Reading
2025-05-04 17:30
Ny ägare!
We've got our Reading FC back
Gunnar Björk
Nu så är det väldigt nära att vi har en ny ägare, klubben publicerade följande igår förmiddag: Reading Football Club is pleased to announce the sale in principle of the club to Redwood Holdings Limited. The takeover includes the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park Training Ground. The formal completion of the transaction is subject to final legal technicalities but is fully expected to be completed shortly. Based on the agreement between the parties, the EFL has agreed to extend its deadline for the divestment of Mr Dai Yongge’s shareholding until its next Board Meeting on 8 May. Redwood Holdings Ltd is a subsidiary of Dogwood Football LLC, which is owned by Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair of New Orleans, Louisiana..
Supporterorganisationen Sell Before We Die, som har jobbat oförtrutet med att tvinga fram/övertyga Dai Yongee om att sälja klubben för att rädda vår existens släppte följande igår:
Sold Before We Dai’d
We are incredibly relieved and happy that Reading Football Club are finally under
new ownership. It’s a day which we thought, at times, may never happen.
In the eight years of the Dai Yongge era, every single element of our club went
backwards. The first team were relegated, the women’s team were essentially
folded and staff were made redundant as every operational element of the club
was cut back to the bare bones. Those who remained were forced to work with tight
budgets and under immense pressure. Sometimes they weren’t even sure if they’d
be paid at the end of the month.
Today is a day for celebration and that starts by welcoming Rob Couhig. Thank you
for not giving up on us, thank you for saving our 153-year-old club from oblivion.
While Wycombe Wanderers owner, the Bearwood fiasco saw Couhig come into
direct conflict with our powerful, passionate fanbase, culminating in the training
ground remaining under Reading's control (we imagine he’s quite grateful for that
now!). Rumours of his views on both the academy – the jewel in our crown – and
women’s team have also left some fans unsettled.
However, the training ground issue is now in the past and Couhig should now be
judged by his actions as our owner, not by rumours which arose while he was trying
to buy the club.
Some of these actions are already plain to see. The takeover process has been
tortuous and – at times – ill-tempered. We know several bidders came and went,
but Couhig remained, and for that alone we are incredibly grateful. He was
determined, dogged and incredibly savvy. Having someone with those qualities in
your club’s corner can only be a good thing and it is also worth stating that
Wycombe Wanderers fans say he left them in a better place.
There is also evidence of the ‘soft skills’ that football fans want to see from their
clubs’ owners. A willingness to engage with supporters, a desire to be present, visible
and accountable to local media and, of course, to have a few drinks in the Purple
Turtle.
Reading Fans are now excited to hear in an open forum from Couhig about his
plans. Our gratitude is immeasurable but cannot be unconditional. We are under no
illusions that steps will need to be taken to undo the damage Dai has done to this
football club, but we hope Couhig runs Reading transparently, prudently, in
collaboration with Reading fans and with regard for the club’s identity.
As for Sell Before We Dai, we are done. We will keep social media channels open
and will always be willing to help support fans of other clubs in need, but the whole
point of being in a protest group is to get to a point where you’re no longer needed,
and that’s where we are. Work on the Football Governance Bill and all other fan-led,
owner-related activity will roll into STAR. If you want to get involved, don’t hesitate to
join. As we’ve seen, there is power in numbers.
Lastly, this was the first time most of us have been involved in a campaign group
and, though we know we didn’t get everything right, we hope we represented
Reading fans' interests as best we could. A full list of thank yous to everyone who
helped our club’s campaign will be coming soon.
We’ve been sold before we Dai’d.
Beskedet firades givetvis igår när vi tog emot Barnsley i sista matchen för säsongen, en seger kunde ha inneburit en playoffplats om Leyton Orient samtidigt som mest tog en poäng mot Huddersfield men Orient tog ledningen efter tre minuter, vann till slut med 4-1, vi gjorde en dålig match och förlorade rättvist med 2-4 mot ett för sagan klart bättre Barnsley. Det var ända feststämning bland de 21 480 på SCL Stadium, klubben har överlevt en fruktansvärd ägare och det finns en framtidstro igen. Säsongens lag har varit ett av de smet omtyckta på många, många år, det har inte alltid sett så vackert ut men det går inte att säga att någon spelare inte har gett allt under hela säsongen. Trots att vi sålde vår bäste målskytt i Sam Smith och vår kanske bäste försvarare i Tyler Bindon (lånades tillbaka direkt från Nottingham) för att kunna hålla klubben ovanför vattenytan och betala räkningar så är vi ändå så nära en play-off plats. Målet sades vara 50 poäng och vi slutade på 75… Förhoppningsvis kan vi nu ha fler än fem spelare under kontrakt när försäsongen drar igång och om vi betalar en transfersumma för en spelare så blir det första gången sedan sommaren 2020 vi köper en spelare…
Supporterorganisationen Sell Before We Die, som har jobbat oförtrutet med att tvinga fram/övertyga Dai Yongee om att sälja klubben för att rädda vår existens släppte följande igår:
Sold Before We Dai’d
We are incredibly relieved and happy that Reading Football Club are finally under
new ownership. It’s a day which we thought, at times, may never happen.
In the eight years of the Dai Yongge era, every single element of our club went
backwards. The first team were relegated, the women’s team were essentially
folded and staff were made redundant as every operational element of the club
was cut back to the bare bones. Those who remained were forced to work with tight
budgets and under immense pressure. Sometimes they weren’t even sure if they’d
be paid at the end of the month.
Today is a day for celebration and that starts by welcoming Rob Couhig. Thank you
for not giving up on us, thank you for saving our 153-year-old club from oblivion.
While Wycombe Wanderers owner, the Bearwood fiasco saw Couhig come into
direct conflict with our powerful, passionate fanbase, culminating in the training
ground remaining under Reading's control (we imagine he’s quite grateful for that
now!). Rumours of his views on both the academy – the jewel in our crown – and
women’s team have also left some fans unsettled.
However, the training ground issue is now in the past and Couhig should now be
judged by his actions as our owner, not by rumours which arose while he was trying
to buy the club.
Some of these actions are already plain to see. The takeover process has been
tortuous and – at times – ill-tempered. We know several bidders came and went,
but Couhig remained, and for that alone we are incredibly grateful. He was
determined, dogged and incredibly savvy. Having someone with those qualities in
your club’s corner can only be a good thing and it is also worth stating that
Wycombe Wanderers fans say he left them in a better place.
There is also evidence of the ‘soft skills’ that football fans want to see from their
clubs’ owners. A willingness to engage with supporters, a desire to be present, visible
and accountable to local media and, of course, to have a few drinks in the Purple
Turtle.
Reading Fans are now excited to hear in an open forum from Couhig about his
plans. Our gratitude is immeasurable but cannot be unconditional. We are under no
illusions that steps will need to be taken to undo the damage Dai has done to this
football club, but we hope Couhig runs Reading transparently, prudently, in
collaboration with Reading fans and with regard for the club’s identity.
As for Sell Before We Dai, we are done. We will keep social media channels open
and will always be willing to help support fans of other clubs in need, but the whole
point of being in a protest group is to get to a point where you’re no longer needed,
and that’s where we are. Work on the Football Governance Bill and all other fan-led,
owner-related activity will roll into STAR. If you want to get involved, don’t hesitate to
join. As we’ve seen, there is power in numbers.
Lastly, this was the first time most of us have been involved in a campaign group
and, though we know we didn’t get everything right, we hope we represented
Reading fans' interests as best we could. A full list of thank yous to everyone who
helped our club’s campaign will be coming soon.
We’ve been sold before we Dai’d.
Beskedet firades givetvis igår när vi tog emot Barnsley i sista matchen för säsongen, en seger kunde ha inneburit en playoffplats om Leyton Orient samtidigt som mest tog en poäng mot Huddersfield men Orient tog ledningen efter tre minuter, vann till slut med 4-1, vi gjorde en dålig match och förlorade rättvist med 2-4 mot ett för sagan klart bättre Barnsley. Det var ända feststämning bland de 21 480 på SCL Stadium, klubben har överlevt en fruktansvärd ägare och det finns en framtidstro igen. Säsongens lag har varit ett av de smet omtyckta på många, många år, det har inte alltid sett så vackert ut men det går inte att säga att någon spelare inte har gett allt under hela säsongen. Trots att vi sålde vår bäste målskytt i Sam Smith och vår kanske bäste försvarare i Tyler Bindon (lånades tillbaka direkt från Nottingham) för att kunna hålla klubben ovanför vattenytan och betala räkningar så är vi ändå så nära en play-off plats. Målet sades vara 50 poäng och vi slutade på 75… Förhoppningsvis kan vi nu ha fler än fem spelare under kontrakt när försäsongen drar igång och om vi betalar en transfersumma för en spelare så blir det första gången sedan sommaren 2020 vi köper en spelare…
