More than a thousand Reading FC fans take part in protest march
Supporters carrying placards and chanting walked from the town centre to the SCL stadium
Last updated 28th Oct 2023
Up to 2000 Reading fans have turned out to protest over the ownership crisis at the club.
In an impressive show of strength and passion they marched from the town centre to the SCL stadium carrying placards and chanting.
Leading the march was former Reading striker Dave Kitson along with local politicians including Reading East MP Matt Rodda, Bracknell MP James Sutherland and the leader of Reading Borough Council Jason Brock.
The march turned the southbound carriageway of the A33 relief road into a sea of of blue and white.
Some of those marching today took part in a similar protest 40 years ago when the club was threatened by publisher Robert Maxwell who wanted to merge Reading with Oxford United and create a new team called 'Thames Valley Royals'.
Today's protest was organised by the 'sell before we dai' campaign and billed as 'march before we dai'.
The club remains up for sale with several interested parties apparently in talks with the owner Chinese businessman Dai Yongge - organisers say the purpose of today's match was to keep pressure on him to sell up as soon as possible.
Reading borough councillor and longterm Reading fan John Ennis said it was a "day of hope".
Many fans took to social media to express their pride in the turn out for the march.