Bracknell chairman Kayne Steinborn-Busse has revealed Championship Reading offered the Southern League Premier Division South side the chance to play their FA Cup first round tie against the Blues at their Select Car Leasing Stadium.
While the FA clamped down on non-league clubs switching ties to bigger opposition stadia back in 2003, Steinborn-Busse says the Royals made their home, formerly known as the Madejski Stadium and 11 miles from Bracknell, available for the match, which it has been confirmed will be played live on ITV4 at Bottom Meadow, the ground the Robins share with Sandhurst, on Monday 7th November.
"We were offered Reading, but at the end of the day the odds are stacked massively against us, you’re a far higher opposition, but if we’ve got a slim chance of causing an upset, it’s only really going to be caused at our ground because if we moved it to the Madejski, that environment you’re used to,” Steinborn-Busse told this lunchtime’s Life’s a Pitch (2hr 30mins 59secs) on BBC Radio Suffolk
"The one thing you’re not used to is coming to a ground where the fans are going to be right on top of you.
"It’s a really, really slim chance, and the other thing is that I want to showcase our new ground.
"We spent a lot of money during Covid building our stadium and for it to feature on TV, that’s a massive thing. Really it was a quick decision when Reading offered us their ground, we said no within seconds. We want it here.”
Town will receive 15 per cent of the ticket allocation at Bottom Meadow, although Steinborn-Busse has said he anticipates Blues supporters also purchasing some of his club’s share.
He says the capacity has now been confirmed: "Just under 2,000. It was signed off at 3,000 but I think we’re going to have just under 2,000.”