Reading were formed in 1871. They were originally nicknamed the Biscuitmen after one of the main trades in the town, Huntley & Palmers biscuits, but changed to the Royals in the 1970s. 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). 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 toured Italy and beat Pro Vercelli, the Italian champions, AC Milan 5-0 and then the full Italian national team, prompting the leading sports newspaper Corriere della Sera wrote "without doubt, Reading FC are the finest foreign team seen in Italy." Reading finished the tour with a 2-0 victory over the Italy national team, Reading were invited back for another tour the next year, though there are no records so it is believed this tour was cancelled due to the imminence of World War I, which claimed the lives of many Reading F.C. players, including Alan Foster who put a hat-trick past Milan killed in action.

Reading were elected to the Third Division of the Football League in 1920, and have spent the majority of the time since then in the third tier of the league, with occasional flirtations with the second and fourth tiers. In season 1994-95, Reading's play-off defeat against Bolton Wanderers made them the only side to finish second in the First/Second Division and not receive promotion to the top level. This was due to the Premier League reducing its number of teams from 22 to 20.

Reading's best performance in the FA Cup came in 1926-27 when they lost to eventual winners Cardiff City in the semi-final. 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 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. Branfoot left in October 1989, having failed to get the Royals back into the Second Division. His successor, Ian Porterfield, lasted just 18 months before further failures cost him his job.

The appointment of Mark McGhee as player-manager in June 1991 saw Reading move forward. They were crowned champions of the new Division Two in 1994 and, when McGhee moved to Leicester City halfway through the following season, Reading still appeared in with a chance of a second straight promotion. 35-year-old striker Jimmy Quinn was put in charge of the first team alongside midfielder Mick Gooding and guided Reading to runners-up in the final Division One table - only to be denied automatic promotion because of the streamlining of the Premiership. Reading had eased past Tranmere Rovers in the playoff semi-finals and looked to have booked their place in the Premiership after building up a 2-0 lead over Bolton Wanderers by half time in the final. Two late goals from Bolton forced extra time and the match ended 4-3 to Bolton. 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 one season before being sacked in March 1998. The Royals finished that season bottom of Division One and slipped into Division Two. Former Celtic boss, Tommy Burns lasted just 18 months before being replaced by Alan Pardew who had previously been reserve team manager before being released.

1998 also saw Reading move into the new 24,200-seat Madejski Stadium - named after chairman John Madejski - in the Smallmead area of the town.

Reading made it back to Division One in 2002 after finishing runners-up in Division Two. Good form the following season saw them finish fourth in Division One and qualify for the playoffs. Their promotion hopes were ended by a defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-finals, Reading's third unsuccessful attempt to gain promotion via play-offs. Pardew moved to West Ham United the following October and was replaced at Reading by Brighton & Hove Albion's Steve Coppell.

In 2004-05, Reading finished seventh in the Football League Championship and just missed out in the playoffs.

On 25 March 2006, Reading won promotion to the Premiership for the first time in their history. A draw at Leicester, coupled with Watford's defeat against Millwall, and Leeds United only drawing with Stoke City, secured Reading one of the top two automatic promotion places in the Championship. MPs congratulated Reading's successful season with two early day motions shortly after Reading finally secured promotion.[3][4] The following week, they celebrated winning the Championship after defeating Derby County 5-0, while Stoke City held Sheffield United 1-1[5]. This sparked a pitch invasion and the players celebrated in front of the fans from the safety of the directors' box.

Best win: 10-2 v Crystal Palace 4 September 1946, Football League Third Division Also 11-0 v Chesham Generals 17 November 1901, FA Cup 4th qualifying round.

Worst defeat: 18-0 v Preston North End 27 January 1894, FA Cup R1

Most capped player (whilst at Reading): Jimmy Quinn (17 Northern Ireland caps)

Most league appearances: Martin Hicks (500, 1978 to 1991)

Most league goals: Ronnie Blackman (158, 1947 to 1954)

Most league goals in a season: Ronnie Blackman (39, 1951-52)

Record transfer fee paid: £1,500,000 (subject to appearances) for Seol Ki-Hyeon from Wolverhampton Wanderers on 11 July 2006.

Record transfer fee received: £1,575,000 for Shaka Hislop from Newcastle United on 10 August 1995.

No. Position Player
1 GK Marcus Hahnemann
2 DF Graeme Murty (captain)
3 DF Nicky Shorey
4 MF Kalifa Cissé
5 DF Ibrahima Sonko
6 MF Brynjar Gunnarsson
7 MF Glen Little
8 FW Leroy Lita
9 FW Kevin Doyle
10 MF Stephen Hunt
11 MF John Oster*
12 FW Dave Kitson
14 DF John Halls*
15 MF James Harper
16 DF Ívar Ingimarsson (vice captain)
17 MF Bobby Convey
18 DF Sam Sodje
19 DF Liam Rosenior
20 MF Emerse Faé
21 GK Graham Stack*
22 DF André Bikey
23 DF Ulises de la Cruz*
24 FW Shane Long
25 DF Alan Bennett
26 DF Curtis Osano
27 DF Aaron Brown*
28 MF Marek Mat%u011Bjovský
29 DF Michael Duberry
30 MF Jimmy Kébé
32 GK Adam Federici
33 DF Scott Golbourne
34 MF James Henry
35 DF Alex Pearce
36 GK Mikkel Andersen
37 FW Hal Robson-Kanu
39 FW Simon Church
40 MF Jem Karacan
41 GK Ben Hamer
42 MF Oliver Bozanic
43 FW Viktor Illugason
44 MF Scott Davies

*: Players marked with an asterisk are to leave the club at the end of their current contracts on 2008-06-30

Football League Championship Champions 1
2006, Runners-up 1995

Full Members Cup (a.k.a. 'Simod Cup')
Winners 1988

Football League Second Division Champions 1
1994, runners-up 2002

Football League Third Division (and Third Division South) Champions 2
1926, 1986, runners-up 1932, 1935, 1949, 1952

Football League Fourth Division Champions 1
1979

London War Cup Champions
1940-41

FA Cup Best Season Semi-final
1927

Football League Cup Best Season Quarter-final
1996, 1998

The Madejski Stadium is a football stadium in Reading, England. It was opened on 22 August 1998 and is the home of Reading Football Club. The rugby union club, London Irish, also play their home games there as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon.

The stadium is an all-seater bowl stadium with a capacity of 24,045 and is located close to the M4 motorway. It was built on the site of a former household waste dump and the stadium is surrounded by methane vents. The stadium cost more than £50m to build and the pitch incorporates a system of synthetic fibres interwoven with natural grass, installed at a cost of more than £250,000.

Madejski Stadium has also held various music concerts, including the Summer XS festival series. Performers at the Madejski Stadium have included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blue, Busted, Craig David, Elton John, Girls Aloud, Lulu, McFly and Rachel Stevens.

The stadium is named after Reading F.C.'s chairman John Madejski but it is owned by the football club.

For the first time in their history, Reading Football Club will participate in the elite Premier League in the 2006-07 season. Should the club retain their Premiership status at the end of the 2006-07 season, the club have announced their intention to investigate expanding the stadium up to a maximum 40,000 capacity

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