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A pitch invasion by fans hurling tennis balls forced Reading‘s English League One (third-tier) home game against Port Vale to be abandoned on Saturday.
Play was paused in the first minute after tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch and after 16 minutes of the game at Reading supporters ran on to the playing surface, forcing both sets of players to leave the field.
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With the fans refusing to leave the pitch, a decision was made to call the game off.
The protest was aimed at Reading owner Dai Yongge who fans blame for Reading’s problems, including wages not being paid and a winding up order being served in October over unpaid taxes.
Yongge took charge in 2017 but has come under fire after the club were hit with a number of penalties for financial mismanagement, including a four-point deduction this season for a late payment of the monthly wage bill.
“We are fully aware of and understand our supporters’ frustrations,” Reading posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“But we must reiterate … that entering or throwing items onto the pitch can put the fixture at risk of abandonment and can result in personal consequences including banning orders. Thank you for your support today.”
The game was 0-0 at the time of the suspension.
Former Premier League team Reading, who were relegated after 10 years in the second-tier Championship in 2023, have been deducted 16 points in under two years.
They are 21st in the standings on 23 points from 25 matches.
It was the second League One match to be abandoned on Saturday after Bolton Wanderers’ home game against Cheltenham Town was called off after a medical emergency in the stadium.