The Gills visit the Madejski Stadium tomorrow with a less-than-impressive record, they have lost twenty-four out of forty-three games that they have played in the town.
Whilst their record at home to the Royals is far better, just eight defeats in forty-two games, Reading should fancy their chances, despite having not fired on all cylinders of late.
The players should certainly be up for the game as they will be eager to impress Coppell who is surely yet to finally decide which men feature in his long-term plans.
The Priestfield Stadium based side beat Reading by one goal to nil at the Madejski Stadium back in April 1999, when both sides were in Division Two. The following season, 1999-2000, both games between the sides ended all square at 2-2.
It was two-and-a-half years before Reading met Gillingham again, the renewed match-up came last season as a consequence of the Royals promotion to Division One.
Last year, Reading did the double over Andy Hessenthaler's side. In November, a rare goal from Anthony Rougier game the Royals a hard-fought 1-0 win at the Priestfield Stadium.
Four months later Reading once more had to fight hard for the points, John Salako scoring an eighty-eighth minute goal to give alan pardew's side a dramatic 2-1 win, rendering Rod Wallace's first half strike useless.
Early on Luke Chadwick had netted his first and only Reading goal on his debut.
The Royals defeated Gillingham 6-2 in February 1937, a repeat display tomorrow night and suddenly promotion would begin to look a possibility again. However, most fans, and presumably Steve Coppell will settle for a a mere three points.
| At Reading (43) | At Gillingham (42) | Overall (85 matches) | ||||||||
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | ||
| Reading | 24 | 55.81 | Gillingham | 24 | 57.14 | Reading | 32 | 37.65 | ||
| Gillingham | 12 | 27.91 | Reading | 8 | 19.05 | Gillingham | 36 | 42.35 | ||
| Draws | 7 | 16.28 | Draws | 10 | 23.81 | Draws | 17 | 20 | ||
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | ||
| Reading | 81 | 1.88 | Gillingham | 75 | 1.79 | Reading | 122 | 1.44 | ||
| Gillingham | 46 | 1.07 | Reading | 41 | 0.98 | Gillingham | 121 | 1.42 | ||
| Records | |||||
| Highest Aggregate | 8 | Reading | 6 - 2 | Gillingham | 1936/1937 |
| Highest Reading score: | 6 | Reading | 6 - 2 | Gillingham | 1936/1937 |
| Highest Gillingham score: | 5 | Gillingham | 5 - 1 | Reading | 1954/1955 |
| Season | Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
| 2002/2003 | Mon 10 Feb | Reading | 2 - 1 | Gillingham | League Division One |
| Sat 09 Nov | Gillingham | 0 - 1 | Reading | League Division One | |
| 1999/2000 | Fri 07 Apr | Reading | 2 - 2 | Gillingham | League Division Two |
| Mon 03 Jan | Gillingham | 2 - 2 | Reading | League Division Two | |
| 1998/1999 | Thu 01 Apr | Gillingham | 2 - 1 | Reading | League Division Two |
| Sat 17 Oct | Reading | 0 - 0 | Gillingham | League Division Two | |
| 1995/1996 | Sat 06 Jan | Reading | 3 - 1 | Gillingham | F.A. Cup |
| 1988/1989 | Sat 22 Apr | Reading | 1 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Sat 24 Sep | Gillingham | 0 - 1 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1985/1986 | Sat 29 Mar | Gillingham | 3 - 0 | Reading | Third Division |
| Wed 01 Jan | Reading | 1 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division | |
| 1984/1985 | Tue 14 May | Reading | 0 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Tue 23 Oct | Gillingham | 4 - 1 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1982/1983 | Sat 16 Apr | Reading | 0 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Tue 28 Sep | Gillingham | 1 - 0 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1981/1982 | Tue 18 May | Gillingham | 2 - 1 | Reading | Third Division |
| Sat 05 Sep | Reading | 3 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division | |
| 1980/1981 | Wed 12 Nov | Reading | 0 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Tue 19 Aug | Gillingham | 2 - 0 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1979/1980 | Sat 12 Jan | Gillingham | 1 - 1 | Reading | Third Division |
| Sat 01 Sep | Reading | 1 - 3 | Gillingham | Third Division | |
| 1976/1977 | Sat 22 Jan | Reading | 1 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Sat 21 Aug | Gillingham | 2 - 2 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1973/1974 | Sat 30 Mar | Gillingham | 0 - 1 | Reading | Fourth Division |
| Sat 03 Nov | Reading | 0 - 1 | Gillingham | Fourth Division | |
| 1972/1973 | Sat 10 Mar | Reading | 3 - 1 | Gillingham | Fourth Division |
| Sat 14 Oct | Gillingham | 1 - 0 | Reading | Fourth Division | |
| 1971/1972 | Sat 04 Mar | Gillingham | 4 - 2 | Reading | Fourth Division |
| Sat 13 Nov | Reading | 1 - 2 | Gillingham | Fourth Division | |
| 1970/1971 | Sat 17 Oct | Reading | 3 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Sat 15 Aug | Gillingham | 0 - 0 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1969/1970 | Wed 08 Oct | Reading | 1 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Sat 16 Aug | Gillingham | 1 - 3 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1968/1969 | Thu 26 Dec | Gillingham | 2 - 2 | Reading | Third Division |
| Fri 04 Oct | Reading | 3 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division | |
| 1967/1968 | Sat 03 Feb | Reading | 3 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Sat 23 Sep | Gillingham | 3 - 0 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1966/1967 | Sat 15 Apr | Gillingham | 0 - 2 | Reading | Third Division |
| Sat 19 Nov | Reading | 2 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division | |
| 1965/1966 | Wed 23 Mar | Gillingham | 2 - 4 | Reading | Third Division |
| Wed 15 Sep | Reading | 2 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division | |
| 1964/1965 | Mon 19 Apr | Reading | 3 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division |
| Fri 16 Apr | Gillingham | 2 - 1 | Reading | Third Division | |
| 1957/1958 | Sat 12 Apr | Reading | 4 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 30 Nov | Gillingham | 2 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1956/1957 | Sat 06 Apr | Gillingham | 0 - 0 | Reading | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 24 Nov | Reading | 4 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) | |
| 1955/1956 | Sat 31 Dec | Gillingham | 2 - 0 | Reading | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 03 Sep | Reading | 1 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) | |
| 1954/1955 | Sat 22 Jan | Gillingham | 5 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 11 Sep | Reading | 2 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) | |
| 1953/1954 | Sat 19 Dec | Reading | 0 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 22 Aug | Gillingham | 3 - 0 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1952/1953 | Sat 04 Apr | Reading | 3 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 15 Nov | Gillingham | 2 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1951/1952 | Sat 19 Jan | Reading | 2 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 15 Sep | Gillingham | 1 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1950/1951 | Tue 26 Dec | Reading | 1 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Mon 25 Dec | Gillingham | 0 - 3 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1937/1938 | Sat 07 May | Reading | 2 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Wed 15 Sep | Gillingham | 1 - 2 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1936/1937 | Sat 27 Feb | Reading | 6 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Gillingham | 2 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1935/1936 | Sat 18 Jan | Gillingham | 2 - 0 | Reading | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 14 Sep | Reading | 1 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) | |
| 1934/1935 | Sat 05 Jan | Gillingham | 1 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 01 Sep | Reading | 3 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) | |
| 1933/1934 | Sat 06 Jan | Reading | 2 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 02 Sep | Gillingham | 5 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1932/1933 | Mon 17 Apr | Reading | 4 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Fri 14 Apr | Gillingham | 4 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1931/1932 | Sat 07 May | Reading | 2 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Wed 02 Sep | Gillingham | 1 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1925/1926 | Sat 06 Feb | Reading | 1 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 26 Sep | Gillingham | 4 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1924/1925 | Sat 28 Mar | Gillingham | 0 - 0 | Reading | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 22 Nov | Reading | 0 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) | |
| 1923/1924 | Sat 09 Feb | Reading | 4 - 0 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 02 Feb | Gillingham | 1 - 0 | Reading | Third Division (South) | |
| 1922/1923 | Sat 24 Mar | Gillingham | 2 - 1 | Reading | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 17 Mar | Reading | 1 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) | |
| 1921/1922 | Sat 25 Feb | Gillingham | 2 - 0 | Reading | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 18 Feb | Reading | 2 - 1 | Gillingham | Third Division (South) | |
| 1920/1921 | Wed 08 Sep | Gillingham | 1 - 0 | Reading | Third Division |
| Wed 01 Sep | Reading | 1 - 2 | Gillingham | Third Division | |