SUPPORTERS' Trust At Reading board members have voiced their deep concerns in an open letter to the club’s hierarchy.

The letter – which has been shared on social media – suggests Royals are a ‘club in decline’ and that urgent measured are needed to stop the rot.

In it, STAR address a number of issues including:

  • Supporters’ patience is wearing thin.
  • Another relegation battle looms.
  • A lack of entertainment at Madejski Stadium has ‘alienated’ fans.
  • Ticket sales and matches attendances are down.
  • A lack of leadership from the club’s Chinese owners.

STAR is now suggesting ‘something dramatic or significant’ is required to prevent a ‘fall back into the third tier’ of English football.

Reading remain in the Championship relegation zone after 15 games.

A number of fans are calling for boss Paul Clement to go and have also criticised chief executive Ron Gourlay over the direction the club is heading in.

Royals only avoided the drop into League 1 last season with a 0-0 draw at Cardiff City on the very last day.

Clement spoke openly about his future and the pressure he is under after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Swansea City – Reading’s ninth defeat in 15 Championship games this season, leaving them 22nd in the table.

Reading Chronicle:

Reading midfielder John Swift looks gutted after the 2-0 defeat at Swansea City. Picture: Jasonpix.

Royals boss will be hoping to bank some much-needed points from two successive home games against Bristol City this Saturday (3pm ko) then basement boys Ipswich Town a week later before a fortnight’s international break.

Here is the STAR letter in full:

As supporters we understand that the fortunes of the club go up and down and that insiders know of constraints, plans and hopes that we do not. We know there is a time for patience – but believe that it’s coming to an end.

The Academy shows great promise and the new training ground at Bearwood will be good news. But, sadly, in almost all other areas the fortunes of the club are in decline.

- The league position has been poor in four of the last five seasons and this season the story will be a relegation battle to stay in the Championship.

- The entertainment value of the football and the match experience at the Madejski Stadium has dissatisfied and alienated many.

- Ticket sales, and more particularly home match attendances, are down.

- There is less energy, enthusiasm and connection around the place and supporters are looking to the owner(s) to provide some leadership and sense of hands-on mission control instead of what seems like more of the unending drift we’ve had since 2013.

- The goodwill the club has built since around 2000 is eroding – it’s not just this season or these owners, to be fair, but that’s where the buck currently stops.

There is real concern and that is now generating widespread comment amongst supporters. Something dramatic or significant needs to happen to create an upturn – and it has to start on the pitch. There’s only so much that marketing and well-meaning efforts like Club 1871 can do when faced with seven defeats in the last ten home games.

We’re not the people to say specifically what has to happen – that’s your job. But we are the people to say that something has to change to prevent a fall back into the third tier. We wish you all the best with it.

Supporters’ Trust at Reading (STAR) Board