Embargos, HMRC Payment defaults, non payment of wages, the usual under Dai Wrongge

[WestYorksRoyal]

I think the situation will be making them squirm to be honest. Regulator incoming, maximum attention. They'll be dreading the possibility that this ends with liquidation almost as much as us.

I believe Rick Parry is facing a select committee tomorrow (pre scheduled, nothing to do with the past week). It will be incredibly obvious that his organisation has no control over this situation whatsoever.

Dai is currently an embarrassment for the EFL and draws unwanted attention to how little protection fans have. They know that should a club like Reading actually go under then they are all in a lot of trouble. The incoming Labour government would bring the hammer down on them and end the 'gravy train' for a good while. So - I can only assume that they will now be twisting like mad to do whatever they can to push Dai out whilst keeping Reading alive. This is a situation where clubs who would otherwise cry "unfair treatment" will be silent as Reading going under would be a serious risk to every owner of an EFL club.

Labour are likely to have a few higher priorities. Like completely rebuilding all public services, the Economy, Justice etc.

Agree, but tbf Keir is a genuine football fan unlike the Tory bandwagon jumpers, and I assume he'd privately share quite a few sentiments about the effect of money on the game. Whether he'd consider it worth expending political capital on when he's inheriting a skip on fire is another matter.

[Lower West]

EFL couldn't really give a fcuk could they? That is half the problem here.

Say as much about the "fans". Total disregard for the law. Ain't going unpunished. Could be a fair few lifetime banning orders handed out. EFL are going to be sending out a clear message to fans of all clubs after this incident.

[windermereROYAL]

The (mostly) Derby fans giving it big on X really is quite tedious now.

[JR]

Being heavily suggested on Twitter that Savage has a clause on his deal that sees him get a payrise after 15 league starts.

He has 14.

His dad was asked on 606 directly if there was something contractual preventing Charlie from starting again.

He dodged the question in a very meandering way to suggest there must be something along these lines.

[tmesis]

The (mostly) Derby fans giving it big on X really is quite tedious now.

It doesn't help that apparently a few of our fans taunted them about going bust at their place, a couple of years ago.

[WestYorksRoyal]

The (mostly) Derby fans giving it big on X really is quite tedious now.

It doesn't help that apparently a few of our fans taunted them about going bust at their place, a couple of years ago.

I remember it to be fair. Even on here people were still crying over some programme notes in 2002 and thought liquidation was fair justice. Hopefully we learn from it, as have most Derby/Pompey fans excluding a vocal minority.

[Brogue]

yeah people have short memories the Neanderthals in y25 & y26 and club 1871 have been reveling in other club's demise. this whole 'our shit don't stink' rhetoric is embarrasing

[Forbury Lion]

Can't see how it would be. It doesn't qualify for ACV, so it'd be down to the planners to approve/deny a change of use application.

Thanks, just asking as I think Reading had problems persuading the local council to let them develop the site even though it retained the site for sporting use.

That'll be Wokingham, who are just generally opposed to football in general and Reading in particular because it creates traffic on their nice middle-class roads. They scuppered the stadium expansion plan back in 2006/7.

I've just emailed my Shinfield North Wokingham councilor, Andrew Gray. He's Labour, just got in at the last election beating the standing Conservative councilor. He says he wants to freshen things up and change things and he has many Reading fans in his ward since it not only borders Reading but eats into it.
Suspect there isn't much he can do, but he'll hopefully try - Seems like the kind of person who listens.

[Fezza]

I've tried Joh Howell (although hold only the faintest of hopes that he'll even respond)!

"Dear John,

I hope this email finds you well and recovered from the party's turmoil over the previous few years.

I write a constituent and Reading FC fan to implore you to speak to the Secretary of State for Media, Culture and Sport on our behalf, about the plight our club finds itself in. As I'm sure you are aware our current owner, Dai Yongge, bought the club, with the EFL's permission, in 2017 (despite having failed in a bid for Hull in the years previous, due to the Premier League's view that he was unfit).

Since that point he has overseen an unprecedented decline in the club. Securing record points deductions, fines and embargoes in the process, as what look like it will become two relegations and, bluntly, the death of both the men and women's teams. Given his two previous clubs were both liquidated (Beijing Rehne and KSV Roeselare) and seemingly asset stripped, I have little faith that he will be able to (or has the will to) reverse our current trajectory - particularly in light of his own financial troubles in China.

Please urge your colleagues to intervene before the 7th oldest team in the country is lost, the EFL do not seem to have the ability / power to save us and protect such a valuable community asset for both Berkshire and South Oxfordshire."

[Sutekh]

I've tried Joh Howell (although hold only the faintest of hopes that he'll even respond)!

"Dear John,

I hope this email finds you well and recovered from the party's turmoil over the previous few years.

I write a constituent and Reading FC fan to implore you to speak to the Secretary of State for Media, Culture and Sport on our behalf, about the plight our club finds itself in. As I'm sure you are aware our current owner, Dai Yongge, bought the club, with the EFL's permission, in 2017 (despite having failed in a bid for Hull in the years previous, due to the Premier League's view that he was unfit).

Since that point he has overseen an unprecedented decline in the club. Securing record points deductions, fines and embargoes in the process, as what look like it will become two relegations and, bluntly, the death of both the men and women's teams. Given his two previous clubs were both liquidated (Beijing Rehne and KSV Roeselare) and seemingly asset stripped, I have little faith that he will be able to (or has the will to) reverse our current trajectory - particularly in light of his own financial troubles in China.

Please urge your colleagues to intervene before the 7th oldest team in the country is lost, the EFL do not seem to have the ability / power to save us and protect such a valuable community asset for both Berkshire and South Oxfordshire."

And North Hampshire...

[morganb]

I've tried Joh Howell (although hold only the faintest of hopes that he'll even respond)!

"Dear John,

I hope this email finds you well and recovered from the party's turmoil over the previous few years.

I write a constituent and Reading FC fan to implore you to speak to the Secretary of State for Media, Culture and Sport on our behalf, about the plight our club finds itself in. As I'm sure you are aware our current owner, Dai Yongge, bought the club, with the EFL's permission, in 2017 (despite having failed in a bid for Hull in the years previous, due to the Premier League's view that he was unfit).

Since that point he has overseen an unprecedented decline in the club. Securing record points deductions, fines and embargoes in the process, as what look like it will become two relegations and, bluntly, the death of both the men and women's teams. Given his two previous clubs were both liquidated (Beijing Rehne and KSV Roeselare) and seemingly asset stripped, I have little faith that he will be able to (or has the will to) reverse our current trajectory - particularly in light of his own financial troubles in China.

Please urge your colleagues to intervene before the 7th oldest team in the country is lost, the EFL do not seem to have the ability / power to save us and protect such a valuable community asset for both Berkshire and South Oxfordshire."

And North Hampshire...

If you are in North Hampshire why not email your MP (I've emailed leo.docherty.mp@parliament.uk ) especially as the Women and U21s have been playing matches at Aldershot Rec (EBB Stadium) this season so there is a valid link between the club and the area so should be in their interest that the club survives.

[morganb]

Further to:

If you are in North Hampshire why not email your MP (I've emailed leo.docherty.mp@parliament.uk ) especially as the Women and U21s have been playing matches at Aldershot Rec (EBB Stadium) this season so there is a valid link between the club and the area so should be in their interest that the club survives.

I received the following reply:

I appreciate your concern and will raise the matter with the Minister for Sport, the Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, at the DCMS to share your view and concerns and ask for an update.

I will write again when I receive the Minister’s reply.

Best wishes

Leo

[MartinRdg]

Interesting - especially 10:44 to 10:54

https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/c9787f1e-4748-4c62-a76a-fb70b3a32ae3

[Snowflake Royal]

I've tried Joh Howell (although hold only the faintest of hopes that he'll even respond)!

"Dear John,

I hope this email finds you well and recovered from the party's turmoil over the previous few years.

I write a constituent and Reading FC fan to implore you to speak to the Secretary of State for Media, Culture and Sport on our behalf, about the plight our club finds itself in. As I'm sure you are aware our current owner, Dai Yongge, bought the club, with the EFL's permission, in 2017 (despite having failed in a bid for Hull in the years previous, due to the Premier League's view that he was unfit).

Since that point he has overseen an unprecedented decline in the club. Securing record points deductions, fines and embargoes in the process, as what look like it will become two relegations and, bluntly, the death of both the men and women's teams. Given his two previous clubs were both liquidated (Beijing Rehne and KSV Roeselare) and seemingly asset stripped, I have little faith that he will be able to (or has the will to) reverse our current trajectory - particularly in light of his own financial troubles in China.

Please urge your colleagues to intervene before the 7th oldest team in the country is lost, the EFL do not seem to have the ability / power to save us and protect such a valuable community asset for both Berkshire and South Oxfordshire."

And North Hampshire...

If you are in North Hampshire why not email your MP (I've emailed leo.docherty.mp@parliament.uk ) especially as the Women and U21s have been playing matches at Aldershot Rec (EBB Stadium) this season so there is a valid link between the club and the area so should be in their interest that the club survives.

For what it's worth, I've emailed Daniel Zeichner in Cambridge too, as I can't email an MP local to Reading because I'm not their constituent.

[ROYALJOE]

Can't the EFL give Dai an ultimation? Sell by the end of the season including show you are actively trying to sell or you'll be disqualified from owning reading

[Snowflake Royal]

Can't the EFL give Dai an ultimation? Sell by the end of the season including show you are actively trying to sell or you'll be disqualified from owning reading

No, because the Independent Commission decide sanctions.

And even if they do, he can just ignore them.

[rabidbee]

Can't the EFL give Dai an ultimation? Sell by the end of the season including show you are actively trying to sell or you'll be disqualified from owning reading

No, because the Independent Commission decide sanctions.

And even if they do, he can just ignore them.

At 10:50 on today's appearance at Parliament:

Damian Green: If you disqualify Dai, what happens to the club.

Parry: The logical consequence is that the owner sells the club. Whether Dai will do anything logical remains to be seen. We'll continue to explore every avenue open to us. We can't promise it will work. Normally clubs go into administration, which at least starts a procecss. It's extraordinary that there is an owner who simply refuses to do anything. That's a new one.

DG: If the owner doesn't want to sell, there's little anyone can do.

RP: A good thing about the proposed regulator is that it includes a power to force a sale.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

Can't the EFL give Dai an ultimation? Sell by the end of the season including show you are actively trying to sell or you'll be disqualified from owning reading

No, because the Independent Commission decide sanctions.

And even if they do, he can just ignore them.

In addition, he can’t be made to sell assets such as the stadium and the training ground which could leave us with a football club that has no stadium, no training ground and is losing money on a daily basis with no further funding available.

[Clyde1998]

Can't the EFL give Dai an ultimation? Sell by the end of the season including show you are actively trying to sell or you'll be disqualified from owning reading

No, because the Independent Commission decide sanctions.

And even if they do, he can just ignore them.

In addition, he can’t be made to sell assets such as the stadium and the training ground which could leave us with a football club that has no stadium, no training ground and is losing money on a daily basis with no further funding available.

That's where compulsory purchase could come into play. Of course, in the short term that could see us playing at Wycombe or somewhere similar whilst all the legal procedure is carried out.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

No, because the Independent Commission decide sanctions.

And even if they do, he can just ignore them.

In addition, he can’t be made to sell assets such as the stadium and the training ground which could leave us with a football club that has no stadium, no training ground and is losing money on a daily basis with no further funding available.

That's where compulsory purchase could come into play. Of course, in the short term that could see us playing at Wycombe or somewhere similar whilst all the legal procedure is carried out.

Compulsory purchase is when public authorities purchase land for infrastructure projects such as HS2. Purchasing the stadium only to then sell to someone else wouldn’t fit the bill unfortunately. That issue is actually cropping up now that HS2 has been abandoned in that the government can’t re sell the houses they purchased on the planned route.