Pre-season Transfers 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. 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. 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. The following week
Pavel Pogrebnyak signed a four-year deal on a free transfer from
Fulham following the approval of his work permit, and the day after, on 6 July, Irish youngster
Pierce Sweeney joined for an undisclosed fee from
Bray Wanderers.
Nicky Shorey rejoined the club on a one-year deal on 10 July following his release from
West Bromwich Albion, whilst three days later the first outgoing business of the season was completed with
Mathieu Manset joining
Sion on a three-year contract. On 17 July the club completed a double signing with
Adrian Mariappa and
Chris Gunter joining from
Watford and
Nottingham Forest respectively. Both signed on three-year deals for an undisclosed fee. Several young players left the club on loan during the summer. Left back
Joseph Mills became the first outgoing player, joining
Burnley on a season long loan on 17 July, whilst two days later
Gozie Ugwu, having just signed a new 2-year contract, was loaned to
Yeovil Town until 1 January 2013. The following week
Michael Hector joined
League One team
Shrewsbury Town until 2 January 2013 and on 30 July
Angus MacDonald joined
AFC Wimbledon on a six-month deal. On 4 August there were two more loan departures with
Karl Sheppard joining
Accrington Stanley on a six-month loan and
Brett Williams joining
Woking on a season long deal. Two days later
Michail Antonio left the club permanently, joining
Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee and on 17 August,
Mikkel Andersen joined
Portsmouth on a one-month loan, with
Jordan Obita joining him four days later on a similar deal. Having trained with the club since mid July,
Stuart Taylor signed a one-year deal on 20 August, completing Reading's summer transfer business.
Friendlies 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Reading went 1–0 down to a
Vicente penalty in the first half, before an 89th-minute equaliser from Robson-Kanu levelled the game. 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. 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. 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. 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. Three days later they faced
Boreham Wood and won 2–1 thanks to two
Dominic Samuel goals 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. The final Reading XI game saw the team came from 2–0 down to win 4–2 away against
Eastleigh on 11 August. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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, 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. On 18 September
Jordan Obita and
Mikkel Andersen extended their loan spells at
Portsmouth for another month and the next day
Jem Karacan extended his contract with the club until June 2015. 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. 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. Two days later Reading recalled
Angus MacDonald from his loan with
AFC Wimbledon having made six appearances for the League Two club and on 29 September it was reported that the club had taken Russian youngsters Sergey Kundik and
Nikita Khaykin, formerly of
Chelsea, on trial. 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.
October caused controversy after boycotting the
Kick It Out T-shirt campaign. Pictured in 2009 whilst at
Blackburn Rovers. October began with news that
Sean Morrison had signed a new deal with the club, keeping him at Reading until 2016. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Roberts was joined by several other high-profile players including
Rio Ferdinand and
Joleon Lescott in boycotting the campaign, although his stance was criticised by others including
Alex Ferguson. On the same day
Jordan Obita returned early from his loan spell at
Portsmouth following a family bereavement, though
Mikkel Andersen's stay at
Fratton Park was extended for a third, and final month. Further loan news followed with
Lawson D'Ath joining
League Two side
Cheltenham Town on a one-month loan on 25 October. 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. 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. October closed with confirmation that the club would not be offering a contract to Brandon Fernandes following his two-week trial.
November On 1 November the postponed away game against
Sunderland was rearranged to be played on 11 December at 19:45. 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. The game ended on a sour note for Reading though after
Alex McCarthy injured his shoulder in a collision with the goalpost. The club later confirmed that he had been to see a specialist and would be out for a "little while". On 8 November
Simon Church became the first of several loan departures during the month, joining
Huddersfield Town on a one-month deal. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
December whose early goal against
West Ham United gave Reading just their second win of the season. Pictured in 2012, playing for
Fulham. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. He was fined two-weeks wages by the club and later issued an apology to his teammates and the fans. 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. 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. 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. 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. On the same day
Matt Partridge returned from his loan spell at
Bognor Regis Town having spent two months with the Rocks. 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. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Following the match the Royals were drawn against
Manchester United in the fifth round with the tie to be played in mid-February. 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. 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. and he was followed by
Stephen Kelly who joined from
Fulham on a two-and-a-half-year contract three days later. In mid-January
Stopilla Sonzu joined the club for four days to train and be assessed by the coaching staff with a view to a potential permanent transfer in the future. 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. 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, and former Reading player
Gylfi Sigurðsson. 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, whilst
Michael Hector extended his stay at
Aldershot Town the following day, keeping him with the club until the end of the month. Young striker
Dominic Samuel joined
Colchester United on a one-month youth loan on 3 January with
Karl Sheppard returning from his spell at
Accrington Stanley the same day. 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. On 8 January
Angus MacDonald's loan to
Torquay United was extended until the end of the season 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. The following day Michael Hector returned from Aldershot and was immediately loaned out again, swapping places with Taylor and joining Cheltenham for a month. The last day of the month saw two young players move out on loan.
Jordan Obita joined
Oldham Athletic for one month whilst
Karl Sheppard rejoined his former club
Shamrock Rovers until July 2013. Deadline day also saw Dominic Samuel return from his spell at Colchester having made two appearances.
February , 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. 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. 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. 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. The following day, despite barely featuring because of injury,
Gozie Ugwu extended his stay with
Plymouth Argyle for a second month. 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. 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. February ended with news that
Michael Hector had extended his stay at
Cheltenham Town, whilst
Jake Taylor joined
Crawley Town on a one-month loan.
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. The following week
Jordan Obita extended his youth loan at
Oldham Athletic until 1 April, whilst
Jay Tabb moved to
Ipswich Town on a one-month loan having fallen out of first-team contention. On 7 March, after nearly eight years with Reading,
Brynjar Gunnarsson moved back to
KR, the club he started his career with. 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. 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. On 11 March, after four successive defeats, manager Brian McDermott was sacked by the club. 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. On the same day,
Gozie Ugwu was recalled early from his injury-plagued loan spell at
Plymouth Argyle, 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. 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. 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. 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. The end of the month saw
Michael Hector extend his loan with
Cheltenham Town until the end of the season, and
Jake Taylor return after a one-month spell at
Crawley Town.
April 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 and the extension of
Jay Tabb's loan at
Ipswich Town until the end of the season. 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. Two days later
Newcastle Jets player
Craig Goodwin joined the club on trial for two weeks 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Le Fondre's strike also set a new
Premier League record for most goals scored as a substitute. Ten days later, Reading played their last home game of the season against
Manchester City, losing 0–2. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. With six goals each,
Lawson D'Ath and Dominic Samuel were Reading's joint top scorers over the season. 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. 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, finishing top of the table with 11 wins from 14. The team also progressed in the
FA Youth Cup, beating
Brentford 5–1 at
Griffin Park in December. By winning their league, the under-18s were placed in the Elite Group for the second half of the season. 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. 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. 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. 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. ==Transfers==