Reading have been hit by their fair share of FA sanctions over the last season or two, and they’re not done yet, with news of another coming their way.
Dai Yongge’s reign has seen the Royals in the FA dock almost as many times as Steve Evans’s, and this time, it’s the fans who have gotten them into hot water. Their protests against owner Yongge involved disrupting fixtures, and the club has been fined as a result of one of those protests.
In January, thousands of supporters invaded the pitch during their game against Port Vale. 16 minutes had elapsed, but the game had to be abandoned and replayed at a later date. As a result, the club has been fined £7,500 for ‘misconduct in relation to crowd control’, with £3,750 suspended until the end of the current season.
“The club admitted that they failed to ensure their spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion; don’t behave in an improper, threatening or provocative way; or commit any form of pitch incursion,” said the official FA statement.
“An independent Regulatory Commission imposed a £7,500 fine, with £3,750 suspended until the end of the 2024/25 season, and a warning during a hearing.”
During the protest, Port Vale supporters joined in, a sight that was not uncommon across League One last season. Genuine supporters from around the country often joined in anti-Yongge chants and supported other protests, which involved throwing tennis balls onto the pitch during games.
There has been no resolution to the Yongge situation at present. Rob Couhig’s takeover is meant to be imminent, but as things stand it looks unlikely that he’ll take over, inject money and allow them to make signings for the season, meaning a tough winter ahead for the long-suffering supporters.
Despite everything, Ruben Selles’ side have started relatively well, picking up four points from three games. They held big-spending Birmingham on the opening day of the season, and beat Wigan in their second game. This weekend, they were humbled by Wrexham, losing 3-0 in Wales leaving them 12th in the early table.
Writer’s View
As far as sanctions go, this one feels especially lenient. Clubs are often fined more for failing to control players or flares going off in the grounds, and it does seem as though the FA have taken a more lenient approach here. Losing an entire fixture because of crowd issues feels quite serious without context – remember Sheffield Wednesday were fined £50,000 for fans coming onto the field and using pyro in 2023.
With context, a fine wasn’t applicable at all, but the FA couldn’t let it go unpunished. Dai Yongge’s reign has been an unmitigated disaster. He’s been a rogue owner of hus proportions, and Reading fans are desperate to see the back of him. The fact they’ve come through this with some light at the end of the tunnel is a strong testament to the club’s fans, staff and players.
Hopefully, this will be the final Real EFL article talking about Reading and FA sanctions.
Be the first to comment