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Magic Hat: Madejski, McGhee and Reading Football Club
Magic Hat celebrates the stunning revolution in playing style at Reading Football Club in the early 1990s. Relive every joyful moment of the club’s extraordinary rise.
In late 1990, Reading were in the doldrums. Languishing in the third tier and drowning in debt, the club put their entire squad on the transfer list. But over the next four and a half years, something magical happened. Local businessman John Madejski stepped in to rescue the Royals, hiring Mark McGhee, who took on his first coaching role on the back of a trophy-laden playing career. McGhee then set about building a slick passing side on a miniscule budget.
In this gripping nostalgia-filled ride you’
Follow Reading’s remarkable rise under McGhee and hear both sides of the story around his abrupt departureGet exclusive insider insight – most of the Reading squad from 1993 to 1995 were interviewed for the book, as were chairman Madejski, coach Colin Lee and McGhee himselfDiscover the inside track on McGhee’s time as Reading manager and the players in his squad, like Phil Parkinson, Shaka Hislop, Dariusz Wdowczyk and Jimmy Quinn, among othersRelive every dazzling moment of Quinn’s astonishing 40-goal seasonMagic Hat brings you the inside story of a sensational turnaround. It is a deep and affectionate look back at one of the Royals’ most glorious periods – a must-read for all Reading supporters.
In late 1990, Reading were in the doldrums. Languishing in the third tier and drowning in debt, the club put their entire squad on the transfer list. But over the next four and a half years, something magical happened. Local businessman John Madejski stepped in to rescue the Royals, hiring Mark McGhee, who took on his first coaching role on the back of a trophy-laden playing career. McGhee then set about building a slick passing side on a miniscule budget.
In this gripping nostalgia-filled ride you’
Follow Reading’s remarkable rise under McGhee and hear both sides of the story around his abrupt departureGet exclusive insider insight – most of the Reading squad from 1993 to 1995 were interviewed for the book, as were chairman Madejski, coach Colin Lee and McGhee himselfDiscover the inside track on McGhee’s time as Reading manager and the players in his squad, like Phil Parkinson, Shaka Hislop, Dariusz Wdowczyk and Jimmy Quinn, among othersRelive every dazzling moment of Quinn’s astonishing 40-goal seasonMagic Hat brings you the inside story of a sensational turnaround. It is a deep and affectionate look back at one of the Royals’ most glorious periods – a must-read for all Reading supporters.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 7, 2026
An engaging and enjoyable overview of Reading's spell under Mark McGhee (and also soon after) in the early to mid 1990s. The book gives a strong, detailed sense of everything that happened and all the key players in the story, but could have lent more on opinion, analysis and the fan experience - as opposed to relying so heavily on a chronological approach. Nothing wrong with the narrative but it should have been supplemented by more variety. Still, an excellent debut from the author, and I hope he writes again.
Displaying 1 of 1 review