The Reading Way: Remarkable People Doing Incredible Things

In spite of everything that’s been thrown its way, this Royals side continues to impress.

Away at Leyton Orient a few weeks ago, I left the ground feeling somewhat despondent and helpless. I think anyone watching was fully aware of where our problems were and what was needed to solve them. We had a week to go until the end of the window - a scenario which, in a normal season, would’ve meant that we looked to add a bit of depth.

The problem was that, in order to solve our problems we either needed to bring someone new in (couldn’t do), rotate the squad (couldn’t do) or change the system to work slightly differently (tough in the circumstances).

Yet, despite this, we’ve turned yet another corner since then, culminating in an incredible 0-0 against Birmingham City. A team who will be playing at a much higher level next season, and have a squad with players who could get into any Championship side, possibly even some Premier League teams.

For anyone watching who didn’t know, it was tough to see the vast difference in cost per player. The reported fees spent on the visitors’ squad would buy you a stadium, a training ground and a full team (including academy) while leaving you change to buy a Freddo on the way home...

Yet, despite all of these challenges, this Reading team have found a way to deliver time and time again. It might not be pretty at times, but fundamentally, who cares? The results have meant that actually we can start to enjoy our football.

Take the business side of things out of the equation - we’re actually in an incredibly strong position. If we can keep the squad we have, I don’t think much would be needed to get the depth to consistently compete.

I was fortunate to be witness to the 2005/06 and 2011/12 sides, both of which get the credit they absolutely deserve. Promotion achieved, ‘The Reading Way’. Limited budgets with people doing everything they can to achieve success.

In 2006, the squad was built with a very small budget as we know, with the only big-money player being Leroy Lita for a £1 million price tag. Our first seven-figure transfer in our history, which, at the time, was crazy given the money spent by other teams.

The 2012 side was built on similar budgets, with the core money coming in during the January window when Anton Zingarevich put in some cash to get Jason Roberts in. The core though in both sides was done by getting players in with something to prove.

This squad isn’t too dissimilar in many ways. You’ve got a core group of players who joined in 2023 with a view to making a name for themselves. Only the most dedicated football nut would’ve heard of them. Now, they’re some of the highest-profile players in the division, and for very good reason.

It’s still remarkable that we’ve not spent a penny on players since Ovie Ejaria in 2020, yet we’re able to stand toe-to-toe with clubs who’ve invested heavily in their squads.

With the amount of setbacks we’ve had over the past few years, it would be easy for the team to use that as an excuse for not performing, but actually, it’s been the opposite. This squad fights for everything, and genuinely has the feel of a team that could be on the cusp of something rather special with the right support. If football were played purely on paper, we’d be rock bottom, which for me is why this group is just as special as those in 2006 or 2012.

If we allow ourselves to look to the future for a moment, I think it’s important to consider how we want to rebuild again. We could do it hard and fast and spend like we did before, or we could slow down and go back to basics from the core foundations of our football club. The latter will frustrate many, but ultimately this has to be the way forward. The great sides of the past were built over time, and not in August in a few weeks.

The core of this club is strong. We mustn’t forget that when we think about Reading FC. It’s full of remarkable people doing incredible things on a daily basis because, like us, they simply love the club.

It must be tough every day going into work against the backdrop of what’s going on, yet they’re finding ways to do things. They understand the club’s “Why?” at such a core level that simply doing nothing isn’t an option.

For me this simply proves that money can’t always buy you the greatest talent, but find a way to inspire and you’ll see that shine through. This may have been lost in the recent past, but Ruben Selles, and now Noel Hunt, have found this way of working to ensure that the club is capable despite anything that gets thrown at them.

For me, my “Why?” is simple. I love the club, I love the sense of belonging you get, I love the people that make this club the club it is.

Reading FC has, and will always be, a community club. I take as much pride in the first team as I do in the academy, because it’s part of who we are. We’re not a club built on a tradition of trophy success, but we are a club built on successfully bringing players through consistently and building from within.

This is where my hope comes from right now and those providing the hope need support from us. No one knows what the next few weeks will bring, but I have one certainty: my support for those on the pitch will remain as strong as it ever has been, ‘The Reading Way’.