READING FC fan groups have united to launch a pressure group against current club owner Mr Dai Yongge in a call for a change in ownership.
The Royals fans have shown their dismay at the way the club is being run by the current ownership who continue to be punished by the EFL for breaches in regulations.
Reading have suffered two separate six point deductions in the previous two seasons and were relegated from the Championship last season.
The club continues to face an ongoing battle with the EFL with their latest charge relating to failing to pay players on three separate occasions last season which could lead to a third successive points deduction.
The group are planning to set up a series of protests to put pressure on the owners.
A statement released by the pressure group reads: “The move follows news that Reading FC have received another set of EFL charges, with owner Yongge Dai personally cited for breaching regulations relating to unpaid wages and wider club funding mismanagement. This is alongside a further listing on the EFL embargo reporting service for non-payment of loan wages.
“It caps a desperate period for the recently relegated Royals, who are currently without a manager or enough senior players contracted to field a team next season. With pre-season due to start in a matter of weeks, the fan group collective is now calling for Yongge Dai to sell the club before any more damage can be done.”
Group spokesperson Nick Houlton said: “Despite his best intentions, Mr Dai’s stewardship of Reading Football Club has been an unmitigated disaster. His reign has seen excruciating financial losses and a hat-trick of relegations as the academy and both men’s and women’s teams suffered relegation.
“In spite of this, Reading FC fans remained supportive of Mr Dai, with many seeing relegation as a chance to reset and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Sheffield United in recent years, who all bounced back from third-tier football to enjoy Premier League success.”
“However, the latest round of charges and the potential for points deductions for the third season in a row – coupled with the apparent collapse of the hugely popular move to appoint Chris Wilder – has destroyed what little faith remained in the Reading FC owner and CEO Dayong Pang.”
“We are now calling for Mr Dai to sell the club at the earliest opportunity and give Reading FC the chance to follow in the footsteps of Forest, Leicester and Sheffield United – rather than KSV Roeselare and Beijing Renhe.”
“We know this is an unsettling time for other staff that work at Reading FC, and we are fully with them. Our focus is on seeing Mr Dai and Dayong Pang move on from the club.”
For more information, contact media@sellbeforewedai.co.uk
