The Select Car Leasing Stadium: Planning a Reading FC Matchday
Reading FC play at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Junction 11 of the M4, south of the town centre. If you are visiting for a home game, the fixture list decides your weekend more than anything else: most matches fall on Saturday afternoons, with occasional midweek evenings under floodlights. The 2025-26 season runs roughly from early August to early May, so a spring or autumn visit gives you the best chance of a match. Check the club's own website for confirmed dates and kick-off times before booking, as televised fixtures can move at short notice.
Getting there without a car is straightforward. Reading Buses run services through the town centre towards the stadium, and the club's matchday routes connect it with the town centre and Reading station. Driving is the obvious option only if you know the ground; otherwise take the bus and let the traffic settle afterwards. Trains into Reading station from London Paddington take around 25 minutes, which makes the whole town a practical base for an away day.
Pubs in Reading for a Matchday Atmosphere
Near the station, the pub cluster around Station Road and Friar Street is where away supporters tend to gather, and many of these venues show televised games. In the town centre, the area around Broad Street, the Oracle shopping centre and Market Place is dense with pubs and bars, some with big screens and most no more than ten minutes' walk from a hotel. For a quieter pint, the streets towards the Forbury Gardens side of town offer calmer options, and you can walk from there to the riverside at King's Meadow.
If you are staying overnight, the best plan is a pub close to your bed. Central Reading hotel rates climb on Saturday nights when a home fixture falls, so booking well ahead in the Broad Street or Station Road area saves both money and a taxi ride. For televised games, pubs typically show the Saturday 3pm and 5.30pm slots, though schedules change; phone ahead if a specific fixture matters.
Where to Stay for a Football Weekend in Reading
Book a hotel in the town centre and you can walk to pubs, shops, the Oracle and Reading station. That area suits most visitors: room rates vary widely, and the biggest advantage is not needing a car. Hotels near the station are best if you are arriving by train, since you can drop bags in minutes. If your trip is entirely about the match, a hotel on the southern edge of town puts you nearer the stadium on matchday, but you will rely on buses or taxis for everything else.
Book early for home fixtures. Midweek games mean quieter streets and easier rooms, so if you have flexibility, midweek is the kinder option. Weekend games fill the town-centre pubs briskly after full time, and the walk back into town along the river at King's Meadow is a good way to let the crowds clear. Ask your hotel about bus stops and taxi ranks rather than assuming they are obvious.
What to Skip and How to Use Your Time
Skip the idea of walking to the stadium from central Reading as a matchday plan unless you enjoy a long walk. Also skip driving into town on a matchday just to park; the town-centre car parks fill, and the buses are easier. If your visit has no match, ordinary Saturday television football in a town-centre pub is a pleasant afternoon, and the Oracle's restaurants and the riverside nearby make a full half-day without leaving the centre.
Use your non-football time wisely. The Kennet and Avon Canal runs through town, the Forbury Gardens sit beside the abbey ruins, and the museum covers Reading's place in the region. If your hotel is booked near the station, an evening arrival followed by a morning walk along the canal sets up a matchday nicely. Choose a Saturday match if you can; midweek games cut short the time you have for everything else.
Questions, answered
Where is the Select Car Leasing Stadium and how do I get there?
It sits south of Reading town centre at Junction 11 of the M4. Reading Buses matchday services and regular routes connect it with the town centre and Reading station. Taking the bus is generally the simplest choice for visitors, as the town-centre car parks fill on matchday.
Do Reading pubs show live televised football?
Many pubs in the town centre, around Broad Street, Station Road and Friar Street, show televised fixtures on big screens. Schedules can change at short notice, so phone ahead if a specific match matters to you. Saturday slots are the most commonly shown in the afternoon and evening.
When is the best time of year for a football trip to Reading?
The league season runs roughly from early August to early May, so autumn and spring visits give the best chance of a home fixture and bearable weather. Weekends bring the biggest crowds and busiest town-centre rooms, so book well ahead if your visit coincides with a match.
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