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Daily Mail - Charles Sale - Sponsorship blackout stalls
New Queens Park Rangers owner and Renault's Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore sent instructions before the recent home game against Plymouth that the kit man should prepare jerseys without the name of shirt sponsors Cargiant on them as it was intended to buy them out of their contract immediately.
However, whatever the negotiations that took place, QPR are still playing with the budget used car supermarket brand on their shirts, which is not really in keeping with their billionaire motor racing mogul owners who deal at the other, rather more exclusive, end of the car industry. Mail
Socialist Party Perspective - QPR buy-out - Reclaim the game!
AT LONG last Formula 1 moguls Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone have revealed what Queen's Park Rangers fans can expect from their takeover. Under the deal, the pair will pay £1 million for the club's shares and take on £13 million in club debts. They have promised to loan the club £5 million, partly for new players, and are aiming for Premiership football within four years. The future is looking bright for the R's, or so it would seem…
Jacqui Berry
To go and see Chelsea vs. Manchester United this season at Stamford Bridge will cost fans up to £427 at the official online ticket shop. What do they charge for a pie and a pint!?
Even the less glamorous fixtures are now priced out of many fans' league. With the average cost of a ticket to a Premiership fixture now £35, the closest many fans get to their teams is a two minute round-up on Match of the Day. QPR fans can expect price rises following the takeover as well.
But given the events of recent years (FA probes, loans allegedly from a convicted tax-fraudster, and the chairman being held at gunpoint and told to sign over the club!), it's not surprising that many fans welcome Briatore and Ecclestone with open arms.
However, when asked if he was interested in buying QPR Ecclestone replied: "I am interested in anything if it is cheap enough"! Now that's commitment!
The sporting press frequently reminds us that takeovers are what every 'true' fan is longing for, but, as Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA put it: "The source of wealth is from individuals with little or no history of interest in the game, who have happened upon football as a means of serving some hidden agenda."
On the international big-business circuit, football, particularly English football, is becoming well known for its lucrative opportunities and high prestige. In recent years, the overwhelming majority of takeovers have been from foreign businessmen, who see our clubs as no more than money-making opportunities.
As more fans are priced out of the game, more seats are allocated to corporate sponsors. This is a worrying trend, which shows no signs of changing.
Fewer young people can afford to go to regular matches and many clubs have stopped or cut down on "Kids for a Quid" days. This, coupled with cries from Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon for a European Super-League, based almost entirely on TV rights, could mean that for future generations, going to a match is reserved for every other birthday.
Ultimately, a few clubs will dominate, fewer than before; the rest will struggle to build on anything stable. (Another part of Peter Kenyon's 'Master Plan' involves League 1 and 2 clubs becoming semi-pro feeder clubs for the elite teams.) At the same time, clubs entering into administration will become much more common as billionaires scramble to swallow another piece of the cold meat pie.
Formula 1 may have saved QPR from impending administration but until we kick big business out of football and establish democratic fans' control over our clubs, working-class fans will face greater alienation, instability and ultimately distance from the clubs they love. Socialist Party
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
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October
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- Gerry Francis on QPR's New Manager...Vine's QPR Fu...
- Gareth Ainsworth On Team's First Encounter With De...
- Strong QPR Representation in PFA's "England Legend...
- QPR at Season's One-Quarter Mark
- Last Chance to Buy Bowles England Cap...Strong QPR...
- QPR1st Statement re Recent Share Offer
- Warren Neil Leaves QPR as De Canio Brings in Two o...
- Bircham's Career-Ending Injury Concern
- Buzsaky Signs for QPR...Given #10 Shirt
- Former QPR Defender is Sutton United's New Manager
- Ex-QPR Glen Roeder Appointed Manager of...Norwich
- Swindon "Versus" Ex-QPR Chairman Bill Power
- Buzasky Talks About Why He's Joining QPR
- Mire re Buzsaky to QPR?...Two Ex-QPR Birthdays..
- Zesh Rehman Talking about QPR and John Gregory
- De Canio's Appointment - Further Reports
- QPR Snippets: Harford NOT Manager of Month Contend...
- De Canio Becomes 12th QPR Manager (including Caret...
- How QPR's De Canio Appointment and Harford Departu...
- Luigi De Canio Appointed Manager of QPR- Official ...
- Plymouth's Buzsaky Set to Join QPR?
- Concept of QPR in US....Anti-Semitism in English F...
- QPR's Charlton Victory...De Canio's Expected Appoi...
- Paladini and Harford on the QPR Managership
- Snippets: Still De Canio?...Changing Face of QPR.....
- Birthday for QPR's FA Cup Final Hero
- QPR's Victory at Charlton - Variety of Match Reports
- Harford Discovers His Fate...Tonight
- QPR's Victory at Charlton: Reports & Comments
- QPR Get First Away Win of Season at Charlton
- Today's Teams: QPR at Charlton
- De Canio: Still Nothing Officially Announced...Ita...
- More on Ex-QPR Joe Gallen's Move to Millwall
- 'Snippet' - Graeme Souness Reportedly WAS Intervie...
- Ian Holloway on His QPR, Managerial Contracts and ...
- De Canio II
- QPR Flashback: 39 Years Ago...10 Years Ago...1 Yea...
- De Canio?
- Reportedly De Canio Instead of Guidolin?
- Guidolin Recruitment Difficulties Gives Harford Op...
- Paul Parker on QPR's Chances Versus Charlton
- Stan Bowles' First England Cap Up For Sale
- Three Tabloids Reporting Harford Given Three Game ...
- Three QPR Birthdays: One Current and Two Past Pla...
- Harford Given Chance to be QPR Manager?
- Ex-QPR Joe Gallen Set For Millwall
- Vine on QPR...Harford on Ben Sahar...Powell's QPR ...
- "QPR: Within 48 hours the new manager"
- Ex-QPR Snippets
- Strange Snippet re Graeme Souness!
- QPR Grab Another Point Away to Preston (But Stay B...
- Tonight's Teams: Preston vs QPR
- Ex-QPRs:Clarke Carlisle Makes Team of the Week...T...
- Adam Bolder and John Curtis on QPR, Managerial Cha...
- Ecclestone - Staying in the Background at QPR
- Why Sahar Didn't Play...Jarrett Ineligible for Pre...
- QPR's Tommy Doherty "Returns" Home to Wycombe
- Helping Others: Poppy Day at Preston and Robbie Ja...
- QPR Update - Injury News...Vine on QPR...Blackstoc...
- Next: QPR at Preston
- Guidolin Installed This Week?
- QPR's Worst First 10 Game Start Since Premiership ...
- QPR Snippets: Scott Sinclair...Rose...Dichio...Mor...
- QPR 1 Ipswich 1 - Additional Match Reports
- QPR Alone at the Bottom....Draw at Home to Ipswich
- Today's Teams: QPR vs Ipswich
- Three Ex-QPR Goalies
- Previewing QPR vs Ipswich
- And From QPR: A Takeover Update Statement
- QPR Holdings to Repay Loan
- "Guidolin: Monday signs for QPR?"
- QPR Financial Takeover Snippet
- 35 Years Ago: Dave Thomas Joined QPR from Burnley
- One Year Ago Today: QPR "Part[ed] Company" With Ga...
- Today's Ex-QPR Birthdays
- Football Hooliganism Report - The QPR Component
- Bernie Ecclestone on QPR
- QPR 5 Everton 0: A Retrospective Report
- Palermo President Says QPR Close to Guidolin Deal
- Harford on Bailey Loan...Jarrett on QPR Loan...Ain...
- Harford Continuing As Caretaker Manager
- Ex-QPRs - Snippets
- Chris Wright No Longer WASPS Chairman
- Del Piero to QPR Dream/Fantasy Over
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- Partisan Belgrade's 1984 Comeback Against QPR as a...
- Biography of QPR's New Co-Owner Delayed
- Nick Ward Playing For Australia vs Lebanon
- The Updated "A Potted History of QPR"
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- "On This Day:" Sexton Appointed...Francis Appointe...
- Guidolin Confirms QPR Managerial Offer
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- Birthdays for Two QPR Defenders
- Chairman Paladini Denies Franco Ceravolo on QPR St...
- Recalling QPR's "Controversial" Artificial Pitch
- Antonio Caliendo on Del Piero
- Trashing QPR
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