Select Car Leasing have announced an extension of the companies sponsorship to Reading FC Women, currently operated by the Reading FC Community Trust.
Until the summer, Reading FC Women were owned and operated by the entity owned by Dai Yongge and had just achieved survival in the FA Women’s Championship after relegation from the FA WSL.
Sadly, funding by the owner was cut in the summer with the women’s team and pathway for young women and girls in the area to professional football on the verge of collapse.
Related: Behind the scenes at Reading FC Women’s sponsor launch
Reading FC’s Community Trust arm stepped in and, kept the team alive with Head of Women’s Football Emma Hopkins saying at the time: “We are focused on creating a nurturing environment that prioritises growth, resilience, and determination. Our ambitions are high, and we are determined to make this comeback story one for the history books.”
The Royals first team were demoted to the Southern Region Women’s Football League Premier and have endured a tough start to life at Level 5 but have enjoyed a run to the Berks & Bucks County FA Senior Women’s Cup Semi-Finals with Maidenhead United blocking a path to the Final.
Reading Football Club were early pioneers of the professional era of the women’s game, producing talents like Fran Kirby and Emma Harries as well as Chelsea’s Aimee Claypole and more recently goalkeeper Eve Annets (now with Manchester City). The Royals were one of the first football clubs in the top tiers of the game to move all their fixtures to the club’s main stadium.
Six of the Wales squad that qualified for Euro 2025 on Tuesday night either came through Reading’s Academy system or represented the Royals in the FA WSL including captain Angharad James-Turner, Charlie Estcourt and Rachel Rowe – not to mention Jess Fishlock who enjoyed a spell at the SLC Stadium.
Now, with Select Car Leasing back on the front of the shirts – as the RG2 business is with the men’s teams and stadium itself – perhaps things are looking up for the Royals and Hopkins words ‘growth, resilience, and determination’ are starting to take root.
Statements received by Football in Berkshire said from CEO of Select Car Leasing, Mark Tongue said “It’s incredibly important to us that we’ve extended our sponsorship to include the Women’s side again. We take our role in supporting Reading Football Club and the associated community very seriously, and this commitment also applies to all aspects of the Women’s game. We’re passionate about encouraging women’s and girls’ football so it was an easy decision for us to extend our sponsorship to include the women’s team. As a business, it’s also important for us to open more opportunities for women to enter our industry and enjoy successful careers in the automotive industry.”
Dave Evans, Head of Reading FC Community Trust added: “I’d like to place on record how thankful we are to Select Car Leasing in the support they continue to offer The Trust, the Women’s team and the Football Club generally. The extended partnership makes an immediate impact on our operation and will significantly help us deliver better, more impactful programmes for women’s football locally – as well as supporting our objectives at first team level.”
