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Sunday, December 15, 2013

#QPR's New Stadium: Compilation of Articles...Those Involved

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QPR CEO Philip Beard 

    "You can’t build a stadium for 19 home matches and leave it empty for 340 days of the year. We are looking to build a stadium with facilities that can be used all year round with events, conferences, dinners."


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- Flashback QPR's First Stadium in that Area - Century Ago



- BBC VIDEO:



QPR OFFICIAL SITE

Club unveils plans for new 40,000 seater stadium in Old Oak

THE CLUB is delighted to today unveil plans for a new 40,000 seater stadium as part of a major regeneration project in the Old Oak area in West London.

Queens Park Rangers Football Club and our partners, Stadium Capital Developments, have concluded a letter of collaboration with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham to ‘bring forward an early and very significant private sector investment into the Old Oak Common regeneration area.’

The news follows Boris Johnson's recent announcement that turning Old Oak into a new world-class city quarter is to be one of his main regeneration priorities, and that a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) is to be set up to promote it.

The plan is to develop a 40,000 capacity football stadium at the heart of the regeneration area, and for this to be the catalyst that will eventually bring about the creation of a residential and commercial area covering several hundreds of acres – larger than Canary Wharf – ultimately generating 50,000 jobs and 24,000 homes.

The scheme has the provisional title of New Queens Park.

R’s Chairman, Tony Fernandes, told www.qpr.co.uk: “Loftus Road is – and always will be – a special place for the club and our supporters, but we need more than an 18,000 capacity.

“With no option of expanding here, we have to look elsewhere and we welcome the Mayor’s and Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s commitment to regenerate the area, which includes an option to develop a new stadium at Old Oak as a key catalyst to bring forward redevelopment, cementing our future in this part of West London.

“Not only will this give us a top quality stadium to cater for QPR's needs as the club progresses and grows over the years ahead, but we are very excited about being the driving force behind creating one of the best new urban places in the world.

“This will be the catalyst for the regeneration of a forgotten area – ultimately bringing new transport, 24,000 homes and at least 50,000 jobs.

“It will create a vibrant new destination in London, boosting local businesses, attracting new visitors and tourism and creating a thriving community.”

QPR CEO, Philip Beard, added: “We look forward to working with the Mayor and local authorities and we will, of course, be consulting our loyal and passionate supporters, as well as the local community, on our exciting plans early next year. We will look to build a stadium QPR fans and local residents can be proud of.

“Loftus Road is renowned for its atmosphere and with the help of our supporters, replicating that at our new stadium will be one of our top priorities.”

Chair of the HS2 Growth Taskforce - which is meeting in London today (December 13) to ensure the capital maximises the benefits from HS2 - Lord Deighton, said: “Regeneration only happens when the public and private sector work together. We welcome QPR and Stadium Capital Development's commitment to the regeneration plan at Old Oak. Delivering modern transport infrastructure such as HS2 and Crossrail can be a catalyst for regeneration in London. The Government looks forward to working with key stakeholders on this.”

Antony Spencer, who – alongside Sir Terry Farrell – is developing the master-plan for Old Oak, commented: “We envisage a new vibrant, mixed-use and high-quality entertainment and leisure development, which will turn this neglected but tremendously well-connected area into a new world-class city quarter.

“We are talking to a number of world-class architects to design iconic tall buildings akin to New York, the Far East and London’s finest, as well as improving and incorporating the waterside environment of the Grand Union Canal. We have assembled a top-class professional team to design tens of thousands of new homes, a 350 bedroom luxury hotel and millions of square feet of entertainment and leisure focused commercial space including: retail, studios and offices, bars and clubs, restaurants, cinemas and other leisure accommodation.”

The announcement comes after many months of discussions with the Greater London Authority and the Boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent and Ealing.

Spencer added: “We know we still have a long way to go in dealing with the planning, infrastructure funding challenges and business relocations but we are now in a position to forge ahead as we have secured strategic land holdings in excess of 100 acres. We are confident of securing a planning permission by early 2015 and starting development shortly afterwards.

“We need, however, to work very closely with the public and private sector bodies, such as TfL and Network Rail, to enable the necessary infrastructure requirements. We look forward to working with the GLA, Hammersmith & Fulham and the local boroughs in a partnership approach between the public and private sectors.

“The potential arrival of the MDC, with its planning and compulsory purchase powers, could dramatically speed up the delivery of this site.” QPR


STANDARD

QPR unveils plan for new 40,000 seat stadium at Old Oak in west London


QPR bosses aim to create an “O2 of the west” rather than a traditional football stadium when the club moves to a new 40,000-seater home.

The “Superhoops” today announced plans to relocate a mile north of their 18,000-capacity stadium in Loftus Road to Old Oak Common in time for the start of the 2018 season.

Mayor Boris Johnson said he hoped the move would help spark a £14 billion development of hundreds of acres of industrial wasteland.

But QPR chief executive Philip Beard, recruited in 2011 from the O2’s US owners AEG, said the stadium could only work financially if it could attract uses other than football.

He said: “You can’t build a stadium for 19 home matches and leave it empty for 340 days of the year. We are looking to build a stadium with facilities that can be used all year round with events, conferences, dinners.”

Mr Beard, who helped turn the former Millennium Dome into the world’s most popular music venue, added: “We made sure that every single seat at the O2 had better lines of sight, acoustics and atmosphere than any other indoor arena. That is what we aim to achieve for every single seat at the stadium.”

Mr Beard said he wanted to recreate as far as possible the “cauldron” atmosphere of Loftus Road at the scheme, provisionally titled New Queens Park. He said: “As we progress the development we will enter discussions with fans and fan groups.” The plans include about 8,000 homes as well as restaurants and shops by the Grand Union canal. There are also proposals for a mini-arena next to the stadium, expected to cost about £200 million.

The loss-making club wants to boost its revenues from the last year’s £64 million — a figure certain to fall following relegation from the Premier League — to more than £150 million.

The club, chaired by aviation boss Tony Fernandes, hopes to emulate the commercial success of Arsenal at the Emirates in Ashburton Grove. But it also plans to avoid mistakes made by the north London club over the perceived lack of atmosphere compared with its former Highbury stadium.

QPR is expected to apply for planning permission from Hammersmith & Fulham council in late 2014 or early 2015. Nicholas Botterill, leader of the Tory run local authority said it was “a very exciting development”.  Standard


Dave McIntyre/West London Sport

QPR confirm Old Oak regeneration project


QPR have unveiled their plans for the total transformation of the Old Oak area, which will include a 40,000-capacity stadium the club hope to move to in 2018.

They made the announcement after support from all the major bodies required – the Greater London Authority (GLA), relevant local authorities, Network Rail and the influential Genesis Housing Group – was confirmed.

Titled ‘New Queens Park’, the project involves a Canary Wharf-style regeneration of a huge area of west London – the type of which has always been a key motivation for QPR’s Malaysian owners, fronted by chairman Tony Fernandes.

Rangers’ announcement comes after many months of discussions with the GLA – who are expected to publicly back the proposals on Friday – and the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent and Ealing.

About 24,000 new homes are likely to be built as part of the regeneration and the club say at least 50,000 jobs will be created.
QPR chairman Tony Fernandes

The project is crucial to Fernandes’ plans

Loftus Road, Rangers’ home for most of the last century, will be turned into flats as part of a revamp of the area that includes the White City Estate.


Fernandes said: “Loftus Road is – and always will be – a special place for the club and our supporters, but we need more than an 18,000 capacity.

“With no option of expanding here, we have to look elsewhere and we welcome the Mayor’s and Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s commitment to regenerate the area, which includes an option to develop a new stadium at Old Oak as a key catalyst to bring forward redevelopment, cementing our future in this part of west London.

“Not only will this give us a top-quality stadium to cater for QPR’s needs as the club progresses and grows over the years ahead, but we are very excited about being the driving force behind creating one of the best new urban places in the world.

“This will be the catalyst for the regeneration of a forgotten area – ultimately bringing new transport, 24,000 homes and at least 50,000 jobs.

“It will create a vibrant new destination in London, boosting local businesses, attracting new visitors and tourism and creating a thriving community.”

QPR have partnered with Stadium Capital Developments (SCD) and entered into exclusive land arrangements with Network Rail and other landowners who control major parts of Old Oak.

A letter of collaboration – a formal letter of intent – has been drawn up, with all parties affirming to press ahead with the project as quickly as possible.
Loftus Road

Loftus Road will be turned into flats

The club expect to seek formal planning permission towards the end of next year or early in 2015, with a view to moving to the new complex for the start of the 2018-2019 season.

Club chief executive Philip Beard said: “We look forward to working with the Mayor and local authorities and we will, of course, be consulting our loyal and passionate supporters, as well as the local community, on our exciting plans early next year.

“Loftus Road is renowned for its atmosphere and with the help of our supporters, replicating that at our new stadium will be one of our top priorities.”

The Fernandes-led regime’s plan to build a commercial, housing and leisure hub has always largely hinged on the successful implementation of Crossrail and HS2, the planned high-speed railway that is set to go through the area.

The two lines are likely to converge at Old Oak and London Mayor Boris Johnson recently declared that transforming it into a world-class city quarter - a so-called Mini Manhattan – was a priority.

The HS2 Growth Taskforce is meeting on Friday to discuss the issue and its chair, Lord Deighton, said: “We welcome QPR and Stadium Capital Development’s commitment to the regeneration plan at Old Oak.

“Delivering modern transport infrastructure such as HS2 and Crossrail can be a catalyst for regeneration in London. The government looks forward to working with key stakeholders on this.”

And David Biggs, property director at Network Rail, said: “We are pleased to be involved and able to support this exciting regeneration project along with QPR and SCD to unlock the potential of this challenging, railway-dominated site.”

John Carleton, executive director of markets and portfolio at Genesis, said: “We are very pleased to be involved in this exciting regeneration project.” West London Sport



Dave McIntyre/West London Sport

The Old Oak project that would totally transform the face of QPR

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes   


13/12/2013
By David McIntyre

The building of a hugely lucrative Canary Wharf-style commercial hub, that would include an entertainment complex in which a 40,000-capacity stadium for QPR is built, has always been a key motivation behind the current board’s acquisition of the club.

It would establish Rangers’ Malaysian owners, fronted by chairman Tony Fernandes, as major players in London and beyond.

Eyebrows have been raised at the losses QPR have incurred during Fernandes’ expensive and, so far, unsuccessful reign. And there has been speculation about the long-term state of the club’s finances, the owners’ motivations and whether they would be tempted to jump ship following relegation from the Premier League.

But although their multi-million-pound outlay seems staggering on the face of it, those losses would be dwarfed by the potential windfall from a regenerated Old Oak.
QPR hope to move in 2018
Committed? In it for the long term? You bet – for reasons outlined in a West London Sport article back in April.

So what happens now? Here are some answers to a few of the questions that are bound to be on the lips of QPR fans at this potentially momentous time in the club’s history.

Why have QPR suddenly made this announcement now?
A cynic might suggest that neighbours Brentford recently being given the green light for a new stadium bigger than Loftus Road put the ball firmly in Rangers’ court. In truth, the club moved suddenly because, after months of discussions with relevant bodies, crucial pieces of the jigsaw appear to have fallen into place in a short period of time.

The last of various key stakeholders in the project came on board and QPR also moved swiftly because it seems the Greater London Authority plan to make a related announcement.

What is a letter of collaboration?
It’s a formal letter of intent and essentially means that various important groups, such as the GLA and the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Brent are on board.

When do QPR expect to move to the new ground?
Planning permission is expected to be formally sought towards the end of next year or early in 2015 with a view to the club moving to Old Oak for the start of the 2018-2019 season.
Loftus Road

Loftus Road will be turned into flats

What will happen to Loftus Road?
Current plans will see it turned into flats as part of a revamp of the area which includes the White City Estate.

Who are Stadium Capital Developments ?
SCD is run by Antony Spencer, an entrepreneur behind Arsenal’s move to the Emirates Stadium. SCD is an associated company of Stadium Capital Holdings (www.stadiumcapitalholdings.co.uk)

Who else is involved?
There are various groups involved in the project. They include:

Farrells, who have offices in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai and have worked on projects such as Earls Court and the Royal Albert Dock. The architects have also been active in Asia, most notably in the completion of a 100-storey, 440-metre tower in Shenzhen – the tallest building ever designed by a British architect – as well as the M+ Museum in Hong Kong, Incheon Airport in Seoul, and Beijing and Guangzhou high-speed rail stations in China.

Populous, a sports and entertainment architecture practice which has been involved in the design of various sporting and entertainment venues, including London’s Olympic Stadium, the Sochi 2014 Fisht Stadium, Wembley, the Emirates Stadium, Soccer City, the O2 Arena and the redevelopment and roof of the Centre Court at Wimbledon.

Savills, who are advising on planning. Savills Planning’s previous projects include the Emirates Stadium, the Olympic Stadium, Stadium MK and expansions of The Oval and Lord’s. They have also been consulted by Tottenham and Everton about proposed new stadiums.

Will QPR fill a 40,000-capacity stadium?
This is likely to be the key question for many – and it arguably misses the whole point of this radical re-branding of QPR.

Fernandes is a hugely influential, indeed inspirational, figure throughout large parts of Asia, where Premier League football is already massively popular. Rangers, if established in the top flight and with high-profile players from around the world, could be of global interest and a stadium offering Premier League football in London could be a haven for fans visiting the UK. There would also be ample room for away fans when some of the biggest, most well-supported clubs visit.

So those who wonder how QPR, with a relatively modest fan-base, could fill a 40,000-capacity stadium perhaps need to look at the bigger picture. English football is changing and QPR will certainly change beyond recognition, in its character and make-up, if the owners have their way. And with the west London landscape also changing, things are falling perfectly into place for Fernandes, who also enjoys the unwavering support and trust of a clear majority of fans.

Will QPR still own its own stadium?
This is another potentially key issue. The club know they could could face some backlash from even an overwhelmingly pro-Fernandes fan-base if their answer on this isn’t seen as satisfactory. The current position is that the stadium will indeed be owned by QPR Holdings, the company which owns the club. QPR Holdings is owned by the club’s shareholders.  West London Sport


SKY

Sky Bet Championship: QPR announce plans for new 40,000-capacity stadium

Last Updated: 13/12/13 5:30pm


QPR are hoping to build a new 40,000-capacity stadium as part of an ambitious project at Old Oak in west London.

Rs chairman Tony Fernandes revealed plans to move the club from Loftus Road as there is "no option of expanding" at their present home.

The new stadium would be built as part of a "major regeneration" of the Old Oak area, with plans for the creation of a residential and commercial precinct larger than Canary Wharf.

QPR first used Loftus Road in 1917 and a proposed move is likely to spark a backlash from some fans, but Fernandes believes the project would cement the club's place in west London.

He told Sky Sports News: "It was something that was at the forefront of my mind when I came in. People thought we were taking a step backwards when we got relegated. But this is a long-term project - we are all very committed as shareholders.

"We have been looking around - despite the problems we had on the pitch - to look for a stadium because we think that Loftus Road is unsustainable in the long term. We were extremely lucky that we found this wonderful piece of land not far from Loftus Road.

"We have been looking around - despite the problems we had on the pitch - to look for a stadium because we think that Loftus Road is unsustainable in the long term. We were extremely lucky that we found this wonderful piece of land not far from Loftus Road."

Tony Fernandes

"It's a huge £5billion development. QPR has been a very community-focused club. We now have the ability to build a nice township which would benefit many of our fans, and to build many business and leisure facilities. It's fantastic that we are able to build a stadium as a centrepiece and also help regenerate a part of west London."

Fernandes is confident that the club can fill the stadium when it is built, provided they have success on the pitch.

"I come from a business which is about putting bums on seats," he said. "I started with two planes and now we have 150. If we get the right product, we are in a wonderful part of London and the transport infrastructure that the government has got planned will only enhance connectivity to QPR.

"If Harry (Redknapp) produces a good team, which it looks like there is every chance he will, I believe we can fill that stadium."

London Mayor Boris Johnson recently announced that turning Old Oak into a new world-class city quarter was one of his main regeneration priorities.

QPR's chief executive Phillip Beard said: "We look forward to working with the Mayor and local authorities and we will, of course, be consulting our loyal and passionate supporters, as well as the local community, on our exciting plans early next year.

"We will look to build a stadium QPR fans and local residents can be proud of.

"Loftus Road is renowned for its atmosphere and with the help of our supporters, replicating that at our new stadium will be one of our top priorities."  SKY

INSIDE HOUSING



A new football stadium will be the ‘catalyst’ for the development of 24,000 new homes, Boris Johnson has said.

Queens Park Rangers today announced plans for a 40,000-home stadium which will be built as part of the Old Oak Common regeneration project

The 195 acre, semi-industrial site between Harlesden and Acton, currently one of the most deprived parts of the capital, is planned to become a thriving new district with a mix of affordable and market-priced housing and up to 50,000 new jobs.

Additionally, developers envisage that Old Oak will become the King’s Cross of west London, with plans to build a ‘super hub’ High Speed 2 and Crossrail station in the area by 2026.

The proposed station will be the same size as Waterloo and serve up to 250,000 passengers a day. It will link with Europe via the Eurostar, with Paris just over two hours away.

Five of Britain’s airports will be connected to the rail network for the first time through the Old Oak interchange. Central London and Heathrow will be 10 minutes away, Birmingham will be 40 minutes direct from Old Oak and Luton, Gatwick and City Airport will all be within 45 minutes.

The Mayor of London and Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent and Ealing Councils have collaborated on the project.

Nicholas Botterill, leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, says: ‘This creates unrivalled opportunities for both the public and private sectors to create new jobs, homes and opportunities around what could become the Kings Cross of west London.’

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, is looking to set up a Mayoral Development Corporation for Old Oak to maximise the benefits of the scheme. This will mirror the work of London Legacy Development Corporation which leads the post-Olympic regeneration of Stratford.

Mr Johnson said: ‘As well as making Old Oak Common, Britain’s best connected railway station, the scheme would create tens of thousands of new homes and jobs, schools, open spaces, shops and leisure facilities in an area crying out for improvement.’ INSIDE HOUSING


Some more info on the architects:

A new Populous-designed 40,000-seat stadium for QPR football club is at the heart of plans to regenerate London’s Old Oak area

The stadium will be the centrepiece of the ‘New Queens Park’ regeneration scheme; a 195-acre, semi-industrial site between Harlesden and Acton in west London that has been masterplanned by Farrells.

The stadium and and its surrounding development is being driven by a partnership between QPR and Stadium Capital Developments (SCD), the same outfit that led the development of Arsenal’s Emirates stadium and the transformation of the surrounding area.

Also part of the design team is CZWG Architects which has been signed up to ‘advise on architecture’ and also to convert QPR’s existing ground at Loftus Road in west London. A spokesman for the scheme also promised: ‘…there will be more architects working on this scheme.’

Farrells had previously worked up a masterplan that included 13,000-home and new transport hub for the area but the newly revealed plans featuring the stadium boasts 24,000 homes.’

SCD founder Antony Spencer said: ‘We know we still have a long way to go in dealing with the planning, infrastructure funding challenges and business relocations but we are now in a position to forge ahead as we have secured strategic land holdings in excess of 100 acres.

‘We are confident of securing a planning permission by early 2015 and starting development shortly afterwards,’ he added.

Chris Lee, senior principal and director at Populous, said: ‘We have seen how sport has the power to bring communities together, and stadiums are one of the most important buildings a community can own.

There is no doubt that the new development will become a new destination in which sport and entertainment will be an essential part.’ Architects Journal


EC Harris

EC Harris named as part of team to support new QPR stadium

13 December 2013

Queens Park Rangers Football Club has announced that EC Harris will provide project management and cost consultancy on their plans for a new 40,000 seater stadium in Old Oak.

The stadium plans are part of a major regeneration project in the Old Oak area in West London, which has the provisional title of ‘New Queens Park’. The project will be a catalyst in bringing the creation of a residential and commercial area that will ultimately generate 50,000 jobs and 24,000 new homes.

The master-plan is being developed by Antony Spencer (Stadium Capital Developments) and Sir Terry Farrell, who will need to work closely with the public and private sector bodies, such as TfL and Network Rail to enable the necessary infrastructure requirements. EC Harris will be working alongside Farrells, Populous, Anthony Green & Spencer, Savills and CZWG Architects in order to support Queens Park Rangers.

Paul Mitchell, Head of Sports Stadia Development at EC Harris commented:

“This scheme represents another landmark in our association with major sports venue projects in London. Following on from our involvement in Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, the London 2012 Olympic Stadium and our current work with Tottenham Hotspur FC, this appointment underlines our market leading position in this sector. We are delighted to be able to support QPR in fulfilling their ambitions for a 40,000 seater stadium that will underpin their future ambitions.”

Mark Farmer, Head of Residential at EC Harris also commented:

“EC Harris is proud to be involved with QPR FC in this scheme and we believe this is a reflection of our varied built asset skillsets spanning not only residential led regeneration and complex infrastructure delivery but world leading sports stadia expertise. This powerful combination puts us in a strong position to help shape a viable and sustainable master plan which will not only deliver a fitting new venue for Queens Park Rangers FC but will be set in the context of delivering much needed infrastructure improvements and new homes that London so demands on one of the last major regeneration opportunity sites in London.”

EC Harris has major sports venue experience including Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium (Arsenal FC), Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and the 2012 Olympic Stadium, as well as Cheltenham, Aintree and Epsom racecourses.

-ends-

For further press information please contact:
Jack Turnpenny
Corporate Communications Assistant EC Harris

Telegraph: An Open Letter

Queens Park Rangers supporter Thom Gibbs' open letter to chairman Tony Fernandes over his stadium plans

Having attended games at Loftus Road for 23 years Telegraph Sport's Thom Gibbs writes to QPR chairman Tony Fernandes over his stadium plans warning against a mooted move
Queens Park Rangers supporter Thom Gibbs' open letter to chairman Tony Fernandes over his stadium plans


By Thom Gibbs


Dear Tony,

How are you? I am fine. I do hope your airline is well. Sorry about the Formula One season. Maybe next year, eh?

I write after your plans for a new 40,000-seater Queens Park Rangers stadium were unveiled on Thursday night. Congratulations, those are some lovely drawings.

As a QPR supporter of 23 years I applaud your ambition and am grateful for the gigantic amount of money you've already spent on our club. But I urge you to proceed with caution in this endeavour.

After a decade of decline, English football came roaring back on a tide of cash and European participation in the 1990s. With the game ascending and hooliganism in remission, a spate of new stadiums were built. They are almost all dreadful.


Middlesbrough, Derby, Southampton, Cardiff, Leicester, Reading and Coventry built grounds which are flawed, interchangeable, and only identifiable as their own by the colour of the seats. Coventry's was such a failure that they're now playing at the equally grim Sixfields (built 1994), 33 miles away in Northampton.

The anonymous bowls that defined this new era suffer from a uniformly pallid atmosphere, a direct consequence of the distance between the front row of spectators and the pitch. Loftus Road is an unsustainable long-term home for QPR, but it is wonderfully enclosed, intimate and one of the few remaining stadiums in the country where a raucous atmosphere can be generated with as few as 13,000 spectators.

Building a different kind of new stadium that's geared towards QPR fans being able to help the club win football matches should be a challenge for your architects, not an obstacle to be swerved with another conservative design.

QPR must avoid the divide between corporate guests and the loyal majority whose budget only stretches to cheaper seats. The uninterrupted tier of expensive seats in the middle of Arsenal's new ground saps noise from a once-loud set of supporters.

The proposed capacity of the new stadium is 40,000, nearly 4,000 more seats than Tottenham's White Hart Lane. In the past 50 years the highest average attendance posted by QPR was 23,850 in 1975/76, the season we finished second in the top flight. Last season, again in the top flight although not quite as successful, it was just 17,779, not quite hitting the meagre capacity of 18,360 every week.

You have made encouraging noises about prioritising affordable tickets, and harnessing the support of the new community around the Old Oak development. But to assume the people living next door will all want to watch football, or even want to watch QPR, is to wilfully ignore the disturbing number of children wearing Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United shirts around Shepherd's Bush on a match day.

To regularly fill a stadium as large as is planned, QPR would need to be performing spectacularly above their historic level for a sustained period. This isn't out of the question in shorter spells, but no club in English football has ever transcended its status so violently that it is able to attract more than double its established number of fans in the long-term.

What will a cavernous 40,000-capacity ground be like in the wholly possible event that we are playing at our current level in the Championship? Cold, quiet, and not a pleasant place to be.

I gently recommend that you approach your plans for capacity like you're adding salt to a recipe. You can always add some more later if it's required, but if you put too much in now you're going to end up with something that tastes horrible. I would also gently recommend that you don't attempt to taste this, or any other stadium.

Remember that what matters to match-attending football supporters is their relationship with their club, the rituals around going to see them play, and a sense of community. You've got the chance to build something which serves QPR supporters as well in these ways as Loftus Road. Good luck!

Yours sincerely,

Thom Gibbs  - TELEGRAPH

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/queens-park-rangers/10515725/Queens-Park-Rangers-supporter-Thom-Gibbs-open-letter-to-chairman-Tony-Fernandes-over-his-stadium-plans.html



THE TIMES


Tony Fernandes has revealed Queens Park Rangers’ plans for a new 40,000-capacity stadium at the heart of the most ambitious development attempted by an English football club.
The new ground would be part of a vast £10 billion regeneration over hundreds of acres of West London, with Fernandes predicting that the project can turn the Sky Bet Championship club into an established force in the Barclays Premier League.
“This isn’t just building a stadium but virtually a whole new community,” Fernandes told The Times. “The football club gives us the anchor, the huge number of eyeballs which come with the attention of being in the Premier League. It is a huge project and the stadium gives it focus and impetus.”
QPR have already started investing in land on the Old Oak Common site, which is just over a mile north of Loftus Road, the club’s home for almost a century.
They have made a reported bid of £21 million for a site close by, have an agreement in place with Network Rail for large tracts of land and are ready to put £15 million into securing outline planning permission. The £200  million for stadium construction is a fraction of the overall cost, but Fernandes insists that the club will benefit long term from doubling the capacity and some fans could even enjoy cheaper tickets.
Fernandes has made his estimated fortune of almost £400 million through transforming AirAsia. “I feel we can sell 40,000 seats because we are building new homes next door,” he said. “I’m a big believer in flexible pricing and it’s one of my dreams with a better stadium, and London’s corporate hospitality, to reduce the cost of some seats.”
Fernandes and his partners, including Lakshmi Mittal, the billionaire Indian steel magnate who owns a third of QPR, are seeking to draw in global investors for the site, which could also include 24,000 new homes, offices and an indoor arena .
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, gave his backing to the project in the hope of also pushing through proposals for a new rail hub, Old Oak Common station, which would link Crossrail with the troubled HS2. The Mayor said that the new hub had the potential to spark regeneration “on a scale not seen since the Olympics transformed Stratford”.
QPR have partnerships with local councils and the Greater London Authority, the biggest hurdle being securing hundreds of millions of pounds in government funding to improve infrastructure — with that

INDEPENDENT

Glenn Moore: Tony Fernandes will need new fans for bold move


Saturday 14 December 2013



It has happened. On 9 January 1932 41,097 watched Queen’s Park Rangers play Leeds United in an FA Cup third-round tie. That must be the latent support Tony Fernandes hopes to tap into with the new 40,000-seat stadium proposed for Old Oak Common.


Having transformed Air Asia from a failing company with $11m debt and two ageing Boeings into a successful 132-plane operation, Fernandes has earned the right to have his dreams respected. But turning QPR into a club capable of filling a 40,000 stadium is going to take a generation of success.

When citing record club attendances it is customary to suggest that fans were “packed in”, but there was plenty of room on the White City terraces to watch QPR win 3-1 81 years ago. At the time the Olympic venue was pulling in 90,000 crowds to watch boxing.

QPR, meanwhile, were averaging 13,000 in the Third Division South. That figure is QPR’s historical average, roughly on a par with Huddersfield and Bristol City.

Rangers soon gave up on White City and, aside from another poorly-attended season three decades on, have stayed at Loftus Road, their main home since 1917. Their best season was 1976-77 when Dave Sexton’s superb team of Stan Bowles, Gerry Francis et al attracted average gates of 24,000.

Fernandes is right to argue that Loftus Road, now constricted to 18,439 often cramped seats, is too small to sustain a Premier League club, especially with Financial Fair Play restricting owner subsidies. But it has taken Fulham (historically a marginally larger club) 12 years in the top flight, and a European final to edge their gates up to 25,000. Only now are they planning to expand to 30,000.

In a sane world Fulham and QPR, instead of planning separate developments, would investigate ground-sharing. It happens overseas, but given the antipathy shown in Bristol and on Merseyside it appears to be a non-starter in England.

So Fernandes plunges into a £200m gamble on a continuing boom in English football, and a surge in popularity for QPR. Realistically, as with West Ham’s move to the Olympic Stadium, the only way he can fill the ground is with cheap tickets and the hope of ancillary income from merchandising and catering. If that allows those excluded by modern prices a chance to see live football, good luck to him. He will need it.  Independent
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 Neil Warnock Optimistic re QPR Plans (and on Managing)
Independent

Neil Warnock: Why return to management? Because I’m hooked on the buzz – it’s why we keep coming back when the only certainty is the sack

Friday 13 December 2013


Looking at the managerial merry-go-round the last few weeks, with eight managers fired in 24 days, you must wonder what keeps us coming back for more. I suppose the answer is the satisfaction you get out of it – not just winning a game, but achieving something like promotion or staying up. The buzz you get from that you can’t really put into words. The adrenalin it delivers can be addictive. That feeling you have when the whistle blows and you’ve done what you set out to do… you miss it when you’re not in the game. That is why I was tempted last week when Milan Mandaric asked me to consider taking over Sheffield Wednesday.

I’ve been fortunate most of the seven promotions I’ve won have been with sides I built from zero, so it is doubly rewarding. There is nothing to match being in the dressing room celebrating promotion after a long season with a group of lads you have put together. When QPR clinched promotion at Watford I was so overcome with emotion I couldn’t even finish congratulating them. To get the Clint Hills and Adel Taarabts, such different players, working together and appreciating each other’s talents was smashing.

It’s not all like that, of course. You do understand when you get into management that you will get the sack at some stage, but that never puts people off trying again. This week David Flitcroft, who did a great job last season keeping Barnsley up, then was sacked a fortnight ago, has taken over at Bury, and Richie Barker, sacked by Crawley late last month, has gone back into it at Portsmouth.

It is important for first-time mangers such as David to get back into work as soon as they can, because around 40 per cent of managers sacked from their first job don’t get a second chance. That’s terrifying.

For a lot of young managers, especially those who have not played at the top end of the game, there is also a financial need to work. Some of them could find employment in another field, but you can’t beat making a living out of something you really enjoy doing. I know there is the option of coaching, but I’ve always wanted to manage and I’m sure that applies to David and Richie. Then you can do it your way. You need good staff with their own opinions – Mick Jones has been a great No 2 as he’s not a yes-man – but at the end of the day the buck stops with you and the good managers are the ones who make more good decisions than bad.

Obviously, when one manager takes a job it means another must have left. So while I’m pleased for David – a good lad, whose brother, Garry, played for me at Sheffield United – I’m disappointed for Ronnie Jepson, who worked with me at Leeds and other clubs. Jeppo took over from Kevin Blackwell in October, lost once in the last seven league games, and by all accounts was playing some good football, but I suppose for the owner the opportunity to bring in David, a local lad and former player, was too good to turn down. And what an owner says, goes – including, in many cases, the manager.

So there is insecurity to add to the despair of losing matches, the drudgery of travelling, the frustration with transfers, and the 101 things a manager has to do. But when someone asked me last week how I could contemplate going back into management when I was enjoying the media work and spending time with the family, it wasn’t those things I thought of. It was the buzz, and the day-to-day patter with the players. Football humour is so different to what I have experienced anywhere else, you can’t replicate it, and you do miss it.

You do need humour around the training ground and in the dressing room. It helps put players at ease in what can be a stressful sport. There have been times when I’ve had a choice of players and gone with the one who was funny. The best example would be Rob Kozluk at Sheffield United. He was a decent full-back, but what a tremendous person and comedian. He didn’t pick on anyone in particular, they all came under his spell, but they all took it well and it wasn’t nasty stuff. There was also Dean Thomas at Notts County, and Gary Clayton at Burton. Those sort of players keep things going when results are not as they should be.

There are fewer players like that at the top level because there are so many foreign players. As well as the language barrier, they often have a different sense of humour.

I felt that was why Fabio Capello struggled at the 2010 World Cup. At the end of a long season, players need a bit of humour, not strictness.

QPR have great new grounds for optimism

The announcement of a new QPR stadium is great news for all Hoops fans. I spoke to chairman Tony Fernandes on my TalkSPORT show on Friday and he’s very excited.

We were talking about the need for a new stadium and training ground when Tony came to the club and he has really taken it on board.

I know we’ll miss the atmosphere of Loftus Road but it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that they can double the crowd in the right environment. There are so many more women and children likely to come to a ground with great facilities.

It promises to be exciting times for QPR. What is needed now is for Harry Redknapp to keep them on course for a return to the Premier League, which I am sure he will, and the club can go forward.
www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/neil-w...


QPR lodges John Lewis shed bid
By Chris Berkin | Industrial | 29-11-2013 | 07:00 | Print
Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club has lodged a bid to buy the John Lewis distribution centre in Park Royal, west London, for a major new stadium.

The Championship club has offered around £21m to buy the 285,500 sq ft shed to satisfy its long-running requirement to replace its 18,500-seat Loftus Road stadium in Shepherd’s Bush, W12. Alternative uses for the site, including a training ground, are also being considered.

QPR is going head-to-head with shed developer Prologis to buy the 12.1-acre site at 41-44 Kendal Avenue, which was put up for sale in July through Aspect Property Consultants and Jones Lang LaSalle.

But a question mark hangs over the sale owing to uncertainties surrounding the route for the £43bn HS2 rail link.

HS2 Ltd has put safeguarding orders on several sites in Park Royal to be used for a ­construction storage depot during the development of the London end of the proposed high-speed line.

One such order has been placed on the Waitrose fulfilment centre on Victoria Road, prompting parent company the John Lewis Partnership to pause the sale of Kendal Avenue.

A source said: “It is a really good price on offer but John Lewis cannot rush into selling something without knowing what is going on down the road. HS2 has given them a lot to think about.”

QPR launched a search for a new stadium with a capacity of around 40,000 seats in 2011. In April, the club said a £15m loan secured from Barclays would go towards a new stadium.

In August, the club said it was considering a number of options, including a site at Old Oak Common.

QPR has played its home games at two different Park Royal grounds in its history – the 40,000-seat Royal Agriculture Society ground between 1904 and 1907 and the 60,000-capacity Park Royal Stadium between 1907 and 1915.

John Lewis put its Park Royal shed up for sale after striking a deal with Gazeley for a 675,000 sq ft mega shed at Magna Park in Milton Keynes to connect to its existing 650,000 sq ft warehouse at the park. It is due to open in February 2014.

Aviva Investors, on behalf of the Lime Property fund, bought the Magna Park shed in August for £74.2m – a yield of 4.9%.

All parties declined to comment.

www.egi.co.uk/news/article.aspx?id=776057




Location
John Lewis Distribution Centre, Kendal Avenue, Park Royal , W3 0TP, Greater London, London

Investment

Description
• Strategically located on the southern edge of Park Royal, Europe’s largest industrial area

• The property is excellently situated off the A40 Western Avenue and the A406 (North Circular Road)
providing quick links to Central London and the national motorway network

• The property provides approximately 26,526.1 sq m (285,525 sq ft) of gross internal accommodation

• Site area 4.9 hectares (12.1 acres)

• Let to John Lewis until 31st March 2016 on a lease excluded from security of tenure provisions of 1954 Landlord & Tenant Act.

• The passing rent will be £1,500,000 per annum, £5.25 per sq ft

• Signifi cant redevelopment opportunity in a prime London location

• Alternative use potential subject to the necessary consents

• Offers are invited for our client’s freehold interest, subject to contract, exclusive of VAT and on the proposed leaseback provisions


property.joneslanglasalle.co.uk/property-search/property-details.aspx?t=c&id=JLLATC37251

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