An emotional Sir John Madejski, the iconic former owner of Reading Football Club, described Dai Yongge's running of the Royals as 'tyranny' and a 'kick in the stomach.'
In charge for 24 years, Madejski saved the club from oblivion in 1990 and took the club into the Premier League twice before departing in 2014.
Yongge, taking over in 2017, has run the club to the brink of League Two, 16 points being deducted for financial mismanagement, multiple winding-up petitions and five years of transfer embargoes.
Indicating that he was selling the club before Christmas, the Chinese businessman has allegedly made it difficult for parties to take over.
Supporters, protesting since July, invaded the pitch on Saturday against Port Vale and the game was abandoned, leading to heightened media coverage of the club's plight.
Madejski, speaking to TalkSPORT, said: "I am absolutely heartbroken the way Reading Football Club has not developed. I have total sympathy with every single fan out there, and everybody involved in the football club. It is a kind of tyranny being unleashed upon the club and it is not fair or right.
"The thing I can’t get my head around is that Mr Dai allegedly lives in a £100m house next to the King, in Palace Gate. If he can live in a £100m house, one would assume, rightly or wrongly, that he should be able to do the husbandry at Reading and look after the club to the best of his ability. He may want to sell the club, but if he doesn’t look after the club, he won’t have anything to sell. Burning up the rule book and getting us deducted 16 points, it’s a travesty and breaks my heart.
"I spent many years of my life getting Reading Football Club into a nice position, as have many people helping me on that journey. It is a total slap in the face to all of those, a real kick in the stomach. If he wants to sell the club, fund it properly and we might be able to get out of the division. It is tyranny, cruel and terrible."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel