Appreciation for fans of Reading FC for helping to ‘save the club’ and its former owner, Sir John Madejski, has been expressed amid an argument over a school name change.
The John Madejski Academy is a state secondary school in Hartland Road, Whitley.
The Greenshaw Learning Trust, that runs the academy, has announced that it will be renamed Hartland High School.
‘Dismay’ at the name change was expressed at a full Reading Borough Council meeting.
The history of the school is closely bound to Sir John Madejski, who the school is named after, and Reading FC, which was sold by Chinese businessman Dai Yongge to American businessman Rob Couhig this May.
Sir John owned the club from 1990 to 2012.
Councillors adopted a motion expressing appreciation for Sir John and the Supporters Trust at Reading and the ‘Sell Before We Dai’ group for campaigning for the future of the club.
Councillor John Ennis (Labour, Southcote) said: “As a loyal Royal for 50 years, I have been supporting Reading through thin and thin.
“We feared the club, the seventh oldest in the world, since 1871, would cease to exist.
“And thousands of Reading fans, residents and the whole town feared the world.
“We had a worldwide fan-led campaign, which has been revered worldwide, led by women from the Sell Before We Dai campaign.
“They dedicated their lives in the campaign to save Reading FC, and they did it brilliantly.”
He then expressed gratitude to Sir John Madejski for his ‘amazing work’ for the club and town, likening him to George Palmer of Huntley & Palmer’s Biscuits.
Cllr Ennis said: “Yes, he’s a Conservative, but it stood the test of time, credit where credit is due for a long time.
“This council notes with dismay the announcement by the Greenshaw Trust to remove Sir John’s name from the Academy, an absolute shame, that he funded to the tune of £3 million from his own money, he didn’t have to do that.
“We strongly disapprove of this attempt to airbrush from history the contribution to Reading of Sir John Madejski and resolve to seek alternative means by which his legacy to our town can be preserved for a long, long time.”
It is not the first time Sir John’s name has been removed, as the football ground itself was renamed from the Madejski Stadium to the Select Car Leasing Stadium in July 2021.
Cllr Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley) acknowledged that Select Car Leasing has supported the club ‘through thick and thin’ while calling the recent sale of the club ‘a fan victory’.
Cllr Ennis even suggested the A33 be renamed ‘John Madejski Way’ in his honour.
Adele Barnet Ward (Labour, Thames), who seconded the motion, argued the campaign was a matter of “civic pride” for the town.
Cllr Doug Cresswell (Green, Katesgrove) welcomed the motion and called for Mr Couhig to provide proper support to the women’s team and academy.
However, he differed on the issue of renaming. The school’s reputation took a blow when it was rated ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted inspectors in 2023.
Cllr Cresswell said: “I think we should give them the space and support to do their job.”
Cllr Raj Singh (Conservative, Kentwood) called the club “the heart and soul of Reading.”
Meanwhile, Liz Terry (Labour, Coley) said: “On all sides of this chamber we appreciate the things he has done for the town, and the great credit he is, and that’s why we made him a Freeman of the Borough.”
She then expressed disappointment that Sir John had been “insulted” by the change, and the situation could have been avoided with better communications between the trust and the town.
The motion was unanimously adopted at the full council meeting on Tuesday, June 24.
