Simon Jordan criticises Reading fans’ decision to invade pitch while Jeff Stelling defends protest

talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan criticises Reading fans’ decision to invade the pitch while Jeff Stelling defends their method of protest.

Jordan said that the club’s supporters ‘have no right’ to run onto the field of play, and instead should consider venting their frustrations through the appropriate channels.

Royals fans’ pitch invasion led to the abandonment of Saturday’s League One fixture with Port Vale in protest at Dai Yongge’s ownership.

The EFL state that they will hold a discussion about the pitch invasion at a board meeting later this week.

Simon Jordan was asked by his fellow talkSPORT colleague Jim White when should the EFL intervene at Reading, Jordan replied: “That is not their responsibility.

“The EFL’s responsibility is the sanction the football clubs under the rules that the 72 football clubs in the football league put together.

“They can’t just unilaterally and decide autonomously that because one football clubs is having trouble with an owner who has clearly ran out of money that they can step in.

“I think the Reading fans have every right to protest, every right to take their issues as loud and vociferous as they.

“I think they have no right to go onto a football field and no right to stop a football match from being played, least of all for the Port Vale fans that have travelled across the country to go watch them.”

“I wonder how vociferous you guys were when this guy was spending like a drunken sailor for the first few years of his ownership.

“There is a myth going around that needs to be debunked that he was stopped from owning a Premier League club because that isn’t true.

“I wonder when John Madejski pops up and sells the business to a Russian, how much money John made out of that transaction and the Russian that was brought through the door. Everybody’s hands are over this.”

The destruction of Sir John Madejski’s tenure at the club has taken less than a decade and multiple owners, culminating in where we are now.

Very sad listening to him discussing the situation.#SellBeforeWeDai#ReadingFC pic.twitter.com/smaumtH7Oq

— Sell Before We Dai (@SellBeforeWeDai) January 15, 2024

Meanwhile, Jeff Stelling applauded Reading fans for their decision to protest on the pitch.

He said: “You’d never advocate fans going on the pitch. But I’ll tell you what, it was the right thing. It was the right thing to do.

“Look at the coverage of their plight that those reading fans have got. They are desperate. They want him expelled.

“As an owner, they can see their club being liquidated, going the same way as the clubs in China and Belgium that Yongge has owned in the past. They were dissolved. They don’t exist anymore.

“More in desperation, they’ve gone on the pitch. They don’t care about points deduction. That doesn’t matter. What they care about is their club and the future of their club.

“And if anybody who’s a Premier League supporter is thinking this doesn’t matter to us because it’s the EFL and they’re down in League One, I tell you, Forest, Wolves, Palace fans, everybody Reading, were in the Premier League just over ten years ago.

“Just over ten years ago. We can’t afford to let reading go the same way as teams like Bury and Macclesfield in the past. We just can’t.

“With the best will in the world, it’s fine for the EFL to punish them. What are they going to do? Points deductions? Well, they’ve had 16 points taken off them over the last few seasons. Fine them.

“Well, they haven’t got any money. What’s the point of that? Make them play in an empty stadium. What’s the point of that going to affect their finances?

“Again, the EFL have got to take a look at the fit and proper owners correct decisions that they make. And how was this guy allowed to become involved in a football club in the first place?

“It’s difficult because when a club’s in financial trouble and somebody comes along seemingly bearing gifts of gold, you want to snap their hands off, but you’ve got to be careful what you wish for. And reading at moment, through no fault of the fans, through no fault of people like John Madejski, who came before, have fallen into the hands of this guy, Dai Yongge, and they can’t be allowed to play the ultimate penalty of going out of business. They just can’t.”

“It was the right thing to do!” 👏🔵

“The EFL have to take a look… How was this guy allowed to take over in the first place?!”

Jeff Stelling backs the #ReadingFC protest on the pitch, amidst worrying ownership issues. pic.twitter.com/6wQLGSd2qt

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 15, 2024

Ex-Reading chairman John Madejski said the club’s situation was a ‘travesty’ and urged Dai Yongge to sell the club.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “I am absolutely heartbroken at the way that Reading FC has developed or not developed, I have total sympathy of every fan out there, everyone who works for Reading Football Club.

“The tyranny that is being unleashed on the club as we speak is not fair, it’s not right. The thing I can’t get my head round is that Mr Dai allegedly lives in a £100millon house next door to the King, to Buckingham Palace.

“If he can have a £100million house, one would assume, rightly or wrongly, that he should be able to do the husbandry at Reading and look after the club to his best abilities.

“He may want to sell the club but unless he looks after the club, he isn’t going to have anything to sell.

“Getting us deducted 16 points. The whole thing is a travesty, it absolutely breaks my heart.

“I spent many years of my life getting Reading Football Club into a nice position, along with lots of others on that journey.

“It’s a total slap in the face, it’s a kick in the stomach. If he wants to sell the club, he should fund it properly and we might be able to get out of this division.”

When questioned if he could have any direct communication or influence on Dai Yongge to sell the club, Madejksi replied: “Not knowing if the wages will be paid at the end of the month is tyranny, it’s cruel.

“I’ve only met him (Dai Yongge) once in passing at the play-offs against Huddersfield at Wembley. I’ve never had any communication (with him). I think he just felt, ‘well I own the club now, move on, he’s history.’

“Don’t forget that he’s put £260million into the club, but that’s all wasted money. He’s built a state of the arc training ground, but what’s the point when you’re in the first division? The whole thing is immensely sad.

“Like fans, we are all helpless so it’s frustrating and sad.”

SEE MORE: EFL ‘considering all options’ as they release statement on Reading owner Dai Yongge

This is how Twitter users reacted as Simon Jordan criticises Reading fans’ decision to invade the pitch while Jeff Stelling defends their method of protest…

@CityBIue: Too far? Nothing else has worked. The fans would only do something like this if they were desperate for their club to exist, a state of mind no football fan should be in when it comes to the existence of their club. Good on them.

@mattieshaw97: Easy for someone in a studio to say that. He isn’t living it week after week like Reading fans is he? You wouldn’t even mention it if the fans hadn’t invaded pitch. They made their point.

@kieranb81: If Reading fans hadn’t done it on Saturday it wouldn’t have been given 2 seconds of a mention on this station. Was in the away end and while it would have been great to see a full game completely support and understand what and why they did it

@RyanJWhelan: Got you talking about it though didn’t it Simon….. Maybe it’s exactly what was needed

@LiamHar83835116: Holding banners doesn’t do anything so they had to do something that would cause upset hence the pitch invasion.

@Mr_Perrins13:
Disagree with this
Unfortunate as it is
The normal routes have failed
The @EFL have allowed this to happen
And it needed dramatic action being taken

@Josh56024482: Nothing else has worked and since suddenly most the national football world is talking about I’d say it was needed

@GettoSpelecto: Drastic times require drastic measures, ticking away to being liquidated, the fans have the right to do whatever for their club in this situation

@danmufc11: They have EVERY right!!! Don’t ever tell the fans they have no right, without them you don’t have a club so Simon needs to shut his mouth!

@ben366486451371: of course a man who almost bankrupted crystal palace defends a man doing the same at reading. simon jordan classless as ever.

@adamReadingFC: at what point is staring liquidation in the face and pitch invading ‘foo far’ 😂 absolute bollocks as per usual #readingfc

@AndyPreston96: I get that his role on that station is purely to be antagonistic. But this is not the time for antagonism. Reading need support from the football family. Thankfully most have understood that and have been sympathetic and supportive. #ReadingFC

@NS1871xx: Simon Jordan is a wanker #readingfc

@bants90: What a joker. Fans are the real ones losing. They’re fighting for the club. Good on every single one of them for taking action and getting more eyes on their fight.

@matt11p: Yeah but he’s also a fucking idiot couple with not liking us #readingfc. Was it Palace he nearly ran into the ground himself?

@SimonL1793: Course he’d say that considering he was responsible for almost nearly dismantling Crystal Palace in 2010.

@L18SFC: Fuck off Simon Jordan. Them doing this has put way more spotlight on it than there was which could save them. Good on them

@JonHyde1871: This is why @JeffStelling is still one of the best in the business, passionate but also knowledgeable.

@CazParker1871: Thanks @JeffStelling – a man with a voice who gets it. 💙🤍

@royalex_B: First guy I’ve seen with a big voice that really gets it. Hats off to you @JeffStelling 🔵⚪️

@BrianHoulton6: Thank you Jeff, you are the voice we need #ReadingFC. EFL need to face up to their massive mistake. It needs the whole football fan base to support this campaign, it could happen to any club. Btw, I am 76 and supported the club since I was 10. Heartbroken 😥

@ks2418: Thank you Jeff Stelling a person with a voice to help raise the issue if a weak EFL from a royal urz!