The campaign group pushing for Reading FC’s absent owner to sell the club channelled their inner Father Christmas today. In a twist however, visits were made to those on the naughty list rather than the nice.
The van made stops at key locations, including the homes of CEO Dayong Pang – who hasn’t been seen at the club’s stadium or training ground for several months – and owner Dai Yongge, whose latest UK hideout mansion in Highgate, London has recently come to light. Other locations included the Houses of Parliament and the EFL HQ.
The campaigners have previously used an advertising van to raise awareness of the wider problems in football ownership, including having it stationed near Wembley Stadium before the England men’s team’s match against Belgium in March. Dai has also been involved at KSV Roeselare (Belgium) and Beijing Renhe (China), both of which clubs folded on his watch. Reading fans fear their own club will now suffer the same fate.
Sell Before We Dai spokesperson Becky Trotman said: “All Reading fans want for Christmas is our football club to survive via a sale. This requires an owner to act in good faith and a CEO to act with competence and transparency. With reports suggesting that Dai Yongge and Dayong Pang haven’t been seen at Reading FC for months, we decided to take this message to their homes.
“Though Reading FC’s decline under Dai is better suited to Halloween, Christmas is a time for those who have done wrong to see the error of their ways. If Dai and Pang can sell the club without stripping out any more of its soul, they can still come off the naughty list.
“Unfortunately, more than 400 days of non-sale, dishonest communications and discount player sales means our wishlist is likely wishful thinking. As a result, we’ve taken our message to the Houses of Parliament and wider authorities, imploring them to help us force an exit. Football clubs are for life – we cannot allow this to be Reading’s last Christmas.”
Sell Before We Dai, set up in June 2023 to campaign for rogue owner Dai Yongge to sell Reading FC, sent an advertising van on a tour of London: displaying messages and information from their campaign, and calling for a sale to be progressed and open and honest communication with fans.
