Reading FC fans have reacted after co-owner Rob Couhig gave an update on whether the club will help to fund the women’s team in the future.
Couhig admitted when he first took over the club last year that the women’s side was not an immediate priority but did maintain that it was of interest.
Speaking at a recent Q&A session with supporters, Couhig was quizzed about what the ownership are doing to help out the women’s team.
Couhig said: “One of the things with women’s football which is tough to deal with is the reality that it doesn’t generate much money and it costs several hundred thousands to operate.
“I think we will have some things to help the funding of the women’s team. But put it in context, the women’s team is run by the Trust. The football club this year puts up £45,000 of your money towards women’s football, does that mean we are going to zero (next year)? No, we will probably try to take it down a little bit but we are looking at alternatives.”
Reading FC Women were once competing in the pinnacle of women’s football in England in the Women’s Super League before their relegation in the 2022/23 campaign.
After the refusal of Dai Yongge to fund the women’s side in the Championship they were relegated to the fifth tier of the pyramid where they remain.
Fans have reacted on social media to Couhig’s comments about the women’s team.
One supporter said: “The best thing they could do is sell the Women’s team completely to a new owner who wants to take it seriously and rebuild them. I expect there would have to be some sort of rights sharing agreement in place to keep the club name under a new owner.”
Another said: “Amazing that he can’t even afford £45k which amazingly is cheaper than the pyrotechnics for the season, so fund a women’s team or have fireworks for 30 seconds each match, I do appreciate he loves fireworks but.”
Another added: “It won’t produce much income when they play their home games miles away and were knocked back from the WSL where the big money is.”
Another Reading fan said: “That’s so short sighted the more you invest in it, which he isn’t by the way, the more chances we would get into the WSL again and that will draw the crowds. Did he even watch the world cup qualifiers every stadium was sold out. He promised so much but hasn’t delivered.”
One more fan said: “Women’s football is growing in popularity but it’ll take a lot of investment (losses) to get the team to a level where they may be in the right place at the right time to cash in on the popularity.
If the men’s team does well it might actually benefit the women’s team because there would potentially be smaller losses. In time, that may free up cash to invest in the women’s team.”
