READING FC legend Dave Kitson has come out of retirement to sign for Sunday League team Caversham United.
The Goats will mark Sunday League day on Sunday, March 24 the Goats’ new signing will be in action for their Reading & District Sunday League fixture against Rose & Thistle.
The Sunday League Day initiative will run in March for its first ever edition, established by Caversham United chairman Paul Gutterdige.
Caversham United currently have three adult teams. Their men’s first-team competes in the Reading & District Sunday League Division One.
Their women’s first-team ply their trade in Southern Region Women’s Division One North and their men’s reserves side play in the Reading & District Sunday League Division Four.
Despite being a Sunday League side, Caversham have managed to build an exceptional following on social media and have almost 20,000 followers on Twitter.
Caversham United chairman Paul Gutteridge said: “We are absolutely thrilled to announce the signing of Dave Kitson to The Goats.
“As a Reading fan growing up in the #106 team era, it’s amazing to be able to sign one of the heroes to the club and more so, share the pitch with him in a couple of weeks. What started off as Dave coaching our teams, to showcase the Dave Kitson Academy, has turned into the stuff of dreams.”
Kitson became a fans favourite in his five year spell with the Royals after signing from Cambridge United in 2003 for around £150,000.
The striker was a pivotal part of Reading’s legendary ‘106’ side who smashed the Championship points record in the 2005/06 season on their way to winning promotion to the top flight for the first time in the club’s history.
He then played for two seasons during Reading’s spell in the Premier League where he scored 12 times in 47 games before securing a £5.5million move to Stoke City in 2008.
Since retiring from professional football in 2015, Kitson has had roles such as chairman of non-league side Arlesey Town.
His most recent venture saw him set up the ‘Dave Kitson Academy’ in October 2023, based in Berkshire.
