M4 to close near Reading FC stadium on weekend of home fixture

Reading football club fans will be facing a headache next month after SSEN announced the M4 next to the SCL stadium will close so they can carry out work.

The company is carrying out cable work between junctions 10 and 11 meaning the motorway will shut in both directions from 9pm on Friday the 18th September through to early Monday morning on the 21st. Reading are at home on the 19th to Notts County.

The company said in a statement why this weekend was chosen:

"We know there’s no ideal time to close one of the South of England’s busiest roads, even if it’s only for a couple of days. By selecting the weekend of 19th-20th September, we’ve tried to avoid the main holiday season and significant summer events. But the need to restore the network back to its previous state is a pressing one, to ensure the reliability of electricity supplies for millions of customers."

When we approached them specifically about the fixture they told us:

“In planning for these essential works, we are aware of the home game at Reading FC on the Saturday in question. We’re already in touch with the club, so we can continue to update them and answer any questions they may have. By proactively issuing details of these necessary works more than six weeks before they’re due to begin, our aim is to give anyone whose plans may be affected enough time to amend their plans, thus minimising any potential inconvenience to them.”

The club has told us they were NOT consulted in advance about the closure.

When this was put to SSEN they further replied:

"An SSEN representative approached the club this morning as part of a round of engagement that's being done with statutory and other organisations around the public communications issued yesterday. We've since had a call with the club's operational director.”

This means SSEN only spoke to the club about the closure 24 hours after making the public announcement.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.