Royals to host Hornets in first weekend of January
The FA Cup Third Round draw has paired the Royals against fellow Championship side Watford, with the tie due to take place on the weekend of Saturday 7 January 2023 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
The draw was made this evening on BBC Two - with all of the Premier League and Championship sides entering at this stage, along with the 20 winning sides from Round Two. That included three confirmed National League sides in Wrexham, Boreham Wood and Chesterfield, as well as potentially Dagenham & Redbridge if they can overcome Gillingham in their replay.
It'll be the first time in 52 years that Reading have been drawn against Watford in this competition - the Hornets were resounding 5-0 winners that day in 1971.
The Hertfordshire side have been the one to progress on three of the four times we have been paired in the FA Cup - our sole win was in 1964.
The precise date and time of the game and any ticketing details will all be announced in due course.
The full draw is as follows...
- Preston v Huddersfield
- Middlesbrough v Brighton
- Chesterfield v West Brom
- Manchester City v Chelsea
- Charlton or Stockport County v Walsall
- Boreham Wood v Accrington
- Tottenham v Portsmouth
- Derby v Barnsley
- Cardiff v Leeds
- Brentford v West Ham
- Bournemouth v Burnley
- Coventry v Wrexham
- Norwich v Blackburn
- Aston Villa v Stevenage
- Luton v Wigan
- Oxford v Arsenal
- Fleetwood v QPR
- Liverpool v Wolves
- Grimsby v Burton
- Blackpool v Nottingham Forest
- Dagenham & Redbridge or Gillingham v Leicester
- Forest Green v Birmingham
- Bristol City v Swansea
- Hartlepool v Stoke
- Hull v Fulham
- Crystal Palace v Southampton
- Millwall v Sheffield United
- Shrewsbury v Sunderland
- Sheffield Wednesday v Newcastle
- Manchester United v Everton
- Reading v Watford
- Ipswich v Rotherham