Former Reading FC manager joins Oxford United.

A former Reading FC boss has returned to Oxford United, moving across the Thames Valley.

Oxford United Women has announced the return of Liam Gilbert as Head Coach, marking a homecoming for the strategist who guided the team for a highly acclaimed five years.

Following Reading’s relegation from the Women’s Super League in 2022/23, Gilbert took over as Kelly Chambers’ replacement to lead the team in the Women’s Championship.

Reading finished 10th in the Championship during his first season in command, but the club struggled with off-field concerns that hampered the women’s team’s progress.

Dai Yongge, the owner at the time, decided to discontinue supporting the women’s squad, preventing them from competing in the Women’s Championship.

As a result, Reading FC Women are now managed by the club’s Community Trust and compete in the Southern Region Women’s Premier Division.

Gilbert originally rose to prominence at Oxford United, when he led the women’s first team in 2018.

Under his leadership, the team made significant progress, ending in a third-place finish in the Southern Premier Division until he left in August 2023.

His return coincides with renewed ambition from the club, which sees his experience — both from his former tenure with the U’s and his more recent work at other Championship-level clubs — as critical in moving the project forward.

Oxford’s Head of Football Development, Stevie Kinniburgh, lauded Gilbert for his “standards, professionalism, and ambition.”

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