Reading and the Football League (EFL) have reached an agreement for a three-point penalty, which has been suspended, following the pitch invasion that resulted in the abandonment of their League One game against Port Vale earlier this month.
On January 13th, during the 16th minute of the match, approximately 1,000 fans of the Royals entered the pitch to protest against the team’s owner, Dai Yongge.
The EFL has declared that the team has reached a consensus regarding the points penalty that was previously suspended. This decision is consistent with the punishment given to Blackpool in a similar situation in 2015. The game will be rescheduled and played in its entirety on Tuesday, February 20th, as confirmed by the EFL.
The EFL stated that the punishment, which is currently on hold, will be enforced immediately during the current season or in 2024-25 if any EFL competition game is delayed or called off due to disturbance caused by the team’s fans on the field.
The League acknowledges the difficulties that the club and its supporters are facing and acknowledges the concerns expressed at the meeting between supporters and the EFL last week regarding potential additional point deductions for the club. This approach aims to find a balance between the EFL’s responsibility as the organizer of the competition to enforce its regulations for all member clubs, while also providing clear information to all parties involved about the consequences of any future fixture cancellations due to supporter protests.
Reading are due to host Derby County in League One on Tuesday evening.
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This piece will be updated at a later time with updates from Tuesday’s League One and League Two matches.
Source: theguardian.com
