A petition urging the owners to sell Reading FC football club received over 10,000 signatures in one week, ensuring that it will be debated in parliament.
Earley MP Yuan Yang first teamed up with fan organisation Sell Before We Dai and Reading Supporters Trust to start the petition demanding for an investigation into the club’s missing owners. Within the first 24 hours, 5,000 people signed the digital copy. The petition has already received over ten thousand signatures in just one week of its introduction.
Ms Yang discussed her next moves on X, now known as Twitter, writing, “I will soon present a petition in Parliament, urging the Sport and Business Committees to launch an inquiry into the ownership and governance of #readingfc since 2012.”
Reading Football Club has had various owners since 2012, and in the previous five years alone, fans have witnessed not just tremendous financial mismanagement of their club, but also an astounding lack of openness from the owners.
Mr Dai Yongge and Ms Dai Xiu Li control the club, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Staff have been paid late, HMRC has initiated many winding-up petitions, and employees have been forced to endure redundancies and late wage payments on several occasions.
With no end in sight, Reading FC risks becoming the latest example of a historic, community-focused club being destroyed by erratic owners. Yuan Yang stated, “I’m glad Sell Before We Dai has joined me in calling for an investigation into Reading FC’s absent owner.”
After years of failing our club, please sign our petition to hold Dai Yongge accountable. “I’m confident that the Government’s Football Governance Bill will help clubs in future, but clubs in peril now need answers.” Ms.
Yang has been working in Parliament to put pressure on the current ownership, resulting in a debate on sustainable football club ownership at the beginning of March.
She also met with Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock and urged her to guarantee that the Football Governance Bill and the Independent Football Regulator have the authority to force irresponsible owners to sell when necessary.
Ms. Yang recently stated that she has met with numerous prospective bidders and is optimistic that a solution can be found to ensure Reading Football Club’s long-term viability.
According to Becky Trotman, spokesman for Sell Before We Dai, “We are pleased to be part of this initiative, which could play a key role in holding Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li to account.”
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