Reading Women Suffer Major Setback After Off-Field Development

Reading Women have reportedly applied to withdraw from the Barclays Women’s Championship amidst the club’s financial problems, with players said to be ‘left in the dark’ over the situation- which has also provoked a strong reaction from fans.

According to the Guardian’s Tom Garry, a consortium of UK and American-based investors had been attempting to buy the women’s arm of the club from current owner Dai Yongge, but this collapsed at the 11th hour. 

Multiple teams at the age group level were told on Friday that they would not be continuing, leaving hundreds of young girls across Berkshire suddenly without a club.

Staff were also informed that there would be no funding for women’s and girls’ football going forward.

Major highs with big names

It feels like a long time ago after this week’s news, but it was only last year that Reading were competing in the Women’s Super League (WSL).

They achieved promotion to the top flight after winning the WSL 2 (now Barclays Women’s Championship) in 2014 thanks to the goalscoring exploits of Fran Kirby.

Reading finished the 2017-18 season in fourth place with a squad that included former England international Fara Williams and current Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps. They finished fifth in the next two seasons, also reaching the FA Cup semi-finals in 2019.

Sharp decline amidst club financial struggles

The financial problems at Reading have been well documented, particularly the effect on the men’s team. In the 2022-23 season, both senior teams suffered relegation.

As a knock-on effect, the club announced that the women’s team would relinquish full-time status and revert to a part-time model for the following season.

The Royals finished 2023-24 in 10th place in the Women’s Championship with 22 points, six ahead of Lewes and seven ahead of Watford. However, it now looks as though the best-case scenario is playing in the fifth tier- if the club is even able to continue at all.

Players and fans express fury

Vice-captain Charlie Estcourt admitted the players had heard very little, telling local radio:

“We haven’t heard too much directly from the club. The communication from all levels has, unfortunately, been poor. For me personally, one of the most disappointing things is that we have been left completely in the dark.”

Fans group Sell Before We Dai released a strongly worded statement, describing the news as: “An absolute disgrace. This is the darkest day yet under Dai Yongge and Dai Xui Li.”

They added that those involved should “hang their heads in shame” and as well as repeating their calls for the owners to sell up, calling on Head of Football Operations Mark Bowen to address the fans and reassure them

What happens next?

At this stage, it is unclear what will happen, both in terms of Reading Women’s future at the lineup of the Women’s Championship, with the second tier season due to get underway on Sunday 8 September.

On 5 June, the FA published the women’s football pyramid allocations for the 2024-25 season, with Reading one of 12 teams competing in the Women’s Championship.

It would seem there are two options- either Lewes will be given a reprieve from relegation as the club that finished 11th last season, or the Women’s Championship will run with 11 teams for the 2024-25 season before readjustment is made.

There have undoubtedly been great strides made at the top of the women’s game in recent years, but you don’t need to scratch too far beneath the surface to see a club that has played a major role in that development facing a very uncertain future.