Sky Bet League One
Matchday 12 of 46
Cardiff City Stadium
Saturday, October 18th, 2025 - 3:00pm KO
TICKET INFORMATION
Secure your seat and purchase tickets ahead of matchdays at CCS.
General Adult tickets start from £24 with Seniors (60+) from £19, 16-21 years from £16 & Juniors U16 from £11!
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KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | KEY STAFF
Chairman: Rob Couhig
Chief Executive Officer: Joe Jacobson
Director of Recruitment: Brian Carey
Manager: Noel Hunt
Assistant Manager: Scott Marshall
First Team Coach: Mikele Leigertwood
Goalkeeping Coach: Robert Shay
Reading appointed Noel Hunt as manager on a permanent basis in 2024, following a spell in caretaker charge. He had previously spent five years at the Club as a striker, between 2008-13.
He rejoined the Club initially as Senior Professional Development Phase coach in 2022.
A familiar name is among the senior management at the Club. Bluebirds Academy graduate Joe Jacobson hung up his boots in 2024 following ten years with Wycombe Wanderers. He linked up with the Royals as Chief Executive Officer in the summer of 2025.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT | SEASON SO FAR
The Royals head to the Welsh capital in the final relegation spot in League One after 11 fixtures.
They've won two, drawn five and lost four of their games so far.
Their last league victory came at the expense of City's last league opponents, Leyton Orient, on September 20th.
They have completed their EFL Trophy group stage, defeating West Ham United U21s and MK Dons, but suffering defeat to local rivals Swindon Town.
Former Derby County and Wrexham striker Jack Marriott is in fine form for the Royals, having netted five times in six league appearances.
2025/26 Squad
GK | Joel Dinis Castro Pereira, Jack Stevens, Tom Norcott, Matt Rowley.
DEF | Kelvin Abrefa, Jeriel Dorsett, Matty Jacobs, Finley Burns, Paudie O'Connor, Andy Yiadom, Andre Garcia, Michael Strickland, Derrick Williams, John Ryan, Ashqar Ahmed.
MID | Ben Elliott, Liam Fraser, Charlie Savage, Lewis Wing, Daniel Kyerewaa, Tivonge Rushesha, Mamadi Caba Camara, Kamari Doyle, Matt Ritchie, Shay Spencer.
FOR | Jack Marriott, Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, Mark O'Mahony, Basil Tuma, Paddy Lane, Jeremiah Okine-Peters.
IN DAYS GONE BY
26/12/2001 | Cardiff City 2-2 Reading
The last time the Royals visited the Bluebirds in the third tier was on Boxing Day 2001.
City had defeated Alan Pardew's Reading, 2-1, away from home earlier in the campaign with Leo Fortune-West scoring twice in a 2-1 win on that occasion.
Boxing Day saw another City forward grab a double, this time it was Earnie's turn.
Robert Earnshaw opened the scoring on the day, before Nicky Forster levelled. Earnie's second after 67 minutes gave the Bluebirds the lead once more, but John Salako secured a point 12 minutes from time, and what a valuable draw it turned out to be come the end of the campaign.
The Royals would finish that season in second place in the Division Two table, winning promotion in the process. City finished just a single point behind Reading and the automatic promotion positions, alongside Brentford. It was Stoke City who would be victorious in the play-offs though, with that big moment for the Bluebirds coming 12 months later.
Another famous draw against Reading obviously occurred back in 2018 at CCS, with the Bluebirds securing their promotion to the top flight at Cardiff City Stadium.
