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Nigel Howe’s confident takeover claim was about Reading FC’s 2017 change of control, when Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li became majority owners—not the club’s later sale to Redwood Holdings Limited in 2025. Howe said he expected investment to benefit the first team, training facilities, the academy and a proposed development. Those were expectations at the time, not proof that the plans were delivered.
What Nigel Howe said in 2017
In a report published on 17 May 2017, The Independent quoted Howe, then Reading’s chief executive, on the new owners’ plans:
“Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li are investing in a club with undoubted potential – investment which will benefit not only the first-team squad, but which will also help to improve the club’s training facilities, continue to support its category-one academy programme and actively assist in delivering plans to develop the Royal Elm Park proposal.”
His optimism covered four areas: the first-team squad, training facilities, the category-one academy programme and the proposed Royal Elm Park development. The statement describes intended benefits; it does not establish that each investment or development was completed.
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Who took over Reading FC in 2017?
The Independent reported that siblings Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li held a combined 75% stake after the change of control. The remaining 25% was retained by a Thai consortium led by Lady Sasima Srivikorn. These are figures reported for the 2017 ownership arrangement, not the club’s current ownership.
The English Football League said it had no objection to the change of control application. Its position was not an endorsement of the owners’ plans: the report also said Reading would face additional reporting requirements and enhanced financial monitoring.
How the 2017 claim differs from Reading’s 2025 takeover
Reading later went through a separate ownership change. The club announced on 3 May 2025 that it had agreed a sale in principle to Redwood Holdings Limited. The announcement said the deal included Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park Training Ground and remained subject to final legal technicalities. On 14 May, the EFL described Reading as under new ownership.
| Episode | What was reported | What the evidence establishes |
|---|---|---|
| 2017: Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li | The Independent reported a 75% stake for the siblings and 25% retained by the Thai consortium. Howe expressed confidence in planned investment. | The reported ownership stakes and Howe’s statement at the time; not whether the anticipated benefits were delivered. |
| 2025: Redwood Holdings Limited | Reading announced a sale in principle on 3 May; the EFL referred to the club as under new ownership on 14 May. | The later ownership change, distinct from the 2017 episode. |
The transition followed a period of financial pressure. On 22 April 2025, the EFL said it had extended Dai Yongge’s deadline to divest his interests until 5 May and was monitoring the club’s immediate cash-flow requirements. That was a separate issue from the EFL’s no-objection statement in 2017.
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Who owns Reading FC now?
Reading FC’s company-details page lists Redwood Holdings Limited as the club’s sole owner, with Robert Emmett Couhig Jr and Todd Trosclair listed as directors. Company information can change, so the club’s page is the appropriate place to check for the latest listing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Howe’s claim does—and does not—show
Howe’s remark is evidence of the confidence expressed around the Dais’ 2017 takeover and of the investment areas they were expected to support. It is not, by itself, evidence that the promised spending or Royal Elm Park plans came to fruition. The later Redwood transaction confirms a subsequent ownership change; it does not retrospectively verify the 2017 forecast.
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