"A never-ending horror show" - Reading FC claim made as Rob Couhig takeover nears completion | OneFootball

FLW's Reading fan pundit has given his reaction to the news that a deal has been agreed to sell the club to Rob Couhig.

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...

Dai Yongge's nightmare spell as Reading owner could soon be coming to an end after Rob Couhig agreed a deal to buy the club.

It has been a painful few years for Reading under Yongge's ownership, with the club suffering relegation to League One, in addition to multiple transfer embargoes and points deductions, but after a number of failed takeover attempts, it seems there is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the long-suffering supporters.

Having initially seen his first takeover bid collapse at the last minute in September before becoming embroiled in a legal battle with Yongge, it was announced on Saturday morning that former Wycombe Wanderers owner Couhig's company, Redwood Holdings Limited, had agreed a deal in principle to buy the club, as well as the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park Training Ground.

Couhig's takeover is not quite completed yet, with the transaction still subject to what has been described as "final legal technicalities", and after missing the deadline of 8th May, Yongge has now been given until 5pm on 12th May to divest his interests in the club.

Saturday was not quite the day of celebration that Royals supporters had hoped for after their team missed out on the play-offs following a 4-2 home defeat to Barnsley, but with the future of the club now looking secure, there is still plenty for them to be optimistic about.

When asked for his thoughts on Couhig agreeing a deal to buy the club, FLW's Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt expressed his relief that Yongge's disastrous reign may finally be coming to a conclusion, and he said that Royals supporters are looking forward to focusing on football matters once again, rather than off-field drama.

"I think it's a mixture of emotions, to be honest," Johnny told FLW.

"It's been such a journey over the last few years under Dai Yongge.

"The thought of losing our club completely has been so stressful, as well as all the embargoes and points deductions, it's been a never-ending horror show.

"Then you get this season which has just been unreal on the playing side, which we never thought we'd see with the way things were going.

"It's the best news.

"It is a shame it didn't happen back in August when Rob Couhig initially tried to buy the club, then we wouldn't have to go through another season of turmoil, but it is what it is.

"It's done now, and at last, we can actually look forward to having a club run properly and talking about on-pitch stuff like transfers and who should be starting each week, rather than looking at lawsuits, legal documents, court cases and embargo sites.

"It will actually be quite weird for all the fans to realise we've got a football club to talk about, and that's exciting.

"We've already got the accounts in for last year, so that means we're off that (transfer) embargo.

"Couhig did a good job at Wycombe, he ran the club properly, so I don't see any reason why he can't do the same for us and put us on a firm footing to rebuild and get everything in place that the club needs going forward.

"It is exciting times."

Reading's Dai Yongge ordeal may soon be over - it should've happened a long time ago

Couhig has not always been the most popular figure among Reading supporters after attempting to buy the Bearwood Park Training Ground last year during his time as Wycombe owner, but he has certainly won their respect through his persistence in getting a deal done for the club.

It looked highly unlikely that Couhig would ever agree terms with Yongge after his previous takeover bid fell through and the legal dispute between the pair, but the American businessman remained determined to get his hands on the Royals, and it seems as though the sale could be officially completed next week.

Couhig proved himself to be a safe pair of hands during his tenure at Adams Park, and with a strong squad already in place, better days could be ahead for Reading next season, particularly now they will be able to operate normally in the transfer market once again.