Season's Attendances....Ex-QPRs Langley and Brevett: How QPR Can Learn From Fulham...QPR in The Community and Future Youth Development

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- QPR Rank Near Bottom in Championship Attendances
- Posted today at QPR Report Messageboard:
- Football's Released Youngsters Tryouts and Heartbreaks
- Richard Pacquette on The Move
- Dean Parrett Set for Spurs Debut
- Briatore's Vision for QPR - As Outlined Last Year
- UPDATED: How's Ben Watson Doing?
- Another London Club Owner: Ground Sell/Fans Fears
- Number of Clubs Helping The Blind
- "Court Ruling Over Agent Fees Opens Can of Worms"
- Flashback, Two Years Ago: The Tabloids: Kinnear to Replace Gregory
- Ex-QPR Dennis Signy Profiled - Still Active
- League Managers Association fights back Over Sacking
- FIFA & UEFA Oppose Football Doping Rules
- Nostalgia: Old QPR Photos (Contributions Welcomed!)


Kilburn Times/Richard Langley
- THIS week I caught up with an old friend - QPR's former tough-tackling, no nonsense left-back Rufus Brevett.
- Speaking to Rufus gave me an insight as to how an improvement in the financial prospects of a club could actually affect performance on the pitch - after all, he went through a similar transformation when he joined Fulham after a long spell at QPR.
- Millions of pounds have been pumped into various clubs in recent years but we know this doesn't always bring success. Having financial backing is one thing, but WHAT will make the Rs into genuine title contenders?
- According to Rufus, when he got into the team under Tigana he felt comfortable with his playing level.
- This continued until the £3million signing of Jon Harley forced Rufus to lift his performance and took him to a level he had never managed to sustain before - as a result, remaining first choice for the remainder of his career there.
- Rufus said players were bought on the manager's philosophy and those that didn't fit it were swiftly moved out of the Cottage. Tigana's confidence was passed on to the players who, within six months, were staring down at the rest of the league with an unassailable lead.
- His main point, though, was that an abundance of money at a club makes players realise they are not indispensable, in turn forcing a reaction to their performances.
-We as QPR supporters may find it hard to acknowledge the success of local rivals Fulham, but lessons should be learnt from their rise to the Premier League.
- Their selection of manager played a big part. Mr Tigana made it clear from the start that they would play their way out of the league, a sentiment that also reflects Paulo Sousa's philosophy. Many people ridiculed the audacity of the Frenchman but, as time would prove, they went up in style.
- If you look at the major leagues all over the world, the teams occupying the top places tend to be those that play the best football. This is where I think that bringing Sousa in will stand us in good stead.
- With similar traits to Tigana in the way he wants to play the game and an even bigger pot of money, the future of football down at Loftus Road is looking extremely bright.
- IF you have a question you'd like to put to Richard, you can email it to us at nwl.sport@archant.co.uk Kilburn Times


Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - Time to Trust some local boys
- QPR are hopeful that their newly-launched Community Trust could help channel a fresh wave of local talent into the first team.
- Trustees of the new charity, which was officially established this week at a House of Lords reception, were at pains to stress their core aim - social and community development in west and north-west London.
- But the club also hope the Trust will spawn not only more Rangers fans in the surrounding area, but also potential stars of the future - a well that has run alarmingly dry for more than a decade now.
- Teenager Dean Parrett, earmarked as a hot prospect until the Rs sold him to Tottenham two years ago, is a good example of past talent unearthed by QPR in the Community.
- Long-serving Community chief Andy Evans, who becomes the Trust's chief executive, recalled: "Dean came to one of our soccer schools at Regent's Park when he was nine and that was how he ended up at QPR.
- "The more children you see playing football, the more chance you have of picking up some talent. The Trust is about using the unique influence of the club to offer inspiration to local youth.
- "It will be a vehicle to maintain our identity as a community and family club - and it's also about getting young people interested in their local team."
- Midfielder and Times columnist Richard Langley, who grew up in Acton, was the last local boy to progress through the ranks and become a first-team regular at Loftus Road.
- And it is now 15 years since two other west Londoners, Kevin Gallen and Danny Dichio, emerged from the youth team to lead the QPR front line in the Premiership.
- Rangers vice-chairman Amit Bhatia, who has now also taken on the role of chair of trustees, observed: "It would be like swimming in the sea and finding a lost diamond.
- "The reason behind the Trust is to encourage things that are right in the community and give as much back as we can. It's community service and we'd like to make a real difference.
- "But if there were some great players who we could encourage through the youth scheme, why not? There's always the possibility of that happening in the future.
- "If it came about we'd be very fortunate. It's something Andy works very hard at and I'm keen to support him."
- Evans has been a stalwart of the Community scheme since 1994, since when he and his team have worked with around half a million young people in the surrounding area.
- The Trust will oversee grass roots, club development, social inclusion, health and education programmes in five boroughs - Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster and Hillingdon.
- Tuesday's launch was hosted by Lord Burns, a QPR supporter and now member of the Trust board, and was attended by fans' representatives as well as former QPR players, Community graduates and their parents.
- Rangers' entire first-team squad also attended - and donated a sum in excess of £8,000 to the Trust, presented on their behalf by coach Gareth Ainsworth. Kilburn Times

- See also: Taken From QPR Official Site re QPR in the Community and Comments from Chairman Bhatia


Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - Radek rushing to be ready for run-in
- THIS time last year, Radek Cerny was preparing for Wembley - now he is dreaming of a return trip with QPR in the play-offs.
- Cerny sat on the bench as Tottenham overcame Chelsea to claim the Carling Cup a year ago but, should Rangers qualify for the Championship showpiece final come May, he will surely go one better.
- So it would have seemed until recently... but the Czech goalkeeper's hamstring injury appears to have reopened the door for former number one Lee Camp.
- Now Cerny is racing against time to reclaim his shirt for the Rs' home clash with Ipswich on Saturday and he admitted: "This injury is going slow and I can't say whether I will be ready for the next game.
- "I had a similar injury in pre-season and now it's happened again. In my football life I've never had many injuries, but hopefully I'll get through this and everything will be okay.
- "I don't think it matters who is in the team - every player has to work hard anyway. My experience is that you always have to give 100 per cent and if you do this, good things will come."
- After quitting Spurs to sign for Rangers last summer on a free transfer, Cerny stated that a play-off spot was his minimum aim for the season.
- With more than two thirds of the Championship programme completed, that goal is certainly, he feels, attainable - even though QPR are slightly behind on the points target they set themselves.
- "Our aim is to finish in the top six and we still have the chance to do it," Cerny observed. "But there are still 15 games until the finish, lots of points and anything could happen.
- "Before the season began we were talking about the aim to take 10 points from every six games. The manager hasn't said anything about how many points we need, but the chairman mentioned 77.- "There are so many who could get into the play-offs and it's difficult - the league is very close. But if we win four games in a row, for example, I think we will get through and to go to Wembley would be very nice."
- Cerny, who turned 35 this week, rates Reading as the best side in the league and believes that Steve Coppell's team, along with Wolves and Birmingham, will occupy the top three places at the end of the season.
- "Reading are a very good team, well organised and they have lots of good players who can score goals," he added. "Wolves also play good football and Birmingham started well, but haven't been so good since then.
- "I think these teams are better than the others - but Burnley played very good football against us and when we played Swansea away their football was unbelievable, on the floor, one or two touches, and it was difficult to play against them. Kilburn Times


Kilburn Times/Matthew Webb- Cook on Stewart - Stew Peas is best in Cook book
- LEE Cook has backed central defender Damion Stewart to land QPR's player of the year award this season.
- Stewart, 28, has been in excellent form for Rangers all year, featuring in all but three of their matches and chipping in with three goals, including the Carling Cup winner at Aston Villa.
- And Cook feels that the Jamaican stopper's experience is proving vital in the team's push for promotion.
- "I think one of the old boys has really been the most outstanding player this year, and that is Damion Stewart," Cook told the Times.
- "This is his third year [at QPR] and this is the best he has played by far - Damion is in great form. He's solid at the back for us and I think you can tell that by the amount of clean sheets that we are keeping."
- Rangers' total of 12 shut-outs in the league have been an important factor this season and the winger points to Stewart, as well former Wigan defender Fitz Hall and £250,000 summer signing from Blackpool, Kaspars Gorkss, as key contributors to this statistic.
- "At the back we've got Stewart, Kaspars Gorkss - who has come in and done well - and obviously you've got Fitz Hall," Cook added.
- "The defence are playing really well, but I would say that it is Damion who has been outstanding so far."

-FORMER Sevilla midfielder Jordi Lopez has signed for QPR until the end of the season.
- The 27-year-old Spaniard, who is represented by ex-Rangers midfielder Alex Bonnot, had been a free agent after his release by Real Mallorca in December.
- Lopez will effectively be a short-term replacement for Rs skipper Martin Rowlands, who is sidelined for the rest of the season. Kilburn Times


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