News and Views
Reading Look To Equal Best FA Cup Run
16 February 2015
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading made it three wins from three away FA Cup games to defeat Derby County 2-1 at the weekend and make it into the last eight of the competition. The Royals
will now be hoping for a kind home draw as the fixtures for the quarter finals of the FA Cup are revealed this evening. Reading are ball number seven in the draw which will be made live on BBC 1 after 7pm and before the Preston and Manchester United game.
Reading are the third lowest ranked side left in the competition after Reading legend Phil Parkinson's League One Bradford pulled off another shock win against Sunderland to reach the last eight. There are five Premier League teams left (Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, West Brom, and Manchester United) and two from the Championship after Blackburn overcame Stoke City. Preston and Bradford represent League One.
The Royals need one more win in the FA Cup this season to equal their all time record of reaching the semi-finals. The Royals have reached the last four just once - all the way back in 1927 - and will be hoping 88 years later to match that again. With Reading locked in midtable in the Championship it seems the ideal season to concentrate on the cup, try and break records, and earn the club plenty of additional income from the competition. Reading now find themselves just one game away from a trip to Wembley.
In 1927 Reading entered in the first round and needed to play nine games before eventually being beaten 0-3 in their tenth game against eventual winners Cardiff City. The run included three games against top tier side Manchester United in the third round. After drawing 1-1 at home we drew 2-2 away before winning 2-1 at Villa Park to reach round four.
Having never reached either the League Cup or FA Cup final Reading fans may feel starved of Cup success. However, this will be Reading's third FA Cup quarter final appearance in just six years after reaching the last eight in 2010 and 2011. That's not bad for a team that's only spent three seasons in the top flight. In 2010, 2011 and this season we've been in the Championship but still made it through to the quarter finals.
In 2010 we put out Liverpool in the third round replay in that memorable night at Anfield, when a last minute penalty earned extra time before Gunnarsson's superb cross saw Shane Long score a 100th minute winner. We eventually went out to Aston Villa. Villa will of course be in tonight's draw, so we may earn a chance for revenge. In 2011 we saw off West Brom, Stevenage and Everton before losing away to Manchester City by a single goal. With memorable FA Cup wins in the past against Manchester United and Liverpool it will be Arsenal, who thrash us every time, that Reading might hope to avoid.
1927 Cup Run
| FA Cup R1 | Weymouth (HOME) | D: 4-4 |
| FA Cup R1 Replay | Weymouth (HOME) | W: 5-0 |
| FA Cup R2 | Southend (HOME) | W: 3-2 |
| FA Cup R3 | Manchester United (HOME) | D: 1-1 |
| FA Cup R3 Replay | Manchester United (Away) | D: 2-2 |
| FA Cup R3 Replay 2 | Manchester United (Neutral) | W: 2-1 |
| FA Cup R4 | Portsmouth (HOME) | W: 3-1 |
| FA Cup R5 | Brentford (HOME) | W: 1-0 |
| FA Cup QF | Swansea City (Away) | W: 3-1 |
| FA Cup SF | Cardiff City (Neutral) | L: 0-3 |
2010 Cup Run
| 02 January 2010 | FA Cup R3 | Liverpool (HOME) | D: 1-1 | Read report... |
| 13 January 2010 | FA Cup R3 Replay | Liverpool (Away) | W: 2-1 | Read report... |
| 23 January 2010 | FA Cup R4 | Burnley (HOME) | W: 1-0 | Read report... |
| 13 February 2010 | FA Cup R5 | West Brom (HOME) | D: 2-2 | Read report... |
| 24 February 2010 | FA Cup R5 Replay | West Brom (Away) | W: 3-2 | Read report... |
| 07 March 2010 | FA Cup QF | Aston Villa (HOME) | L: 2-4 | Read report... |
2011 Cup Run
| 08 January 2011 | FA Cup R3 | West Brom (HOME) | W: 1-0 | Read report... |
| 29 January 2011 | FA Cup R4 | Stevenage (Away) | W: 2-1 | Read report... |
| 01 March 2011 | FA Cup R5 | Everton (Away) | W: 1-0 | Read report... |
| 13 March 2011 | FA Cup QF | Man City (Away) | L: 0-1 | Read report... |
FA Cup Quarter Final Draw - Ball Numbers
- Liverpool
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- West Bromwich Albion
- Bradford City
- Blackburn Rovers
- Reading
- Preston North End or Manchester United
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