Part IV: May-August 2006 - Off The Field Statements

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Part IV: MAY-AUGUST 2006 - OFF-THE-FIELD RELATED STATEMENTS

MAY 2006

01.05.2006 Latest RUSHTON DEPARTS Fitness Coach, Scott Rushton has parted company with Queens Park Rangers after six seasons at the club

TRANSFERS
4-5 "Jamaican defender Damion Stewart has signed a three year contract with QPR - subject to obtaining an extension to his work permit" Waddock and Paladini on Stewart Signing

4-5 Cameroon international Armel Tchakounte has put pen to paper on a one year deal with the Hoops

17-5 Ward Jets in

22-5 Ugo Departs - The Club can confirm that Ugo Ukah has today joined Italian outfit Nourese Calcio on a free transf


JUNE

Paladini Speaks - "With the start of a new season beckoning, Gianni Paladini would like to clarify the position and goals"

13-6: Brentford Game Off - This morning, QPR were informed that the pre-season game against Brentford has been cancelled

27-6 QPR are delighted to announce the appointment of Justin Skinner as their new Reserve team manager

28-6 Waddock Appointed - OCK APPOINTED QPR have announced Gary Waddock as first team manager following the appointment of Ian Holloway at Plymouth Argyle

30.06.2006 Latest PRESS-ING MATTERS Flanked by Chairman Gianni Paladini, Gary Waddock met the press today (Friday) for the first time since being appointed R's manager

QPR World Coverage of Press Conference re Waddock Appointment

Ward Signs

JULY

href="http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~866015,00.html">10-7 Coaches Look at Pre-Season ONLY JUST BEGUN With pre-season training in full swing and the first game under their belts, how do the new look coaching staff think things are going

13-7 Agents Fees - http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~867174,00.html


17-7 OLISEH SIGNS QPR have today signed midfielder Egutu Oliseh on a two year deal after he impressed Manager Gary Waddock

18-7 = Gary Waddock's prolonged search for a striker is finally over as Polish front-man Adam Czerkas put pen to paper on a one year loan deal

21-7 21.07.2006 Latest ITALIAN JOB As the clock ticks down on the R's pre-season preparations, qpr.co.uk brings you the final details of the Club's trip to Italy

25-7 Dunga Resigns New Brazil boss Carlos Dunga has tendered his resignation as non-executive director of the R

27-7 Statement In the wake of widespread and further inaccurate reporting, Chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd, Antonio Caliendo, would like to issue the following statement


AUGUST

8-1 CLUB STATEMENT Queens Park Rangers would like to issue the following statement to clear the air over yet more wildly inaccurate reporting

Paladini Statement - ON THE NEW SEASON Having just returned from the R's pre-season tour of Italy, QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini can't wait for the big kick-of


7-8 TATEMENT QPR were both shocked and upset on hearing the news relating to the plane crash involving former Rangers personne

03.08.2006 Latest DEAL AGREED QPR have reached agreement with West Bromwich Albion for the £3million transfer of Dan Shittu

6-8 SHittu to Watford Dan Shittu has signed for Watford after the Hornets made an improved offer for the Rangers defender


OTHER

QPR RIVALS/May - Clive Whittingham INTERVIEW WITH PALADINI

RIVALS INTERVIEW

On the Pitch

Off the Pitch

Mark Devlin & Bill Power Clarification and Follow up


Also- QPR1st REPORTING ON TRIAL


INCLUDED

OFFICIAL SITE - June 6 PALADINI SPEAKS

Gianni
With the start of a new season beckoning, Gianni Paladini would like to clarify the position and goals of QPR:

Last year was a difficult season both for the club and for me personally. I feel that resultant media coverage and speculation has obscured what the Board are striving to achieve with the club, so I would like to take this opportunity to re-state our goals.

Let us state up-front that our ultimate goal is to get the club back into the Premiership where we believe QPR belong, but we know that this will only be achieved with a gradual step by step approach.

To achieve this goal we need to provide the club with financial stability and to improve the quality of playing squad and coaching staff.

As stated previously, the aim of the current Board is for the underlying business of the club to break-even.

Next season will see further improvements and we expect the losses fall to below £1m - a significant improvement on the years before I became involved with the club.

Without the financial support of the current Board, the club would have gone into administration last season. With the financial resources being made available, the club will not go into administration with the current Board in control.

All the members of the Board are people who love football and are committed to QPR.

The Board has already put in place our financing for next season and we will continue to bring in new investors, to help fund further improvements to the squad and the club.

We are currently engaged in discussions with potential new investors, who are very enthusiastic about QPR, and we hope to make an announcement about this in the near future.

The Club would also like to highlight three commercial deals that the current Board have done for the club.

The new four year deal with our shirt manufacturer Le Coq Sportif will bring in an additional £250,000 per annum; the new shirt sponsors Cargiant will bring in £150,000 per annum; and the new stand and shorts sponsors GJ Electrical will also bring in another £150,000 per annum.

In addition, there are two other high value commercial deals, currently in the final stages of negotiation, that will be announced soon.

There would appear to be a contradiction between the club breaking even and improving the quality of the squad. Recent experience has taught us that just spending money on players will not guarantee results, unless of course you have the resources of Russian oligarch at your disposal.

However, with a solid financial and administrative base established at the club, the Board and new investors will feel confident enough to provide further resources for the playing squad.

As I still get asked about the ABC loan I would like to tell the fans and shareholders that we are hoping to replace the ABC loan in the near future with a cheaper loan from a more reputable financial institution.

What do we know about the ABC Corporation? Unfortunately very little, we have suspicions, but we can't prove who the controlling interest behind the ABC Corporation is.

The ABC Corporation's lack of transparency means that the Board must question their motives and their attitude towards the club which is why the Board wish to refinance the ABC loan. We will be reviewing the legality of the ABC loan.

Just to confirm what has been stated previously, Gary Waddock is the Manager-designate and once the situation with Ian Holloway has been resolved then Gary will formally be announced as the Manager.

Recent speculation in the press about a dispute regarding compensation between Ian Holloway and the club is wholly untrue.

We continue to have an amicable relationship with Ian, who is still being paid in full. Ian hopes to have a managerial position sorted out with a new club shortly.

Gary has been responsible for selecting next season's squad and coaching team. The first team squad for next season will comprise of 26 players which is only two players less than the squad we started last season with.

Many old favourites are still here such as Dan Shittu, Lee Cook, Gareth Ainsworth, Paul Furlong and Kevin Gallen.

Martin Rowlands and Matthew Rose will also be back from injury. We are spoilt for choice with two excellent goalkeepers in Simon Royce and Paul Jones as well as Jake Cole and Sean Thomas waiting in the wings.

We have a superb group of youngsters coming through with Scott Donnelly, Shabazz Baidoo, Stefan Bailey, Dominic Shimmin and Pat Kanyuka.

Our new signings include Damion Stewart, who had a good game for Jamaica against England and Armel Tchakounte from Cameroon. We look forward to announcing the final three signings that we are currently negotiating with as soon as we are able.

I would like to thank all the fans that have already renewed their season tickets for next season.

The volume of season tickets processed so far at 6,300 is slightly down on the number of tickets processed at this stage last year, a pattern that has been reflected across other clubs, but we expect further sales once we confirm next season's signings.

The vast majority of these are full price season ticket renewals and 443 are new full price season ticket holders.

There are 417 free tickets for kids so far and I am personally delighted that we have attracted these young season tickets holders as they are the fans of the future.

We have put our finances in order, our losses will continue to fall towards a break even situation, we have a new manager ready to take us forward and we have a new and younger squad that will form the basis of a team to challenge for promotion to the Premiership.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the first home game of next season, and I thank you for your continued loyal support.

Come on you R's!

Gianni Paladini
QPR


27-7 Club Statement from Antonio Caliendo

CLUB STATEMENT

In the wake of widespread and further inaccurate reporting, Chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd, Antonio Caliendo, would like to issue the following statement:

"Despite Carlos Dunga tendering his resignation as a non-executive director on Tuesday, he will continue to support the Club financially.

"The Board's objective remains the same as it always has been - to get QPR back on a sound financial footing and in time, a return to the Premiership.

"I want to reassure the shareholders and supporters that we are doing everything possible to achieve that goal.

"We have invested wisely in the squad this summer and I believe we are in a fantastic position to challenge in the top half of the Championship.

"Last season was a very difficult time for the Board. Since September, we've put in over £4million to ensure the Club's finances are in a stable position to build for the future.

"As a Board, we aim to keep our promise of not selling our best players. Obviously there are certain clauses in players' contracts which means we have to allow them to speak to other Clubs, but our aim is the Premiership and to achieve this we need to keep all our best players.

"The Dan Shittu situation is a perfect example. The bottom line is that we want to keep Danny at the Club. He's a fantastic professional and a tremendous player, but if we receive a £3million bid then he has the freedom to talk to whoever comes in for him.

"We love Queens Park Rangers and we are doing everything possible to safeguard the prestige of this wonderful Club.

"Together, there is only one voice - We Are QPR.''


AUGUST 1 Club Statement

CLUB STATEMENT

Queens Park Rangers Football Club would like to issue the following statement to clear the air over yet more wildly inaccurate reporting in the press and on various message boards.

QPR staff were admitted to the training ground on Monday.

No players were refused admittance to the ground yesterday. This is because no players turned up as it had been decided to give them an extra day off after their pre-season tour to Italy.

The players are back at the training ground today (Tuesday) working hard for the opening match of the season at Turf Moor on Saturday.

We can confirm that there was no Portsmouth player on trial with the Club either yesterday or today.

It should also be noted that the items printed in the press had not been checked with QPR before being published.

Official



August 1 - ROLL ON THE NEW SEASON
Gianni

Having just returned from the R's pre-season tour of Italy, QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini can't wait for the big kick-off.

"The trip to Sorrento was a great success, providing the players and coaching staff with an opportunity for some intense training and team bonding.

"Despite the players staying in one of the town's grandest hotels, and having been fitted with brand new QPR tailor-made suits for every player, the trip paid for itself and the Club even managed to make a tiny profit from it.

"Gary, Macca and the coaching staff are now ready for the new season. I believe we have a much improved squad, with summer signings including Armel Tchakounte, Jamaican international defender Damion Stewart, Egutu Oliseh, Adam Czerkas and the much talked about Nicky Ward, and the important re-signing of Lee Cook for two more years.

"Many of last season's first team have improved over pre-season and it has been particularly pleasing to see Martin Rowlands back to full fitness. A number of the youth squad have made tremendous steps forward during pre-season and will be fighting for places in Gary's first team.

"It is frustrating that, despite all the hard work everyone has been doing during pre-season, a tiny minority of people seem intent on damaging team morale and destroying the Club in the run up to our important first game.

"Not only have they once again invented wholly false rumours about the state of the Club, but unfortunately a couple of journalists with a record of writing stories against QPR, and with links to some of the individuals intent on destabilising the Club, have blown up these rumours and made up stories from nothing.

"Last week it was suggested in some of the press that we were putting QPR up for sale. Unfortunately the journalists responsible for this story failed to even check the official statement from Antonio Caliendo, Chairman of Holdings, on the Club's official website, making clear the Board's continued commitment to QPR.

"I have always said if someone with QPR's best interests at heart wants to come along and buy out the existing Board we would not stand in their way. Nothing has changed and nobody has come forward. We will continue to seek out new investors to take the Club even further forward, but as Antonio made clear last week, we are committed to QPR.

"The Club is in a better financial position than it has been in for a number of years. Things are still tough, but we have reduced the annual debt by millions and intend to reduce it further. Yet ridiculous rumours still seem to be invented by a few people for reasons beyond me.

"The latest is the absurd rumour suggested on a message board that the players were locked out of the Harlington training ground, when in fact Gary Waddock had just given them the day off as they had only recently arrived back from a busy schedule in Italy.

"The same newspaper that had to apologise for a series of inaccurate stories about me last season, the Evening Standard, then chose to repeat this wholly false rumour as fact without even checking with me, the coaching staff, or even Imperial College - the owners of the training ground.

"In an article by a journalist named Wayne Vesey, under the headline 'Locked-out Rangers are unable to train' the Standard claimed that the Club was locked out of the training ground on Monday. Such a clearly false statement damages the reputation of the Club, and the morale of the players and supporters. I have been advised it is libellous and our lawyers will be contacting the Standard immediately to demand a retraction.

"QPR fans will ask themselves why should people invent such rumours? The purpose can only be to destabilise the Club and to injure the morale of players and fans just days before the season kicks off. The Club will not allow another season to be derailed by these people.

"The Board, Gary Waddock and the coaching staff, and the players and other members of staff, are all united in our focus to move this great club forward and to achieve success this season on the pitch. We believe we have the squad and the resources to do so. We will not allow a tiny group of people, driven by an agenda that has nothing to do with football, to destroy this Club.

"I urge all fans to treat such rumour-mongers with the contempt and scepticism they deserve. They have been claiming we would go into administration every week for the past year, and they never admit they are wrong when we don't.

"They claimed we were locked out of the training ground before and even that the groundsmen would not cut the grass at the stadium. They predicted we would spend all the Club's money on agents' fees when we have spent less than nearly any other club in this division. They predicted we would sell off Loftus Road and all our best players because we could not afford their wages.

"Just yesterday they claimed we were locked out of the training ground because we could not afford the rent; but today, as scheduled, our players are training at the training ground. On each and every occasion their rumours have been proven false.

"As I believe you say in England, when someone cries wolf so many times, people stop listening. But every time the rumour-mongers are proven wrong they invent another rumour, so desperate to be proven right and for the Club to fail.

"For the last time I say to those who's criticism of the Board has developed into an agenda to undermine the Club, if you know of a better alternative to take QPR forward with the necessary funding to support it, then please let us know. Otherwise stop pursuing a divisive and destructive agenda. The Board, the players and staff and the thousands of fans of QPR will not allow a small selfish group to ruin the season for the rest of us.

"I know most QPR fans will be sensible enough to take every rumour and press speculation with a hefty pinch of salt. We seem to be in the 'silly season' right now - only today I saw an article in the Mirror claiming I had rejected an offer of £3million for Danny Shittu from Wolves and would only sell him for £10 million.

"The story is, of course, rubbish. As I have said all along, we don't want to sell Danny, but if someone comes in with an offer of £3million or above it will be up to him to decide. Nobody has made such an offer and so Danny will be starting the season with us.

"So as we prepare for the opening game at Burnley on Saturday, and then two exciting home games against Leeds United and newly promoted Southend United, I cannot wait for the football to start and for the players to do the talking on the pitch.

"And I urge every single QPR fan to get fully behind Gary and the boys and help them to turn this into a glorious season. Come on You R's!''

Gianni Paladini - QPR OFFICIAL


ORIGINALLY POSTED ON OFFICIAL SITE AND THEN SUBSQUENTLY REMOVED

As Originally Posted on the Official Site
-QPR Official Site - June 16, 2006 - MK DONS GAME CANCELLED
Gianni Paladini would like to make the following statement, after making the decision to cancel the game against MK Dons on July 15."After several phonecalls and threats from our own supporters, I have decided not to go ahead with the game."I was extremely embarrassed at having to call the club secretary at MK Dons after he had done all he could to arrange a fixture on a day where we struggled to find any opposition."We were tremendously grateful to MK Dons for having initially agreed to play the fixture after Brentford cancelled the original game due to be played on July 18."Had that cancellation not have arisen, this whole situation would have been avoided."After Brentford pulled out, QPR re-contacted ALL Premiership and Football League clubs within a two hour travelling distance, yet MK Dons were the only club who answered our request."QPR apologises to everyone at MK Dons who pulled out all the stops to arrange a fixture at such short notice and also to all our fans that were willing to travel to the MK Dons fixture and were looking forward to visiting a new ground."Gianni Paladini QPR


Official Site - June 15, 2006 -
QPR are pleased to announce a pre-season friendly against MK Dons on July 15.After only just receiving the official word from Brentford that the game scheduled for July 18 was to be cancelled, QPR have been busily trying to arrange a fixture to take its place and are delighted that MK Dons have been able to fulfil our requirements.MK Dons were themselves trying to hastily find opposition after also having a game cancelled.The game will take place at the National Hockey Stadium and will kick off at 3pm and will be the first meeting of the two clubs since the Dons' move to Milton Keynes.Gary Waddock said: "I'm obviously very pleased to have managed to get another pre-season game fixed up as quickly as this, and my thanks go to MK Dons for answering our request."We needed another game around that weekend, and I'm now looking forward to visiting Milton Keynes for the first time with a QPR side."It's not that far and hopefully our fans will turn out in force to support us there." QPR