Labour MP for Earley & Woodley, Yuan Yang, appeared on a football podcast to discuss the ownership issues at Reading Football Club
Since winning her seat in the July general election, Yang has shown her concern amid all the off-field issues at Reading.
She recently appeared on the Price of Football podcast, hosted by football finance expert Kieran Maguire and comedian Kevin Day, to speak about the problems the club has had under current owner Dai Yongge.
“I’ve been in conversations with Reading fans before I was elected as MP so I was aware of the great concern around this,” said Yang,
The privilege I have now is being in the position to raise awareness around it, to ask questions about it in parliament and try to push the issue more forcefully.
“My team and I do speak to the club. The club staff are doing an incredibly difficult job with significant uncertainty and it’s important that we are supportive of what the staff are trying to do to keep the club going.
“The staff are as keen as the fans to ensure we have a sound financial footing for Reading Football Club.”
Previous MP for Wokingham John Redwood previously stated that it should not be the responsibility of the government to get involved in this situation.
When questioned by Keiran over whether it is appropriate for an MP to get involved in this issue, Yang said: “From one perspective it’s a private business and is regulated to some degree, although we can talk about to the degree that it is regulated.
“But there is so much passion, it’s a community asset, it’s a club that generates a significant sense of community belonging. For many reasons, football shouldn’t just be seen and treated as financial assets.
“What concerns many fans is the potential that Reading has been seen by its owners as a financial asset and hasn’t been recognised for the role it plays in the community.
“I think it’s really important for the fanbase that they see their representative standing up for something that they love and believe in.”
Speaking on the Football Governance Bill, Yang said: “We need to look at Reading because of the time critical nature of the situation.
“I’d like to see the regulator is given institutional power, credibility and resources to go in and ask fundamental questions about the sustainability of English football.”
