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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

QPR Report (Ides of March!) Update...Charles Sale "Returns"...QPR's "Ranking" in Football Supporters' Federation re Customer Care

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- QPR's Southern League 1899-1900 Season Details (Courtesy of 'Bushman')
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- Throughout the day, updates, comments and perspectives re QPR and football in general are posted and discussed on the QPR Report Messageboard...Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
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- Fulham Losses More Than Double to almost 17 Million Pounds Despite Relatively-Successful Season

- Dunga/Paladini: Five Year Flashback

- February Flashback: Non-League St Albans Deducted 10 Points by FA

- Lee Camp called up by Northern Ireland...Paddy Kenny Not called up by Republic of Ireland ....Almost QPR Gary Hooper (and Kyle Walker) England U-21 Call ups.

- On This Day in Football, The Ides of March: 25 Years Ago, QPR Beat Manchester United...42 Years ago Don Rogers (subsequently QPR) helped Third Division Swindon beat Frank McLintock (subsequently QPR!) and Arsenal in League Cup Final at Wembley.

- Update: Harrow's Troy Hewitt NOW Officially Joins QPR

- Helguson and Faurlin Make Championship Team of the Week


Daily Mail/Charles Sale re QPR/Paladini Loan
"...Among the many mysteries behind the scenes at Queens Park Rangers, who are facing seven FA charges over breaching third party ownership regulations, are the reasons why it was felt necessary for the club to lend chairman Gianni Palladini £140,000 and whether the money has been paid back.
Shareholder questions on this subject, since the transaction was detailed in the 2009 accounts, have not been answered." Daily Mail


FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS' FEDERATION - FOOTBALL CLUBS' CUSTOMER CARE ASSESSED

Note: In the Football Supporters's Federation (FFS) Report March 15, QPR ranked lower midway: For QPR: Accessibility 5...Current 1...Quality of Charter 4...Complaints Procedure 3...League Details 1...IFO Details 1...Bans Process 1...Total 16 (For details of the survey and explanation, Complete Football Supporters Federation Report "National football fans' organisation rates club charters


BBC/Mark Slater - Football clubs 'pay lip service' to customer care
Tottenham supporters fared best in the report

English clubs still take fans for granted, according to a scathing report by the Football Supporters' Federation.

The FSF looked at customer care guidelines in the top two divisions and found many were inadequate or out-of-date - Everton's was non-existent.

Tottenham had the best "club charter" in the Premier League, with Ipswich leading the way in the Championship.

"Many clubs just pay lip service to their fans, a truth reflected in the charters," said the FSF's Amanda Jacks.

"It's quite obvious many documents had little thought put into them and were given a very low priority by the clubs."

The FSF has identified a number of shortcomings

Independent Football Ombudsman chair Professor Derek Fraser

Each club's charter was given a 0-5 rating in seven categories: accessibility, timeliness, quality, clarity of complaints procedure, appeals process and contact details for the relevant league and Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO).

Among Premier League clubs, Spurs scored 31 out of a possible 35 points, with Arsenal second on 23, and Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers tied in third on 22. Everton scored no points, with Manchester United second from bottom on eight.

In the Championship, Ipswich Town scored 32, Derby County 31 and Norwich City 29, but Sheffield United matched Everton's mark of zero.

The Goodison Park club acknowledged the charter was missing from the official website but said an updated version was currently being prepared.

"What is a quite complex and lengthy process is now almost complete, it will be available again online soon," an Everton spokesman said.

Professor Derek Fraser, chairman of the IFO and Standards Verification UK, welcomed the FSF's research, saying: "The ombudsman places great reliance on the charters in evaluating whether clubs have met their stated obligations to supporters.

Feedback from VisitEngland has been very encouraging that clubs are offering fans a good customer experience

Premier League spokesman

"The FSF has identified a number of shortcomings and the IFO supports the wish to make the charters an even more effective way of clarifying and enhancing the relationship between clubs and supporters."

The IFO was set up by English football's three main authorities - the Football Association, Football League and Premier League - to settle disputes between supporters and clubs on issues such as ticket prices, complaints about merchandise and kick-off times.

The report also rated the authorities' charters. The Football League came out on top, with the Premier League a distant third.

A Premier League spokesman questioned the quality of the FSF research and pointed out that a survey by opinion pollsters Populus found that 65% of supporters think their club offers better customer service than it did five years ago.

"We are currently working with VisitEngland to assess all 20 Premier League clubs under its 'Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme', which looks at football grounds on similar lines to a more traditional type of visitor attraction," the spokesman added.

"The findings of this work will be announced before the end of the season but feedback from VisitEngland so far has been very encouraging that clubs are offering fans a good customer experience."

The introduction of club charters was a recommendation from the Football Task Force in 1999. That body, chaired by former Conservative minister David Mellor, was introduced by Tony Blair's Labour government in 1997 but disbanded after two largely ineffectual years.

The most recent intervention into football from the world of politics, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's inquiry into football governance, continues at Burnley's Turf Moor home on Tuesday.

In the third session of their two-month investigation, the panel of MPs will hear evidence from Ken Bates, John Bowler and Barry Kilby, the chairmen of Leeds United, Crewe Alexandra and Burnley respectively, and Exeter City's vice-chairman Julian Tagg.

They will also quiz Malcolm Clarke and Steven Powell from the FSF, the national supporters' organisation for fans in England and Wales, and Dave Boyle, the chief executive of Supporters Direct, the body that promotes greater fans-involvement in football clubs. BBC

- Complete Football Supporters Federation Report "National football fans' organisation rates club charters



QPR Official Site - MARSH HAILS TABLE-TOPPING R'S
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QPR legend Rodney Marsh has paid tribute to Neil Warnock's single-mindedness and believes the R's are well on course to seal promotion to the Premier League.

Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Marsh - who lives in Tampa, but was in W12 this weekend to see the R's complete a season's double over London rivals Crystal Palace - spoke of his pride at the way things are shaping up at Loftus Road with just nine games of the domestic season to go.

"I thought it was a bit bitty in patches against Palace, but you'd expect that from a London derby," he said.

"But Rangers played ever so well and fully deserved the victory.

"They're very well organised as a unit, from front to back.

"They never looked in trouble and the overall pattern of play was totally dominated by the R's.

"I can't recall, maybe with the exception of Cardiff's equaliser at Loftus Road earlier this season, that I've seen a time when they've looked in danger to the counter-attack.

"That's great credit to the Manager and his staff, who appear to have got them incredibly well drilled."

Marsh believes much of the credit should go to Warnock and even drew comparisons to the likes of Messrs Ferguson, Wenger and Mourinho in terms of the approach the R's gaffer adopts.

"Neil deserves a hell of a lot of credit," he added.

"I've known him for a number of years and whilst we've only spoken occasionally, I always thought he'd do a marvellous job at Rangers and I've been proved right.

"He's a very single-minded Manager, but all the best in the business are.

"He's got ideas and he puts them in to practice, similar to the way Sir Alex, Wenger and Mourinho do.

"I'm not comparing him to those three, but he has very similar characteristics.

"They have a similar single-mindedness and they've achieved great things with their approach.

"Neil has found a way to fit players into the system he swears by and it's worked wonders."

Marsh was 'delighted' to see a jam-packed Loftus Road against the Eagles on Saturday and believes the good times are back for the QPR faithful.

"The QPR fans have always been passionate, even in years when things weren't good," he said.

"I remember the unique days of 1967, when we not only won the third division, but also won the League Cup!

"That feat will never be achieved again by a third tier side - they were fanatical days for QPR.

"Now there's a great time again - it's party time at Loftus Road!"

Whilst Warnock and co. understandably refuse to get carried away by the R's position at the summit of the division, Marsh is confident enough to shout it from the roof-tops!

"I'm not starting to believe - I've always believed for a long, long time that the R's will be playing Premier League football next season," he said. QPR



UPDATED TABLE AFTER NORWICH'S LAST MINUTE WIN Vs Bristol City
QPR 37 36 73
Norwich 37 15 66
Swansea 37 16 63
Cardiff 37 14 62
Leeds 37 11 61
Nott F 37 14 60
Burnley 35 9 56

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