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History
Formed in 1871, Reading FC’s 135 year wait for top flight football ended on March 25, 2006 when they gained promotion to the Premiership for the first time in their quiet history.
Originally nick-named The Biscuitmen after the main trade in Reading at the time, this was changed to the Royals in the 1970s.
The club endured a nomadic early existence before eventually settling in Elm Park in 1896. In 1998 the club moved to the 24,200-seater Madjeski Stadium, named after chairman John Madejski.
In 1920 Reading were elected to the Third Division of the Football League, where they have spent the majority of the time ever since. The Royal’s best ever performance in the FA Cup came seven years later when, in the 1926/27 season they were beaten by Cardiff City in the semi-finals.
Reading have the dubious honour of being the only club to finish second in the First Division/Championship and not gain promotion to the top flight. Because the Premiership was being reduced from 22 to 20 clubs at the end of the 1994/95 season, the Royals were forced into a play-off with Bolton Wanderers which they lost.
The Royals finally gained promotion to the top flight in 2005/06 and did so in style, going 33 matches unbeaten and recording the most points in English football history as they finished top of the Championship with 106 points.
Then, with Irish international Kevin Doyle spear-heading their attack, Reading took the Premiership by storm and narrowly missed out on a UEFA Cup place last term, finishing in eighth place despite being most pundit's choice for relegation.
