Reading FC · History

Reading Football Club was founded on 25 December 1871, after a public meeting at the Bridge Street Rooms in the Berkshire town. The club spent its first decades outside league football and moved to Elm Park on 5 September 1896, its home for the next 102 years. The old nickname, the Biscuitmen, eventually gave way to the Royals, a nod to the Royal County of Berkshire.

Into the Football League

Reading were elected to the Football League in 1920, joining the new Third Division South. They won that division in 1925-26 and the following season reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time, losing to Cardiff City. The next divisional title came much later, as Fourth Division champions in 1978-79.

The 1985-86 Third Division campaign opened with 13 straight league wins, a Football League record for the start of a season, and ended with the title. Two years later, in 1988, Reading beat Luton Town 4-1 at Wembley to win the Full Members’ Cup, then sponsored as the Simod Cup. A Second Division title followed in 1993-94.

The Madejski years

On 22 August 1998 the club left Elm Park for the Madejski Stadium, named after chairman Sir John Madejski. Under Steve Coppell, Reading won the 2005-06 Championship with 106 points, at the time a record for an English professional league season, and reached the top flight for the first time. They finished eighth in their first Premier League season, 2006-07, but went down in 2008.

Brian McDermott’s side sealed a second promotion on 17 April 2012 with a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest and were confirmed as Championship winners four days later. The stay lasted one season, ending in relegation in 2013. In 2015 Reading reached another FA Cup semi-final and lost 2-1 after extra time to Arsenal at Wembley. In the 2017 Championship play-off final they drew 0-0 with Huddersfield Town and lost on penalties.

Back to the third tier

The stadium was renamed the Select Car Leasing Stadium under a sponsorship deal in 2021. In April 2023 the EFL imposed a six-point deduction for a breach of its profitability and sustainability rules, and on 4 May 2023 Reading were relegated to League One for the first time since 2002.