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Angry scenes sees Reading fans block team bus, argue with players and refuse to leave

Angry scenes sees Reading fans block their team bus, argue with own players and refuse to leave until the manager is sacked.

Hundreds of Royals supporters staged a protest against under-fire manager Veljko Paunovic after the team’s 0-0 draw against Championship strugglers Peterborough on Wednesday.

Reading finally ended their long losing run of seven matches, however the encounter was a horrid one to watch in terms of quality, entertainment and chances on show.

The result was a point that prevented Peterborough from leaping above Reading and out of the bottom three.

Reading has won just one of its last 15 matches and are on the verge of sacking Paunovic according to reports this week, who has been in charge since August 2020.

Many will recall Reading fans stormed onto the pitch and confront players as well as their manager following a 3-2 home defeat by Coventry City on Saturday.

Clearly the anger remains as once the full time whistle blew, a few hundred supporters refused to leave their seats and were heard chanting “we want Pauno out”, “we want our Reading back” and “we won’t go until he’s gone”.

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When they did leave Peterborough’s Weston Homes Stadium, after 20 minutes, many supporters made their way to the carpark where they surrounded the away team’s coach.

As Reading began their journey home, the coach was stopped by fans who sang “you’re not fit to wear the shirt”.

Royals fans have been hinted that they could about to get their wish, with Paunovic on the brink of being sacked, with the players unhappy with the 44-year-old.

After the match Paunovic refused to answer any questions about his future or the fans’ protests, replying “no comment” to six queries from journalists.

Speaking about the result itself, the Serbian boss insisted there were positives to take.

“The team needs unity and togetherness, and soon,” Paunovic said.

“I stood up for the call to carry this project forward and I am doing my best.

“We knew it was going to be hard with deductions and embargos, and we have had to deal with a lot of setbacks.

“We are disappointed we didn’t get all three points because we were close, but our first clean sheet in a long time is a positive to build on.

“Every single one of the players gave their best. There was a lot of people bleeding and exhausted, which tells you how much everyone cares and gives their best.

“We showed grit – we showed something that maybe in the past was missing. The team fought very hard.”

Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson: “Our performance deserved the points. It was a terrible result for us in a must-win game, but the performance gives us hope and belief. We were dominant. The wind played a part, but there was only one team trying to win that game, and we deserved to win it.

“We’re finding it hard to do the hardest thing in football, and score a goal. We’ve had 32 shots last two home games and not scored. That tells its own story.”

Twitter users reacted at the angry scenes which sees Reading fans block their own team bus, argue with players and refuse to leave…

@sam_utd: Good on em

@MrPeteGriff: That’ll get us 3 points on the weekend 🥴

@clairball: How embarrassing If you don’t like it don’t come. People are saying The team and Pauno don’t clap the fans.. why the hell should they.

@MaffRoyal: Well, playing against one of the worst teams in the league today didn’t get us three points. Maybe they need a little confrontation to burst the little bubble they live in.

@CStallebrass: Support the players if not the owners how you think the players feel

@mightyroyals: It’s so sad to see the state of the club now it feels like we are stood on a cliff edge ready to jump off and just completely crash and burn #ReadingFC

@Rava1991: Don’t get what this is achieving tbh just look like absolute tits

@neilvparkinson: Fair play to them. They have every right to voice their opinion. They pay their money and follow their team to Peterborough on a shit Wednesday night. They’ve had enough. I don’t blame them for letting those players know what they think.

@saiint: Why are there people shouting fuck off 💀 first we’re criticising Pauno for swanning off now people are getting fiesta at him for coming to speak. Been one of the few players who look like they belong in the league this year

@JBK_92: Class that, them 30/40 doing a much better job then the lot outside the stadium with the bedsheets on Saturday 😂

@PictonPedro: That’s what 3 months winless and an absent owner who refuses a mangers resignation does to a club #ReadingFC

@PaulGC84: I don’t understand the mentality of “supporters” who’d travel over 100 miles to watch their team and do shit like this.

@RKooner89: Not being funny but I really don’t blame the fans at all. I just watched 90mins praying for a draw and it was a drab shower of shite and they both look like going down. Reading in deep deep shit

@PercyRam1: Massive advantage for us with our fans right behind us 🐑

@JANUSZCZAK: Teenage idiots who are not fit to wear souvenir Reading FC shirts, shouting at footballers wearing the same shirts. Shame on you Reading fans! Shame on you!

@Steviep1871: Wow, some of our fan base sound like a right bunch of pricks, A player actually takes it upon himself to talk to the mob and they keep booing. I mean considering these are the ‘real fans’ as they travel to away games I’d rather be a random and just go to home games. #ReadingFC

@SimonPovey95: At least he showed some balls and fronted up…..

@Abbykins2010: Ok some of the fans are ok, but some sound like knuckle dragging Neanderthals. Good on Yaks coming out, but there seems to be a lack of passion from too many protecting themselves for next season and if we go down never-mind attitude. Fans want to see clear effort and urgency

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