POLITICIANS have spoken out regarding the potential sale of Reading FC’s Bearwood Park training ground to Wycombe Wanderers.
Royals owner Dai Yongge is close to agreeing a deal which will see him sell Bearwood Park to Wycombe Wanderers for more than £20million less than five years since spending more than £50million on the development of the new training base.
Labour MP for Reading East Matt Rodda said: ““I am very concerned about the situation at Reading Football Club, where I understand the owner wants to sell the Bearwood training Ground.
“Selling the training ground on its own could make it harder to sell the club as a whole and fans are understandably deeply concerned.
“I have arranged emergency meetings with both the EFL and the Sports Minister to raise our concerns and to see what can be done to protect the club.”
Clive Jones, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Wokingham, told Reading Today: “Condition four of the planning consent for Bearwood Recreation Ground means any new owner has to apply for a variation in conditions of use.
“Because of the importance of the issue, a decision will not be delegated to council officers, but it will be made by the planning committee. Any such meeting would be held in, at the earliest, six weeks or more.
“This is a state-of-the-art training ground which any football club would be delighted to have. Why are Reading FC getting rid of it? There is no sense in doing that at all.
“Mr Yongge is running down and asset stripping Reading FC. There has to be a way of stopping this. As a matter of urgency, we need the help of the EFL to change the rules.
“Reading FC is of vital importance to us. It is a community asset for Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell. It isn’t just a business you make a few quid out of.”
