Derby Loss: QPR's Prices Feature in Various (Depressing) Match Reports

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The Sun - QPR 0 Derby C 2From PAUL JIGGINS at Loftus Road
AN off-peak return rail ticket from Derby to London: £59.
A seat in the visitors’ enclosure at Loftus Road (if QPR had their way): £40.
Seeing your team win their first away game for 18 months: Absolutely blooming priceless!
Derby boss Paul Jewell was feeling just the ticket after guiding his club to their first victory on the road in the League since they won 2-1 at Barnsley on March 31, 2007.
It was the Rams’ second victory over Rangers in a week after they got the FA to block the billionaire Londoners from raising ticket prices for travelling fans from £30 to £40.
It didn’t stop the price-hike Hoops from charging some of their own fans £50 to watch this sub-standard Championship fayre.
And even though his own side provided some value for money, Jewell warned his mega-rich rivals of the perils of bleeding supporters dry.
He said: “I’d have paid whatever price they wanted to see a win like that! Just to get a win, certainly away from home with a clean sheet, makes it worthwhile.
“But 50 quid is a lot of money. I think football in general is too expensive for the man in the street — it’s a lot of money.
“Hopefully, people will be sensible. We want to see full grounds. Our ground is full or almost full most weeks.
“I don’t know what the pricing is at our ground, but certainly in this day and age when people are struggling for cash, it would be nice if people could make football a bit more affordable for the normal guy in the street.”
Rangers fans are also up in arms over their club’s ticket prices. Before the game, protesters handed out leaflets calling for QPR’s wealthy owners Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal to “withdraw all price increases and match banding”. Jewell added: “We have American owners so I’m not going to slate foreign owners, but what I would say is we have to be careful. Whoever owns the club has to be in contact with the people who come through the turnstiles. Supporters are the lifeblood of a club and sometimes they get a raw deal.
“Likewise, managers sometimes get a raw deal off supporters, but Derby fans have been brilliant with me and, hopefully, a few more wins like this will make the money that they pay worthwhile.
But you can’t put passion into football clubs if it’s not there. You come to QPR and you know there’s going to be a good atmosphere.
“But we can’t just keep on bleeding fans dry — we’ve got to give them something back otherwise we’ll drive them into the pubs and they’ll watch on TV.”
There was more atmosphere on the moon after late strikes from Martin Albrechtsen and sub Emanuel Villa gave Derby a shock, but deserved win.
Rangers crashed back down to earth after knocking Aston Villa out of the Carling Cup in midweek.
Winger Lee Cook said: “Everyone in the dressing room is disappointed with the whole performance.
“It seemed everyone was too close, getting in each other’s way and the ball was bouncing about. We had an off day, that’s how it goes sometimes.
“We’ve set the standard so high. We were undefeated here and all the fans are expecting us to go on a run.We’ve got to keep on the leaders’ tails.” The Sun


The Mirror/Ann Gripper - B£OOD MONEY
Jewell: £50 for a QPR ticket rips off the fans
Paul Jewell insisted football clubs cannot "keep on bleeding fans dry" after seeing Derby County emerge on top against QPR both on and off the pitch.
Stretching their unbeaten run to four games with a first league away winsinceMarch2007, last year's top flight whipping boys earned a deserved victory at Loftus Road with late goals from Martin Albrechtsen and substitute Emanuel Villa.
And it was one in the eye for the QPR money-men too, whose plan to up ticket prices for travelling fans from £30 to £40 fell foul of a Football League ruling following a Derby protest.
The price hike has remained in place for Rangers fans, though, with the top ticket for this platinum category game set at £50 - a Championship record.
And Hoops supporters were none too happy about it, with one QPR supporters' group leafleting ahead of the match and chants of "50 quid, you're having a laugh" inside the ground as the team turned in a disjointed performance.
Jewell has more reason than most to be grateful to his club's supporters, who gave him far longer to find his first win than is usually afforded football managers, and he warned Rangers they must look after their fans.
He said: "I was fully behind Derby's protest at the pricing.
"Fifty quid is a lot of money. Football in general, I think it's too expensive for the man in the street.
"Hopefully people will be sensible.
We want to see full grounds. Certainly in this day and age when people are struggling for cash it would be nice if people could make football a bit more affordable for the normal guy in the street.
"We have American owners so I'm not going to slate foreign owners, but what I would say is we have to be careful.
"Whoever owns the club has to be in contact with the people who come through the turnstiles - supporters are the lifeblood of a football club.
"Derby fans have been brilliant with me, and hopefully a few more wins like this will make the money that they pay worthwhile. But we can't just keep on bleeding fans dry - we've got to give them something back otherwise we'll drive them into the pubs and they'll watch on TV."
Rangers never looked like a side who could beat Aston Villa, as they had done in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.
Dexter Blackstock did have two decent chances, one of them rebounding off both post and keeper before going to safety, and an Emmanuel Ledesma shot was deflected on to the left upright.
But the visitors are rediscovering their confidence with every game and steadily increased their control before taking over in the final 20 minutes.
Miles Addison's 30-yard thunderbolt grazed the crossbar and Rob Hulse's outstretched leg narrowly failed to connect with a Nacer Barazite cross before an 80th-minute corner from the Arsenal loanee was stabbed home by Albrechtsen.
And with one minute left, sub Steven Davies' corner was headed in by Villa to launch another chorus from Rams fans of "Greedy b*******", applauded bymany of the home supporters.
Lee Cook insisted the cup win anddiscovering before kick-off they had Man United in the next round was not to blame.
Headded: "We've set the standard so high and all the fans are expecting us to go on a run, but I'm sure they'll be here on Tuesday cheering us from the start."
With the top price at £35 for Blackpool's visit, maybe a few more will be able to afford to.
Qpr: Cerny 5, Connolly 6, Hall 7, D Stewart 6, Delaney 6, Mahon 6 (Leigertwood 70, 5), Parejo 7, Ledesma 5 (Agyemang 78), Rowlands 6, Buzsaky 5 (Cook 56, 7), Blackstock 6
Derby: Carroll 7, Connolly 6, Leacock 7, Albrechtsen 7, J Stewart 6, Barazite 7 (Davies 84), Addison 6, Green 7, Pearson 6, Hulse 7, Ellington 6 (Villa 76) Mirror


The Times/Alyson Rudd - September 29, 2008 Paul Jewell happy with price of away win -
As that much-parodied advert might state: watching Queens Park Rangers on Saturday – £50; seeing your team win their first away match for 18 months – priceless.
Or rather, it was, for the travelling fans who enjoyed taunting the home supporters about the cost of tickets. Outside Loftus Road a leaflet was handed out by fans stating: “We need to fill the ground with fans, not price out our loyal fan base. We urge the board to now withdraw all price increases and match banding.”
An attempt by QPR to raise the cost of tickets for away supporters to £40 was blocked by the Football League, but, with Derby County designated Category A opposition, tickets for home fans increased to £50.
“When people are struggling for cash, it would be nice if people could make football more affordable for the guy in the street,” Paul Jewell, the Derby manager, said, but he accepted the classification compliment. Derby were a class above a side who had boasted an unbeaten home run and had earlier in the week knocked Aston Villa out of the Carling Cup.
That victory put QPR in the fourth-round draw, made just before kick-off, and may have had an effect on their performance. They face Manchester United at Old Trafford.
“The lads were buzzing and then the gaffer [Iain Dowie] said, ‘Forget about that, it’s Derby at home.’ So we forgot about it and concentrated on today,” Lee Cook, the QPR midfield player, said. “I don’t think that affected us. It was one of those days where passes weren’t going where they should. Probably six or seven of the team weren’t at it.”
QPR conceded both goals from corner kicks and Derby looked the more threatening throughout.
“How much would I have paid to watch a win like that?” Jewell said. “Well, whatever it was to get in. We can’t keep bleeding fans dry. We’ve got to give them something back, otherwise we’ll drive them into pubs and they’ll watch on TV. We want the grounds full and the atmosphere is what we all thrive on. It’s my first away win for 18 months and for ten minutes we’ve talked about tickets.” The Times


The Guardian - Mark Tallentire - Rangers pay their own price as Jewell plots brighter future for DerbyGuardian report
Paul Jewell reckons he has used 45 players trying to settle on a combination to take the club forward in his 10 months at Derby County. On Saturday he came up with the solution and achieved his first away win as manager of the club, Derby's second significant victory over the nouveau riche London club in less than a week.
The first came with the help of the Football Supporters' Association and saw the QPR board back down on a decision to charge Derby fans £40 and £30 rather than £30 and £25 respectively for the privilege of watching Saturday's game. Loftus Road relented in the face of adverse publicity and concerted pressure from the group "One QPR", which wants the club's traditional fan base still to be able to afford to attend and has called for a freeze on ticket prices and an end to the club's selective-pricing system for marquee games. The Derby fan's increases were not withdrawn for other areas of the ground, however, and some Rangers fans are being charged as much as £50 a ticket.
"I was fully behind Derby's protest at the pricing," Jewell said later. "Fifty quid is a lot of money and in these days when people are struggling for cash, it would be nice if people could make it a bit more affordable. I think football in general is too expensive for the man in the street. We want to see full grounds and ours is full or almost full most weeks - whoever owns a club has to be in contact with the people who come through the turnstiles. Still, QPR saying we are category A is a reminder of what we are, a big club."
A couple of thousand Derby fans in the two-thirds full stadium made their contempt for the Rangers board known throughout and after a match which their team never really looked like losing, and were delighted to witness a first league win on their travels since Billy Davies's side beat Barnsley 26 games ago and two months before Derby's Championship play-off final win.
Only two players survived from that Wembley day in May 2007, Dean Leacock and the match-winner Stephen Pearson, with Jewell fielding an unchanged back four for the sixth successive game, although the defence were barely needed in a first half which saw both teams struggle to retain possession for more than three touches. "I thought the back four were outstanding and Roy Carroll's barely had a shot to save," Jewell added. "We're still searching for the right combinations and are well behind where I want them to be, but we're making progress."
Rangers misfired throughout, although Emanuel Ledesma did have a low shot deflected on to a post by the unwitting Jordan Stewart early in the second half and Dexter Blackstock hit the same upright soon after. For Derby, Miles Addison clipped the bar from 25 yards and soon after Martin Albrechtsen had time to chest down a loose ball after a corner and volley it into the net. Another corner from the right then saw the substitutes Steven Davies and Emanuel Villa combine, the Mexican twisting to score with a header and take the sting out of injury time.
QPR slipped a place to fifth and their substitute Lee Cook admitted there had been plenty of pre-match excitement about their League Cup draw at Manchester United. "The lads were buzzing about that one and it was talked about in the changing room. Then the gaffer said forget about that now, it's Derby at home, so we concentrated on today. But that's a game we are all looking forward to."
Blackpool are their visitors tomorrow, two points better off than Derby and very much category B. QPR's manager Iain Dowie, who won at Old Trafford with Coventry in last season's League Cup, would do well to try to put that United game even further to the back of his players' minds. Guardian


Telegraph/David Miller - Nacer Barazite shines amid the mundane
It should be no surprise. Any player Arsene Wenger has deemed worthy of wearing an Arsenal shirt is likely to shine in the second-grade Championship.
Nacer Barazite, the 18-year-old Dutchman on loan from Arsenal to Derby, was a pearl on the right of midfield amid the surrounding seaweed of this dysfunctional encounter which the visitors, shaking off early-season malaise, thoroughly deserved to win. They were totally dominant over the last half-hour.
With bursting bubbles in vogue, the latest to go pop is Iain Dowie’s. QPR’s initial flourish is now floundering with successive defeats, and this performance carried no omens for a prosperous autumn for Dowie’s side.
Leaflets were being distributed outside Loftus Road beforehand protesting at increased ticket prices, the club having been obliged by the Football League to abolish increases for away fans. On this evidence, the QPR chairman, Flavio Briatore, may find himself needing to lower prices if Rangers are to keep the ground near full. An attendance of just over 14,000, only the eighth best of the day in the division, is hardly supportive of promotion.
So ragged was the early play, it was easy to count the excesses of squandered possession. This produced ungainly ping-pong football.
Partially, this was due to the level of physical challenge, yet in truth it was only this element of rugged fitness and commitment which gave either side any dignity at this stage.
The contemporary syndrome is that most teams, lacking technical individuals, are only of interest to their own supporters, offering little attraction to opposing crowds or neutrals.
This mundane situation makes the appearance of someone with the skills of Barazite so welcome. Part of the secret of natural skill is balance. Barazite looks like a player. His fluent running and dangerous crossing to the lively Rob Hulse, constantly threatened QPR’s occasionally leaden defence.
Their rear guard of Damion Stewart and Fitz Hall too often resembled a combine harvester attempting to negotiate a car park and were obliged to stoop to head waist-high balls because they could not swiftly organise either of their feet to meet the requirement of the moment.
Besides Barazite, Paul Green, with some intelligent passing, added to the impression that manager Paul Jewell is at last getting to grips with Derby’s year-long decline.
QPR did have their chances, Dexter Blackstock being blocked midway through the first half and Emmanuel Ledesma having a shot turned against a post early in the second. It was appropriate when Barazite’s corner in the 80th minute was driven home by Martin Albrechtsen, substitute Emanuel Villa adding to QPR’s discomfort a minute from time.
Talking Point
QPR’s season, oscillating from week to week, may come to depend on goalkeeper Radek Cerny compensating for defensive uncertainty in front of him. For so long No 2 to Petr Cech in the Czech national team, his arrival at Loftus Road could prove to be bargain of the season. His positional sense and saves were often crucial as Derby’s attack gained ascendancy.
QPR manager Iain Dowie says: “I like the smell in the dressing room at this club.” Cerny could be a valuable deodorant when the aroma at times turn sour – a figure of authority and reassurance. Telegraph


Dave McIntyre - BBC 606 - The contrast was clear"
2-0 to Derby - their first away win in the league since March 2007. A dismal day for Rangers.
Iain Dowie talked afterwards about the difference between today's performance and the one at Aston Villa.
He said: “The contrast was clear – we won lots of second balls and passed the ball well on Wednesday night, but this time we didn’t.
“I’ll have a look at the stats and I bet, in terms of unforced errors, there will be a huge amount – and that’s why we couldn’t get up a head of steam.
“We had two defensive lapses and conceded goals from set-pieces, which is galling. But we’ve got an opportunity to bounce back against Blackpool on Tuesday night and we must do that.
“When we did pass the ball well we created the best chance of the game and had that gone in, the game could have been different.
“This result hasn’t changed the way I feel. I still believe we’ve got a good bunch of lads here and they can bounce back.
“Sometimes you just have to take things on the chin. Derby beat us today, so good luck to them.”
I'm sure many of you will have a view on this result, so over to you. BBC606