Sheldon Baptiste and Mimi Olaide’s group of persevering players are back on home turf this Saturday, hosting Henley Town for the reverse fixture, as part of their Thames Valley Premier League campaign in the Premier Division.
We enter this match off the back of an intense tie against Woodcote, which ended one apiece, whilst Henley Town will be looking to bounce back after a narrow defeat to Tadley Calleva Reserves, who we have yet to have faced this season.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION – With reference to FCHD.info
In the 1957/58 season, Henley Town joined Division One of the Hellenic League, finishing eighth from fourteen teams. Six years later, they earned promotion to the Premier Division, named as Champions with 13 wins from 18. Relegation followed in the 1965 campaign, but it wasn’t long before they reinstated themselves in the Premier Division after topping the league once again in 1967.
In 1971, Henley left the Hellenic League. Thirteen years later, in 1984/85, they were one of the founder members of the Chiltonian League, and were placed in Division Two following reorganisation. Division Two was retitled to Division One in 1987, and earning promotion meant Henley were promoted to the Premier Division. They were relegated down to Division One after the 1990/91 season, but were promoted the following year. The 1997/98 season saw them named runners-up, and in the 1999/00 campaign, they were promoted again.
In 2000, the Chiltonian League merged with the Hellenic League, and Henley proceeded to join Division One East. That year, they were promoted to the Premier Division. Relegation struck once again in 2006, but Henley Town gained promotion as runners-up in the 2010/11 season. In 2012, they went back down to Division One East, before going up the ranks again in 2015/16.
2017 saw the final season in Division One East for Henley, who resigned mid-season. They entered the Thames Valley Premier League in 2018, joining Division Three, ultimately winning automatic promotion. They claimed back-to-back promotion in the following campaign, which was held in 2020/21 due to the previous season being voided because of the global pandemic. A six point lead saw them enter Division One as Champions.
A successful application for promotion into the Premier Division in 2022 means that Henley Town will be playing their second season in the top flight of the TVPL.
Currently, with four wins from twelve, Henley sit in ninth position with a total of fifteen points.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Our Under 23’s have met with Henley this season once, taking home their first three points of the campaign thanks to a first-half bottom corner strike from Dee Mabaye. In 2023, two ties with the Red Kites saw a 5-1 loss away from home, and a 2-all draw at home, with the points being split.
LAST MEETINGS
1-0 Away Win – 28/09/2024
5-1 Away Loss – 11/11/2023
2-2 Home Draw – 16/08/2023
ADDRESS: The Atrium Health Club, Scours Ln, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 6AY
KEY INFORMATION: There are no admission fees for this match – 2pm Kick-Off
GETTING HERE
By Car: Take the A4074 towards Reading.
Turn right onto Bridge Street/A4155 and continue to follow the A4155.
At Caversham Bridge Roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Richfield Avenue and continue straight on.
Go through the roundabout with Kwik-Fit on your left-hand side and continue straight on to Cow Lane. When you get to the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Portman Road, before continuing to Wigmore Lane. There will be a Shell Petrol Station on your left hand-side.
At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Oxford Rd/A329 before turning right on to Scours Lane. Reading City Football Club will be signposted.
Once you’ve turned on to Scours Lane, continue straight on under the railway bridge and then take a right and keep going until you pass the Rivermoor. The Atrium will be signposted ahead, and the pitch will be across the road from the car park.
Parking: Parking is available on site here at The Atrium at no extra cost on a first come first served basis. In the event that the club car park is full, then additional car parking is available at the Reading Retail Park, where you are permitted a maximum stay of 3 hours. There may also be additional space at the Rivermoor.
Postcode for Additional Parking: RG30 1PR
Leave the Atrium and drive back up Scours Lane until you reach the junction with the A329, then turn left. Continue straight on at the roundabout before turning right to enter Reading Retail Park.
It’s roughly a 5-10 minute walk back to the Atrium.
Nearest Railway Station: The nearest railway stations to The Atrium are Reading West & Tilehurst, both of which are served by regular services operated by Great Western Railway from the much larger Reading Station and are within walking distance from the Atrium.
Reading West is also served by services from destinations including Basingstoke & Newbury whilst Tilehurst is also served by services from destinations including Didcot & Oxford.
Bus: The nearest bus stop to the ground is Norcot Junction and is served by the 16 and 17 Reading Bus service which travel between Central Reading and Tilehurst every 10 minutes. More details on the bus route/s here.
