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It was another game at the SCL where the protests against the ongoing torture that is Dai Yongge’s ownership took centre stage, and the actual football played second fiddle.
The march before the game was really something. Thousands of Loyal Royals marching for one purpose, making their thoughts and feelings known.
However, the players couldn’t deliver as the supporters did, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by throwing away a two-goal lead. Here’s how the fans reacted...
The march
As I’ve just mentioned, the march before the game was the big issue of the day. The work that has gone on behind the scenes by the Sell Before We Dai group has been really impressive and it’s really made the footballing world and national media stand up and take notice of just what is going on at our club.
I was a proud to be a Reading fan walking to the stadium on Saturday, and it was a moment I won’t forget for a very long time - a view shared by the rest of the Loyal Royals...
We might be getting not a lot right on the pitch, but fair play to #ReadingFC fans, off the pitch, doing ourselves proud. Following in thousands away from home on a 20 match winless streak, bottom of the league and well over 1000 shutting down the A33 today for a march. pic.twitter.com/RYqo5VM919
— Alex Everson (@Readingfanman) October 28, 2023
Proud to march in support of the Ding today. Fantastic organisation by @SellBeforeWeDai & show of strength from #readingfc fans. #WeWantOurReadingBack #SellBeforeWeDai #readingfc #rdg #rdguk https://t.co/4k4isHSrBF
— Adele Barnett-Ward (@Adele_Thames) October 28, 2023
OUR football club
— Dean Bennett #SellBeforeWeDai (@DeanBennett1993) October 28, 2023
MY football Club
Reading till I die
Well done to everyone on this march. Proud #readingfc https://t.co/JwYufwxU50
The fact that we’ve sold out club 1871 with the state our club is in is massive respect to the fans. The protest march looks excellent. Wish I could’ve been there but up the ding always. #readingfc #SellBeforeWeDai
— Cameron (@Cameronseagell) October 28, 2023
Well done to anyone joining today's march. Let's keep the pressure on Dai Yongge to sell the club #readingfc
— James (@Ricardo_Ding1) October 28, 2023
I’ve never been one for protesting and I didn’t agree with throwing tennis balls on the pitch. But what an incredible turn out for the march, well done to all those involved #readingfc
— Becky Collins (@BeckyCollins7) October 28, 2023
Just caught up with the march. Seriously well done to all #readingfc
— Paul Williams (@PaulFrankfurt71) October 28, 2023
Well that was incredible. Passionate, emotional, powerful.
— Steven Hansell (@steveyroyal) October 28, 2023
We won’t back down - this club means too much.#MarchBeforeWeDai @SellBeforeWeDai #readingfc pic.twitter.com/SUczlUuSRG
Little old #readingfc shutting the A33. Football has an ownership problem. We want our club back. #MarchBeforeWeDai pic.twitter.com/TaAnc2lF9X
— Trenchy (@AdamHumphries96) October 28, 2023
#marchbeforewedai pic.twitter.com/RW1EYbrn8w
— Daniel Snow (@DanSnow1708) October 28, 2023
Brilliant effort by all concerned.#SellBeforeWeDai #marchbeforewedai pic.twitter.com/sETcFjrok3
— SOUTHBANK 1️⃣8️⃣7️⃣1️⃣ (@longlaneroyal) October 28, 2023
Incredible turn out for #marchbeforewedai
— nathan wakefield (@chinnywakefield) October 28, 2023
Huge kudos to @SellBeforeWeDai for organising! pic.twitter.com/2U57636QTV
The football
As I mentioned, while the fans delivered on Saturday, the players did not. Yes, we were playing the best team in the division and yes, in isolation a 3-2 loss to Portsmouth is by no means horrendous.
But we were 2-0 up, we were playing half decently, and a win would’ve been huge. But no, of course we crumbled, capitulated and found ourselves falling to the bottom of the league.
While there were better signs on the pitch, there was still a lot left to be desired...
Another loss but we never expected anything today but did better than expected. We did well because we were playing 433. I really hope Selles continues to play it. There positives to take unlike recent games.
— Reading FC (@bluewhitewall) October 28, 2023
What could have been if Smith made it 3-1. #ReadingFC
Bottom of the league. Throw the balls on the pitch. Get it abandoned. We should never be bottom of League One. #readingfc
— Dan Cross (@danieljcross) October 28, 2023
Better with the ball yesterday but awful without it. We give teams so many opportunities to score. It’s like every attack results in a shot on our goal. #readingfc
— Steven Kemp (@StevenK37506094) October 29, 2023
The thing about today was the utter predictability of the result. Even at 2-0 i and most of the people sitting round me had no doubt that Portsmouth would win the game. #readingfc
— Phil (@Philip052023) October 28, 2023
Much better today, yes I know we lost, but I think we get a result against a lot of teams when we play like that. People need to remember Portsmouth were 25 unbeaten coming into today. Have to give this formation a chance and Abbey has to start. #readingfc
— Joel (@Jdh72Joel) October 28, 2023
We’re now 30% of the way through the season & we are rock bottom, 8tps adrift. Even without our 4pt deduction, we’d be second bottom 4pts. This is unacceptable and we are staring at L2. Even if today was better, Selles has to go tonight. Before it’s too late. Get rid. #readingfc
— Ed Ryding (@EdRyding) October 28, 2023
Very predictable result after they got it back to 2-2. In fairness we did give it a go in the last 20 minutes or so but ran out of ideas #readingfc
— Tom Maynard (@ttmaynard) October 28, 2023
bottom of the league, manager issues, ownership issues, bottling a 2-0 lead…. the reading way #readingfc #sellesout
— adam #sellbeforewedai (@adamReadingFC) October 28, 2023
The good news is it can't get any worse now until League 2 next season having gone bottom #ReadingFC
— Jamie Harden (@MrCompo) October 28, 2023
Rock bottom. If you’d said 2-3 before the game most would appreciate it but not from 2-0 up. Players mentality must be so fragile. Selles finally changed formation which had benefits, maybe if he does it against lower teams than pompey we’ll get a point or three #readingfc
— Chris Murray (@CJM1871) October 28, 2023
Conclusion
Football has an ownership problem, and we’re one of the biggest sufferers of it. Bury, Oldham, Wigan Athletic, Derby County, Scunthorpe United, Southend United, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading. The list goes on and on and on.
Our fortunes aren’t going to change on the pitch until they change off it. So something needs to happen, and soon.
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