Gareth Whitehouse, a 41-year-old man, has been given a 3-year Football Banning Order after being convicted of a public order offence linked to disorder involving football supporters in Reading.

What happened?

The incident occurred on 18 April 2026 in Greyfriars Street, Reading, involving Reading FC and Cardiff City supporters. Whitehouse pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Why it matters for Reading

The Football Banning Order is designed to prevent further disorder and can place strict conditions on individuals, including preventing them from attending matches. Dedicated football officer for Reading FC, PC Steve Mountain, stated that disorder has no place in football or in communities.

What comes next?

Reading FC is currently 10th in League One with 62 points from 43 games, having recently lost to Blackpool 0-1 on 2026-05-02. Their next fixture is against Farnborough on 2026-07-11. | Stat | Value | | League standing | 10th in League One | | Points | 62 | | Recent form | LLDWL |