QPR - "China Brawl" Update

-
Guardian/Paul Kelson - Rangers want statement

QPR are increasingly frustrated by the FA's attitude to their impending disciplinary hearing into the brawl between the Loftus Road reserves and the Chinese Under-21 side. QPR are keen to take a witness statement from Dermot Gallagher, who refereed the match, and have twice written to the FA to request access. The FA has offered to pass on the questions and forward Gallagher's replies but that has not satisfied the club. They consider Gallagher's report on the 20-man brawl too basic to form a defence and will demand co-operation if they have to. Guardian

[Basically there has been nothing in the press re QPR-China since March]

A QPR-CHINA "RETROSPECT"

FA - QPR Admit Charge - March 6, 2007.
Queens Park Rangers FC have admitted an FA charge relating to a brawl involving their players and officials and members of the Chinese Olympic team on 9 February, and have requested a personal hearing.
The club were charged with failing to ensure that its players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refraining from violent and/or threatening and/or provocative behaviour.
Assistant Manager Richard Hill has been separately charged with violent conduct and has until 12 March to respond. FA

QPR Official Site
Queens Park Rangers FC have admitted an FA charge relating to a brawl involving their players and officials and members of the Chinese Olympic team on February 9th, and have requested a personal hearing.
The club were charged with failing to ensure that its players and / or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refraining from violent and / or threatening and / or provocative behaviour.
Assistant Manager Richard Hill - who is currently suspended - has been separately charged with violent conduct and has until March 12th to respond. QPR

February 26, 2007 - QPR/Hill charged
Queens Park Rangers FC have been charged following a brawl involving their players and officials and members of the Chinese Olympic team, which occured during the training match on 9 February.
The charge alleges that the club failed "to ensure that its players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refraining from violent and/or threatening and/or provocative behaviour."
Assistant Manager Richard Hill has been separately charged with violent conduct.
The club and Hill have until 12 March to respond. FA

Meanwhile one somewhat 'pragmatic' Chinese response to "the brawl"
Chinese need more beef to play and fight with Westerners
BEIJING, March 6 (Reuters) - Chinese footballers need to eat beef and drink milk if they are to play, and fight, with Westerners on a level playing field, according to a member of the advisory body to China's parliament.
Last month's brawl between China's under-21 team and English club Queens Park Rangers proved that Chinese athletes did not have enough brawn, according to Zhang Xinshi, a biology researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"You can't just say you aren't used to eating beef and drinking milk and leave it at that," Zhang said during a discussion of Chinese agriculture at this week's meeting of the advisory body CPPCC.
"Our football can't reach a higher level. We are only good at skilful sports. Running for two 45 minute halves on such a large pitch at speeds like 100m, how can (our) bodies do that?
"We all saw the recent fight in England and they (the players) were beaten to a pulp.
"Sounds tragic? But if you are as strong as a buffalo how can they beat you up? Therefore I don't think we should advocate the Chinese grain-eating tradition."
Chinese defender Zheng Tao was taken to hospital with a fractured jaw after the 30-man fight during an ill-tempered friendly at QPR's training ground, which provoked a media storm in China.
QPR assistant manager Richard Hill was interviewed by police for his part in the fracas but English media reported on Monday that no charges would be brought against him. Reuters

FA - QPR/Hill charged Monday, 26 February 2007.

Queens Park Rangers FC have been charged following a brawl involving their players and officials and members of the Chinese Olympic team, which occured during the training match on 9 February.

The charge alleges that the club failed "to ensure that its players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refraining from violent and/or threatening and/or provocative behaviour."

Assistant Manager Richard Hill has been separately charged with violent conduct.

The club and Hill have until 12 March to respond. FA

QPR OFFICIAL SITE -CHINA CHARGES

Queens Park Rangers have been charged with misconduct for a breach of FA Rule E20 (a) - in relation to the friendly against the Chinese Under-22 National team.

FA Rule E20 (a) states: 'Each club shall be responsible for ensuring (a) that it's directors, players, officials, employees. servants, representatives, spectators and all persons purporting to be its supporters or followers, conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and refrain from any one or a combination of the following; racist, violent, threatening, abusive, obscene or provocative behaviour, conduct or language, whilst attending at, or taking part in a match in which it is involved, whether on its own ground or elsewhere.'

R's Assistant Manager Richard Hill - who is currently suspended - has also been charged with misconduct for a breach of FA Rule E3.

FA Rule E3 states: 'Participants shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one or a combination of violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.'

The Club will be making no further comment at this stage, as an internal investigation into the matter continues. QPR

BBC - FA charges QPR over China brawl
Queens Park Rangers
The Football Association has charged QPR with misconduct after a friendly match against the China's Olympic team on 7 February ended in a brawl.

Assistant boss Richard Hill, who has been suspended by the club until further notice, has been charged with violent conduct.

The club issued a statement stating that "an internal investigation into the matter continues".

The brawl left China player Zheng Tao with a broken jaw.

Report: QPR v China ends in brawl
Hill and the club have until 12 March to respond to the FA charges.

The club have been charged with failing "to ensure that its players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refraining from violent and/or threatening and/or provocative behaviour."

Two days after the incident, a 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm.

The man was "bailed to return on a date in March to a west London police station pending further enquiries," according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police. BBC

AP - QPR charged with misconduct by Football Association

LONDON (AP) -Queens Park Rangers was charged Monday with misconduct by the Football Association for its brawl with China's Olympic team.

The FA said the English club failed to ensure "that its players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refraining from violent and/or threatening and/or provocative behavior.''

The Feb. 7 match between China's under-23 team and QPR ended 15 minutes early after players from both teams fought on the field. China's Zheng Tao, who was left unconscious after the brawl, was hospitalized with a broken jaw.

Seven members of the Chinese team were sent home early and China canceled its third scheduled game at Brentford.

QPR suspended assistant manager Richard Hill after the brawl and he has been separately charged with violent conduct by the FA.

The Chinese Football Association did not punish any of its Olympic team players after an investigation.

The Chinese team arrived in England in late January at the invitation of Premier League club Chelsea, which is trying to get a foothold in the lucrative Chinese market.
QPR has until March 12 to respond. AP


NEWS REPORTS RE QPR PLAYING CHINA & OFFICIAL STATEMENT - "CORRECTION" - IN RESPONSE
News reports stated that QPR would be playing Team at China at Loftus Road. In response, QPR issued an official statement, January 23 under the title "CORRECTION
The Club has had it brought to its attention that Ceefax and Teletext are reporting a game between QPR and China on February 8.We would like to confirm that no such fixture is taking place at Loftus Road and we have already asked both parties to remove the story." QPR Official Statement