QPR Fan Forum Tonight...Recalling The Last Fan Forum

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Tonight is the Fan Forum..
This is your last chance to send in questions for Thursday evening's Fans Forum.
BBC London's Tom Watt will select the best of the bunch, before Chairman Gianni Paladini, Gaffer John Gregory and Club Captain Marcus Bignot face the R's fans.
For those who cannot make the event, it will be aired live on QPR World from 7.30pm...If you would like a question submitted, e-mail iant@qpr.co.uk and we will try to answer as many as possible. QPR

QPR Official Site -Tickets for the forthcoming Fans' Forum have now sold out.
The event - which will be held at Loftus Road on Thursday 26th April 2007 at 7.30pm - has proved to be as popular as ever, with all 100 tickets sold in a matter of days. The event will take place in the Blue and White Bar and will be hosted by our media partners at BBC London.
Tom Watt will once again be running the event and the panel will consist of Chairman Gianni Paladini, Manager John Gregory and Club Captain Marcus Bignot.
For those who didn't get a ticket, it will be aired in its entirety on BBC London and QPR World. If you would like a question submitted, e-mail iant@qpr.co.uk and we will try to answer as many as possible. Please include the words 'FANS FORUM' in the subject header. QPR

FLASHBACK TO THE LAST FAN FORUM, SIX MONTHS AGO
John Gregory had just taken over a couple of weeks previously with Gary Waddock his new Assistant; the team under Gregory had just won a couple of games; and Chairman Paladini's threatened action against the fan magazine, AKUTRs was still a topic of conversation.

QPR OFFICIAL SITE re Fan Forum - Friday October 13, 2006
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QPR OFFICIAL SITE ON FAN FORUM - October 13, 2006 WHAT THEY SAID
There was talk of finances, transfers and even tears at Thursday evening's Fans Forum.
Hosted by BBC London's Tom Watt, Chairman Gianni Paladini and gaffer John Gregory answered a series of questions in front of an audience of 100 QPR fans.
Here's a selection of what they said...

JG on his group of players: I really couldn't have asked anything more from them. They've worn the shirt with pride and they've done themselves and the Club very proud indeed so far. Without wanting to get carried away, I'd say they've been first class.

GP on the John Gregory appointment: We were in a desperate situation after the defeat to Port Vale. I was looking for a reaction from the players at Vale Park but there was nothing, so we needed to make a change. I've known John for years and I'm convinced it's a fantastic appointment for the Club and for him. The two results since he arrived have been fantastic and the morale within the whole Club has lifted.

GP on the gaffers tears: I walked into his office an hour or so after the Hull victory and he was sitting in his office in pitch dark with a bottle of beer. There were tears rolling down his face and that's when I realised just how much this Club meant to him.

JG on his tears: That afternoon was a two finger salute to the rest of the footballing world bar QPR. It was me saying 'go and do one the lot of you.' It was a huge day for me and things have gone from strength to strength ever since.

JG on the future: I honestly believe that the 24 Club's in this division are fighting a relegation battle. I spent the day with Dave Jones (Cardiff manager) on Wednesday and even though they're riding high at the top of the table, he's still focused on getting to the magical 52 point barrier. No Club can afford to go down - the financial implications are just too great. There's no reason why can't dream of a return to the Premiership, but it's just a question of time. With the right kind of infrastructure we can achieve our goals.

GP on finances: Since this board took over here last September we've paid £14m of bills, creditors and loans to the club. The directors, they will take no interest back on this until the club can afford it. If things go badly then we lose our money. When we first took over last September we paid £4.9m to creditors straight away - we county courts, winding up orders and creditors that I didn't know about left right and centre. Without the directors we'd have gone into administration right then. This summer we've got some money from Danny Shittu and another £600k coming from that in August next year. We got £750k from Danny to spend on £500k on Blackstock, £200k on Rehman, Stewart and Nicky Ward. Then we paid £250k to Charlton as part of their, you know, and 5% to the Football League and the rest went straight to the tax man. The problem is, if you say to people we desperately need this money they won't give you a million, they won't even give you half a million. We're £1.2m down on season tickets which hasn't helped cash-flow, but I'm not worried. If we can be successful under John people will come back and the cash-flow will increase.

JG three weeks in: The last three weeks have been a dream. I've lad to pinch myself at times. All the staff are pulling together in the right direction, yet despite two wins on the spin, we need to keep our feet on the ground.

JG on transfers: I've looked at the squad and we've got 35 players, which is far, far too many. It's not there fault but we need to make some drastic changes. The playing staff needs to be reduced as soon as is possible and we need to improve the strength in depth in terms of our overall quality. Maybe if we can get one or two out on loan - to join the three already of course - then we can do a few deals in January. There are 16 or 17 lads here that are more than good enough to not only keep us in this league but to push on and finish in the top half of it. Keeping them fit isn't easy of course - we've got eight games in 30 days coming up. We may have a little money to spend in the transfer window and we are targeting Premiership clubs in the vicinity for loans

GP on AKUTR'S: I didn't take this man to court. People think I take people to court because the coffee is too cold. There was nothing in the Evening Standard about our win at Southampton, not one line, but there was a big report on the police. We took action against them last season and won and they don't like us because we beat them. The magazine, I never said I would take them to court, I wanted a chance to respond to serious things that were said about me in that magazine, he never had the decency to get in touch with me for a discussion and my side, I'm talking about the journalist here not the man who edits the magazine. If you don't do anything about this, you're guilty. The allegations he made against me are wrong. If they are true then I shouldn't be the chairman. If they are right I'd resign tomorrow.
QPR Official Site

See Also:
Clive Whittingham/QPR Rivals - Fan Forum Roundup

October 2006 FAN FORUM Can be HEARD AT:
Part I:
Part II: