Friday 20 April 2012

Rise of Reading

Brian McDermott is ecstatic and can't wait to revel in Premier League glory - having engineered Reading's promotion to the top-flight of English football.
 McDermott's men sealed promotion on Tuesday night with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in front of 20,000-plus delirious fans.
 It is indeed quite different from the way Royals last went up to the Premier League under Steve Coppell in 2006 when McDermott was the club's chief scout. McDermott explains: "When we got promoted in 2006 I was scouting a game at Brighton. I was sitting in a motorway layby thinking how great it was to be promoted. But I was on my own because everyone else was at Leicester City.
 "I'm manager now so this time it is completely different. I've been in this job for two-and-a-half years and I've got a promotion under my belt and a lot of managers haven't done that."
 While Reading's promotion in 2006 was secured at Leicester City, this time it occurred in front of their own supporters, at The Majedski who invaded the pitch at the final whistle and stayed back for an hour to honor their heroes.
Royals can boast a remarkable 59 per cent win ratio this season and have picked up 46 points out of a possible 51 in their last 17 games.
It is that form that has seen them storm up the league and clinch promotion with two games to spare. McDermott admits that he still has to remind himself that Reading will be visiting the top clubs in the country next season. "I keep asking if we're definitely playing at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford etc. I like the yellow (promoted) strip across our name on the league table," he said.”
His predecessor, Brendan Rodgers, whose Swansea City side beat Royals 4-2 in last season's play-off final, paid tribute to McDermott.
Rodgers said: "I want to congratulate Brian, Nigel Gibbs the staff and players.
"They have been brilliant since the turn of the year and 46 points from 51 is an incredible run of consistency in such an inconsistent league. It's a brilliant achievement and they all deserve a huge amount of credit. It's great to see a wonderful club like Reading back in the Premier League." 

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