A Cardiff City supporter has been banned from attending football matches for 3 years following disorder involving rival fans before a match in Reading.

What happened?

The incident occurred on April 18 this year, ahead of a fixture involving Reading FC and Cardiff City. Gareth Whitehouse, 41, from Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Why it matters for Reading

As Reading FC currently stands at 10th in League One with 62 points from 43 games, the team's recent form has been LLDWL, with their last result being a 0-1 loss to Blackpool on 2026-05-02. PC Steve Mountain, Reading FC's dedicated football officer, stated that disorder has no place in football or in their communities.

What comes next?

The ban means Whitehouse will be barred from attending regulated football matches for the next 3 years, and he was also ordered to pay a total of £253 in fines and costs. Reading FC's next fixture is against Farnborough on 2026-07-11. | Stat | Value | | League standing | 10th in League One | | Points | 62 | | Recent form | LLDWL |