Reading fought back bravely, and were rewarded for their persistence in the sixty-fifth minute when striker Jimmy Car-Battery beat the offside trap and coolly slotted home the equaliser. The game ebbed and flowed until, in the 80th minute, Car-Battery was up-ended in the box. After consulting with the linesman, the referee found he could not reach a decision to award a penalty, as both officials had been somewhat unsighted, so the captains of each team agreed to a duel to settle the affair. The weapon of choice was pistols, and at the third pace, both captains turned and fired. Cardiff captain Francis Firearm shot wildly, but the Reading captain’s aim was true and he shot Firearm in the kneecap. At this turn of events, the referee had no choice to award Reading the penalty but dismiss their captain for un-gentlemanly conduct and grievous bodily harm. Striker Car-Battery confidently despatched the penalty to give Reading a 2-1 lead, which they successfully defended for the remaining ten minutes to record a famous victory. Unfortunately they lost 3-0 in the fourth round, away at Forest Green Rovers. History: Reading were formed in 1871 and played at Reading Recreation Ground until 1878, before moving on to Reading Cricket Ground (1878-1882), Coley Park (1882-1889) and Caversham Cricket Ground (1889-1896). The switch to professionalism in 1895 resulted in the need for a bigger ground and, to this end, the club moved again, to the purpose built Elm Park on 5 September 1896. They were originally nicknamed “The Biscuitmen” after one of the main trades in the town, Huntley & Palmers biscuits, but changed to “The Royals” in the 1970s after Prince Charles had trials with them. At the time it created a media furore, and The Queen was often seen at Elm Park, cheering on her son. After a dismal season in which they were relegated to the Berkshire Shopfitters and Clergyman Combination, manager Giles Justifiable-Homicide had the bravery (and some would say reckless temerity) to drop the Prince, and he was promptly beheaded for high treason. Famous Players: In 1979, whilst on holiday in Cleethorpes, Reading chaiman Roger Roger Over-And-Out was privy to an un-earthly vision from the next plane of existence. Whilst choking on a meat and potato pastie, and with no-one around to thump him on the back, Over-And-Out began to phase in and out of this reality and into the next, coming at last into the presence of the Grim Reaper. Rather than challenge him to the traditional game of chess, or simply accept his fate, Over-And-Out saw the potential in the Shade’s towering height, and offered him, in exchange for another fifteen years of life, a place in the Reading starting line-up. That season, Reading goalkeeper Steve Death went an amazing 1103 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal. An English league record. Trivia: Reading Football Club were the first football club to register their own fans as an official member of their squad, in recognition of the fact that the supporters in the stadium on a match day can sometimes influence the match just as much as a player on the pitch. The idea came from supporter Andy Manson in the summer of 2001 when the number 13 was left vacant by then boss Alan Pardew after the departure of the club's number 13, Keith Scott. Since then the "player" has been registered with squad number 13, named 'Reading Fans'. This backfired dramatically in 2003 at an away game at Watford, when with fifteen minutes to go and 1-0 down, the number 13 was raised mistakenly at a substitution, and the entire Reading away following steamed onto the pitch and scored an equaliser. As the supporters danced with jubilation, part of the pitch gave way and the Watford back four plummeted half a mile down a disused mineshaft. The match was subsequently abandoned and Reading were fined £10,000 and deducted four points for failing to control their players, with the match ordered to be replayed behind closed doors. Deprived of their super-sub in the re-match, Reading crashed to a 3-0 defeat.

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