-
AP -Ecclestone, Briatore set to buy Queens Park Rangers after board recommends bid
Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone and Renault team principal Flavio Briatore are set to buy Queens Park Rangers after the English soccer club's board recommended the pair's offer.
QPR, which plays in the second-tier League championship, announced the move Saturday.
The takeover has been mooted at 30 million pounds (US$60.5 million; ?44.4 million) by British papers and should mean the west London team can now plan without the threat of financial administration.
QPR has struggled since relegation from the Premier League in 1996, at one point dropping into the third tier for three seasons, and also owed tax to Britain's Inland Revenue.
Had the club entered financial administration - continuing operations without selling off assets to pay debts - it would have had 10 points automatically deducted from its league total under Football League rules.
Gianni Paladini will carry on as chairman, with Briatore, Bruno Michel and Alejandro Agag joining the board in place of Antonio Caliendo and Franco Zanotti.
"This offer provides much needed investment and an excellent opportunity to move the club forward, which in turn, we are sure, will be translated into positive results on the pitch,'' Paladini said.
QPR was a regular in English soccer's top division and was a founder member of the Premier League in 1992. Winner of the League Cup in 1967, the closest QPR ever came to winning the English championship was in 1976, when it came within one point of edging powerhouse Liverpool.
"We are fully aware of the history of QPR and the loyal fan base that it has,'' Briatore said. "We are therefore totally committed to bringing future success back to the club.''
Ecclestone had been linked with a move for Arsenal, but his chances of buying into the Premier League powerhouse seemed to end Thursday when former vice chairman David Dein sold his 14.58 percent stake to a consortium led by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. AP
BBC - F1 magnates to take over at QPR
QPR have confirmed that Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone have made a recommended offer for the club.
Gianni Paladini will remain as chairman but Antonio Caliendo and Franco Zanotti have agreed to resign from the board.
Briatore told the club website: "Bernie and I were delighted to receive a recommendation from the QPR board for our bid for the club.
Paladini said: "This offer provides much needed investment and an excellent opportunity to move the club forward." BBC
Guardian - Ecclestone and Briatore take control of QPR
QPR have confirmed that Formula One magnates Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone have "made a recommended offer" for the Coca-Cola Championship club. Briatore, head of the Renault F1 team, and Ecclestone will now take control of the club although current chairman Gianni Paladini will remain in position.
Briatore told the club's official website http://www.qpr.co.uk: "Bernie and I were delighted to receive a recommendation from the board of QPR for our bid for the club and we look forward to working alongside Gianni Paladini and his team. We are fully aware of the history of QPR and the loyal fanbase that it has and are totally committed to bringing future success back to the club."
Paladini said: "This offer provides much needed investment and an excellent opportunity to move the club forward which will be translated into positive results on the pitch. I am delighted that Flavio and Bernie have asked me to remain on the board and I hope to play a large part in the future of QPR."
The news was announced prior to the Championship clash with Southampton at Loftus Road, where all 11 Rangers players donned shirts carrying Ray Jones' name on the back. The 18-year-old striker was killed last weekend in a car accident and the club confirmed that no further comment on the takeover would be made today.
A statement said: "The club will be making no further comment at this stage, as our focus today remains on celebrating the life and times of Ray Jones, who tragically died in a motor accident last weekend." Guardian
PA Sport, Tom Rostance - ECCLESTONE IN AT QPR
QPR have confirmed that Formula One magnates Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone have "made a recommended offer" for the Coca-Cola Championship club.
Briatore, head of the Renault F1 team, and Ecclestone will now take control of the club although current chairman Gianni Paladini will remain in position.
Briatore told the club's official website www.qpr.co.uk: "Bernie and I were delighted to receive a recommendation from the board of QPR for our bid for the club and we look forward to working alongside Gianni Paladini and his team.
"We are fully aware of the history of QPR and the loyal fanbase that it has and are totally committed to bringing future success back to the club."
Paladini said: "This offer provides much needed investment and an excellent opportunity to move the club forward which will be translated into positive results on the pitch.
"I am delighted that Flavio and Bernie have asked me to remain on the board and I hope to play a large part in the future of QPR."
The news was announced prior to the Championship clash with Southampton at Loftus Road, where all 11 Rangers players donned shirts shirts carrying Ray Jones' name on the back.
The 18-year-old striker was killed last weekend in a car accident and the club confirmed that no further comment on the takeover would be made today.
A statement said: "The club will be making no further comment at this stage, as our focus today remains on celebrating the life and times of Ray Jones, who tragically died in a motor accident last weekend." Sporting Life
SKY - F1 Bosses Take Over QPR
QPR have confirmed that Formula One magnates Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone have "made a recommended offer" for the club.
Briatore, head of the Renault F1 team, and Ecclestone, who runs Formula One, will now take control at Loftus Road.
Current chairman Gianni Paladini will remain in position.
Briatore said: "Bernie and I were delighted to receive a recommendation from the board of QPR for our bid for the club and we look forward to working alongside Gianni Paladini and his team.
"We are fully aware of the history of QPR and the loyal fanbase that it has and are totally committed to bringing future success back to the club."
Paladini said: "This offer provides much needed investment and an excellent opportunity to move the club forward which will be translated into positive results on the pitch.
"I am delighted that Flavio and Bernie have asked me to remain on the board and I hope to play a large part in the future of QPR." Skynews
Welcome to QPR REPORT - A completely unofficial and unaffiliated fan site focusing on G-d's Chosen Team, Queen's Park Rangers (QPR) FC. (Visit also QPR Report Messageboard and Follow on Twitter.) QPR Report accepts no sponsorship, advertising or financial contributions. In 2008, QPR Report was named as one of the top two blogs in the Football League
QPR Report Twitter Feed
Blog Archive
-
▼
2007
(1727)
-
▼
September
(128)
- WBA Defeat QPR
- WBA vs QPR: Today's Teams + Gregory Says Not Worri...
- Vine Loan to QPR?
- Hint! On This Date a Year Ago, QPR Broke the Form ...
- Vital Football QPR Looks at Various QPR Sites
- Ian Holloway on His Time at QPR and Other Perspect...
- Where Are They Now: - Ugo Ukah?
- Ex-QPR FA Cup Final Replay Sub Celebrates Birthday
- Former QPR Chairman Celebrates
- Previewing QPR Vs WBA
- QPR Snippets: Marking Two Years of Chairman Paladi...
- Ian Holloway on Gerry Francis as Manager...Playing...
- Ex-Juventus Antonio Giraudo at Loftus Road
- "Football Aid 2008" Seeks Support
- Vialli Says Not Interested in Replacing Gregory at...
- Nick Ward on Not Playing for QPR...Also Views of G...
- The Fall and Rise of Mark Bosnich
- Brazil's Ze Maria For QPR?
- Blackstock and Bircham Offer Their Views
- Ex-QPR Birthdays
- Q&A With Former QPR Director & Legal Counsel Nick ...
- Flashback: The Day The Chairman Threatened Legal A...
- Ex-QPR in Championship Team of the Week...Steffan ...
- QPR with Bosnich in Goal Defeat Barnet - QPR & Bar...
- Two Ex-QPR Birthdays
- Vialli's Time at Watford
- QPR, John Gregory and The Future
- 'Snippet' re QPR's Shares
- How Ex-QPRs Did Yesterday
- Additional QPR-Watford Match Reports
- Post-Match Comments & Reports re QPR - Watford
- QPR Draw 1-1 Against Leaders Watford
- QPR vs Watford - The Two Teams
- John Curtis on Briatore's QPR Talk...Mark Bircham ...
- QPR Snippets from Venables, Shittu, Mancienne, Shi...
- Ian Holloway on His QPR Victory
- Simon Walton Hopes to Return By End of November
- QPR vs Watford
- QPR Trash - Rangers bottom!
- QPR's Kevin Gallen Turns 32
- Ex-QPR Robbie Steiner on QPR
- Perspectives of Cullip, Ainsworth, Holloway..
- John Gregory: Marking One Year as QPR's Manager
- Gregory to be Axed if QPR Lose to Watford?
- 1967 Hero, Tony Hazell Turns Sixty
- QPR's Plymouth Loss - Further Reports and Comments
- Nick Ward On Not Playing and Maybe Leaving QPR
- QPR Supposedly Move for Brazil Defender
- Another Home Loss: QPR 0 Plymouth 2
- Teams for QPR vs Plymouth:
- QPR's Dominic Shimmin Trialing with Swindon
- Ian Holloway Looks Forward to Tonights's QPR vs Pl...
- Updated: "Potted History of QPR"
- Three Ex-QPR Birthdays
- QPR's Draw at Leicester - Additional Match Reports
- Holloway on Gianni Paladini and his QPR Departure
- Stan Bowles: On This Date...At this Moment...Thirt...
- Ex-QPR Captain Kevin Gallen Responds to QPR Chairm...
- Costarcurta and QPR - AC Milan's Coach Ancelotti
- Leicester 1 QPR 1 - Further Match Reports
- 3 Ex-QPR Birthdays...1 Year Since Defeat Marked Wa...
- Axed QPR Coach Joe Gallen Speaking Further
- QPR Draw 1-1 at Leicester (Remain Unbeaten in the ...
- Ex-QPR's Peter Crouch Autobiography 'Walking Tall'
- Maybe Costacurta to QPR?
- re Costacurta to QPR: QPR "No Comment"
- QPR Look at Leicester....Leicester Look at QPR
- QPR's former Player & Manager, Ray Wilkins Turns 51
- Former QPR Coach Richard Hill's Ban Reduced
- Ex-QPR's Ian Holloway's Autobiography Set for Publ...
- QPR Birthdays
- QPR Chairman Paladini Interviewed - The Complete I...
- Final Part - QPR Chairman Paladini Interviewed
- QPR Supposedly Want Italian International Costacur...
- Part III - QPR Chairman Paladini Interviewed
- Part II - QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini Interviewed
- QPR Supposedly Hope to Loan Arsenal Trio
- QPR John Curtis and Mikele Leigertwood Interviewed
- QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini Interviewed - Part I
- Dave Clement's Son For QPR? The Obstacle to Rowan ...
- Stan Bowles Joins QPR....Thirty-Five Years Ago
- Blackstock Again on the Bench for England U-21s
- West Ham's Hogan Staying at QPR Another Month..Gre...
- England U-19 To Remember Ray Jones
- No Fabio Capello to Manage QPR!
- Sunderland Interest in QPR's Blackstock?
- John Gregory on His Ongoing Loan Attempts & Frustr...
- QPR Taking Part in "Talent From Trash"
- Ex-QPR's Matt Rose Makes 'Team of the Week'
- Three Ex-QPR Birthdays
- Sunday Star Speculates re Ray Wilkins QPR Return
- Ex-QPR Birthdays
- QPR Snippets This Weekend
- Blackstock Makes England U-21 Debut....Holloway on...
- QPR, Ex-QPR and Could-Have-Been-QPR News
- -Lancashire Telegraph - Carlisle makes Clarets vow...
- Big Milestone for Ex-QPR Hero, QPR Manager & QPR F...
- Tommy Doherty's Non-Move to Wycombe
- What Briatore Expects From - and Offers To - QPR
- Ex-QPR Manager Update - Holloway's Book...Francis'...
-
▼
September
(128)