Reading Football Club is confronting a fresh legal crisis, with its former chief executive launching a bid to liquidate the historic League One side.
New Legal Threat Months After Takeover
Less than seven months after the controversial ownership of Dai Yongge ended, the club has been served with a winding-up petition by Nigel Howe. Howe, who previously served as the club's CEO and vice chairman, is taking this drastic legal action against the Royals.
The club was sold in 2025 to an investment group led by former Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig and his business partner Todd Trosclair. Their company, Redwood Holdings, took over, concluding Dai Yongge's tumultuous eight-year reign which had seen the club face multiple sanctions from the English Football League (EFL).
The Roots of the Dispute
According to reports, the dispute centres on a sum of almost £100,000 that Howe claims Reading owes him. He successfully obtained a County Court Judgment against the club last month, strengthening his legal position.
Howe's long association with Reading began three decades ago under the ownership of John Madejski. He held several senior roles at the Berkshire club before overseeing the complex sale process last year, which was forced after Dai was disqualified under the EFL's owners' and directors' test in March 2025.
In an official statement, Reading FC acknowledged the dispute but firmly denied the claims. "Reading Football Club confirms that it is in an ongoing dispute with Mr Nigel Howe. The club denies any claims made against it," the statement read. It added that due to the potential for legal proceedings, no further comment would be made.
Hope for an Amicable Resolution
Representatives for both sides have indicated a desire to settle the matter out of court. Howe's lawyer, Peter Coyle of Coyle White Devine, stated: "My client, Nigel Howe, has no comment to make, save that he very much hopes for an amicable settlement with Reading FC soon."
This new threat comes as a bitter blow to supporters who had celebrated the Couhig takeover. The fan protest group Sell Before We Dai had hailed the new owners for "saving our 153-year-old club from oblivion" after a period where "every single element of our club went backwards."
The club now faces navigating this significant legal challenge while attempting to rebuild on and off the pitch under its new ownership structure.
