FA Cup match suspended as hundreds of tennis balls launched onto pitch

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    Reading's FA Cup second round tie against Eastleigh has been postponed after their fans launched tennis balls and fake money onto the pitch.

    Unhappy with the situation currently surrounding the club with their owner Dai Yongge, Royals supporters launched the luminous tennis balls onto the pitch, alongside handfuls of fake money, forcing the FA Cup clash to be postponed briefly.

    The symbolism behind the 16th minute protest is due to that being the very number of point Reading have been docked by the EFL for financial breaches during Yongge's ownership of the club.

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    Earlier this week, it was revealed that some of the staff at Reading had only been paid a portion of their wages. In a letter sent to staff by Reading's Dayong Pang, the Royals CEO said: "I regret to inform you that we have not yet received the necessary funding to enable the full payment of wages in its entirety to all employees and casual workers for November 2023.

    "As CEO, I have made the decision that all employees and casual workers will receive a portion of their wages today, and the remainder to be delayed. I am aiming to satisfy all the wages in full at the earliest possible opportunity."

    What do you make of the tennis ball protest from Reading fans? Let us know in the comments section below.

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    The CEO is also said to have sent a second email according to the Reading Chronicle promising the remainder of those wages will be paid next week. Last season, wages were not paid on time on three occasions over the course of the summer.

    And the decision to pay the players over the staff was done in order to avoid another points deduction from the EFL. Currently, the Royals sit 23rd in League One.

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    That prompted to Reading fans once again protesting the club ownership against Eastleigh by hurling tennis balls onto the pitch at the Silverlake Stadium on Sunday afternoon. And it is not the first time either that Royals supporters have voiced their anger by utilising tennis balls either.

    Back in September, Reading supporters caused their League One clash against Bolton Wanderers to be suspended after doing the exact same thing they did at the Silverlake Stadium, throwing the balls onto the pitch at the Select Cars Leasing Stadium in frustration.

    • FA Cup
    • Reading FC

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