“We want to do more to help them” Reading FC chairman’s first comments on Women’s team

Reading FC were Sold Before They Dai’d, but with new owner Rob Couhig getting his feet firmly under the desk there are plenty of questions fans are waiting for answers.

The new Reading chairman featured on the latest episode of The Tilehurst End podcast with Ben Thomas and Ross Webber to answer some of those burning questions – and you can listen to the episode in full here or below – but as you’ll be well aware Football in Berkshire has long held an interest in the women’s team.

Until now there had been no word on what might happen to the team which is currently under the care of the Reading FC Community Trust. You’ll recall last summer there was a last ditch bid to save the side by the Trust, just as it looked like former owner Dai Yongge was about to add to his list of teams that had fallen by the wayside on his watch.

With questions lead by Webber, the podcast was able to spend a bit of time discussing the future of Reading FC Women – produced below with kind permission of The Tilehurst End.

Related: ‘We need to fight to keep it’ What Reading FC Women means to you

Ross Webber (RW): I’m a huge fan of women’s soccer. I watch Racing Louisville in the NWSL and I was reading some of their financial stuff last year, and I know some of those clubs have kicked up their revenue a lot in the last year, obviously with investment as well.

But I just wondered if the [Reading] women’s team is part of your plans, if not for this season, then at some point down the line?

Rob Couhig (RC): We want to do more to help them. And we will over time. I don’t know that we will come in and buy the team or become the only supporter of it.

I kind of like where it is with the [Reading FC Community] Trust and what it’s doing. On the other hand, one of the benefits of our taking over the club is that we’re getting a few knocks on the door.

We had, and this is the frustrating and perhaps galling part – and I’m not going back and revisiting the history – but with this one thing, we thought we had somebody who was going to come in as a part-owner of the big club.

But it was taking jurisdiction and had real money to put into women’s soccer. And when it didn’t happen, she got disenchanted and has gone to different places with her money. But I think there will be somebody like that or somebodies like that.

RW: Makes sense. Yeah. And I do agree it’s nice to have it in the Community Trusts hands because I do think that it is getting people through and into soccer at that early age. I think, you know, when they see that, they see the Community Trust, they see the games that they can go up to in Slough, but also actually the sessions and things that the girls can do. It’s always important to me to make sure the girls teams are being supported.

RC: We’ll do that. These probably, I mean, I always tell people I want to be honest. I want to do more, but I also have a list of priorities. We’ve got to get the first team organised and on its way. It’s got to be a successful team.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

And, you can’t do it all at once. But that doesn’t mean.. I know [Reading FC co-CEO] Joe [Jacobsen] told me we’re meeting with some folks next week about what we might be able to do to help them out. We will try and do what we can.”

Reading of course was the platform for recently retired England internationals Mary Earps and Fran Kirby. The club during its FA WSL days played host to some of the best Welsh footballing talent from Jess Fishlock to Rachel Rowe as well as record England appearance maker Fara Williams.

Former Reading youth goalkeeper Eve Annets – now with Manchester City – has just been named in the England under 19 squad for the 2025 UEFA Women’s U19 EURO finals in Poland.