Sim looks on the week when we finally regained control of our club and future.
To have followed Reading Football Club in the previous couple of years is to have been continually dragged down. To have been unable to completely enjoy the journey – at any point – because of the constant concern that something or someone would derail everything.
To always have an asterisk next to any dose of optimism. No more. Since Reading’s takeover on May 14, my days as a fan have been some of the most delightfully, gloriously, marvellously, uniquely, and totally joyous.
Of course, we’ve had wonderful wins and exciting news in the past, but nothing beats the knowledge that everything will be fine. The awareness that existential dread can only be described in the past tense.
No fan of any club should ever be able to experience this type of euphoria; it’s both joyous and bittersweet, and it only exists in this form because of the agony we’ve endured for far too long. However, while we’re here, let’s enjoy it.
Social media gets a nasty rap (deservedly so) a lot of the time, but when you can soak up the delight of thousands of Reading supporters from all over the world in real time, it’s something wonderful. The outpouring of relief on Wednesday, when the club statement went live, was something else. As were the parties, memes, and heartfelt observations that followed as everything began to feel more genuine. The extra doses of excitement on Thursday came from followers live-tweeting official information on the Companies House website.
Mr Robert Emmet Couhig was appointed as a director.
Mr Todd Patrick Trosclair was appointed as a director.
Yongge Dai’s position as director has been terminated.
Xiu Li Hawken’s appointment as director has been terminated.
Dayong Pang’s appointment as director has been terminated. Notification of Redwood Holdings 1 Ltd as a person with substantial control.
Cessation of Renhe Sports Management Ltd as a person with significant control.
“Cessation.” What a pleasingly direct, efficient word to end the Dai Yongge era in Berkshire. The Dai period is no more. It has ceased to exist.
How a football squad harmed their opponent using false scores
That is not to imply that everything will be perfect right away, or that there will be no setbacks. Of course there will be. Reading will lose popular players this summer, miss out on transfer objectives, and likely appear stodgy in certain pre-season games.
We will undoubtedly have gripes and grievances about matters both on and off the pitch. The idea is that, for the first time in a long time, Reading Football Club’s path forward will be one of advancement rather than survival. It is great to be able to think that, and even better to have it become our new reality.
Onwards, on up the ‘Ding.
On a more personal side, if you’ll indulge me for a moment, I’m excited about the thought of covering a regular football club for a change. The previous several years have not been especially enjoyable being an editor/writer for the Reading Football Club website.
Actually, let’s not mince words: the previous two years have been consistently dismal, frustrating, frightening, or a combination of the three. Finding a balance between a) rising above it all to be fair/balanced/good in our coverage and b) channelling those feelings into creating some relatable/valuable material has been a challenge.
I’m grateful to everyone who has helped keep TTE operating over the last few years, including Ben and Ross, who do an excellent job on the podcast, regular columnists, semi-regular writers, and everyone else. It’s a beautiful reminder of how optimistic and resilient our fandom is that people continue to give their time even during the club’s darkest hour.
You are all fantastic people and the fundamental backbone of TTE; we could not do it without you. And thank you to everyone who has read the site, followed our rants on soI’mcial media, and engaged with the content. Hopefully, you’ll have some analysis, match reports, and opinion pieces on a promotion charge to think about next season.
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