Reading Football Club played the 2008–09 season in the Football League Championship, having been relegated on the final day of the 2007–08 Premier League season. Despite a strong start to the season, especially at home, Reading were unable to secure promotion at the first attempt; a poor run of form in 2009 saw Reading win just 5 of their last 17 league games, the Royals finishing 4th in the league. Reading were defeated 3–0 on aggregate by Burnley in the play-off semi-finals.

Reading opened their pre-season with an away game against Didcot Town, winning 9-0, with nine different scorers, including a fan who won the opportunity to play at a charity auction. After further away wins at Forest Green Rovers (2-0),Havant & Waterlooville (1-0) and MK Dons (2-1), Reading went on a three-game friendly tour of Sweden, winning their three games against FC Trollhättan (4-1) in which Leroy Lita scored all four, against Lerkils IF (1-0) and against Halmstads BK (3-1) in which new signing Noel Hunt scored for the first time, ultimately scoring two. Reading's last friendly, and only home friendly, was against Aston Villa, and finished 1-1. It was Reading's only pre-season game that they did not win.

Reading's league campaign began with a 0–0 draw at promoted Nottingham Forest. In a game of few chances, Kevin Doyle came closest for the Royals, glancing a header goalwards from a Stephen Hunt cross, that Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith did well to tip on to the crossbar.

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