Reading FC reaction given as Nigel Howe hands Rob Couhig shock liquidation threat | OneFootball

FLW's Reading fan pundit has given his verdict on the latest threat of liquidation facing the club

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Reading have been handed a winding-up petition from former chief executive Nigel Howe.

According to The Telegraph, the Royals are facing the threat of liquidation amid this legal dispute from the ex-CEO.

The League One side were sold to an investment vehicle run by Rob Couhig known as Redwood Holdings in May in a deal worth a reported £25 million.

Previous owner Dai Yongge was an extremely unpopular figure among supporters, with fans forming an organisation known as Sell Before We Dai, which led several protests against his ownership.

Yongge brought Howe back to the club to oversee the sale process, which was a protracted saga that included a legal battle with Couhig prior to him eventually purchasing the Berkshire outfit.

Reading FC face fresh legal battle but hope issued over swift resolution

When asked about this winding-up order from Howe, FLW’s Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt claimed that supporters will be dreading the club being dragged back into legal disputes.

He is hopeful that a resolution can be found that can avoid liquidation, suggesting that the matter is based on differences held between Howe and Couhig.

“I think the immediate thought is for a lot of the fans ‘oh no, here we go again’,” Hunt told Football League World.

“The last thing we need is the club being dragged through legal cases and court cases after the time under Dai Yongge.

“I think it’s fair to say that Couhig and Howe are not on the top of each others’ Christmas card lists the way things went during the takeover.

“Hopefully, it’s something that can be resolved.

“It’s just baffling that these things happen, obviously Howe had a great involvement with the club, Couhig’s now there.

“It sounds like some sort of divorce battle, somebody’s not quite ready to give things up and when somebody doesn’t want to give something up it gets messy like that.”

Hunt believes that the legal dispute will create more anxiety for supporters, particularly as this development has come from nowhere, but he is hopeful it can be resolved without liquidation.

“I guess you have to laugh because it just creates more anxiety on the fan base, we’re getting back to focusing on the field, it’s bad enough being near the bottom of the league,” Johnny added.

“Now this has come up and hit everyone in the face.

“Hopefully it’s a resolvable thing.

“We’ve been here before, which I guess is some comfort — or not comfort — that it will get done and dealt with as soon as possible, whatever needs to be fixed [gets] fixed and we can move forward again and put this behind us hopefully.”

Latest legal dispute is the last thing Reading FC need after recent turmoil

While it hasn’t been as promising on the pitch as supporters would’ve hoped after last season’s seventh-place finish, the stability Couhig had brought to the club was a fresh change of pace for Reading after the turbulent Dai Yongge era.

But this latest legal issue threatens the future of the League One side, and it will cause a lot of anxiety among supporters.

While it remains to be seen what kind of resolution can be found, the threat of liquidation is quite serious and is one that no fanbase wants to think about - and it's the last thing that would've been expected from Howe.

If a solution can be found, then hopefully that will put to bed any issues from the previous regime, and with the January transfer window around the corner, it's come at a pretty bad time for Leam Richardson's side.