TIM DELLOR COLUMN: Savage transfer talk sparks rivalry tension

FOOTBALL rivalries hot up when there’s the suggestion a player might move locally. By all means up sticks and head to the other end of the country, making your club squillions in the process, but don’t you dare pop a few miles down the road to pull on the shirt of a local rival. As a rule of thumb, for any professional footballer, if you don’t have to move house the move probably won’t be accepted by fans.

The January transfer window rumour mill is in over-drive, and the last week has thrown up a real classic of this genre. It’s been suggested on social media Oxford United are prepared to throw some money at Reading midfielder Charlie Savage, trying to entice him up the A34. The stumbling block, according to fans jumping the gun, is firstly Oxford weren’t throwing very much money, and secondly, why would anyone want to make such a move?

There’s no real evidence Oxford United have made a serious approach, but Reading manager Leam Richardson admitted to me clubs had enquired about his players. “We’re not a selling club” Richardson reassuringly stated, and he is adamant the owner and board will bat away audacious offers for key players. Half a million for key player Savage is certainly audacious.

Let’s be honest, January is a pretty boring month. The post Christmas hang over, the dark evenings, the dank weather, credit card bills and a general lack of excitement, means talking earnestly and in ill-informed detail, about something that may or may not happen, becomes acceptable. The January transfer window gets fans talking, but it’s largely a waste of energy and time.

The real reason Reading fans were so exorcised by the mere suggestion Savage might move to Oxford United is because it’s considered a backwards move. When Reading were in the Premier League, Oxford United were floundering in the National League. For the last 20 years Reading have been in at least the Championship, while Oxford, like Swindon and Wycombe, have been stumbling round the lower divisions. The tragedy is now the tables have turned, Oxford are in the Championship, Wycombe are level pegging, and Swindon look like they’ll be league opponents next season.

A lacklustre performance at Leyton Orient last weekend has reduced the optimism Reading might swap places with Oxford in next season’s Championship. This Saturday Reading need to return to winning ways against Barnsley at the SCL. It’s a really important time for recovering Reading, trying to get back to where most fans feel the club needs to be.

Most of us will be fully focused on the football, but according to the club website “the tussle with the Tykes is the club’s designated Louisiana Day fixture, a time to celebrate the homeland of our shareholders”. Marvellous. This gimmick excites me about as much as having to celebrate the King of Thailand’s birthday when a Thai consortium owned the club 10 years ago. I’ve googled Louisiana, but I doubt I’ll ever go there. We’ve got more in common with Oxford, Swindon and Wycombe, even if we’re reluctant to admit it.