The Reading Express were a professional indoor football team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. They were most recently a member of the United Conference of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Express began play in 2006, as an expansion team of the American Indoor Football League. The team was originally going to be named the Reading RiverRats, but passed on that name in favor of the "Reading Express." The RiverRats name and logo was moved to an AIFA team in Pittsburgh in 2007. The owners of the Express were Ted & Lisa Lavender. They played their home games at the Sovereign Center.

Franchise history

2006 On September 14, 2005, the Express were announced as an expansion team of the American Indoor Football League (AIFL). On November 6, 2005, the Express named Ollie Guidry the team's first ever head coach.

On Sunday, March 26, 2006, the Express won the AIFL's very first overtime game 41–38 against the Johnstown Riverhawks on the road, as kicker Erik Rockhold booted the game-winning 45-yard field goal.

On Friday, May 12, 2006, the Express managed to knock the Erie Freeze out of the #1 spot in the conference by getting revenge 59–48.

At the end of their inaugural year, the Express held the highest record in the AIFL's Northern Conference, at 12–2. This, however, was padded by two games against amateur outdoor franchises—the Cumberland Cardinals and a team known as the Philadelphia Scorpions, both of which were blowouts.

In the opening round of the 2006 AIFL Playoffs, the Express managed to knock out the fourth-seeded Huntington Heroes with a 56–23 victory. In the Northern Conference championship game, they faced the second-seeded Canton Legends for the Northern Conference title and a chance to participate in the American Bowl. Unfortunately, the Express got derailed as they got shut out in the second half and fell 44–24. Even though they fell one game shy of the league championship, it wasn't a total loss, as wide receiver Carmelo Ocasio was named the 2006 Northern Conference Offensive MVP.

2007 In the 2007 season, now part of the AIFL's reorganized form (the American Indoor Football Association), the Express built on their success in the previous season, finishing a league-best 14–2 in the regular season, defeating the Pittsburgh RiverRats 42–24 in the first round, and defeating the Canton Legends 66–51 to claim the Northern Conference Championship and earn a trip to AIFA Championship Bowl I at the Florence Civic Center. Unfortunately, the Express got derailed yet again, losing to the Lakeland Thunderbolts 54–49.

Season schedule DateOpponentHome/AwayResultFebruary 18Pittsburgh RiverRatsAwayWon 35–28February 25Erie FreezeHomeWon 46–38March 3Tallahassee TitansAwayLost 37–47March 10Baltimore BlackbirdsHomeWon 78–6March 16Erie FreezeAwayWon 50–35March 23Canton LegendsAwayWon 50–19March 31Huntington HeroesHomeWon 48–18April 7Johnstown RiverhawksAwayWon 55–33April 14Canton LegendsHomeWon 63–56April 21Danville DemolitionAwayWon 56–42April 28Montgomery BearsHomeWon 73–57May 6Pittsburgh RiverRatsHomeWon 57–40May 12Johnstown RiverhawksHomeWon 76–16May 19Huntington HeroesAwayLost 29–42May 21Baltimore BlackbirdsAwayWon 58–32June 2Danville DemolitionHomeWon 83–41June 9Pittsburgh RiverRats (Playoffs)HomeWon 42–24June 16Canton Legends (Playoffs)HomeWon 66–51June 23Lakeland Thunderbolts (Championship Bowl I)Neutral (Florence)Lost 49–54

2008

Season schedule DateOpponentHome/AwayResultMarch 8Baltimore MarinersHomeWon 36–27March 15Carolina SpeedAwayLost 17–49March 22Arizona Adrenaline (Exhibition)HomeWon 47–43March 29Erie RiverRatsAwayWon 44–34April 5Huntington HeroesHomeWon 57–38April 12Columbus LionsAwayLoss 50–25April 19Florence PhantomsHomeWon 66–30April 25Canton LegendsHomeWon 36–7May 10Canton LegendsAwayWon 50–48May 17Fayetteville GuardHomeWon 51–24May 24Baltimore MarinersHomeWon 49–27May 31Huntington HeroesAwayLoss 50–41June 7Erie RiverRatsAwayLoss 51–32June 14Erie RiverRatsHomeWon 66–26June 23Baltimore MarinersAwayWon 47–38July 3Erie RiverRats(Playoffs)HomeWon 67–57

2009 In the 2009 season, the Express had another fantastic season, finishing the regular season 11–3, defeating the Baltimore Mariners 50–20 in the first round, and defeating the Columbus Lions 60–51 in the conference championship game to earn another berth in the AIFA Championship Bowl III in Casper, Wyoming. This time in the title game, the Express were overpowering and they defeated the Wyoming Cavalry 65–42 to win their first AIFA championship.

Season schedule DateOpponentHome/AwayResultMarch 13D.C. ArmorHomeWon 51–28March 22Baltimore MarinersAwayLoss 59–49March 28South Carolina ForceHomeWon 47–27April 4D.C. ArmorAwayWon 39–19April 11Erie RiverRatsHomeWon 47–13April 18Baltimore MarinersHomeLoss 40–36April 26Erie RiverRatsAwayWon 66–48May 2Florence PhantomsAwayWon 66–55May 9Fayetteville GuardHomeWon 63–53May 17Harrisburg StampedeHomeWon 44–6May 23D.C. ArmorAwayWon 51–35May 30Fayetteville GuardAwayLoss 57–53June 13Erie RiverRatsHomeWon 45–27June 27Harrisburg StampedeAwayWon 41–19July 2Baltimore Mariners (Playoffs)HomeWon 50–20July 13Columbus Lions (Playoffs)AwayWon 60–51July 26Wyoming Cavalry (AIFA Championship Bowl III)AwayWon 65–42

2010 Missing

2011

On July 21, 2010, the Express announced that they would be promoting interim head coach/offensive coordinator, Chris Thompson, to head coach for the 2011 season. On August 18, 2010, the Express announced that will be leaving the AIFA and joining the Indoor Football League (IFL).

2012 The team announced that in 2013 they will take the year off, but they never returned and they are now folded.

Season-by-season

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;"| Reading Express (AIFL) |- |2006 || 12 || 2 || 0 || 1st Northern || Won Round 1 (Huntington)Lost NC Championship (Canton) |- | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;"| Reading Express (AIFA) |- |2007 || 14 || 2 || 0 || 1st Northern || Won Round 1 (Pittsburgh)Won NC Championship (Canton)Lost AIFA Championship Bowl I (Lakeland) |- |2008 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 1st EC Northern || Won ECN Round 1 (Erie)Lost EC Championship (Florence) |- |2009 || 11 || 3 || 0 || 1st Northern || Won Divisional (Baltimore)Won Semifinal (Columbus)Won AIFA Championship Bowl III (Wyoming) |- |2010 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 4th Eastern || -- |- | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;"| Reading Express (IFL) |- |2011 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 1st Atlantic || Won Round 1 (Chicago)Lost Conference Semi-Final (Green Bay) |- |2012 || 2 || 12 || 0 || 8th United || -- |- !Totals || 73 || 39 || 0 |colspan="2"| (including playoffs)

Head coaches Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards W L T Win% W LOllie Guidry2006122011Kelly Logan2007142021Bernie Nowotarski2008-20102612041Chris Thompson2010-117011Mark Steinmeyer212000

Notable players See :Category:Reading Express players

References

External links Official Site of the Reading Express Express' 2006 Season & Results Official Site of the Reading Express Smokin' Hot Steam Team Express's 2007 Stats Express's 2008 Stats Express's 2009 Stats Express's 2010 Stats