Reading protest group Sell Before We Dai have thanked supporters, of both the Royals and Port Vale, who took part in January’s pitch invasion which has landed the club with a hefty fine.
In January, thousands of supporters invaded the pitch after 16 minutes against Port Vale in protest against owner Dai Yongge, with the match abandoned and forced to be replayed later in the season.
The English Football League had already hit the club with a suspended three-point deduction but the FA have now issued a £7,500 fine, with £3,750 suspended until the end of the 2024/25 season, and a warning during a hearing.
Sell Before We Dai had originally planned a post-match pitch invasion, but supporters took matters into their own hands and saw the match abandoned.
Seven months later and The FA have issued a £3,750 fine for the Port Vale protest. The full report is here and it's clear that the peaceful nature of the protest prevented any harsher punishment.
This wasn't #readingfc fans behaving badly, it was fans standing against the… https://t.co/TFFfI4q4A7
— Sell Before We Dai (@SellBeforeWeDai) August 27, 2024
Supporters Trust at Reading commented on Tuesday, while Sell Before We Dai followed.
“Seven months later and The FA have issued a £3,750 fine for the Port Vale protest,” it read. “The full report is here and it’s clear that the peaceful nature of the protest prevented any harsher punishment.
“This wasn’t Reading fans behaving badly, it was fans standing against the appalling behaviour of our owner.
We said at the time, we’ll say it again now – thank you to everyone who took part and to the Port Vale fans who played their part in keeping the protest peaceful. Hopefully, this is the week it’s all over.”
Reading Football Club are yet to comment.
