Latest news with #ReadingFC
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iconic former Reading owner set for Q&A session at popular town centre venue
Sir John Madejski OBE will reflect on his time as owner of Reading FC at an exclusive Q&A event at the Purple Turtle on Tuesday, July 15, starting at 7.30pm. He will also discuss the new Reading FC ownership. Advertisement A Q&A will be followed by questions from the audience and there will be a chance to meet the former owner. Sir John became chairman in 1990 and, after the club had a new stadium built in his name, Reading went on to play in the Premier League for three seasons. He relinquished control of the club in 2012 and became honorary life president, and remains a staunch supporter of the club at the age of 84. He is also Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire and was knighted in the 2009 New Year Honours, for charitable services. The Purple Turtle in Gun Street, Reading, has hosted a number of Q&A events with former Reading stars and the Q&A with former manager Steve Coppell in April was a sell out. Advertisement The venue will host a Q&A with former Reading striker and manager Jimmy Quinn on Sunday, June 22, starting at 5.30pm - and is also in talks with current owner Rob Couhig about hosting a Q&A with him. Tickets for the Q&A with Sir John Madejski are £10 each, with a limited number of meet and greet tickets available at £17.50. Ticket information for the Sir John Madejski Q&A and other Q&A events at the Purple Turtle is available by sending a WhatsApp or text message to 07842 627548.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Reading midfielder Wing signs three-year deal
Reading midfielder Lewis Wing has signed a new three-year deal to remain with the League One club until 30-year-old, who began his career with Middlesbrough, joined the Royals in 2023 from Wycombe and has made 99 appearances for the club in all played every minute in the league for Reading this season, racking up 50 appearances and scoring 11 goals as they narrowly missed out on a play-off spot."We are delighted Lewis has agreed to extend his contract with us as he is an essential part of our plans for next season," chief executive Joe Jacobson said., external"Lewis is a top performer at this level and above, and I know the positive impact he has in the dressing room, stepping up to become a real leader in recent years."So it was important for us to extend his stay as we look to build a highly competitive squad, not just for this season but the future."
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reading chief calls on fans to 'keep the fight' in open letter as tickets go on sale
New Reading owner Rob Couhig has called for supporters to 'keep the fight' in an open letter as season ticket sales open. The American has been working on a job in New Orleans but is expected back across in the next 10 days, his first time over since officially purchasing the club. In the meantime, media interviews have been conducted online and co-CEO Joe Jacobson has been working from Bearwood alongside Noel Hunt and Brian Carey to get the ball rolling on squad building. Season tickets were put on sale this afternoon (May 22) and prices have been frozen until June 6, with anyone renewing before then invited to an open day at the training ground. Alongside the season ticket news, Couhig has penned a letter to supporters. 2025/26 Season Tickets are on Sale NOW! Read Rob Couhig's open letter to fans... 👇 — Reading FC (@ReadingFC) May 22, 2025 "As I said last week , the loyalty of our season ticket holders over recent times will be remembered. Therefore, I am pleased to say our season ticket prices will be frozen until 5pm, 6th of June. "Your support means the world to this football club, and we are counting on it we look ahead to the new season. Our home form last season was incredible, and you should not underestimate the role you all played in that success, and I know how much Noel, the staff and the team recognise your contribution. "My ask to you is to keep that momentum. Keep that fight. Keep that passion. This is a new chapter but likewise, there will be bumps on the road. The unwavering support of our season ticket holders will keep us strong. "That's why, for all season ticket holders who renew or purchase before 5pm 6th of June – I'm personally to inviting you to Bearwood for an open day, where you will meet the team, players and staff and get to see our fantastic facilities in full. More details to follow in due course, but rest assured we'll make it a special day to mark this new season as we embark on this journey together. "I can assure you a huge amount of work is happening behind the scenes to ensure we are ready for the new season. Todd and Amy, Missy and I are all looking forward to being with you again in Reading. "This is Our Club. This is Our Future. We won't back down! "We're in this together and I'm certain that with your support we can reach our ambitions."
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
🎧 Can the Blades break their play-off curse?
"The people at Sheffield United would have heard that stat so many times... that will change at some point."Sheffield United have failed to win an EFL play-off campaign across all of their previous eight attempts but are looking to break that duck on Saturday (13:01 BST) when they face Sunderland at 72+ podcast team were joined this week by new Reading CEO Joe Jacobson to take a look at whether Sheffield United's play-off fortunes may see a turning point."I look at the firepower they've got and in big games like this, it's one or two moments that are going to decide things," Jacobson said."Sheffield United, along with Leeds and Burnley, were so far ahead [in the table] - that means something."There's a reason they were that far ahead, it's because they are a better squad, a better team."Listen to the full episode and more on the Football Daily podcast.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
New Reading owner Rob Couhig: ‘There is a real market for the EFL in the US'
Rob Couhig talks of having been 'jilted at the altar' when he describes the unceremonious end of his previous Reading takeover bid but eight months on he has finally consummated his on-off relationship with the troubled club. The divorce from the previous owner, Dai Yongge, was a long and painful one which had passed the 600-day mark by the time Couhig's £25m purchase was completed last Wednesday. From his home in New Orleans, Couhig talks at length about the extraordinary process, including the revelation that he did not speak to Dai and had only occasional contact with the former Reading chief executive Nigel Howe. The image of the 75-year-old lawyer being stood up at a popular Reading nightspot, The Purple Turtle, when he went to exchange contracts last September also boggles the mind, although much about the saga made little sense. Couhig was one of five bidders to enter exclusive negotiations with Dai and had drifted from the picture until a judgment from London's commercial court last month upheld his claim to have security over the stadium and training ground resulting from last year's aborted deal. 'I always thought it was going to happen because we're not idiots,' Couhig says. 'When we did the deal [last summer] we did what we thought was right, and our lawyers did a terrific job for us. I was just at home when it happened after my experience last year. 'I went to The Purple Turtle club in Reading of all places. I thought it'd be a great place for us to go and be able to sort of softly make the announcement. I realised while I was there that it wasn't happening and I had to go home. We were jilted at the altar. Nobody said a word, did a thing, anything. 'I never spoke to Mr Dai. I spoke to Nigel twice in a year, maybe three times. I spoke to several sets of lawyers representing Mr Dai at various times. And that's as close as I came to having any real discussions with anybody. We worked almost around the clock for two weeks to get it done. So it wasn't a feeling of: 'Let's go pop the champagne!' Instead we've just plunged straight into it.' The uncertainty surrounding Dai's ownership means Couhig bought a club with only six first-team players under contract for next season, although new deals were offered to 11 other players last week in an attempt to retain the bulk of the squad which finished seventh in League One, three points off the playoffs. The manager, Noel Hunt, will be staying after doing a hugely impressive job in difficult circumstances since replacing Rubén Sellés in December. Couhig's focus, as during his ownership of Wycombe, who were promoted to the Championship for the first time on his watch, will be on obtaining value via the best free transfers. 'I'm a big believer that at this level of football there's a lot of people who are coming out of other clubs, Championship clubs, Premier League clubs, even League One clubs, who are going to be looking for a new home in a place where they can succeed,' Couhig says. 'I think we're going to be much more oriented towards frees. Transfer fees will be not excluded from our consideration, but will be an anomaly. 'We're always going to ask: 'Does it make sensible business?' I would rather spend extra money on infrastructure than extra money on a specific player. Because if I go out and I build the infrastructure, I know I'm going to get a return on it. With a player, some of them end up injured or something happens in their life, and all of a sudden you've got a player who's not the same person that you bought.' Having owned Wycombe for more than four years, Couhig is well versed on life in the English Football League and has strong views on how it operates. He advocates tougher spending controls in League One to prevent cash-rich clubs such as Birmingham and Wrexham from running away with promotion as they did this season, and also argues that the EFL should be doing far more to promote the competition in the United States. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'If I could be the tsar of football for the day I would tell all clubs in League One you can only use twice what you get from the league in payment for your first-team players,' Couhig says. 'Make it a real meritocracy and not so dependent upon how much money a club brings compared to another club. 'The EFL is a hugely undervalued asset, particularly in the United States. It's the biggest market in the world and we're barely tapping into it. Sometimes the assumption is made that people only worry about the Premier League, but I think there is a real market for all three divisions of the EFL. 'Most people over here live in small towns so have a natural affinity with smaller clubs. They like to adopt them as their own. We don't have promotion and relegation over here, so should be marketing the hell out of that. Every game matters in the EFL, which isn't the case in the States.' Couhig's immediate targets for Reading are a playoff place and a period of stability. 'On the pitch I would expect to do better than we did this season,' he says. 'Off the pitch it would be reasonable to expect not to have as many disruptions. 'People can say all the bad things they want about Mr Dai, but he has assembled an impressive collection of assets. The stadium, the training ground, the fact that Reading have a history of success, and a solid fanbase that's proven its mettle. What I want to do is take a troubled business and turn it into a hugely successful one. 'My goal is always to leave a place better than I found it. And I think we will be well on that road by this time next year.'
