Reading Match Abandoned Following Pitch Invasion Protest Against Club Ownership.
The Reading vs. Port Vale game was abandoned due to home fans’ refusal to leave the field in protest over club ownership.
The match was called off after 16 minutes of play due to protests by Reading supporters over Dai Yongge’s ownership of the club. 68 minutes later, referee Ross Joyce took the players to their dressing rooms before ending the match.
The EFL advised Reading to abandon their League One match against Port Vale on Saturday after over 1,000 home fans stormed the field.
The game was stopped after 16 minutes of play because the home crowd was protesting Dai Yongge’s club’s ownership. Approximately 40 fans remained on the field 68 minutes later.
A portion of the home crowd at Select Car Leasing Stadium tossed tennis balls onto the field shortly after kickoff, interrupting the game.
While fans congregated around the field, some of them setting off blue flares, referee Ross Joyce ushered the players inside their change rooms. Supporters displayed a banner that said “Football has an ownership problem” near the center circle and screamed anti-Dai phrases.
The majority of the home supporters began to make their way back to the stands after approaching the Vale supporters, who cheered them on. However, a large number of people later came back and set up a sit-in in the center circle.
“We are fully aware of and understand our supporters’ frustrations,” the statement on Reading’s X, formerly Twitter, account said. “But we must reiterate to our supporters that entering or throwing items onto the pitch can put the fixture at risk of abandonment and can result in personal consequences, including banning orders.”
The game went on with some 300 Reading supporters still on the field, and at 3:56 pm, representatives from both clubs contacted the EFL fixtures management team to talk about “the best course of action.”
Then, at approximately 4:25 p.m., it was announced that the game would be postponed. Later in the season, on a weekday, the match will be replayed.
“The first fan-led match abandonment in our 152-year history should not be celebrated, but the spontaneous, unfiltered passion, as well as the will and determination of our fans, should be,” declared Sell Before We Dai, a group advocating for a change of ownership at Reading.
“We understand that we will be punished by the EFL, but what we really need is help,” the statement continued. Fans who aren’t often hostile toward one another showed their feelings today. We are concerned about our football club’s future since the threat is so great.
