‘Sold Before We Daied’- Reading’s long-awaited takeover finally confirmed on final day of season

‘Sold Before We Daied’- Reading’s long-awaited takeover is finally CONFIRMED on the final day of the 2024/25 season.

The Royals have confirmed the sale of the club to former Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig, pending legal formalities.

Couhig, who nearly bought the club in August, is in attendance for the final League One match of the regular campaign, against Barnsley at home, with 21,000 fans hoping to see the club reach the playoffs.

And even if they don’t today is a good day, one to celebrate in light of this much welcomed news, securing the club’s future going forward. The sale ends Dai Yongge’s over two-year ownership.

Reading Football Club is pleased to announce the sale in principle of the club to Redwood Holdings Limited.

Statement in full 👇

— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) May 3, 2025

CLUB STATEMENT:

Reading Football Club is pleased to announce the sale in principle of the club to Redwood Holdings Limited.

The takeover includes the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park Training Ground.

The formal completion of the transaction is subject to final legal technicalities but is fully expected to be completed shortly.

Based on the agreement between the parties, the EFL has agreed to extend its deadline for the divestment of Mr Dai Yongge’s shareholding until its next Board Meeting on 8 May.

Redwood Holdings Ltd is a subsidiary of Dogwood Football LLC, which is owned by Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair of New Orleans, Louisiana.

EFL STATEMENT:

The EFL has received confirmation from all parties that a sale has been agreed in principle with Redwood Holdings Limited, with the transaction expected to be completed shortly, once final legal technicalities have been completed.

As such, the EFL Board has agreed to extend the time allowed for Mr Dai Yongge to divest his interests until Thursday 8 May, subject to compliance with all other EFL regulations.

SELL BEFORE WE DAI STATEMENT:

We never wanted to exist and now we’re happy to go out of existence – but we don’t want Reading fans to forget what we all achieved together.

We threw tennis balls, we showed red cards, we got a game abandoned, we lobbied outside Parliament, we marched through the streets of Reading for the first time since 1983. We engaged politicians, we enlisted the support of some of the biggest names in football for our cause, we made sure Reading never left the spotlight.

Well done to ALL #readingfc fans.

We are incredibly relieved and happy that Reading Football Club are finally under new ownership. Its a day which we thought, at times, may never happen.

In the eight years of the Dai Yongge era, every single element of our club went backwards. The first team were relegated, the women’s team were essentially folded, and staff were made redundant as every operational element of the club was cut back to the bare bones. Those who remained were forced to work with tight budgets and under immense pressure. Sometimes they weren’t even sure if they’d be paid at the end of the month.

Today is a day for celebration and that starts by welcoming Rob Couhig. Thank you for not giving up on us, thank you for saving our 153-year-old club from oblivion.

While Wycombe Wanderers owner, the Bearwood fiasco saw Couhig come into direct conflict with our powerful, passionate fanbase, culminating in the training ground remaining under Reading’s control (we imagine he’s quite grateful for that now!). Rumours of his views on both the academy – the jewel in our crown – and women’s team have also left some fans unsettled.

However, the training ground issue is now in the past and Couhig should now be judged by his actions as our owner, not by rumours which arose while he was trying to buy the club.

Some of these actions are already plain to see. The takeover process has been tortuous and — at times — ill-tempered. We know several bidders came and went, but Couhig remained, and for that alone we are incredibly grateful. He was determined, dogged and incredibly savvy. Having someone with those qualities in your club’s corner can only be a good thing and it is also worth stating that Wycombe Wanderers fans say he left them in a better place.

There is also evidence of the ‘soft skills’ that football fans want to see from their clubs’ owners. A willingness to engage with supporters, a desire to be present, visible and accountable to local media and, of course, to have a few drinks in the Purple Turtle.

Reading fans are now excited to hear in an open forum from Couhig about his plans. Our gratitude is immeasurable but cannot be unconditional. We are under no illusions that steps will need to be taken to undo the damage Dai has done to this football club, but we hope Couhig runs Reading transparently, prudently, in collaboration with Reading fans and with regard for the club’s identity.

As for Sell Before We Dal, we are done. We will keep social media channels open and will always be willing to help support fans of other clubs in need, but the whole point of being in a protest group is to get to a point where you’re no longer needed, and that’s where we are. Work on the Football Governance Bill and all other fan-led, owner-related activity will roll into STAR. If you want to get involved, don’t hesitate to join. As we’ve seen, there is power in numbers.

Lastly, this was the first time most of us have been involved in a campaign group and, though we know we didn’t get everything right, we hope we represented Reading fans’ interests as best we could. A full list of thank yous to everyone who helped our club’s campaign will be coming soon.

We’ve been sold before we Dai’d.

ENDS

🎥 Immediate reaction from @mrblthomas to the wonderful news that we’ve waiting to hit #ReadingFC for far, far too long. pic.twitter.com/R8POWJhDiD

— The Tilehurst End (@TheTilehurstEnd) May 3, 2025

Here’s how fans reacted to Reading’s long-awaited takeover finally confirmed on the final day of the season…

@CScott____: 10:30 tears sat in a retail park car park wasn’t on my agenda today, but guess that happened #ReadingFC

@TaylorStannett3: Best birthday gift I could’ve got! GTFI! That’s all enjoy the moment. Up the fucking ding! #ReadingFC

@Fozziebear17: Can’t express how I feel right now. Emotionally wrecked but bloody on cloud 9 now. Now let’s roar on the team now . Urzzzzz. @ReadingFC

@Amy_Lou_82: I’m not crying, you are!!!!! 😭😭😭😭 AT LAST!!!!!!!! #READINGFC

@ValleyFloydFred: Congratulations! Hopefully you can focus on just the football now! Good luck today!

@Reeceyboi147:
Can’t believe it !!!
Into them today and let’s get play offs
Fans going to be pumped

@DazWareham: What a day for the royals fans. Outstanding!! Im so pleased for every single fan who have had to put up with the nonsense they have for so long. Bring on the new era! Now time for the playoffs.

@harryy6666: “The formal completion of the transaction is subject to final legal technicalities but is fully expected to be completed shortly.” Completed sale & Companies House updates then I’ll relax

@BCFCRoyalBlue: Fantastic news for Reading FC and the fans. You have been through the mill over recent years but you can now look forward to a brighter future. Really pleased for you all. KRO!

@TomHambo: Hold the lap of appreciation. At full time table comes out, players queue up and sign contracts, exit into bus straight to Purple turtle 🐢 UTD #readingfc

@covboss: Congratulations to everyone at Reading, you guys have won. I do hope to see you guys return to Championship soon 👍

@FinCrebolder: As shite as this existential crisis has been, it’s restored my faith in football fanbases & made me love the club more than ever. And coming out the other end of it, the support for the club feels stronger than ever and we have our best group of players in years. Up the Ding 💙

@matt11p: This day truly felt like it was never coming but it’s finally over 🙏🏼 What a day today could end up being. UP THE DING #readingfc

@stupotwotnot: Our club lives on and will not die. Thank you @SellBeforeWeDai for everything you have done #readingfc

@TheRealToddy88: This is huge. Finally. Let’s hope the club can move forward and not be run by clowns ever again. To other clubs struggling look at what @SellBeforeWeDai have achieved by banding together. #readingfc

@Craig91E: The party has started! Now we can get back to being football fans. Well done everyone involved from @SellBeforeWeDai to those defiant few who got the Port Vale game postponed. We won! Now @RCouhig take care of this club!

@sam_jeffs: Delighted for the fans. We all like to win but ultimately you support a club as you everything a match day involves win, lose or draw. Start of a new era for them

@Hoops1791: Don’t know about any of you but getting into the play offs really doesn’t matter to me now. Amazing if we do but really not assed either way. The fact that that ASSHOLE has gone is the only thing that matters today 🥳 #readingfc

@connor_mh: Almost like we told them lot Couhig wasn’t the “bad guy”👀but in all seriousness, no club should have an owner like Dai ever and it’s one more prick who shouldn’t be involved in a football club kicked out

@bryony_candlin: So genuinely happy for all Reading fans! Hopefully a well deserved new start for all associated with the club 💙💙 #readingfc

@JamesW1884: Big day for our club #dcfcfans but would like to say congratulations to Reading fans today too. We’ve been there as a club – not knowing if we were going to have a football club to come back to and it’s horrendous. Enjoy your day Royals fans. And up the Shagging Rams! #dcfc

@tomlight93: Don’t quite have the words. At some point I will, but right now there are none. Just pure relief. 💙 #readingfc

@IMRMEZZI: All banter aside over the years this is fantastic news. A fanbase that has been through the ringer which we know all too well #readingfc #bcfc