▁Reading ▁board ▁members ▁that ▁back ed ▁the ▁mer ger ▁plan , ▁including ▁the ▁chairman ▁Frank ▁W aller , ▁and ▁T ran ter ▁launched ▁a ▁legal ▁challenge ▁to ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁certain ▁shares ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁W aller ▁and ▁his ▁board room ▁al lies ▁res igned ▁under ▁pressure ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Reading ▁board ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁and ▁at ▁an ▁extraordinary ▁share hold ers ' ▁meeting ▁in ▁July , ▁S mee ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁club , ▁ending ▁the ▁am alg am ation ▁plans . ▁ ▁Context ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 2 – 8 3 ▁Football ▁League ▁season , ▁both ▁Oxford ▁United ▁and ▁Reading ▁competed ▁in ▁the ▁Football ▁League ▁Third ▁Division , ▁then ▁the ▁third ▁tier ▁of ▁English ▁football — equ ivalent ▁to ▁today ' s ▁League ▁One . ▁Man aged ▁by ▁Jim ▁Smith , ▁Oxford ▁challeng ed ▁for ▁promotion ▁throughout ▁the ▁season , ▁while ▁Maurice ▁Evans ' ▁Reading ▁team ▁l angu ished ▁near ▁the ▁re leg ation ▁zone ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁despite ▁possess ing ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁division ' s ▁top - sc oring ▁for wards ▁in ▁Ker ry ▁D ixon . ▁The ▁colour ful ▁media ▁mog ul ▁and ▁former ▁MP ▁Robert ▁Max well ▁owned ▁and ▁cha ired ▁Oxford , ▁having ▁prevent ed ▁the ▁club ' s ▁bank rupt cy ▁by ▁bu ying ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁oldest ▁football ▁teams ▁( est