Snippets, Flashbacks, Ostensibly Bhatia on QPR and "Credit Crunch?" , QPR in The Community...Various Items of General Interest (Updated)

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- It's called The QPR Report Messageboard. In reality, it's more a combination of messageboard and blog. A site to read and discuss QPR and indulge in QPR nostalgia; and also to read some of the more significant football articles of the day. So if you're interested in a board where the focus is QPR and football - and only QPR and football, then try the very-different QPR Report Messageboard!
- Among the Articles Posted Today - Updated Throughout The Day:


- Ostensibly Amit Bhatia re QPR (taken from another blog - Not sure of original source) "Amit Bhatia "Credit Crunch Is Biting"


- Crystal Palace Official Statement "Boycotting" The Local Paper because of its coverage
- Police Effort to ban ALL Fans Fails!

- Some Fabulous Old QPR Photos (Constantly Updated)
- QPR vs Liverpool (1995/1996 Wilkins Relegation Season: The Prematch

- Recalling 1968 Match Against Ipswich: QPR's First-Ever First Division Victory
- Top Fifty Goal Poachers in English Football History - including Clive Allen (top ten still to come)

- Ebbsfleet Update/Deadline (The Web-Owned Club)
- Study of Points Deductions Shows Usually No Impact

- Slightly Ominous Plymouth Board Statement
- Platini Seeking Legal Exemption to Cap Spending

- Redknapp Faces Further Questions Over Transfers

[Reminder to vote in the Football Fanzine Awards!]


QPR Official Site - Amit Bhatia on QPR in The Community Trust: Giving Something Back
- Amit Bhatia is looking forward to playing his part in pushing the boundaries when it comes to the growth of QPR In The Community Trust.
- Following its launch at the House of Lords on Tuesday, the QPR Holdings Ltd Vice-Chairman - who is Chair of the Trust - told www.qpr.co.uk: "A lot of Clubs have ties to their communities and we're doing a lot already, but the idea is to be the best we can be and give the most back."
- The Trust - formerly QPR's hugely successful Football In The Community Scheme - covers a wide range of areas, and Bhatia added: "This is the smart way to do it, because if you're a registered charity it's easier for people to make donations and to apply for grants.
-"There's a lot of scope to improve as the Trust grows its own legs and generates a life of its own. It's a community service and we'd like to make a real difference." QPR

- See Also: Launch of QPR In The Community Trust...Some Words From Community Trust Chairman Amit Bhatia


Dave McIntyre/BBC606 - re QPR in The Community Trust "The House of fun"
- Even a cynic like me couldn’t fail to be impressed at the official unveiling of the QPR In The Community Trust at the House of Lords on Tuesday evening.
I must be going soft. Either that or they spiked my orange juice.
- The event marked the re-launch of Rangers’ community scheme, which has been run by Andy Evans since 1994.
- When I first heard the scheme was gaining Trust status, my initial thought was that it was about the club cutting costs and expecting the community department to fund itself.
- Hopefully that won’t prove to be the case. Andy has wanted this change for several years and when I spoke to him this week he was very enthusiastic about the scheme’s future.
- Becoming a Trust involves gaining official charity status, opening up new avenues in terms of fundraising and other benefits.
- More on this can be found on the Trust’s website along with details of the work Andy and his team will be undertaking.
That team will hopefully go from strength to strength.
- In 1994, when Rangers were of course an established top-flight club, the community department had two full-time staff members. It now has 10.
- QPR really are sitting on a potential goldmine
- And while the scheme can claim to have positively affected close to 100,000 lives in the last year, it is hoped that three years from now that figure will more than double; to around 250,000.
- The club’s community work is not just about football, but there is a definite crossover.
- Everyone with an interest in QPR can reel off the names of high-profile local footballers who ended up at other clubs, and more recently Rangers have been even slower off the mark.
- The more youngsters they come into contact with, the better their chances have to be of picking up potential stars.
- For example, Dean Parrett, who has since been sold to Tottenham where he is already on the fringes of the first-team squad, became involved with QPR via the club’s community scheme.
- Even more importantly, if QPR In The Community is vibrant and successful it will offer the club huge potential to maintain and expand its fan base.
- That isn’t just the usual drivel you hear about these schemes. QPR really are sitting on a potential goldmine, albeit an inner-city one and not the "boutique" model the owners have pursued.
- A log-term goal of the Trust is to get to the stage where it not only receives funding, but is strong enough to actually step in and assist community projects and the like.
- There is a case that football clubs have a moral responsibility to do this.
But those, including the owners, who are concerned with tangible results and the final balance sheet also have good reason to invest in a community scheme.
- When I was a kid, QPR's reaching out to young fans seemed to involve little more than handing out free tickets to the odd home match.
- Some of us already supported Rangers and others happily went along to watch a game for free – often wearing Liverpool or Manchester United shirts – with no intention of switching allegiances.
- The notion that youngsters would be so pleased to receive tickets and so smitten by QPR they’d become fans was almost as daft as believing that a green and white third kit would attract Irish fans.
- The best way to build any kind of support is to have an exciting and successful team. Gimmicks don’t work.
- But imagine a scenario where many projects and people are dependent on QPR. Where the club makes an actual difference to the quality of peoples’ lives, just like various charities we can all think of.
- On Tuesday evening the speakers included a youngster who was very frank about the direction he was heading in before his involvement with a QPR-supported initiative, since which time his studies have improved immeasurably.
- Other speakers included the mother of a child with Down’s Syndrome, who plays for the QPR Tiger Cubs’ team.
- Handing out free or cheap tickets to fill empty seats has its place, but giving people a reason to feel a genuine attachment to QPR is surely much more effective.
For that reason, expanding the Trust and reaching as many local people as possible can only strengthen QPR in the future. It’s a long-term investment and a worthy one.
Lord Burns, a lifelong Rangers fan and former club director, hosted the event and also spoke, as did Andy Evans and vice-chairman Amit Bhatia (Lakshmi Mittal’s son-in-law and representative on the board), who is the QPR In The Community chairman.
- Gareth Ainsworth then made a speech and presented a cheque from the players for over £8,000.
- Former players Clive Wilson and Kevin Gallen were also there, as was Kenny Dalglish, who is involved with community projects in Scotland.
- It was noticeable that a fair few of those attending this shindig were from companies that have been associated with QPR since last season’s takeover.
- Looking around the room, it occurred to me that although Flavio Briatore’s boutique vision is potentially disastrous for the club, there is scope to join it up with the community-based approach Bhatia is fronting.
- The corporate types I increasingly come across at home games could be prime candidates for a friendly donation or two to QPR In The Community, and the terms of last year’s deal with Lotto showed the two approaches can be combined.
- Andy deserves a lot of respect for the work he has done, and support for the work he is trying to do.
- He’s a Rangers man through and through, has worked at the club for many years and it’s about time he and his team got the credit they deserve.
And I’m not in the business of praising directors, so I’ll need to lie down after this…
- QPR’s rhetoric rarely bears much resemblance to what’s actually happening. In my view talk of building responsibly and not overspending is particularly laughable.
-If points were awarded for hot air, Rangers would be in a league of their own.
- But when I spoke to Bhatia soon after he joined the board, he talked particularly passionately about the community aspect of QPR, saying he would work with Andy Evans to develop that side of the club.
- He has been as good as his word. BBC606


Flashback: Thirty-Five Years Ago to the Day: February 19, 1974 One of the great QPR games: QPR played Coventry at Loftus Road in the replay of the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. With a couple of QPR players injured;moving into injury time with extra time set. A free kick to QPR. Stan Bowles took it. Ball in the net. Whistle blew: QPR 3 Coventry 2. QPR moved into the Quarter Final of the FA Cup for the first time, where they had a seemingly relatively easy draw against Leicester City....Unfortunately...!
The QPR team: Parkes - Hazell Mclintock Mancini Clement - Venables Leach Francis, Thomas Bowles Givens.


- Flashback to the QPR Fans Consultative Meeting of Two Years Ago "In attendance: Gianni Paladini (GP) Chairman, QPR FC ~ Nick De Marco (NDM) QPR FC legal advisor, and Chair of initial meeting ~ Akin Yilmaz (AK) Club Financial Controller and Company Secretary ~ Pat Harrison (PH) Official Supporters Club ~ Karen Hampshire (KH) Official Supporters Club ~ Tracy Stent (TS) QPR 1st Supporters Trust ~ Stephen Dedridge (SD) QPR 1st Supporters Trust ~ Victor Stephenson (VS) Friends of QPR ~ Spencer Schwartz (SS) Friends of QPR." - a href="http://www.qpr1st.co.uk/documents/Consultative%20minutes1.doc">What was Said


QPR Attendance Figures

Currently QPR have the seventh worst attendance figures in the Championship. (Not very different from last season) - See Championship Attendances

2008/09 13665 (Currently averaging 14,054)

2007/08 13,958 (Gregory/De Canio/Briatore Takeover)

2006/07 12,936 (Waddock/Gregory)

2005/06 13,440 (Holloway/Waddock - Paladini/Caliendo Replace BP)

2004/05 16,055 (Ian Holloway/BP led QPR )

2003/04 14,784 (Ian Holloway's Promotion season)

2002/03 13,206 (The Playoff Final Season)

See QPR Attendances Over Years


Eight Years Ago....QPR's Managerial Search

BBC-February 19, 2001 - Bassett snubs QPR job
Bassett does not want to succeed Gerry Francis
- Dave Bassett, favourite to take over as QPR manager, has ruled himself out of the running.
It is believed Bassett was scared off by speculation concerning the club's finances.
The former Wimbledon, Sheffield United and Barnsley manager was widely tipped as being favourite to land the post vacated by Gerry Francis.
Marsh claims denied
Bassett's withdrawal leaves Iain Dowie, Steve Bruce, Roy McFarland and Ray Graydon, who are all also believed to be on Rangers' short-list, still in the running.
But Rangers have dismissed claims by former star Rodney Marsh that the club are £20m in debt.
Speaking to BBC Ceefax, a Loftus Road spokesman said: "The accounts are there and anybody can look at them.
"As a television pundit, Rodney Marsh is paid to say controversial things. We are not £20m in debt as the accounts show."
Meanwhile, Brentford owner Ron Noades is reported to be ready to sell the club, re-invest his money and take the reins at QPR.
The former Crystal Palace supremo is believed to by eyeing a return to the limelight, and could soon make QPR chief Chris Wright an offer for the Loftus Road club, according to the Daily Star.
Wright is willing to sell, after becoming a target for fans' abuse as the team battles against the threat of relegation.BBC


BBC - February 20, 2001 - Jewell plays down QPR link
Bruce is favourite to take the helm
Paul Jewell has played down speculation linking him with the vacant manager's post at Queen's Park Rangers.
The former Sheffield Wednesday boss said he won't be rushed into a return so soon after getting the sack at Hillsborough.
I have had a quick chat with an official connected with the club which lasted two minutes at the most and that is as far as its gone
Paul Jewell
"I want to get back into the game, but I'm not going to jump at the first job that comes along," he said.
"I've read that I've been interviewed about the QPR job - but it's quite funny really because I was in bed all day on Monday with cold - so that was quite interesting.
"I have had a quick chat with an official connected with the club which lasted two minutes at the most and that is as far as its gone.
"But you can never say never, if it's right for me and it's the right job I would be interested."
Steve Bruce, Ian Holloway and Iain Dowie are all in the frame for the job with the Londoners.
Bruce has emerged as the hot favourite after Dave Bassett ruled himself out of the running on Monday. BBC


BBC - February 21, 2001 - QPR suffer Bruce snub
Steve Bruce has pulled out of the running for the QPR job.
The former Huddersfield Town boss was linked with the post following Gerry Francis' decision to stand down.
Rangers had been expected to unveil a new manager before the weekend but it now seems likely that Francis will still be in charge for the game against Wimbledon.
A statement released on behalf of Bruce said: "Further to discussions with the board of QPR, Steve Bruce has decided against having any further active discussion regarding the managerial position at the club.
I want to retire and I'm not going to change my mind
Gerry Francis
"The situation that Steve perceived as a long-term commitment seems to be clouded with uncertainty and Steve now understands that the club may be seeking a replacement only for the short term.
"On that basis Steve has decided to pull out but wishes to thank the board for their initial interest."
QPR have won twice - recording their first away win of the season against Gillingham on Tuesday - and have climbed out of the relegation zone since Francis announced his retirement from the game.
But the former England captain has made it clear that he has no intention of changing his mind despite the recent turnaround in the club's fortunes.
"I'm delighted with the six points we've gained in the last two games and obviously we are in a much better position now but my decision to go was never based on positions in the league," he said.
"I'm under no pressure from the board apart from the pressure to sign a new contract for next season but I've told them I don't want to do that. I want to retire and I'm not going to change my mind."
Former QPR midfielder Ian Holloway, recently sacked by Bristol Rovers, is thought to top the much-shortened candidate list. BBC


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