All-time results record (League, FA Cup and League Cup)

First league meetings

Albion first played Reading on September 10, 1927, in a trip to Elm Park in Old Division Two. The Baggies had just suffered relegation after 12 years in the top flight and Reading were in their second year in Old Division Two after winning promotion. The game finished 4-1 with Jimmy Cookson, Tommy Glidden, Charlie Wilson and Arthur Fitton all on the scoresheet for the Baggies. When the teams met again at The Hawthorns later that season on January 21, Albion won 5-3 thanks to four goals from Jimmy Cookson and an Inglis own goal.Cookson, who only joined Albion from Chesterfield for £2,500 at the start of the 1927/28 campaign, scored 38 goals in as many league appearances in his first season.

Big wins and defeats

Albion's biggest win over Reading was 5-0 at The Hawthorns on March 30, 1929, in Old Division Two. Cookson bagged a double to add to Fitton, Wilson and Jimmy Edwards strikes. The biggest defeats at the hands of the Royals were both 3-1. The first came on September 13, 1967, when the Baggies lost in the League Cup second round and Ian Collard scored. The other came in the Football League Championship on December 2, 1995, when Albion had to settle for a Lee Ashcroft consolation.

Interesting Fact

Reading right-back Shaun Cummings made four starts for the Baggies on loan from Chelsea in August before signing for the Royals on a permanent basis.

Last time out

Home - Football League Championship (November 22, 2003) Albion 0 Reading 0

Away - Football League Championship (May 1, 2004) Reading 1 (Sidwell) Albion 0

Home - English FA Cup Third round (January 17, 2006) Albion 1 (Gera pen) Reading 1 (Doyle pen)

Away - English FA Cup Third round replay (January 22, 2006) Reading 3 (Lita 3) Albion 2 (Chaplow 2)

Form guide (last six league matches)

Albion: DLLWWW

Reading: LWDLLD

Last league match line-ups

Albion (v Preston): Carson; Zuiverloon, Meite, Olsson, Mattock; Brunt (Koren 60), Mulumbu (Martis 90+4), Jara, Cech (Reid 79); Dorrans; Bednar. Subs not used: Kiely (gk), Barnett, Wood, Cox.

Reading (v Middlesbrough): Federici, Cummings, Bertrand, Ingimarsson, O'Dea, Gunnarsson (Sigurdsson 58), Karacan, Howard, Kebe (Hunt HT), McAnuff, Church. Subs not used: Hamer, Mills, Pearce, Cisse, Matejovsky.

Reading injury news

Shane Long (ankle) faces a fitness test ahead of tomorrow's game.

Grzegorz Rasiak (leg) missed the last game but is close to a return but Radoslav Vasilev (groin) is out for a few months.

Ref watch

Anthony Taylor will referee tomorrow's match at The Hawthorns against The Royals. Cheshire official last oversaw Albion in their 1-0 home League Cup first-round win over Bournemouth on August 14, 2007. So far this season Taylor has dished out 22 yellow cards and one red card in 11 games.

Betting

If you fancy a flutter on this game with the club's official online bookmaker, bet365, click here.

Selected odds:

Albion to win 8/13

Reading to win 9/2

Draw 11/4

Simon Cox to score 7/5

Simon Church to score 11/4

Tickets

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