Reading

Reading FC were founded in 1871, making them one of the oldest football clubs in Britain. Nicknamed 'the Royals' because of the club's home in the Royal County of Berkshire, Reading play their home games at the Madejski Stadium. 

The club started out playing at a local recreation ground, then a cricket club but, on turning professional in 1895, it was decided that they needed a more suitable home and so they moved to Elm Park, where they stayed until 1998. 

Reading were eventually elected to join the Football League in 1920, starting out in Division Three South.

After many years split between the second and third tiers of English football, Reading's finest hour came in 2006 when they won the Football League Championship and were promoted to the top flight for the first time. Under Steve Coppell's management the Royals amassed a record 106 points in the 2005-2006 season, losing just two league games and breaking the record previously held by Sunderland in the process. By the end of the season Coppell's men had a massive 16 point lead over second placed Sheffield United and won the title comfortably.

Despite winning the Championship by such a margin, Reading were still expected to struggle in the Premier League, but they proved all their doubters wrong and survived comfortably, finishing the season in 8th place with 55 points. Unfortunately for the Royals fans the team's momentum did not continue into their second season and they were relegated back to the Championship in 2007-2008. Reading did return to the Premier League in 2011-2012 but were this time relegated at the first attempt. 

Reading's leading appearance maker is Martin Hicks, who made 603 appearances in defence for the club between 1978 and 1991. In terms of goals, the club's overall leading goalscorer is Trevor Senior, who scored 191 times during his two spells with the club in the 1980s.  Reading's leading goalscorer in league football is Ronnie Blackman with 158; he played for the club between 1947 and 1954. 

Reading are yet to win a major trophy, with their best FA Cup run coming in 1927 when they reached the semi-finals. Despite the lack of silverware, the club do still hold the record for the most successive wins at the start of a football league season having maintained a 100% record for the first 13 games of the 1985-1986 Division Three campaign.

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