_____________________________________________________
- Four Premiership Clubs Paid Tribute to the Victims of the Elementary School in the United States. QPR were one of them. Kudos to QPR (and the other clubs, Fulham and American-owned Liverpool and Aston Villa) - Club, Players and Fans
- Next: Newcastle - Shared Players/Past Results
- Last Time the two teams met (Newcastle won 1-0)
QPR: Kenny, Young, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Hill, Wright-Phillips, Derry, Buzsaky, Mackie, Helguson, Bothroyd.
Subs: Cerny, Orr, Hall, Campbell, Smith, Ephraim, Macheda.
- Teams: Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Santon, Ryan Taylor, Guthrie, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Best, Shola Ameobi.
Subs: Elliot, Ben Arfa, Abeid, Perch, Gosling, Obertan, Ferguson.
TABLE After Last Newcastle-QPR Meeting (QPR 17 Points from 21 Games)
- Bottom Ten
Everton 21 25- Four Premiership Clubs Paid Tribute to the Victims of the Elementary School in the United States. QPR were one of them. Kudos to QPR (and the other clubs, Fulham and American-owned Liverpool and Aston Villa) - Club, Players and Fans
- Next: Newcastle - Shared Players/Past Results
- Last Time the two teams met (Newcastle won 1-0)
QPR: Kenny, Young, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Hill, Wright-Phillips, Derry, Buzsaky, Mackie, Helguson, Bothroyd.
Subs: Cerny, Orr, Hall, Campbell, Smith, Ephraim, Macheda.
- Teams: Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Santon, Ryan Taylor, Guthrie, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Best, Shola Ameobi.
Subs: Elliot, Ben Arfa, Abeid, Perch, Gosling, Obertan, Ferguson.
TABLE After Last Newcastle-QPR Meeting (QPR 17 Points from 21 Games)
- Bottom Ten
Sunderland 21 24
Aston Villa 21 24
Fulham 21 23
WBA 21 22
Wolves 21 18
Blackburn 21 17
QPR 21 17
Bolton 21 16
Wigan 20 15
Five Year Flashback: Minutes of Club-Fan "Consultative Meeting" Report
QPR vs FULHAM
- Earlier Reports of QPR vs Fulham
--
LONDON 24 -
Redknapp compares ‘genius’ Taarabt to West Ham legend after Fulham double
By Nick Wright
Monday, December
17, 2012
7:10 AM
QPR boss Harry Redknapp labelled Adel Taarabt a
“genius” after his match-winning double against Fulham, comparing him
to West Ham hero Paolo Di Canio.7:10 AM
The Moroccan scored two long-range goals at Loftus Road as QPR moved off the bottom of the Premier League table with their first win of the season at the Cottagers’ expense.
Redknapp lavished praise on Taarabt after the match, claiming he has the potential to play for any club in the world and describing him as similar to Premier League legend Di Canio, who he signed as West Ham boss back in 1999.
“He’s my type of player, I love people with that ability,” said Redknapp of Taarabt. “He’s a genius, he could play for anybody.”
“He can be a top, top player,” he continued. “He’s got ability like not many people you will ever see in your life.
“He’s like [Paolo] Di Canio, who I thought was a fantastic player, one of the all time great players at West Ham.
“This boy’s the same. He can do things that no one else can do. No one can do what he can does, he’s amazing.
“He nutmegs people and he goes past two or three who are hanging off him and can’t get the ball off him.”
Taarabt’s fiery temperament has often proved his downfall in the past but Redknapp says his talent makes him worth the trouble.
“A lot of talented people like that are difficult to handle,” he said.
“Paolo was like that, he was difficult to handle but he was a genius, he could win games on a Saturday, and that’s what this boy can do.”
London 24
LONDON 24
Redknapp: Levy made me sell Taarabt at Spurs
By Nick Wright
Monday, December
17, 2012
7:50 AM
QPR manager Harry Redknapp has revealed he was
forced to sell Adel Taarabt against his will by Tottenham chairman
Daniel Levy during his time at White Hart Lane.7:50 AM
Taarabt scored a match-winning double for QPR on Saturday as they secured their first win of the season, beating west London rivals Fulham 2-1.
The skilful Morrocan played under Redknapp at Spurs following his arrival from French side Lens in 2007 but failed to make a major impression and was eventually sold to the R’s in 2010 after two successful loan spells at Loftus Road.
The 23-year-old was notoriously temperamental during his younger days but Redknapp insists he always had faith in his talent to shine through.
“He’s an amazing talent but we always felt that when he was at Tottenham,” he said. “I didn’t want to let him go.
“I always thought he had a value, even if he wasn’t starting he would come off he bench for you and turn the game.”
He continued: “But it was hard for him to get in the team and in the end Daniel [Levy] said: ‘if he’s not going to play we’ve got a good offer, so we may as well sell him and get a big sell-on.’
“And that’s what the club did. But he wasn’t ever a player I ever wanted I release.”
Redknapp says Taarabt has matured since his time at Spurs and will be hoping for more influential performances from the midfielder over the Christmas period.
“He’s grown up a bit now, he’s better than what he was,” he said. “He was a complete fruitcake when he was at Tottenham.” London 24
TELEGRAPH
Queens Park Rangers striker Adel Taraabt shows a touch of genius as his two goals see off Fulham at Loftus Road
Wizard? Fruitcake? Catastrophe? Whatever they say about Adel Taarabt, it is no surprise that the man from Fes can be a magician and he made his mark on Queens Park Rangers’ chaotic season in the most emphatic way by scoring twice as Fulham were beaten 2-1.
Sheer joy: Adel Taarabt celebrates scoring his first goal Photo: REUTERS
By Gerry Cox, Loftus Road11:00PM GMT 16 Dec 2012Comment
QPR’s first win of the season, at the 17th attempt, took them off the bottom of the table and Taarabt was outstanding. If the first – a deflected shot seven minutes after half-time – had a slice of luck, the second had the touch of genius, as Taarabt waltzed from the halfway line through a crowd of defenders before curling the ball past Mark Schwarzer with the outside of his right boot. It was like watching Matthew Le Tissier at his best.
“The first was lucky, the second was very good,” said the Moroccan afterwards.
Fulham substitute Mladen Petric scored in the 88th minute to set home nerves jangling again, but Queens Park Rangers held out to give Harry Redknapp his first victory as manager after three draws since he took over from Mark Hughes last month.
And if Redknapp is to live up to his Harry Houdini reputation as the great escapologist, he knows the secret will be making the most of Taarabt. “Yes, getting Adel in the right position is important,” the manager said. “He has played off the left but he’s not as effective out there, so I freed him to play in the hole. We try to get the ball to him at every opportunity because he can do damage to anybody. He’s as strong as an ox on the ball, people can’t knock him off it.
“He’s not a lightweight with skill, he’s a strong, powerful player with the ball. It was a great performance.”
Taarabt’s talent has been evident since he made his debut as a teenager for Tottenham under Martin Jol, who described him as a “wizard, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad way”. But the Moroccan’s mentality has been questioned by a succession of managers.
“He’s hard work,” admitted Redknapp. “He can be a bit of a nut but his heart’s in the right place, he wants to do well and he thinks about the game. I took him off at Wigan last week and he wasn’t in the best of moods. He didn’t behave well so I called him into my office on Monday and had a good heart-to-heart chat with him and he’s responded to that.
“He’s temperamental but he’s an amazing talent. He needs to harness that talent and just play. I said, ‘Don’t throw your arms up when you lose the ball, don’t stand with your hands on your hips, just get after the ball if you lose it otherwise everyone sees that you made a mistake and it gets highlighted’. And he did that and he was fantastic.”
When QPR lost 6-0 at Fulham last year, Taarabt was substituted and left Craven Cottage at half-time, leading to disciplinary action from the club. On Saturday he was lauded by fans and staff alike.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Redknapp added. “Talented people like that are difficult to handle.”
Redknapp compared him with Paolo Di Canio, whose career he resurrected when they were both at West Ham in the 1990s. “Paolo was difficult to handle but he was a genius who could win you a match and Adel is the same. He can be a top, top player. He’s like Di Canio, doing things nobody else can do. He nutmegs people, he goes past two or three and they’re hanging on to him, but they can’t get the ball off him.”
Taarabt hardly played at Tottenham Hotspur and Redknapp sold him for £1 million in 2010. “He used to come back to see his mates and I’d say to him, ‘You’re making me look a fool, Adel. I keep seeing you on TV and you’re worth £20 million. I sold you too cheap!’
“He wasn’t a player I wanted to release. He’s grown up now, he’s better than he was. He was a complete fruitcake at Tottenham.”
Armand Traoré, QPR’s Senegal international, said: “I’ve known Adel since I was 14 or 15, so I know what he’s like. He was a catastrophe,” laughed Traore. “We used to play together in the French national team at junior level. I used to overlap him and he would nutmeg the same guy four or five times. The manager used to say, ‘If you don’t pass the ball, you come off’. Adel didn’t care. He was getting penalties, scoring goals.
“He’s now improved a lot in terms of work-rate, and matured as a person. I think he’s got further to go. We see some goals in training no one has seen.” But QPR fear a call-up by Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations is imminent. “I was in that situation last year,” added Traoré. “If you say no to your country, you and your family will get slaughtered.”
Telegraph
Guardian/Paul Doyle - Transformed Adel Taarabt has Harry Redknapp purring as QPR beat Fulham
• Moroccan scored twice in vital QPR victory
• 'The boy is a genius, he could play with anybody'
• 'The boy is a genius, he could play with anybody'
"He's got ability like not many people you've ever seen in your life," said Redknapp of the player who crowned a wonderful personal display against Fulham with two fine goals to give QPR their first league win of the season and haul them to within five points of safety. "He can do things that nobody else can do … He's my type of player, I love people with that ability. I had [Paolo] Di Canio [at West Ham] and he's like that. The boy is a genius, he could play with anybody."
Redknapp was not always so enamoured with Taarabt, who featured infrequently for Tottenham after joining as a 17-year-old from Lens in 2007, and was loaned out to QPR before joining permanently for around £1m in 2010. He then inspired the west London side to promotion. Redknapp now claims that even though the player could be frustrating back then, he never wanted Tottenham to sell him. He has been pleased to find that the player has progressed since they were last together. "I said before that he was a nut and he can be a nut … but he's grown up a bit now, he's better than he was. He was a complete fruitcake at Tottenham."
Adel Taarabt celebrates scoring the first goal for QPR against Fulham at Loftus Road. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images The QPR full-back Armand Traoré, who has known Taarabt since he was a teenager, said Redknapp's predecessor, Mark Hughes, deserves much of the credit for the Moroccan's improvement. "Mark Hughes showed him how much of a good player he is and on the other hand he has to work hard," said Traoré. "I think it was a really good step for Adel to have that manager."
Redknapp said that he still had to remind the 23-year-old to keep his focus after the draw at Wigan Athletic last week. "I took him off last week and he wasn't in the best of moods and didn't behave in the best of ways so I had him in the office on Monday morning and had a good heart-to-heart chat with him and he's responded to that."
Redknapp also gave Taarabt a new position, placing him in the advanced central role in a 4-2-3-1 and the player thrived in it, orchestrating virtually every attack against Fulham, who never looked worth a point even when Mladen Petric narrowed the deficit in the 88th minute.
"I freed [Taarabt] up to play in there and try to get him in between their midfield and their back four and get the ball to him at every opportunity because he can do damage to anybody," said Redknapp. "It's important to get him in the right position, he's not as effective out on the left." Fulham's manager Martin Jol, who worked with Taarabt at Tottenham and then tried to sign him for both Hamburg and Ajax, hailed him as "a wizard".
Taarabt has seldom been a regular starter for his country and QPR now hope that Morocco's manager, Rachid Taoussi, does not recognise the player's newfound reliability because if he is called up for next month's Africa Cup of Nations he will miss between two and five matches for his club, depending on how far his country progress. They are in a tough group, with Angola, Cape Verde and the hosts South Africa, but are capable of reaching the final. Taarabt, knowing how vital he is to his club's survival, has admitted he is torn about what to do if called up but is unlikely to turn down his country. "It's really hard," says the Senegal international Traoré. "I've been in that situation last year. If you say no to your country, you and your family will get slaughtered. On the other hand QPR really need him so I think it's just going to have to be how he feels. But you can't really say no to the national team."
Man of the match Adel Taarabt (QPR) Guardian
Man Utd 17 42
Man City 17 36
Chelsea 16 29
Tottenham 17 29
Everton 17 27
West Brom 17 27
Norwich 17 25
Arsenal 16 24
Stoke 17 24
Swansea 17 23
West Ham 17 23
Liverpool 17 22
Fulham 17 20
Aston Villa 17 18
Newcastle 17 17
Sunderland 17 16
Southampton 16 15
Wigan 17 15
QPR 17 10
Reading 16 9
FLASHBACK FIVE YEARS
Five years ago today: Report of the QPR-Fan "Consultative" Meeting was held
Fans Consultative Committee Meeting Minutes
December 17, 2007
On Thursday 13th December, representatives from QPR 1st's Management Board attended a Fans Consultation Group meeting with Queens Park Rangers Football Club at Loftus Road Stadium.
The meeting was an opportunity for our new Board and owners to meet with the various supporter groups and provide us with an insight into their plans and the future of our fine football club.
A full copy of the minutes taken from the meeting can be found here.
Fans Consultative Committee Meeting
Date: 13/12/2007 at 18:00
Location: Loftus Road Stadium, London
In attendance:
Alejandro Agag (Chairman of Queens Park Rangers Holdings PLC)
Gianni Paladini (Chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club)
Nick De Marco (Legal Advisor to Queens Park Rangers Football Club and Chairman to the Fans� Consultative Group)
Bev (Representing Disabled Supporters)
Stephen Dedridge (Representing QPR 1st and QPR Rebuild)
Karen & Pat (Representing the Official Supporters Club)
John Reid (Representing LSA)
Vic & Spencer (Representing Friends of QPR)
Neil Dejyothin (Representing QPR 1st)
Agenda
- Introductions by the Supporter Groups
- Introduction by the new Board
- Update from the club on the football side
- Questions submitted on behalf of the Supporter Groups
- All other business
Introductions
- each supporter group introduced themselves and outlined what they were about.
Alejandro Agag
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- introduced himself as a shareholder at QPR.
- has worked with Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone in F1 business for many years.
- has a political background and worked in politics and the sports business for many years.
New Board
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- they have a clear objective.
- they were actively looking to get involved in a football club.
- the reasons they were attracted to QPR included its history, being based in London and great potential to grow and improve.
- they like to start small and build a team and their business, much like they've done with Benetton in F1.
- they want the club to keep its soul and spirit and retain an English identity.
- they will team up with strong financial partners who are not English, which may be revealed over the coming days.
- they feel the fan base is very important.
- they want to keep and have a very direct communication with the fan base.
- they feel the club needs to keep its soul and spirit.
- both Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone are very committed to the club.
In response to the supporter groups introductions
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- that he would arrange for Rebuild QPR to meet with the new Commercial Director in January.
- any help from Supporter Groups is welcome.
- the Supporter Groups should expect the same level of support as before the new Board arrived.
Update from the club on the football side
Gianni Paladini said the following:
- we would be looking to strengthen the playing squad and that we would bring in "quality players" during the January transfer window.
- the signings we made would not be free transfers.
- the type of quality arriving hasn't been seen at Loftus Road for some time.
- pointed out that the new Board had put in the necessary finance to bring these players into the club.
- a number of deals for new players had already been agreed or were in the pipeline, but the club wouldn't reveal any names of targets at this time.
- one of the players arriving will join from abroad.
- the club want to move away from using the loan system as a means of strengthening the squad.
- stated the importance of having strength in depth and a squad of 22 good players.
- the club would be in the top six for player salaries in the Championship.
- the club would like to model the success of Sunderland last season.
- the club currently employ 5 scouts who assist Luigi De Canio with finding players.
- the scouts are sent out all around the world to look for talent and some of these scouts are Luigi De Canio's own men.
- the need to work with and develop younger players over a 3 year plan.
- both Gianni Paladini and Alejandro Agag stated that any points between now and January were deemed critical to our cause.
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- there is a further plan in place to strengthen with a few more players in July.
- the plan is to stay in the Championship this season and anything more is a bonus.
- it's nearly impossible and would be somewhat a miracle for the club to achieve promotion this season.
- the club would try and mount a serious challenge for promotion the following season, providing we retain our Championship status.
Summary of the new owners' plans for the club
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- there is finance available, but ultimately and eventually they want and believe the club can make revenue. - some sponsorship deals have been agreed with some very big partners. Some of these may be revealed within the coming days.
- further discussions and negotiations are ongoing with other sponsorship partners and they're actively seeking more.
- the existing sponsorship deals, while beneficial at the time before they arrived, are no longer good enough for the club.
- they have found it difficult to mutually terminate some of the existing deals and are continuing to negotiate with these sponsors.
- there is already a good momentum building around QPR on a commercial scale and plenty of companies with money behind them are interested in investing in the Club.
- some of these companies appear ready and willing to offer or make deals at rates that are more favourable than some Premiership clubs, up to three times as much.
- there is a strategy to use celebrities as a way to promote the club and generate revenue through sponsorships.
- the VIP areas (boxes) will be a major focus for the celebrity appeal.
Questions submitted by the Fans' Groups
3a - Are the club planning on holding a Fans' forum in the future?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- in response, Agag said: "Yes. Sure, we can do that."
- agreed and suggested that a minimum of 2 Fans' Forums should be held per season. - the suggested timeline for these to take place were February/March and September/October.
- a third Fans' Forum could be held during the season in "extraordinary" cases if necessary.
- stressed that the Fans' Forums should be for football talk and team matters and not to discuss finances or the ABC loan.
- the EGM would be where discussions would take place about finances and the ABC loan, which is its purpose.
- Stephen Dedridge told how he felt this wouldn't be a problem so long as this was properly communicated to the fan base.
3b - Could the club appoint a Fans' Representative/Point of contact to be the first point of contact with the Club?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- in response, Agag said: "Yes, it's important."
- confirmed that 2 commercial people would start in January and expected this role would be covered by one of these employees.
- the Fans' point of contact would report directly into Mr. Agag.
3c - Are there any plans to improve the 'dreadful' catering and bars at Loftus Road?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- there is a plan in general to improve the whole catering experience at the club.
- from January the Club would be looking to take this forward and begin improving this area.
- he will talk to John McDonald (Stadium Manager) regarding the opening and closing times of the Bars and look to extend them.
- the security and catering staff can work later to ensure the Bars remain open for longer.
- is an area he wants to improve as he believes the Club are losing money and not making the revenue they should be from these areas.
3d - Are there any plans to improve or develop Loftus Road Stadium further or move to a new ground?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- there are plans to "improve and not to move" at the current time.
- the plans were to "spend millions, actually" with regards to improving Loftus Road Stadium.
- that "we could change of course" to a new stadium, but that wasn't in the current plan.
- the VIP boxes will be made bigger and more luxurious by reducing the amount we currently have from 32 to 25.
- the VIP boxes are already sold out.
- the likes of Renault, Versace, Armani, Roberto Cavalli and others were all interested in these VIP boxes.
- Flavio Briatore wants to have catering from his restaurant brand Cipriani's involved and do "fancy things for the celebrities".
- the Club are currently in the process of seeking permission to build an extended cover over the stadium to prevent the fans from getting wet.
- the type of cover they want to go for will be transparent and allow them to further their sponsorship and advertising opportunities as they would be visible.
- how fast this happens depends on how quickly permission is granted.
- they are already tight on time to have this work started for the summer and if it slips any further they will lose a year on this plan.
- the toilets would be cleaned up and improved during the summer of next year.
- they will redecorate and paint the stadium during the summer of next year.
- in the medium to long term, especially if the club are still in the Championship, there is no reason to move to a new stadium.
- if we are getting full houses and have queues of 20,000 fans waiting outside to get in, then it would be logical to consider moving to a new stadium.
- it's not easy to move to a new stadium anyway.
- they are still investigating ways to expand Loftus Road Stadium.
- the Ellerslie Road stand can potentially be increased by 7,000 worth of additional seats, depending on planning permission which would allow them to build upwards.
- no work would be carried out until they could fill the stadium as there's no point if it's only half-full and that means there is no need currently.
- it would make sense to temporarily ground-share with another local team, like Fulham, while any stadium redevelopments were underway.
3e - What is the position with the Clubs' debts? Has the ABC loan been paid off?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- that "the club debts are gone" and have been cleared, but the ABC loan still exists.
- the Board are currently still deciding on how to tackle the ABC loan.
- a decision on how to tackle it will be made within 2-3 months.
- that decision will be either getting a bank to pay back at a normal rate or to pay it off themselves.
- they will make their choice by 1st July which is when they have to sort this out by.
- the new Board and the Club are carrying out further investigations into how the ABC loan was set up and whether there is an evidence of malpractice.
- there is no intention to buy out the remaining smaller shareholders.
- Sarita Capital Investment Inc. and Bernie Ecclestone own 95% of the Club's shares between them.
- the remaining shares however may become diluted as capital increases. For example, that 5% may be dilute naturally to 3% over time.
- the EGM will stay as they are and the smaller shareholders are invited and welcome to attend them.
- that QPR own the ground, not Sarita Capital Investment Inc.
- Nick De Marco reported that the Board had instructed there to be a serious investigation into the background to the ABC loan and sale of the training ground to discover if there had been any financial impropriety.
Disabled Facilities
Stephen Dedridge said the following:
- that our disabled facilities were of a poor standard compared to other clubs and need to be improved.
- the poor standard was due to the age of our stadium and a lack of available funds.
- the designated area for wheelchairs is too close to the away fans which can be very intimidating and is a major concern.
- the Club needs to have a policy on disabled supporters in place and keep within the requirements of FA recommendations regarding DDA (Disability Discriminations Act).
- representatives from QPR 1st and the Official Supporters Club had already met with the Club to investigate what could be done to improve our disabled facilities.
- a second meeting between the Club and the representatives from QPR 1st and the Official Supporters Club has already been scheduled for January.
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- that they are "ready to spend money" on finding solutions and solving these issues.
- they take these things seriously and that John McDonald (Stadium Manager) should be consulted about these issues and it would be taken from there.
There was then a discussion about Club sponsorship during which Alejandro Agag made the following points:
- provided an example of looking through their contracts, of which there were 7 and removing any advertising around the stadium that no longer existed.
- they were surprised to find many still up that had no contract attached to them. These have been replaced with Coca-Cola advertising.
3f - Will there be more done to raise QPR's name in the local community?
Gianni Paladini said the following:
- the club had been praised by The Football League and the Daily Telegraph newspaper regarding the Club's work in this area.
General/Other:
- it was agreed in general that Andy Evans was doing a great job with "QPR in the community" but that it didn't get much publicity.
- there is a need to improve our relationships with the local press to help increase coverage.
- the reason it hadn't stretched to a wider area was due to an agreement between clubs which meant you could not work in boroughs that don't fall into your area.
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- the money that has been raised by the Official Supporters Club would continue to be better off going to our Youth set up.
- that raising some for both charity and some for the youth set up would also be fine.
- perhaps such monies should be used for the disabled supporters. - less money is needed for the Youth set up from Supporter Groups due to the investments planned by the Board in this area.
Spencer said the following:
- that we should attempt to focus on one charity for the whole season to maximise publicity.
- to do one local charity and one national charity.
3g - Are there plans to improve the Youth set up or start a Youth Academy?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- the Imperial College which owns the training ground are working with us to cover the pitch.
- this will allow us to compete at the elite level.
- the club is committed to investing in the Youth team.
3h - Will it be possible to re-instate the very popular Open Day for supporters that used to take place? 3i - Can there be Junior Supporter days at the Training Ground?
Supporter�s representatives said the following:
- the "Open Day" had been going since the 70s.
- the players and staff were in attendance.
- there were sideshows, penalty shoot outs and other entertainment acts.
- there were opportunities for supporters to obtain autographs and have photographs taken with the players.
Pat said the following:
- the Junior Supporter days differed to the "Open Day" as they were specifically for children.
- the juniors were able to play against the players.
- there were sideshows with silly but fun games, like throwing wet sponges at the players.
- these events were stopped after the Club moved to a new training ground and a lack of funds.
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- it was "a very good idea" and felt such an event could be sponsored and could be done in pre-season.
- he will speak to the Commercial Director to ensure "we do it".
There was then a discussion about Open Training Sessions:
- an email needs to be sent to Caroline should anybody want to go to the Training Ground.
- the training sessions are no longer open to the public.
- the club needs to communicate this to the fans as this hasn't been made public knowledge.
- some people were not being allowed to use the toilets when the first team were training when they were there to watch the Youth team.
3j - When there is the next rise in season ticket prices, will there be any special offers/discounts for existing season ticket holders?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- it's too early to answer this question.
- that Flavio Briatore was keen on doing something for a proportion of QPR's loyal long serving fans should the Club reach the Premiership.
- they recognise the loyal support is the soul and spirit of the club and want to ensure they remain part of the club.
- there's still a need to make money obviously, so there's a need to find the right balance.
Pat said the following:
- supporters were worried that season ticket prices would increase dramatically next year for the new Board to begin recouping their investment.
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- if that was the case then they'd have to double the prices or multiply them by 10 or 20 to make their money back.
- if there was a raise, then it would be around 10% or something "normal", but it was too early to say.
- stressed that sponsorship deals and not season ticket money was their strategy to generate revenue. Gianni Paladini said process should be similar to other London championship sides like Crystal Palace or Charlton
3k - Are there any plans to improve the toilet facilities?
- This item was already covered and discussed, therefore skipped.
3l - Are there any plans to do up/improve stock in the Club Shop?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- there were definite plans and they have already spoken about a new range and brand for next season.
- it doesn't make any sense to change the existing stock during mid-season.
- that Flavio Briatore is super on this for expensive and cheap stuff. - they want to get QPR merchandise and gear into department stores and QPR stores.
- they intend to build a brand out of QPR.
- already looking into opportunities with stores in the new shopping centre at White City (Westfield London).
3m - Will it be possible for QPR fans to have any special deal for the British F1 Grand Prix?
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- he wasn't sure but would raise this with Bernie Ecclestone.
3n - What happened to Jude The Cat?
Pat said the following:
- that they were worried about Jude The Cat being banished.
- that Jude plays a large role in the identity of QPR with junior supporters.
- the club need to treat any change sensitively as it could upset sections of the fan base, however trivial it may seem.
- the junior supporters have just received Christmas cards from the Club with Jude on the front.
Alejandro Agag said the following:
- that they are very superstitious and worry about having a black cat as a mascot and don't want any bad luck.
- suggested that rather than banishing Jude The Cat, that he's rebranded in a different colour.
Gianni Paladini said the following:
- we could poll for suggestions on the official website.
All Other Business
- it was agreed that these meetings should continue to take place at least 3 times per year. QPR1st
- QPR Not Going Bust! On This Day Six Years Ago: Official Statement from QPR Chairmen Paladini and Caliendo Responding to Lengthy News Story "Are Rangers Going Bust?"
- On This Day...Three Year Flashback: Jim Magilton and John Gorman Depart QPR "By Mutual Consent" - As QPR had FOUR Managers in 10 Weeks
-News Update: Gianni Paladini Still in for Birmingham/ Meeting
- Year Ago: Lenthy Profile of and Interview with QPR Manager Neil Warnock
- 51 Years ago today: QPR Crush Brentford at Griffin Park!
- Lengthy Prison Time for Muggers of Bernie Ecclestone
QPR WIN....QPR WIN....QPR WIN....QPR WIN...QPR WIN!
Video of QPR vs Fulham
- Photos from QPR vs Fulham
| Club | Pld | Pts |
|---|---|---|
- Form Guide:
Adam Hulme @adamhulme86
#QPR Fans Forum scheduled for early New Year. Full details will be confirmed in the next few weeks #WatchThisSpace
This time LAST Year
AND LAST Season in January AFTER AXED WARNOCK and Hughes First Game (LOSS)
1 (1) Manchester City 20 15 3 2 56 16 40 48
2 (2) Manchester United 21 15 3 3 52 20 32 48
3 (3) Tottenham Hotspur 21 14 4 3 39 21 18 46
4 (4) Chelsea 21 12 4 5 40 25 15 40
5 (5) Arsenal 21 11 3 7 38 31 7 36
6 (7) Newcastle United 21 10 6 5 30 25 5 36
7 (6) Liverpool 21 9 8 4 24 18 6 35
8 (8) Stoke City 21 8 6 7 22 31 -9 30
9 (9) Norwich City 21 7 7 7 32 36 -4 28
10 (13) Swansea City 21 6 8 7 23 25 -2 26
11 (10) Everton 21 7 4 10 21 25 -4 25
12 (11) Sunderland 21 6 6 9 27 24 3 24
13 (12) Aston Villa 21 5 9 7 23 27 -4 24
14 (14) Fulham 21 5 8 8 23 29 -6 23
15 (15) West Bromwich Albion 21 6 4 11 20 30 -10 22
16 (16) Wolverhampton Wanderers 21 4 6 11 23 37 -14 18
17 (17) Blackburn Rovers 21 4 5 12 32 44 -12 17
18 (18) Queens Park Rangers 21 4 5 12 19 36 -17 17
19 (19) Bolton Wanderers 21 5 1 15 25 46 -21 16
20 (20) Wigan Athletic 20 3 6 11 18 41 -23 15
Kenny;
Walker, Connolly, Gorkss, Hill; Derry, Faurlin (Orr 59); Mackie,
Taarabt (Clarke 59) Smith; Helguson (Hulse 70). Subs: Cerny (g), Hall,
Rowlands, Ephraim.
