Saturday’s League One fixture between Reading and Port Vale was abandoned after Royals fans invaded the pitch in a protest against the club’s owner Dai Yongge.
Play was initially halted in the third minute of the game as supporters threw tennis balls onto the Select Car Leasing Stadium pitch, in a protest arranged by fan group Sell Before We Dai, who have repeatedly urged Yongge to sell the club.
The game eventually restarted but was halted once more when hundreds of supporters spilled onto the pitch after 16 minutes.
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Reading urged fans to vacate the field of play via a statement released on social media, warning the club risked ‘serious sanctions’ if the match could not restart.
However, the match was abandoned at around 16:30 UK time, with the Royals – who began Saturday’s fixture fourth from bottom and three points adrift of safety – now facing a potential punishment from the Football League.
Reading – who competed in the Premier League as recently as 2013 – have suffered a series of points deductions totalling 16 points since late 2021, with four of those points being deducted this season after Yongge failed to deposit the necessary funds into an account to pay the club’s wage bill in August.
— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) January 13, 2024
