Reading’s League One match with Port Vale was halted after 16 minutes, and subsequently abandoned, when around 1,000 home fans invaded the pitch to protest against the ownership of Dai Yongge.
The match was interrupted for three minutes due to tennis balls being thrown onto the field at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
The referee, Ross Joyce, instructed the players to go to the locker rooms while fans gathered on the field, with some setting off blue flares. After engaging with the Port Vale supporters, who were greeted with applause by some, the majority of fans began to exit the field. However, a number of them remained and staged a protest in the middle of the field.
In December, supporters demonstrated outside the Houses of Parliament in opposition to Yongge, whose ownership has resulted in the club facing multiple deductions in points – amounting to a total of 16 since November 2021 – due to financial problems.
As supporters remained on the field, the team made two announcements over the loudspeaker, stating that the game would resume once the fans had returned to their seats.
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The supporters of Port Vale became weary of the demonstrations and started chanting that the players on the field had effectively expressed their views and should depart. An additional statement warned that if the pitch was not cleared, the game would be called off, potentially resulting in another deduction of points.
As the delay surpassed 30 minutes, certain Reading supporters who stayed in the stands started to express their displeasure towards the players on the field by booing, while away fans chanted, “We deserve a refund.”
The entrance to the players’ tunnel was still guarded by stewards, and the players had stayed in the dressing room. The game was officially cancelled at 4:25pm after discussions between representatives from both teams and the EFL.
According to a spokesperson from the EFL, attempts were made to resume the game, but it became evident that it was not feasible. The organizations involved will now hold discussions regarding the consequences of today’s events.
Source: theguardian.com
