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July 4th: Portugal v Greece, the final of Euro 2004, seems a long time ago now. Yet amazingly, it was just thirty-three days ago that Angelos Charisteas and Co stunned the footballing world with a dramatic victory.
Each year, for football fans July seems to crawl by, with some desperate supporters turning to cricket as they try to wish away the most mundane month of the year.
But finally the new season is upon us. Reading take to the field against recently-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion tomorrow afternoon at the Madejski Stadium as they embark on their Championship campaign.
Steve Coppell will be desperate to record a win against ht Seagulls, his former club, not out of a desire to 'get one over' his previous employers, but because the Royals need points on the board with tricky games against West Ham and Sheffield United coming up in the next eight days.
However, strikerless Brighton will prove to be no push over, former Royals boss Mark McGhee has constructed a decent team that will surprise a few this season.
Yet without free-scoring striker Leon Knight, who kit the back of the net twenty-seven times last season, the Seagulls have been weakened.
Furthermore, goalkeeper Ben Roberts, a former Reading loanee, Richard Carpenter, Paul Watson, Chris McPhee, Dean Blackwell and Simon Rodger are all missing through injury.
Crisis is a strong word, and maybe in this instance inappropriate, yet the fitness worries the Seagulls face are not ones McGhee would have wished for.
Reading on the other hand are in a much healthier position with an almost fully-fit squad to choose from.
The only question marks surround right-back Graeme Murty, who missed Monday's game against Manchester City with a chest infection.
The 29-year-old is rated as doubtful for tomorrow's game, but it is thought that he will play.
Summer signings Ibrahima Sonko, Bobby Convey, Glen Little and Paul Brooker could all make their debuts, but it remains to be seen which members of Coppell's new look squad have impressed sufficiently to be considered worthy of a place in the team.
The chances are Sonko will have to be contented with a place on the bench, although Convey and Little will almost certainly start the game.
The opening day of the season always throws up a few surprises, and with the Royals overwhelming favourites to win tomorrow, lets hope there are no shocks at the Madejski Stadium.
At least things can't go any worse than on Monday, when Reading suffered a very disappointing 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.
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