Madejski Stadium

The Madejski Stadium stands on a former landfill site south of Reading town centre, close to the M4 motorway and Reading Green Park station. Built as a replacement for the old Elm Park ground, it opened in August 1998 and was named after John Madejski, the club’s chairman who funded most of its construction. The bowl-shaped stadium seats 24,161 and hosts both football and rugby, with the Voco Reading hotel built into its West Stand. It also marks the finish line of the Reading Half Marathon each spring. The pitch uses a hybrid grass system with synthetic fibres to cope with heavy use. The stadium’s history reflects Reading Football Club’s rise through the leagues. After the Taylor Report forced clubs to switch to all-seater stadiums in the 1990s, Reading chose Smallmead for its new ground. The first competitive match at Elm Park ended in a 1–0 defeat to Norwich City in May 1998, just before the move. Grant Brebner scored the first goal at the new stadium when Reading beat Luton Town 3–0 on the opening day. The North Stand was later renamed in memory of academy manager Eamonn Dolan, who died in 2016. Visitors find a modern bowl with four distinct stands. The West Stand holds the dugouts and executive boxes, while the Sir John Madejski Stand houses the giant video screen. The South Stand splits between visiting supporters and the Club 1871 members’ area, which allows safe standing. The Eamonn Dolan Stand is fully accessible and hosts all home games. Outside, the Voco Reading hotel offers views across the pitch, and methane vents beneath the pitch show its landfill origins.