Reading Football Club ( ) is a professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in
Reading, Berkshire
Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...
, England. The team play in the
Championship, the second tier of the
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
. The club is managed by
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (; born 21 October 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of EFL Championship side Reading. A former midfielder, Ince played professionally from 1982 to 2007, star ...
.
Reading are nicknamed ''The Royals'', due to Reading's location in the
Royal County of Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
, though they were previously known as ''The Biscuitmen'', due to the town's association with
Huntley and Palmers. Established in 1871, the club is one of the oldest teams in England, but did not join
The Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
until 1920, and first played in the top tier of
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
in the
2006–07 season. The club competed in the
2012–13 Premier League
The 2012–13 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 21st season of the Premier League, the English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the 114 ...
season, having gained promotion at the end of the 2011–12 season after winning
the Championship, but were relegated after just one season back in the top flight.
Reading won the
1987–88 Full Members' Cup
The 1987–88 Full Members' Cup was the third edition of the tournament created to compensate for the ban on English clubs from European football following the Heysel Stadium disaster. It was won by Reading, who beat Luton Town 4–1 in the final a ...
and were one of only two Second Division clubs to lift the trophy. The club's best performance in the FA Cup was reaching the semi-finals which they achieved on two occasions: once in
1926-27 and again in
2014-15.
The club played at
Elm Park for 102 years, from 1896 to 1998. In 1998, the club moved to the new
Madejski Stadium, which is named after the club's former chairman
Sir John Madejski
Sir John Robert Madejski, (; born Robert John Hurst; 28 April 1941) is an English businessman, with commercial interests spanning property, broadcast media, hotels, restaurants, publishing and football. He changed his name when his stepfather, ...
. In 2021, the club announced that the ground would be known as the Select Car Leasing Stadium for the subsequent decade for sponsorship reasons.
The club holds the record for the number of successive league wins at the start of a season, with a total of 13 wins at the start of the
1985–86 Third Division campaign and also the record for the number of points gained in a professional league season with 106 points in the
2005–06 Football League Championship
The 2005–06 Football League Championship (known as the Coca-Cola Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the second season of the league under its current title and fourteenth season under its current league division format.
Reading dominate ...
campaign. Reading then finished eighth in the
2006–07 Premier League, their first-ever season as a top-flight club.
History
Formation and gradual rise (1871–1991)
Reading were formed on 25 December 1871, following a public meeting at the Bridge Street Rooms organised by Joseph Edward Sydenham, who would go on to be club secretary.
[Discover gems of our heritage](_blank)
, ''Reading Chronicle
The ''Reading Chronicle'' is a weekly newspaper covering Reading in Berkshire, UK and surrounding areas, which began its life as the ''Berkshire Chronicle''. It is currently edited by Katie French, serving as group editor for its parent compa ...
'', 10 September 2009. The early matches were played at Reading Recreation Ground, and later the club held fixtures at Reading Cricket Ground, Coley Park and Caversham Cricket Ground.
The switch to professionalism in 1895 resulted in the need for a bigger ground and, to this end, the club moved again, to the purpose-built
Elm Park on 5 September 1896. In 1913, Reading had a successful tour of Italy, prompting the leading sports newspaper ''
Corriere della Sera
The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015.
First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of It ...
'' to write "without doubt, Reading FC are the finest foreign team seen in Italy".
Reading were elected to the
Football League Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...
of the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
in 1920. Reading's best performance in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
came in
1926–27 when they lost to eventual winners
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
at Wolverhampton in the semi-final, a placement the club would not match again until 2015, when they lost to holders
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in the semi-final. Reading lost their place in
Division Two
NCL Division Two
The NCL or National Conference League Division Two (known as the Kingstone Press NCL Division Two)
League winners
{, class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
, -
, colspan=4 style="text-align:center;" , NCL DIVISION TWO
, ...
in May 1931, and remained in Third Division South until the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The club won the Southern Section Cup, beating
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
in the two-legged final in 1938, and when taking part in the regional
London War League and
Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
competitions, gained another honour by beating Brentford in the
London War Cup
The London War Cup was an English football competition held during the Second World War. It was established to be a wartime replacement for the FA Cup, which had been suspended for the duration of the conflict. Although called the London War Cu ...
Final of 1941 by 3–2 at
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to:
* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England
** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066
* Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge
* Stamford Bridge (stadium), in L ...
.
When League football resumed after the war, Reading quickly came to prominence once again. The club's record victory, 10–2 versus
Crystal Palace, was recorded in September 1946, and Reading twice finished runners-up in the Third (South), in 1948–49 and 1951–52, but they were denied a return to Division Two as only the champions were promoted.
The side's moment of cup glory came in 1988 when they won the
Simod Cup, beating a number of top-flight sides en route to their
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
win over
Luton Town. Reading were promoted to the Second Division as champions in 1986 under the management of
Ian Branfoot, but were relegated back to the Third Division in 1988.
Onwards and upwards (1991–2005)
The appointment of
Mark McGhee as player-manager, shortly after the takeover by
John Madejski
Sir John Robert Madejski, (; born Robert John Hurst; 28 April 1941) is an English businessman, with commercial interests spanning property, broadcast media, hotels, restaurants, publishing and football. He changed his name when his stepfather, ...
, in 1991 saw Reading move forward. They were crowned champions of the new Division Two in 1994. Thirty-five-year-old striker
Jimmy Quinn was put in charge of the first team alongside midfielder
Mick Gooding
Michael Charles Gooding (born 12 April 1959) is a former professional footballer and football manager.
In the twilight of a successful playing career, Gooding was appointed joint player-manager of Reading with Jimmy Quinn when manager Mark M ...
and guided Reading to runners-up in the final Division One table – only to be denied automatic promotion because of the streamlining of the Premier League, from 22 teams to 20. In 1995, Reading had eased past
Tranmere Rovers in the
play-off semi-finals and looked to have booked their place in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
only to lose 4-3 against
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
in the
final having been 2-0 up and missed a penalty at half-time. Quinn and Gooding's contracts were not renewed two years later after Reading had slid into the bottom half of Division One. Their successor,
Terry Bullivant, lasted less than a season before being sacked in March 1998. Reading were relegated back to Division Two at the end of the 1997-98 season.
![Elm Park Stadium 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Elm_Park_Stadium_1.jpg)
The year 1998 also saw Reading move into the new 24,200 all-seater
Madejski Stadium, named after chairman John Madejski.
Tommy Burns had taken over from Terry Bullivant but lasted just 18 months before being replaced by
Alan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew (born 18 July 1961) is an English football manager and former professional footballer, who is the current manager of Greek Super League club Aris.
Pardew's highest achievements in the sport include reaching the FA Cup Final th ...
, who had previously been reserve team manager before being released. The club finished third in
2000–01 qualifying for the
play-offs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, losing 2–3 in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
against
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
at the
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rug ...
in Cardiff. Reading returned to Division One for
2002–03 after finishing runners-up in Division Two. The following season, they finished fourth in Division One and qualified for the
play-offs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, where they lost in the semi-final to
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
. Alan Pardew moved to
West Ham United the following October and was replaced by
Steve Coppell
Stephen James Coppell (born 9 July 1955) is an English professional football manager and former player.
As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and rep ...
.
Rise to the Premier League and yo-yo years (2005–2013)
Reading won the
2005–06 Championship with a league record 106 points, scoring 99 goals and losing only twice. They were promoted to English football's top division for the first time in their history. The
2006–07 season saw Reading make their first appearance in the top flight of English football. Reading defied pre-season predictions of relegation to finish the season in eighth place with 55 points. Reading turned down the chance to play in the
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from (football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foot ...
. In the run up to their second season in the Premier League, Reading took part in the
2007 Peace Cup in South Korea. This second season was less successful, however, and Reading were relegated back to the Championship.
Reading started the
2008–09 season with a 15 match unbeaten home run. They finished fourth and qualify for the
play-offs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, where they lost to
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
in the semi-final. Manager Steve Coppell resigned just hours after the game, replaced by
Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers left the club by mutual consent on 16 December 2009 and
Brian McDermott made caretaker manager the same day. In the
2010–11 FA Cup
The 2010–11 FA Cup (known as The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON for sponsorship reasons) was the 130th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; the FA Cup. A total of 806 clubs applied to enter of which 759 were accepted, a slight ...
, Reading reached the quarter-final, where they lost 1–0 to
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
at
Etihad Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., with a domestic football capacity of 53,400, making it the 6th-largest ...
, Reading eventually finished fifth in the Championship to qualify for the division's
play-offs. After beating Cardiff City in the semi-finals, they lost 4–2 to
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
at
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
. In the
2011–12 season, a streak of good form in the second half of the season, ensured promotion to the Premier League on 17 April 2012 with 1–0 home win against
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
.
McDermott led Reading to their first Premier League win of the
2012–13 season on 17 November 2012 at their 11th attempt, defeating
Everton 2–1 at home. On 11 March 2013, however, he left his position at Reading.
Nigel Adkins was then appointed as manager, though he was unable to save them from relegation after drawing
Queens Park Rangers 0–0 on 28 April 2013 at
Loftus Road.
Return to the Championship (2013–present)
The following season back in the
Championship saw Reading make two high-profile signings in
Wayne Bridge and
Royston Drenthe
Royston Ricky Drenthe (born 8 April 1987) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Murcia. Although primarily a left winger, he has also played as a left-back.
Drenthe started his professional career with Eredivisie side Feyenoord i ...
in hope of an immediate return to the Premier League. Reading, however, missed out on the playoffs because of a last minute winner from
Brighton & Hove Albion's Leonardo Ulloa, which meant the Seagulls made the playoffs at Reading's expense.
The summer before the 2014–15 season saw further arrivals of
Jamie Mackie
James Charles Mackie (born 22 September 1985) is a British former professional footballer who played as a striker or winger, most notably for Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, and Oxford United. Born in England, Mackie played for Scotland.
...
on loan,
Oliver Norwood
Oliver James Norwood (born 12 April 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Championship club Sheffield United.
Norwood began his career with Manchester United, and had loan spells at Carlisle United, Scunthorpe United ...
and the return of
Simon Cox. The club was under a high threat of
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
, causing departures of
Sean Morrison and
Adam Le Fondre
Glenville Adam James Le Fondre (born 2 December 1986), known as Adam Le Fondre, is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Sydney FC in the A-League.
He previously played for his hometown club Stockport County as well a ...
and a Thai
consortium
A consortium (plural: consortia) is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for ...
taking over the club. A good start to Nigel Adkins' second season in charge was followed by a poor run of results that ended with his sacking after the 6–1 away defeat to
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
with
Steve Clarke taking over the next day in the hope of a promotion push. However, a lack of goals and some poor form in the league meant the club faced some fears of relegation to League One, but luckily safety was secured with few games to spare. Nonetheless, during that time, the club embarked on a successful FA Cup journey, reaching the semi-final where they were unlucky to lose 2–1 to Arsenal at Wembley. The
following season saw the club bring in many players in the hopes of gaining promotion, however the club would finish in 17th.
In the summer leading up to the
2016–17 season the club announced the departure of Brian McDermott and eventually he was to be replaced by former
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
defender
Jaap Stam
Jakob Stam (; born 17 July 1972) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a centre-back and is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.
Stam played for several European clubs including P ...
. Under Stam, Reading achieved their highest finish since relegation back to the Championship by finishing third and reaching the play-offs, where they beat Fulham on aggregate before facing
Huddersfield Town in the final at Wembley where they lost on penalties following 0–0 draw after extra time. However, the following season was a sharp contrast as the team were languished towards the bottom of the table for most of the season. On 21 March 2018, Stam resigned as manager after a nine-game winless run. Two days later, on 23 March 2018,
Paul Clement
Paul Drew Clement (born June 24, 1966) is an American lawyer who served as U.S. Solicitor General from 2004 to 2008 and is known for his advocacy before the U.S. Supreme Court. He established his own law firm, Clement & Murphy, in 2022 after le ...
was appointed as Reading's new manager, who finished the season in 20th place, avoiding relegation by three points.
The following season, Clement was sacked on 6 December 2018 after poor results left the club outside of the relegation zone only on goal difference. He was replaced by
José Gomes on 22 December 2018, who steered the club away from relegation to finish 20th again. However, after a slow start to the
2019–20 season, Gomes was dismissed after less than a year in charge with the team in the relegation zone in October 2019. Sporting director
Mark Bowen was promoted to the role as his replacement a week later, who lead the team to finish 14th before departing the club in August 2020.
Former Chicago Fire boss
Veljko Paunović was appointed manager on 29 August 2020. The team got off to an excellent start to the
2020–21 season, winning seven of their first eight league games. However, the team's form faded after injuries to several key players and they eventually narrowly missed out of the playoffs, finishing seventh.
On 17 November 2021 it was confirmed Reading would be deducted 6 points due to breaching the EFL's profitability and sustainability rules.
Following a 3-2 away victory over
Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
, Manager
Veljko Paunović left his role by mutual consent, with
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (; born 21 October 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of EFL Championship side Reading. A former midfielder, Ince played professionally from 1982 to 2007, star ...
being placed in interim charge of the club alongside Academy Manager
Michael Gilkes.
On 16 May 2022, Ince was announced as the team's permanent manager,
with
Mark Bowen also returning to the club in the role of Head of Football Operations.
Crest and colours
The first crest to appear on a Reading
kit
Kit may refer to:
Places
*Kitt, Indiana, US, formerly Kit
* Kit, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province
* Kit Hill, Cornwall, England
People
* Kit (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Kit (surname)
Animals
* Young animals:
...
was in 1953, it featured just the letter "R". There was no crest seen again until 1981 when there was a crest featuring three elm trees and the rivers
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
and
Kennet; this only lasted two seasons. From 1987 to 1996 the crest used the new kit colours of yellow, sky blue, royal blue and white.
A brief return to a design based on the 1981 crest was reintroduced for the 1996–97 and 1997–98 seasons. Commenting on the need for a new crest to coincide with the move to the Madejski Stadium, as well as moving into the new millennium, Sir John Madejski said: "I know some traditionalists will say we should keep the old badge but they should bear in mind the need to move forward." The current crest was first seen on the kits for the
1998–99 season.
It is based on the club colours—blue and white—and includes a crown to represent the Royal County of Berkshire and the
Maiwand Lion to represent Reading.
The club's home kit for the
2022–23 season saw
University of Reading's
Ed Hawkins' stripe design included on the sleeves with the stripes representing the average temperature for a single year since Reading's foundation to raise awareness for climate change, the shirt itself being made of recycled plastic bottles.
Stadium
The club played at Reading Recreation Ground until 1878, before moving on to Reading Cricket Ground (1878–1882),
Coley Park (1882–1889) and
Caversham Cricket Ground (1889–1896).
![Elm Park, the former home of Reading FC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Elm_Park%2C_the_former_home_of_Reading_FC.jpg)
In 1889, Reading were unable to continue playing at Coley Park as W B Monck (the local
squire
In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight.
Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a " ...
) no longer allowed football due to "rowdyism
ythe rougher elements".
With club membership exceeding 300 by the time the club went professional in 1895, Reading required a proper ground. A meeting the following year determined that funding would be difficult.
£20 was donated by J C Fidler, on the proviso that "no liquors were to be sold" on site.
The rest of the cost was financed through donations by wealthy supporters, as well as one large individual donation.
A former
gravel pit in
West Reading was identified as the site.
The first game at Elm Park was held on 5 September 1896 between Reading and
A Roston Bourke's XI. The visitors were a
scratch team from Holloway College.
£44 was taken on the gate, with an attendance of approximately 2,500.
In 1908, the club's
annual general meeting proposed moving to a new ground near
Reading railway station. A board meeting the following year decided that the move would not be possible, as "there was no chance of a move to the ground near to the
GWR railway stations due to the actions of the Great Western Railway".
![Madejski Stadium - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Madejski_Stadium_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3023491.jpg)
In 1994, the
Taylor Report made an
all-seater stadium compulsory in the top two divisions (the Premier League and the first division). Reading were champions of the
second division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
in 1994, and were promoted to the first division. Reading became subject to the Taylor requirements, though converting Elm Park to an all-seater stadium would have been impractical.
Instead, a location in Smallmead (to the south of the town) was identified as the site for a new stadium.
The former council landfill site was bought for £1, with further conditions that the development of the stadium would include part-funding of the
A33 relief road.
Expansion of the club's home would also allow alternative commercial ventures (particularly leisure facilities) and shared use with other teams (such as
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
clubs
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
and
London Irish
London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...
).
The last competitive match at Elm Park took place on 3 May 1998 against
Norwich City, with Reading losing 1–0.
Reading began the
1998–99 season at the
Madejski Stadium.
It was opened on 22 August 1998 when
Luton Town were beaten 3–0.
The stadium cost more than £50 million to build.
For the first time in its history, Reading Football Club participated in the Premier League in the
2006–07 season. As a result of the sell-out crowds for their first few fixtures of the season, the club announced their intention, in October 2006, to make a planning application to extend the ground to between 37,000 and 38,000 seats. The application was made on 24 January 2007, proposing initially the extension of the East Stand with a further 6,000 seats (raising capacity to around 30,000) and subsequently extension of the North and South Stands to reach the full proposed capacity. On 24 May 2007, it was announced that planning permission had been granted to extend the stadium to a capacity of 36,900. Reading has made plans for a new training ground at Bearwood Golf Club to replace Hogwood park their current training facility.
On 5 July 2016, at the end of
Eamonn Dolan's funeral, Reading announced that the North Stand would be renamed the Eamonn Dolan Stand.
Support
![Elm Park 1913](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Elm_Park_1913.jpg)
In 1930, the Reading Football Supporters’ Club (RFSC) was formed to represent the interests of supporters of the club and to assist in raising funds for the football club. On 18 March 2002, the Supporters' Trust at Reading become the official successor to the RFSC.
In 2001, Reading became the first football club to register their fans as an official member of their squad, giving the "player" registered with squad number 13 as 'Reading Fans'.
For the
2015–16 season, Reading had 12,983 season ticket holders – ranked 10th in the
Championship and almost identical to former
league champions Leeds United. The figure for that season was greater than the 12,552 recorded in the previous season, but down from the
2013–14 Championship peak of 14,547. The average attendance for the 2015–16 season was 17,570 – the 10th highest in the Championship.
Rivalries
Before going out of business in 1992,
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
were Reading's biggest rivals. Aldershot were, geographically, the closest
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
club to Reading. There was a strong rift between the two sets of fans, with fighting between fans occurring on several occasions. Strong feelings remain between fans of Reading and fans of
Aldershot Town, the refounded club in
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
. Aldershot Town were promoted into the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
in 2008, but the clubs haven't met in a competitive match since the demise of the original club. Aldershot were relegated out of the league in 2013, having entered administration, reducing the chances of a competitive meeting between the two sides in the near future.
Since Aldershot's exile, Reading's main local rivalries have been with
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
and
Swindon Town. When the three teams had shared a division, their rivalry was referred to as the "Didcot Triangle". However, the rivalry between Oxford and Swindon is stronger than between either of the two and Reading, largely due to them both spending their recent history in lower divisions than Reading, and spending their previous history in higher divisions than Reading.
In 2012, a small survey showed that Reading's main rivals were Aldershot Town, followed by Swindon Town and
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
.
Sponsorship
}
Thai Airways
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, trading as THAI (, th, บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด (มหาชน)) is the flag carrier airline of Thailand. Formed in 1961, the airline has its corporate h ...
(away)
, -
, 2016–19
,
Carabao Daeng
, -
, 2019–21
, rowspan=2,
Macron
,
Casumo
Casumo is a Maltese online casino and sportsbook services company, which includes video slots, jackpot games, live casino, table games and betting. Casumo has its headquarters in Malta in Swieqi, and has additional offices in Barcelona,Gibralta ...
, -
, 2021–24
, rowspan=2, Select Car Leasing
Additional kit sponsors
During the
2013–14 season and
2014–15 season the
Marussia F1
The Marussia F1 Team (subsequently Manor Marussia F1 Team) was a Formula One racing team and constructor which was based in Banbury, Oxfordshire and then later Dinnington, South Yorkshire in the United Kingdom and competed with a Russian licen ...
logo was on the back of the shirts as part of a sponsorship deal between former Russian owner
Anton Zingarevich
Anton Zingarevich (Russian: Антон Зингаревич) is a Russian businessman best known for being the former owner of Reading Football Club, who play in the English Championship. Zingarevich's bid to take over the club was announced in Ja ...
and Russian owned
Marussia F1
The Marussia F1 Team (subsequently Manor Marussia F1 Team) was a Formula One racing team and constructor which was based in Banbury, Oxfordshire and then later Dinnington, South Yorkshire in the United Kingdom and competed with a Russian licen ...
. This deal continued until the team entered administration in October 2014. The sponsorship deal ended despite the team surviving and racing in the
2015 Formula One season
The 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars. It was the 66th Formula One World Championship recognised by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( ...
. During the
2015–16 season,
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners (formally Waitrose Limited) is a brand of British supermarkets, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. It was acquired in 1937 by employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership, which still se ...
was on the back of the home shirt whilst Euro Cake was on the back of the away shirt, meanwhile Legend Alliance sponsored the shorts for the season.
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners (formally Waitrose Limited) is a brand of British supermarkets, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. It was acquired in 1937 by employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership, which still se ...
and Euro Cake sponsored the home and away kits respectively again for the
2016–17 season.
Cherwell Software
Cherwell Software, LLC, is a privately held American technology company specializing in IT service management software. The company headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It also has offices in Swindon, UK. The company name is taken from ...
took sponsorship of the back of the home shirt for the
2017–18 season while Euro Cake sponsored the back of the away shirt again for the third consecutive season. Reading confirmed Singaporean international financial technology firm and digital wallet specialist Rapidz as its ‘Back of Shirt’ sponsor for 2020–21.
Ownership and finances
Reading Football Club ownership structure:
* 75% Owned by Renhe Sports Management Ltd, 10% owned by Xiu Li Dai and Yongge Dai
* 25% Owned by Narin Niruttinanon
Players
First-team squad
Out on loan
Also under contract
Under-21 squad
Under-18 squad
Club officials and management
Managers
Records and statistics
Records
* Highest league finish: 8th in
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
,
2006–07
* Best
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
performance: Semi-finals,
1926–27,
2014–15
* Best
League Cup performance: Quarter-finals,
1995–96,
1997–98
* Biggest win: 10–2 v.
Crystal Palace (4 September 1946,
Football League Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...
)
* Heaviest defeat: 18–0 v.
Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
(27 January 1894,
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
1st round)
* Longest winning sequence at the start of a season: 13 victories in
1985–86.
* Most points in a single season in any English professional league: 106 points (
2005–06)
* Longest winless sequence at the start of a season (club record): 6 (2 draws and 4 defeats), (
2018–19)
*Fastest goal in a competitive game (club record), 55th fastest in association football: 9.55 seconds (
Yakou Méïté
Yakou Méïté (born 11 February 1996) is a French-Ivorian professional association football, football player who plays as a Forward (association football)#Striker, Striker for English EFL Championship, EFL Championship club Reading F.C., Readin ...
; 2020–21)
Notable players
In 1999, Reading commissioned a poll of the supporters' 'Player of the Millennium' to determine the club's best ever player.
Appearances
*Most appearances:
Martin Hicks
Martin Hicks (born 27 February 1957) is a former footballer who played in the Football League as a
defender for Reading and Birmingham City. He made 500 League appearances for Reading.
Hicks holds the record for the highest number of first tea ...
(603; 1978–1991)
*Most league appearances:
Martin Hicks
Martin Hicks (born 27 February 1957) is a former footballer who played in the Football League as a
defender for Reading and Birmingham City. He made 500 League appearances for Reading.
Hicks holds the record for the highest number of first tea ...
(500; 1978–1991)
The following players have played more than 398 times for Reading, in all competitions.[
]
Goalscorers
*Most goals: Trevor Senior
Trevor Senior (born 28 November 1961) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker, primarily at Reading. He is the assistant manager of Dorchester Town.
Playing career
Senior was born in Stratton, near Dorchester, Dorset. He ...
(191; 1983–1987, 1988–1992)
*Most goals in a season: Trevor Senior
Trevor Senior (born 28 November 1961) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker, primarily at Reading. He is the assistant manager of Dorchester Town.
Playing career
Senior was born in Stratton, near Dorchester, Dorset. He ...
(41; 1983–84)[
*Most league goals: Ronnie Blackman (158; 1947–1954)][
*Most league goals in a season: Ronnie Blackman (39; 1951–52)][
*Most league goals in a game: ]Arthur Bacon
Arthur Bacon (31 March 1905 – 27 July 1942) was an English footballer who played as either a striker or an inside forward. Although frequently a reserve throughout his career Bacon managed an impressive strike rate with 71 league goals in 128 ...
(6 vs. Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
; 1930–31)[
*Most penalties: ]Ray Reeves
Raymond Henry Ernest Reeves (12 August 1931 – 30 November 2007) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Reading and Brentford as a left back. He holds legend status amongst the Reading supporters and made ...
(21)[
The following players have scored more than 85 times for Reading, in all competitions.][
]
Goalkeeping
*Longest time without conceding a goal: Steve Death
Stephen Victor Death (19 September 1949 – 26 October 2003) was an English football goalkeeper who played for Reading for almost the entirety of his career. Death was one of the longest-serving players to appear for Reading. He has been ...
(1,103 minutes; 1978–79; former English league record)
Other records
Reading hold the record for the number of successive league wins at the start of a season, with a total of 13 wins at the start of the 1985–86 Third Division campaign and also the record for the number of points gained in a professional league season with 106 points in the 2005–06 Football League Championship
The 2005–06 Football League Championship (known as the Coca-Cola Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the second season of the league under its current title and fourteenth season under its current league division format.
Reading dominate ...
campaign. Reading finished champions of their division on both of these occasions.[
The club's largest win was a 10–2 victory over Crystal Palace on 4 September 1946 in the Football League Third Division South.][ Reading's heaviest loss was an 18–0 defeat against ]Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
in the FA Cup 1st round on 27 January 1894.[ Reading have lost the two highest-scoring matches in the history of the Premier League; ]Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
7–4 Reading on 29 September 2007, and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
6–4 Reading on 29 December 2007, as well as losing the highest-scoring League Cup game, Reading 5–7 Arsenal on 30 October 2012.
The player with the most league appearances is Martin Hicks
Martin Hicks (born 27 February 1957) is a former footballer who played in the Football League as a
defender for Reading and Birmingham City. He made 500 League appearances for Reading.
Hicks holds the record for the highest number of first tea ...
, with 500 from 1978 to 1991.[ The most capped player to play for Reading is Chris Gunter, who has currently won 62 caps for Wales since being a Reading player since July 2012. The most league goals in total and in a season are held by Ronnie Blackman with 158 from 1947 to 1954 and 39 in 1951–52 respectively.][ The player with the most league goals in a game is ]Arthur Bacon
Arthur Bacon (31 March 1905 – 27 July 1942) was an English footballer who played as either a striker or an inside forward. Although frequently a reserve throughout his career Bacon managed an impressive strike rate with 71 league goals in 128 ...
with six against Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
in 1930–31.[ The first Reading-based player to play in the ]FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
was Bobby Convey
Robert Francis Convey (; born May 27, 1983) is an American former football player who last played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.
In addition to several MLS clubs, Convey spent five years in England with Reading, whom he helped i ...
in 2006 with the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.[ The record time for a goalkeeper not conceding a goal is held by ]Steve Death
Stephen Victor Death (19 September 1949 – 26 October 2003) was an English football goalkeeper who played for Reading for almost the entirety of his career. Death was one of the longest-serving players to appear for Reading. He has been ...
at 1,103 minutes in 1978–79, which is a former English league record in itself.
Reading's highest attendance at Elm Park was in 1927, when 33,042 spectators watched Reading defeat Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
1–0. The highest attendance at the Madejski Stadium is 24,184 for the Premier League game with Everton on 17 November 2012.
The highest transfer fee received for a Reading player is the £6.6 million 1899 Hoffenheim
Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., or simply TSG 1899 Hoffenheim or just Hoffenheim () is a German professional football club based in Hoffenheim, a village of Sinsheim municipality, Baden-Württemberg.
Originally founded in 1899 ...
paid for Gylfi Sigurðsson
Gylfi Þór Sigurðsson (; transliterated as Gylfi Thor Sigurdsson; born 8 September 1989) is an Icelandic professional footballer who last played as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Everton.
Gylfi began his professional caree ...
on 31 August 2010.[
]Gylfi Sigurðsson
Gylfi Þór Sigurðsson (; transliterated as Gylfi Thor Sigurdsson; born 8 September 1989) is an Icelandic professional footballer who last played as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Everton.
Gylfi began his professional caree ...
and Samúel Friðjónsson became the first players from the Reading academy to feature in a World Cup squad by being named by Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
. Gylfi Sigurðsson went on to become the first academy graduate to score at the World Cup in Iceland's 2–1 defeat to Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
on 26 June 2018, after becoming the first academy graduate to play in the World Cup with his appearance against Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
on 16 June 2018.
Captains (21st century)
Player of the season
International players
Former players
Honours
League
* English second tier (currently Championship)
**''Champions (2):'' 2005–06, 2011–12
**Runners-up (1): 1994–95
* English third tier (currently League One)
**''Champions (3):'' 1925–26, 1985–86, 1993–94
**Runners-up (5): 1931–32, 1934–35, 1948–49, 1951–52, 2001–02
* English fourth tier (currently League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
)
**''Champions (1):'' 1978–79
Cup
* Full Members Cup
**''Winners (1):'' 1987–88
*London War Cup
The London War Cup was an English football competition held during the Second World War. It was established to be a wartime replacement for the FA Cup, which had been suspended for the duration of the conflict. Although called the London War Cu ...
**''Winners (1):'' 1941
*Football League Third Division South Cup The Football League Third Division South Cup was a association football, football knockout competition open to teams competing in Football League Third Division South.
The competition was first held in 1933–34 Football League, 1933–34 and ran ...
**''Winners (1):'' 1938
Youth and reserve
* Premier League Cup
**''Winners (1):'' 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
**Runners-up (1): 2017
* Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
**''Winners (4):'' 1879, 1892, 1995, 2022
**Runners-up (5): 1941, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2019
Managerial
* LMA Manager of the Year
**Steve Coppell
Stephen James Coppell (born 9 July 1955) is an English professional football manager and former player.
As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and rep ...
: 2005–06, 2006–07
* LMA Championship Manager of the Year
** Brian McDermott: 2011–12
Women's team
In May 2006, Reading launched the Reading FC Women's team. They used to play in the FA Premier League Southern Division. From 2014, Reading FC Women played in the FA Women's Super League 2
The Women's Championship (formerly The FA Women's Championship) is the second-highest division of women's football in England. The division was established in 2014 as the FA Women's Super League 2 (WSL 2).
WSL 2 replaced the previous level 2 d ...
until they won promotion to the FA Women's Super League 1 in 2015 after winning the league. In the 2017–18 season, they finished fourth in the Women's Super League – their highest league position to date. The team currently plays at Adams Park
Adams Park is an association football stadium in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. Built in 1990, it is the home ground of the local Wycombe Wanderers in League One. It was also leased from 2002 to 2014 to the rugby union club London Was ...
, home of Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play their home ...
.
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
Supporters' Trust At Reading
*
{{Authority control
Association football clubs established in 1871
Football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
Premier League clubs
English Football League clubs
Southern Football League clubs
1871 establishments in England
Football clubs in Berkshire
Football clubs in England