The first ever meeting of Albion and Reading came at Elm Park in November 1901 in a friendly game that ended in a 1-1 draw. 'Chippy' Simmons scored the Baggies' goal whilst Tom Clinch netted for the hosts from the penalty spot.

The first league meetings between the clubs took place in the Second Division during the 1927/28 season. The first game, in September at Elm Park, ended in a 4-1 victory for Albion, Jimmy Cookson, Arthur Fitton, Tommy Glidden and Charlie Wilson the visitors' scorers. The return game at The Hawthorns in January saw another eight goals scored, this time the game finishing with a 5-3 victory for the Baggies. The aforementioned Cookson scored four of the goals and would go on to become a regular thorn in the side of Reading over the following years, scoring 12 goals in all games against them.

Remarkably the next two league meetings, during the 1928/29 season, saw another 13 goals scored, Albion losing 5-3 at Elm Park before gaining revenge at The Hawthorns with a 5-0 win.

Albion's biggest victory over the Royals is the aforementioned 5-0 win, achieved in March 1929. Cookson (2), Fitton, Jimmy Edwards and Glidden scoring the Baggies' goals.

Reading's best result against Albion, a 6-3 victory, came in a Football League South game at Elm Park in May 1941.

The clubs first met in FA Cup action during the 1947/48 season, Albion winning a third round tie at The Hawthorns 2-0 thanks to goals from Roy Finch and George Drury. The clubs have met five times in the competition since that initial game and the Baggies have failed to win a single game, drawing twice and losing three times.

Albion have failed to win on their last eight visits to Reading, losing five games and drawing three. The Baggies' last win on Reading soil came in January 1995 when goals from Andy Hunt and Kevin Donovan helped an Alan Buckley-led side to a 2-0 victory.

A full fixture history between the two teams can be found here

LAST MEETING AT THE MADEJSKI STADIUM

Reading 3-2 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 12th January 2013, 3:00pm

Reading: Federici; Gunter, Pearce, Mariappa, Harte; Carrico (McCleary HT); Kebe, Guthrie, Karacan (Le Fondre 65), McAnuff (c); Pogrebnyak. Subs not used: Taylor (gk), Hunt, S Morrison, Cummings, Akpan.

Goalscorers: Kebe 82, le Fondre 88 (pen), Pogrebnyak 90

Booked: Pogrebnyak 90 (removing shirt)

Albion: Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Thorne, Brunt (c); Dorrans (Rosenberg 79), Morrison, Thomas; Lukaku. Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Popov, El Ghanassy, Dawson, Tamas, A Nabi. 

Goalscorers: Lukaku 19 & 69

Booked: Jones 37 (foul)

Attendance: 23,495

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)

Reading breathed new life into their Barclays Premier League survival bid when two late goals from Adam Le Fondre and Pavel Pogrebnyak completed a stunning comeback victory over West Brom. The Baggies had been in cruise control after Belgian international striker Romelu Lukaku had put them 2-0 up and hit the woodwork twice. Reading seemed down and out. A return to the bottom of the table, after QPR's draw with Tottenham earlier in the day, seemed inevitable. But Jimmy Kebe grabbed an opportunist goal to set up a tense finish and the Royals snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by completing a dramatic late turnaround. Le Fondre came off the bench to draw Reading level with an 88th minute penalty after Kebe had been fouled by Jonas Olsson before Pogrebnyak bundled in the winner from an Ian Harte free-kick.

Reading had been hoping their 3-1 FA Cup win at Crawley would kick-start their survival bid and they started with new signing Daniel Carrico in central midfield. But for 80 minutes they seemed destined for another Premier League defeat - and a return to the foot of the table as Lukaku and James Morrison led them a merry dance. Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici pulled off a sharp save to deny Morrison, who had been picked out by Jerome Thomas after a dangerous West Brom counter-attack. If that had served as a warning then Reading did not heed it as West Brom cut them open with ease to take the lead. Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season, released Morrison down the left and then received the return ball to beat Federici from six yards out. Reading sought a positive response. Harte released Kebe down the right and he drove in an inviting cross but Pogrebnyak opted not to attack the six-yard box. When Chris Gunter worked some space down the same flank he floated a cross in for Jobi McAnuff but the Reading captain could not generate any power and Foster claimed his soft header. Reading struggled to retain composure and clear their lines as West Brom, with Morrison a constant danger, began to crank up the pressure. When Carrico did released Kebe on the counter-attack, his first touch as he entered the West Brom box was so poor that the covering defender cleared for a throw-in.

Reading were booed off at half-time and fortunate not to go further behind immediately after the restart, when Harte sloppily conceded possession and Lukaku almost doubled his tally. Chris Brunt preserved West Brom's lead with a last-gasp block to deny Garath McLeary after Foster had missed Kebe's cross from the right. West Brom manager Steve Clarke said this week that Lukaku had the ability to "frighten" defenders - and the Belgian was beginning to cause havoc for Reading. Lukaku had one strike chalked off for offside before he hit the post with a glancing header after Morrison's excellent run and cross down the left. West Brom's success down that flank highlighted why Reading this week signed the Republic of Ireland right-back Stephen Kelly, who was watching from the stands. Lukaku then rattled the crossbar with a thundering left-foot strike off the bar before finally hitting the target again, drilling a low shot past Federici. The Baggies had launched a counter-attack from their own box. Morrison fed Lukaku and the teenager cut in from the right, stepped inside Adrian Mariappa and then beat Federici at his near post. There seemed no way back for Reading but with 10 minutes left Kebe snuck in at the back post to meet McCleary's cross and beat Foster with a low header. Reading began to press hard and, with two minutes remaining, Kebe was clattered by Olsson on the edge of the West Brom box. Le Fondre, who blasted a penalty in the FA Cup win against Crawley, this time tucked it away calmly to Foster's left. And an incredible comeback was completed when Harte launched a free-kick into the box, Alex Pearce knocked it down and Pogrebnyak bundled the ball past Foster.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Republic of Ireland international defender Paul McShane spent a season as an Albion player after joining the club as part of the deal that took Polish goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak to Manchester United. After spells at Sunderland and Hull City, McShane joined the Royals on a three year deal in July 2015.

Matěj Vydra spent the 2013/14 season on loan at The Hawthorns from Italian club Udinese. His spell with the Baggies was generally unsuccessful with the Czech Republic striker making just seven Premier League starts for the club. He joined Reading in September 2015 on a season-long loan deal from Watford, whom he had signed for permanently just weeks earlier after earlier loan spells at Vicarage Road.

Simon Cox started his career with the Royals, progressing through their youth set-up to make his first team debut for the club in September 2005. He struggled to make any impact whilst at Reading and in January 2008 he joined Swindon Town for whom he had earlier impressed during a loan spell. Cox became a huge success at the County Ground and after hitting 48 goals in just 88 games for the Robins, Albion made a £1.5million move for the player in July 2009. The Republic of Ireland international scored a number of vital goals as Roberto Di Matteo led the team to promotion but once in the Premier League Cox struggled at the higher-level, eventually leaving for Nottingham Forest in 2012. After two years with Forest, Cox returned to Reading.

Current Reading coach Steven Reid spent over four years at The Hawthorns after joining from Blackburn Rovers in March 2010. Despite suffering a number of injuries during his time with the club, Reid played an important part in helping to establish the Baggies in the Premier League. He left Albion at the end of the 2013/14 season and spent a year with Burnley before announcing his retirement from the game. He was named as Reading's first team coach in June 2015, working under one of his former bosses at The Hawthorns Steve Clarke.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Chris Baird, Paul Barron, John Chadburn, Neil Clement, Simon Cox, Arthur Crump, Shaun Cummings, Donervon Daniels, Len Darnell, Frank Fletcher, George Forrester, Percy Freeman, Paul Holsgrove, George Irwin, George James, Arthur Kelsey, Harry Kinsell, Jack Lewis, Shane Long, John McIlvenny, Tom Pangborn, Gary Phillips, Graham Potter, Alonzo Poulton, Jimmy Poxton, Brian Quailey, Jason Roberts, Alan Scarrott, Nicky Shorey, Sam Sodje, Phil Whitehead and Jimmy Whitehouse.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS READING

LAST TEN MATCHES AGAINST READING