Reading Football Club News: September 2023
Reading Disappoint In Game They Should Have Won
30 September 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Once again Reading fans demonstrated loyalty to their team and club, and their anger at owner Dia
Yongge and the EFL in no uncertain terms. For the second game in succession play was held up to
allow ground staff to remove a deluge of tennis balls hurled on to the pitch by home fans. The ten
minute delay drew attention to current shortcomings off the pitch holding the club back, but
probably didn't help their team gather any momentum in a match which really should have yielded
three points.
Reading 0 Burton Albion 0: Match Report and Fan Opinion
Reading Stage Late Comeback To Defeat Bolton
16 September 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
A stunning long range strike from Charlie Savage, and a sharp near post finish from the lively and energetic Vickers, completed a brilliant comeback by the current youthful and talented Reading team. It was the perfect response to the most recent EFL points deduction setback earlier in the week. The home fans, showing solidarity in their support for the players, were right behind the team from start to finish spurring them on to a morale-boosting win and a valuable three points. At the moment the club seems to be treading water in terms of building the season's campaign, but there is an undoubted spark of energy and enthusiasm within the club in spite of the apparent shortcomings from the club's owner.
Reading 2 Bolton Wanderers 1: Match Report and Opinion
Reading Punished Again For Further Owner Failures
15 September 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
It has not been a good few years for loyal Reading fans, and the six point deduction we received in April for Financial Fair Play breaches undoubtedly contributed to our relegation from the Championship last season, but things have not really improved this year.
Having already been deducted a single point back in August for late payment of wages, this week we have been punished further as the English Football League have now fully imposed a further three point penalty on us, owing to owner Dai Yongge missing the enforced deadline to deposit 125% of the wage bill into a designated account by Tuesday and there would certainly have been some in the fan base who may have used a GGBET registration to see what the odds were on that happening.
The additional points were part of the earlier original sanction, but they were suspended pending compliance with this instruction. It now means we have already been docked four points for the current 2023/24 League One campaign, and we now drop down to 21st place in the third tier table with two points to our name.
In a statement released by the club, it claims that our owner is still fully 'committed' to the club and continues to actively search for new investors to help bolster the Royals' financial stability.
"Reading Football Club can confirm that a suspended three-point penalty has been activated as a result of owner Mr Dai failing to deposit an amount equating to 125% of the club's monthly wage bill into a designated account by the deadline of Tuesday 12 September 2023, as ordered by the Independent Disciplinary Commission in its decision of 15 August 2023. As communicated to our supporters previously, Mr Dai is currently undertaking an ongoing process of seeking sources of stable external investment for the football club, with the aim of mitigating the risk of cashflow complications arising in future."
The EFL itself also released a statement, indicating that additional punishments would continue to follow if the club continued to fail to comply with the rules in the coming months.
"The EFL continues to acknowledge the negative impact sporting sanctions are having on the football club. We remain extremely disappointed and frustrated at the club's ownership to meet its ongoing obligations under EFL Regulations. The League will continue to apply its rules in all circumstances deemed appropriate."
Fans will be hoping that our Chinese owners issues are soon to end, or that new investment is definitely found sooner rather than later - which may or may not lead to another, but hopefully far more stable takeover - as put simply, one way or another, these things cannot keep happening and it is absolutely ridiculous that we have now lost a total of ten points in little over a single season for extremely simple business actions that should be easily avoidable.
It is not like the rules have changed and we are adjusting, they have been known for years now, and it really is not good enough. It is going to be a difficult enough season as it is, and the loss of those four points could already prove to be a massive mistake come the end of the campaign.
Three More Points Deducted
13 September 2023
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading have been deducted three more points to bring the total to four points removed this season so far. The latest points deduction sees Reading drop into the bottom four in the table with just two points, despite picking up two league wins this season. Reading were required to pay 125 percent of their monthly wage bill into an account by Tuesday this week to avoid a suspended points deduction, but failed to do that. The Royals have now been docked 10 points in total in 2023.