After recording back-to-back top five finishes, the Eagles launch their push for promotion against the Royals with a 14:00 BST kick-off in south London (gates open at 13:00 BST for family-fun entertainment!).
Kaminski’s side will play their first home match following the side's move to Sutton United’s VBS Community Stadium this season, kick-starting a new era for the club.
And with giant games, face-painting, video game stations, a DJ, and competitions and prizes, there’ll be no place like home, with fun for the whole family - find out more here!
Remember: tickets are available on the gate – but prices are discounted if booked online!
Head coach Laura Kaminski had this to say to Palace supporters...
Hello everybody,
Firstly, I’d like to welcome those of you coming to the VBS Community Stadium, and also welcome Liam Gilbert and his Reading team to south London today.
As Palace’s new head coach, I want to thank all the players and staff at the club for making my entrance so smooth and well-received. Everybody, throughout pre-season, has worked tirelessly.
We’ve changed quite a lot at the club, and for the players on the pitch. They’ve got new roles and new responsibilities, and there are new players to work with, but they’ve all had a fantastic, open-minded attitude to the changes. I expect them now to grow into those roles as the season goes on.
It’s been a long, productive pre-season. We’ve had five fixtures and, from each one, we’ve taken it bit-by-bit in terms of implementing new strategies on the pitch. We’re looking forward to stringing that all together today.
Last week, we had the chance to step onto the playing surface at Sutton for the first time. We want to be a ball-playing team, so we need a good surface. I know the Sutton staff have worked really hard, together with Grace Williams here, to get that over the line.
The girls and I are really happy with our new home. We’ve got everything there to make it a place to perform for the fans, and get people through the door to show what we’re made of.
We’re delighted Aimee Everett is taking on the captaincy. Aimee is a fantastic young leader, pivotal in the squad in terms of her consistency. Every week I see her taking on new information, ready to learn, but she also has the ability to galvanise, mentor and support the group, and she has been fantastic in building togetherness so we’ve got a great spirit to push on into the season with.
We’ve tested our changes this summer in pre-season, but I think Reading will pose a greater challenge. They’ve recruited well. They’ve got a new experienced manager in Liam and some new coaching staff, so it will be an interesting match for us.
We’ve got some bespoke plans that we’ve put in ready for the game, so we feel we’re ready to take it on. I expect us to be in a good place. We want to pose some threats to Reading and give them something to think about. Fingers crossed the work that has gone in, across pre-season and specifically this week, will help us play some attack-minded football.
Today, the fans will have an opportunity to see some new players on show and get to meet them after the fixture.
It’s a new home for us, so it’s a great opportunity for you to scope out our new base, pick the best seats – and enjoy the show!
Thank you for your support,
Laura
