Reading FC latest accounts explained amid deduction fears

A season in which the club were under an embargo and deducted points, it was also the first post-Covid campaign with fans allowed in from the opening fixture.

Looking more positive than it did for 2020/21, turnover increased by over £3m to hit £16.9m.

Revenue-wise, 2021/22 was the second-worst season under Dai Yongge. Remember though that 2020/21 was the lockdown season.#ReadingFC had been in a much stronger position before Dai arrived in 2017 (the last season of parachute payments). pic.twitter.com/UuixOlcYQu

— The Tilehurst End (@TheTilehurstEnd) March 16, 2023

Wages fell by almost £7m from over £32m in 2020/21 to £25.3m last season.

This, expressed as a percentage of the total turnover, sits at 150 per cent.

For every pound earned, the club spent £1.50 on wages.

Despite seeming ludicrous business practise, it is commonplace in football and has fallen from 234 per cent.

Overall, a loss of £17.3m is the best result since 2016/17- a season when the Royals made a profit.

A 2021/22 pre-tax loss of £17.3m is the best (well, least bad) loss under Dai Yongge.

It's a major improvement on the previous three seasons in particular for #ReadingFC, but still some way off the pre-tax profit in 2016/17. pic.twitter.com/k2KkTfRifu

— The Tilehurst End (@TheTilehurstEnd) March 16, 2023

Since the ownership of Mr Dai, the club have lost almost £150m.

Other interesting facts uncovered by the report is the true figure earned by the sale of Michael Olise.

The youngster lit up the Championship in 2020/21 and earned a sale of £8.1m to Crystal Palace, which went a long way with the financial figures.

It remains unclear how this will effect the ongoing EFL investigation into the club's suspended six-point deduction and whether business plan aims have been met.

Paul Ince's men have lost four on the bounce and sit just nine points clear of the bottom three.