Reading FC decision involving Blackburn Rovers helped seal Premier League football | OneFootball

Reading's key January transfer in 2012 proved crucial to Premier League promotion that season

Reading’s automatic promotion to the Premier League in 2012 can be traced back to a transfer involving Blackburn Rovers and Jason Roberts.

The Royals were eighth in the Championship table when Roberts joined from the Lancashire outfit, sitting three points adrift of the play-off places.

The then 34-year-old arrived near the end of the January transfer window having fallen down the pecking order at Ewood Park, playing 10 times in the Premier League that season prior to his move.

But he was reinvigorated with the move to Reading and played a crucial part in their rise to second in the table by the end of the campaign.

Brian McDermott’s side benefitted from Roberts contributing six goals and five assists from 17 appearances in the Championship, finishing just three points clear of third-place West Ham.

Jason Roberts’ impact at Reading

Roberts scored on his debut, with his 58th-minute strike against Bristol City earning the Royals all three points, starting a run of eight victories in a row.

By the end of this eight-game stretch, Reading were third in the table and their new January signing had bagged four goals in total, three of which were the crucial match-winning finish.

Those nine points he played a massive role in securing proved pivotal and had McDermott’s team within two points of the automatic promotion places, as well as league leaders Southampton.

A further seven wins from their final 11 league games proved enough to overhaul the Hammers, who had to rely on the play-offs to gain their place in the Premier League.

Roberts’ goal against Southampton on 13 April that season opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory over their promotion rivals, a crucial result on their way back to the top flight.

Given the striker was near the latter stages of his career, and his influence at a Premier League level had begun to wane when at Blackburn, the signing proved a real masterstroke for Reading.

Jason Roberts couldn’t replicate form for Reading in the Premier League

It came as no surprise that he struggled once the club were competing in the Premier League again the following campaign.

The experienced forward made 11 appearances in the league that year, including eight starts, but failed to find the back of the net before ultimately calling it a day on his career once his time with the Berkshire outfit came to an end.

While he wasn’t able to have much of an impact at Reading in that second season, and the team suffered relegation straight back to the Championship, supporters won’t forget the impact he had in that initial six-month spell.

Reading were so impressive in that second half of the campaign, with multiple players stepping up to push the club to promotion.

But none of it could’ve been possible without the addition of Roberts, whose impact won’t be forgotten as the years go by.

That remains Reading’s last promotion to the Premier League and it could be a while before they reach that level again.