Reading Match Abandoned as Fans Protest Against Club Ownership

The League One match between Reading and Port Vale has been abandoned as hundreds of fans invaded the pitch at Select Car Leasing Stadium to protest against the ownership of the Royals. The Chinese businessman, Dai Yongge, has faced increasing backlash over his management of the club, which has suffered multiple points deductions and relegation from the Championship.

The game, which already witnessed a slight delay due to tennis balls being thrown onto the pitch by home supporters, was interrupted after 16 minutes as fans invaded the pitch and staged a sit-in at the centre circle. Referee Ross Joyce decided to take the players off the field while visiting Vale fans applauded their third-tier counterparts.

Although some fans left the pitch to resume the match, many returned before the floodlights were switched off. Despite a final warning, the majority of protesters maintained their protest. Consequently, at around 4.30pm GMT, it was confirmed that the match was officially abandoned.

This is not the first time Reading fans have expressed their discontent with Yongge’s ownership. Earlier this season, a march took place before a home game against Portsmouth, and several matches have been disrupted by tennis balls thrown onto the pitch, among other protest efforts.

Recently, the EFL fined Yongge for failing to provide the required amount of funds to run the club. Reading has also faced several winding-up orders due to the late payment of HMRC bills and has been unable to pay staff and players’ wages.

An EFL spokesperson stated: ‘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 afternoon’s events with the clubs involved.’

Sell Before We Dai, a group advocating for a change in ownership at Reading, acknowledged that ‘the first fan-led match abandonment in our 152-year history should not be celebrated, but the spontaneous, unfiltered passion, as well as the will and determination of our fans, should be.’ The group expressed their fear for the club’s future and concluded that today’s protest was merely the beginning of their escalated actions.