The English Football League have confirmed that the Championship, League One and League Two will start earlier than in previous years.
This season, the Royals traveled to high-spending Birmingham City on Saturday, August 10, for their first game, drawing 1-1 at St Andrew’s.
However, this season, League One and League Two will begin on the weekend of August 2 and 3.
The second tier will be introduced a week later, on August 10.
Reading have not begun a season as early as August 2 since 2022/23, when they were demoted from the Championship and Paul Ince’s men began at Blackpool on July 30.
This was owing to the World Cup starting in November and December 2023 in Qatar, which would suspend club football for at least a month.
The World Cup will return to Canada, the United States, and Mexico at the end of next season, hence the domestic season must be completed ahead of schedule this season.
This stands in stark contrast to 2020/21, which began in September because to the Covid-19-enforced pause and the late restart of 2019/20.
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