One-time Reading bidder labels club 'a madhouse' after women's team closure

One-time bidder of Reading Football Club, Daniel Loitz, labelled the club 'a madhouse' after the women's team were downgraded and the women's academy closed on Sunday.

Mr Loitz, a German businessman who had bid for the club last season, is currently trying to resurrect former Madejski Stadium tenants London Irish RFC.

Irish, who played in the town for 20 years, fell into administration in 2023 but there are hopes Mr Loitz could return them to past glories.

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He had reportedly bid £28m in January and London Irish would return to the town.

No move materialised with Mr Loitz and as things stand, with six weeks to the new season starting, a deal is yet to be complete.

With no funding, the women's set-up was downgraded to include a women's team in the fifth tier and the youth set-up was scrapped.

Mr Loitz, who has a keen interest in women's football, took to social media to share his disgust with the news.

On X [formerly Twitter] Mr Loitz said: "My offer for Reading Football Club at the time included a clear vision for Reading Women, as you can read, and purely from a business perspective, I wanted to bring in a reliable tenant in London Irish, despite complaints about the pitch. The money has to come from somewhere. It's just a madhouse, the whole thing, with people in charge who have even been punished by associations and banned."

He also took a swipe at supporters who had questioned his credibility, threatening legal action.