The Tilehurst End Podcast: Christmas Award Winners 2016

In case you missed our Tilehurst End Podcast Christmas Special, here's who scooped our 2016 TTE podcast awards.

Player of the Year

Previous winners: Alex McCarthy (2013), Jordan Obita (2014), Oliver Norwood (2015)

Nominated: Ali Al-Habsi

Winner: Ali Al-Habsi

A unanimous decision here, as our Oman goalkeeper was one of the very few who put together a consistently excellent 2016.

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Most Improved Player

Previous winners: Jordan Obita (2013), Jake Cooper (2014), Nick Blackman (2015)

Nominated: George Evans, Garath McCleary, Ali Al-Habsi

Winner: Garath McCleary

McCleary's quality has rarely been in question but after back-to-back seasons blighted by injury and inconsistency, it seemed as if GMac's time at the Mad Stad was ending with a whimper rather than a bang. Yet Jaap Stam's arrival seems to have reinvigorated the Jamaican International and the fact he's ended 2016 as this season's current top scorer with eight goals shows his remarkable return to form.

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The 'Hal Robson-Kanu' Award For Underachievement

Previous winners: Hal Robson-Kanu (2013 & 2014), Jordan Obita (2015)

Nominated: Jake Cooper, Sandro Weiser

Winner: Jake Cooper

Much like last year's winner Jordan Obita, Jake Cooper goes from a recent Most Improved award to picking up the HRK award. This isn't an award for the 'worst' player, more the one that's failed to live up to their previous highs and sadly Cooper's regression in 2016 earned him the award on a near unanimous basis.

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Golden Moment

Previous winner: Academy Success Story (2014), Bradford FA Cup Win (2015)

Nominated: Tiger's appearance in the stands, Naming the North Stand after Eamonn Dolan, 'The Stam Factor', West Brom 5th Round FA Cup goal from Lucas Piazon

Winner: Lucas Piazon's goal to clinch FA Cup win over WBA

This was a tricky one to choose from but ultimately the moment Lucas Pizaon's shot hit the net to all but seal our place in the FA Cup Quarter-Final took the honours.

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Worst Moment

Previous winner: Birmingham 6-1 Reading (2014), Arsenal's winner at Wembley (2015)

Nominated: Palace FA Cup defeat, McShane/Williams shenanigans at Middlesbrough, Dellor v McDermott, Handling of Brian McDermott's sacking, Losing 5-0 at Fulham

Winner: Handling of Brian McDermott's sacking

The decision to appoint Jaap Stam can only be seen as brilliant one with hindsight but the panel felt the brutal way Brian was brought back and then dismissed just six months later was a low moment for the club, no matter what subsequent success we've enjoyed.

*****

Comedy Moment

Previous winner: Burnley pitch invasion (2014), Lady Sasima's song (2015)

Nominated: HRK being linked with Atletico Madrid and ending up on the bench at WBA, Reading fans celebrating HRK's departure then him scoring the goal of Euro 2016 for Wales, Asamoah Gyan 'signing'

Winner: HRK's goal v Belgium

We couldn't let Hal leave without one final award, and the sheer hilarity of him scoring one of the best goals in the entire footballing world in 2016, just days after officially leaving Reading was one of those moments where if you didn't laugh you'd cry.

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The 'Pavel Pogrebnyak' Most Missed Reading Player

Previous winner: Adam Federici (2015),

Nominated: Aaron Tshibola, Oliver Norwood, Michael Hector, 'Academy Players in the lineup'

Winner: Aaron Tshibola

The midfielder scooped the award, with particular frustration being expressed by our panel over the fact he's barely kicked a ball for Villa under Steve Bruce.

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Breakout Prediction

Previous winners: Royston Drenthe (2013), Dominic Samuel (2014), Jonathan Bond (2015)

Nominated: Tyler Blackett, Liam Kelly, Tennai Watson, Yakou Meite

Winner: Yakou Meite

Meite just edged out Tennai Watson to this one and he might actually be grateful of the snub given the subsequent career paths of the previous winners!

So that's who we voted for but who would you have picked? Feel free to list your ballot in the comments below.