QPR's Supposed Dismissal of Two Long-Time Employees....Cerny Over Camp Questioned...

-
Paul Warburton, London Informer - Warbo's Word: Not the way forward, qpr
Those with cash to flash paid £50 a seat to see QPR take on Derby last Saturday - but the club couldn't afford £20 each to retain the services of two its most faithful servants.
Peter Elliott and Tony Hook were press room stewards for a combined 65 years until they received dismissal letters two hours before the game against Southampton.
The letters, signed by Dick Turner, events manager at the stadium, told them the arrival of hot food for the assembled media in the press room negated their services and they were no longer needed.
They were offered a parting gift of six seats this season in the 'silver' area of the ground - two pricing tiers down from the 'platinum' £50 variety - and shown the door.
Elliott hung about which was just as well.
There was no-one else to hand out the identity tags, distribute the match programme and team sheet and take care of the 10,000 other little helpful jobs that's made working in the QPR press area a pleasure for the last 10 years.
Two years back, both were asked to take NVQ courses and train to hand out press passes and whip the cellophane off a tray of sandwiches. Both reckoned they would have to take time off work, and frankly, to be helpful, genial, and continue their duties dutifully executed for all the time yours truly has been going to games, a course appeared overkill.
At the time, your favourite local paper saved the day, but the refused courses was mentioned in their letters. It seems they were marked men, no matter what. There are Rangers insiders who are none too happy about the new 'corporate' feel at the club. Yes, everything's shiny and smart. Yes, long overdue changes have come to pass.
But, Rangers' new 'platinum' feel appears to have overlooked the diamonds in their midst. Diamonds, by the way, that cost less than £4-an-hour to polish Rangers' image at the club with the fourth-richest man in the world on board. London Informer


Note: Back in April, 2007, There was this report of QPR Stwards Departing.


Mirror/Anne Gripper - The only thing more baffling than QPR's ticket prices is manager Iain Dowie's insistence on playing Radek Cerny
Football ticket prices have been spiralling out of control for several years - but 50 quid for a Championship match between QPR and Derby was taking the p***. And that was even before the team turned in such a dreadful performance.
R's fans were left frustrated again by a draw with Blackpool on Tuesday night as the side continued to look disjointed and if they didn't know before, Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone should now be well aware it is one thing talking about securing promotion to the Premier League, quite another to do it.
After dispatching Aston Villa in last week's Carling Cup match, Iain Dowie's men have a tantalising clash with Manchester United to look forward to, even if Fergie fields his kids.
And come November 11, when the tie is due to be played, Rangers should have a better idea of whether their season is going to be a whole lot of anticipation but the usual disappointment.
One thing Dowie could do to help himself is give Lee Camp a run in goal. The Rangers fans loitering outside the Springbok pub on South Africa Road on Saturday hailed him with a chorus of "England's number one" as he walked back to his car on Saturday, before quickly switching to "Rangers' number one".
You have to agree - why Dowie continues to favour the flapping Radek Cerny is a mystery." Mirror