Royals bid farewell to 'outstanding' Championship
Reading director of football Nick Hammond has praised the “outstanding” quality of football in the Coca-Cola Championship this season.
The Royals have taken the division by storm this term, re-writing the record books in their relentless march towards the title and promotion to the Barclays Premiership.
On their way to securing top-flight football for the first time in their 135-year history, Steve Coppell’s men achieved the earliest promotion in the history of English football following a 1-1 draw against Leicester at the Walkers Stadium on March 25.
A club record run of 33 games without defeat equalled Liverpool’s long-standing mark in the second tier, set in the late 19th century, and the Berkshire side have Sunderland’s record points tally of 105 firmly in their sights with four games remaining.
But Hammond insists the Championship has been more competitive than the statistics suggest.
“The league this year has been a great advertisement for football outside the top flight,” Hammond said.
“There are some big clubs in the Championship, traditionally big clubs, and that has produced some outstanding football and attracted good attendances.
“There’s quality throughout the division from the teams in the top half of the table, to massive clubs such as Coventry, Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton, who have not enjoyed the seasons they would have expected at the start of the campaign but who can still beat anyone on their day.
“There have been so many exciting games and technically good performances. There are some good players in this division.
“It (the Championship) is a really good product at the moment and figures show that the support and interest is increasing and that can only be good for the game in England.
“We will end the season as champions and with a comfortable advantage over the teams below us, but that’s testament to the football we have played this season because we have not had what you would call an easy game. Not once.”
