The Disgraceful Demise Of Reading Women

How did a women’s side with such a proud recent history come to the brink of dropping out of the Championship?

Over the years, I’ve heard and read so many different views, opinions and comments about women’s football that it’s easy to become confused with everything happening at the moment.

Many of these viewpoints can, of course, be discounted on the grounds of either a lack of understanding, if I’m being polite, or just plain old misogynistic attitudes.

Other comments are, perhaps, naive or well intentioned but misguided - with their thoughts voiced out loud - to which I would include the thoughts of our very own Supporters Trust (STAR) back in June 2023: “This is the right decision at this time” to switch to a part-time operating model.

“Future success in the men’s team will undoubtedly enable the academy and women’s team to flourish once more”, and “STAR is also pleased that Mr Dai Yongge is committed to rebuilding our club and bringing success back to RG2.”

And what do I know? I’m just another person (and, for the record, a bloke), with just another opinion, which I’ve kindly been asked to share with you (in a very similar vein to what I wrote 12 months ago when the club announced they were changing to a part-time operation).

This time, however, it feels different in that there is widespread agreement and condemnation of the latest horrific news to come out of RG2.

‘Reading Women ask to leave the Championship and aim to play in the fifth tier’

That’s a headline (and updated article) from The Guardian - at 7pm on Friday June 28, after the extended 5pm deadline from the Women’s Football Association had passed.

And when I say news, that’s literally all it is at this time (after some terrific journalism from Tom Garry, at The Guardian, and our very own Reading Chronicle journalist James Earnshaw) with a wall of silence from anyone within the hierarchy of the football club.

The work, campaigning and support from the Sell Before We Dai team has, as always, been unwavering and exemplary - together with the ongoing awareness and publicity from many other Reading fan sites including The Tilehurst End (although I’m a little biased here!). In fairness to STAR (together with its recent new board members), the open letter to the FA, Dai Yongge and the prospective owners (June 29) is much better and much needed too. Thank you.

At the other end of the spectrum is Reading Football Club itself. The continued silence and lack of courtesy to engage and communicate with fans is just another own goal (in a series of own goals) from a senior management team that appears to lack empathy and sympathy, undoing any trust and goodwill that Nigel Howe and Mark Bowen had historically built up.

The lack of communication, respect and decency from the club, unbelievably, appears to extend to the players, the management and staff. That was confirmed by Charlie Estcourt during her recent chat with BBC Radio Berkshire and underlined by Friday’s comments on Twitter from Reading Women coach Becky Jane - ‘Thanks for the update Tom (Garry), nice to find out through Twitter’, as well as marketing manager Mitch Parris, who said “there haven’t been many days tougher than this one”.

The latest news states that the club has put in an application to play in the fifth tier of the FA Women’s pyramid. It’s a long way (down) for an established football club which boasts a proud record: promoted to the WSL in 2015 (after winning the WSL2 in 2015); finishing fourth in the top flight in the 2017/2018 season behind Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal; and reaching the semi-final of the FA Cup in 2018/19.

It’s a club with a proud history and a plethora of well-known names associated to it over the years, including England heroes Fran Kirby, Mary Earps and Fara Williams. The Wales squad, announced recently, includes current Royal Charlie Estcourt, as well as former players Lily Woodham, Angharad James, Jess Fishlock, Rachel Rowe and Gemma Evans.

It’s a football club which had up until now worked hard - on a limited budget - to build a women’s fanbase, as well as a pathway for aspiring young girls to give them an opportunity of professional football (previously denied to them). They had to move grounds several times and have only just embedded themselves as part of the SCL Stadium, after moving from Adams Park.

If they end up in the fifth tier of the pyramid, they will be in a level comprising eight regional leagues: the Southern Region Premier Division currently including teams such as Woodley United, Ascot United, Oxford City and Wycombe Wanderers.

Where will they play? Where will they train? Well, it’s a tier where a recreational ground or public park could be deemed suitable - provided the dressing room has at least one wash hand basin (located outside the shower area) and at least one WC in a cubicle - thus meeting the requirements for Category E (tier five).

There has understandably been an outpouring of shock, anger and disgust from ex-players including Remi Allen, Emily Wallace and Fara Williams, as well as manager, coach - and everything in between! - Kelly Cousins (nee Chambers).

It appears that Reading Women are collateral damage in what is another allowed misadventure by the Dai family (to add to the demise of Beijing Renee and KSV Roeselare). The entire women’s and girls’ programmes are now at risk of being closed down entirely, after a late takeover bid for the Women’s arm of the club - understood to be from a consortium of UK and American investors - fell through, according to The Guardian. This was reportedly at the bequest of the unnamed prospective investors who are proposing to buy the wider football club.

And let’s not forget the human element either: the inevitable staff redundancies, the late notice for the players (many of whom may still be on their summer holidays) and the coaching team. When you add on the loss of a pathway and opportunity for young girls (the under-21s won the Berks & Bucks Cup and were crowned league champions just last season), plus the anxiety and loss for the fans and wider community, the devastation is frightening.

While we await further news and updates, Dai Yongge remains an ongoing, and unfortunately still active, example of the urgent need for an Independent Football Regulator.