In addition to the Premier League, the club also participated in the two domestic cup competitions. After beating Peterborough United and QPR in the second and third rounds respectively, Reading were knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round by Arsenal after a dramatic 7–5 extra time defeat. In the FA Cup they recorded victories over Crawley Town and Sheffield United, before a close 2–1 defeat by Manchester United in the fifth round. At the end of the season Adam Le Fondre, who was Reading's top scorer with 14 goals, was named the club's Player of the Season.
Garath McCleary who became Reading's first signing of the summer joining from Nottingham Forest in May. Pictured in 2010 playing for Forest.
On 2 May, Reading announced that they would be renewing ten players contracts whilst 13 would be released.[7] The players leaving included Andy Griffin, Brian Howard and Tomasz Cywka, as well as a number of youngsters. Experienced duo Ian Harte and Brynjar Gunnarsson were both handed one-year extensions along with several young professionals and scholars including Michael Hector and Gozie Ugwu. Reading completed their first signing of the season on 16 May with Garath McCleary signing a three-year deal on a Bosman transfer from Nottingham Forest.[8] The club were linked with a number of players over the next six weeks before Danny Guthrie joined on a free transfer from Newcastle United, becoming Reading's second signing of the summer.[9] The following week Pavel Pogrebnyak signed a four-year deal on a free transfer from Fulham following the approval of his work permit,[10] and the day after, on 6 July, Irish youngster Pierce Sweeney joined for an undisclosed fee from Bray Wanderers.[11]Nicky Shorey rejoined the club on a one-year deal on 10 July following his release from West Bromwich Albion,[12] whilst three days later the first outgoing business of the season was completed with Mathieu Manset joining Sion on a three-year contract.[13] On 17 July the club completed a double signing with Adrian Mariappa and Chris Gunter joining from Watford and Nottingham Forest respectively.[14][15] Both signed on three-year deals for an undisclosed fee.
On 14 July the senior team played their first friendly away at AFC Wimbledon in a game they won 7–0. Adam Le Fondre scored twice to give Reading a 2–0 lead at half time, during which Reading made ten changes. Michail Antonio scored five minutes into the second half, before a 15-minute hat-trick for Simon Church and a goal from Jordan Obita completed the scoring. Stuart Taylor came on for the last 30 minutes, replacing Alex McCarthy, as he continued his trial with the club.[26] Reading then flew out to Portugal to play three friendlies, the first of which took place on 21 July against Portuguese third division side Quarteirense in Quarteira. The match finished 1–1 with a trademark Ian Harte free kick only enough for draw.[27] Three days later they lost 0–2 to Sheffield Wednesday, the goals coming from Mike Jones and Chris O'Grady either side of half time.[28] Reading's final game in Portugal was played on 27 July against first division side Olhanense. In a surprisingly ill-tempered game, Reading earned a 1–1 draw with Danny Guthrie scoring for the Royals in the first half before Rui Duarte scored a second half penalty.[29] On 4 August they drew 2–2 away at AFC Bournemouth thanks to goals from Adrian Mariappa and Hal Robson-Kanu before they travelled Brighton & Hove Albion for the Michael Kuipers testimonial three days later.[30] Reading went 1–0 down to a Vicente penalty in the first half, before an 89th-minute equaliser from Robson-Kanu levelled the game.[31] Reading's last friendly was on 11 August against Crystal Palace at the Madejski Stadium. Second half goals from Pavel Pogrebnyak and Adam Le Fondre were enough to complete a winning end to the pre-season.[32]
In addition to the senior team, the club also fielded a Reading XI composed mainly of players from the development squad to face local non-league sides. Their first pre-season friendly was against Didcot Town on 10 July, and saw a team featuring a couple of trialists win 3–2. The Reading XI were 3–0 up at half time thanks to goals from Jordan Obita, Karl Sheppard and Ryan Edwards before Didcot scored twice in the second half.[33] A week later the development side were in action again away to Ebbsfleet United. For the second game in a row they won 3–2 with second half goals from Jordan Obita and Brett Williams adding to Jake Taylor's first half header.[34] On 21 July, in addition to the senior team's friendly in Portugal, the Reading XI were in action away to Basingstoke Town and suffered a heavy 5–0 defeat.[35] Three days later they faced Boreham Wood and won 2–1 thanks to two Dominic Samuel goals[36] before a trip to Salisbury City on 28 July where they lost 1–0. The Reading XI were soon in action again, earning a 2–1 win away at Hendon on 31 July and then a 1–0 victory over Hungerford Town on 4 August. Three days later they travelled away to Hemel Hempstead Town and earned a 1–1 draw with Jordan Obita scoring his fourth goal in seven pre-season games.[37] The final Reading XI game saw the team came from 2–0 down to win 4–2 away against Eastleigh on 11 August.[38] Goals from Jake Taylor, Aaron Tshibola and a double from Craig Tanner were enough to secure a seventh victory in nine games for the development squad.
August
Adam Le Fondre whose last-minute penalty against Stoke earned Reading a draw on the opening day of the Premier League. Pictured in 2007, playing for Rochdale.
August began with news that Adam Federici had signed a new contract, keeping him with the club until 2015.[39] On 15 August Reading were drawn at home to Peterborough United in the second round of the League Cup with the tie to be played on 28 August.[40] Reading started their first season back in the Premier League with a 1–1 home draw against Stoke City on 18 August. Stoke took the lead in the first half after a mistake by Federici let Michael Kightly's shot spill into the net. In the 90th minute Dean Whitehead fouled Garath McCleary in the box, resulting in Whitehead receiving a second booking and allowing Adam Le Fondre to score the penalty and draw the game.[41] Reading's next game against Chelsea was moved forward to 22 August from 1 September due to Chelsea's participation in the UEFA Super Cup on 31 August. Chelsea opened the scoring through a Frank Lampard penalty on 18 minutes, before a quick-fire double from Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny Guthrie saw Reading take the lead. Gary Cahill brought things level again in the 69th minute before Fernando Torres, who was arguably in an offside position, gave Chelsea the lead again in the 81st minute. Branislav Ivanović then scored a break away goal in the 95th minute after Adam Federici was caught upfield for a last minute corner, securing a 4–2 win for Chelsea.[42]
Reading's fixture list experienced further disruption after the away game against Sunderland on 25 August was called off an hour before kickoff due to a waterlogged pitch at the Stadium of Light.[43] The last game in August was the League Cup tie against Peterborough United, which ended 3–2 to Reading. Peterborough took the lead in the through Paul Taylor in the 12th minute, before three goals in four minutes saw Reading equalise, through Pavel Pogrebnyak, go behind again, thanks to Lee Tomlin, and then equalise again through Chris Gunter. Nathaniel Knight-Percival's own goal in the 39th minute then edged Reading ahead, and after a goalless second half they held out to progress to the third round.[44]
September
With the postponement of the Sunderland game, Reading faced a gap of nearly three weeks between the Peterborough United cup match and the league fixture against Tottenham Hotspur. To keep match fitness levels up the club arranged a friendly against Bray Wanderers, the club they signed defender Pierce Sweeney from during the summer, to take place on 2 September in Bray.[45] Reading played a near full-strength side won the game emphatically 8–1 thanks to hat-tricks from Adam Le Fondre and Jay Tabb, as well as goals from Alex Pearce and Jem Karacan.[46] Three days later the club submitted their 25-man squad for the Premier League campaign. All Reading's senior players were included except Brett Williams and Nicholas Bignall, who was recovering from a long-term injury.[47]
The team were finally back in competitive action on 16 September at home to Tottenham Hotspur, in a game they lost 3–1. Following several costly mistakes in the first three games Adam Federici was replaced in goal by Alex McCarthy,[48] though he was powerless to prevent Spurs going 3–0 up thanks to goals from Jermain Defoe in the first half and a quick-fire double from Gareth Bale and Defoe in the second half. Hal Robson-Kanu pulled one back for the Royals in the 90th minute but it proved to be no more than a consolation goal.[49] On 18 September Jordan Obita and Mikkel Andersen extended their loan spells at Portsmouth for another month[50] and the next day Jem Karacan extended his contract with the club until June 2015.[51] The following Saturday Reading made the trip to The Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion and despite several good saves from McCarthy, they lost 1–0 after a 71st minute Romelu Lukaku goal.[52] The fourth round of the League Cup saw Reading travel to Queens Park Rangers on 26 September. QPR opened the scoring through Junior Hoilett before Kaspars Gorkšs equalised 2 minutes later. Djibril Cissé then restored QPR's lead in the 71st minute only for Nicky Shorey to make it 2–2 with a free kick five minutes later, his first goal since his return to the club. Reading scored again in the 81st minute with a flick from Pavel Pogrebnyak and it proved enough to secure a 3–2 win.[53]
Two days later Reading recalled Angus MacDonald from his loan with AFC Wimbledon having made six appearances for the League Two club[54] and on 29 September it was reported that the club had taken Russian youngsters Sergey Kundik and Nikita Khaykin, formerly of Chelsea, on trial.[55] On the same day, the final game of the month took place at the Madejski Stadium with Reading earning a 2–2 draw against Newcastle United. Reading twice took the lead through Jimmy Kebe and Noel Hunt but a late Demba Ba goal was enough to secure Newcastle a share of the points. Despite suspicions of handball, Ba's goal was allowed to stand and Reading entered October in 19th position and still without a win in the league.[56]
October began with news that Sean Morrison had signed a new deal with the club, keeping him at Reading until 2016.[57] The start of the month also saw Steve Head, a former youth team player at Elm Park, brought in as head of scouting and recruitment to expand the club's scouting network.[58] On 6 October the team travelled to Swansea City for the first league game of the month. Goals from Pavel Pogrebnyak and Noel Hunt gave Reading a 2–0 at half time against the run of play before Swansea came back in the second half, scoring twice through Michu and Wayne Routledge to secure a 2–2 draw. Reading were outplayed for much of the game, managing just eight shots compared to Swansea's 25.[59]
On 16 October it was revealed that Reading had taken Indian under-19 international Brandon Fernandes on a two-week trial from ASD Cape Town.[60] Two days later Adam Le Fondre became the fourth player of the season to sign a new contract, penning a three-year deal and joining Adam Federici, Jem Karacan and Sean Morrison in committing his future to the club.[61] The next day young defender Matt Partridge was the first player to depart during the month, joining Bognor Regis Town on a one-month loan.[62]
Reading's next league game was against Liverpool at Anfield on 20 October with Raheem Sterling scoring the only goal as Liverpool ran out 1–0 winners.[63] Prior to the game Jason Roberts caused controversy by refusing to wear a Kick It Out T-shirt in protest at a perceived lack of action against racism by the organisation.[64] Roberts was joined by several other high-profile players including Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott in boycotting the campaign,[65] although his stance was criticised by others including Alex Ferguson.[66] On the same day Jordan Obita returned early from his loan spell at Portsmouth following a family bereavement,[67][68] though Mikkel Andersen's stay at Fratton Park was extended for a third, and final month.[69] Further loan news followed with Lawson D'Ath joining League Two side Cheltenham Town on a one-month loan on 25 October.[70] The team were back in league action two days later at home to Fulham in a game that finished 3–3. Reading took the lead in the lead in the 26th minute through Mikele Leigertwood and remained in front until the 61st minute, when Fulham substitute Bryan Ruiz equalised. The visitors then took the lead through a Chris Baird header, setting up frantic last five minutes. Garath McCleary made it 2–2 before Dimitar Berbatov again put Fulham in the lead, only for Hal Robson-Kanu to grab a 90th-minute equaliser for Reading.[71] The draw was not enough to drag the Royals out of the bottom three, and extended their winless run in the league to nine games.
The final game of the month was the League Cup fourth round tie against Arsenal at the Madejski Stadium. In an extraordinary game, Reading lost 7–5 after extra time despite leading by four goals at one point. Reading had fired themselves into a 4–0 lead with only 37 minutes played after goals from Jason Roberts, a Laurent Koscielny own goal, Mikele Leigertwood and Noel Hunt. Theo Walcott got one back for the visitors just before half time as the visitors went into the break trailing by three goals. Olivier Giroud further reduced the deficit before Koscielny and Walcott scored in the closing minutes to make it 4–4 after 90 minutes. Marouane Chamakh gave Arsenal the lead in extra time only for substitute Pavel Pogrebnyak to again bring the scores level. Walcott then completed his hat-trick in injury time before Chamakh's second sealed the match for Arsenal.[72] October closed with confirmation that the club would not be offering a contract to Brandon Fernandes following his two-week trial.[73]
November
On 1 November the postponed away game against Sunderland was rearranged to be played on 11 December at 19:45.[74] Reading's winless run in the league continued as they drew 1–1 away to fellow strugglers Queens Park Rangers on 4 November. Kaspars Gorkšs opened the scoring in the 16th minute, acrobatically firing home from close range before QPR equalised in the second half through Djibril Cissé.[75] The game ended on a sour note for Reading though after Alex McCarthy injured his shoulder in a collision with the goalpost.[76] The club later confirmed that he had been to see a specialist and would be out for a "little while".[77]
On 8 November Simon Church became the first of several loan departures during the month, joining Huddersfield Town on a one-month deal.[78] Two days later the team faced Norwich City at the Madejski Stadium in a game that ended goalless and consigned Reading to a sixth draw in ten games.[79] The following week Reading were again at home for the visit of Everton. The visitors took the lead in the 10th minute after a series of defensive errors allowed Steven Naismith to score from close range. Everton then had several chances to extend their lead before a second half Adam Le Fondre inspired comeback gave Reading a 2–1 lead. Having headed in a Nicky Shorey free-kick to draw the scores level, Le Fondre then converted a late penalty and Reading held on to earn their first Premier League win at the eleventh attempt.[80]
In mid-November a series of loan returns and departures were completed. Firstly, on 20 November, goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen returned from Portsmouth having made 19 appearances during his three-month stay. He was followed the next day by Michael Hector who was recalled early from Shrewsbury Town having fallen out of first team contention. Within hours of being recalled Hector was on the move again, joining Aldershot Town until January whilst Angus MacDonald joined Torquay United on a similar deal. Lawson D'Ath extended his stay at Cheltenham Town and was joined at the club by Jake Taylor with both signing until the beginning of January. The loan business was completed by Simon Church who extended his stay at Huddersfield for a further five weeks.[81]
Reading travelled away to Wigan Athletic on 24 November for their next league fixture, with the game ending in a 3–2 defeat. Sean Morrison's first league goal for the club put them into the lead before Jordi Gómez equalised after 58 minutes. Gómez then scored Wigan's second until a calamitous Ali Al-Habsi own goal levelled the scores again. The game looked set to finish 2–2 before a Wigan counter-attack allowed Gómez to seal his hat-trick and the win.[82] Three days later the final game of the month saw Reading head north to face Aston Villa. Despite several chances, neither team could make the breakthrough until the last ten minutes when Christian Benteke scored a header to give Villa a vital 1–0 win.[83] Although the win against Everton briefly lifted the Royals out of the bottom three, defeats by relegation rivals Wigan and Aston Villa meant they finished November in 19th, four points off safety.
Reading started the month with a home game against Manchester United. The Royals took the lead through Hal Robson-Kanu before an Anderson strike and a Wayne Rooney penalty, following a Jay Tabb foul, gave United a 2–1 lead after 16 minutes. Three minutes later Adam Le Fondre headed in a Nicky Shorey corner to level the scores, before Sean Morrison put Reading back in front from another Shorey corner. Rooney scored his second after half an hour to again bring the visitors level before Robin van Persie scored five minutes later to give United a 4–3 lead and the win. With all seven goals coming in the first 35 minutes, the game equalled a Premier League record for most goals scored in the first half of a match.[84] On 2 December the draw for the FA Cup third round took place with Reading handed an away tie against Crawley Town to be played in early January.[85] Three days later Shaun Cummings became the latest player to commit his future to the club, signing a new two-and-a-half-year contract.[86] The news was followed by confirmation that, despite initial hopes his injury sustained in November was not too serious, Alex McCarthy had been forced to undergo shoulder surgery, potentially ruling him out for the rest of the season.[87]
Reading's next league game was an away trip to Southampton on 8 December which they lost 1–0. A second half Jason Puncheon goal was enough to secure the win for Southampton in a game they dominated.[88] Three days later Reading travelled north to play their postponed match against Sunderland, originally scheduled to be played in August. A disappointing performance saw Sunderland run out 3–0 winners with goals from James McClean and Steven Fletcher in the first half, and Stéphane Sessègnon in second half injury time.[89] Academy graduate Dominic Samuel made his professional debut in the game, coming on in the 72nd minute and becoming Reading's youngest top flight player in the process.[90] Controversy arose after the game when it emerged that Danny Guthrie had refused to travel with the team to Sunderland, stating that his "head was not in the right place" to play.[91] He was fined two-weeks wages by the club and later issued an apology to his teammates and the fans.[92]
In a quiet month of loan activity young goalkeeper Jon Henly was the only outgoing player, joining Hungerford Town on 14 December on a one-month deal.[93] On 17 December Reading were back at the Madejski Stadium to face Arsenal in what turned out to be another high scoring game between the two sides. The visitors took a 4–0 lead through Lukas Podolski and a Santi Cazorla hat-trick before the Royals gave themselves a lifeline with two quick goals from Le Fondre and Jimmy Kébé. Any hopes of a comeback were dashed after 80 minutes though when Theo Walcott scored Arsenal's fifth as the game finished 5–2.[94] The following weekend Reading were away to Manchester City and despite putting in a much improved performance, they were beaten 1–0. The Royals held out for 93 minutes until Gareth Barry rose above Nicky Shorey to head past Adam Federici and snatch victory.[95] Boxing day saw the visit of Swansea City with a 0–0 draw enough to end a run of seven straight defeats. Adam Le Fondre had a second half goal disallowed for handball though they created few other chances with Federici forced to pull off a number of saves to keep Swansea from scoring.[96] On the same day Matt Partridge returned from his loan spell at Bognor Regis Town having spent two months with the Rocks.[97] The last game of the month saw Reading clinch a vital 1–0 win over West Ham United at the Madejski. A mistake from James Collins allowed Pavel Pogrebnyak to score after just five minutes and the Royals held on for just their second win of the season.[98] Despite a good end to the month, the team managed just four points from a possible 21 and remained in 19th place going into the new year. The year ended with the return of Simon Church from his loan spell at Huddersfield having been with the Yorkshire side since early November.[99]
January
The first game of the new year took place on 1 January against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Reading took the lead in the 4th minute when Ian Harte's free kick rebounded off the crossbar allowing Pavel Pogrebnyak to head in from close range. Spurs levelled within five minutes through Michael Dawson, before second half goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Clint Dempsey secured a 3–1 win.[100] Four days later Reading played their FA Cup third round match away to Crawley Town and quickly found themselves 1–0 down when Nicky Adams scored after just 14 seconds, the fastest ever FA Cup goal.[101]Adam Le Fondre equalised in the 13th minute before Noel Hunt scored Reading's second just before half time. A Le Fondre penalty soon after half time sealed a 3–1 win and saw the Royals progress into the fourth round.[102] The day after the match, the draw for the fourth round was made with Reading handed a home tie against Sheffield United to be played at the end of the month.[103] On 12 January the team were back in Premier League action at home to West Bromwich Albion. The visitors took the lead after 19 minutes through Romelu Lukaku who then doubled the lead midway through the second half. With less than ten minutes remaining Jimmy Kébé pulled one back from close range, before winning a penalty which Adam Le Fondre converted to level the scores. The comeback was completed on 90 minutes when Pavel Pogrebnyak latched onto the end of a free kick, tapping it past Ben Foster and clinching what had seemed an unlikely win.[104]
The following weekend Reading travelled north to face Newcastle United and secured their first away win of the season thanks to another late comeback. Newcastle took the lead in the first half through a Yohan Cabaye freekick and remained in front until the 71st minute when substitute Adam Le Fondre equalised with his first touch. Le Fondre then won the game with his second goal six minutes later as Reading held on for a 2–1 victory.[105] On 26 January Reading's FA Cup fourth round tie against Sheffield United took place at the Madejski Stadium. The Royals took the lead after six minutes through Noel Hunt and doubled their advantage just before half time when Mikele Leigertwood scored with a powerful shot from distance. Hunt grabbed his second five minutes after half time with Garath McCleary also getting on the score sheet as game finished 4–0.[106] Following the match the Royals were drawn against Manchester United in the fifth round with the tie to be played in mid-February.[107] Reading's final game of the month took place four days later with the visit of Chelsea to the Madejski. Goals from Juan Mata in first half injury time, and Frank Lampard midway through the second half had given Chelsea a comfortable lead but with 87 minutes gone Adam Le Fondre pulled one back for Reading. With the hosts still heading for defeat, Le Fondre then volleyed in a Hope Akpan flick-on to salvage a point in the fifth minute of stoppage time.[108] Having secured seven points from a possible twelve in January, the draw with Chelsea took the Royals out of the relegation zone for the first time since November. For their roles in the revival, manager Brian McDermott was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month award, whilst Le Fondre, who scored fives times in the league during January, was named Premier League Player of the Month.[109]
Transfers
Reading's first piece of business was announced on 31 December with Portuguese utility player Daniel Carriço joining the club for €750,000 from Sporting CP.[110][111] On 8 January midfielder Hope Akpan signed on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Crawley Town for £300,000 plus add-ons,[112] and he was followed by Stephen Kelly who joined from Fulham on a two-and-a-half-year contract three days later.[113] In mid-January Stopilla Sonzu joined the club for four days to train and be assessed by the coaching staff[114] with a view to a potential permanent transfer in the future.[115] No further deals were completed until 30 January when Nick Blackman joined from Sheffield United on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[116] Both Akpan and Blackman joined from their respective club within days of playing against Reading in the FA Cup. Following the closure of the transfer window manager Brian McDermott revealed that the club had tried, and failed, in last-minute deals to sign Tom Ince,[117] and former Reading player Gylfi Sigurðsson.[118]
As well as the four permanent transfers, January saw several players return to, and leave the club on loan. On 1 January Gozie Ugwu returned from his spell at Yeovil Town,[119] whilst Michael Hector extended his stay at Aldershot Town the following day, keeping him with the club until the end of the month.[120] Young striker Dominic Samuel joined Colchester United on a one-month youth loan on 3 January[121] with Karl Sheppard returning from his spell at Accrington Stanley the same day.[122] The day after, Jake Taylor extended his loan with Cheltenham Town for another month, though Lawson D'Ath's deal with the Robins was not renewed and he returned to Reading having made three appearances.[123] On 8 January Angus MacDonald's loan to Torquay United was extended until the end of the season[124] and a week later Jon Henly returned after a one-month stay with Hungerford Town. Having returned from Yeovil two weeks earlier, Gozie Ugwu was on the move again, this time to Plymouth Argyle on a one-month youth loan on 17 January.[125] A final flurry of activity began on 28 January when Jake Taylor was recalled from Cheltenham having started just one game since his loan was extended.[126] The following day Michael Hector returned from Aldershot and was immediately loaned out again, swapping places with Taylor and joining Cheltenham for a month.[127] The last day of the month saw two young players move out on loan. Jordan Obita joined Oldham Athletic for one month[128] whilst Karl Sheppard rejoined his former club Shamrock Rovers until July 2013.[129] Deadline day also saw Dominic Samuel return from his spell at Colchester having made two appearances.[130]
February
Jimmy Kébé, who scored twice against Sunderland to give Reading their third win in four games. Pictured in 2011.
The month began with a home game against Sunderland on 2 February which Reading won 2–1. The hosts took the lead through Jimmy Kébé in the 7th minute, only for Craig Gardner to equalise with a penalty midway through the first half. With only five minutes left, Kébé popped up again and headed in at the far post to seal victory for Reading and make it three wins from four matches.[131] The following week Reading travelled away to Stoke City and after a goalless first half, found themselves 2–0 down thanks to goals from Robert Huth and Cameron Jerome. Adrian Mariappa pulled one back with his first goal for Reading in the 83rd minute, but Stoke held on for a 2–1 win, ending Reading's four-game unbeaten run.[132] On 12 February, having fallen out of first team contention, Kaspars Gorkšs joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on a three-month loan with a view to a permanent deal.[133]
In preparation for their FA Cup fifth round tie away to Manchester United, Reading headed to Dubai for warm weather training.[134] The match itself took place on 18 February with United prevailing 2–1 thanks to second half goals from Nani and Javier Hernández. A late Jobi McAnuff strike, his first goal of the season, proved no more than a consolation for the Royals.[135] The following day, despite barely featuring because of injury, Gozie Ugwu extended his stay with Plymouth Argyle for a second month.[136] The final game in February saw Wigan Athletic visit the Madejski Stadium for a crucial relegation clash. Wigan took the lead on 44 minutes through Arouna Koné, who then scored again just one minute later to give Wigan a 2–0 lead at the break. Maynor Figueroa made it 3–0 soon after the restart before Pavel Pogrebnyak completed a miserable day for the Royals when he was sent off for a reckless challenge after 56 minutes.[137] Four days later the club announced that they had signed a partnership with Turkish side Galatasaray, paving the way for co-operation on academy, scouting and other matters.[138] February ended with news that Michael Hector had extended his stay at Cheltenham Town,[139] whilst Jake Taylor joined Crawley Town on a one-month loan.[140]
March
On 2 March Reading travelled to Everton for their first game of the month. Goals from Marouane Fellaini, Steven Pienaar and Kevin Mirallas gave Everton a commanding lead, with Hal Robson-Kanu's late strike only a consolation as the hosts ran 3–1 winners.[141] The following week Jordan Obita extended his youth loan at Oldham Athletic until 1 April,[142] whilst Jay Tabb moved to Ipswich Town on a one-month loan having fallen out of first-team contention.[143] On 7 March, after nearly eight years with Reading, Brynjar Gunnarsson moved back to KR, the club he started his career with.[144] Two days later Reading were at the Madejski Stadium to face fellow relegation rivals Aston Villa. The Royals took the lead through a Nathan Baker own goal but held on to it for just one minute before Christian Benteke levelled for Villa. Gabriel Agbonlahor then struck on the stroke of half time, and with no further goals in the second half, the game finished 2–1 to the visitors.[145] The evening before the game, the club had received further bad news with Jason Roberts revealing that he would miss the rest of the season after having surgery on the hip injury he sustained against Southampton in December.[146]
On 11 March, after four successive defeats, manager Brian McDermott was sacked by the club.[2] He was followed out of the club by first-team coaches Nigel Gibbs and Yannis Anastasiou, with Academy Manager Eamonn Dolan taking over first team duties in a caretaker capacity.[147] On the same day, Gozie Ugwu was recalled early from his injury-plagued loan spell at Plymouth Argyle,[148] whilst later that week, Lawson D'Ath and Charlie Losasso both left the club on loan, joining Exeter City and Isthmian Premier Division side Whitehawk respectively until the end of the season.[149][150][151][152] On 16 March, Dolan took charge of his first and only game as caretaker manager away to Manchester United, with a solitary Wayne Rooney goal giving United a 1–0 win.[153] Soon afterwards Reading announced their first transfer business of the forthcoming summer, with Icelandic duo Samúel Fridjónsson and Tómas Urbancic set to sign on 1 July.[154] Fifteen days after McDermott was sacked, Nigel Adkins was appointed as the Reading's new manager on a three-year contract with his former assistant at Southampton, Andy Crosby, also joining the club.[3] Adkins first game in charge took place on 30 March and saw Reading travel to Arsenal with the game finishing 4–1 to the Gunners. Hal Robson-Kanu again scored a late consolation, with Arsenal's four goals bringing their total against Reading this season to 16.[155] The end of the month saw Michael Hector extend his loan with Cheltenham Town until the end of the season,[156] and Jake Taylor return after a one-month spell at Crawley Town.[157]
April
Craig Goodwin who joined Reading on trial for three weeks in April. Pictured in 2012, playing for Newcastle Jets.
April began with the return of Jordan Obita following his two-month spell at Oldham Athletic[158] and the extension of Jay Tabb's loan at Ipswich Town until the end of the season.[159] The first game of the month was at home against Southampton on 6 April with the Saints winning 2–0. A goal in each half from Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana were enough for a comfortable Southampton victory.[160] Two days later Newcastle Jets player Craig Goodwin joined the club on trial for two weeks[161] and though the trial was later extended to allow Goodwin to play in a reserve game, he was not offered a contract following its conclusion.[162][163] On 11 April, Reading announced another young player would be joining the club over the summer with 17-year-old American goalkeeper Aleksander Gogic set to sign a two-year professional deal prior to the 2013–14 season.[164] Reading's current goalkeeper Alex McCarthy was largely to thank for the Royals' 0–0 draw with Liverpool on 13 April, with his performance earning him the man-of-the-match award and giving Reading their first clean sheet in nine games against Liverpool.[165]
One week later the team travelled to Carrow Road to face Norwich City. After a goalless first half, Norwich struck twice in 90 seconds with a long range Garath McCleary shot not enough to salvage anything as the game finished 2–1 to the hosts.[166] The last game of the month took place on 28 April as Reading faced 19th place Queens Park Rangers at the Madejski Stadium. Despite both teams needing a win to maintain any hope of avoiding relegation, a drab 0–0 draw condemned both to Championship football for the 2013–14 season.[4]
May
Reading travelled to Fulham on 4 May and recorded only their second away win of the season with two goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and one each from Jem Karacan and Adam Le Fondre securing a 4–2 victory.[167] Le Fondre's strike also set a new Premier League record for most goals scored as a substitute.[168] Ten days later, Reading played their last home game of the season against Manchester City, losing 0–2.[169] Prior to kick-off, Le Fondre was named the Reading F.C. Player of the Season, with Alex McCarthy and Hal Robson-Kanu coming second and third respectively.[168] On 16 May, McCarthy also became Reading's first youth graduate to be called up to the England squad since the start of the academy era.[170] On the same day the club announced they had agreed in principle to buy land at Bearwood Lakes Golf Club for a new training ground.[171] The final game of the season took place on 19 May away to West Ham United. Garath McCleary and Le Fondre both scored for Reading, but a Kevin Nolan hat-trick helped the Hammers to a 4–2 win and consigned the Royals to a 22nd defeat in 38 games.[172] The following week the club announced that ten senior players would be leaving the club upon the expiry of their contracts. Among those leaving were Noel Hunt, Ian Harte, Nicky Shorey and Jay Tabb.[173]
Under-21s and Academy
Chris Cummins, Reading's development coach and under-21 manager. Pictured in 2009 whilst interim head coach of Toronto FC.
Reading's application for Category 1 academy status under the new Elite Player Performance Plan meant that their under-21 and under-18 teams would compete in the new Professional Development League 1 for the 2012–13 season.[174] Although the under-21 league games are predominantly contested by the younger players, one goalkeeper, and three outfield players over the age of 21 are eligible for selection for each fixture.[175]
The under-21s first game of the season was a 3–1 defeat away to West Ham with Ryan Edwards scoring Reading's only goal.[176] A heavy 6–1 defeat of West Bromwich Albion, and 3–0 victory over Norwich City followed before a run of four games without a win. They won a further two games, against Norwich and West Ham, but ended the first league phase with another four-game winless run which consigned them to seventh position.[177] The second-from-bottom finish meant the under-21s were placed in Group 2 for the second phase of the competition. They again began with a defeat, losing 3–1 away to Manchester City[178] but went on to win six of their next eight games, including two wins over Stoke City and a 3–0, Dominic Samuel inspired victory over Man City.[179] Their hopes of reaching the knockout stages were ended though after three successive defeats saw them finish in third place, with only the top team advancing.[180] With six goals each, Lawson D'Ath and Dominic Samuel were Reading's joint top scorers over the season.[181] At the end of the season Charlie Losasso and Josh Webb, who had both featured regularly for the under-21s, were among the ten players released by the club.[173] Reading also confirmed and that development coach, and under-21 manager, Chris Cummins would leave at the end of the season, having been with the club since 2011.[182]
The under-18s also started their season against West Ham, drawing 2–2. They lost just one game during the initial league phase, a 3–2 defeat by Bolton,[183] finishing top of the table with 11 wins from 14.[184] The team also progressed in the FA Youth Cup, beating Brentford 5–1 at Griffin Park in December.[185] By winning their league, the under-18s were placed in the Elite Group for the second half of the season.[186] They struggled initially, losing three of their first four matches and were also knocked out of the Youth Cup in the fourth round after a 2–0 home defeat by Bolton.[187] Following the run of defeats, the under-18s won ten matches in a row, including doubles over Chelsea and Crystal Palace, finishing second in the group on goal difference to Fulham and qualifying for knockout stage.[188][189] After beating Everton 4–0 in the semi-final Reading faced Fulham in the final but could not extend their winning run to twelve, losing 3–0.[190][191] Following their successful season, the club offered eight scholars professional contracts for the 2013–14 season, including Uche Ikpeazu who was the top scorer in the country at under-18 level with 28 goals.[192]
The Premier League game against Sunderland scheduled to take place on 25 August 2012 was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.[43] The game was rescheduled for 19:45 on 11 December 2012.[74]
Source: Premier League Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champion, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).[233] (R) Relegated Notes:
Reading entered the League Cup at the Second Round stage with the other Premier League clubs not involved in European competition. On 15 August, they were drawn at home to Peterborough United.[40]
Reading entered the FA Cup at the Third Round stage with the other Premier League clubs, as well as those from the Championship. The draw was made on 2 December 2012, where Reading were drawn against Crawley Town on 5 January 2013.
^Pearce was born in Oxford, England, but qualified to represent Scotland and the Republic of Ireland internationally through his parents and made his international debut for the Scottish U-21 side in May 2008, then went on to represent Ireland at full international level on 11 September 2012.
^Mariappa was born in Harrow, London, England, but qualified to represent Jamaica internationally through his mother and made his international debut for the Jamaican team in May 2012 against Guyana.
^Cummings was born in Hammersmith, England, but qualified to represent Jamaica and made his international debut for Jamaica in September 2013.
^Hector was born in East Ham, England, but qualified to represent Jamaica and made his international debut for Jamaica in June 2015.
^Karacan was born in Lewisham, England, but also qualifies to represent Turkey internationally through his father and has represented Turkey at every youth level.
^Robson-Kanu was born in Ealing, England, and represented England at U-19 and U-20 level, but also qualified to represent Wales through his grandmother and made his international debut for the Welsh U-21 side in May 2010 before making his full international debut for Wales five days later.
^Church was born in High Wycombe, England, but also qualifies to represent Wales through his grandparents and made his international debut for the Welsh U-21 side in August 2007 before making his full international debut for Wales in May 2009.
^Roberts was born in Brent, England, but qualified to represent Grenada internationally through his father and made his international debut in 1999.
