After beginning my tenure with a 4-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, in which Reading lost within 17 seconds, it was never going to be a win to bring the curtain down.

I must express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to you all; it has been a pleasure to bring you the ups and downs of our club since 2021, and it has been an honour and privilege to be on the front lines of the club’s most difficult battle in 154 years, removing Dai Yongge.

A new period at the club felt like the ideal time to begin a new era for me, and I hope to see the club’s coverage continue from the outside.

Before I ride off into the sunset, I thought it would be fun to take a journey down memory lane and reminisce about my time performing my dream job, following the Royals all around the country.

The eight-goal thriller on Easter Monday 2022 has to be the height of craziness.

Leading had already performed a miracle over the Easter weekend, defeating Sheffield United 2-1 at Bramall Lane thanks to Tom McIntyre’s stoppage-time goal, a well-deserved victory that appeared to be slipping away when Iliman N’Diaye equalised in the 90th minute.

Reading’s Championship safety was saved by an incredible recovery after trailing 4-1 against Russell Martin’s Swans at halftime. Goals by Lucas Joao, Tom Ince, and McIntyre again did just that at the SCL Stadium.

Reading would lose their next three matches without scoring, but the job was done and safety was guaranteed for at least another year.

Comparing Championship triumphs to those in League One has been difficult to measure. From November 2023 to May 2024, once Ruben Selles got the team playing free-flowing football, there were plenty delightful moments in the third tier.

However, after seeing many League One games in recent years, last season’s 3-1 triumph over Posh felt the least League One-like.

Both teams attempted to play football with the ball on the ground, and by the third, Noel Hunt’s Royals had outperformed their opponents, easily to another home triumph over Darren Ferguson’s side.

The record-breaking 9-0 triumph over Exeter City in the Papa John’s Trophy deserves recognition, but the nature of the contests and the two teams named must pull that down a notch or two.

In the Championship, a 3-0 victory against Blackburn Rovers stands out, but the performance in the opening-day draw at Birmingham City was not rewarded with the victory it deserved last year.

Birmingham City, Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Sunderland, Cardiff City, Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers, Bristol City, Preston North End, Coventry City, Huddersfield Town, Port Vale, Cambridge United, Blackpool, Northampton Town, Leyton Orient, Charlton Athletic, and Shrewsbury Town.

To many, that list of clubs will be meaningless. But for Reading fans, especially those who travel home and away, it reads like a badge of honour.

From a last-minute win at Hull City on November 12, 2021, to a victory down the road at Adams Park, goals from Sam Smith and Lewis Wing secured the club’s first away league win in 378 days.

The atmosphere was among the finest in Reading’s recent history, despite the fact that the match ended with Reading finishing bottom of League One.

The sensation of exhilaration was visible among those linked, and a personal recollection sticks out as I rushed down the touchline to celebrate with a friend and former colleague Luke Wallace, having both been at almost all matches in that wretched run.

Coming so soon after a low moment, the memorable 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury Town, the club rallied and finished comfortably safe. Off the pitch, being one of the thousands marching from the town centre to the stadium in October 2023 made me feel a lump in my throat.

We had no idea how much longer we’d have to demonstrate, but it was a ‘I was there moment’ when the A34 was closed for an hour and our voices were heard.

Seeing the club win 9-0 was also up there, and the moment Dai Yongge was officially gone, but seeing that I was there alone with nobody to share it with, that relief was topped by the euphoria of Wycombe.

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