Reading FC CEO breaks silence after relegation
For weeks now fans have been calling for an update from the club
After weeks of silence Reading football club has finally issued a statement to fans.
It reveals the search for a new manager is nearly over and the club still has significant financial challenges.
Here is the statement from CEO Dayong Pang in full:
"I would personally like to thank all our supporters for their patience last season and throughout the summer so far.
"Mr Dai personally attended both home and away matches on many occasions last season and, as a supporter of this football club himself, he was very disappointed to see the campaign end in relegation. It is not what we planned, it is not what we hoped for, it is not what we expected.
"Following the six points taken from our total, our season quickly became another very difficult one for the players, the staff and most importantly our fans. And that is why this update has to begin with a note of sincere gratitude to our loyal supporters!
"The process to appoint a new manager has been underway for some time now, but we fully recognise how important a decision this is for the club - for next season and beyond. And for that reason, the process has been comprehensive and has naturally taken time. Mr Dai himself has played and continues to play an active part in the search and appointment of the next manager…a process we fully believe is now rightly reaching its conclusion.
"When we said we would fix the issues of the past and build this club back to a level at which we all want to see it compete, we knew it was going to be a long-term project. We hoped to avoid serious setbacks like last season, but despite the very best efforts of so many, this was not possible.
"As a club, financially we continue to face a number of significant challenges and our owner, Mr Dai, is working very hard to resolve those issues to ensure the future of Reading Football Club is stable, successful, progressive and positive.
"Our short-term goal is now clear though…to appoint the right man for the role of first team manager and to rebuild a squad capable of competing for a return to the Championship!
"Long term, I am confident we have the right people at the club to achieve our ambitions and fully correct the mistakes that were made many years ago.
"But, as always, we will need our fans. Thank you for your support, your faith in us and your love for your club. "