Reading Profile

Despite spending the majority of their history in the lower reaches of the Football League, Reading spent three seasons in the Premier League. Major silverware has been hard to come by for the Royals.

Reading FC is an English professional football club formed in 1871 who play in League One, the third tier of the English Football League pyramid.

Reading has spent the bulk of its 150-year history battling it out in the lower tiers of English football, but in 2006/07, they enjoyed their first season in the top flight after winning the Championship and enjoyed an impressive eighth-place finish in the Premier League under Steve Coppell.

The Royals, as they are affectionately known, have had two other seasons in the top flight since then, the last in the 2012/13 season.

The team plays its home games at the Select Car Leasing Stadium (the Madejski Stadium's current name for sponsorship reasons).

During the 2022/23 season, Reading were deducted six points by the English Football League for breaching the terms of an agreed business plan for a previous profit and sustainability rule breach.

The deduction put the club into a relegation dogfight which they failed to escape from and Reading dropped down into the third tier of English football for the first time since 2001/02.

Reading early history

Reading FC was formed on Christmas Day of 1871 and turned professional in 1895.

In 1913, Reading toured Italy and had a successful run in the country. This prompted sports newspaper Corriere della Sera to write "without doubt, Reading FC are the finest foreign team seen in Italy".

Reading were elected to the Third Division South in 1920. In 1926/27, they embarked on their finest FA Cup run, reaching the semi-finals of the tournament. They were beaten by Cardiff City in Wolverhampton and only made the FA Cup semi-finals again in 2015.

Reading were relegated from Division Two to the Third Division South in 1931. They stayed at that level until the 1971/72 season when they were relegated into Division Four.

In 1938, Reading beat Bristol City in a two-legged final of the Southern Section Cup. In 1941, they beat Brentford 3-2 in the final of the London War Cup final at Stamford Bridge.

Reading hopped between Divisions Three and Four until the mid 80s, when they won Division Three at the end of the 1985/86 season under Ian Branfoot.

They spent time yo-yoing between Division Two and Three for the following years before a major change came.

Reading in the Premier League era

John Madejski became club chairman and a radical overhaul of the club ensued. This coincided with the start of the Premier League in the early 1990s.

Division One was now the second tier of English football following a restructuring. After winning Division Two in 1993/94, under Mark McGhee, Reading finished as runners-up in Division One only to be denied promotion to the Premier League as a result of the division streamlining from 22 clubs to 20.

Reading struggled in the division the following seasons and were eventually relegated at the end of the 1997/98 season.

In August 1998, the new 24,200 capacity all-seater Madejski Stadium was built which replaced Elm Park. Reading have played their home fixtures at the ground since.

In 2001/02 Alan Pardew returned Reading to the Championship, in his third season in charge. The Royals finished fourth but went out in the semi-finals of the play-offs.

Pardew was poached by West Ham the following season, and former Crystal Palace boss Steve Coppell took the reins.

In 2005/06, Reading won the Championship under the guidance of Coppell and were promoted to the Premier League - the first time in their history they had reached the top-flight club.

The 2006/07 season saw Reading perform admirably and finish eighth in the Premier League, just a point off qualification for the UEFA Cup.

Unfortunately, Reading got second-season syndrome the following campaign and were relegated on goal difference, with Fulham escaping the drop.

They finished fourth in the 2008/09 Championship season, but Coppell resigned hours after a play-off semi-final defeat to Burnley.

"I am very disappointed to confirm that Steve has decided to step aside as our manager, but I respect his wishes," added Royals chairman Sir John Madejski.

"I would like to thank Steve sincerely for everything he has done for Reading over the last five and a half years, which has been the most successful period in the Club's history."

Brendan Rodgers had a brief spell in charge before he left by mutual consent and was replaced by Brian McDermott, who had worked at the club in various capacities over nine-years before being handed the managerial role initially on a caretaker basis and then permanently.

McDermott led Reading to the 2010/11 FA Cup quarter-finals and the Championship play-off final, where they were ironically beaten by Brendan Rodgers' Swansea City.

In the 2011/12 season, McDermott managed to steer Reading to promotion to the Premier League as they won the Championship title for the second time in their history.

Reading were, however, relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2012/13 season, with McDermott sacked in the March of that campaign, they have not been back in the top flight since.

There was the FA Cup run of 2015, which saw Reading make the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Arsenal.

They also finished third in the Championship in the 2016/17 season under Jaap Stam, but lost in the final on penalties to Huddersfield Town.

Reading slump

Reading have since struggled to reach such lofty heights, just avoiding relegation in three of the next five seasons.

Paul Ince was named interim manager in February 2022 and managed to keep the club above the relegation zone. He was given the job full-time in May.

But the former Manchester United midfielder was given his marching orders in early April 2023 after a dismal run of results left the club fighting for their Championship survival.

The fight was not helped by a six point deduction in April for breach of the English Football League's financial rules.

Former Royals striker Noel Hunt was placed in charge until the end of the campaign following Ince's dismissal, which came on the back of eight matches without a win and with the club sitting 22nd in the league table.

But he was unable to steer them clear of relegation and the club dropped into the third tier of English football for the first time since 2001/02 after finishing 22nd in the table, five points from safety.

Reading rivalries

Reading historically have strong rivalries with Aldershot Town, Oxford United and Swindon Town.

Reading finances

Madejski's reign as owner ended in May 22012 when a takeover deal was completed.

Chinese siblings Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li now own the controlling share in Reading having acquired the club in 2017.

Reading FC recorded a net loss of £35.5million during the year ended 30 June 2021.

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