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Sunday, July 10, 2011

QPR Report Sunday: Ecclestone Speaks...Warnock vs Owners re Transfers...Club for Sale?...Queen's Park Rangers History: St Jude's Plaque Unveiled

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- Plaque Unveiling: 125 Years of QPR
- See Bushman's Club Early History Photos
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- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
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- Bernie Ecclestone Speaking re QPR/Season Tickets/Warnock Future - (From Minute 52:30 to 53:30)

- Adel Taarabt Wedding Photos

- The Frustrations of Supporting QPR


The People/Dean Jones - Warnock in battle with QPR bigwigs over transfers
- NEIL WARNOCK is caught in a tit-for-tat battle with QPR over signing players – but he has the last laugh.
- Warnock has been trying for players to boost the Premier League new boys, but several moves have collapsed over fees and personal terms.
- However, as Hoops bigwigs propose new names and targets, the manager has the veto on all deals in his contract.
- Some of the Rangers wheeler-dealers are using top agents, including veteran Pini Zahavi, to line up foreign stars.
- But Warnock can always say ‘no’ if he chooses as the power struggle rages on. People


- Ten Years Ago: QPR Relegation to the "Third" Division...Sixteen Players release...Crouch Sold...Team rebuilding began: Jackett off the field. Day and Palmer (and others) on the field.

- Five Years Ago: QPR Squad...Czerkas & Oliseh...Paladini on "Threats" Leading to Cancellation of MK Dons Game

- Two Year Flashback: Damien Delay: Ipswich Better Premiership Bet than QPR!

- WBA/Paddy Kenny Interest?

- Premiership Spending Thus Far (QPR and Chelsea among others, Zero thus far)...Transfer Values

- London Masters: QPR Lose in the Final to Watford (Kevin Gallen Star of the Tournament!)

- Ex-QPR Loanee Matt Hill Joins Blackpool


MIRROR/Paul Smith -QPR owners make secret moves to sell club for £100m
Published 23:00 09/07/11 By Paul Smith

London-based investment bank Seymour Pierce has been secretly recruited to find a buyer for QPR.

The newly promoted ­Premier League club is up for sale for £100m because main shareholders Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio ­Briatore are anxious to ­depart Loftus Road.

The duo have been at war with the club’s other shareholder, Lakshmi Mittal, who has failed with two bids to buy the Formula One tycoons’ 67 per cent shareholding in the club.

Ecclestone and Briatore were initially approached by Keith Harris from ­Seymour Pierce who claimed he could find a buyer for their shares.

The uneasy relationship between the Formula One pair and Mittal became untenable in May when Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of Mittal, resigned as the club’s vice-chairman after the first failed bid to buy out the duo’s shares.

Bhatia also condemned the pair for removing the QPR Holdings chairman, Ishan Saksena, from his position, and for their ­decision to implement a 40 per cent rise in season ­ticket prices.

The departure of Bhatia and Saksena, two of ­manager Neil Warnock’s staunchest allies on the board, casts doubt over his future. Mirror

Follow up Tweets by journalist, Paul Smith ("Smudge1962")- I doubt it as he was the one who approached Ecclestone and Briatore claiming he could achieve that figure
- It's a totally unrealistic price but unfortunately Keith Harris from Seymour Pierce has convinced them they can get £100m
- I can assure you the story is 100m percent true - Smudge1962 Tweets

- See also Dave McIntyre Tweets re Club Sale Stories


YESTERDAY's HEADLINE: Charles Sale/Daily Mail - BERNIE'S KEEPING QPR
- QPR owner and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has made it clear how uninterested he is in football. Yet he says he has no plans to sell the club and will stay at the helm for their return to the Premier League.
- He is happy with manager Neil Warnock but not impressed with the way he was briefed during the third-party ownership controversy claiming he was not informed about fears of a double-figure points deduction." Daily Mail


Talksport/Michael Wade - Exclusive - Mackail-Smith: 'I had no offers to play in the Premier League'

Craig Mackail-Smith has revealed to talkSPORT that he didn’t turn down any Premier League sides to join Brighton.

The former Peterborough striker was linked with moves to Everton, Queens Park Rangers and Norwich this summer before eventually signing for Gus Poyet’s newly-promoted Championship side.

And after having his ambition questioned for not moving to a top-flight club Mackail-Smith has claimed there was never really an opportunity to make that move.
“I feel like I’m going to a club where I can improve, it’s got a great team, an ambitious team and I feel like I can get better there and take this club to the Premier League.”Craig Mackail-Smith

He told the Transfer Tavern: “I didn’t really have any offers from the Premier League. I spoke to a few but nothing came from it. I want to play in the Premier League and when the opportunity comes and it’s the right opportunity then I’ll definitely take it.

“I feel like I’m going to a club where I can improve, it’s got a great team, an ambitious team and I feel like I can get better there and take this club to the Premier League.

Mackail-Smith also underlined his reasoning for a move to the south coast, insisting that promotion to the Premier League with Brighton is not out of the question.

“Everyone’s capable at [Brighton] to make it in the Championship,” he added. “You can look at that from Norwich getting back-to-back promotions and Blackpool getting promoted. If we work hard this season and play to our game-plan then we have a good chance of surprising a few people.” CLICK TO LISTEN


MIRROR - QPR hopes dashed as World Cup-winning captain retires

QPR's hopes of landing Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro are over after he retired at the age of 37 due to a persistent knee injury.

Cannavaro announced his decision today, after a year playing in the United Arab Emirates for Al Ahli.

"I am very sad, football means everything to me. Unfortunately, my knee can no longer hold up," Cannavaro said

The 37-year-old began his career at Napoli and went on to star for Parma, Inter Milan, Juventus - where he had two spells - and Real Madrid.

The crowning moment of his career came in Berlin on July 9 2006 when Italy beat France in a penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw, to win the World Cup final.

He won FIFA's World Player of the Year award later in the same year, and became Italy's most-capped player, making 136 appearances from 1997 to 2010.

Speaking in Dubai, Cannavaro confirmed his plans to remain with Al Ahli.

He said: "I intend to stay here for the next three years, as a director."

Cannavaro, who was born in Naples, captained his country through the 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa but called time on his international career after the disappointment of failing to reach the knock-out stages. Mirror


Sport 360 - Cannavaro calls time on his career but will remain with Al Ahli
Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro has announced his retirement from football at the age of 37.

Cannavaro announced his decision on Saturday on the advice of doctors following a persistant knee injury that had restricted him to just 16 games for Dubai club Al Ahli, who he joined 12 months ago, last season.

The writing had been on the wall for the defender, though, after ambitious Al Ahli completed the signings of Brazilian duo Grafite and Jaj as well as Chilean Luis Jimenez earlier this summer which filled their three foreign player quota.

"It's a very sad day for my life. Not a simple thing. Everybody says it has to come, but when it comes it’s a decision you have to face," said Cannavaro, who is Italy's most capped player with 136 appearances for the Azzurri from 1997-2010.

"It’s a big emotion because after 20 years of football I have to stop. It has been a long career and I am very happy with my time in Dubai and Al Ahli. I wanted to finish my contract here, but due to injuries I have to stay away from football.

“I went to Italy to see the doctors about my cartilage [knee] and to see if I can continue playing but in the end I decided not to push it further. Just a few days ago the docs gave me a last report on the knee and it was final."

Cannavaro had been heavily linked with a switch to newly-promoted English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers, but insists he had not even been contacted by the ambitious West London club."I didn’t receive any offers from English clubs, but my intention was to finish my career here."

The defender, who began his career at Napoli and went on to star for Parma, Inter Milan, Juventus - where he had two spells - and Real Madrid, will remain in the UAE with Al Ahli as a technical advisor and global ambassador to the club.

Speaking of his new role, the Naples-born star said: "I would like to thank the club president [Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah] and fans of Ahli who have been exceptional. This is a new adventure now and I am thankful to Ahli for letting me continue as a technical advisor and looking forward to it.

“I hope that in this new career I will be able to give the club what I gave it in my previous role as a player. It’s a team that has a good future and I will discuss the details of my position with the president soon."

Al Naboodah said Ahli were “proud” to continue their association with Cannavaro after following the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Benfica in offering the star a new technical role.

“For the last few months we had long chats with Fabio over the injury and we are disappointed he can’t continue as a player, but he will be our technical advisor and global ambassador for another three years. He was the number one player for the Italian national team and we are proud to have him at our club,” said Al Naboodah.

“We are not doing something new. It’s not a new venture, most of the top clubs around the world have done it before. Zinedine Zidane is the technical director of Real Madrid, Luis Figo is the advisor for Inter Milan and Rui Costa is with Benfica, so it has happened before.

"We are lucky to have someone like Fabio, who is a World Cup winner to stay with us. With someone with his CV at the club, we will gain a lot from his experience and many years in football,” he said.

The crowning moment of Cannavaro's illustrious 19-year career undoubtedly came in Berlin on July 9, 2006 when he skipper Italy to their World Cup triumph after a penalty shoot-out win over Frane following a 1-1 draw.

His performances in the tournment also earned him the prestigious accolade of FIFA World Player of the Year later that same year, becoming the first defender to win the award since it's inception in 1991 in the process." Sport360


- QPR's Reported New Media Man

- Additional Rodney Marsh/QPR Tweet

- Rowan Vine/Doncaster Trial Update

- QPR Ticket Prices for Bolton Fans?

- "Spot The Ball: The Answer"

QPR Pre-Season Fixtures 2011/12Friday 15th July - Harrow Borough (a) 7.15pm
Monday 18th July - Tavistock (a) 7.00pm
Wednesday 20th July - Plymouth Argyle (a) 7.45pm
Friday 22nd July - Bodmin Town (a) 7.15pm
Wednesday 27th July - Cesena (a) 8.30pm
Saturday 30th July - Trofeo Bortolotti Tournament (a) 8.00pm onwards
Tuesday 2nd August - Crawley Town (a) 7.45pm QPR


- Neil Warnock "Right Up There" on Odds being offered on Next Premiership Manager to Leave.

- The Brainchild of a QPR Fan! September 3rd is Non-League Day