Reading were formed on Christmas Day 1871 and were nicknamed 'The Royals' due to the location in Berkshire.They turned professional in 1895 and moved to Elm Park,which would be their home for 102 years.
Reading joined the Football League in 1920 and then lost in the FA Cup final to Wolves in 1927.The club remained in the Third Division South until World War II.During the war,they won the Southern Section Cup and the London War Cup.
The club's next biggest success came in 1986 after the Royals won promotion to the Second Division,but they were relegated in 1988.
Sir John Madejski took over as chairman in 1991 and successes followed.The club got to two Division One finals only to lose both in 1993 and 1995.They moved to the 24,000-seater Madejski Stadium in 1998 and were relegated to Division Two that year.
In 2000/01,the club lost the playoff final to Walsall in Cardiff,but returned to the second tier in 2002.They qualified for te playoffs one season later but lost in the semis.
In 2006,Reading won the Championship with a record 106 points and Premier League football for the first ever time in their history.They stayed in the top flight until relegation in 2008.In 2008/09,they lost in the playoffs and Brendan Rodgers became manager.He left three months later and was replaced by Brian McDermott.
The club finally won promotion back to the Premier League in 2012 but only stayed there for one season,despite changing managers.
MEET THE TEAM
Current manager Nigel Adkins has assembled together a competitive squad,mainly consisting of those who played in the Premier League.These notably include strikers Pavel Pogrebynak and Adam Le Fondre.The latter's goals have been vital ,not to mention his hattricks.
The signing of Dutchman and former Real Madrid midfielder Royston Drenthe has been useful,although fans may be disappointed with him at times.
THE GAFFER-NIGEL ADKINS
The 48-year-old Liverpudlian played as a goalkeeper and began at Tranmere Rovers in 1983 and left for Wigan Athletic in 1986,suffering a severe spinal fracture which ended his career in 1993.
He turned to management and a physiotherapy course to support his family.His first job was managing Welsh club Bangor City from 1993 to 1996.
Under a decade later,he became head physio at Scunthorpe United.When Brian Laws left in 2006,he was made caretaker until his full-time appointment weeks later.The supporters then began chanting 'Who needs Mourinho?We've got a physio!'.With Scunthorpe,he won two promotions to the Championship and suffered one relegation.
He moved to League One's Southampton in 2010 and successfully guided the club back to the second tier.This was followed by automatic promotion in his first full season(2011/12).He was sacked in early 2013 much to the shock of the fans.
Reading named him as boss in February 2013.
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