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Reading fans throw tennis balls onto pitch in protest to halt match against Bolton

Reading fans throw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest to halt their side’s match against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

The Royals received a three point deduction in the week after owner Dai Yongge failed to submit 125% of the monthly wage bill into an account, as per the terms of the latest ruling.

Reading, who have now been docked four points in total this season, go down to 21st in the League One table on two points.

Chinese businessmen Dai is “committed” to the club and is still actively looking for new investors to help provide financial stability at the club.

“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,” a statement said on the club website.

The EFL, who docked the Royals a point in August for previous late wage payments, said it would continue to punish the Berkshire-based club if they failed to comply with the rules.

“The EFL continues to acknowledge the negative impact sporting sanctions are having on the football club,” the league said in a statement.

“[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.”

Reading also received a six-point deduction in April – for profit and sustainability rule breaches – that contributed to their relegation from the Championship.

Reading fan group Sell Before We Dai have labelled the latest points deduction a ‘kick in the teeth for the team, staff and fans alike.’

Sell Before We Dai, who have organised protests over the summer and will continue to do so over the course of the season, have been in contact with the government and EFL over next steps.

A spokesman for the group, Nick Houlton, said: “The hard work by the team and others at the club is being undermined by Dai Yongge’s continued failure to resolve the club’s affairs. Today’s announcement is a kick in the teeth for the team, staff and fans alike.

“To breach these conditions immediately indicates serious liquidity issues going forward. We urge Dai to step up his search for a new owner and listen to offers. “Only last month, the EFL specifically called out Dai Yongge, saying it was extremely frustrated at the consistent failures under his ownership.

“Points deductions and transfer embargoes punish fans, not owners. We urge the EFL to concentrate on personally holding Dai Yongge to account for his continued mismanagement of the club.

“As for the new season, we now find ourselves in the relegation zone as a result of one person’s repeated failure to manage the club’s affairs properly.”

Reading boss Ruben Selles said before the game against Bolton that his side need to do “twice as much” as their League One opposition after more points being docked.

“We must stay together and motivated,” Selles told BBC Radio Berkshire.

“We need to continue working, preparing and going out there trying to win.

“Because of the deduction, we now know how much every single point means for us and how much we need to fight,” he said.

“We need to do twice as much as everyone else.

“There is no point in moving away from our plan.

“I don’t think the table reflects our level of football, with or without the points deduction, I think in some games this season we have deserved to get more and that is the spirit we want.”

In his first round of media interviews in July he said; “We just need to make the very best of the situation and put in the work.”

He believes good things await his side and adds he doesn’t plan on jumping ship because things are tough.

“It is more likely that Reading will fire me than I walk away,” he added.

“I have been in similar positions in my career. I know you have to suffer sometimes and I know there will be some positives in the end – it is never plain sailing.

“I am not planning to walk away at any point.

“The best part of the day is when I come here, we train, the boys are working hard and you see them growing as a team.

“At the moment, my brain and my soul is here at Reading and I am working hard to get more points for the club.

“I’m trying to keep my focus on the pitch, and that doesn’t mean you don’t have a bad day here and there, but like I say, I know there will be something good at the end.”

This is what fans said as Reading fans throw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest to halt the match against Bolton…

@bwfc_elliot: Reading were absolutely all over us before the tennis balls 😭😭😭

@m1871e: ‘Stand up if you hate Dai Yongge’ – The entire stadium roses. That for me was absolutely brilliant. #readingfc

@SaturdayRoyal: Watch how the #readingfc stewards turn into airport security level next home game. Utter disgrace as they are implicated just as much, all at the club and indeed who denounced the protest on the tannoy. Wakey wakey, stand up for our club like these fans did, enough is enough 🎾

@tommyrfc: Fair play to all #readingfc fans protesting today and throwing the tennis balls on the pitch. I’m with you in spirit if not in person. @SellBeforeWeDai

@WhatKaraThinks: I’m a Bolton fan. We went through it a few years ago. Hope it works out for Reading

@AranLong1: @EFLTrust All four stands singing F**k the EFL. #readingfc #bwfc has the ever been a governing body so out of touch with the fans?

@SaturdayRoyal: Clear example of how clueless and soulless this club is becoming. How about starting to respect your fans who travel up and down the county and sit in the SCL week in week out to see their club becoming what it is. Have some self respect than this PR rubbish. Wake up #readingfc

@mitchrfc1: Respectfully, No

@Kingsley_Royal: Grow up. You won’t have a club to tweet about if this crook carries on the way he has so far.

@samjackson_01: Shut up

@jackaroberts95: Run the club properly and this wouldn’t happen

@daveyboii10: We ask Dai Yongee to pay the bills as it risks the club going into administration

@WYTBWillis88: We ask owners to pay up on time

@Tatum1871: When he’s gone we will

@NorthDevonRoyal: Lucky it’s only tennis balls, get rid of this owner pay all staff players etc on time pay the tax and we may just have a club left

@jonreading35: Dai get out of our club!!!

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