Supporters Trust at Reading [STAR] have backed the club and three staff members following Football Association sanctions for breaching agent rules.

Legendary figure Michael Gilkes has received a warning, as has long-time secretary Sue Hewett, for their involvement in breaching FA Rule E1.2.

Meanwhile, the club has been fined £200,000 and former CEO Nigel Howe has ben fined and suspended from working in football for 12 months.

This is all in relation to the agent of Michael Olise, who has also been suspended for a period, and an alleged illegal financial agreement.

The football club issued a scathing statement in response, questioning the period of time taken to close the matter seeing as it related to a breach in 2019.

STAR have issued a statement of their own, labelling the sanctions 'harsh.'

"We are immensely grateful to Nigel Howe, Michael Gilkes and Sue Hewett for their many years of dedicated service to the Club and are pleased that the Club is providing them with support," it continued.

"We know contract negotiations with agents are frequently complex and require difficult negotiation. In this instance an agent, previously suspended in 2017 for entering into a contract with a minor despite not being authorised to do so, pushed Reading FC towards entering a prohibited clause into dialogue regarding the players contract.

"In 2019 this player was due to sign their first professional contract and it's very possible negotiations would not have completed without the agent receiving additional financial incentives to their £25,000 fee.

"What is clear from the judgment is that this particular prohibited clause was instigated by the agent in question, therefore this is where we would expect culpability to ultimately fall.

READ MORE: Reading FC hit back at FA after Michael Olise agent charge

"We are, however, pleased that through the hard work of Nigel, Michael and Sue we protected Reading FC by retaining the player. Not only short term, but also in securing a release clause which also has a future fee based on profit, which may further secure the Club's future. We were privileged to watch him progress through our academy, flourish in our first team and we are extremely proud that he is on the path to having an incredible career since his departure.

"We are also relieved to see that these sanctions contain sensible mitigations which enable Nigel Howe to continue working hard to complete the sale of the Club to a new owner."