Reading FC legend on importance of the 'successful' Academy...

Legendary former Reading owner Sir John Madejski has praised soon-to-be new owner Rob Couhig and emphasised

the value of the Academy.

The former Wycombe Wanderers owner, an American lawyer, agreed to purchase the team “in principle” last

weekend and is anticipated to formally approve the deal this week.

With a 4-2 loss to Barnsley in the season’s final game, which was attended by almost 21,000 fans at the SCL Stadium

on Saturday, Noel Hunt’s team finished in seventh position.

Looking ahead to a new era, Madejski- who owned the club between 1990 and 2012 and oversaw two promotions to

the Premier League, has underlined the importance of the club’s youth system.

After winning at the Under-21 level last year, the team advanced to the Under-18 Premier League Cup final.

However, because of years of transfer restrictions, the majority of the team is composed of Academy graduates.

“We have one of the most successful Academy programs in the world. “As much as we can, we must grow our own,”

Madejski said to BBC Radio Berkshire. “As of right now, we have a fantastic young team, and I believe that the fact

that they feel somewhat at ease knowing that they will receive their salaries next month encourages them to focus on

doing more of the same.

“Rob knows full well about embellishing new players so I’m sure he will be totally on top of all that. He’s a very hard-

working man, only yesterday I saw him working away. He will get it right as much as anyone can get it right and we

should all be very grateful that we have Rob Couhig here to take the club over.

“I’m delighted it has happened at last because we’ve been waiting for this for two long years and I am afraid the Dai

Yongge administration was a disaster from top to bottom.”

The club lost more than £180 million under Dai Yongge’s eight-year tenure, was demoted to the third division for the

first time in more than 30 years, and was continuously in debt to groups.

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