In advance of our second ever FA Cup encounter on Wednesday, YNWA looks back at the careers of some of those who have represented both the Royals and the reds.

Most recent double agent
Ray Houghton signed for Reading as a Player/Coach from Crystal Palace on a free transfer in July 1997. He made 56 appearances in his two seasons with the Royals before moving on to Stevenage Borough. He had signed for the reds from Oxford United for £825,000 in October 1987, and went on to strike 38 times in 202 reds games, helping us to two League titles, two FA Cups and the FA Charity Shield in his five years at Anfield. He was sold to Aston Villa for £900,000 in July 1992, as Graeme Souness tried to reduce the number of non-Englishmen in the squad, to comply with UEFA regulations for European competition.

At the back
Right-back Robert Done struck thirteen times in 155 reds games following his arrival from Runcorn in April 1926. He left for Reading for £150 in May 1935, but only played thirteen League games before moving on to Chester. Right-back Alf West scored six times in 141 reds games in two spells at Anfield prior to the First World War, first arriving from Barnsley St. Peter's in November 1903, and helping us to our second ever League title in 1906. He joined Reading in June 1909, becoming their club captain but he only stayed for a season before returning to Anfield. He only played five times in this second spell before joining Notts County in July 1911.

Left-half Jim Bradley joined the reds from Stoke in September 1905 after 199 League games for the Potters. He nabbed eight goals in 185 reds games, including one appearance between the sticks, keeping a clean sheet in a 3-0 defeat of Bolton Wanderers on Christmas Day 1909. He moved to Southern League Reading in the summer of 1911 having helped us to claim the League title in his first season with the reds. He then joined fellow Southern League side Stoke in April 1913.

Centre-half Allenby Chilton signed for the reds as an amateur in summer 1938, before moving to Manchester United that November, without making a senior reds appearance. He turned out for the Royals during the war.

Up front
Scottish inside-forward Willie Fagan arrived from Preston North End in October 1937 and netted 57 goals in 185 reds games, helping to fire us to the League title in 1947 and the FA Cup Final three years later. Reading was one of many clubs he guested with during the war. He finally left Anfield in January 1952 to join Belfast Distillery.

Ted Harston joined the reds for £3,000 from Mansfield Town in June 1937, and struck on his reds bow as we were thumped 6-1 at Chelsea two months later. He bagged a brace in his second game but only played a further three times, and returned to amateur football with Ramsgate Town in 1939 after suffering a serious leg injury. He had previously represented the Royals, nabbing eleven goals in nineteen outings.

Forward Jack Whitham signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £57,000 in April 1970. He suffered with injury and so could only make eighteen appearances, notching seven times. His finest hour in a red shirt came when he scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 defeat of Derby County at Anfield in December 1971. He joined Cardiff City in 1974 and spent the 1975/76 season at Elm Park as they were promoted from the Fourth Division, bagging three goals in nineteen League games, which all came in the one game against Hartlepool United, before he returned to non-League football to join Worksop Town.

Other double agents
Messina Allman signed from Plymouth Argyle in July 1908 and made his only reds appearance in March of the following year, as we lost 2-1 to Bristol City at Anfield in a top-flight encounter, moving on to Wrexham six months later. Reading had been one of his previous clubs.

Right-half Matt Busby joined the reds from Manchester City for £8,000 in March 1936, making 125 appearances for us, many as captain. He, of course, went on to even greater success as the Manager of Manchester United, and turned out for the Royals during the war.