Former Reading manager and player Mick Gooding says the club’s owners should be alarmed by dwindling attendances at the Madejski Stadium.
The Royals have struggled for form this season in the Sky Bet Championship and the attendance is yet to top 17,000 so far this campaign.
The highest number of fans present for a league fixture came when 16,918 turned up to watch the game against Leeds United.
However, when taking into account the number or away fans in the ground, the home support is equivalent to around 14,000 – a worrying statistic which Gooding believes Reading’s owners need to be concerned about.
Speaking on BBC Radio Berkshire, he said: “Certainly, attendance wise they are dwindling.
”We thought when Mark Bowen took over he had a really good spell and you’d think that would encourage people to come back.
“But it has been quite worrying, the past few home games.
“It was around 14,000 for the last home game against Birmingham City (a 3-2 defeat) and Reading have been used to 17-18,000 on average so the crowds are dwindling.
“I don’t know – the owners are filthy rich people and they have billions and billions – and I ‘m not sure if they are too worried about that. But if they aren’t then I think they should be.”
