Preview: Tuesday Night Football

First Team

CCFL Premier Division North Tue 7 January The Rivermoor

Reading City

Milton United

P-P

Simon Johnson’s will kick off 2025 at home when they welcome Oxfordshire based Milton United to the Rivermoor in Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North action under the lights on Tuesday evening in a re-arranged fixture, as the previously billed match on Saturday 30th November was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Tuesday night’s fixture is also very much weather dependent as the UK continues to experience sub-zero temperatures, so please keep an eye on our social media platforms and website for further announcements.

As a result of the artic blast we’re currently experiencing, both sides have yet to kick a ball since we rang in the new year with Johnson’s side missing out on the chance to play local rivals Wokingham Town and Milton missing out on their clash against league leaders Amersham Town due to frozen pitches.

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION

Milton United FC, originally founded as Milton Hill in 1909, has a long history of playing in the North Berks Football League. After a brief dissolution in the 1950s, the club reformed in 1958 and enjoyed multiple league successes during the 1960s and 1980s. In 1989, they joined the Hellenic Football League, winning the Premier Division and the Berks and Bucks Intermediate Cup in their first season. Despite setbacks, including relegation due to a lack of floodlights, the club moved to a new ground at Milton Heights in 1998 and installed floodlights, regaining promotion soon after.

Milton experienced further promotions and relegations, with their FA Cup and league performances improving over time. In 2022/23, under new management, they won a dramatic play-off to join the Combined Counties Premier League North and finished 12th in their inaugural season. With ongoing infrastructure upgrades, including a new community facility, the club is poised for continued growth and success.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Cityzens and the Miltonians have faced each other in various competitions in the past few years.

In our last six meetings City have won 3 and lost 3. The most recent meeting was earlier this season, when we welcomed the South Oxfordshire based outfit to RG30 in September in the First Round of the Berks & Bucks Football Association’s Senior County Cup losing 1-5.

Both sides will come in to Tuesday night’s game looking to start 2025 with a bang, after seeing their respective games postponed on Saturday to the artic blast that’s been sweeping across the nation.

Johnson’s sided ended a historic 2024 here at home to Wallingford & Crowmarsh with a 1-1 draw and will be looking to make it three games unbeaten. Milton United meanwhile ended the year with an impressive 5-1 win at home to fellow Oxfordshire outfit Ardley United and will be looking to build on that win.

Milton’s away form however isn’t the greatest, having lost 5 on the road already this season with their most recent defeat coming at the hands of their neighbours Wallingford & Crowmarsh in a Boxing Day derby, with Wallingford winning 2-1.

TICKETS

Prices are:

Families (X2 Adults, X2 Children): £16
Adults: £8
Concession: £4
Under 16: £4
Under 5: Go FREE with paying adult

We recommend purchasing your tickets online to reduce delays at the turnstiles. Purchase yours online now

For our Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North games, we are delighted to be able to offer the following discounts on admission to the Rivermoor:

Free Entry

Reading City Football Club is proud to work with Tickets for Troops and the Defence Discount Service to offer free entry to our brave Armed Forces Veterans & active Armed Forces Service Personnel along with their families.

We are also proud to work with Blue Light Tickets and Blue Light Card to offer free entry to supporters who work in the emergency services, NHS, social care sector along with their families.

Our Armed Forces, Emergency Services, NHS & Social Care Sector Heroes do so much for us both at home and around the world, we wanted to do our bit to say thank you for their service.

Discounted Entry

With so many Premier League and English Football League clubs, located in or around the Thames Valley Region we’re offering anyone with a Season Ticket for a club competing in the 2024/25 Premier League or English Football League, 50% admission for our First Team Games.

Reading City Football Club is proudly partnered with Her Game Too, as we believe that football should be for all. To celebrate our partnership with Her Game Too we offer anyone with a Season Ticket for a Women’s Super League or Women’s Championship club 50% off entry.

To redeem our free or discounted entry offers just show your Blue Light Card or Season Ticket for a Premier League or English Football League club to our turnstile operators.

THE RIVERMOOR

Address: The Rivermoor Stadium, Scours Lane, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 6AY

GETTING HERE

By Car: Leave the M4 at Junction 12 and take the A4 towards Reading.

Then take a left at the first set of traffic lights at Langley Hill, At the top of Langley Hill you’ll come to a roundabout where you’ll see the Water Tower public house on your left-hand side.

Continue straight on over the roundabout and travel through the centre of Tilehurst before taking a right turn into Norcot Road.

This turning is at the crossroads just past the Asda Petrol Station on your left-hand side, continue straight on down Norcot Road and then take a left on to the A329 Oxford Road before taking the first right on to Scours Lane. You’ll see Reading City Football Club sign-posted.

Once you’ve turned on to Scours Lane continue straight on under the railway bridge and then take a right to enter The Rivermoor which is clearly signed.

Parking: Parking is available on site here at The Rivermoor at no extra cost on a first come first served basis, there are 80 spaces available to park in the ground. 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 to a maximum stay of 3 hours.

Postcode for Additional Parking: RG30 1PR

Leave the Rivermoor 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 Rivermoor.

Nearest Railway Station: The nearest railway stations to The Rivermoor 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 in walking distance from the Rivermoor.

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

FACILITIES

The Rivermoor has some of the best facilities for a non-league football ground with parking on site, disabled access and more including: