Last night ( 8th July ) saw Reading F.C from England play against the Thailand All Stars at National Stadium, Bangkok. This, the first match between the 2 teams, finished 2-2.
This tour of Thailand was organised by the owners of Reading F.C to showcase their club. The team has been involved in training sessions and sightseeing tours so far. However, the highlight of the trip was the friendly game last night.
A largely Thai crowd was in attendance to watch the game although there were a few fans of Reading and other English teams at the game. The mood before the game was upbeat with lots of music and, as you can see below, dancing by both Thailand and Reading fans.
The match itself was played at 7pm local time with temperatures still around the 30 degree mark. This led to a game which lacked real pace from either side. A few quick bursts of wing play resulted in some excitement but there was little else to get the crowd excited before the first goal.
A nice cross from the left wing allowed Nick Blackman to score from close range. The Royals must have been confident of going in ahead at half time but were denied with the last kick of the half, a great free kick from Pakorn Prempak.
Pinyo Inpinit put the All Stars ahead just after the break but again the side leading couldn’t hold on and experienced Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak scored with a tap in at the far post.
Overall a draw was probably a fair result with the Royals being the better side in the first half and Thailand better in the second. The game served a good opportunity for Reading players to gain match fitness. The second half also saw debuts for new players and academy graduates.
After the game there was a presentation with fireworks which created a nice end to the game. There was also an opportunity for fans to meet the players after the game, although it seemed Steve Clarke was more popular with the Thai fans than the players.
This tour is being touted as a regular occurrence and it may well be that the Royals will be back here next year. The impression of many Thai fans has been positive towards Reading, even if they aren’t the household name of the most popular English sides.
The team now move on to Koh Samui before returning to Bangkok for their flight home.
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