Can anyone recommend any decent pubs in Reading town centre to visit before getting the bus to the ground? Not sure how strict the pubs will be with letting away fans in given the ground is quite far out of town

Don't wear colours and you'll be fine.

We are meeting in the Three Guineas then going from there, don't recall any issue with any pub we tried last time we were there.

claretonthecoast1882 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 2:17 pm

We are meeting in the Three Guineas then going from there, don't recall any issue with any pub we tried last time we were there.

Cheers!

If you head for The Oracle, there are some bars by the canal (city centre) - depends if you like bars like that or traditional pubs.

If you're driving then Sonning is a really nice village with two good pubs and beer gardens. A few famous people live there - George Clooney, Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Uri Geller, Glen Hoddle, Theresa May. Picture postcard place

There used to be buses that ran straight to the ground, and back again from outside the railway station if some fans aren't driving.
Used to be very handy, but its years since i went, so not sure if theyre still running.

TheOriginalLongsider wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 4:42 pm

If you head for The Oracle, there are some bars by the canal (city centre) - depends if you like bars like that or traditional pubs.

If you're driving then Sonning is a really nice village with two good pubs and beer gardens. A few famous people live there - George Clooney, Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Uri Geller, Glen Hoddle, Theresa May. Picture postcard place

Sounds expensive!

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 5:11 pm

There used to be buses that ran straight to the ground, and back again from outside the railway station if some fans aren't driving.
Used to be very handy, but its years since i went, so not sure if theyre still running.

Still a thing

"From there, take the 50A Greenwave Park & Ride bus that takes you directly to the Stadium, with an average journey time less than 10 minutes"

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 5:11 pm

There used to be buses that ran straight to the ground, and back again from outside the railway station if some fans aren't driving.
Used to be very handy, but its years since i went, so not sure if theyre still running.

From Reading’s official site re travel from the station

From there, take the 50A Greenwave Park & Ride bus that takes you directly to the Stadium, with an average journey time less than 10 minutes.

We're staying in the Premier Inn just off J11 of the M4. Doesn't look to be much around there but it's very close to the ground.

I'm looking for somewhere that will be showing the Sheff Utd game beforehand.

Being unfamiliar, is the best bet to get into Reading centre and go from there?

The Holiday Inn is 15-20 minutes walk and are ok with you using the bar, but obviously expensive.

On the road behind the Holiday Inn (Basingstoke Road) a few hundred yards towards Reading is the 'World Turned Upside Down'. It was a Crown Carvery last time I was there and cheap as anything. Car park too.

World turned upside down for us.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 5:42 pm

The Holiday Inn is 15-20 minutes walk and are ok with you using the bar, but obviously expensive.

On the road behind the Holiday Inn (Basingstoke Road) a few hundred yards towards Reading is the 'World Turned Upside Down'. It was a Crown Carvery last time I was there and cheap as anything. Car park too.

Thanks Doug.

Do you know if the Holiday Inn has Sky Sports at all?

TheOriginalLongsider wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 4:42 pm

If you head for The Oracle, there are some bars by the canal (city centre) - depends if you like bars like that or traditional pubs.

If you're driving then Sonning is a really nice village with two good pubs and beer gardens. A few famous people live there - George Clooney, Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Uri Geller, Glen Hoddle, Theresa May. Picture postcard place

I’d be very surprised if you saw Jon Lord there given he died over a decade ago. It is a nice place though but any sightings of Jon will mean that you’ve had a few too many.

Fao Claret Sam 92
Get no6 goes near your hotel into town
F1 bus goes from Station down by side of Three Guineas £2 return
After the game buses are at the side of the ground

ClaretSam92 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 5:51 pm

Thanks Doug.

Do you know if the Holiday Inn has Sky Sports at all?

I can't remember that, but you could give them a bell?

Get yourself down to the Purple Turtle!

TsarBomba wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 8:09 pm

Get yourself down to the Purple Turtle!

I used to go in there to play table football when my son also lived local. Watch out for the wild buses though- said pub frontage is in the bottom right of this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTNlwBz ... ardianNews

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 5:11 pm

There used to be buses that ran straight to the ground, and back again from outside the railway station if some fans aren't driving.
Used to be very handy, but its years since i went, so not sure if theyre still running.

They are still running F1 service. Leaves from a short walk from outside the rail station - come out of the main entrance by the Three Guineas, turn right and walk parallel to the rail line 100-150 yards . Buses return from about where you're dropped off near the stadium and return to approx the same place. Times: https://images.reading-buses.co.uk/down ... 0times.pdf

Three Guineas pub has been renovated since that hilarious 2016 game - been given more a railway theme (not outlandish since the building was designed by Brunel as part of the rail station buildings. Not been in there recently but plenty of seats outside and food has been upgraded. Theres also a decent food/craft-beer bar pretty much opposite the station/bit left - Oakford Social Club (its NOT really a social club, anybody can go in) https://www.oakfordsocialclub.com/drink#/
For watching the early footy games, there's an O'Neill's just round the corner on Blagrave Street
https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=192 ... hd:;si:;mv:[[51.46273729278607,-0.9567932860000571],[51.452281823820115,-0.9832613245590172]]

I am driving down, can any of you recommend a decent car park within 15 minutes walk? RG2 0RP is my starting point. Many thanks

TheOriginalLongsider wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 4:42 pm

If you head for The Oracle, there are some bars by the canal (city centre) - depends if you like bars like that or traditional pubs.

If you're driving then Sonning is a really nice village with two good pubs and beer gardens. A few famous people live there - George Clooney, Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Uri Geller, Glen Hoddle, Theresa May. Picture postcard place

I fear the Bull at Sonning's prices will provoke the traditional Burnley war-cry of, " 'ow bl***y much ??? " ....

Thanks for the replies chaps, really useful info.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 7:04 pm

I can't remember that, but you could give them a bell?

Just for info, they have BT but no Sky unfortunately.

Papabendi, who occasionally posts on here, is talking of plotting up at Wetherspoons near the station @ 1130 AM before a mini pub crawl on the way to hopefully yet another win on the road!

There is a fan zone for home and away supporters showing the earlier game

ClaretSam92 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 13, 2023 5:33 pm

We're staying in the Premier Inn just off J11 of the M4. Doesn't look to be much around there but it's very close to the ground.

I'm looking for somewhere that will be showing the Sheff Utd game beforehand.

Being unfamiliar, is the best bet to get into Reading centre and go from there?

There is a fan zone for home and away supporters showing the earlier game

The Library arms?

As a local.. I would definitely recommend the Nags Head .. a few minutes walk out of town but probably the best pub in Reading!