Reading FC: Fan group chair 'hopeful' over new football regulator

Sarah Turner said she was hopeful a regulator could prevent problems like those seen at Reading

An independent regulator for football could potentially have stopped some of the ownership problems at Reading FC, the chair of a fan group has said.

Sarah Turner, chair of the Supporters' Trust at Reading (STAR), appeared in front of MPs as part of scrutiny of the Football Governance Bill.

Fans have called on owner Dai Yongge to sell the club after recent financial penalties and points deductions.

Reading's men's and women's teams were relegated in the 2022/23 season.

Reading fans staged many protests last season, including one at their rescheduled home match against Port Vale in February, weeks after the fixture was abandoned

Mrs Turner told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Thursday that, while positive, planned regulation could go further to protect clubs' assets, including training grounds.

After appearing at the committee, she told BBC Radio Berkshire: "There is a long way to go. They are only in the second stage of this at the moment and there are going to be lots of amendments and changes.

"I feel really hopeful that the independent regulator will make a massive difference and that going forward other clubs won't have to go through what we've gone through at Reading."

Other witnesses at the committee included Ben Wright, the director of external affairs at the Professional Footballers' Association, and Sanjay Bhandari, the chairman of Kick It Out.

Alistair Jones said fans should not be left to protect their club if they get into difficulty

Reading's home match against Port Vale in January was abandoned after hundreds of home fans invaded the pitch in protest against Dai's ownership and protests were staged at other games.

West Bromwich Albion fan Alistair Jones, a spokesperson from the Action for Albion group, told the committee: "It shouldn't be down to fan groups like Reading and West Brom's to try to protect their football clubs.

"There should be something in governance that we have to stop that before it gets to this."

Reading East MP Matt Rodda, a member of the committee, said he is "really keen" to see better regulation of owners and possible intervention if their "behaviour changes".

Reading have previously said they are in "exclusive negotiations" with a buyer after Dai committed to a letter of intent.

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