James

[BBC Sport @BBCSport]

"What did you think of the World Cup final half-time show?"

Wayne Rooney:

[affe @alfosn]

Deeply fascinated by this distinctively British genre of photography

[Ji-Min Lee @JmlJourno]

In Amazon Prime 4K no less… #readingfc

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Dispiriting events at Reading should concern everyone in English football. Fans are lied to, players and an impressive manager are let down, and so are staff. A thoughtless, heartless owner damages a historic club. It’s another warning to all in football. If we tolerate this, then your club could be next.

Fans at some other clubs fear similar pain or just feel relief to have escaped danger. Many will simply focus on their own form and fortunes. Football’s tribal. Most headlines revolve around the big names, the big games like Manchester City versus Arsenal. But Reading embody the pyramid, a local beacon and hub for nurturing talent. Neil Webb started there. The windfall from the Michael Olise deal helps sustain the club currently. Ted Drake learned his managerial trade at Reading before guiding Chelsea to their first title.

Football clubs are community assets and have to be protected from individuals like Dai Yongge wreaking such misery at Reading. He has his motives and his methods but none seem aligned to the club’s future wellbeing. He doesn’t communicate with fans. Reading FC Women withdrew from the Championship because of financial difficulties. Sustained mismanagement of the club has seen a failure to pay men’s players and HMRC lead to points deductions.

A proposed takeover by Rob Couhig, an American businessman welcomed by the fanbase, collapsed, leaving Yongge still in charge and supporters still in torment and again asking questions. Does Yongge really want to sell? If the club goes under is it then all about valuable real estate? Would administration and another points deduction actually be better than this shambles?

And so Reading fans rally again, fighting for their club’s life. But Yongge doesn’t listen. He doesn’t appear to care about the negativity his ownership brings to the door of the dressing-room. Ruben Selles and his whole-hearted squad give everything they can on the field, and sit a defiant 12th in League One, but they aren’t detached from the mess. It must be dismaying and distracting.

Losing Selles would be a disaster. He’s doing a good job in trying circumstances. If he left, Selles would be picked up swiftly by a better run club. Reading fans post messages of support to Selles and his squad. They will back them loudly at Bolton Wanderers today. It’s about finding the balance between demonstrating support for the team while demonstrating against the owner.

Much is right about Reading: committed fanbase, stadium, training ground, the attitude of manager, squad and club staff. It’s just the owner. It’s a nightmare that Reading are living through. And it’s a cautionary tale all football needs to heed. #ReadingFC #EFL

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Congrats to Rob Couhig and also well done to all those #ReadingFC fans like @SellBeforeWeDai @STARReading @TheTilehurstEnd + others who fought so hard for their Club. Also important voices like @james_e1871, sponsors who care in @SC_Leasing and a good coach in Ruben Selles👏

[Second Tier podcast @secondtierpod]

On this day in 2012… 🗓

Reading took a big step towards promotion by beating West Ham 4-2! 👊

#ReadingFC

[Ji-Min Lee @JmlJourno]

Our fanbase never ceases to amaze me. Heroes the lot of you. #readingfc

[talkSPORT @talkSPORT]

Utterly shameful.

[La Brute @Yaks75]

So sad to see what is happening at @ReadingFC 😢 I really hope that everything will be resolved soon all the fans and peoples working there dont deserve that. Always a royals 💙

[Ji-Min Lee @JmlJourno]

This account always delivers after wins… 😅 #readingfc

[Reading FC @ReadingFC]

Admin realising he’s finishing the window with an incoming 👀
#ReadingFC

[James @J1MME1]

@ReadingFC Do you think the protest had more of a negative effect on staff welfare than not being paid on time for Christmas?

[The Rest Is Football @RestIsFootball]

🗣️ @AlanShearer: “They’ve seen their club relegated. They’ve seen their club docked points. What else can they do?”

🗣️ @GaryLineker: “I really do feel for the supporters because clubs are so important for the communities”

🗣️ @MicahRichards: “It’s power to the people, go on there and protest because something needs to give and this can’t keep happening”

The lads sympathise with the #ReadingFC fans after their protests on the weekend amidst troubling ownership issues 🔵⚪️

[Wimby @Wimby]

5 minutes of #readingfc coverage on @SkySportsNews this morning, hopefully brings even more eyeballs to our plight.

https://t.co/vzUmDMH7fb

[Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 @alex_crook]

Well said Brian McDermott. Utterly shameful and heartbreaking what is happening at #ReadingFC. Football clubs are for life not just a play thing for any old charlatan. Serious questions for the authorities over how it has been allowed to reach such grim depths.

[Daily Mail Sport @MailSport]

Hundreds of fans stormed the pitch 🤯

They have had ENOUGH of owner Dai Yongge 😡

Take a look 👉 https://t.co/tCEkCsIvCO

[Jeff Stelling @JeffStelling]

@SQirl74 @SkySports When a club which was in PL not long ago is in the position they are in this the biggest story of the day imo. Why no reporter there ? Everyone knew there was going to be a protest !