Council members have discussed how Reading Football Club’s social value may be in jeopardy.
Due to instability brought on by club owner Dai Yongge, the team has been penalised financially and lost points.
Recently, the Reading Borough Council held a vote on a motion proposing that Mr. Yongge sell the club and that an Independent Regulator be established, with the authority to conduct elevated testing on prospective club owners.
In an effort to emphasise the significance of the Select Car Leasing Stadium, it has also been listed as an Asset of Community Value.
The stadium is located in Whitley, and the council members who represent that community have talked about the positive effects the club has on the community.
Cllr. Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley) remarked, “I fell out of love with football years ago, not with the football or indeed with the results.” “When I lost, I puked physically, and when I won, I cried.”
“I lost love as a result of greed.” Be clear: I’m not talking about the players—many of whom come from working-class families—getting paid what they deserve; rather, what I’m talking about is corporate greed.
He continued by saying that even though football has become a commodity, it still has the ability to bring people together.
“Social democracy can only succeed if it persuades people that they are a part of something bigger than themselves, and I think football does this very well,” he stated.
“I want to express my gratitude to the supporters for rekindling my love for football; I’ve become somewhat of a regular there. However, we don’t truly appreciate something until we believe we will lose it forever.
“Football does not do democracy very well, but it does engagement very very well,” he went on.
“It gives people a sense of belonging, which is something politics should strive to achieve.”
Additionally, Whitley Councilwoman Alice Mpofu-Coles (Labour, Whitley) discussed the club’s social function of giving young people jobs like those of food servers and parking attendants.
“Young people from Whitley would walk across and help with the parking; you get £5,” she stated. “Those who are 16 years old and under are employed to serve burgers.
“It’s huge when you get your own pocket money while attending school.”
“It’s about everything that’s wrapped around it, all the supply chains that are linked to the football club,” Cllr. Leng continued.
“I went to a midweek game, and the situation got so bad that the kiosk didn’t have milk for the tea.”
The club’s repeated fines from the English Football League for breaking rules have put it in financial jeopardy.
There are concerns that Whitley and Reading as a whole may be negatively impacted by these issues.
Councilwoman Mpofu-Coles stated: “Hotels are impacted in a negative way.” In the past, customers would come and stay in hotels, which helped the industry flourish. Food was also purchased.
“It’s a massive chain that has completely vanished.”
She went on to say that football starts at the grassroots level and gave recognition to two amateur football teams in Reading: Giveback FC, which tackles violence, and Sanctuary Strikers FC, which provides refugee families with exercise and support.
The sale is still being discussed.
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