History
Doug Cunningham formed the Twyford Comets in 1987 who, after affiliation with Reading FC, became Reading Royals Ladies FC in 1988. Stan Bembenek has been the Club’s main sponsor and Chairman since 1995.
1989/90 Reading Royals Ladies won the Thames Valley Girls League, League and Cup “doubleâ€Â.
In 1990 the club expanded to two teams (U16 & U13). The Under 16 side finished runners up in the Middlesex & Brent League with the Under 13’s winning the Thames Valley Girls League.
In the 1991/92 season, the Under 14 team won the Thames Valley Girls League. The Under 16 team won the inaugural Southern Region Women’s Football League (WFL), taking both League and Cup honours.
The club expanded to four teams in the 1992/93 season (2 x U16, U12 and U14). The two Under 16 teams dominated the Southern Region WFL, taking both League & Cup titles.
By 1993/94 the club had teams at all age levels, with many original members forming the backbone of a new Ladies team. The Ladies won promotion from Southern Region Division 4 in their first season, winning the Division 3 & 4 Plate 5-1 against the champions of Division 3. The Under 16’s finished runners up in the League Cup, with the Under 13’s finishing runners up in the Vale & District Girls League.
In 1994/95, the Ladies team won promotion to Division 2 of the Southern Region and moved to Scours lane (Reading Town FC) in 1995.
1996/97 the Ladies won the Berks & Bucks County Cup and Southern Region Division One title. The team also finished runners up in the League Cup and reached the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup.
In 1997/98 the Ladies again finished as Southern Region Division One Champions, this time winning the play-offs to gain promotion to the WFA Southern National Division. The Ladies were the first team from Berks & Bucks to play at this level. The team also won the Berks and Bucks County Cup for a second time.
In 1998/99 the Ladies won the Southern National Division at the first attempt to win promotion to the WFA Premier Division. The Ladies reached the quarter-finals of the AXA Women’s Cup, narrowly losing to WFA Premier League side Tranmere.
The Royals first season (1999/2000) in the National Premier Division was short lived and the team were relegated back into the National Southern Division on the penultimate weekend of the season.
In 2000/01, following an exodus of players, the team was relegated again from the National Southern Division into the South West Combination Women’s League. he Under 16 side secured the “double†by winning the Southern Girls League title and League cup competition. The Under 15’s, 13’s, 12’s and U11 sides formed the nucleus of the new Reading F.C. girls Academy.
In 2001/02, the recovery began as the Ladies won the Berks and Bucks County Cup against Chelsea from the Southern National League. A very young reserve side finished runners up at the first attempt in the Southern Division of the Southern Region Women’s League. The U15 side won the South West Surrey league title, narrowly missing out on the “double†with defeat in the League Cup Final.
In 2002/03 the first team finished runners up in the South West Combination League, reached the fifth round of the F.A. Cup and retained the Berks and Bucks County Cup with a win over Chesham United in the final.
2003/2004 saw the first team finish runners up again in the South West combination League (despite winning 20 of their 22 games). The Ladies also won the Ambassador (League) Cup for the first time in the clubs history with a 3-1 win over Rover Oxford. The Reserves had a fantastic season winning the Southern Region Premier League and Cup “double†despite being the only Reserve side in the division. Reading F.C. provided our playing kit for the first time, allowing the ladies regular match day programme appearances and granting the ladies two pitch side appearances with Mr Madjeski no less!!
2004/2005 culminated in the first team winning the South West Combination League to gain promotion back into the Women’s Premier League Southern Division, reaching the Fifth round of the F.A. cup again and winning the Berks and Bucks County Cup for a record fourth time. The Reserves completed a remarkable and historic back-to-back “double†by retaining the Southern Region Premier League and League Cup titles.
2005/6 was our 1st season back in the Women’s Premier League, playing in the Southern Division with our Reserve team playing in the WFA Premier League Reserve Section, Southern Division 1. Our 1st team managed to benefit from a reasonable start to the season which got progressively harder particularly as some key players were unavailable. Despite this our 1st team finished 8th in the League and our Reserves did exceptional well in coming in Runners up in the Reserve section. Reading Royals also won the Berks & Bucks FA Women’s Cup for the 6th time.
2006/7 A solid season with a new manager saw us finish 7th in the Women’s Premier League Southern Division.
Reading Royals also won the Berks & Bucks FA Women’s Cup for the 7th time
The 2007/8 season proved to be extremely difficult for the senior team. The loss of virtually all senior players made it a very difficult pre-season for manager Graham Smith. A very young and inexperience side found it hard to cope in premier league, half way though the season Graham left the club. Paul Saxton took over as manager and after much hard work by all the end of the season showed the team had improved dramatically.
The 2008/9 season will provide a much stronger first team with the opportunity to show what they are capable of in South West Women’s Combination League. The Reserve side will play in the Southern Region Division One.
1989/90 Reading Royals Ladies won the Thames Valley Girls League, League and Cup “doubleâ€Â.
In 1990 the club expanded to two teams (U16 & U13). The Under 16 side finished runners up in the Middlesex & Brent League with the Under 13’s winning the Thames Valley Girls League.
In the 1991/92 season, the Under 14 team won the Thames Valley Girls League. The Under 16 team won the inaugural Southern Region Women’s Football League (WFL), taking both League and Cup honours.
The club expanded to four teams in the 1992/93 season (2 x U16, U12 and U14). The two Under 16 teams dominated the Southern Region WFL, taking both League & Cup titles.
By 1993/94 the club had teams at all age levels, with many original members forming the backbone of a new Ladies team. The Ladies won promotion from Southern Region Division 4 in their first season, winning the Division 3 & 4 Plate 5-1 against the champions of Division 3. The Under 16’s finished runners up in the League Cup, with the Under 13’s finishing runners up in the Vale & District Girls League.
In 1994/95, the Ladies team won promotion to Division 2 of the Southern Region and moved to Scours lane (Reading Town FC) in 1995.
1996/97 the Ladies won the Berks & Bucks County Cup and Southern Region Division One title. The team also finished runners up in the League Cup and reached the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup.
In 1997/98 the Ladies again finished as Southern Region Division One Champions, this time winning the play-offs to gain promotion to the WFA Southern National Division. The Ladies were the first team from Berks & Bucks to play at this level. The team also won the Berks and Bucks County Cup for a second time.
In 1998/99 the Ladies won the Southern National Division at the first attempt to win promotion to the WFA Premier Division. The Ladies reached the quarter-finals of the AXA Women’s Cup, narrowly losing to WFA Premier League side Tranmere.
The Royals first season (1999/2000) in the National Premier Division was short lived and the team were relegated back into the National Southern Division on the penultimate weekend of the season.
In 2000/01, following an exodus of players, the team was relegated again from the National Southern Division into the South West Combination Women’s League. he Under 16 side secured the “double†by winning the Southern Girls League title and League cup competition. The Under 15’s, 13’s, 12’s and U11 sides formed the nucleus of the new Reading F.C. girls Academy.
In 2001/02, the recovery began as the Ladies won the Berks and Bucks County Cup against Chelsea from the Southern National League. A very young reserve side finished runners up at the first attempt in the Southern Division of the Southern Region Women’s League. The U15 side won the South West Surrey league title, narrowly missing out on the “double†with defeat in the League Cup Final.
In 2002/03 the first team finished runners up in the South West Combination League, reached the fifth round of the F.A. Cup and retained the Berks and Bucks County Cup with a win over Chesham United in the final.
2003/2004 saw the first team finish runners up again in the South West combination League (despite winning 20 of their 22 games). The Ladies also won the Ambassador (League) Cup for the first time in the clubs history with a 3-1 win over Rover Oxford. The Reserves had a fantastic season winning the Southern Region Premier League and Cup “double†despite being the only Reserve side in the division. Reading F.C. provided our playing kit for the first time, allowing the ladies regular match day programme appearances and granting the ladies two pitch side appearances with Mr Madjeski no less!!
2004/2005 culminated in the first team winning the South West Combination League to gain promotion back into the Women’s Premier League Southern Division, reaching the Fifth round of the F.A. cup again and winning the Berks and Bucks County Cup for a record fourth time. The Reserves completed a remarkable and historic back-to-back “double†by retaining the Southern Region Premier League and League Cup titles.
2005/6 was our 1st season back in the Women’s Premier League, playing in the Southern Division with our Reserve team playing in the WFA Premier League Reserve Section, Southern Division 1. Our 1st team managed to benefit from a reasonable start to the season which got progressively harder particularly as some key players were unavailable. Despite this our 1st team finished 8th in the League and our Reserves did exceptional well in coming in Runners up in the Reserve section. Reading Royals also won the Berks & Bucks FA Women’s Cup for the 6th time.
2006/7 A solid season with a new manager saw us finish 7th in the Women’s Premier League Southern Division.
Reading Royals also won the Berks & Bucks FA Women’s Cup for the 7th time
The 2007/8 season proved to be extremely difficult for the senior team. The loss of virtually all senior players made it a very difficult pre-season for manager Graham Smith. A very young and inexperience side found it hard to cope in premier league, half way though the season Graham left the club. Paul Saxton took over as manager and after much hard work by all the end of the season showed the team had improved dramatically.
The 2008/9 season will provide a much stronger first team with the opportunity to show what they are capable of in South West Women’s Combination League. The Reserve side will play in the Southern Region Division One.
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