After Two Years Away, The Team Finally Finds Its Way Home

After more than two years on the road, Reading Women are finally heading back to their home stadium, marking an important moment in the club’s difficult journey through financial uncertainty and restructuring. Reading Women will face Fleet at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Sunday at 14:00 BST, their first match at the ground since April 2024, when they defeated Durham Women 1-0. The return comes after a turbulent period for the women side. Weeks after their last appearance at the stadium, Reading Women withdrew from the second-tier Championship because of financial uncertainty surrounding the club, resulting in their demotion to the fifth tier of the women’s football pyramid. They currently compete in the Premier Division of the Southern Region Women’s Football League, but there are signs that the team is rebuilding with renewed ambition. Manager Ed Jackson Norris said there was a positive atmosphere around the squad and believes the team is capable of challenging for promotion. There’s a real buzz around the place, Jackson Norris said. He added that the squad had been highly competitive and finished just six points short of the title and promotion last season, giving the team confidence that they can make the final push this time around. The club home matches have been played at Arbour Park in Slough in recent seasons, while the players have also returned to train at Reading’s Bearwood Park training ground as part of their reintegration into the club. For vice captain Sarah Thompson, Sunday return is about more than simply changing venues. She said the squad was really excited and hopes the occasion will encourage more families and young supporters to experience local women's football. Reading Women are also promising an entertaining afternoon for supporters, with Thompson highlighting the team's ambition to play attacking football. Under 16 can attend the match for free, giving families another reason to make the trip. The return to the Select Car Leasing Stadium therefore represents more than a home fixture. After financial difficulties, relegation and two seasons away from their traditional home, Reading Women now have the opportunity to turn their homecoming into the beginning of a new chapter. For a club that has spent the past two years rebuilding away from home, the road back to Reading has finally reached the stadium gate.