▁region , ▁" Th ames ▁Valley ", ▁with ▁the ▁Reading ▁team ' s ▁nick name , ▁" the ▁Roy als ". ▁With ▁each ▁team ▁having ▁financial ▁problems , ▁Max well ▁claimed ▁that ▁both ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁ver ge ▁of ▁going ▁out ▁of ▁business ▁and ▁that ▁unit ing ▁them ▁was ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁region ▁to ▁retain ▁a ▁Football ▁League ▁club . ▁ ▁Max well ▁en vision ed ▁Th ames ▁Valley ▁Roy als ' ▁future ▁home ▁as ▁an ▁un spec ified ▁location ▁somewhere ▁between ▁Oxford ▁and ▁Reading ▁where ▁a ▁new ▁stad ium ▁would ▁be ▁built , ▁perhaps ▁Did cot ; ▁home ▁matches ▁would ▁alternate ▁between ▁Oxford ▁and ▁Reading ▁in ▁the ▁meant ime . ▁Both ▁sets ▁of ▁supp or ters ▁prompt ly ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁mass ▁demonstr ations ▁against ▁the ▁mer ger , ▁including ▁protest ▁march es ▁and ▁a ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 - man ▁sit - in ▁on ▁the ▁pitch ▁at ▁Oxford ▁before ▁a ▁match ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁April . ▁Max well ▁pressed ▁on ▁with ▁his ▁plan ▁regardless , ▁ins isting ▁that ▁" nothing ▁short ▁of ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Earth " ▁would ▁prevent ▁its ▁f ru ition . ▁ ▁The ▁proposed ▁am alg am ation ▁was ▁stopped ▁by ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁Reading ' s ▁board ▁direct ors , ▁Roy ▁T ran ter , ▁and ▁Roger ▁S mee , ▁a ▁business man ▁and ▁former ▁Reading ▁player . ▁S mee ▁disput ed ▁the ▁legit im acy ▁of ▁the ▁cont rolling ▁interest ▁in ▁Reading ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁fa ction ▁of ▁three