The 2011/12 league campaign was a season to remember for plenty of Reading fans, as they clinched promotion back into the Premier League under the guidance of Brian McDermott.Â
Reading only won once in their opening six matches in the Championship that season, but a run of just two defeats in their final 19 matches saw McDermott's men win the league title ahead of West Ham United and Southampton.
One game that certainly tilted the title race in their favour was their surprise 4-2 win over West Ham at Upton Park on this day back in 2012.
The Royals fell behind courtesy of a goal from Carlton Cole, but two quick-fire goals from Kaspars Gorkšs and Noel Hunt saw the visitors lead at the break.
Ian Harte then made it 3-1 from the penalty spot, before Ricardo Vaz Te halved their lead, but Mikele Leigertwood sealed the win with a well-placed effort to spark jubilant scenes from the Reading supporters on the day.
One player that played a key role in their promotion into the Premier League that season was Ian Harte, who made 32 appearances in total for the Royals in that campaign.
The former Leeds full-back issued a five-word statement on Twitter that the Madejski Stadium faithful were certain to agree with, and praised the togetherness of the team after their win over West Ham.
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The Verdict:Â
What a team this was. It's as simple as that.
The Reading team didn't have the big name players that were necessarily the best in the Championship at the time, but they had the determination and togetherness to get over the line under the management of Brian McDermott.
Not many would have predicted that the Royals would go to Upton Park and pick up three points against a West Ham side that looked a strong bet to win promotion back into the Premier League at the time.
Reading fully deserved to win the Championship title that season, and it's a shame that they didn't get the investment needed to strengthen their squad significantly in the Premier League the following season.