After more than two decades in the top two divisions of English football, many expected Reading would need an acclimatization period in the lower leagues.
What followed was nine months of pure heartbreak, ecstasy, pain and pride as the Royals overturned the points deduction and a 10-point deficit to survive in League One.
Watch part one below, as we reach New Year’s Day in an unforgettable campaign following the club.
Millwall 0-4 Reading, August 8
After a narrow defeat to promotion candidates Peterborough United on the opening day, many supporters had been feeling good about Reading’s prospects in League One. These expectations were to receive a huge boost in the Den on a warm Tuesday evening when Millwall were put to the sword in the Carabao Cup.
An almost all-strength Lions outfit, complete with the likes of Jake Cooper and Zian Flemming, fell behind Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan within a minute, a sign of things to come.
Ruben Selles’ youthful Royals, with starts for the likes of Tivonge Rushesha; Caylan Vickers and Tyer Bindon blew Millwall away in East London.
Mamadi Camara, a second from Ehibhatiomhan and Charlie Savage all did the damage as Gary Rowett’s side were booed off the pitch.
It marked a first away win in any competition since November 2022 and supporters were counting down the days for a trip to Vale Park four days later.
Port Vale 1-0 Reading, August 12
However, the victory at Millwall proved to be a false dawn as Reading lost eight consecutive away games at the start of the season. Everything went to plan early on, with the Valiants suffering a 7-0 defeat on opening day.
Reading looked a lot better in Staffordshire and had the chance to make it count on the scoresheet when a penalty was awarded. Former England and Premier League star Andy Carroll made his first appearance after a red card against Luton Town last season.
The veteran saw his penalty saved and from then on the hosts were in control. Trusting the experienced heads, Carroll seemed more interested in a one-on-one wrestling match against Nathan Smith for the remainder of the match and never played for the club again.
Ben Garrity did the damage with 18 minutes remaining, and the likes of Tom Holmes, Tom McIntyre and Nesta Guinness-Walker were bombed out of the first team for the time being.
2-1 Bolton Wanderers read
Reading were struggling in their return to the third tier and found themselves in the relegation zone and had won just two of their first eight games when unbeaten Bolton came into town.
Things heated up in the week leading up to the match as the Royals were handed even more points for financial crimes, and the supporters had seen enough.
After 16 minutes, equivalent to the number of points under Dai Yongge at the time, hundreds of tennis balls were launched onto the pitch, with some extra support from the traveling Trotters supporters.
This would become a common occurrence in the coming months, with the number of tennis balls only increasing with each passing point deduction. Another common theme was Reading’s response to it, seemingly conceding within seconds of each restart.
Dion Charles deservedly put the visitors ahead and could have had a hat-trick midway through the stage had he been more clinical.
Selles’ side stayed in the match and equalized with less than 15 minutes to go through Savage’s long-range strike.
Hugely against the run of play, Vickers’ goal with three minutes remaining completed the turnaround, with Eoin Toal sent off for Bolton in stoppage time to add to the disappointment.
Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Reading, November 25
The low point Reading went to Adam’s Park without a road win in 378 days, a run dating back more than a calendar year. This emotional run felt even worse when, in the match immediately preceding the trip to Buckinghamshire, Reading had thrown away a two-goal lead and lost 3-2 at Shrewsbury Town, with two goals coming in stoppage time.
Despite this, and with security lagging 10 points, nearly 2,000 tickets were snapped up within hours in the hope of witnessing the day the duck breaks.
Everything went to plan as Sam Smith put Reading ahead after half an hour, but Killian Phillips immediately restored parity and savored the moment for the traveling support.
Dom Ballard suffered a horrific season-ending injury before Lewis Wing emulated his old Chairboys teammates by restoring Reading’s lead before half-time.
A nervous second half seemed to last forever, but finally the Reading fans could celebrate an away win, and it wasn’t. A day that will live long in the memory, it proved to be a turning point for Selles and the club.
Eastleigh 2-1 Reading, December 3
The excitement about signing a non-league side in the FA Cup had already faded following Kidderminster Harriers’ sixth-tier exit from Reading in 2022, but this afternoon in Hampshire it was about the bigger picture.
More unrest had followed in the deep winter season, with wages being paid late in the run-up to the second round and senior club officials withholding their salaries until all staff had been paid in full.
With the match being broadcast live on ITV1, they saw an opportunity to get their message out to the wider world and a mass protest was organized at Silverlake Stadium, involving counterfeit money and more tennis balls.
Thanks to excellent reporting from the likes of Mark Pougatch, Sam Matterface and Ian Wright, the world finally opened its eyes to the problems in Berkshire, sparking outrage among the football family.
On the pitch, the Spitfires made deserved progress after Sam McCallum scored an injury-time winner following Femi Azeez’s late equalizer.
Lecture 3-2 Exeter City, January 1
Reading defeated fellow strugglers Exeter at the SCL Stadium on New Year’s Day to lift the Greeks out of the relegation zone for the first time in four months.
Harvey Knibbs opened the scoring early on, before former Royal Zak Jules equalized shortly afterwards. Alex Hartridge’s own goal sent Reading into half-time ahead, but was put back again with just over 20 minutes to go through Dion Rankine.
Azeez, on a hot streak over Christmas, earned the hosts all three points with less than 15 minutes to go and made it six unbeaten to get out of the drop zone.