Sell Before We Dai call on Dayong Pang and senior leadership of Reading FC to provide a substantive takeover update
A new poll indicates that Reading FC’s lack of communication is causing more than half of fans to miss matches.
A poll of Reading FC fans conducted by the Sell Before We Dai campaign on X/Twitter discovered that over three-quarters of supporters’ attendance at games has been negatively impacted, or will be in the future, due to the club’s persistent lack of clarity about the existing ownership structure.
More than 1,200 Reading FC fans participated in the poll, with 50.5% stating the lack of substantial updates on the club’s sale has already resulted in a decrease in their attendance at league and/or cup games, and another 21.9% believing it will do so in the future. Only 27.5% reported that their attendance was unaffected.
Last Thursday, Sell Before We Dai requested Reading FC’s leadership to urgently enhance communications with fans, requesting an update on the club’s short-term funding predicament. This is essential because the transfer market is going to open again, and many fans are apprehensive about the possible forced sale of key players, as well as the issue with the exclusivity status of the proposed sale, and indeed if the club can be sold, given the complex nature of the ownership arrangements.
Many fans also took to X/Twitter to comment on the impact the lack of communications from the club is having on their match attendance, with user @Reading106 saying: “Absolutely. Living a little way away and with three kids under 4, I have to pick and choose games to go to. This season more than ever I’ve just felt like nothing from the club. There’s absolutely no value exchange in taking an entire day to go up there.”
Similarly, @ACW53, a season ticket holder for nearly 50 years, replied that they “will miss the occasional games and not give a consideration. Previously, I would never consider missing a match regardless of the circumstances.”
Becky Trotman, spokesperson for Sell Before We Dai, stated: “Good communications cost nothing – but our poll shows that the club’s lack of a statement in the last month is leading to fans becoming increasingly frustrated, and costing the club money in lost ticket sales at a time when every penny counts.
“We’re calling on Dayong Pang and Reading FC’s senior leadership to offer a comprehensive update ahead of their match against Peterborough United this weekend.
“We’ve been advised that updates are tough to deliver due to NDAs, but Reading FC is nothing without its fans, and we don’t think it’s impossible to provide a brief but important update. We’ve even produced our own statement, which they can print because they refuse to provide an update themselves. The club’s failure to communicate with fans who have supported it through thick and thin in recent years demonstrates a clear lack of respect and complacency.”
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