Fans to have a say in running Reading Football Club
New owner Rob Couhig says he wants to create three councils to help develop the club including a fan council
Last updated 10th Jun 2025
Reading FC's new owner has spoken to Greatest Hits Radio just hours after arriving in the UK for the first time since he completed his takeover of the club.
US businessman Rob Couhig talked to us about season ticket sales, signings, future investors and plans to encourage input from fans, business leaders and AI specialists.
Councils
"First there's going to be a fan council that we will have some fans come in and help us guide the ship, secondly there's going to be a purely business council that I expect we're going to have in and talk directly with me and suggest things, because it shouldn't be a one way street we shouldn't just be going out and asking for their money we need to be able to turn around and say 'what can we do to help you in your mission to do better and make this community better', and the third thing we're going to create an AI council we need to figure out how to bring artificial intelligence to football to further enhance the way we bring football to people whether it's in the stands or at home in Australia, and that's going to be a centrepiece and that's going to be a huge part of it we didn't just bring Landways in because we like them and they do fabulous work it is part of us being at the forefront of technological innovation in football."
Season Ticket Sales
"We sold in excess of 7500 season tickets which is more than they sold all of last year in less than three weeks we've got some things going on which will bring us to that 10,000 mark, I'm told my all the experts don't mention the 10,000 mark but if you don't have audacious goals you don't achieve them and this club can certainly do it."
Signings
"I don't think I'm at liberty (to name names) because it's not just for me to say we have to get league approval and we have to co-ordinate it with the players but I think people will see we will have a strong, strong, strong squad."
On backroom replacements (assistant manager and goalkeeping coach)
"Lots of people want to be here they see a club that's financially stable they see it with people with organisational skills we're putting together something that's likely to be a winner that people will want to be associated so it's fair to say Noel is pleased with his options."
Investors
"What we know is whether we bring in one more partner or twenty more partners we're going to have enough money to do it right because doing it right doesn't mean the owner just comes in and spends money, which club recently had that experience and had trouble once the owner stopped doing it? The very club we're sitting in! Looks what's happening at Sheffield Wednesday the same exact scenario."