Reading FC hosts AI in football summit
Representatives from clubs around the world are attending
Last updated 24th Sep 2026
Reading Football Club will welcome leading figures from across the football and technology industries to Bearwood Park for an AI in Football Summit on Friday 25 September 2026, bringing clubs, experts and technology leaders together to explore the growing role of artificial intelligence within the game.
Hosted at the state-of-the-art training ground, the event will bring together representatives from clubs across English and European football, including Paris Saint-Germain, Ajax, Crystal Palace and Como FC, alongside organisations working at the forefront of technology and innovation in sport.
The summit will provide an opportunity to share ideas and experiences around how AI is already being used within football, both on and off the pitch and where the technology could take the game in the years ahead. Guests will gain insight into the work already taking place at Reading following the appointment of Stuart Fenton as the club's Head of AI.
The summit will also mark the launch of a new education partnership between Reading Football Club and Setanta College. The internationally accredited programme will focus on sports technology and applied AI and is designed specifically for people already working within sport. Delivered online alongside a full-time role, the first cohort is set to begin in March 2027.
Ambitious
Rob Couhig, Chairman of Reading Football Club, said: “We want Reading Football Club to be ambitious and forward-thinking in everything we do and our approach to technology is an important part of that.
“When we appointed Stuart as Head of AI, we did so because we believe this technology is going to have a significant impact on football, both on the pitch and across the wider operation of a football club.
“We are already seeing some of the benefits here at Reading, but there is a great deal more for all of us to learn. Bringing people from some of the biggest clubs and organisations in football together at Bearwood Park gives us a fantastic opportunity to share ideas, challenge each other and better understand where this technology can genuinely make a difference.
“Our partnership with Setanta College is another important part of that. Technology will continue to evolve, but ultimately it is people who have to understand it and know how best to use it. We’re proud that Reading can play a part in helping people already working within the game develop those skills.”
Technology
Stuart Fenton, Head of AI at Reading FC, said: “Being the first Head of AI in English football mostly means separating what actually works from what just sounds good. That's what this afternoon is for: the people building the technology and the people buying it, in one room at a working training ground, comparing notes honestly. It's also why we're launching our partnership with Setanta College here as technology only changes a sport if the people inside it understand it well enough to ask hard questions of it.”