With Roy Bentley in charge at the club, Reading saw a vast improvement in their football during the 1965-66 season and they finished the campaign off in strong fashion, a respectable 8th position was a sound improvement for the club and they also managed to reach the third round of the FA Cup.
The following season was a mighty success for Reading FC, they finished the season off in a very respectful 4th position, their best finish for 15 years, just narrowly missing out on promotion to the second tier of English football. The 1967-68 season saw a similar showing by the football club, they once again produced a fine season in the league, finishing the season off in fifth position, they also managed to reach a respectable third round in the FA Cup.
The 1968-69 season saw the debut of Steve Death at the club, a player who went on to record a staggering 471 league appearances for the club, in a career spanning for 13 seasons between 1969-1982. The 68-69 season saw a decline in the clubs fortunes, they finished the season off in 14th place, once again reaching the third round of the FA Cup. Towards the end of 1969, Reading installed Jack Mansell as their new manager and his debut in charge at the club was by no means a disaster, they finished the season off in eighth position, a significant improvement on the previous season, they however crashed out the FA Cup in the first round.