FA Cup tie suspended after hundreds of tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch

The FA Cup match between Reading and Eastleigh was suspended after fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch.

Prior to the match, it was expected that Reading fans would protest against the running of the club.

With 16 minutes on the clock, Reading fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch, leading to the match being suspended for a period of time.

The protest was planned after the club endured yet more financial problems this week after the owner failed to pay the staff in full on time.

Protest group, Sell Before We Dai, said in a statement: “We are disgusted, but not all surprised, to hear that Reading Football Club’s staff haven’t been paid in full for November – less than a month before Christmas.

“It’s especially unforgivable that a billionaire has chosen not to pay his staff properly. This is the latest act of negligence from a man who will go down as one of the worst owners in English Football League history. Employees of the club continue to go through unimaginable levels of stress.

It continued: “We took two steps forward with wins against Wycombe Wanderers and Carlisle United, but Dai Yongge has taken us a step backwards again. He’s undermined the efforts of his hard working employees again.

“Just pay the staff, pay the taxman and get out of our club now. This weekend’s protest is on. Balls to Dai Yongge.”

🗣️ "These are proper fans who are worried about their club."

Reading fans protest at the current state of the club's finances by throwing fake money and tennis balls onto the pitch 🎾💷#EASREA | #EmiratesFACup | @ReadingFC pic.twitter.com/ssXYPPGfFP

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) December 3, 2023

Ahead of the match, Reading’s Head of Football Operations, Mark Bowen said to ITV: “There was not enough funding coming into the club this month to pay everyone, the chief executive made a decision to pay the players.”

Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright said: “These are people three weeks before Christmas being told they're not being paid on time.

“The owners have previous in this, they've had a club dissolved in China, a club in Belgium go bankrupt - the mismanagement is on such a scale.”