FA Cup Draw and Madejski Speaks

Reading FC have been drawn against Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup. The Clarets will travel to the Madejski Stadium to face Steve Coppell`s Royals on either Saturday 6th January or the following day.

Last season Reading reached the fourth round, crashing out to Steve Bruce`s Birmingham City. The Royals had previously beaten West Brom in the third round in a thrilling 3-2 comeback, with Leroy Lita netting a hat trick.

Meanwhile, Burnley bowed out in last years third round, losing out 2-1 to Derby County.

Reading will enter the match as favourites, the Royals completed a Championship double over Burnley last season. They beat the Clarets 2-1 at the Madejski Stadium and turned them over 3-0 in the away match.

In other news, Chairman John Madejski revealed that he would be willing to sell Reading FC provided the price was right and the bidder had good intentions for his club.

‘If some really obscenely rich – either Russian gentleman or guy from the Far East – was to come in and plonk bags of cash on the table, then I’d say ‘Fine then, over to you’,’ Madejski said.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Madejski talked about the future of the Prmeier League:

‘My view is that within 10 to 20 years, all Premiership clubs will probably be foreign-owned,’ Madejski told Sky Sports News.

‘I think they will become the accessory of the super rich, and I haven’t a problem with that because it is a rich man’s game.’

Madejski was eager to settle fans minds that he already had his bags packed read to leave the club that has its stadium named after him:

‘Providing the guy was credible in terms of the fact that he was keen to really make it happen and want to enter into the fray with all these other people, I would sell.

‘The whole thing is hypothetical, and you understand where I’m coming from, the last thing I want to get the fans to appreciate is I’m not cutting and running or I’m not going to sell tomorrow, the next day, or even next year.

‘I’m just putting down a marker that if there is some incredibly wealthy person out there that wants to own a Premiership club, then come and chat. End of story.

Madejski went on to talk about his aspirations for the rest fo Reading augural Premiership season:

‘The way I see it sitting here today, we need to win five more games to be safe in terms of being in the Premiership next season.’

‘However, the way we’re storming along at the moment and providing we don’t sustain injuries or whatever else, then we must do the best we can.

‘I’m thinking about renewing my passport because there is a possibility that, as the way we’re going at the moment, we might have a place in Europe next year. We’ll have to wait and see.’

We all dream of a European tour, a European tour, a European tour?