Reading Football Club were formed in 1871, turning professional in 1895. The switch to the professional side of the game led to them moving to the purpose built Elm Park stadium in 1896. This followed short stints on various cricket and recreation grounds. The club eventually left Elm Park in 1998 for a move to the state-of-the-art Madejski Stadium. The stadium took its name from club chairman John Madejski.
The biggest moment in Reading's history came in the 2005-06 season, when they won promotion to the Premier League for their first ever season of top-flight football, winning the football league Championship in emphatic fashion- they got a record number of points for any English league (106) and only lost two of 46 games all season. They also scored an impressive 99 goals in the season. Reading conducted themselves well in their first Premier League season, only narrowly missing out on UEFA Cup qualification. |