Reading v West Ham United
Pre-Season Match, Select Car Leasing Stadium, Saturday 16 July 2022, 3pm BST
West Ham United contest the fourth of seven pre-season matches ahead of the 2022/23 campaign at EFL Championship side Reading on Saturday afternoon.
This weekend's game marks the second summer in succession that the Hammers have visited the Select Car Leasing Stadium, with David Moyes' team running out 3-0 winners there in July 2021.
The Irons have made an unbeaten start to their preparations for the new season with a 2-0 win at Swiss Super League side Servette last Friday followed by a 2-1 victory at EFL League One outfit Ipswich Town and 1-1 draw at National League Boreham Wood in a double-header on Tuesday evening.
None of those games featured the Club's senior international players, who returned at the end of last week, but they could feature as Moyes' squad face off against a Reading side managed by Academy of Football graduate and former West Ham and England midfielder Paul Ince.
The Royals finished 21st in the Championship last season, but will hope to mount a stronger challenge in the upcoming campaign.
Tickets…
West Ham United have been allocated 2,102 tickets for Saturday's game in Berkshire. You can find full ticket information here, with seats priced at £10 for Adults and £5 for O65s/18-24s, U18s and U13s.
How To Follow…
Saturday's match will be streamed live via the Official West Ham United App in all countries except Bosnia, Croatia, Israel, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and Sweden.
You can also follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our official mobile app and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and reaction for you after final whistle.
Travel…
The Select Car Leasing Stadium is a simple ground to reach for West Ham United supporters travelling from London and Essex.
If you have a sat nav, enter the postcode RG2 0FL. Otherwise, take the M25 to the M4, then head west to Junction 11. Follow signs towards Reading. The Select Car Leasing Stadium is on your left-hand side after less than a mile.
Matchday parking permits are available in Car Park 3 Red Zone priced at £10 in advance or £15 on matchday (subject to availability). For details of this, and Disabled parking, click here or call 0118 968 1313.
By train, head to Reading station from London Paddington. From there, the 50A Greenwave Park & Ride bus takes you directly to the Stadium, with an average journey time of less than ten minutes. Alternatively, a taxi from the railway station or town centre to the Select Car Leasing Stadium should cost approximately £10.
Matchday Information…
West Ham United supporters will be situated in the South Stand.
Click here to read our detailed Over Land and Sea guide for travelling supporters.
Team News…
West Ham United have welcomed back their senior international players to pre-season training, and a number of them could be involved at Reading on Saturday.
That means summer signing Nayef Aguerd could make his first appearance in Claret and Blue, while the likes of Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen, Tomáš Souček, Nikola Vlašić, Vladimír Coufal, Ben Johnson and Alphonse Areola could also feature.
Reading could hand a second debut to returning favourite Shane Long, who has signed following his departure from Southampton, and a first appearance to Long's Republic of Ireland international teammate Jeff Hendrick, who has joined on loan from Newcastle United.
Opposition…
Founded on Christmas Day 1871, Reading FC turned professional in 1895 and moved to their long-time home at Elm Park the following year.
A pioneering club in their early decades, when they competed alongside West Ham United in the Southern League, Reading toured Italy before the First World War and were elected to the Football League's new Third Division South in 1920.
After playing in the lower divisions for decades, Reading finished second in the old Division One in 1994/95 only to be denied automatic promotion to the Premier League, which was being reduced in size from 22 clubs to 20, and losing in the Play-Off final.
The Royals finally reached the top tier in 2005/06 and spent two seasons in the Premier League, then returned again as Championship title winners ahead of West Ham United in 2011/12. However, relegation followed a year later and Reading have not been back since, losing to Huddersfield Town in the 2017 Play-Off final.
Reading side managed by Academy of Football graduate and former West Ham and England midfielder Paul Ince.
The Royals finished 21st in the Championship last season, but will hope to mount a stronger challenge in the upcoming campaign under the management of former West Ham United and England midfielder Paul Ince, who was appointed to the role full-time in May this year.
Previous Meetings…
We've visited Reading nearly 30 times for competitive fixtures since our first as Thames Ironworks in September 1899, when Reading ran out 1-0 winners at their old Elm Park ground.
After meeting regularly in the Southern League until 1915, we also visited in the War-Time leagues during both World Wars, and twice in the Southern Floodlit Cup in 1956 and 1958.
We then lost on penalties in a League Cup second-round tie at the Madejski Stadium (now Select Car Leasing Stadium) in September 2001, before finally making our first league visit in April 2004, losing 2-0 in the old Division One.
Our most-recent competitive visit was also a forgettable one as we lost 1-0 in the Premier League in December 2012, although Reading would be relegated at the end of the same 2012/13 season.
Overall, our competitive record against Reading reads played 57, won 20, drawn eleven, lost 26.
We were also at the Select Car Leasing Stadium a year ago for a pre-season match, when a Jeriel Dorsett own-goal and second half strikes from Conor Coventry and Ben Johnson secured a 3-0 victory for David Moyes' men.
