On 14 May 2025, American businessman Rob Couhig (with Todd Trosclair) became the owner of Reading Football Club in its entirety under the holding company Redwood Holdings Limited by way of 100% of the club shares, the Select Car Leasing Stadium, and the Bearwood Park training ground. The EFL has also completed the remaining legal processes.
Clearing Debts and Financial Health
Couhig bought Reading in dire financial straits. Under the previous owner Dai Yongge, the club received an immediate 6-point penalty (with further sanctions suspended) in April 2023 for breaching the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). The club was also handed transfer bans in the summer of 2023, January 2024, and November 2024 for unpaid taxes and supplier bills. Yongge was banned from being an owner on 7 March 2025 for racking up debts everywhere he went and pressured to sell to pay those creditors off. Couhig has promised to pay off all vendor debts and keep “pristine books,” in addition to focusing on long-term sustainability rather than quick cash boosts.
Squad Reshaping
One of Couhig’s first acts was to allow six senior players—among them the midfielder Tom Carroll and the goalkeeper David Button—to leave to get the wage bill down. This provides a budget to recruit young, hungry talent more suited to the demands of League One, with an eye on a play-off spot in 2025/26. Couhig also stresses developing a lean, mean team based on a work attitude and potential.
Investing in the Academy
Reading’s academy remains rated Category One under the EPPP. Couhig plans to conduct a month-long analysis of coaching staff, scouting networks and support services, to build on the strengths of the club’s own setup and to combine those with targeted scouting in areas that the old owner has overlooked. Goals are twofold: provide the first team with homegrown talent, and raise transfer income to reinvest in club infrastructure.
Embracing Technology and Data
Building on his learnings from his time at Wycombe Wanderers, Couhig plans to use data analytics and artificial intelligence to scout players, analyze matches, and prevent injuries. So, he is currently in negotiations with local tech partners to develop bespoke tools that will provide the club with a competitive advantage by leveraging advanced metrics.
Fans and Community Engagement
The supporters’ group “Sell Before We Dai” publicly accepted Couhig’s openness and demanded regular consultation on big decisions. He suggested quarterly town hall meetings and surveys of what supporters want in an effort to regain trust, bring back Reading’s identity, and create a positive match-day environment.
Long-Term Vision
Couhig’s vision is to turn Reading into a self-sustaining club competing consistently for promotion to the Championship and, eventually, the Premier League. Key pillars include
- Expanding commercial partnerships.
- The money-making of match day with stadium building work.
- Exploring ways to reinvest transfer profits back into facilities and sports science.
He also aims to reinvest some of the proceeds of any subsequent transfers in the club’s infrastructure to help continue its growth.
Final Thoughts
With Couhig’s emphasis on being financially prudent and planning for the future, both through academy investment and tech adoption, Reading has high hopes to secure a comeback. By writing off debt and streamlining the squad, he sets the scene for incremental improvement. Also, he leverages focused academy and tech strategies to sustain competitive and financial success.
Please note that the schedule for the takeover, financial consequences, embargo lengths, and owner disqualification details were sourced from EFL statements and club statements. Assumptions about squad performance and financial status are based on public pledges made by Couhig as well as industry norms.
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Sources:
- www.sportrepublic1.co.uk/2025/05/21/new-dawn-at-reading-fc-rob-couhig-completes-takeover-vows-stability-and-revival-after-years-of-turmoil/
- www.rdg.today/rob-couhig-speaks-on-the-future-of-reading-fcs-academy-and-category-one-status/
- www.inews.co.uk/sport/football/rob-couhig-my-plan-to-fix-reading-3772606
- www.itv.com/news/meridian/2025-05-03/reading-fc-takeover-completed
All images are AI-generated
