Reading’s Sky Bet League One match with Port Vale was abandoned after home fans invaded the pitch to protest against owner Dai Yongge.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the key questions following the events of Saturday afternoon.
What happened?
Why did it happen?
Desperate times, desperate measures. Our view on today’s abandonment and a cry for help.#SellBeforeWeDai #ReadingFC pic.twitter.com/MzrAcgBo7V
— Sell Before We Dai (@SellBeforeWeDai) January 13, 2024
Many Reading fans want Yongge to sell up. There has been an increasing amount of of fear and concern among supporters about the club’s direction under his stewardship. Sell Before We Dai, a fan group calling for a change of ownership, released a statement on Saturday evening entitled: ‘Desperate situation, desperate fans, desperate measures’. In the 242-word statement, members said they were “scared for the future” of the club and that “the threat could not be more real”.
What was the background to the protest?
Who is Dai Yongge?
What happens next?
An EFL Spokesperson said: “Following an on-pitch protest at Reading v Port Vale, today’s fixture has been abandoned.
“Every effort was made to restart the game but it became increasingly obvious that this would not be possible.
“We will now discuss the implications of this…
— EFL Communications (@EFL_Comms) January 13, 2024
Sell Before We Dai warned Saturday’s events were the start of an “elevated protest action”. The group plan to pressure the EFL in a bid to resolve the situation and may do so in collaboration with fans of other clubs which have experienced ownership issues. Further spontaneous match-day protests from fans are also a possibility. The EFL plans to “discuss the implications” of Saturday’s events with both clubs, with Reading likely to be sanctioned. Yongge placed the club up for sale in October and many Royals fans will hope a takeover is imminent.
