The New #QPR Stadium: Conflicting Messages About Size?

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 See Bushman History Archives of QPR's Early Days


   Since taking over the club almost four years ago, QPR's Owners have been talking about building a new QPR Stadium away from Loftus Road.

A New Stadium has in fact been a topic of conversation by various QPR's owners over the years (even over the decades)

   The latest  proposed QPR Stadium is targeted in the Old Oak area (as part of a much bigger development)

For now, the new stadium is contingent on what is approved regarding the future development of "Old Oak Commons/New Queens Park." For starters, there is a "rival" development coalition spearheaded by Car Giant, who have their own ideas re developing the area!

Whatever happens, happens. But from the QPR perspective, if there is to be a stadium, beyond questions of who exactly will own the stadium, and so forth:

For the past couple of years,  the club after initially saying they had not decided on the size of the new (multi-purpose) stadium, have basically been saying 40,000 size stadium.

  Hitherto, QPR have been talking about 40,000. Various past announcements from QPR. such as this one in December 2013 entitled  "Club unveils plans for new 40,000 seater stadium in Old Oak..."

    Various pronouncements and interviews since have continue to use the number "40,000"

  The Official "QPR-offshoot" "New Queens Park" Site has under FAQs: "How big will the stadium be?The stadium will have 40,000 seats" (and this continues to be online)

   Yet on Saturday, QPR's Chairman Tony Fernandes tweeted.

Tony Fernandes        ✔ @tonyfernandes

"who said we are getting 40 k. I'm more keen on 30 to 35" 6:08 AM - 7 Mar 2015

So was just this a one-off tweet from the Chairman expressing his own views rather than the corporate entity? Or is this a case (seemingly like Warren Farm) in which the club owners have an "evolving" attitude towards what they will be building?

   On the basis of over 125 years of Fan support for QPR and the size of their Fan support one can make a very good case for a smaller-size stadium (ideally with potential for future growth).

   If the primary criteria is the multi-purpose usage and the belief that a larger-size stadium is necessary for that (along with hypothetically, greater growth in support for QPR and "Neutrals" coming to watch the team.)

So a case can certainly be made either way. Many fans would probably welcome a smaller stadium.

    Either way, a certain consistency might be nice though. Maybe the club truly hasn't decided on size in which case, maybe it should make that clear.

Obviously behind all this, there is the fact that there may not be a new Stadium, unless the London authorities give the go ahead. But that is for another day!