The demise of Reading FC Women as we know it is stark proof (not that we needed any more) of how badly the club has been run under the current ownership.

I did my coaching badges with the women’s team, including Jo Moore and Mary Earps. They were such a great bunch, taking the piss out of me for being older than they were. They really did feel like the future of Reading. So, to see how it’s ended up for them is incredibly sad.

The current owner’s legacy continues to take down talented and hard working people who care about Reading and don’t deserve this.

I’m speaking to a number of people at Reading FC Women and girls teams. This isn’t only about the team being demoted and first team players leaving. This is having a negative impact on the girls who were part of something and are now being told they are on their own. Teams are breaking up, young girls now don’t have teams to play for and won’t be able to meet with their friends. It’s scandalous.

⁠A lot of talk has centred around the fee that Reading will receive for Michael Olise following his move from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich.

The truth is that just because “10 per cent” is written in a contract, that in no way means that is what the club will receive. It’s always a negotiation.

The same has happened at Maidenhead United with the trustee of their former player Max Kilman, following his move from Wolves to West Ham. These negations hinge on the belief that a selling club can bluff the fact that they don’t have to sell. It will centre along the lines of “this deal doesn’t work for us if we have to give you £8m, but if you can agree to £4m then it stacks up”.

This isn’t a new thing. My sale to Stoke saw Reading do exactly the same thing to Cambridge United, the club they’d signed me from, who had a 10 per cent sell-on fee. It isn’t underhand, it’s just business. When you consider the financial status that Reading are in, it’s a foolish club that doesn’t negotiate.

There are positives and negatives for Reading FC with Olise’s move to Bayern. On the one hand, it highlights how bad things have got, that we’ve gone from a situation a few years ago where one of the team’s brightest lights has developed into a player of Premier League quality and now the club will receive a fee.

It also highlights how bad things have got. A brilliant academy and the women’s set-up is now unrecognisable.

I’ve been hearing some positive news about the sale of the club. Anyone who knows anything about Reading FC knows that the sale needs to go through as a matter of urgency. Then it’s time to start a rebuilding process.

I was part of a Reading side that finished in eighth place in the Premier League. That is a great example of what is achievable under the right ownership – and there is no reason why we won’t be back in the Championship, challenging for promotion, under the right ownership. There are plenty of other examples of what is achievable for a well-run club. Just look at Brighton, Brentford and Luton.

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Congratulations to Josh Hardy, a player I coached back in December, for winning a soccer scholarship at Connors State College in Oklahoma.

Josh was born in Basingstoke but emigrated to New Zealand from Reading in 2007 as a two-year-old.

I coached him during his trip from Christchurch to visit his family near Newbury at the end of last year.

He was a pleasure to coach. He had a great attitude and I’m sure he will do well – especially as Connors State has a good track record of developing athletes across a wide range of sports.

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I have been visiting a number of end of season events for various junior football clubs across Berkshire and had a great day at the Cold Ash Boys & Girls FC end of season family fun day at Thatcham Town FC on Saturday.

Our fastest shot competition is very popular - and can get very competitive. Before Saturday, the record fastest shot was 70mph but that was for an adult. On Saturday, 15-year-old Connor equalled that speed.

Craig and everyone at Cold Ash Boys and Girls FC deserve a lot of credit for putting on a fantastic event.

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My new group sessions and Masterclasses kicked off this week. I’m coaching sessions on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Session costs start from only £15 per hour. If you’d like to book or would like any more information, you can send an email to mark@davekitsonacademy.co.uk and we’ll get back to you with all the details.