Reading roared a collective sigh of relief yesterday when it was revealed that Kingsley the Lion, their miscreant mascot, would not be charged by the FA. Having been “sent off” during Reading’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday night, it was feared that the furry funster could be banned from attending home fixtures.

With Reading chasing a Uefa Cup place in their first season in the top flight, Kingsley might have had to miss the vital match against Watford at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday. However, after reviewing video footage, an FA spokesman said: “We will be taking no further action.”

As Kingsley, wearing a blue-and-white hooped shirt, prowled the touchline during the first half against Newcastle, he incurred the wrath of Mike Riley, the referee, who asked him to move behind one of the goals. It was believed that one of Riley’s assistants had complained that he was confusing the 6ft 5in King of the Jungle with the Reading players.

Matters took a turn for the worse when Riley included the savage incident in his match report, claiming that Kingsley had made a number of “inflammatory gestures”. Jon Keen, of the Supporters’ Trust At Reading group, was baffled. “My initial reaction is that Riley needs to get a life,” Keen said. “Kingsley was getting into the spirit of it all. Sometimes it’s good not to take football too seriously.”

Kingsley is the first mascot in the 14-year history of the Premiership to be reported to the FA. Six years ago, Cyril the Swan, the Swansea City mascot, earned immortality in the animal kingdom when he clashed with Zampa the Lion, the Millwall mascot and presumably one of Kingsley’s forefathers. Cyril removed Zampa’s head and drop-kicked it into the crowd.

Two years earlier, Cyril had been banned from the touchline and fined £1,000 by the Football Association of Wales for staging a one-man – er, one-bird – pitch invasion to celebrate a Swansea goal. A mute swan, he was unable to comment on his punishment.

Kingsley is now free to watch Reading take on Watford. “We’re very pleased with the outcome and he will remain hidden in the jungle until Saturday,” a club spokesman said. He may, though, be warned as to his future conduct by Steve Coppell, the Reading manager. “That’s an internal matter,” the spokesman said.

Reading are vying with Bolton Wanderers, Everton, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers for the three Uefa Cup places next season. While Coppell has persistently played down the possibility, citing the pressure that it would put on his small squad, most of the players would jump at a European adventure.

“It will be good for a holiday,” John Oster, the midfield player, said, tongue firmly in cheek. “We’ll get back off one [during the summer] and then go on another. I can, though, see where the manager is coming from, This season was all about staying up and we have done that quite comfortably.”