Reading agree to suspended three-point penalty over pitch invasion during League One match against Port Vale

Reading fans were protesting against the club ownership of Dai Yongge and the match against Port Vale was halted after 16 minutes of play, with around 40 supporters still refusing to leave the pitch 68 minutes later; referee Ross Joyce took the decision to call off the game

Tuesday 23 January 2024 17:32, UK

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Reading have agreed a suspended three-point penalty with the EFL over the pitch invasion which forced the abandonment of their League One match against Port Vale earlier this month.

Around 1,000 Royals supporters entered the pitch in the 16th minute of the match on January 13 in protest against the club's owner Dai Yongge.

The EFL has announced that the club have now come to an agreement over the suspended points penalty, which is line with a sanction handed to Blackpool in similar circumstances in 2015.

The match itself will be replayed in full on Tuesday, February 20, the EFL has confirmed.

In explaining the sanction, the EFL said the suspended penalty would be activated with immediate effect in either the current season or 2024-25 «if any fixture played in any EFL competition is postponed or abandoned due to disruption (including incursion onto the field of play) by the club's supporters».

The statement continued: «The League continues to recognise the ongoing challenges for the club and its supporter base and notes the views expressed at the supporter meeting held with the EFL last week in respect of imposing further immediate points deductions on the club.

»This approach aims to balance the requirements of the EFL as the competition organiser to uphold its regulations on behalf of all member clubs whilst providing clarity to all associated parties on