http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=112634
In recent years, there have been quite a few mentions of our first game, so I imagine this part will be one of the least revealing. Reading FC's first game took place just over 140 years ago, at the Reading Recreation Ground. The site is here:
That's pretty easily recognisable as Kings Meadow, of course. Kings Meadow today covers a much larger area than the 1872 Reading Recreation Ground, though, which was only the western third. In 1872, the middle section was privately owned, but used once a year for horse racing, whilst the eastern section was Reading Cricket Ground, about which more in a later part. The football pitch at Reading Recreation Ground in the 1870s had a "Cricket Ground End" so it must have run west-east, or roughly parallel to the river. There is currently a football pitch on the site, although this surely occupies a much smaller area than that used for the first game.
Next to the current pitch is a disused building, which is nowhere near as old as Reading Football Club. In recent years, a campaign - which included bullying English Heritage to make an unjustified listing decision - has prevented any development in this area. But the truth is this site has only one genuine historical claim to fame, and that's football. Due to the previously mentioned listing it won't be possible to return properly to the good old days unless someone would like to take matters into their own hands.
You can read a lot more about the first game here:
http://www.btinternet.com/~rfc1871/players/reports/18720221grammarschool.htm
As Elliott mentioned in the Part 1 thread, it ended 0-0 (although as it was 13-a-side his or her description of the opponents as the school "First XI" was sadly inaccurate). What's more Reading's second ever game also ended 0-0, as did the third game which took place at the start of the following season. In fact, it took nine months for Reading to actually score a goal, the hero concerned being Edward Brownlow Haygarth. But that game was a 2-1 defeat, so the first winning goalscorer was in the next game - a player named Oakshott, about whom there is no record other than that one winning goal! A lot more is known about Haygarth who was the first Reading player to be capped for England.
In 1873 a second football club was formed in the town, calling themselves the Hornets. Reports normally refer to them as Reading Hornets although I have wondered what their exact name was. I always imagine them playing in garish red and yellow hoops, a bit like the 1993/94 away kit, but that's just a guess. Hornets also played home games at Reading Recreation Ground, but at a later date the two clubs merged, so the record of Hornets in the 1870s is just as much a part of our history as the games played by Reading Football Club.
Now this is meant to be an illustrated guide and I'm a bit light on photos of Reading Recreation Ground as it is now, so I've pinched one from another website. There is a more recent annual event that takes place where 1870s football matches happened, and that is Reading Pride. Here is a photo that may or may not be typical:
In Part 3 - Reading's first game near the Oxford Road, and you will NEVER believe that a game took place at this location. I invite guesses over the next few days.
