By IANS
London : English Premier League club Reading’s footballers are paying out of their pockets so that their fans can watch them play away from home.
Reading, who have yet to win an away game in the Premiership this season, are contributing more than 5,000 pounds towards their supporters’ next trip to Manchester City, according to the club’s official website.
It means the first 350 fans that book tickets on the club’s official coaches will pay just five pounds for the journey instead of the normal 20 pounds.
Reading lost 1-3 at Fulham Saturday but were given impressive support by their travelling fans and skipper Graeme Murty said: “They were absolutely brilliant. The lads said that’s the noisiest they have heard them away from home for a long time.
“I wanted to make that point in a phone-in Monday morning before unfortunately we ran out of time. We appreciate the fact that it is very expensive to follow your team away from home and that is why we are subsidising the next trip.
“We need our supporters to be as loud and as boisterous as possible away from home and last Saturday they were.”
Reading, who must first play leaders Arsenal at home next Monday night, are hoping the visit to the City of Manchester Stadium will bring them a similar result as last season – a 2-0 win.