Reading Fans Mistakenly Think They Get Into Playoffs, Invade Pitch

Crazy things are happening in English soccer today and the folks at Sky Sports have got us all covered. Here they are calling the most heartbreaking news of the day: Reading F.C.'s brief flirtation with the playoffs.

Reading, battling Brighton for the final playoff spot in the Championship, played to a 2-2 draw against Burnley today. Thanks to a rumor spreading through the crowd, fans thought they had done enough to get into the playoffs and play for a chance to move up to the Premier League. So they invaded the pitch.

That rumor was false.

As the Reading game was ending, Brighton scored an injury-time goal in the 92nd minute to take a 2-1 lead over Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, the rumor circulating in the Reading crowd was that Nottingham had equalized, meaning Reading would finish ahead of Brighton for the final playoff spot in the Championship. But, the crowd soon learned, Nottingham had not equalized and Brighton won, knocking Reading out of the playoffs, ensuring they would remain in the Championship for one more year.

[Sky Sports]