£60 million For Reading's Promotion

18 April 2012, 06:00 | Updated: 18 April 2012, 10:39

Experts say £60 million will be spent in the local area now that Reading will be playing in the Premier League next season.

The Madejski Stadium team will play top flight football next season, now they're at the top of the Championship with 2 games to go.

It's thought the promotion will bring in £90 million for the club from things like money from matches being shown on television, more fans coming to see them play and sponsorship deals.

Another £60 million could be bought to the local economy with fans coming to watch the games spending money hotels, bars and restaurants

Clair Prosser from the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce told Heart it will bring more people to Reading.

"Once you have a football club in the premiership it opens the town's image up around the rest of the country so you get students who want to come to the university, more visitors, more tourism.

"There's going to be more new skilled people in the town that are going to come, the graduates are going to stay on and there's going to be a good mix of overseas students coming in because it will put reading on the global map."

Councillor Jo Lovelock, Leader of Reading Borough Council has congratulated the team, saying she has asked Council officers to talk to the Club about a Civic event to mark this major achievement.

"Reading can be very proud of its football team, and it's great that Reading's Madejski Stadium will again be hosting some of the best clubs in the world. Many many congratulations to Brian MacDermott and all the players and staff."

Reading were last in the Premier League in the 2006/07 season.

A takeover by Russian tycoon Anton Zingarevich is in the pipeline, with details being finalised.