Reading FC: Drop in police payments revealed after police stonewalling

Police forces across the UK can invoice clubs for providing a police presence within stadiums during matches, as part of a "special police service."

Reading FC had been paying around £51,000 a year on average between 2015 to 2019 - but last year the force received £6,863.

The club had paid Thames Valley Police £84,212 in the calendar year 2019. 

White other police forces like the Metropolitan Police Force regularly publish special police service charges for football matches, Thames Valley Police had originally refused a Freedom of Information request around payments . 

The force had cited concerns around law enforcement and commercial interests.

Working with Thames Valley Police And Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, we were able to overturn the original rejection of a Freedom of Information request - which was found to be in the public interest. 

A previous FOI request made in December last year showed that half way through the 2023/24 season the force had been paid 27p by Reading Football Club for that season. 

Updated figures - which cover this calendar year - record payments totalling £83,823.84. 

A spokesperson from the club said the reduction in payments was due to "intelligence" indicating a change in policing need. 

The spokesperson said: "When determining the level of policing required for a home fixture, a whole host of intelligence is taken into consideration. 

"The initial reduction in costs at the outset of the Covid pandemic is due to behind closed doors fixtures, and following the return of spectators the intel we garnered deemed a police presence was not required to the same level as it previously had been. 

"The rise in costs for 2024 can be accounted for due to high profile fixtures taking place with an increased disturbance level expected."

Reading FC was "very proud" of its safety record at the stadium, according to the club representative. 

Since 2015, crowd numbers have fallen at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, which has a capacity of around 24,000 people.

The decision for police officers to be within the footprint of the stadium is "a decision for the football club, although consultation will be made with police forces and safety advisory groups," according to a spokesperson from Thames Valley Police. 

Minutes from Reading FC safety advisory groups obtained by The Reading Chronicle have been heavily redacted in relation to comments around policing. 

But at the last SAG meeting in January, the 2023/24 season was labelled as "difficult" by a police representative.

Minutes from the meeting show that across 36 games, seven were deemed low risk, three were classed as medium risk, and one game was labelled as high risk.

In the week before this meeting, Reading's home game against Port Vale had to be abandoned due to a pitch invasion by fans, who also hurled tennis ball on to the pitch in protest of Dai Yongge's ownership of the club. 

Three months earlier on the day of club's fixture against Portsmouth FC, hundreds of fans staged protest around the Select Car Leasing Stadium. 

Reading FC fan group STAR declined to comment on the police payment figures. 

Figures around other club's police payments obtained by the paper show that Portsmouth FC always paid the amount invoiced from 2015 to 2024. 

The club's payments to Hampshire Constabulary ranged between £31,946 and £90,680, with the club paying £50,419 for the 2022/23 season. 
 
Peterborough paid its local force £31,181 for the 2023/24 season, and £32,113 for the 2022/23 season.

Crowds were prohibited at football games during the Covid-19 pandemic from March 2020, with some limited easing of restrictions in December 2020, and then all restrictions being lifted for the 2021/2022 season. 

Reading FC payments to police by calendar year: 

2015 - £43,402.26
2016 - £36,119.18
2017 - £53,451.00
2018 - £39,737.82
2019 - £84,212.00
2020 - £16,930.92
2021 - £3,264.00
2022 - £9,084.00
2023 - £6,863.95
2024 - £83,823.84