The seven teams joining Reading in League One after EFL promotions and relegations
AFC Wimbledon's Ryan Johnson and Jack Reeves lift the trophy with team-mates following victory in the Sky Bet League Two play off final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Monday May 26, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER League Two. Photo credit (Image: Mike Egerton)
As is always the way at this time of year, Reading fans will be mapping and planning out the next nine months as the 2025/26 League One campaign sneaks up on you.
With two weeks until fixture release day, there is still some two months until a ball is kicked, but seven new teams will be in the third tier for supporters to visit next season.
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Take a look below at the three teams who dropped down from the Championship and four who came up from League Two, with plenty of familiar faces.
(Image: JasonPIX)
Cardiff City
Regular foes over the past 20 years, Reading are meeting the Bluebirds in third tier for first time since a 2-2 draw at Ninian Park in 2001 after Aaron Ramsey's side finished rock-bottom of the Championship.
Circling around the plughole for a number of years, Reading last met the Welsh side in a competitive fixture in February 2023, the year in which they were relegated.
Sambri Lamouchi's side were down there with Paul Ince's Royals, but a dire 1-0 defeat in the capital was a big nail in the coffin, Romaine Sawyers scoring late in the day for the hosts.
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Memorable Meetings:
Cardiff City 0-3 Reading, 2011
Drawing 0-0 in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi final at the Madejski Stadium, Reading ran riot in the second leg and booked their place in the final against fellow Welsh outfit Swansea City.
Shane Long netted twice, the final goals of his first spell, while Jobi McAnuff's solo effort rounded off the scoring. Dave Jones' side would endure one more failed play-off attempt in 2011/12 before winning the Championship under Malky Mackay in 2012/13.
Cardiff City 3-0 Reading, 1927
Reading's first appearance in an FA Cup semi-final was not a happy one, beaten comfortably at Molineux as Cardiff booked their place in the Wembley showpiece. Beating Arsenal 1-0, the trophy was taken out of England for the first time.
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Plymouth Argyle
It has been more than 15 years since Reading and Plymouth shared a division, and you have to go back to Mark McGhee's promotion-winning year of 1993/94 to find the pair in the third tier.
The Pilgrims finished second from bottom in the Championship to return to League One after two years and are on the hunt for a manager after Miron Muslic walked to Schalke.
It has been six years since the sides last played, Josh Barrett catching the eye at Home Park as Reading knocked the hosts out of the League Cup in round two, while a 2-1 win for Brian McDermott's Royals in 2009/10 was the most recent league meeting.
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Memorable Meetings
Reading 1-2 Plymouth Argyle, 2005
It is not often that memorable matches end in defeat, but little did anyone know that after an opening day defeat to Plymouth in August 2005, Steve Coppell's side would not taste defeat for 33 matches and roar to the Premiership in March 2006.
Reading 4-3 Plymouth Argyle, 1985
Another record-breaking season for Reading as Ian Branfoot's men won their first 13 league matches and eventually sealed promotion to the second tier, perhaps the most iconic of the season came in December at Elm Park.
Almost 9,000 were in attendance as the visitors raced into a three-goal lead after 48 minutes. Looking set for defeat, Dean Horrix pulled one back in the 65th minute and three goals in the final 10 minutes completed the ultimate comeback.
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Luton Town
After a sudden fall from League Cup winners to non-league regulars, the Hatters enjoyed a similarly steep rise back to the top as they rose from tier five to the Premier League in a decade.
This season will see Matt Bloomfield's men sharing the third tier with the Royals for the first time since 2001, while Rob Edwards brought his side to Berkshire as recently as 2022, a 1-1 draw in which Andy Carroll was sent off for deliberate handball.
Memorable Meetings
Reading 4-1 Luton Town, 1988
One of Reading's greatest days, over 40,000 followed the club to Wembley for the first time and were rewarded with a feast of football as Branfoot's side lifted the Full Members Cup.
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Mick Tait, Michael Gilkes, Stuart Beavon and Neil Smilie found the net on the day as the Hatters, who were regulars of the top division, would go on to beat Arsenal in the League Cup final a matter of weeks later.
Luton 0-5 Reading, 2020
Supporters had to be content with watching Mark Bowen's side pull Luton apart on television due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it was still enjoyable. Yakou Meite found the net four times and George Puscas grabbed himself a goal in one of the rare positive results after Operation Restart.
(Image: Adam Rutter)
Port Vale
Supporters of both sides are looking forward to a reunion with our friends from Staffordshire, the pair pitted against each other after a year out.
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After the most recent original fixture was abandoned due to protests, with the Royals winning the rescheduled match, tens of thousands of pounds were raised for a statue of Vale legend John Rudge.
Now firm friends in a world where that can sometimes be rare, Reading fans will no doubt circle the next trip to Vale Park as a must-attend.
Doncaster Rovers
It has been an incredible 39 years since Reading met 'Donny' in the third tier, and a over a decade since the last meeting full stop.
Who can forget Alex Pearce's stepovers as Nigel Adkins' side celebrated with inflatables at the Keepmoat Stadium for the final away match of the 2013/14 campaign.
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With former Royal Billy Sharp still going strong at 40, Grant McCann's side will be back in Berkshire this coming season.
Memorable Meetings
Reading 4-3 Doncaster, 2010
Brian McDermott's side scored four for the second time in a week as Doncaster visited the Madejski Stadium in October 2010.
Matt Mills, Jem Karacan, Ian Harte and Simon Church found the net for the hosts in a seven goal thriller.
Doncaster 7-5 Reading, 1982
Rovers hit seven on their own way back in 1982, the second time the Royals have lost 7-5 in the last 50 years.
Kerry Dixon grabbed a hattrick but still ended up on the losing side at Belle Vue.
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Bradford City
Bradford, who sealed a return to League One with almost the last kick of their season, will return to the SCL Stadium for the first time in a decade this season.
You have to go back to 1993/94 for the last time both the Royals and Bantams were in the third tier, McGhee's side winning the title come the end.
Nobody of a Reading persuasion will need reminding of the last meeting between the sides, a 3-0 win to send Steve Clarke's side to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final showdown with Arsenal.
Memorable Meetings
Reading 3-0 Bradfod City, 2015
After a tense stalemate on a quagmire at Valley Parade, Hal Robson-Kanu and Garath McCleary eased any fears in the replay.
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Felipe Morias saw red for Phil Parkinson's side and Jamie Mackie completed the rout in the second half, sending over 20,000 fans home happy.
Reading 2-1 Bradford, 1988
After knocking out three top-flight sides in the first three rounds of the Simod Cup, Branfoot's side were finally drawn a team in their division at the quarter-final stage.
Only 7,000 turned out but Colin Bailie and Dean Horrix did the damage, albiet after extra-time, to set up a mouth-watering semi-final with Coventry City.
Over 15,000 (and the rest, who went unaccounted for) turned out for the 1-1 draw as Michael Gilkes' penalty sent the Royals to Wembley.
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AFC Wimbledon
In an unusual feat for Reading, who celebrate their 154th birthday in December, this year will mark a first ever competitive fixture with the Wombles.
Under Paul Ince, the Royals won a pre-season fixture at Plough Lane, but you have to go back to the original Wimbledon, who ceased to exist over 20 years ago, for a competitive meeting.
Only meeting 12 times between 1977 and 2003, future captain Jobi McAnuff scored as the South London side won 3-0 on Boxing Day 2003.
A crowd of just 2,066 saw Reading win the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park, this being a second tier fixture.
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