"They should be welcoming" - Pundit urges Reading FC supporters to accept ex-Wycombe Wanderers owner | OneFootball

Reading have been handed a boost in the search for a new owner, with the news that ex-Wycombe Wanderers' owner Rob Couhig is leading a consortium that is interested in buying the club.

It is reported by The Reading Chronicle that Couhig, who stepped down at Wycombe just last week, is leading the way to take over at Berkshire after some lengthy negotiations, but a deal remains a long way from completion.

However, this move could be controversial for Reading fans as Couhig was in charge of Wycombe back in March when the Choirboys purchased Reading's Bearwood Park training ground, but the move was later put on hold after it emerged that planning limitations do not allow other clubs to use the ground.

Wycombe's move to buy Reading's training ground understandably did not go down well, with many Royals supporters seeing it as a case of Wycombe benefiting from the club's dire financial situation, so Couhig may not be the most popular man amongst Reading fans.

Carlton Palmer believes that Rob Couhig would be a good owner for Reading

Former England international and current pundit Carlton Palmer believes Couhig would be a good man to have in charge of the Royals, despite what happened back in March when he tried to buy the club's training ground.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said: "Former Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig is allegedly leading the Reading takeover bid.

"Listen, there’ll be some controversy here with the supporters because Rob was part of the Wycombe consortium that was trying to buy Reading’s training ground, but eventually the deal fell through.

“Rob has eventually sold out to Wycombe and in his four years with the Choirboys , he club won promotion to the Championship for the first time in their history. “Although Reading fans might not be happy, this could be good news for them. They just need to get somebody in who will inject some money into the football club and get them back to its former glories. "I know there was some disconnect with Wycombe trying to buy the training ground, but with everything that has gone on at Reading, they should be welcoming someone like Rob, who's got the money to give the club some stability, give them a platform, and they can move on and have something to cheer about.

“Of course there’ll be resentment, but it’s one of those things, and they need to move on, look forward and look at it as a positive move for the future of Reading FC.”

Rob Couhig has pedigree and would be a fantastic addition to Reading FC

If Couhig takes over at Reading, and there's still a long way to go before that happens, then Reading fans should let bygones be bygones, as they aren't exactly in a position where they can pick and choose who they want their owner to be.

Couhig has pedigree in the English game, helping Wycome Wanderers reach the Championship in 2020, and nearly repeating the trick in 2022, where they lost the play-off final against Sunderland.

Ultimately, he's a businessman who wanted a better training ground for his club, so when he saw Reading's state-of-the-art facility was available for a cut-price fee, he wanted to take advantage of that. Whilst that may not make it okay for Reading supporters, perhaps they can understand why he did it.

It's been a very turbulent couple of years for Reading, and things won't get better unless there's a change of ownership, and Couhig would be able to provide the club with some short-term stability and long-term ambition.

Yes, he would have to mend relations with fans should he join, but if he was able to help Reading escape the dire financial situation they're currently in, then there's no reason why the club's supporters wouldn't forgive him.