Fans of Reading will continue to protest against the club’s absent owner Dai Yongge this weekend during the Royals’ home fixture against Charlton Athletic.

Supporters are being encouraged to go to game sporting clown wigs, masks and costumes to symbolise the circus created by the “clown” of an owner, whose financial mismanagement has to date cost the club 16 points in the last three seasons.

Campaign group Sell Before We Dai have organised Clown Day and have arranged for face painters to be on hand so Reading’s young supporters can join in too. There will also be a limited number of clown wigs and masks available outside the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday, including masks depicting the face of Dai Yongge.

Set up in June, the Royals have been protesting at most home matches, with tennis ball interruptions and a march attended by nearly 2,000 supporters have caught the headlines.

A red card protest is planned for the Royals’ rearranged fixture against Port Vale on Tuesday, February 20 where supporters of both teams will hold up red cards in the 16th minute to give Dai his marching orders.

The initial Port Vale fixture at the SCL in January was abandoned after Reading fans invaded the pitch in protest against Dai Yongge.

Nick Houlton, Sell Before We Dai spokesperson, said: “In our eyes Dai Yongge is a clown and he needs to hurry up and sell the club to someone who will invest wisely and drag us out of the mess he’s created. We know that not all fans are comfortable with protests that interrupt the game, plus we pride ourselves on being a family-friendly club, so we want our latest protest to be something everyone can get behind and have a bit of fun with while also sending a serious message to the owner.”

Reading Chronicle:

Former CEO Nigel Howe has now been placed in charge of selling the club and believes talks are heading 'in the right direction.'