Posted on 24th February 2025
Reading petition passes 8,000 signatures
A petition launched at the weekend by a Berkshire MP calling for an inquiry into Reading’s owners has already gathered 8,450 signatures.
The MP for the Reading constituency of Earley and Woodley, Yuan Yang MP, has joined forces with supporter groups – the Supporters Trust at Reading and Sell Before We Dai campaign group – to call for an inquiry into the club’s absentee ownership.
“I’m glad Sell Before We Dai have joined me in calling for an inquiry into Reading FC’s absent owner. After years of failing our club, please sign our petition to hold Dai Yongge to account,” Yang said.
“I’m confident that the Government’s Football Governance Bill will help clubs in future, but clubs in peril now need answers.”
The League One side have been in a protracted crisis for the last two years, not only facing winding up petitions from HMRC but receiving points penalties from the EFL on multiple occasions for failing to pay player and staff wages.
Supporter groups, who have held regular protests outside the Madejski Stadium in recent seasons, were gathering signatures for the petition on Saturday ahead of their 0-0 draw with Birmingham City.
Becky Trotman, spokesperson for Sell Before We Dai, said: “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.
“The Dai siblings have been invisible for far too long and their time at Reading Football Club should remain in the spotlight. This is why we are so keen to support this petition – and we would like to thank Yuan Yang and her team for their work on this.
“This is just one of numerous avenues we are going down to keep up the campaign to pressure the Dais into selling the club we love.”
Sarah Turner, chair of Supporters’ Trust at Reading (STAR), said: “Fans have been left in the dark by Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li for quite some time – and we welcome the possibility of an inquiry taking place.
“Our supporters, many of whom continue to show up week in, week out, deserve better after many months of uncertainty.
“Having collaborated with other supporters’ groups in the past and present, we are firmly aware that we aren’t the only club that has suffered from the consequences of having absent owners.
“We hope an inquiry into Reading’s current owners could be the catalyst for similar investigations in the future.”
What does the FSA think?
Reading have been a club in crisis for far too long, with their supporters doing a magnificent job in challenging their owners. Credit to them and Yuan Yang MP for keeping their plight in the public eye.
Royals supporters have lived with uncertainty for too long and change is clearly needed – stories like Reading are one of the reasons we’re committed to getting the Football Governance Bill through Parliament.
The Bill, which delivers on the Government’s manifesto commitments, will establish an Independent Football Regulator and a new set of rules to protect clubs, empower fans and keep clubs at the heart of their communities.
That regulator will tackle rogue owners and directors, implement a club licensing regime to help ensure a more consistent approach in how clubs are run, monitor club finances and improve fan engagement throughout the football pyramid – from the Premier League to the National League.
