Reading Chronicle

Lewis, who handed ownership of the club to the Lewis Family Trust in 2022, was fined 5 million US dollars (£3.8 million) last year after the British billionaire pleaded guilty to insider trading.

The Lewis family took full operational control of Tottenham this year, after former chairman Daniel Levy stepped down.

But Lewis will not be returning to the club, which will continue to be run by the next generation of the Lewis family.

The White House is due to publish Lewis’s pardon later today.

Lewis said: “I am pleased all of this is now behind me, and I can enjoy retirement and watch as my family and extended family continue to build our businesses based on the quality and pursuit of excellence that has become our trademark.”

A source close to the Lewis family added: “Joe and the Lewis family are extremely grateful for this pardon and would like to thank President Trump for taking this action.

“Over his long business career, Joe has been a visionary, creating businesses across the world which multiple generations of his family are now taking forward.

“This is why there is so much more to the Joe Lewis story than this one event.”

Spurs is now run by Joe Lewis’s daughter Vivienne, son Charles and Vivienne’s husband Nick Beucher, as well as non-executive chairman Peter Charrington and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham.

Mr Levy stepped down as chairman of the club in September after nearly 25 years.

The Royals welcomed more than 22,000 supporters into the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday as the reigning Europa League champions, Spurs, rolled into town.

Both goals came from players yet to make their first-team debuts for the Lilywhites, namely Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic, after the break as new boss Thomas Frank fielded two completely separate sides.

While the afternoon was labelled 'a great exercise' by Hunt and was very clearly a huge success for the club from a commercial perspective, with the highest crowd for over three years set, some queried as to what a League One side stands to gain from hosting a side gunning for Premier League glory.

"We are looking to get fitness, energy, enthusiasm, bravery," Hunt told The Reading Chronicle. "I want them to be brave on the ball and get the first two passes away. We tried to play forward a few times today and were unlucky not to get it through. It’s about not going away from that, playing our game and having our identity. I saw loads of it today and loads we can get better at, but we have two weeks to work on it."

Reading host National League side Slough Town behind-closed-doors tomorrow before the final pre-season friendly of the summer sees Portsmouth visit the SCL Stadium next Saturday.

Tickets went on sale this morning for the first match of the season, a trip to Lincoln City on August 2.

Reading are yet to beat the Imps since their return to the third tier, drawing twice and losing twice. What could be summer signing Paudie O'Connor's full debut could come against the side he captained for two years, arriving from Sincil Bank in June.

A first meeting between the two sides in Berkshire since a 3-1 victory for Spurs in the Premier League 13 years ago, over 4,000 travelling supporters are packing into the away end to witness the start of Thomas Frank's reign.

After seven years in charge of Brentford, the Dane replaces Ange Postecoglou at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, fresh from their Europa League victory in May.

Take a look below for all you need to know.

Tickets:

More than 20,000 supporters are expected on Saturday, approaching the crowd in attendance for the last home match of last season against Barnsley.

The away end is sold-out for Spurs supporters but tickets are available for home supporters from as little as £12.

The Sir John Madejski Stand is down to single seats only, while the Lower West is completely sold-out.

Tickets are still available in decent numbers in both the Eamonn Dolan Stand and Upper West.

Parking and Travel:

On-site parking is sold out, so supporters are asked to find alternative arrangements.

All bus services are on as if it were a League One fixture, including the regular shuttle service from Reading Train Station.

Green Park Station is within walking distance to the stadium and serviceable from Reading Station and Reading West.

One to Watch: Mohamed Kudus

Saturday could see big summer signing Kudus make his Tottenham debut.

A star in Holland with Ajax, the midfielder impressed for two seasons with London rivals West Ham United before making a £55m move earlier in the summer.

Other stars include Uruguayan Rodrigo Bentancur and Reading-born England international Dominic Solanke.

Last Time Out: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Reading; January 1 2013

Discounting a behind-closed-doors friendly in 2020, which finished 4-1 to Spurs at the new stadium, you have to go back 12 years to the last competitive meeting in front of supporters.

Pavel Pogrebnyak put the Royals ahead within four minutes at White Hart Lane, but goals from Michael Dawson, Emmanuel Adebayor and Clint Dempsey ensured victory for Andre Villas-Boas' side in North London.

Reading last beat Spurs back in 2006, a 3-1 Premiership victory at the-then Madejski Stadium.

The Biscuitmen were unbeaten against the Lilywhites between 1913 and 1930, a run of four wins and two draws.

Coverage:

Tottenham Hotspur are streaming the match, at a cost, while The Reading Chronicle will bring full coverage from 1.30pm on the website and social media.

The game is close to a sell-out with Spurs in town for the first time since 2013, many hoping to catch a first glimpse of the Europa League champions under Dane Frank.

Spending seven years in charge at Brentford- as well as having two years on the coaching staff- before making the move across London, Frank is no stranger to the SCL Stadium.

Almost 17,000 were in attendance for his first trip to Berkshire in the hot seat, the Royals prevailing 2-1 over the Bees to all-but ensure survival in the second tier.

On route to finishing third in 2019/20, the West London side completed the double over Reading, winning 3-0 on the road, before losing to Fulham in the play-off final.

Promotion would follow, however, in 2020/21, and again Brentford would complete the double over promotion-chasing Reading.

A 3-1 victory at the SCL Stadium ended a run of seven matches unbeaten for Veljko Paunovic's side, this coming despite Lucas Joao giving the hosts as deserved lead.

Goals from Ivan Toney and Jay Dasilva turned the tie on its head and put the visitors clear at the top of the table.

Come May, Reading would sit seventh despite being in the top six for the entirety of the season. Brentford would be victors under the Wembley arch, beating Swansea City to reach the Premier League, where they remain to this day.

The Royals record against Frank on the road is even less impressive, losing both trips and the last four meetings overall.

Frank will be looking to extend his unbeaten run in Berkshire on Saturday but more importantly, start putting the building blocks in place to successfully replace the popular Ange Postecoglou.

Reading-born Dominic Solanke could feature, a regular goal-scorer over the Royals down the years with Bournemouth.

The England international grew up in the town but rose through the Chelsea ranks and has become a full England international.

The Premier League giants beat Manchester United in last month's showpiece to lift a first trophy in 15 years and a first European title for over 50 years.

It was not enough for Ange Postecuglo to keep his job after a bottom-half finish in the Premier League, so former Brentford boss Thomas Frank will return to Berkshire with his new-look Spurs side.

Set for July 19, tickets are on sale exclusively for season ticket holders until Wednesday, July 2.

With the news earlier in the day that Reading begin their pre-season schedule at local non-league side Hungerford Town next Saturday, the full fixture list is now complete.

Trips to Hungerford and Gillingham, supplemented with the visit of Tottenham and Portsmouth, enable supporters to see the players ahead of the season opener at Lincoln City on August 2.

Manager Noel Hunt had said following Saturday's 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic that a midfield addition would be prioritised as Michael Craig suffered a season-ending injury.

An England Under-21 regular a decade ago, Carroll starred for Exeter City last year and was in League One with Ipswich Town before then, spending the previous decade exclusively in the Championship and Premier League.

Moving to League Two MK Dons last summer, he made 16 appearances but mutually ended his contract last month, leaving him now a free agent heading into the final couple of months of the season.

An experienced operator who could play in any of the midfield areas, Carroll will allow the likes of Wing and Savage a well-earned rest.

Hunt said, "We're delighted to bring in a player of Tom's experience into the building to bolster our options in the final stages of the season.

He's someone who has played a huge number of games across the EFL and Premier League, and as a person he is just the kind of character we are looking to recruit into our squad."

Two goals and two assists came in December as the Royals won three of their six league fixtures. The former Middlesbrough man also grabbed an assist in the 5-3 victory over non-league Harborough Town in the FA Cup.

Leyton Orient duo Omar Beckles and Tottenham Hotspur loanee Keeley were nominated as Richie Wellens' side kept six clean sheets in the month and dropped just two points, remaining unbeaten and moving up to eighth in League One.

This follows on from a superb November for 21-year-old Keeley who scored a stoppage-time equaliser for the Os' in an FA Cup win over non-league Oldham Athletic.

Reading travel to Brisbane Road on Saturday looking to be the first side to score a league goal in that corner of East London since November 26, a run of six matches.

Birmingham City pair Krystian Bielik and Jay Stansfield were also nominated alongside Huddersfield Town's David Kasumu, all crucial for both side's promotion pushes at the end of 2024.

The 21-year-old twins- born two minutes apart- rose through the ranks together with Tottenham Hotspur until Michael moved to Berkshire in 2022.

Now approaching half a century of appearances for the Royals, Craig has become a popular and versatile option under the management of Ruben Selles.

Matthew, meanwhile, is still registered with Spurs and has managed to record four first-team appearances in North London.

Playing 20 times for Doncaster Rovers on loan in League Two last season as they went from relegation battlers to promotion chasers in the second half of the year, the defensive-minded midfielder has moved up the pyramid this year and will spend the campaign on loan at Oakwell.

The duo, both Scotland youth internationals, could face each other twice this season as the Tykes and Royals share a division.

The first meeting of the year is set for September, however, this could be moved nearer the time due to international call-ups.

Darrell Clarke's Yorkshiremen don't visit Berkshire until May, the final week of the regular season.