ab lished ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 ), ▁Reading ▁were ▁a ▁public ▁limited ▁company , ▁cha ired ▁by ▁Frank ▁W aller , ▁a ▁prominent ▁local ▁business man ; ▁while ▁ow ning ▁Oxford , ▁Max well ▁also ▁held ▁ 1 9 % ▁of ▁Reading ' s ▁shares . ▁The ▁two ▁clubs ▁share ▁a ▁local ▁rival ry . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁both ▁were ▁in ▁financial ▁difficulties , ▁particularly ▁Reading . ▁Max well ▁sought ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁new ▁stad ium ▁for ▁Oxford ▁United ; ▁he ▁had ▁negoti ated ▁with ▁the ▁council ▁over ▁potential ▁locations ▁since ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁take over , ▁favour ing ▁a ▁site ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁sub urb ▁of ▁Mar ston , ▁but ▁had ▁yet ▁to ▁win ▁council ▁permission ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁land . ▁ ▁Pro pos al ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁about ▁a ▁month ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 2 – 8 3 ▁season , ▁Max well ▁told ▁the ▁BBC ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁acqu iring ▁a ▁cont rolling ▁interest ▁in ▁Reading , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁intent ▁on ▁mer ging ▁that ▁club ▁with ▁Oxford . ▁The ▁merged ▁club ▁would ▁be ▁called ▁Th ames ▁Valley ▁Roy als , ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁" Th ames ▁Valley ", ▁a ▁loose ▁term ▁for ▁the ▁ge ographical ▁area , ▁and ▁the ▁nick name ▁of ▁Reading ▁Football ▁Club , ▁" the ▁Roy als ". ▁" If ▁we ▁in ▁Th ames ▁Valley ▁are ▁to ▁retain ▁a ▁League ▁club ▁we ' ve ▁got ▁to