The Club That Stole Reading's Badge - and Keeps Getting Promoted With It!

The Club That Stole Reading’s Badge - and Keeps Getting Promoted

There is an uncovered team in Spain who have done the unthinkable by achieving six promotions since 2015. This now puts the club in the fourth tier of Spanish football and the lowest professional level in the pyramid. One final thing… they were only founded in 2014!

The club is named UD Ourense, having recently surfaced online on social media for having a suspiciously similar club crest to Reading Football Club in England’s League One.

Imitative badge or not, Ourense are making waves in Spanish football and at the rate they're currently going, it will be no surprise to potentially see them competing against the greats in years to come.

📈🇪🇸 UD Ourense were founded in 2014 and started life in the EIGHTH TIER of Spanish Football! They’ve been on some journey ever since!

📈 2015 - Promoted from 8th tier
📈 2016 - Promoted from 7th tier
📈 2017 - Promoted from 6th tier
📈 2018 - Promoted from 5th tier
📉 2021 -… pic.twitter.com/ZgMB0QMUfi

— The European Football Express (@TheEuroFE) October 29, 2025

The Club’s Modern Foundation

The city of Ourense in Galicia, northwestern Spain, was home to football club CD Ourense for 62 years between 1952 and 2014. That was until mounting debts and a financial crisis dissolved the fourth division club in devastating fashion.

However, upon such a destructful loss to the local community, a brand new team launched in July 2014, with aims to replace the dying side. That side was UD Ourense.

Not much changed; just one letter in the name, the club crest and the fact they had to restart down in the eighth tier of Spanish football. However, the fresh outfit still recited their fixtures at the city’s O Couto stadium and provided entertaining football for the locals.

Fast-forward to the present day, UD Ourense have reached the same level their predecessors left on, with only 11 years of progress.

An Unstoppable Force

Six promotions in one decade is an accomplishment truly worthy of commendation, no matter the league, division or country. Therefore, UD Ourense should be welcomed by all the plaudits.

They may be the team to have one of the greatest ever starts from joining a football pyramid, having won the league title back-to-back in their opening two seasons.

Ourense’s inaugural campaign was in 2014/15. The club won the league more than convincingly, after earning victories in all 26 games they played, giving them a flawless record in the eighth tier of Spanish football.

They then went on to demolish their second season just as forcefully, after being crowned champions of the seventh division with nearly just as perfect of a record. In total, they won 28 out of the 34 games in that second season, taking their points tally to 86.

Whilst the club was clearly showing they were much better than their level, not many would have expected them to pass through with as much ease in the next couple of seasons. However, of course they did; Ourense achieved promotion from both of their next two campaigns, after finishing second in the sixth tier to then winning the fifth tier.

90' | 2-0 | Finaaaaal!! Somos de Preferente!! pic.twitter.com/fsekjcBqHi

— UD Ourense 🐺 (@UDOurense2014) March 26, 2017

Within just four years of existing, the Spanish outfit had reached the same level their elder dissolved in. However, this is where a roadblock was hit.

Ourense spent three consecutive seasons in the fourth level of Spanish football from 2018 to 2021, before facing a disastrous relegation which pushed them two tiers down the pyramid, as the footballing structure altered.

As the 2021/22 campaign approached, the club were once again a sixth division side, despite all of their hard work. They then had a mission on their hands and got to work straight away, earning a league title and another promotion from the sixth tier after just one year.

Following the fourth title win in the club’s history, Ourense spent another three years in the fifth tier - also known as the Tercera Federación - nudging on the door of promotion, but not quite reaching it in the first two years. Despite their misfortunes, the third time was the charm; the club once again won the league in 2025.

This booked them a place back in the fourth tier, now known as the Segunda Federación, for the current season.

How Are They Getting On Now?

Just eight games into the new season, UD Ourense have got off to a respectable start in the Segunda Federación. They currently sit 10th out of 18 in Group 1, after picking up nine points to start the campaign.

This came after they won their last two matches against UP Langreo and Coruxo FC, on top of the three points in total they picked up in draws against Rayo Cantabria, Real Avila and Burgos Promesas.

However, along the way Ourense did unfortunately lose three of their opening eight against Real Valladolid B, Marino Luanco and Salamanca CF UDS. Furthermore, they were also knocked out of the first round of the Copa del Rey this week, after bowing out on spot kicks to Pontevedra - despite a diligent 1-1 scoreline.