Select Car Leasing Stadium (Reading)

Select Car Leasing Stadium is a football stadium in Reading. It is the home of Reading Football Club, who play in the EFL Championship. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon.

General information

Arena capacity: 24,161 spectators

Address: Junction 11, M4, Reading RG2 0FL, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 51°25′20″N 0°58′58″W

Year of construction:1998

Construction cost: £50 million

Field: SIS grass with dimensions of 105 x 68 m

Seating plan of Select Car Leasing Stadium

South Stand

The South Stand has a simple, single-tiered design with two large flat platforms about a third of the way up that are used by disabled fans to get a good view of the game as it takes place. Every seat in this stand is in the club’s shade of blue and there is a staircase with metal barriers running straight down the middle of it, which is served as a way of segregating rival fans from one another in this stand.

There are no supporting pillars coming down in the South Stand because of the cantilever roof and as a result you have a clear view of the pitch from any seat.

West Stand

The West Stand is the only one of the four made up of two tiers, incorporating both the northwest and southwest corners into that two-tiered design as well. You could even call it three-tiered if you include the blocks of red executive seating at the front of the boxes in-between the upper and lower tier. The rest of the seats are in the same colour as the South Stand, though more executive seating can be found in the central blocks of the upper tier, with the matchday camera and press boxes up above the very back row. Because of these press boxes, the roof rises up higher here than around the rest of the stadium and this makes the West Stand the tallest of the lot.

Reading’s dugouts, changing rooms and tunnel are located in the South Stand, and there are no pillars coming down from the roof so the view from every seat is perfectly clear.

Eamonn Dolan Stand

The Eamonn Dolan Stand is an almost exact-carbon copy of the South Stand opposite.

The only difference is that there is no barriered staircase in the middle since it is only home supporters who are allowed to sit in here. The entrances from the concourse and the two platforms for disabled supporters are in the exact same places though.

Your view is perfectly clear from anywhere inside as there are no supporting pillars coming down from the cantilever roof.

East Stand

The East Stand is also single-tiered and has two platforms in place for disabled fans much like the stands adjacent to it, but it is obviously much larger since it runs along the length of the pitch rather than the width.

It is the only stand that includes writing in it, with the letters Madejski Stadium spelt out using white seating across the blocks of blue. A large television screen is placed above the southeast corner which shows a live scoreboard and action replays. It can be seen clearly by everyone except for those sat in front or right next to it.

With no pillars in this stand either, you can be assured of a clear view of the pitch from any seat here, or indeed any seat in the entire stadium.

Away Fans

Away fans are housed in the South Stand.

They are usually given the blocks of seating over by the southeast corner, with the barriered staircase and stewards used to segregate these fans from the ones next to them.

Reading’s most vocal home supporters usually go in the other South Stand blocks next to the away section in order to enhance the rival atmosphere and as a result this is the stand that easily produces the best noise out of anywhere in the stadium.

With no supporting pillars coming down from the roof, you have a perfectly clear view of the pitch from any seat inside the away section.

Where to buy tickets?

Understanding Reading Football Club’s ticket structure is simultaneously easy and really rather complicated. On the one had they don’t categorise their matches, though they do charge more or less depending on where in the ground you’d like to sit. What they also do is offer discounts for Members, charge more if you leave it until match day to buy your ticket, offer family prices for multiple tickets and offer four-match bundles if you want to purchase tickets for several matches at the same time.

As with most top clubs with large fanbases, the Reading FC official website is an excellent place to start if you’re hoping to buy tickets. You can also call the ticket office directly or drop in there in person.

How to get there?

If you are travelling along the M4 from the west you can see the stadium on your left. Leave the M4 at Junction 11, bear left on to the A33 relief road which leads you directly to the stadium. The Madejski Complex is well signposted from Junction 11.

Please note that as a recent visitor to Reading it is worth advising away fans that getting off the M4 at Junction 11, westbound can be a bit of a pain. On match days a long tail back can start on the motorway as far as one mile away from this junction. This should be approached with caution and patience. As kick off approaches it can take 40 minutes to complete the journey from the back of the Junction 11 queue to the designated parking sites. So allow extra time for your journey.

Car Parking

There is some limited parking available at the stadium itself for a cost of £10, but it can be a bit of lengthy process to get out of the car park at the end of the game. You can also park on the site of the now demolished greyhound track, close to the stadium. From the M4 at Junction 11 take the A33 towards Reading town centre. Follow the dual carriageway past the stadium and McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut outlets, then look for the ‘Alternative Parking’ signs ahead.

On the left you will reach a small slip road into the parking site (which incidentally is an official stadium car park). It has 500 spaces and costs £10 to park there. It is stewarded and has the advantage of a quick post-match exit either back to J11 or towards Reading. The car park is a 5-10 minute walk away from the ground.

There are also a number of unofficial car parks in the area sited at local businesses. There is a warehouse car park located on Acre Road at a cost of £5. Passing the stadium on your left, follow the A33 for about half a mile, then turn back on yourself, passing Bennet Road on your left, and then take the next left into Acre Road.

You will see sign ‘match parking’, where there is a large warehouse on the left. It is gated with security. It is then only a short walk to the ground from here. There is also another matchday car park in Bennet Road but this cost £10. And there is the option of renting a private driveway near the stadium via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

Don’t park in the nearby Business Park, unless there is an individual unit charging for matchday parking. You may find yourself with a parking ticket if you do.

Park & Ride

Alternatively, there is a Park and Ride facility at Mereoak (post code RG7 1PB) near to Junction 11 of the M4, which has buses running to Reading town centre via the Select Car Leasing Stadium. From Junction 11 of the M4, take the A33 towards Basingstoke and the Park & Ride is signposted.

Post Code for SAT NAV: RG2 0FL.

By train

Reading Railway Station is situated just over three miles away from the stadium. Probably the easiest way to get to the ground is to catch the F1 ‘Football Special’ bus, which leaves just down from the Railway Station on Station Hill (as you exit the station from the main entrance turn right and head down the steps, the buses line up on the left hand side). The bus service starts at 1pm for Saturday afternoon games.

It’s recommended getting in the bus queue no later than 45 minutes before kick off as all football traffic goes down the same dual carriageway to the stadium. Please also have the correct fare in hand as the drivers do not give out change.

The Football Special bus drops you at the opposite end of the stadium to the away end, but it is only a five minute walk around the stadium to the away entrance. After the game has ended it is a different issue. Due to the police/stewards closing gates preventing fans from walking back around the stadium. you instead have to go down to the main road and follow this all the way back around to the pick up point, which is a about a 15 minute walk.

The bus from the station is good provided that away fans do not cause any trouble. If you do then the buses (quite rightly, editor) refuse to pick you up after the game.

The ground is about three miles away from Reading Station, and that unless you walk quite quickly, the journey could take over an hour: Leaving the station, head straight up the road in front of you, crossing over Friar Street onto Queen Victoria Street and heading towards the town centre. Upon reaching Broad Street, you will find yourself opposite the John Lewis store.

Cross and head down a narrow passageway (Chain Street) which runs down the right hand side of John Lewis. Soon, you reach a churchyard, which you can cross, bearing right, to the corner of Gun Street and Bridge Street. Cross to the other side of Bridge Street and continue down, turning right into Fobney Street. At the end here, you will soon encounter a couple of blue footpath/cyclepath signs, which point the way to the Select Car Leasing Stadium. These will lead you down the left hand footpath alongside the busy A329, which becomes the A33 after about 1200 yards.

Keep following this road and eventually you will come to a roundabout. Take the road ahead and continue walking along the roadside. You will briefly walk along a dirt track by the roadside as the A33 crosses a waterway, before walking down the bank to the towpath. The towpath now continues straight ahead towards the stadium, still following the blue cycle path signs. You can’t miss it from here, but it is still at least a further 15 minutes walk away.

Where to eat and sleep?

There are a couple of mobile bar units located outside the East Stand, which form a small Fan Zone, that normally both home and away fans can use. Otherwise there no pubs as such close to the stadium.

However, Holiday Inn (Reading South) which is around a 15-minute walk away can be located. The hotel has a small bar inside it, but then attached has a larger Irish themed separate bar area, called Callaghans. This bar has Sky Television, but as you would expect is very crowded with away fans and serves drinks at what you can only term as ‘hotel prices’.

Across the road from the hotel is a very good fish & chip shop. To find this hotel, leave the M4 at Junction 11 and take the A33 towards Reading, turn right at the first roundabout into Imperial Way. Go down this road and you will come to the hotel on your left. You can also park there at a cost of £7 per car. There is also street parking to be found in this area.

It should be noticed that the Holiday Inn was mobbed, so you probably have to do a search of another pub. Passing the Holiday Inn on your left you turn left onto Basingstoke Road and walk up over a hill to find a pub on the right called ‘The World Turned Upside Down.’ This chain pub has a mixture of home and away fans and also is popular for food. From the pub it is around a 15 minute walk to the stadium.

If you arrive early, then you could drive to Three Mile Cross where there are a couple of good pubs to be found. Come off the motorway at J11 and head away from the stadium (signposted A33 Basingstoke). After 200 yards take the first exit at the roundabout into Three Mile Cross.

Next to the ground on a Retail Park are the following food outlets; McDonalds, KFC & Pizza Hut. Otherwise, it may be an idea, especially if you are making the journey by train, to drink in the centre of Reading before the game.

The Three Guineas which is attached to the station has been designated as an away fans pub. It offers a range of eight real ales and it does food and has televised sport. There is also the Greyfriar on Greyfriar Road which normally has a mixture of home and away fans. The majority of bars near to Reading station have doormen on them, and unless you had ID to prove you are local you will not be admitted.

You can stumble across the Walkabout which admits visiting supporters. It has BT and Sky Sports and offers food. To find this bar then as you come out of the station walk straight ahead from the station in the direction of John Lewis, along Station Road. When you get to the crossroads and the beginning of the pedestrainised area, turn left into Friar Street. In the distance on the left, you will see a Yates Bar (home fans only) but just before this on the left is a strange looking alleyway, if you walk down here then you’ll find the Walkabout.

Alcohol is available inside the stadium to away fans, where you can get pints of Heineken, Guinness, Amstel, Theakstons Bitter & Symonds Cider, plus Red or White Wine.

If you are particularly keen to get away from the bright lights of London then that’s fine, Reading has plenty to offer all of its own. Here are some of our favourite hotels for you to consider.

1. The Reading Lake Hotel. A little further afield than the other two hotels at just under four miles from The Madjeski is this member of the Best Western chain of hotels. It has both a business centre and a fitness centre as well as a restaurant and a bar. There’s also a conference space and free parking, which is just as well as it’s a bit of a drive to the ground.
2. Best Western Plus Reading Moat House Hotel. A little further afield than the other two hotels at just under four miles from The Madjeski is this member of the Best Western chain of hotels. It has both a business centre and a fitness centre as well as a restaurant and a bar. There’s also a conference space and free parking, which is just as well as it’s a bit of a drive to the ground.
3. Millennium Madejski Hotel Reading. Based at the stadium itself this quality hotel promises a restaurant, a bar, a full-service spa and an indoor pool. There’s always a conference centre, a health club and free-parking for those of you that want to drive.

Facilities

The views from pretty much everywhere in the ground are superb, with excellent legroom also on offer for all. The ground does lack a little bit of personality but it’s functional and you’ll have access to everything you’d expect on the concourses. There are kiosks where you can buy programmes, drinks and food before and during the game.

Hospitality

There are a number of different lounges at The Madjeski Stadium that offer hospitality, with each one promising its own individual experience. Here we’ll outline some of the most exciting ones and what you can expect to get from them:

1. The Royal Suite. Here you’ll receive private table dining, a three-course meal with half a bottle of wine, refreshments at both half-time and full-time plus a private bar facility and a reserved car parking space.
2. The Premier Suite. This is a pitch-facing lounge that offers a two-course meal before the game, half-time refreshments, access to a bar and padded seats in The South Stand.
3. The Trophy Room. Why not dine in the exciting surroundings of the club’s trophy room? You’ll sit on a shared table whilst you enjoy a two-course carvery meal, half-time and full-time refreshments, a dedicated host and premier seating near to the Director’s Box.
4. The 1871 Suite. This is more like a standard pub rather than an executive lounge, though you don’t have to put up with the drunken bore in the corner. Well, maybe not. You’ll get a pub dinner, access to a bar and a VIP seat in The North Stand.

Private Hire

The Royal Berkshire Conference Centre is based inside the stadium, so it’s fair to say that there’s some dedicated private hire options at Reading’s home ground that will blow you away. Whether you’re looking to host something small like a private dinner or a business meeting, or something much larger like a conference or an exhibition, The RBCC have got you covered. They even allow their executive boxes to be hired by the hour, should you wish to host a quick meeting in exciting surroundings.

Accessibility

Reading Football Club welcomes supporters with disabilities to the Select Car Leasing Stadium, and actively seeks to make the visit enjoyable for all.

Personal Assistant

A supporter with a disability or learning difficulty may find it unreasonably difficult or sometimes impossible to access the stadium, and the services offered. The Club can provide a complimentary ticket for a Personal Assistant if required. ‘Proof of Disability’ documentation will need to be provided, along with completing a Registration Form.

Proof of Disability Documentation includes –

• Proof of entitlement of middle or higher rate of Disability Living Allowance – Mobility or Care Component (DLA)
• Prove of entitlement of enhanced rate of Personal Independent Payment Mobility or Care Component (PIP)
• Proof of entitlement of Severe Disablement Allowance
• Proof of Attendance Allowance
• A personal letter from your GP or Care Worker
• A copy of registration documents which certify Registered Blind or Registered Partially Sighted status, or qualifying documentation from a registered optician equivalent to registration requirements

Please note that Orange and/or Blue Badges are not sufficient proof of disability.

A Personal Assistant cannot gain entry to the Stadium without accompanying the Disabled Supporter.

Facilities for Supporters using Wheelchairs

There are up to 72 wheelchair places for home supporters and 15 places for visiting supporters, each with an Assistant if required.

These are situated as follows:

• Eamonn Dolan Stand – 25
• Sir John Madejski Stand – 18
• West Stand – 15
• South Stand (home supporters) – 14
• Sound Stand (visiting supporters) – 15

Supporters using wheelchair bays will be charged the standard ticket price based on their age category. The Club’s Health and Safety Policy requires that supporters who attend in a wheelchair remain in their wheelchair during the game.

Wheelchair viewing is also available in hospitality areas – subject to availability. These places are charged at the standard price for the supporter using the wheelchair.

Facilities for Ambulant Disabled Supporters

Ambulant supporters include individuals who use wheelchairs for outdoor mobility, but are not necessarily confined to their wheelchair, as well as people with walking difficulties and/or physically restricting medical conditions.

General match seating is available in all areas of the stadium, please advise our sales team at the time of booking your seats.

Specifically, for supporters with severe ambulant difficulties, there are 278 places available for home supporters and 54 places for visiting supporters, each with a Personal Assistant if required. These seats have been identified as providing the easiest access with limited steps.

Facilities for Supporters with Visual Impairments

The Club has 6 Walkman’s available visually impaired supporters, each with an Assistant if required. These are tuned to BBC Radio Berkshire for match commentary. The Walkman’s are available if requested in advance of a fixture.

Visually impaired supporters using will be charged at the standard ticket price based on their age category.

Guide Dogs are permitted within the stadium bowl; however, it’s recommended that supporters with Guide Dogs contact the staff before the match so that you can discuss access to the ground and the welfare of the Guide Dog before, during and after the match.

Facilities for Supporters with Learning Difficulties or Unseen Disabilities

Supporters with learning difficulties or unseen disabilities can normally be accommodated in any part of the stadium, in standard seating.

How to Book Tickets

Throughout the season, there may be some fixtures with a high demand for match tickets. In this instance tickets will be initially offered to members based on a loyalty points status. Ticketing information and prices are available online at ticketing.readingfc.co.uk

Accessible Parking Facilities

The Club offers ­­136 accessible parking spaces onsite. Most of these spaces have been issued as seasonal parking permits, however there is limited matchday availability in the Orange accessible car park. The can be pre-booked up to 4 hours before kick-off for £5 online at ticketing.readingfc.co.uk/en-GB/categories/parking or by phoning. If any spaces remain, then these will be sold on the day of the match for £10 (card only payment) on a first-come first-served basis. Please note that a valid blue badge will be required and may be checked. The badge holder must be with the vehicle.

Transport to Home and Away Matches

Reading Football Club in conjunction with STAR and Readibus, provide a door-to-door transport system to attend home and away matches for disabled supporters. Please be aware that places are limited.

Exterior

Most fans walk up to the ground along Hurst Way, which eventually leads on to Biscuit Way and brings you to the outside of the South Stand first.

The exterior here is fairly basic, made up mostly of silver, red and blue corrugated iron with brickwork down at the base.

Parts of the stadium’s cantilever roof come down in the centre and corners of the stand, and the turnstiles can be found at either end, with a small ticket office in the centre.

The area leading to Shooters Way over by the southeast corner is normally full of stewards monitoring the away fans who congregate here, and home fans are encouraged to head along Biscuit Way and around the western side of the stadium in order to get to their specific turnstile.

The West Stand is easily the largest of the four at the Select Car Leasing Stadium because of the large voco Hotel protruding out of it. There’s no shortcut through a gap between this building and the stadium, so you have to walk all the way around the hotel and then come back to the exterior of the stadium itself in the northwest corner.

As a result of this, turnstiles can only be found in the corners of the West Stand and the entrance for players and officials is a little further beyond the southwest corner turnstiles. Reading’s Official Club Shop is located in the northwest corner, where the Main Ticket Office can also be found.

Out beyond the aforementioned club car park is The Dome, a state-of-the-art indoor training facility used mainly by Reading’s academy sides. You can make an enquiry about using The Dome for events such as team-building activities or company gatherings using the Reading FC Conference and Events website.

The North Stand is named after Eamonn Dolan, the West Ham United, Bristol City, Birmingham City and Exeter City striker who was the academy manager at Reading for 12 years. It was renamed to honour him in July 2016 following his sad passing the month before.

The Eamonn Dolan Stand follows a very similar design to the rest of the stadium, using the silver, red and blue corrugated iron throughout with the cantilever roof coming down from above. Reading Football Club’s website is written across the wall over by the northeast corner and the entrances into the designated Royals Family Area is below this. A large Puma badge is over towards the northwest corner.

In the very centre of the stand is a large picture of Eamonn Dolan very cleverly made out of pictures of former Reading players. These pictures are each filtered in such a way that together they make out the much large image of Dolan. It’s a lovely tribute to a man who did so much for the club.

Since the Family area is located in the Eamonn Dolan Stand, Reading usually operate a Kids Zone out beyond the stand with matchday activities available for children to take part in before heading inside to their seat.

The northeast corner of the stadium is open at the bottom and this is where Reading usually store additional equipment, including their warm-up goals whilst they are not needed.

There is a blue fence in place to stop people entering here, but you may be able to look through and get a glimpse of the stadium’s interior through the large entrance, which is meant for emergency vehicles should they need to reach the pitch itself.

The East Stand has the nicest looking exterior of all four stands.

It continues the same corrugated iron design as the rest of the stadium but has an additional building protruding out of it. This building is known as The Jazz Café, a live music venue that offers dining and drinking for guests to a backdrop of jazz, funk and R’n’B.

On matchdays you can usually find mobile food stalls out beyond the stand, and Reading often set up a giant television screen which broadcasts live the day’s earlier kick-off if there is one.

Like the Eamonn Dolan Stand adjacent to it, the East Stand too offers matchday activities for fans before they head inside, though these are ones are more targeted towards the adult supporters coming to the stadium.

The southeast corner is open at the bottom for storage, much like the northeast corner nearby.

This area is also usually gated off to home supporters in order to keep them separate from the away fans who congregate here before heading through their specific turnstiles.

The southeast corner also used to be the home of Radio House, where 107 JACK FM broadcasted for several years. The entrance to the studios is still there but isn’t used anymore.

History

As well as hosting Reading matches and rugby games for London Irish, the ground has also been used as the location for a number of England Under-21 internationals. At one point they had lost just one of those games and won another three with a combined score of 12-1. In 2006 it was used as the venue for a charity match of celebrities and legends from England and Germany to raise money for The Bobby Moore Fund and The British Red Cross.