Reading FC nostalgia: Winning the Championship in 2011/12

At the time of writing, the club are currently in 21st place, just two points above the relegation zone.

The blue and white army also suffered a minus six point deduction for breaching the EFL’s profit and sustainability regulations, with a further six-points suspended until the 2022/23 season.

Jason Roberts was signed by Blackburn Rovers in January 2012. Here he is pictured with Noel Hunt

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The club are currently winless so far this calendar year with five defeats in six games, with some of those matches being very damaging.

The FA Cup shock against Kidderminster Harriers, the 7-0 home thrashing of Fulham, dropping two points when facing Derby, the injury-time heartbreak at Middlesbrough, and the topsy-turvy humdinger versus Huddersfield are just some of the results Reading fans have had to endure so far in 2022 in the club’s 150th anniversary.

Reading defeated Portsmouth 1-0 at the Mad Stad in March 2012

However, even though things are rough at this present time, let us remind ourselves of the glory days from a decade ago, which saw the boys from Berkshire achieve Premier League football.

After the heartbreak of losing the 2011 Championship Play-off final against Swansea City, the Royals knew that the 2011/12 season had to have one ultimate goal – winning promotion to the top-flight after a four-year absence.

Reading finished the season in top place with 89 points - one point more than Southampton

The campaign started off well with four points from the first two games, but, a run of four straight defeats saw Reading fall into the relegation zone at the start of September.

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The hopes of achieving Premier League football seemed to be a pipedream.

By the end of November, Reading had picked up their form and moved into the top-half of the table by the end of November.

However, with sides such as Blackpool, West Ham United, Southampton, Birmingham City, Cardiff City, Hull City, and Middlesbrough to name just a few all trying to get those promotion places, the Royals were heavy outsiders in reaching the play-offs, let alone what they did in May.

Dave Kitson, who had two spells with Reading, scored against the Royals in August 2011 for Portsmouth in a 1-0 loss for the Royals

Then, out of nowhere, Brian McDermott’s men found their mojo at the right time and seemed to replicate the 2006 promotion-winning season with some brilliant displays.

From the start of November to the middle of March, the Royals won an incredible 17 matches from 22 league games, suffering just five defeats.

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This moved them from 16th place to second, and after looking through the window for most of the season, Reading were now in with the pack and were a force in the Championship.

Seven wins from their last 10 games, which included a memorable 3-1 away win at Southampton in April, put the Royals in the driving seat for not just promotion, but for the Championship title.

Mikele Leigertwood (left) played 42 games that season

It’s also important to remember that they had defeated a Saints side that spent the entirety of the 2011/12 season in the automatic promotion places, which included 34 game weeks at the top spot.

Noel Hunt scored eight goals that season

A 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest in mid-April confirmed promotion before they were crowned champions of the Championship following a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace.

Adam Federici played 47 games that season

Sometimes when you’re living through the tough times, it is important to look back at your happiest occasions, and the 2011/12 season for Reading fans is one that’ll live long in the memory.