PREMIER League Reading could be the next professional football club to provide opposition for Jersey’s senior team in February next year.

Following the success of last weekend’s visit of Blackburn Rovers Reserves at Springfield, Jersey Football Association president Ricky Weir has confirmed that a package is currently being drawn up for Reading Reserves to visit the Island during the next International break on 2 February 2008.

Weir said: ‘Blackburn’s visit at the weekend was first class and a lot of boxes were ticked for us in terms of what we are looking to get from a game like that – the timing was right, we had good public interest and it was competitive.

Yes everyone was delighted how everything went on the day.

‘With the support we have from Michael Wilde and the success of the Blackburn game we now have a good base and this is giving us the encouragement to do this again.

‘Ideally we’d like to play another Premier League club and several are interested in this kind of fixture because Reserve teams do not get a lot of competitive matches these days.

‘An approach has already been made with Reading through a contact and a package needs to be set up and accepted by them.

Reading are definitely first on the list and if it’s not possible for them to come we have others in the pipeline to ask.’

Jersey’s senior team, who were excellent first half, were beaten 5-1 at Springfield last Saturday by Blackburn Reserves after leading 1-0 at half-time with a goal from Jersey Scottish defender Scott Devlin.

Blackburn showed their class in the second half scoring three times in the opening ten minutes before running out comfortable winners.