2025–26 Reading F.C. season

The 2025–26 season is Reading's 155th and their third consecutive season in EFL League One. They are only competing in the domestic league now following their elimination from the EFL Trophy in the group stage after rivals Swindon Town beat Milton Keynes Dons 4–0. They also competed in the EFL Cup but were eliminated in the third round losing 2–0 away to EFL Championship club Wrexham and the FA Cup and were eliminated in the first round losing 3–2 after extra time at home to Enterprise National League club Carlisle United. This is Reading's first season under the ownership of Redwood Holdings, and was the first full season under the management of former player Noel Hunt who replaced former manager Rubén Sellés on 6 December 2024.^[1] On 26 October 2025, Reading sacked former player and head coach Noel Hunt with 3 wins in 14 matches after a 1–1 draw at home to Doncaster Rovers on 25 October 2025.^[2] Two days later, former Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United manager Leam Richardson was appointed as the new head coach.^[3]

Prior to the last match of the previous season, a 4–2 defeat to Barnsley at home, Reading announced that a sale in principle of the club, stadium, and training ground to Rob Couhig's Redwood Holdings Limited.^[4] On 14 May 2025, Reading and the EFL confirmed that Redwood Holdings Limited had completed their takeover of the club.^[5][6]

On 16 May, Reading released their retained and released list, with David Button, Harlee Dean, Tom Carroll, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Adrian Akande, Louie Holzman, Jack Senga, Charlie Wellens, James Sharlott, Kai Source and Verrell George all leaving the club at the end of their contracts on 30 June. Reading confirmed that they had activated one-year extension clauses with Mamadi Camará, Tom Norcott, Joseph Barough, Boyd Beacroft and Mathew Rowley, whilst new contracts had been offered to Michael Craig, Jeriel Dorsett, Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, Abraham Kanu, Amadou Mbengue, Joel Pereira, Tivonge Rushesha, Michael Stickland, Basil Tuma, Jayden Wareham, Andy Yiadom, Jacob Borgnis, John Clarke, John Ryan, Jeremiah Okine-Peters, Shay Spencer, Ashqar Ahmed, Carter Bowdery, Philip Duah, Sam Harrison, Luke Howard and Josh Welland.^[7]

On 23 May, Reading announced that they had signed a new contract with club captain Lewis Wing, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028.^[8]

On 28 May, Reading announced that former Wycombe Wanderers and Wales under-21 international defender Joe Jacobson joined the club to work alongside new chairman and owner Rob Couhig as the co-CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and would join the recruitment department alongside manager Noel Hunt and Head of Recruitment Brian Carey.^[9]

On 2 June, Reading announced that assistant manager Nigel Gibbs would join newly appointed Ryan Mason at EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion with immediate effect with Rob Couhig and Noel Hunt looking for a replacement in the not-so-distant future.^[10]

On 12 June, Reading announced that they had signed a new contract with Joel Pereira, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028.^[11]

On 17 June, Reading announced the signing of Paudie O'Connor to a four-year contract, joining on a free transfer from fellow EFL League One club Lincoln City on 1 July once his contract expired.^[12]

On 19 June, Reading released their home kit for the upcoming season which is inspired by the former Biscuit Factory in Reading (Huntley & Palmers) near Forbury Gardens with the design on the tins being featured on the tops.

On 23 June, Reading announced that they had signed new one-year contracts with John Clarke and John Ryan.^[13]

On 24 June, Reading announced that Michael Stickland had signed a new one-year contract with the club.^[14]

On 25 June, Reading announced the signing of Jack Stevens to a two-year contract, joining on a free transfer from newly-relegated EFL League Two club Cambridge United on 1 July once his contract expired.^[15] Later the same day, Reading announced that Andy Yiadom had signed a new one-year contract.^[16]

On 25 June, Reading announced that the players would return for pre-season training at Bearwood Park Training Ground for the first time under Noel Hunt.

On 26 June, Reading confirmed that both Amadou Mbengue and Jayden Wareham had turned down new contracts with the club, and would depart at the end of their contracts on 30 June.^[17]

On 26 June, the EFL League One fixtures were released for the 2025–26 season at 12pm BST.^[18]

On 26 June, Reading announced that Aliya Capital Partners had brought a minority stake in Dogwood Football LLC and that Ross Kestin had joined the Reading FC board as a director.

On 26 June, Reading announced that they would travel to Fota Island, in Cork, Republic of Ireland for a pre-season training camp between 15 and 18 July 2025

On 26 June, Reading announced a pre-season friendly against Premier League club and 2024–25 UEFA Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur at Madejski Stadium on 19 July 2025. They are now managed by former Brentford head coach Thomas Frank who replaced the outgoing Ange Postecoglou.

On 1 July, Reading announced new one-year contracts with Tivonge Rushesha and Jeriel Dorsett.^[19][20]

On 2 July, Reading announced new contracts for Ashqar Ahmed, Jacob Borgnis, Carter Bowdery, Phillip Duah, Sam Harrison, Abraham Kanu, Shay Spencer, Basil Tuma and Josh Welland. Ashqar Ahmed and Josh Welland both signed two-year contracts whilst Jacob Borgnis, Carter Bowdery, Phillip Duah, Sam Harrison, Abraham Kanu, Shay Spencer and Basil Tuma all signed one-year deals.^[21]

On 4 July, Reading announced that Jeremiah Okine-Peters and Luke Howard had both signed new one-year contracts with the club, and that they had signed Matty Jacob on loan from EFL Championship club Hull City for the season.^[22][23] Also on the same day, Reading confirmed that Michael Craig had left the club after turning down a new contract in order to sign with fellow EFL League One club Leyton Orient, with Leyton Orient paying an undisclosed fee in order to avoid a compensation hearing.^[24]

On 4 July, Sky Sports announced the matches that will be shown on TV for the first two months of the season with Reading's first match of the season away to Lincoln City (on 2 August 2025) to be shown Sky Sports+, their first home match against Huddersfield Town (on 9 August 2025) to also be shown on Sky Sports+ and their away match against Bolton Wanderers (on 20 August 2025) to be shown on the Sky Sports Football TV channel.

On 5 July, Reading faced Southern League Premier Division South club Hungerford Town at their Bulpit Lane stadium in their first pre-season friendly winning 5–1 with Basil Tuma opening the scoring for Reading in the 25th minute and Emmanuel Osho then doubled their lead in the 28th minute. Emmanuel Osho then added a third for the visitors in the 36th minute and Harry Williams pulled a goal back for Hungerford in the 38th minute. Ashqar Ahmed then added a fourth for the Royals in the 54th minute and Jeremiah Okine-Peters then scored a fifth for Reading in the 72nd minute to round off the scoring and to give the Royals a winning start to pre-season

On 7 July, Reading announced the season-long loan signings of Finley Burns from Premier League club Manchester City and Mark O'Mahony from another Premier League club in Brighton & Hove Albion.^[25][26]

On 11 July, Scott Marshall returned to Reading as Assistant First Team Manager to Noel Hunt.^[27]

On 12 July, Reading faced EFL League Two club Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium in their first pre-season friendly where they drew 0–0.

On 13 July, Reading held an open day at their Bearwood Park Training Ground for fans to have look around and to have a meet-and-greet with players, manager Noel Hunt and First Team coach Mikele Leigertwood. Co-CEO Joe Jacobson was also available to greet fans.

On 15 July, Reading faced another EFL League Two club and local rivals Swindon Town at their Bearwood Park Training Ground in a behind-closed-doors friendly. The match was confirmed to be played in two 30 minute halves as confirmed by Swindon manager Ian Holloway prior to the match so that all of the available players could get a match. Reading won 2–1 in the first half and drew 0–0 in the second half.

On 15 July, Reading travelled to Cork in the Republic of Ireland for a three-day training camp for the first time since the 2020–21 season

On 16 July, Reading announced that EFL Championship club and local rivals Oxford United had pulled out of their scheduled friendly with the Royals set for 22 July and that National League South club Slough Town would replace them with the reason for Oxford's reason for cancellation being that they needed to prioritise an evening fixture against Mansfield Town

On 18 July, Reading released their away kit for the upcoming season which is an orange kit inspired by Reading Town Hall with the outline of the town hall in the background of the kit

On 19 July, Reading faced Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur at the Madejski Stadium in their first home pre-season friendly in front of a sold-out crowd for the first time since February 2022. Tottenham won 2–0 with Will Lankshear opening the scoring for Spurs in the 49th minute and Luka Vušković then doubling the visitors' lead in the 53rd minute. This result ended the Royals unbeaten run in pre-season after two wins and a draw

On 22 July, Reading announced the signing of Daniel Kyerewaa on a free-transfer following his departure from 2.Bundesliga club Preußen Münster earlier in the summer, to a two-year contract.^[28] On 22 July, Reading faced National League South club Slough Town in the second and final behind-closed-doors friendly at Bearwood Training Ground drawing 1–1 with Jacob Borgnis scoring for Reading and an unknown player scoring for Slough

On 23 July, Reading announced the signing of Liam Fraser on a free-transfer following his departure from newly-relegated EFL League Two club Crawley Town earlier in the summer.^[29]

On 24 July, Reading confirmed that Abraham Kanu had joined National League club Forest Green Rovers - who are currently managed by former Manchester United and Wales midfielder and the father of Royals midfielder Charlie Savage, Robbie Savage - on a season-long loan deal, and that Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan had signed a new two-year contract with the club.^[30][31]

On 25 July, The Portsmouth News reported that Reading's top scorer from the previous season Harvey Knibbs had agreed a transfer to EFL Championship club Portsmouth who Reading played in a friendly the following day after he had not a played a single minute in pre-season with manager Noel Hunt calming he had an injury which ruled him out of matches. He had previously been linked with other EFL Championship clubs such as Sheffield United (who were managed at-the-time by former Royals head coach Rubén Sellés and have former player Tyler Bindon in their ranks), local rivals Oxford United and Charlton Athletic.

On 26 July, Reading faced EFL Championship club Portsmouth in their final pre-season friendly at the Madejski Stadium. Portsmouth won 4–0 with Jordan Williams opening the scoring for Portsmouth in the 4th minute and Callum Lang then doubled the visitors' lead in the 23rd minute. Colby Bishop then added a third for Pompey in the 47th minute and he then added a fourth for the visitors in the 55th minute with his second goal of the match. Following the match Reading manager Noel Hunt said this about the future of Harvey Knibbs after he had not played a single minute of pre-season: "Harvey [Knibbs] pulled himself out today, there's things progressing in the background with a club in the league above [the Championship]. I'm aware there was a fresh bid in this morning".

On 31 July, Reading manager Noel Hunt announced in a club interview that Harvey Knibbs' persecutive move to Charlton Athletic had fallen through after an agreement between the clubs could not be reached.

On 31 July, Noel Hunt announced that Lewis Wing had been made Club Captain, with Joel Pereira being named as Vice-Captain, taking over from Andy Yiadom.^[32] Later the same day, Reading announced the signing of Paddy Lane from Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee, on a contract until 2028.^[33]

On 1 August, Reading confirmed that Harvey Knibbs had left the club, in order to sign for EFL Championship club Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee believed to be £1.8 million.^[34][35]

On 2 August, Ahead of their first match of the season away to Lincoln City at Sincil Bank, Reading announced their squad numbers for the upcoming season with the new signings squad numbers being as follows: Matty Jacob (number 5), Liam Fraser (number 6), Daniel Kyerewaa (number 11), Finley Burns (number 12), Paudie O'Connor (number 15), Mark O'Mahony (number 20), Jack Stevens (number 25) and Paddy Lane (number 32). Other notable new squad numbers saw Andre Garcia move from number 30 to number 19 and Michael Stickland move from number 38 to number 22. The number 7 shirt worn by Harvey Knibbs until his move to Charlton Athletic had been left vacant until the signing of Jack Marriott later in the window. The Royals fans have been given the number 13 shirt.^[36] Reading went on to lose their opening game 2–0 to Lincoln City, with Finely Burns opening the scoring for Lincoln in the 20th minute with an own goal while trying to clear a shot by Rob Street and Recco Hackett-Fairchild then doubled the hosts' lead in the 67th minute. This result left Reading in 23rd place.^[37] Also on 2 August, Beaconsfield Town announced the loan signing of Josh Welland.^[38]

On 4 August, Reading announced three signings for their U21 team, with David Hicks and Miles Obodo signing one-year contracts, and Reece Evans signing a two-year contract.^[39] Later the same day, Reading announced the season-long loan signing of Kamari Doyle from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.^[40]

On 8 August, Tom Norcott joined Woking on a two-month youth loan deal.^[41]

On 9 August, Reading hosted Huddersfield Town at the Madejski Stadium in their first home match of the season where they are looking for their first win of the season. Reading again lost 2–0 with Jack Whatmough opening the scoring for Huddersfield in the 74th minute and Cameron Ashia then doubled their lead in the 93rd minute. This left Reading rock bottom of the league in 24th place.^[42]

On 12 August, Reading travelled to Fratton Park to face EFL Championship club Portsmouth in the first round of the EFL Cup. Reading won 2–1 with Andre Garica opening the scoring for the visitors in the 35th minute – this Reading's first goal of the season in all competitions and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan then doubled their lead in the 38th minute. Olutayo Singerr then pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 93rd minute. This result gave the Royals their first win of the season in all competitions.^[43]

On 13 August, Reading were drawn at home to fellow League One club AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the EFL Cup with the match set to be played on 26 August 2025.^[44]

On 14 August, Reading announced the signing of former AFC Bournemouth Academy scholar Jay Williams to their Under 21 squad on a one-year contract.^[45]

On 15 August, Reading announced the signing of Derrick Williams to a two-year contract, joining on a free transfer from Major League Soccer (MLS) Atlanta United with Atlanta United retaining a percentage of any future fee.^[46][47]

On 16 August, Reading hosted newly promoted and 2025 EFL League Two play-off final winners AFC Wimbledon at the Madejski Stadium. Wimbledon are currently managed by former Charlton Athletic player and manager Johnnie Jackson. Reading lost 2–1 with Matty Stevens opening the scoring for Wimbledon in the 32nd minute and Marcus Browne then doubled their lead in the 70th minute. However, Lewis Wing did pull a goal back for Reading with a long-range strike in the 86th minute but this was not enough to prevent a third successive defeat in the league with one goal scored and 6 conceded. This has left the Royals rock bottom in 24th place with 0 points. This match saw Charlie Savage make his 100th Royals appearance and also Reading lose each of their first three fixtures of a league campaign for the first time since the 2018–19 season in the EFL Championship.^[48]

On 20 August, Reading travelled to the Toughsheet Community Stadium to face Bolton Wanderers looking for their first league win of the season. Reading drew 1–1 with Mason Burstow opening the scoring for the hosts in the 52nd minute with his shot taking a deflection off new Reading defender Derrick Williams and wrong footing Joel Pereira and Andre Garcia then equalised for the visitors in the 84th minute against the run of play with his shot taking a deflection off George Johnston and wrong footing Bolton goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe. This result saw Reading gain their first point of the season and move up to 21st place. Following the match Reading manager Noel Hunt confirmed that Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan would miss two to three weeks with a grade one groin tear. The Reading goal was Andre Garica's first professional league goal.^[49]

On 24 August, Reading manager Noel Hunt gave an in-depth explanation about the long-running saga to sign a forward and saying that he still wants 3 to 4 more players before the transfer deadline on 1 September 2025 at 7pm and 2 before the EFL Cup match against AFC Wimbledon on 26 August. He said to James Earnshaw of the Reading Chronicle: "There are a couple of elements. Teams want money for players and players want big money. We all know that the salaries in League One have shifted greatly in the last year-and-a-half to two years. Between clubs we're negotiating to get players in, between players we're negotiating to get them in. Hopefully we have one or two done before Tuesday [26 August 2025] – whether or not they can play on Tuesday [against AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Cup] is another thing. We are really hopeful". He then continued to say: "We have asked questions of some players but certain ones don't want to come out of the league they're in and want to try and stay in the league – fair enough, they'll wait until the end of the window. We don't want to wait anymore and want to get a couple in early next week. I'm not sure they'll be available for Tuesday, but we'll get a good week of work into them hopefully". Hunt then concluded by saying: "There is [money to compete]. We've had conversations with Rob [Couhig] and Joe [Jacobson]. It's tough because I've been a player and people are waiting for money to come out of clubs and if you have two or three years left on a contract on big dough, you don't want to leave it behind. Can we compete with Championship wages? No, we can't. Not many at this level [in League One] can, so it's about a happy medium where they are happy to come. It's not just that, a lot of these players have families and kids, and we have to keep battling away".

On 26 August, Reading announced the signing of Jack Marriott to a three-year contract, joining from newly-promoted EFL Championship club Wrexham - who are co-owned by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and American actor Rob Mac with Jack Marriott helping Wrexham to promotion in the previous season as runners-up to league champions Birmingham City.^[50] Later on the same day, Reading played fellow League One club AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the EFL Cup at the Madejski Stadium. Reading won 2–1 with Liam Fraser opening the scoring for the hosts in the 24th minute with a long-range strike with his first Royals goal and Omar Bugiel then equalised for the visitors in the 26th minute. Mamadi Camará then put the Royals ahead in the 70th minute to qualify them for the third round for the first time since the 2019–20 season with the Royals drawing 1–1 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium and losing 4–2 on penalties.

On 26 August, Reading announced the signing of Matt Ritchie to a two-year contract, on a free transfer after his contract at EFL Championship club Portsmouth was terminated.^[51]

On 27 August, Reading was drawn away to EFL Championship club Wrexham in the third round of the EFL Cup with the match set to be played on 23 September 2025 with new signing Jack Marriott unable to play in the match due to being cup-tied having played for Wrexham in earlier rounds.^[52]

On 29 August, Readings home fixture against Northampton Town was postponed due to international call ups for Northampton Town.^[53]

On 30 August, Reading played newly promoted Port Vale at the Madejski Stadium still seeking their first victory of the league season after 6 matches. Reading won 1–0 with manager Noel Hunt being sent-off by referee Thomas Parsons around the 50th minute and Paddy Lane then opening the scoring for the hosts in the 67th minute with a long-range strike for his first Royals goal. This result saw Reading claim their first win of the season to move them up to 17th in the table and it also saw Joel Pereira claim his first clean sheet of the season. New signing Jack Marriott made his debut in this match to become the 1,500th player to represent the Royals when he came on in the 62nd minute for Mark O'Mahony.^[54]

On 1 September, Reading confirmed the signing of Sean Patton from Derry City, to a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee.^[55]

On 2 September, Reading travelled to the County Ground to face M4 rivals Swindon Town in the group stage of the EFL Trophy with Reading losing 3–2 with Princewill Ehibhatiomhan – the brother of Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan – opening the scoring for Swindon in the 11th minute and new signing Ollie Palmer then doubled their lead in the 24th minute. However, Swindon goalkeeper Lewis Ward then pulled a goal back for Reading in the 36th minute with an own goal following a long-range strike by Liam Fraser and another new signing Jack Marriott then equalised for the Royals in the 44th minute with first goal for the club. Swindon captain Will Wright then won it for The Robins in the 47th minute with a free-kick.^[56]

On 9 September, it was announced that Reading manager Noel Hunt had been fined £1,000 for misconduct after being sent-off in their previous match over Port Vale at the Madejski Stadium. A Football Association statement said that Noel Hunt admitted the charge.

On 10 September, Reading announced that their postponed home game against Northampton Town, originally scheduled for 6 September but postponed due to international call ups, had been rearranged for 20:00hrs on 21 October.^[57]

On 12 September, it was announced that club captain Lewis Wing had been nominated for the EFL League One Goal of the Month award for August for his strike against AFC Wimbledon alongside Charlie Webster for Burton Albion against Mansfield Town and former Reading player Oliver Norwood for Stockport County against Burton Albion.^[58]

On 13 September, Reading travelled to Oakwell to face off against play-off chasing Barnsley with the Royals looking to continue their unbeaten run with Jack Marriott making his first league start for the Royals since his summer move from Wrexham and Caylan Vickers faced-off against his former club for the first since leaving the Royals for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. Reading lost 3–1 with Josh Earl opening the scoring for the hosts in the 9th minute following a corner kick from former Reading player Caylan Vickers and Jack Marriott then equalised for the visitors in the 35th minute with his first league goal for the Royals after chasing down Barnsley goalkeeper Murphy Cooper following a long pass by Lewis Wing. Davis Keillor-Dunn then put Barnsley ahead in the 55th minute after pass from Nathaniel Ogbeta and Adam Phillips then scored a penalty kick for the hosts in the 59th minute after a foul on Nathaniel Ogbeta by Ashqar Ahmed. Daniel Kyerewaa then equalised for the visitors in the 66th minute with his first Reading league goal following a pass from Jack Marriott. This result left Reading fourth from bottom with just 5 points and meant that they only have 1 win in seven league matches to start the season.^[59]

On 20 September, Reading hosted Leyton Orient at the Madejski Stadium as part of their Family Day seeking their first victory since the 1–0 win against Port Vale on 30 August at home. Reading won 2–1 with Jack Marriott opening the scoring for the hosts in the 21st minute following a long pass from Charlie Savage and Idris El Mizouni then equalised for the visitors in the 48th minute following a mistake by Reading goalkeeper Joel Pereira. However, Liam Fraser then put the Royals ahead again in the 79th minute after a cross from Matt Ritchie with his first league goal for the Royals. This result moved Reading out of the relegation zone and up to 20th place on 8 points from 8 matches.^[60]

On 23 September, Reading travelled to Wales and the STōK Cae Ras to face EFL Championship club Wrexham in the third round of the EFL Cup. Reading lost 2–0 with Nathan Broadhead opening the scoring for Wrexham in the 57th minute and he then doubled their lead in the 70th minute with his second goal of the match to eliminate the Royals at the third round stage. This match saw Andre Garica make his 50th Royals appearance.^[61]

On 27 September, Reading announced that chairman and owner Rob Couhig would be hosting a live Q&A session at an unknown venue on 2 October. On 29 September, the venue was announced as the Madejski Stadium between 7:30pm and 8:30pm with fans submitting questions prior to the event via the Reading website.^[62]

Also on 27 September, Reading travelled to Edgeley Park to face play-off chasing Stockport County seeking to record consecutive victories for the first time this season. Reading drew 1–1 with Kyle Wootton then put the hosts ahead in the 22nd minute after a head into his path from Tyler Onyango and Jack Marriott then equalised for the visitors in the 72nd minute after a cross by Matt Ritche.^[63]

On 30 September, Reading hosted Premier League club West Ham United's under-21s at the Madejski Stadium in their second group match of the EFL Trophy. Reading won 2–1 with Callum Marshall opening the scoring for the visitors in the 9th minute following a pass from Emeka Adeile and Ezra Mayers was then sent-off for the young Hammers in the 46th minute for a foul on Jeremiah Okine-Peters which the hosts were awarded a penalty kick for and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan saw it saved by Tom Wooster in the 48th minute. Jacob Borgnis then equalised for the Royals in the 64th minute with his first professional Royals goal following a cross by Basil Tuma and Mark O'Mahony then put the hosts ahead in the 88th minute with a penalty kick awarded for a foul on Sean Patton by Rayan Oyebade for his first Royals goal and Jeremiah Okine-Peters then added a late third for Reading in the 97th minute after a cross by Mark O'Mahony.^[64]

The Q&A with owner and chairman Rob Couhig was held at the Madejski Stadium and hosted by RoyalsTV presenter Phil Catchpole where Rob Couhig was asked about topics ranging from the future of manager Noel Hunt to stadium upgrades and the future of the women's team. He also quizzed on the Reading academy, if he regrets buying the club and the pyrotechnics at most home matches saying that "he will blow the roof of the Madejski Stadium in November" and if there would be a documentary on the club about the takeover.^[65]

On 4 October, Reading hosted Mansfield Town at the Madejski Stadium with owner Rob Couhig attending the match. Reading drew 1–1 with former Leeds United midfielder Tyler Roberts opening the scoring for the visitors in the 7th minute and Jack Marriott then equalised for the hosts in the 71st minute following a pass from Matt Ritchie. This result left Reading in 19th place on 10 points and a −4 goal difference.^[66]

On 7 October, Reading hosted EFL League Two club Milton Keynes Dons at the Madejski Stadium in their final group stage match of the EFL Trophy. Reading won 1–0 with Sean Patton opening the scoring for the hosts in the 88th minute with his first goal for Reading. This win ensured that Reading qualified for the Round of 32.^[67]

On 8 October, Reading announced that Jack Marriott had been nominated for EFL League One Player of the Month award for September alongside Devante Cole (Port Vale), Josh Neufville (Bradford City) and Harvey White (Stevenage).^[68] Later on the same day, Reading announced that there would be themed matchdays at the Madejski Stadium throughout the rest of the current season such as: Fireworks night on 22 November against Rotherham United, then a Christmas matchday on 18 December against Luton Town, then a Louisiana Day on 24 January against Barnsley – with Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair in attendance, then Valentine's Day on 14 February against Rob Couhig's former club Wycombe Wanderers, then Mardi Gras on 17 February against Bolton Wanderers, then 106 Day on 28 March against Wigan Athletic to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the Royals breaking the EFL Championship promotion points record in the 2005/06 season, Easter on 6 April against Lincoln City and Final Day on 2 May against Blackpool.^[69]

On 15 October, Reading announced that Tom Norcott had returned to the club from his loan spell with Woking.^[70]

On 18 October, Reading travelled to Wales and the Welsh capital to visit the Cardiff City Stadium to face promotion-chasing and newly relegated Cardiff City. Reading lost 2–1 with Royals captain Lewis Wing opening the scoring for the visitors in the 38th minute with a long-range strike following an assist from Matt Ritchie and then Omari Kellyman equalised for the hosts in the 49th minute after an assist from Ronan Kpakio. Yousef Salech then put the Bluebirds ahead in the 65th minute after another assist from Ronan Kpakio. This result left Reading third-from-bottom of the League One table on 11 points from 12 matches. Many Royals fans and manager Noel Hunt felt that Reading should have won the match though.^[71]

On 21 October, Reading hosted Northampton Town at the Madejski Stadium in their rearranged match from 6 September 2025 seeking their first victory in the league since the 2–1 win over Leyton Orient on 20 September 2025. Reading won 1–0 with Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan opening the scoring for the hosts in the 65th minute after a cross from Paddy Lane with the sole goal of the match and his first league goal of the season. This gave the Royals their first win league since the Leyton Orient match in September and their first clean sheet since the Port Vale match in August. It meant that Reading moved up to 16th place in the league table on 14 points from 13 matches played. However, they played the match without top goal-scorer Jack Marriott who had picked up an injury in the Cardiff City match. The Royals did have multiple chances to extend their lead but just could not seem to find a killer second goal.^[72]

On 25 October, Reading hosted newly promoted and 2024–25 EFL League Two winners Doncaster Rovers at the Madejski Stadium seeking for back-to-back league victories for the first time this season. Reading drew 1–1 with former Royal Billy Sharp opening the scoring for the visitors in the 61st minute after Reading back-up goalkeeper Jack Stevens tried to clear the ball off the line from a Seán Grehan header and Kamari Doyle then equalised for the hosts in the 68th minute with his first Royals goal following a mistake by Doncaster goalkeeper Thimothée Lo-Tutala following a pass from Royals captain Lewis Wing. This result slipped the Royals down to 19th place in the League One table on 15 points with a −4 goal difference.^[73]

On 26 October, Reading announced that Head Coach Noel Hunt had been relieved of his duties following a 1–1 home draw against Doncaster Rovers following a play-off push towards the conclusion of the previous season with the Royals ultimately finishing 3 points off the play-off places with Leyton Orient finishing ahead of them. To start this season it took until 30 September 2025 at home to Port Vale for Reading to get their first victory of the campaign with Noel Hunt leaving Reading 19th in the table on 15 points two points off the relegation zone with Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle both having a match-in-hand on Reading. Noel Hunt left the Royals with a record of just three wins in 14 games this season. He was appointed to replace Rubén Sellés who departed for EFL Championship club Hull City on 6 December 2024 so Noel Hunt only lasted 324 days in charge of Reading.^[74] The two highly touted replacements for Noel Hunt are former Wycombe Wanderers managers Gareth Ainsworth – who is currently in charge of EFL League Two club Gillingham and Matt Bloomfield – who was recently sacked by fellow EFL League One club Luton Town – with their links to current Reading owner and chairman Rob Couhig.^[2]

On 27 October, It emerged that former Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town manager Matt Bloomfield pulled out of the race to replace Noel Hunt with it later emerging that former Rotherham United and Wigan Athletic manager Leam Richardson was in talks to become the new Royals manager – he has been without a club since leaving the Millers in the 2023–24 season with them being relegated to EFL League One at the conclusion of that season with him departing in April 2024. Leam Richardson has previously won the EFL League One title once with Wigan Athletic in the 2021–22 season and he was named the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Season and the LMA League One Manager of the Season for the 2021–22 campaign and he also won the EFL League Two title with Chesterfield as assistant manager to Paul Cook in the 2013–14 season.^[75][76] Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie named former Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray and former Wycombe Wanderers and current Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth as his preferred replacements for Noel Hunt as the new manager.^[77]

On 28 October, Reading announced that former Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United manager Leam Richardson had been named the new Royals head coach on a two-year contract until 30 June 2027 following his stint at Rotherham United which ended on 17 April 2024 with Rotherham United relegated at the end of that campaign. This was the first time Reading hired a permanent manager who was won the league that they are currently competing in since Ian Porterfield was hired in 1989. He has previously worked as assistant manager to Paul Cook at Portsmouth, Chesterfield and Accrington Stanley – the latter was where Leam Richardson transitioned from a player to a coach and his playing career began at Blackburn Rovers before he made more than 100 appearances for Accrington Stanley and also played for Blackpool 84 times. BBC Radio Berkshire's Reading commentator Tim Dellor said this about Leam Richardson's appointment: "He will need to be a miracle worker to get the current squad close to the EFL Championship this season. With only 14 games of the season gone anything could still happen but with no fit recognised strikers [with Jack Marriott currently nursing a hamstring injury], central defenders who are injury prone [Paudie O'Connor and Derrick Williams have both recently returned from major injuries], an injured first-choice goalkeeper [Joel Pereira is currently out with an injury he picked up during the Exeter City match earlier this month], and most of the new recruits struggling to make a positive impact, expectations ought to be modest". Reading owner and chairman Rob Couhig said this about appointing Leam Richardson as the new Royals manager: "I have admired Leam [Richardson] for some time. He is a coach and leader who embodies exactly the qualities we want at Reading Football Club – hard work, diligence, organisation and an absolute commitment to improving players. He achieved promotion from [EFL] League One in extremely difficult circumstances and proved he can build success. He is humble, he is driven, and he builds strong, honest cultures – something I know Royals fans value and respect. Leam [Richardson] knows this division, he knows what a winning dressing room looks like and he understands the standards required to get there. He is hungry, ambitious and determined to move this football club forward. We are delighted to welcome him [Leam Richardson] to Reading". The statement finished by confirming that Danny Schofield and James Beattie have joined his backroom team at Bearwood Park.^[78] Later on the same day, Reading confirmed that assistant first team manager Scott Marshall had left the club after joining the Royals at the beginning of the season to join Noel Hunt's backroom team to replace the outgoing Nigel Gibbs who left to join former Tottenham Hotspur player and manager Ryan Mason at West Bromwich Albion. He returned for a second spell having previously led our under-23s between 2017 and 2020 and briefly served as caretaker manager in 2018. He departs as part of Reading's backroom staff changes.^[79]

On 1 November, Reading hosted Enterprise National League club Carlisle United at the Madejski Stadium, in the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for Leam Richardson's first match in charge of the Royals. The visitors are currently managed by former Manchester United and Wales international striker Mark Hughes. Reading lost 3–2 after extra time with captain Lewis Wing opening the scoring for the hosts in the 32nd minute after deflected Charlie Savage shot found Wing who bent it past Carlisle goalkeeper Harry Lewis and Mark O'Mahony then doubled their lead in the 67th minute following a cross from Kamari Doyle for his first Royals open-play goal. Regan Linney then pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 93rd minute and he then equalised for Carlisle in the 98th minute following an assist from Chris Conn-Clarke with his second goal of the match. Regan Linney then put the visitors ahead in the 104th minute with his hat-trick following an assist from Stephen Wearne. This result ensured that the Royals were eliminated at the first round stage.^[80]

On 3 November, Reading announced that Rob Kelly had joined Leam Richardson's coaching staff as Assistant First-Team Manager having previously worked with Leam Richardson at Wigan Athletic and he joins from EFL League Two club Barrow where he was assistant manager to Andy Whing. Rob Kelly began his playing career at Leicester City, before also representing Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tranmere Rovers. He then took up youth coaching role at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Watford and Blackburn Rovers before being named assistant manager and caretaker manager at clubs such as Leicester City, Preston North End, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, Fleetwood Town, Bury, Wigan Athletic and Barrow in England also at Malmö FF in Sweden, Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany, and most recently Aarhus Gymnastikforening in Denmark. He was named EFL Championship Manager of the Month for March 2006 during his spell in charge of Leicester City.^[81]

On 5 November, Reading announced the signing of Randell Williams on a short-term contract until January 2026 after leaving fellow EFL League One club Leyton Orient during the previous season where he reached the 2024–25 EFL League One play-off semi-finals.^[82]

On 6 November, Reading hosted Stevenage at the Madejski Stadium in Leam Richardson's first home league match in charge of the Royals with Reading seeking their first league victory since the 1–0 win over Northampton Town in late October 2025. The match saw Chem Campbell return to face-off against the team he spent last on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers at and Charlie Savage made his 100th Royals league appearance in this match. Reading won 1–0 with Charlie Savage opening the scoring for the hosts in the 4th minute after a cross from Daniel Kyerewaa with his first goal of the season and sole goal of the match. Reading were lucky to still have 10 men in the second-half after Jeriel Dorsett had a second yellow card rescinded and referee Benjamin Speedie then booked Daniel Kyerewaa for the foul on Jordan Roberts after consulting with his linesman. On his return from injury Joel Pereira – who had missed the previous 3 matches – made 2 brilliant saves from Dan Kemp and Phoenix Patterson to help Reading to their first victory since the win over Northampton Town by the same scoreline and it was the Royals first clean sheet since that match as well. The win moved Reading up to 12th in the league table on 18 points – seven points off AFC Wimbledon in 6th place (the final play-off spot) who are currently on 25 points and ten points off leaders Stockport County who are currently on 28 points. Reading now have a goal difference of −3.^[83]

On 7 November, Sky Sports announced the matches that will be shown on TV from 9 January 2026 until 2 March 2026 with Reading's Valentine's Day themed match against Berkshire – Buckinghamshire rivals, Rob Couhig derby rivals and Lewis Wing & Joe Jacobson derby rivals Wycombe Wanderers at the Madejski Stadium on 14 February 2026 to be show on Sky Sports+ with kick-off moving from 3pm to 12:30pm.^[84]

On 8 November, Reading announced that Matthew Rowley had joined Hampton & Richmond Borough on loan until 3 January 2026.^[85]

On 11 November, Reading announced that Tom Norcott had joined Enfield Town on loan until 31 January 2026 which would be his second loan of the campaign following his previous short stint at Woking.^[86]

On 14 November, Reading announced that Jacob Borgnis had joined Slough Town on loan until 13 December 2025.^[87]

On 15 November, Reading were due to travel to The Brick Community Stadium to play Wigan Athletic seeking back-to-back victories for the first time this season. However, on 7 November, Reading announced that the match had been postponed due to international call-ups in the Royals squad and that a date for the re-arranged match would be announced soon.^[88]

On 12 November, Reading announced the re-signed of academy graduate Andy Rinomhota to a contract until the end of the current season following his release from fellow EFL League One club Cardiff City on 30 June 2025. He made 139 Royals appearances in his first spell at the club also winning the 2018–19 Player of the Season award and becoming the 44th Reading academy graduate in the process.^[89]

On 19 November, Reading announced that the Fireworks Spectacular show following the match against Rotherham United would take place immediately after the final whistle with Andy Hubble of Star Fireworks telling RoyalsTV presenter Phil Catchpole: "We have done things with Rob [Couhig] before, but we have done things at stadiums before and we're local, Reading-based, so it's great to be here on home ground [at Madejski Stadium. As soon as the final whistle goes, we have a countdown, and the plans are for a plunger and then the fireworks kicks off. There will be several minutes of fireworks back-and-forth across the stadium roof-top, and it will be spectacular and colourful. It's something we haven't seen before here, so really cool. We have done it so everyone will get a good view of the show. We have a really exciting display planned. I go around the country helping people with their explosives, but this is the fun part of the job, doing the football stadiums, especially Reading. We won the British Firework Championships, which is a competition every year Plymouth, and then we won a battle between all past champions over the past six years, so we're British Firework Champion of Champions. Rob [Couhig] loves his fireworks, so he only wants the best. The pressure is on, but we are trying to keep it fresh and new. These are European products so they're nice stuff". This came off after a Royals supporter asked Rob Couhig at the recent fans Q&A session "Why are there fireworks at every home match?" with Rob Couhig replying "Reading will blow the roof off with fireworks in November. I love fireworks".^[90]

On 22 November, Reading hosted Rotherham United in the Firework themed matchday at The Madejski Stadium seeking back-to-back victories for the first time this season. The match saw new Royals First-Team Manager Leam Richardson face-off against his former club for the first time since leaving The Millers in 2024. Following the match there was a Fireworks Show at the stadium. New signing Randell Williams made his first start for the Royals in this match. Reading drew 1–1 with Josh Benson opening the scoring for the visitors in the 20th minute after a neat team move finished in cross from Denzel Hall which found Josh Beson and after two penalty appeals for the hosts in the first half for a handball by Hamish Douglas and a foul on Kamari Doyle were waved away by referee Alan Young. Charlie Savage equalised for the Royals in the 78th minute with a long-range strike to score in back-to-back matches. This result left Reading still in 18th place on 19 points from 16 matches and 10 points behind new leaders Cardiff City who are on 29 points from 15 matches.^[91]

On 29 November, Reading travelled to Bloomfield Road to face Blackpool seeking their first away win the 2–0 victory over Bristol Rovers in their penultimate match of the previous season and their first away victory over Blackpool since a 2–0 win in the 2019–20 FA Cup third round under the interim management of Mark Bowen. Reading won 3–0 with Kamari Doyle opening the scoring for the visitors in the 28th minute following a pass from Daniel Kyerewaa and club captain Lewis Wing then doubled their lead in the 69th minute with a penalty kick – which was the club's first in the league this season – awarded for a foul on Daniel Kyerewaa by Michael Ihiekwe and Randell Williams then added a late third for the Royals in the 81st minute – with his first Reading goal – after Bailey Peacock-Farrell saved Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan's shot. This win gave Reading their first away victory of the season, their first league win at Bloomfield Road since the 2000–01 season under the management of Alan Pardew and their first clean sheet since the 1–0 victory over Stevenage at the beginning of November 2025. This result moved the Royals up to 16th place in the league table on 22 points six points behind Bolton Wanderers in the final play-off position on 28 points (6th place) and 10 points behind league leaders Cardiff City on 32 points. Andy Rinomhota made his second Royals debut in this match and Sean Patton also made his league debut for Reading in this match. This was also the first time that the Royals had won by more than 2 goals in the league since the 5–1 away victory over Mansfield Town towards the end of the previous season.^[92]

On 1 December, Reading confirmed that Miles Obodo had joined Chichester City on loan until January.^[93]

On 8 December, Reading announced that their postponed trip to Leam Richardson's former club Wigan Athletic, originally scheduled for 15 November but postponed due to international call-ups had been rearranged for 19:45hrs on 10 February 2026.^[94]

On 9 December, Reading hosted Peterborough United at Madejski Stadium seeking back-to-back victories for the first time this season. The Posh have changed manager like the Royals this season with former manager Darren Ferguson being replaced by Luke Williams and it also Jack Marrott face-off against one of his former clubs during his return to fitness. Reading lost 2-1 with Jimmy-Jay Morgan opening the scoring for the visitors in the 2th minute after a mistake by the Royals defence with Reading constantly giving the ball to Peterborough in the first-half. In the second-half, Reading continued in the same way until Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan then equalised for the hosts against the run-of-play in the 60th minute with his final action of the match with him being replaced by the returning Jack Marriott shortly after and Harry Leonard then put the Posh ahead in the 68th minute with a long-range that Joel Pereira could do nothing about with this giving them a 2-1 victory and the Royals their first home defeat under Leam Richardson. The result left Reading in 17th place and three points ahead of 21th-placed Peterborough United in the first relegation spot and 9 points behind 6th-placed Bolton Wanderers in the final play-off spot. It also put an end to Reading’s unbeaten home run.^[95] Many Royals journalists and pundits thought that this was the club’s worst performance under the management of Leam Richardson with the Reading Chronicle reporter Ramy Abou-Setta labelling the match “sloppy, inaccurate and leaving much to be desired” with Reading captain Lewis Wing the best player in the defeat with the match delivering a “reality check” to their promotion hopes with Lewis Wing being his highest rated player and Andre Garcia being his lowest-rated player with his reason for giving Lewis Wing a 7/10 was: “The skipper though to many didn’t look the best, was the most accurate passer across both teams. All his crosses were accurate, he made two key passes and created one big chance” and his reason for giving Andre Garcia the lowest rating of 4/10 was: “Similar to [Andy] Yiadom, but left too much to be desired. Reflecting on his first league defeat in charge of the Royals manager Leam Richardson said: “He was very disappointed. First and foremost, I think that you’ve got to be gracious. We win together, we lose together. Congratulations to Peterborough [United], but my initial thoughts and reaction is very, very disappointed, to say the least, with how we started the game. I think that we lost the game in the first five minutes, in my opinion”. During the match Reading were again denied two blatant penalties like their previous home match to Rotherham United with the first call being after Kelvin Abrefa found himself in space on the wing and drove into the Peterborough box to put a cross in to the awaiting forwards but it was blocked by the hand of a Peterborough defender to the bemusement of Reading fans, the referee waived it off and declared it a corner kick and the second call was after Charlie Savage whipped in a cross into the box and it was only cleared to Kamari Doyle who was brought down after wrestling for the ball with calls for penalty kick being again waived off. Reading manager Leam Richardson said about this: “I think that we had a call straight after as well. We had Kamari Doyle, and we’ve had a couple of them now [Rotherham] but for some reason, we haven’t been giving them. Matt Ritchie’s now getting his legs stitched with the challenge [Harley Mills tackle], which I thought was a reckless challenge and should have been a red card. But for some reason, he didn’t give it. We’re not looking for excuses. We had 90-plus minutes to put our stamp on the game tonight, to go and try and win the game and dominate in certain areas. We didn’t dominate because we kept giving possession up in poor areas, doing the wrong thing for the right reasons”.^[96][97]

On 10 December, It was announced by the EFL that Reading manager Leam Richardson had been nominated for the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month award for November after winning seven points from his first three league matches in charge which included their first away victory. He is up against Michael Duff (Wycombe Wanderers), Lee Grant (Huddersfield Town) and Conor Hourihane (Barnsley).^[98]

On 11 December, It was announced that Andy Rinomhota had been called-up to the Zimbabwe national football team squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) in Morocco and therefore would miss Royals matches from the 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 (if Zimbabwe makes the final otherwise he could return sooner).^[99]

On 12 December, it was announced that Reading manager Leam Richardson had lost out on winning the Sky Bet League One Manager of Month award for November 2025 to Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane and later the same day, it was announced that Charlie Savage had been nominated for the Sky Bet League One Goal of the Month award for November 2025 for his long-range strike against Rotherham United on 22 November 2025 with him up against Tyreeq Bakinson for Leyton Orient against Exeter City, Leo Castledine for Huddersfield Town against Luton Town and Azeem Abdulai also for Leyton Orient against Burton Albion.^[100][101]

On 13 December, Reading travelled to the University of Bradford Stadium to face newly-promoted Braford City seeking back-to-back away victories for the first time this season. The match will see Tom McIntyre face-off against his former club as he is on loan at The Bantams from Portsmouth. Reading lost 2-0 with Antoni Sarcevic opening the scoring for the hosts with a long-range strike in the 56th minute after the Royals had dominated the first-half and Bobby Pointon then doubled their lead in the 84th minute following a cross from Tyreik Wright to seal back-to-back defeats for the visitors which left them in 18th place level on points with 21th-placed Plymouth Argyle (22 points) and ten points behind 6th-placed Stockport County (32 points) in the final play-off position. It also left Reading 19 points off league leaders Cardiff City (41 points).^[102]

On 16 December, Reading announced that Jacob Borgnis had extended his loan deal at Slough Town for another month, and that Basil Tuma had also joined Slough Town on loan until 10 January 2026.^[103][104]

On 17 December, Reading's away trip to Northampton Town on 31 January, was brought forward from an 15:00hr kick-off, to a 14:00hr kick-off at the request of Northampton Town due to Northampton Saints hosting Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Rugby Cup later the same day.^[105]

On 18 December, It was announced that former CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Nigel Howe had served the club with a Winding Up Petition to try to get some extra funds from Rob Couhig’s takeover of Reading FC with the club confirming in a statement saying “that it’s in a sale dispute with Mr Nigel Howe. The club denies any claims made against it. Given the ongoing dispute and potential legal proceedings, the club will not be making any further comment at this time”.^[106]

On 18 December, Reading hosted newly-relegated Luton Town at the Madejski Stadium as part of their Christmas themed matchday seeking their first win since the 3-0 away victory against Blackpool at the end of November 2025. Luton have also changed their manager this season with former Arsenal player and Norwich City interim manager Jack Wilshire replacing Matt Bloomfield on 13 October 2025. The match saw striker Jack Marriott make his return to the starting XI for the first time since the Cardiff City away match at end of October 2025 due to having picked-up an injury following that match to face-off against one of his former clubs. Reading won 3-2 with Reading captain Lewis Wing opening the scoring for the hosts in the 8th minute with a penalty kick awarded for a foul on Daniel Kyerewaa by Luton goalkeeper Josh Keeley for his fifth goal of the season and his second goal at home. Jack Marriott then doubled their lead in the 52th minute following a pass from Randell Williams. However, Jordan Clark then pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 59th minute following a mis-cued clearance by Reading captain Lewis Wing fell into his path and Nigel Lonwijk then equalised for Luton in the 76th minute with a long-range shot which Joel Pereira could do nothing about. Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan then put Reading ahead in the 78th minute with his second goal in three matches and his fourth in all competitions for the Royals. Finely Burns made his first appearance under Leam Richardson in this match as his last appearance was in the 2-1 away defeat to Cardiff City under Noel Hunt. This result sealed a massive win to put Reading into 15th place in the league table on 25 points from 20 matches eight points behind sixth-placed Bolton Wanderers (34 points) in the final play-off position and sixteen points behind league leaders Cardiff City (41 points).^[107]

On 20 December, Reading announced that Carter Bowdery had joined Hungerford Town on loan until 17 January 2026.

On 23 December, It was announced by the Reading Chronicle reporter Ramy Abou-Setta that Matty Jacob would return to his parent club Hull City on 1 January 2026 with them cutting his loan spell short due to him sustaining a major injury. Matty Jacob played 16 games for the Royals with Tigers manager Sergej Jakirović saying: "The plan is that he [Matty Jacob] will stay with us from January [1 2026]".^[108]

On 26 December, Southern League Premier Division South club Basingstoke Town announced the loan signing of Joseph Barough.^[109]

On 26 December, Reading travelled to Home Park to face newly-relegated Plymouth Argyle as part of the Boxing Day football programme with them now managed by former Manchester United player and former Watford manager Tom Cleverley. Reading won 4-1 with captain Lewis Wing opening the scoring for the visitors in the 14th minute with a penalty kick awarded for a foul on Derrick Williams by Joe Ralls (who was sent-off for it) and captain Lewis Wing then doubled Reading’s lead in the 18th minute with his second goal of the match with a long-range strike. Kamari Doyle then added a third for the visitors in the 20th minute after a header towards him from Jack Marriott and Xavier Amaechi then pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 68th minute following a pass from Malachi Boateng. Plymouth were then awarded a penalty kick of their own for a foul on Bali Mumba by Kelvin Abrefa which Lorent Tolaj saw saved by Reading goalkeeper Joel Pereira in the 73th minute and Jack Marriott then added a late fourth for the visitors in the 86th minute after a long pass from captain Lewis Wing. The victory moved Reading up to 11th place in the league table on 28 points from 21 matches and seven points behind 6th-placed Stockport County in the final play-off position (35 points) and 16 points behind leaders Cardiff City (44 points).^[110]

On 29 December, Reading travelled to the London Road Stadium to face Peterborough United in their final match of 2025 seeking revenge for their 2-1 home defeat. Reading drew 1-1 with Daniel Kyerewaa opening the scoring for the visitors in the 26th minute following a pass from Jack Marriott, however, the Royals defence could not hold on to the 1-0 lead and the clean sheet with Gustav Lindgreen then equalising for the hosts in the 78th minute. This result moved Reading into 10th place in the league saw them remain unbeaten to end the year.^[111]

On 1 January, Reading chairman and co-owner Rob Couhig released a New Year's message to Royals supporters which read: "Dear Royals, as welcome in the New Year, I wanted to write to you directly, not only to reflect on where we are as a club, but also to speak plainly and honestly with you, as you deserve. First and foremost, thank you. Your support over the past year has been extraordinary. Through uncertainty, frustration and fatigue born from recent seasons, you have continued to turn up, back the team and stand by Reading Football Club. I know how much this club means to you and I do not take that loyalty lightly. That backing has mattered, it has been felt and it has helped carry us into a far stronger position as we enter the second half of the season. Over the past few days, some of you may have seen reports suggesting that the club is considering selling its training ground or downgrading the Academy. I want to be absolutely clear with you: those claim are categorically untrue. There are no plans to sell the training ground. There are no plans to downgrade the Academy. Both are vital parts of the club's present and future and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate and misleading. I am acutely aware that, after what supporters have endured in recent years, misleading or speculative articles in the press can cause understandable concern. You have been let down before and I understand why trust does not come easily. That is why I believe it is important to address these matters directly, rather than allow uncertainty to linger. What is true is, like any responsibly run business, Reading Football Club continually reviews how it operates to ensure long-term sustainability. That work has been ongoing for some time. It is sensible, measured and focused on protecting the club and giving it the strongest possible foundations for the future, not dismantling it. On the pitch, there are genuine reasons for optimism. The recent upturn in results under the new management team has been encouraging and you can see the renewed belief, organisation and togetherness within the squad. With the January transfer window now open, much of the groundwork has already been underway behind the scenes, and we will continue to support Leam [Richardson] and his staff in strengthening the group where possible, always within a responsible framework that serves the club's long-term interests. The second half of the season presents a real opportunity to build on recent momentum, to push on together and to show what this football club is capable of when everyone is pulling in the same direction. None of this progress happens without you. The atmosphere you have created, home and away, has played a real part in the momentum we are building. Players, staff and ownership can all feel it, and it matters. As we move into 2026, my commitment to you is simple: openness, responsibility and doing what is right for Reading Football Club. Not short-term headlines, no reckless decisions and not at the expense of the club's future. Thank you again for your patience, your passion and your unwavering support. I wish you and your families a happy, healthy New Year and I look forward to what we can continue to build together. Up the Ding!".^[112]

On 1 January, to begin the year Reading hosted Burton Albion at the Madejski Stadium. Reading won 2-0 with Jack Marriott opening the scoring for the hosts in the 18th minute following a cross from Matt Ritchie for his eight goal of the season and Daniel Kyerewaa then doubled their lead in the 37th minute after a pass from Kamari Doyle for his second goal in two matches. This result saw Reading stay in 10th place on 32 points from 23 matches – 6 points behind 6th-placed Bolton Wanderers in the final play-off position (38 points) and 16 points behind league leaders Cardiff City who are currently on 48 points.^[113]

On 2 January, Reading confirmed that Matty Jacob had returned to his parent club Hull City after his loan was ended.^[114]

On 4 January, Reading hosted high-flying Stockport County at the Madejski Stadium in the knowledge that this would be Leam Richardson’s hardest test since taking charge of the team. Reading won 1-0 with club captain Lewis Wing opening the scoring for the hosts in the 89th minute with a long-range strike following a long throw-in from Jeriel Dorsett. This victory moved the Royals up into 9th place and 4 points behind 6th-placed Stockport County in the final play-off position (Reading on 35 points from 24 matches and Stockport on 39 points from 24 matches) and 16 points behind league leaders Cardiff City. This also gave Reading their first back-to-back clean sheets of the season.^[115]

On 7 January, Reading announced that Randell Williams had extended his contract until the end of the following campaign (30 June 2027), after initially signing a short-term contract until 31 January 2026 on 5 November 2025.^[116]

On 12 January, Reading announced that Tom Norcott had joined Farnborough on loan until 13 February.^[117]

On 13 January, Reading announced that Jacob Borgnis and Basil Tuma had both extended their loan deals with Slough Town, Jacob Borgnis extending until the end of the season and Basil Tuma until mid-March.^[118]

On 14 January, Reading announced the signing of Will Keane on loan from EFL Championship club Preston North End until the end of the season. He previously played under current Reading manager Leam Richardson with Wigan Athletic between 2020-2023 and was the 2021-22 EFL League One top goalscorer with 26 goals winning the EFL League One title and promotion to the 2022-23 EFL Championship. He is the brother of Premier League club Everton defender Michael Keane. He has played 97 games and scored 43 goal under the management of Leam Richardson during his spell at Wigan Athletic. He has been brought in to provide back-up and competition for Royals joint top goalscorer Jack Marriott.^[119]

On 15 January, Reading announced that Shay Spencer had joined National League club Wealdstone on loan for at least the next month.^[120] The following day, 16 January, Boyd Beacroft joined Farnborough on loan for one month.^[121]

On 17 January, Reading travelled to Brisbane Road to face London rivals Leyton Orient. The match saw Dom Ballard face-off against his former club who he left in 2024 and Charlie Wellens also face-off against his former club who he left in 2025. Reading lost 3-1 with Dom Ballard opening the scoring for the hosts against one of his former clubs in the 45^th minute following a pass from Ollie O’Neill and Jack Marriott then equalised for the visitors in the 52^nd minute following a long pass from Kamari Doyle. That was Jack Marriott’s fourth goal in six games and his second away from home during that run and was also Kamari Doyle’s fourth assist for the Royals. Dom Ballard then put Orient ahead in the 65^th minute after a cross by Theo Archibald with his second goal of the match and Dom Ballard then added a third for the hosts in the 85^th minute to complete his hat-trick. This result left Reading in 11^th place with 35 points from 25 matches played and 4 points behind 6^th-placed Huddersfield Town in the final play-off position (Huddersfield on 39 points from 27 matches played) and 20 points behind league leaders Cardiff City (55 points from 26 matches played).^[122]

On 19 January, It was reported by Ramy Abou-Setta in the Reading Chronicle that EFL Championship club and local rivals Oxford United would submit another bid for Royals midfielder Charlie Savage - son of former Manchester United and Wales midfielder Robbie Savage - after seeing their initial bid of £500,000 rejected by Reading on 15 January 2026. Charlie Savage has made 124 appearances for the Royals scoring 14 goals and has only missed the single league match this season due to an injury sustained in the Peterborough United away match in December 2025.^[123]

On 21 January, Reading announced the signing of Ryan Nyambe on loan from EFL Championship club Derby County until the end of the season. He previously played 33 times under current Royals manager Leam Richardson at Wigan Athletic between 2022 and 2023.^[124] Later on the same day, Reading announced the signing of Haydon Roberts from another EFL Championship club in Bristol City on a contract until 30 June 2028 for an undisclosed fee.^[125]

On 23 January, Under 21s squad player Jay Williams joined Dorchester Town on a one-month loan deal.^[126]

On 25 January, Reading hosted Barnsley at the Madejski Stadium seeking to return to winning ways as part of “Louisiana Day” themed matchday with co-owners Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair in attendance for the match. Haydon Roberts made his first start for the Royals and Ryan Nyambe made his first Reading appearance off the bench. Reading drew 2-2 with new signing Haydon Roberts opening the scoring for the hosts in the 32^nd minute following a cross from Paddy Lane which evaded Jack Marriott and David McGoldrick then equalised for the visitors in the 38^th minute after low cross from Reyes Cleary. Adam Phillips then put Barnsley ahead in the 67^th minute with a shot that took a deflection off Jeriel Dorsett which wrongfooted Royals goalkeeper Joel Pereira, however, Jack Marriott then equalised for Reading in the 84^th minute following a pass from another new signing Ryan Nyambe with his 10^th league goal of the season. This result left Reading in 13^th place with 36 points from 26 matches played and 6 points behind 6^th-placed Huddersfield Town in the final play-off position (Huddersfield on 42 points from 28 matches played) and 20 points behind league leaders Cardiff City (Cardiff on 56 points from 27 matches played).^[127]

On 26 January, Reading announced that their postponed trip to Mansfield Town, originally scheduled for 10 January but postponed due to Mansfield’s progression in the FA Cup had been rearranged for 19:45hrs on 10 March 2026.^[128] Later on the same day, Reading announced the signing of Benn Ward from EFL League Two club and Royals manager Leam Richardson’s former club Accrington Stanley to a three-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.^[129]

On 27 January, Reading hosted Exeter City at the Madejski Stadium seeking their first home victory since the 1-0 win over Stockport County at the beginning of January 2026. The match saw Jayden Wareham face-off against his former club for the second time this season. New signings Ryan Nyambe and Will Keane made their first league starts for the Royals. Reading drew 2-2 with another former Reading player Pierce Sweeney opening the scoring for the visitors in the 14^th minute after a corner kick from Reece Cole and Will Keane then equalised for the hosts in the 46^th minute following a cross from Haydon Roberts with his first goal for the club. Paudie O’Connor then put Reading ahead in the 75^th minute after a free-kick from captain Lewis Wing and Luca Woodhouse then equalised for Exeter following a deflection from new signing Ryan Nyambe which wrongfooted Reading goalkeeper Joel Pereira. This result left Reading in 13^th place with 37 points from 27 matches played and 8 points behind 6^th-placed Huddersfield Town in the final play-off position (Huddersfield on 45 points from 29 matches played) and 22 points behind league leaders Cardiff City (Cardiff on 59 points from 28 matches played). This was the second consecutive 2-2 draw for Reading after the draw by the same scoreline in the previous home match against Barnsley.^[130]

On 29 January, Reading announced the signing of Scofield Lonmeni-Dekam from A club Liverpool's academy for an undisclosed fee, with Lonmeni-Dekam signing his first professional contract.^[131]

On 30 January, Reading announced that Sean Patton had joined National League club Aldershot Town on loan for the remainder of the season.^[132]

On 31 January, Reading travelled to the Sixfields Stadium to face Northampton Town seeking their first away victory since the Boxing Day 4-1 win over Plymouth Argyle. Prior to the match it was announced that Daniel Kyerewaa had sustained a nasty injury in Reading’s previous match at home to Exeter City and would likely be out for a long period of time. Reading won 2-0 with Jack Marriott opening the scoring for the visitors in the 55^th minute after a through ball by Reading captain Lewis Wing and Will Keane then quickly doubled their lead in the 58^th minute after a cross by Reading captain Lewis Wing. This result moved Reading up to 10^th place with 40 points from 28 matches played and 8 points off 6^th-placed Huddersfield Town in the final play-off position (Huddersfield on 48 points from 30 matches played) and 20 points behind league leaders Cardiff City (Cardiff on 60 points from 29 matches played). This gave the Royals a league double over Northampton Town for the first time since the 1974-75 season with their 1-0 home win and this 2-0 away victory.^[133]

On 1 February, Reading announced that Andre Garcia had left the club to join Club NXT, the academy team of Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge, for an undisclosed fee.^[134]

On 2 February, which was the Transfer Deadline Day, Reading announced the signing of Kadan Young on loan from Premier League club Aston Villa for the remainder of the season as a replacement for the injured Daniel Kyerewaa.^[135] Also on the same day earlier in the day, Reading announced that goalkeeper Matthew Rowley had been recalled from his loan with National League South club Hampton & Richmond Borough.^[136]

On 3 February, It was reported by The Reading Chronicle's Ramy Abou-Setta that Reading manager Leam Richardson was the leading candidate to become the next manager of EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers after they sacked Valérien Ismaël on 2 February 2026 and the same report stated that a £400,000 compensation fee would be required by Blackburn Rovers to appoint Leam Richardson as their next manager alongside Leam Richardson, former Manchester United player and current National League club Carlisle United manager Mark Hughes and former Wales national football team manager Chris Coleman have been discussed for the vacancy.^[137] On 4 February, reports then emerged that Blackburn Rovers were also looking at appointing former Manchester United player, Wales national football team player and current National League club Forest Green Rovers manager Robbie Savage who is also the father of current Royals midfielder Charlie Savage.^[138]

On 6 February, Ashqar Ahmed joined National League club Forest Green Rovers on loan for the remainder of the season where he would link-up with fellow Royal Abraham Kanu and former Manchester United and Wales national football team player and father of Royals midfielder Charlie Savage, Robbie Savage.^[139]

On 7 February, Reading travelled to London to The Cherry Red Records Stadium to face AFC Wimbledon seeking revenge for their 2-1 home defeat in August 2025 in a must-win match to stay within touching distance of the play-off positions. Reading narrowly lost 3-2 with Marcus Browne opening the scoring for the hosts in the 8^th minute following a pass from Junior Nkeng and Jack Marriott then equalised for the visitors in the 33^rd minute after a through ball from Kamari Doyle after he had earlier put a shot wide of Wimbledon goalkeeper Nathan Bishop’s goal in the 23^rd minute. Marcus Browne then put Wimbledon ahead in the 53^rd minute following an assist from Omar Bugiel with Reading goalkeeper Joel Pereira coming out to close down the angle but leaving an open goal for Marcus Browne to score into and Jeriel Dorsett then equalised for the Royals in the 65^th minute with his first goal of the season after a corner kick from Charlie Savage. However, Marcus Browne then completed his hat-trick for the hosts in the 71^st minute after an assist from Callum Maycock when he walked straight through Jeriel Dorsett and Paudie O’Connor. This result dropped Reading down a place to 11^th place on 40 points from 29 matches played and 9 points off 6^th-placed Bradford City in the final play-off position (Bradford on 49 points from 29 matches played) and 23 points behind league leaders Cardiff City (Cardiff on 63 points from 30 matches played).^[140]

On 24 February, Matthew Rowley joined National League South club Tonbridge Angels on loan for the remainder of the season.^[141]

On 28 February, Sean Patton was recalled from his loan deal with Aldershot Town by Reading.^[142]

On 6 March, Reading announced that John Clarke had joined Slough Town on a one-month loan deal.^[143]

On 24 March, Harrison Rhone joined Brackley Town on loan for the remainder of the season.^[144]

As of match played 21 March 2026^[145]

For those players sold, released or contract ended before the start of this season, see 2024–25 Reading F.C. season.

On 29 May, Reading announced their first pre-season friendly, an away trip to face Gillingham on 12 July.^[186] Reading announced their second pre-season friendly on 3 June, a home match against Portsmouth on 26 July.^[187] On 9 June, Reading announced two behind-closed doors friendlies at Bearwood Park Training Ground, against Swindon Town on 15 July and Oxford United on 22 July.^[188] On 27 June, Reading announced that their first pre-season friendly would take place on 5 July, away to Hungerford Town at Bulpit Lane,^[189] and that they would host Tottenham Hotspur at home on 19 July.^[190]

On 5 May, Basingstoke Town announced that they would host a Reading XI in a pre-season friendly on 26 July.^[194] On 5 June, Reading announced four pre-season fixtures for their academy teams.^[195]

On 26 June, the fixture list was released, with Reading starting their campaign away to Lincoln City on 2 August, and finishing the season at home to Blackpool.^[199]