Popular Reading sponsors continue to provide “significant” support to the women’s team

Local car company Select Car Leasing has continued its incredible support of Reading Football Club by renewing its sponsorship with the women’s team.

Select Car Leasing was founded by two season ticket holders and has the naming rights to the stadium until 203 and has been associated with the club since 2015.

They hold a special place in the hearts of the wider fan base because during the turbulent financial crisis with owner Dai Yongge, the company has a history of borrowing money to ensure bills and salaries are paid on time.

One victim of the ownership crisis was the women’s team, which was a long-standing member of the Women’s Super League and a former FA Cup semi-finalist.

Relegated in 2022, the team now plays in the Southern Region Women’s Football League, is an amateur team run by the Community Trust and is based in Slough, not the town it represents.

As part of the sponsorship, the Select Car Leasing brand will appear on the front of the women’s team’s playing jerseys for the current season, reflecting the association with the men’s team and highlighting the importance Select Car Leasing places on the development of women’s and girls’ football locally attaches.

Mark Tongue, CEO of Select Car Leasing, said: “It is incredibly important to us that we have once again extended our sponsorship to the women’s side. “We take our role in supporting Reading Football Club and its community very seriously, and this Commitment also applies to all aspects of women’s football. Promoting women’s and girls’ football is important to us, so it was an easy decision for us to expand our sponsorship to include the women’s team. As a company, it is also important to us to create more opportunities for women to enter our industry and enjoy successful careers in the automotive industry.”

Dave Evans, head of Reading FC Community Trust, added: “I would like to put on record how grateful we are to Select Car Leasing for the support they continue to provide to the trust, the women’s team and the football club in general.” The extended partnership has a direct impact on our business and will significantly help us deliver better and more impactful programs for women’s football locally – and support our goals at first team level.”