Reading City Football Club, nicknamed “The Cityzens,” is a non-league football club based in Tilehurst, Berkshire.
Established in 2001, they currently compete in the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Premier Division North, which is part of the ninth tier of English football. The team calls The Rivermoor their home ground.
A non-profit, community-based organization in Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, the club was established in 2018 after rebranding from Highmoor Ibis. The club, affiliated with the Berkshire & Buckinghamshire Football Association and England Football Accredited, made this change to better represent Reading and provide local players with semi-professional opportunities. Initially, Highmoor Ibis was a village team, but the move to Scours Lane and subsequent rebranding positioned the club as a central community hub, now boasting over twenty youth teams and four senior teams playing at semi-professional levels.
The club’s history traces back to the village of Highmoor, South Oxfordshire, where the original Highmoor Football Club existed until 1935. Revived in 1967, the club initially struggled but saw significant development after merging with Ibis Football Club in 2001. This merger brought success in the Reading Senior League and various cup competitions, although infrastructural limitations initially hindered further promotions. Relocating to Palmer Park Stadium in 2011 enabled the club’s ascent to the Hellenic League Premier Division, where they achieved multiple honors before moving to Scours Lane in 2016, renaming it the Rivermoor.
Renaming to Reading City in 2018 marked a new era, aiming to become a prominent non-league club under Reading FC. The club’s youth academy, established in partnership with the John Madejski Academy, flourished, expanding from three teams in 2013 to over twenty by 2021. Competing in prestigious tournaments like the FA Cup and FA Vase, the club reached significant milestones, including their best FA Cup run in the 2023/24 season. Since 2021, they have played in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North, continuing to make strides in both youth and senior football.