Since that day, it has been quite an adventure.
Haygarth, Hetzke, Hicks, Hahnemann…Watts, Wheeler, Walker, Williams, from Smee to Sigurdsson, Doyle to Dolan, Murty to Madejski…our history remains vivid in so many of our minds.
From the Field brothers to Friday, the greatest footballer you never saw. Our war heroes Foster, Hanney and Bailey, to the goal hauls of Blackman and Senior, Death’s last gasp saves and Gilkesy’s Wembley silverware. Branfoot and then Coppell’s record-breakers and our return to the top table under Brian…it’s all been noted in the annals of time.
And our aim is to rekindle those memories and evoke old emotions, engage with our fans, our community, grow the bond between the club and its town and celebrate 150 years of Reading Football Club together.
We are the oldest League club in the south of England. So, throughout the 2021-22 season, we are all looking forward to recognising our heritage, reminiscing about the rollercoaster we and our football-following ancestors have ridden during the course of this club’s rich history, and celebrating its 150th anniversary season in style!
What do we have planned? Employees at the club came together with a vast and varied range of volunteer consultants from local industry, key supporter groups, our Community Trust colleagues, council representatives and club historians to brainstorm and plan a calendar of events for our 2021-22 celebratory season and, despite the sizeable obstacles that a global pandemic has unhelpfully placed in our way, we are already underway with a number of different Royals 150 projects.
Mural artist Chris Rutterford is busily painting the portraits of our supporters for a 150th anniversary mural which will adorn the West Stand at the Madejski from the start of our 2021-22 campaign.
A Royals 150 microsite is in the final stages of design – giving our fans and our local community an ideal place to immerse themselves in our long, rich history and keep up to date with all that is scheduled for 2021-22.
Next week, we will officially launch an exciting legacy project which is specifically designed to engage the next generation of Royals fans within local primary school education!
The home and away kit for 2021-22, you ask? Watch this space…
Today, we are unveiling the branding for our 150th anniversary season. It’s uncomplicated, but the concept was carved out by those who originally designed our current badge - and it delivers a little bit of added prestige to our current crest whilst paying homage to all that has gone before to make this a club we all love today.
So as 2021 whirs into action, our 150th anniversary plans can start to take shape.
Get behind the Biscuitmen! Up the ‘Ding! Come on URRZZZ!