When the Sell Before We Dai campaign started, a march was always in our thoughts as a potential protest idea.
Firstly, it’s something most people could get involved in, and that’s important to us because all Reading fans deserve to be heard.
Not every protest will be everyone’s cup of tea. The ‘sit in’ after Peterborough United wasn’t to everyone’s taste and some were hesitant to get involved in the tennis ball protests against Bolton Wanderers and Burton Albion.
And that’s absolutely fine. Just because you may not have got involved in one or both of these protests, it doesn’t mean you’re a weak Dai Out supporter. No one should be judged.
It does feel as though the vast majority of the fanbase is keen to see Dai Yongge sell the club – and that’s promising because it means we’re on the same page.
A lot of fans also seem to be on the same page about a march too, with many supporters suggesting it as a potential idea before it was even announced.
But why is the idea a popular one? There are plenty of reasons.
Firstly, it gives supporters the chance to put their own stamp on the movement. You will have the chance to express yourself through your own placard.
There will be some pre-designed placards available (you can see these designs on the SBWD socials) – but this is an opportunity for you to get your message across.
It’s also a chance to show unity once more. Let’s show Dai that we won’t let this club liquidate. We won’t let him do what he did to Beijing Renhe.
This march and the media coverage that will come with it will put Dai in the spotlight again – and he won’t be comfortable with that as a “private” person.
Keeping that pressure up could potentially help to speed up a sale – and a suitable buyer is needed soon considering the state the club finds itself in.
The thought of our club not existing anymore is unbearable, but because of the fans’ resistance to his reckless ownership, I feel more and more confident that this pressure will force him into a position where he’s willing to sell at a lower amount than he has previously demanded.
The supporters may not be able to legally force Dai out of the club like Luton Town did when John Gurney was starting to ruin the Hatters – but we can have a big impact.
A massive well done to the supporters for playing their part in the campaign, but we have some more business to attend to this weekend.
The threat to our club is just as big now as it was back in 1983 when the Thames Valley Royals march happened. Don’t regret not joining the 2023 march; get yourself down to Blue Collar on Saturday at 12pm.
The bigger the march, the more attention it will get. Make your voice heard, get your point across and join others in a march to save our great club.
We hope to see you there!
