POLITICAL leaders in Reading are pushing for new ownership of the town’s beloved main football club Reading FC.
Councillors and one of the town’s MPs joined thousands of Royals fans during the ‘Sell Before We Dai’ protest march on Saturday, October 28.
The slogan ‘Sell Before We Dai’ has been devised by fans with reference to the club’s current owner Dai Yonnge, a Chinese businessman.
The club has faced financial difficulties as the governing Communist Party in China began cracking down on overseas investments, according to a special report from BBC South Today.
The protest calling for the owner to sell up began with a gathering at Blue Collar Street Food, with fans then marching to the Select Car Leasing (SCL) Stadium.
It was attended by Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East, and James Sunderland the Conservative MP for Bracknell.
Councillor John Ennis (Labour, Southcote), a lifelong Reading FC fan said: “The guy [Dai Yonnge] has put a lot of money in, but he didn’t have a clue how to run it, it’s all been chaos and disarray.
“There’s no leadership.
“If we’re still League 1 in a couple of years’ time we could have a bash at the Championship.
“But the situation has been so desperate.”
Reading FC is currently for sale. Reports so far have linked William Storey, the founder of Rich Energy and retail magnate Mike Ashley to a purchase of the club.
Reading East MP Matt Rodda said: “The march to the SCL Stadium was a great success. Reading fans and Sell Before We Dai have sent a message to Dai Yongge and the EFL – Reading Football Club needs a new, responsible owner and we need a much bigger change in the regulation of club owners in the UK.
“There’s been a problem with football ownership for far too long, and a new model for regulating ownership is needed.
“Thank you to the fans for inviting me to speak – I will continue to take this issue up in Parliament.”
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In order for an individual or organisation to buy a football club, they have to pass an owners and directors test (OADT) decided on by the English Football League.
There have been calls to make the OADT stricter after Russian businessman Roman Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea FC in 2022 and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia bought Newcastle United FC in 2021.
Bracknell MP James Sunderland said: “I was honoured to join friends and thousands of fellow Reading FC fans in a protest march to save our club.
“We sent a clear message that we want new owners to manage Reading FC properly. It’s time to Sell Before We Dai.
“Our fans deserve better!”
Ticketholding fans then watched the Royals lose 2-3 to Portsmouth FC.
The MPs and cllr Ennis were joined by council leader Jason Brock (Labour, Southcote) and councillors Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley) and Adele Barnett-Ward (Labour, Thames).
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