The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

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Sutekh
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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Sutekh » 11 Feb 2026 19:22

Not sure if I’ve missed it but Scofield Lonmeni-Dekam (u18s) has now signed his first professional deal with Reading after joining from Liverpool.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 11 Feb 2026 21:18

Clyde1998
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Clyde1998 Looks like a strong side out and a great half-time scoreline.

Winners go into the quarter-finals, with Bournemouth (2-1 away at Sheff Utd) and Colchester (1-0 at home to Swansea) already qualified.

The remaining ties are:
  1. 9 Feb - Burnley vs Brentford
  2. 9 Feb - Watford vs Charlton
  3. 11 Feb - West Brom vs QPR
  4. 11 Feb - Nottm Forest vs Sunderland
  5. 17 Feb - Ipswich vs Blackburn

5 teams through to QF’s now
Reading
Bournemouth
Colchester
Burnley
Watford

3-2 wins for both Burnley and Watford tonight.

Looks to be a serious chance of us winning the competition, based on the position of each side in their respective leagues:
  1. Ipswich (Cat 1; 4th) vs Blackburn (Cat 1; 26th)
  2. Nottm Forest (Cat 1; 17th) vs Sunderland (Cat 1; 20th)
  3. Reading (Cat 1; 21st)
  4. Burnley (Cat 1; 27th)
  5. West Brom (Cat 1; 29th) vs QPR (Cat 2; 13th)
  6. Bournemouth (Cat 2; 3rd)
  7. Watford (Cat 2; 5th)
  8. Colchester (Cat 2; 16th)

2 qualifiers tonight are
Sunderland ( 6-1)
West Brom ( 1-0 )

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 12 Feb 2026 08:39

Unfortunately the Royals are not in the competition this season but the PL International cup is reaching the end of the 64 matches group stage. Here are the qualifiers for the QF’s known so far.
Group A Everton, Real Madrid
Group B 2 out of Borussia M’gl, Valencia and Crystal Palace
Group C Real Sociedad, Dinamo Zagreb
Group D Dortmund, Man Utd
All matches in the comp are played in England.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 15 Feb 2026 19:35

Royals and Racers Next up for the U 18’s is a rare midweek match on Wednesday 18th February home to Ipswich Town KO 1pm at Bearwood.
Next up for the U 21’s is the long journey on Monday 16th February to play Graeme Murty’s Sunderland away in the PL 2 KO 7pm. The match is being played at the Eppleton Colliery welfare ground.

U 21’s match at Sunderland tomorrow already postponed.

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morganb
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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by morganb » 16 Feb 2026 17:35

Clyde1998 Winners go into the quarter-finals, with Bournemouth (2-1 away at Sheff Utd) and Colchester (1-0 at home to Swansea) already qualified.

The remaining ties are:
  1. 9 Feb - Burnley vs Brentford
  2. 9 Feb - Watford vs Charlton
  3. 11 Feb - West Brom vs QPR
  4. 11 Feb - Nottm Forest vs Sunderland
  5. 17 Feb - Ipswich vs Blackburn


Assume the PL Cup QF draw happens after the last of the last-16 fixtures has been played (tomorrow, 17 Feb according to the above list)?

Qualified so far-

Reading
Bournemouth
Colchester
Burnley
Watford
West Brom
Sunderland

Do we already know if we are playing home or away or is this dictated by the draw?


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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 16 Feb 2026 18:07

morganb
Clyde1998 Winners go into the quarter-finals, with Bournemouth (2-1 away at Sheff Utd) and Colchester (1-0 at home to Swansea) already qualified.

The remaining ties are:
  1. 9 Feb - Burnley vs Brentford
  2. 9 Feb - Watford vs Charlton
  3. 11 Feb - West Brom vs QPR
  4. 11 Feb - Nottm Forest vs Sunderland
  5. 17 Feb - Ipswich vs Blackburn


Assume the PL Cup QF draw happens after the last of the last-16 fixtures has been played (tomorrow, 17 Feb according to the above list)?

Qualified so far-

Reading
Bournemouth
Colchester
Burnley
Watford
West Brom
Sunderland

Do we already know if we are playing home or away or is this dictated by the draw?

Straight draw i would imagine.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 17 Feb 2026 07:33

Royals and Racers
Royals and Racers Next up for the U 18’s is a rare midweek match on Wednesday 18th February home to Ipswich Town KO 1pm at Bearwood.
Next up for the U 21’s is the long journey on Monday 16th February to play Graeme Murty’s Sunderland away in the PL 2 KO 7pm. The match is being played at the Eppleton Colliery welfare ground.

U 21’s match at Sunderland tomorrow already postponed.

U 21’s return to the SCL stadium for their next PL 2 match against Arsenal next Monday evening February 23rd KO 7pm.
Royals are 21st and Arsenal 10th.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 17 Feb 2026 21:40

Royals and Racers
morganb
Clyde1998 Winners go into the quarter-finals, with Bournemouth (2-1 away at Sheff Utd) and Colchester (1-0 at home to Swansea) already qualified.

The remaining ties are:
  1. 9 Feb - Burnley vs Brentford
  2. 9 Feb - Watford vs Charlton
  3. 11 Feb - West Brom vs QPR
  4. 11 Feb - Nottm Forest vs Sunderland
  5. 17 Feb - Ipswich vs Blackburn


Assume the PL Cup QF draw happens after the last of the last-16 fixtures has been played (tomorrow, 17 Feb according to the above list)?

Qualified so far-

Reading
Bournemouth
Colchester
Burnley
Watford
West Brom
Sunderland

Do we already know if we are playing home or away or is this dictated by the draw?

Straight draw i would imagine.

Ipswich 2 Blackburn 3 AET

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 18 Feb 2026 12:36

Reading U 18’s 3rd from bottom V Ipswich bottom KO 1pm
T Borgnis
Cliff
Zie
Irish
Dove
Barbieri
Coffey
11 J Ntege- Joseph
7 J Ntege- Jubilee
Lonmeni
Fuller-Thompson
SUBS
Yenso
Ojo
Hunte
Imafidon
Omoregie
1-0 10 mins Jubilee Ntege
H-T 1-0
2-0 60 mins Jubilee again !
2-1 74 mins
2-2 82 mins
F-T 2-2

The U 18’s go again on Saturday 21st home again at Bearwood to West Brom KO 12pm


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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 18 Feb 2026 20:58

Royals and Racers Unfortunately the Royals are not in the competition this season but the PL International cup is reaching the end of the 64 matches group stage. Here are the qualifiers for the QF’s known so far.
Group A Everton, Real Madrid
Group B 2 out of Borussia M’gl, Valencia and Crystal Palace
Group C Real Sociedad, Dinamo Zagreb
Group D Dortmund, Man Utd
All matches in the comp are played in England.

Group B qualifiers Crystal Palace and Valencia

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 18 Feb 2026 22:23

Sunderland U 21’s v Reading U 21 postponed on Monday has been re- arranged on Monday 30th March

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 20 Feb 2026 09:11

Royals and Racers
Royals and Racers Unfortunately the Royals are not in the competition this season but the PL International cup is reaching the end of the 64 matches group stage. Here are the qualifiers for the QF’s known so far.
Group A Everton, Real Madrid
Group B 2 out of Borussia M’gl, Valencia and Crystal Palace
Group C Real Sociedad, Dinamo Zagreb
Group D Dortmund, Man Utd
All matches in the comp are played in England.

Group B qualifiers Crystal Palace and Valencia

The PL media dept on Academy cup draws is pathetic. The draw has obviously been done because the Crystal Palace media dept - who are superb have posted that it’s Palace v Real Sociedad in the QF. I cannot find anywhere details of the other 3 ties.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Orion1871 » 20 Feb 2026 09:20

Thanks R&R.

I've been wondering about how Palace are progressing in this competition.


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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 20 Feb 2026 11:10

Orion1871 Thanks R&R.

I've been wondering about how Palace are progressing in this competition.

Are you taking the pi$$ :D
Someone might be interested( other than me and my mate,) especially as 5 foreign teams have qualified 1 game at least is going to be played between 2 foreign teams maybe locally !

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Sutekh » 20 Feb 2026 15:43

Sean Patton excelling at the Hampshire club.

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/spor ... an-patton/

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Royals and Racers » 20 Feb 2026 16:29

Sutekh Sean Patton excelling at the Hampshire club.

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/spor ... an-patton/

Article behind a pay wall !

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yuomi
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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by yuomi » 20 Feb 2026 16:58

Leam Richardson praises future Reading FC star Sean Patton

Reading FC forward Sean Patton joined Aldershot Town in January on loan to the end of the season. The 19-year-old arrived to Berkshire in the summer after a trial period and has so far impressed, scoring the winner against MK Dons in the Vertu Trophy among his three first-team appearances to date with the first team.
Patton has so far played and started four games for Aldershot, who are currently in the National League, where he has scored two goals and provided one assist already.
His second goal for the club was the decisive goal as Aldershot won 2-1 at Yeovil over the weekend.
The promising striker is working under experienced manager John Coleman who managed Leam Richardson when he was a player for Accrington Stanley.
When asked if he is keeping an eye on the strike, Richardson told The Reading Chronicle: "The manager rings me every day, John Coleman, who was ultimately my manager for a long time, if you didn't know, he sings a song to me down the phone, firstly about myself and then about Sean Patton, which tells you he's doing very well.
"He's absolutely made up, he's exactly what we thought he was going to do, exactly the person and the player. So firstly, Aldershot speak highly enough of him.
"Obviously the lads watch him, myself and the staff watch all his clips. Attitude, top class. And obviously the output of the minute, his numbers have been very good.
"His assist from Yeovil as well. He's gone in and cut it back on the lads and he hit the bar the other week.
"That's why they're out on loan. I think that's why a lot of our players have missed that pathway, which is so important."
Richardson then went on to emphasise the importance of players, especially academy players, going out on loan to gain experience - Explaining that Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, Andre Garcia (When he was at the club) and Kelvin Abrefa could have benefitted from it.
He told The Reading Chronicle: "I don't mind saying it, the likes of Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, young Andre when he was here, Abrefa and Ashqar who is now out on loan.
"There's nothing better, there's nothing better at all [Than a loan].
"You can't just learn on the job, you've got to go and learn your trade like any other YT would. Go and learn on your trade. Realise what it takes to win and how desperate other people are to win because this whole training ground really, it's a bit of a luxury. It's a bit of a mirage and it's not real.
"You've got to really go and earn your stripes to come here and work here. That's what they've missed.
"Sean Patton's going through that now. Ashqar's going through that. Young Shea Spence, Augie, Matt Rowley.
"We're trying to get them now in a good place as a football club should be."

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yuomi
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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by yuomi » 20 Feb 2026 17:00

yuomi Leam Richardson praises future Reading FC star Sean Patton

Reading FC forward Sean Patton joined Aldershot Town in January on loan to the end of the season. The 19-year-old arrived to Berkshire in the summer after a trial period and has so far impressed, scoring the winner against MK Dons in the Vertu Trophy among his three first-team appearances to date with the first team.
Patton has so far played and started four games for Aldershot, who are currently in the National League, where he has scored two goals and provided one assist already.
His second goal for the club was the decisive goal as Aldershot won 2-1 at Yeovil over the weekend.
The promising striker is working under experienced manager John Coleman who managed Leam Richardson when he was a player for Accrington Stanley.
When asked if he is keeping an eye on the strike, Richardson told The Reading Chronicle: "The manager rings me every day, John Coleman, who was ultimately my manager for a long time, if you didn't know, he sings a song to me down the phone, firstly about myself and then about Sean Patton, which tells you he's doing very well.
"He's absolutely made up, he's exactly what we thought he was going to do, exactly the person and the player. So firstly, Aldershot speak highly enough of him.
"Obviously the lads watch him, myself and the staff watch all his clips. Attitude, top class. And obviously the output of the minute, his numbers have been very good.
"His assist from Yeovil as well. He's gone in and cut it back on the lads and he hit the bar the other week.
"That's why they're out on loan. I think that's why a lot of our players have missed that pathway, which is so important."
Richardson then went on to emphasise the importance of players, especially academy players, going out on loan to gain experience - Explaining that Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, Andre Garcia (When he was at the club) and Kelvin Abrefa could have benefitted from it.
He told The Reading Chronicle: "I don't mind saying it, the likes of Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, young Andre when he was here, Abrefa and Ashqar who is now out on loan.
"There's nothing better, there's nothing better at all [Than a loan].
"You can't just learn on the job, you've got to go and learn your trade like any other YT would. Go and learn on your trade. Realise what it takes to win and how desperate other people are to win because this whole training ground really, it's a bit of a luxury. It's a bit of a mirage and it's not real.
"You've got to really go and earn your stripes to come here and work here. That's what they've missed.
"Sean Patton's going through that now. Ashqar's going through that. Young Shea Spence, Augie, Matt Rowley.
"We're trying to get them now in a good place as a football club should be."


Spot on about Abrefa and WiFi (and particularly applies to Camara imo) - it really shows that they never got development loans.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by Clyde1998 » 20 Feb 2026 17:19

yuomi
yuomi Leam Richardson praises future Reading FC star Sean Patton

Reading FC forward Sean Patton joined Aldershot Town in January on loan to the end of the season. The 19-year-old arrived to Berkshire in the summer after a trial period and has so far impressed, scoring the winner against MK Dons in the Vertu Trophy among his three first-team appearances to date with the first team.
Patton has so far played and started four games for Aldershot, who are currently in the National League, where he has scored two goals and provided one assist already.
His second goal for the club was the decisive goal as Aldershot won 2-1 at Yeovil over the weekend.
The promising striker is working under experienced manager John Coleman who managed Leam Richardson when he was a player for Accrington Stanley.
When asked if he is keeping an eye on the strike, Richardson told The Reading Chronicle: "The manager rings me every day, John Coleman, who was ultimately my manager for a long time, if you didn't know, he sings a song to me down the phone, firstly about myself and then about Sean Patton, which tells you he's doing very well.
"He's absolutely made up, he's exactly what we thought he was going to do, exactly the person and the player. So firstly, Aldershot speak highly enough of him.
"Obviously the lads watch him, myself and the staff watch all his clips. Attitude, top class. And obviously the output of the minute, his numbers have been very good.
"His assist from Yeovil as well. He's gone in and cut it back on the lads and he hit the bar the other week.
"That's why they're out on loan. I think that's why a lot of our players have missed that pathway, which is so important."
Richardson then went on to emphasise the importance of players, especially academy players, going out on loan to gain experience - Explaining that Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, Andre Garcia (When he was at the club) and Kelvin Abrefa could have benefitted from it.
He told The Reading Chronicle: "I don't mind saying it, the likes of Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, young Andre when he was here, Abrefa and Ashqar who is now out on loan.
"There's nothing better, there's nothing better at all [Than a loan].
"You can't just learn on the job, you've got to go and learn your trade like any other YT would. Go and learn on your trade. Realise what it takes to win and how desperate other people are to win because this whole training ground really, it's a bit of a luxury. It's a bit of a mirage and it's not real.
"You've got to really go and earn your stripes to come here and work here. That's what they've missed.
"Sean Patton's going through that now. Ashqar's going through that. Young Shea Spence, Augie, Matt Rowley.
"We're trying to get them now in a good place as a football club should be."


Spot on about Abrefa and WiFi (and particularly applies to Camara imo) - it really shows that they never got development loans.

I've mentioned this before, but players like Stickland and Holzman have had their careers heavily stunted by not going out on loan and sitting in the U21s for too long.

It's been good to see the club actually send our young players out on loan to get experience of senior football.

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Re: The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

by The Cube » 20 Feb 2026 21:16

yuomi Shea Spence, Augie

Quality journalism from the Chronic, as ever.

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