Soccer-Reading in talks with Wycombe to sell training ground to raise funds

Financially-stricken English soccer team Reading plan to sell their Bearwood Park training ground to fellow third-tier side Wycombe Wanderers to raise funds, the clubs said on Thursday. Reading's Chinese owner Dai Yongge has been blamed for the club's problems by fans who forced a game to be abandoned in January when they protested issues including wages not being paid and a winding up order served in October over unpaid taxes.

Reading, who have been in free fall since their relegation to League One last year and have had six points deducted this season for financial mismanagement, are in 18th place -- five points above the relegation zone. "Mr Dai can confirm he is in talks with Wycombe Wanderers Football Club Limited regarding the sale of Bearwood Park," Reading said in a statement.

The club's Chief Executive Dayong Pang added: "The proposed transaction will directly support the short-term funding of the club until a full sale can be concluded." Yongge took over the club in 2017 and Bearwood Park became Reading's training base in the 2019-20 season.

British media reported that the 50 million pounds ($63.76 million) training facility is set to be sold for 20-25 million. "The parties are moving forward on an exclusive basis with the expectation of completion," Wycombe added in a statement.

"In the interim, Wycombe hope that if a transaction completes it will provide Reading with necessary financial support to ensure that they are able to meet their ongoing financial obligations." A Reading fan-led protest movement called 'Sell Before We Dai' said in a statement that the proposed sale of the training ground meant the club was now "firmly on life support".

Reading were relegated after 10 years in the second-tier Championship in 2023. ($1 = 0.7842 pounds)