Introducing the PA team

With the finishing touches being put to some new ideas at the Madstad this season, we thought we'd take an opportunity to introduce ourselves. There are five members of the Madejski Stadium PA team and each one of us has their own particular duties on a match day. This is also available on the official site.

First up is Adam Lloyd, aka the Producer. Adam, a lifelong Royals fan, is the technical wizard of the team and operates the scoreboard. Scoreboard - now that’s a slip of the tongue. The Madstad boasts a video screen now, but in the beginnings of the PA team, the sole duty of the scoreboard was to show the score. Now the video screen is one of the busiest pieces of equipment on match day. Adam’s job to work the screen is only the half of it. Whereas before two buttons to update the home and away scores was the extent of things, now the graphics and videos take a lot of homework to be ready for the each game. Adam has to make more pre-match preparations than the rest of the team, purely because setting up the video screen and all the graphics isn’t as reactionary as other roles of the PA team. Adam joined Reading FC in August 1998 and has been an ever present at the Madstad since its opening.

Paul ‘Kevin’ Smith is the second member of the team and the relatively new kid on the block. Paul’s main role is to support Adam with the working of the video screen. It’s further reinforcement to how far the technology has advanced since the early days if the Madstad. In the past there would never be any need for a two-man team for the scoreboard, but Paul and Adam work together on the video screen. Adam will sometimes turn cameraman for the official website and Paul will watch over the various feeds in the PA box, making sure any controversial incidents aren’t shown on screen.

Paul Allen, the next member of the PA team, arrived in August 2001 on season long loan deal from Kestrel FM. Paul's background in radio made him a good choice as the compere and Reading’s man on the pitch. Paul is often the last one to arrive on the day of the game, but his immediate job is to write himself the rousing introduction to the game that he delivers just after announcing the teams. Paul always writes this just before going onto the pitch. It changes every week and is as fresh as it can be. Half time is Paul’s time and he‘ll always welcome you to it! Yes it used to be pizza at half time, but all that will change this season as new ideas kick in.

In the past, Paul Allen was essentially just a voice, hence his nickname - the Voice! There was no opportunity for the population of the stadium to see him bounding around the pitch at half time. No doubt the majority of the crowd would be most grateful for that. However, in 2006-7 this all changed with the PA team’s very own cameraman Jon Young. Jon had the dubious honour of following Paul around the stadium and filming his every move. As a professional cameraman, Jon’s experience has given us an added edge by being one of a handful of stadia in the country to have its own roving camera. The new plans for the this season most definitely include Jon.

And then there is me, Stuart Croucher, aka the Amateur. Like Adam, I have been a virtual ever present at the Madstad, joining the club in August 1998. I’m the one who does all the announcements that aren’t done by Paul. That means the manic shouting over the microphone after a goal is scored by Reading, is indeed my dulcet tones. I also offer a deathly response should an away goal be scored. I will be your guide to the behind the scenes activities of the PA team this season. Which starts off with an exclusive behind the scenes preview of the first home game of the new season on August 15th.

Enjoy the season! Come on URZ!