored 58 goals in 227 appearances before moving north of the border to have a relatively successful career in Scotland. Lovell captained Livingstone to an impressive third place in the Scottish Premier League.
What a sensation Kevin has been since his move from Cork City. In his debut season, he scored 19 goals in 51 appearances as we secured promotion, this term it looks like he will be doing better than that. His pace and ability to be at the right place at the right time is one of his finer skills. He works hard for the team as he is often played out of position to accommodate the team.

After remembering the whole squads there were a few I left out. I simply named the 1995 Playoff Final team but added to that –
- Jimmy Quinn came on and scored whilst doing his job as joint manager but was in his autumn of his career.
- Dylan Kerr was out through injury
- Phil Parkinson was beginning to make end rows into the first team.
- Jeff Hopkins came on as a substitute.
- Adi Viveash played a few games that season.
Plus today’s squad I am missing –
- Marek Matejovsky is, par Robin Friday, the most natural gifted player we have had at the club.
- Brynjar Gunnarsson
- Leroy Lita
- Shane Long
- Bobby Convey
- Plus a few others.

My Best Team (Putting both squads together) is:
1: Hislop
2: Murty
3: Kerr
4: Gooding
5: Williams
6: McPherson
7: Gilkes
8: Matejovsky
9: Doyle
10: Lovell
11: Hunt
Subs
12: Ingimarsson
13 Hahnemann
14: Harper
15: Osborn
16: Quinn