Racist incident prompts halt to Exeter City v Reading fixture

The Sky Bet League One encounter between Exeter City and Reading at St James Park was stopped on 74 minutes after reports of a racist comment made from the Reading end of the stadium toward an Exeter player.

Referee James Durkin spoke with both managers and captains before Exeter officials announced to the crowd that any further incidents would lead to the game ‘being halted’.

On the pitch, most of the action was condensed into a frantic opening, as Reading grabbed an early lead when Jack Marriott pounced on a defensive lapse to prod his team in front on just six minutes.

The City response came within five minutes, Reece Cole spearing a low ball into the Royals’ danger area and Jayden Wareham reacted first to convert against his former club.

The Grecians went on to enjoy the better of the first half and went close through Wareham and Sweeney, but Reading were the stronger side of the break, and the point was a welcome outcome for the Grecians.

Unfortunately, however, it was a game that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

City manager Gary Caldwell said: “Too many games are getting stopped for unacceptable chanting, unacceptable behaviour and hopefully we can kick it out.

"It's not a problem in football, it's a problem in society. It happens in other sports, it happens in other places and it's incredible that it still happening in 2025.

"Hopefully the authorities in football can try to do something to change it."