Reading have been hit with a second points deduction of the season, meaning the crisis club have been docked an alarming 16 points in less than two years. A suspended three-point penalty was triggered after Reading failed to comply with an order to deposit funds by the deadline on Tuesday.
The English Football League took a dim view when Reading were hit with an immediate one-point deduction and a suspended penalty by an independent disciplinary panel in August, after the late payment of wages on three occasions last season. It means Reading, who have now been docked four points this season, drop into the League One relegation zone.
On Wednesday, the EFL released a statement outlining its frustrations. Reading said the owner Dai Yongge, who completed his takeover of the club in 2017, is continuing to seek external investment “with the aim of mitigating the risk of cash flow complications arising in the future”.
Reading, who came out of a two-year transfer embargo this summer, were docked six points in November 2021 for exceeding the EFL’s permitted loss limit and a further six points in April this year for breaching the terms of an agreed business plan. In total, Reading have been docked 10 points this year.
The EFL said it “continues to acknowledge the negative impact sporting sanctions are having on the football club”, adding “the league will continue to apply its rules in all circumstances deemed appropriate.”
