Many die-hard fans will already be very faimilar with the history of our local professional football club, but for those of you not so familiar, here's a short history.

 

Reading Football Club was founded in 1871, making it one of the oldest professional teams in England. The club was originally nicknamed The Biscuitmen after one of the main trades in the town, Huntley & Palmers biscuits, but changed to the Royals in the 1970s, when the company closed their factory.

 

The new nickname reflects the Royal Borough of Berkshire, with its royal associations including Windsor Castle. Kate Middleton was born in Reading and grew up in the county.

 

The team has long played in its blue and white hoops.

 


Reading spent their early years playing in local leagues and friendly matches. In 1895, the club turned professional and joined the Southern League. Reading won the Southern League title on three occasions, in 1900, 1909, and 1920.

In 1920, Reading joined the Football League. The club spent the next few decades fluctuating between the Third and Fourth Divisions. In 1955, Reading reached the FA Cup semi-final for the first time in their history, but lost to Newcastle United.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Reading began to improve their fortunes. The club won the Third Division title in 1979 and the Second Division title in 1986. Reading also reached the FA Cup semi-final again in 1987, but lost to Everton.

In the 1990s, Reading experienced a period of decline. The club was relegated to the Third Division in 1991 and to the Fourth Division in 1998. However, Reading bounced back quickly and were promoted to the Second Division in 2001.

In the early 2000s, Reading enjoyed a period of success with heavy investment from local businessman, John Madejski, who made his fortune from the AutoTrader publications.

Madejski was chairman of Reading FC from 1990 to 2012 and is widely credited with transforming the club from a struggling Third Division team to a Premier League side.

He invested heavily in the club, both on and off the field, including financing the construction of the Madejski Stadium, which opened in 1998. He also appointed a number of successful managers, including Steve Coppell and Brian McDermott.

Under Madejski's chairmanship, Reading won the Third Division title in 1994, the Second Division title in 2002, and the Championship title in 2006. The club was also promoted to the Premier League for the first time in its history in 2006-07.

Madejski stepped down as chairman of Reading FC in 2012. However, he remains a popular figure at the club and is still a regular visitor to the Madejski Stadium, where he maintains a private apartment.

In addition to his financial investment in the club, Madejski also made a significant contribution to Reading FC on a personal level. He was a passionate supporter of the team and was known for his inspirational team talks. He was also a generous benefactor to the club's community foundation.

Reading spent three seasons in the Premier League, but were relegated back to the Championship in 2013. The club has not returned to the Premier League since.

John Madejski sold his stake in Reading FC in 2012 to Thames Sports Investments, a Russian consortium headed by Anton Zingarevich, but remained as Chairman. It was sold again in 2017 to Thai businessman Chinese businessman Narin Niruttinanon, who subsequently sold on to Chinese mogul Dai Yongge.