Reading agree to suspend three-point deduction with EFL over pitch invasion, with their League One clash with Port Vale abandoned earlier this month

Reading have agreed a three-point suspended penalty with the EFL over the pitch invasion, which forced the abandonment of their League One match against Port Vale earlier this month.

About 1,000 Royals supporters entered the field in the 16th minute of the match on January 13 in protest against club owner Dai Yongge.

The EFL has announced that the club has now reached an agreement on the suspended points penalty, which is in line with a sanction imposed on Blackpool in similar circumstances in 2015.

The match itself will be replayed in full on Tuesday, February 20, the EFL has confirmed.

Explaining the sanction, the EFL said the suspended sentence would be activated with immediate effect in the current season or in 2024-2025 'if a match played in an EFL competition is postponed or abandoned due to disruption (including infringement of the playing field ). ) by the club's supporters.'

Reading's match against Port Vale was abandoned after an hour-long pitch invasion

The statement continued: 'The League continues to recognize the ongoing challenges facing the club and its supporter base and notes the views expressed at last week's supporters meeting with the EFL in relation to the imposition of further immediate points deductions on the club.

'This approach aims to balance the requirements of the EFL as the competition organizer to enforce its regulations on behalf of all member clubs whilst providing clarity to all member parties as to the impact of any future failure to comply with any competition, which arises as a direct result thereof. of supporter protests.'

Reading confirmed in their statement that the club had also been asked by the Football Association for their observations of the events that led to the match being abandoned.

“The FA investigation is an ongoing matter and could have serious consequences, including a potentially very significant financial penalty for the club,” Reading said.

Supporters invaded the pitch in the 16th minute to protest the club's ownership

16 minutes of the match were played before supporters stormed the pitch, causing the match to be abandoned

'The club will work with the FA during this investigation and will communicate with our supporters once a decision has been made.'

The club has previously been hit with points deductions for missed payments of player and staff wages by the owner, while Dai has also been personally fined for failing to fund an account to ensure future payments were not missed.

The EFL applied for his disqualification in November, but an independent commission rejected that and instead imposed a fine.

On January 15, he was fined a further £50,000 for failing to fund a deposit account set up to cover staff wages. This means that he has been absent for almost four months.

EFL chairman Rick Parry told MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport committee last week that his organization wanted a resolution as much as Reading fans did.

Reading has staged long-running protests against the club's Chinese owner Dai Yongge

'Don't ever believe the EFL doesn't care. We do care,” he said.

'We don't want to lose any clubs. But we are not in a position where we can actually easily force him to divest the club.

'It's complicated. We have the power to potentially disqualify the owner, but we do not have the power to force a sale.”