Reading open their pre-season schedule against Woking on Saturday at Bearwood Park, a chance to reset after a tough finish to the 2025/26 campaign. League One’s 12th-placed side finished 63 points clear of the drop zone, but their recent form reads LLDDL and they’ve lost their last two games - including a 0-1 reverse at home to Blackpool on 2 May 2026.

What’s the fixture and where?

The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Bearwood Park, the club’s training ground. Pre-season friendlies are low-stakes, but Reading’s technical staff will use the 90 minutes to test fitness and squad options after a campaign in which they shipped 60 goals and scored 64, leaving them four clear of even.

Why this game matters for Reading

A poor run-in saw Reading pick up just two points from their final five league games, a slide that left supporters questioning whether the January additions gelled quickly enough. With the 2026/27 squad still taking shape, Saturday offers a first look at who’s in the shop window for manager Paul Ince and his backroom team. The Cards sit 40 points behind Lincoln in the final 2025 table, so every pre-season minute counts if they’re to close that gap before August.

Who could feature for Reading?

Expect a rolling start list from Paul Ince, with academy products and fringe first-teamers likely to share minutes alongside the established XI. The club’s 64-goal haul last term hints at attacking promise, but defensive lapses cost dearly; Saturday is a chance to tighten the backline before the competitive curtain-raiser.

Reading’s pre-season curtain-raiser arrives on Saturday with Woking, a fixture designed to sharpen legs and minds after a campaign that ended on a sour note. League One’s 12th-placed side finished 63 points above the relegation zone but limped home with back-to-back defeats, a run that leaves plenty to prove before the new season fires up.