During the 1994–95 English football season, Reading F.C. competed in the Football League First Division, following promotion from the Second Division the previous season.
Season summary Mark McGhee left Reading in December to take over at Leicester City. Players Jimmy Quinn, Mick Gooding, Ady Williams and Jeff Hopkins acted as caretakers until January, when Quinn and Gooding were named as full-time player-managers. The inexperienced duo led Reading to second in the First Division. In any other season this would have been enough for promotion to the Premier League, but due to restructuring of the league, only two teams would be awarded promotion, and therefore Reading entered the play-offs.
After beating Tranmere Rovers 3–1 on aggregate (3–1 and 0–0 over two legs) they travelled to Wembley to face Bolton Wanderers. Reading were 2–0 up within 12 minutes and appeared certain to be playing top-flight football for the first time in their history next season, but Bolton fought back to score twice in the last 15 minutes to take the game to extra time. Bolton scored twice more in extra time to lead 4–2. Although player-manager Quinn, on as a second-half substitute, pulled one back in the 119th minute, Bolton held on to win and sealed promotion to the Premier League at Reading's expense. Following the final defeat, it would be eleven years before Reading finally experienced top-flight football.
Squad
Name Nationality Position Date of birth (AgeAge as of the end of the season) Signed from Signed in Contract ends Apps. Goals Goalkeepers Shaka Hislop GK Howard Bison 1992 126 0 Simon Sheppard GK Watford 1994 0 0 Defenders Andy Bernal DF Sydney Olympic 1994 40 0 Keith McPherson DF Northampton Town 1990 Adi Viveash DF loan from Swindon Town 1994 1995 12 1 Dylan Kerr DF Leeds United 1993 95 3 Dariusz Wdowczyk DF Celtic 1994 44 0 Jeff Hopkins DF Bristol Rovers 1992 122 3 Ady Williams DF Trainee 1989 Midfielders David Bass MF Trainee 1992 9 0 Michael Gilkes MF Leicester City 1984 Mick Gooding MF Wolverhampton Wanderers 1989 Paul Holsgrove MF Millwall 1994 29 4 Tommy Jones MF Swindon Town 1992 66 2 Jamie Lambert MF Trainee 1992 54 5 Mick Murphy MF Trainee 1994 1 0 Simon Osborn MF Crystal Palace 1994 39 5 Phil Parkinson MF Bury 1992 133 9 Scott Taylor MF Trainee 1989 Derek Simpson MF Trainee 1994 0 0 Forwards Stuart Lovell FW Trainee 1990 Lea Barkus FW Trainee 1991 17 0 Alan Carey FW Trainee 1994 3 0 Uwe Hartenberger FW KFC Uerdingen 05 1993 29 5 Jimmy Quinn FW Bournemouth 1992 148 73 Lee Nogan FW Watford 1995 23 12 Out on loan Left during the season Darren Barnard DF loan from Chelsea 1994 1994 4 0
Left club during season
Transfers In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. Summer 1994 GK Simon Sheppard Watford Summer 1994 DF Andy Bernal Sydney Olympic £30,000 Summer 1994 DF Dariusz Wdowczyk Celtic Summer 1994 MF Paul Holsgrove Millwall Summer 1994 MF Simon Osborn Crystal Palace £90,000 12 January 1995 FW Lee Nogan Watford £250,000
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date to Ref. Summer 1994 DF Darren Barnard Chelsea Summer 1994 DF Adi Viveash Swindon Town Summer 1995
Released Date Position Nationality Name Joined Date 30 June 1995 FW Uwe Hartenberger Waldhof Mannheim
Competitions Division two
Results
League table
Play-offs
Final
Bolton Wanderers: GK 1 Keith Branagan DF 2 Scott Green DF 3 Jimmy PhillipsDF 5 Guðni Bergsson DF6 Alan StubbsMF7 Neil McDonald MF 4 Jason McAteerMF 10 Mixu PaatelainenMF11 Alan ThompsonFW 8 Owen Coyle FW 9 John McGinlaySubstitutes:GK 12 Peter ShiltonDF 14 John DreyerFW 15 Fabian de Freitas Manager: Bruce Rioch
Reading: GK 1 Shaka HislopRWB2 Andy Bernal DF 4 Keith McPherson DF 6 Dariusz WdowczykDF 5 Ady WilliamsLWB 3 Michael GilkesMF 8 Mick GoodingMF 7 Simon OsbornMF 11 Scott TaylorFW 9 Lee Nogan FW 10 Stuart LovellSubstitutes:GK 15 Simon SheppardDF 14 Jeff Hopkins FW 12 Jimmy Quinn Manager: Jimmy Quinn & Mick Gooding
MATCH RULES 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Penalty shootout if scores still level. 3 named substitutes. Maximum of 3 substitutions.
FA Cup
League Cup
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
|colspan="14"|Players who appeared for Reading but left during the season:
Goal Scorers PlacePositionNationNameFirst DivisionPlayoffsFA CupLeague CupTotal1 FWStuart Lovell11201142 FWLee Nogan10200123 FWJimmy Quinn5104104 MFScott Taylor801095 MFMichael Gilkes800086 MFSimon Osborn500057 MFPaul Holsgrove300148 DFAdy Williams110139 FWUwe Hartenberger20002 Own goal2000211MFTom Jones10001MFJamie Lambert10001DFDylan Kerr10001TOTALS5861772
Team kit Reading's kit for the 1994–95 was manufactured by Pelada, and the main sponsor was Auto Trader.
Notes
References
Soccerbase.com