Wrexham chief ‘faces grilling in parliament’ after disqualification scandal

May 4, 2025 Imoter Imoter Uncategorized 0

Wrexham chief ‘faces grilling in parliament’ after disqualification scandal

Director Shaun Harvey of Wrexham may be grilled by a parliamentary committee for his role in Dai Yongge’s 2017 acquisition of Reading. Harvey, 55, was the EFL’s CEO when Chinese billionaire Yongge was officially announced as Reading’s new owner eight years prior. Harvey was one of the driving forces behind the success of the Welsh club.

Yongge’s rocky stint at Reading is finally poised to end weeks after he was banned under the EFL’s owners’ and directors’ test and given a deadline of May 8 to sell the club. The Berkshire outfit have struggled from financial troubles during his ownership and have been punished a total of 18 points since 2021. Rob Couhig, the former owner of Wycombe Wanderers, has now finalized an agreement to buy Yongge.

The Premier League cautioned the EFL against letting Yongge take over Reading in 2017, according to The Times. The league raised concerns due to Yongge’s behaviour when he tried to buy Hull City when the Tigers were in the top-flight.

The Premier League is permitted to have input into possible takeovers of EFL clubs that could play in their division, but then-EFL CEO Harvey and the board permitted Yongge’s purchase to proceed because there was “absence of any disqualifying condition.”

The Premier League even reportedly suggested that it would disqualify Yongge from owning Reading should they earn promotion from the Championship. The Royals lost the play-off final against Huddersfield on the same day that his takeover was finalized.

One of the most vocal supporters in parliament for an Independent Regulator for Football (IRF), Yuan Yang, a Labour MP, has now suggested that an investigation into Reading’s history since Yongge took over the club could be conducted. Since Harvey was the EFL’s CEO at the time, the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) might be interested in hearing his story.

Yang responded to a direct question about whether Harvey could be held accountable by saying: “I have called for an inquiry in parliament into the whole history under Dai Yongge.”

“I’m talking to a DCMS committee about what we can do. I’m sure they will be able to consider actions. I would like there to be a proper inquiry into what’s gone on.”

Harvey, who starred in the Netflix documentary Welcome to Wrexham, has been instrumental in the success of the Welsh club under the ownership of Hollywood A-listers Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. Wrexham got promoted to the Championship with a game to spare.

After being bought by the actors for £2 million in 2020, and the actors have since invested millions more in an incredible project that has seen three straight promotions.

Read more news on https://www.sportupdates.co.uk/

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*