Reading fans stage another protest against owner Dai Youngge live on ITV as they throw tennis balls and fake money onto the pitch during FA Cup tie against Eastleigh

Reading fans have staged yet another protest against their owner Dai Youngge live on ITV in the FA Cup second round against Eastleigh.

A series of points deductions and unpaid wages from the club have left them in turmoil, with the former Premier League side destined for relegation to League Two amid their on-field struggles in League One under Ruben Selles.

The supporters launched tennis balls and fake money onto the field in Hampshire during the 16th minute of the game, causing a lengthy delay as stewards cleaned up the mess.

The fans were widely supported for their protests, with Youngge having history of unsuccessful spells in charge of football clubs, dissolving one in China and another in Belgium.

Ian Wright was working for ITV as a pundit for the game, and backed the fans as they fight for the survival of their club. 

'We are talking about owners who have previous in this,' he began. 'They have had a club dissolved in China, they have had a club in Belgium go bankrupt. This mis-management is on such a scale. 

'I am hearing club sponsors are having to come in. They are just there to get exposure and they are coming into try and save them.

'How did they get to get in this position? Owners when they have got previous form of doing this. Reading, sixth oldest club, and they are going through this. We might see administration. hopefully it doesn't happen but I am totally with the Reading fans here.'

Royals manager Ruben Selles has stuck with his side despite their downfall and has told Youngge to pay staff off-the-field before him, his coaching staff and his players.

He has been publicly critical of his boss in the past, branding it 'not the correct thing to do' that his players had not been paid, and players did not receive their salaries in full in November.

'I think it is showing solidarity with that group of staff who are doing so much work behind the scenes, Jobi McAnuff said on ITV. 'That is the other disappointing thing.

'Since Dai Youngge has been there the real spirit and culture has been eroded, they have got rid of a lot of good people behind the scenes and eventually it filters down onto the pitch with the points deductions but with bunch of kids, which it is now, it is inevitable in terms of the downslide.'

Reading are 23rd in League One with 13 points from 18 games with the deductions added.

They lost the game 2-1, with Paul McCallum scoring a stoppage time winner for his second of the game. 

The first points deduction for the club arrived in November 2021 when they lost six points in the Championship due to breaching the EFL's profit and sustainability rules, reporting a pre-tax loss of £146m with a maximum allowed of £13million. They spent 234 per cent of their revenue on player wages.

In March this year, they were dealt another six-point deduction for again breaking the profit and sustainability rules and were relegated to League One - they would have stayed up without the deduction.

In August they were deducted another point with three more suspended for failing to pay players on time last season. The suspended penalty was applied in September and Youngge faced a misconduct charge.

While Youngge has said he is open to selling the club, they have faced winding up petitions from HMRC for unpaid taxes one more than one occasion with no sign of a sale close.