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EALING GAZETTE/James Gates
Council accused of 'gifting' Warren Farm to QPR
A SPORTS development planned for Southall has been given a frosty reception by neighbours, who claim the council is ‘gifting’ the site to Queens Park Rangers.
Warren Farm sports ground is set for a £30million makeover from the Premier League football club.
However, following a public meeting in Hanwell last week organised by the council, Olde Hanwell Residents’ Association said it had several fears, in particular that the low price QPR will be paying for the land is tantamount to it being ‘gifted’ to the club.
The association’s Malcolm Weller said: "The concern is that in terms of what QPR will be paying for the site as a one-off, rather than Ealing Council making income from leasing it to them, is relatively very little.
"There is also concern about how many sporting fixtures residents will be able to hold at the ground once QPR takes over. Currently there are three to four games of cricket and football there every Sunday, but that could all stop. Representatives from QPR did try to address us, but I think we all thought their responses were flimsy."
One resident who attended the public meeting, but did not wish to be named, said: “They tried to duck the issue by going on at length about the amount of money QPR will be spending on the site. However, they were eventually forced to admit that the club will be paying nothing at all to the council. That did not go down well.”
Ealing Council chose the club last year as its preferred partner for redeveloping the ground, which had fallen into disrepair.
The proposal includes training facilities for the club with a two-storey building, a three-storey multi-functional building, as well as three first-team pitches and seven academy/youth pitches.
QPR has said they will involve community groups in the project.
An Ealing Council spokeswoman said: “The council has entered into an agreement to develop with QPR and negotiations about the site are still on-going. The land has certainly not, nor will it be, ‘gifted’ to the club.
“At a time when budgets are being cut and other councils are forced to close sports facilities, we have been looking into new ways to invest in them to offer the community long-term access to excellent facilities.”
She added that plans are subject to planning permission and further public consultation.
The club would be responsible for constructing, maintaining and operating the redeveloped facilities at no cost to the council or taxpayer, it says. An advisory panel, including representatives from the community, council, QPR and sports organisations, has also been set up for consultation purposes and to develop a community plan for the site.
QPR were asked to comment but had not replied by the time the Gazette went to press. Ealing Gazette
QPR OFFICIAL SITE
AIRASIA ON BOARD WITH R’S AGAIN
New one-year shirt sponsorship deal announced...
QUEENS Park Rangers football club is delighted to announce a new shirt sponsorship deal with AirAsia.
The new one-year deal, which will commence from the start of the 2013/14 season, will see the AirAsia brand once again displayed on the front of the R’s home, away and third strips for the entire campaign.
The club has worked closely with AirAsia over the past two seasons and this latest announcement will serve to strengthen the relationship that exists between the two brands.
QPR Commercial Director, Euan Inglis, told www.qpr.co.uk: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with AirAsia for a third consecutive season.
“The club has focused on growing the QPR brand globally, with particular emphasis on the Asian market since Tony Fernandes and his partners took ownership of the club.
“AirAsia continues to provide QPR with a perfect platform to develop this strategy, and offers us new opportunities to achieve even greater reach in wider Asia, as AirAsia continue to penetrate new markets throughout the region, as well as a number that sit outside of South East Asia”
AirAsia Group Head of Brand and Ancillary Income, Al-Ishsal Ishak, said: “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship with Queens Park Rangers for the upcoming 2013/2014 season.
“QPR's genuine display of unwavering determination throughout the season personifies the founding spirit of AirAsia - Dream the impossible, believe the unbelievable and never take no for an answer.” QPR
CURRENT TABLE
CLUB
|
PLD
|
PTS
|
|---|---|---|
28
|
71
| |
27
|
56
| |
28
|
52
| |
27
|
51
| |
27
|
47
| |
28
|
45
| |
28
|
42
| |
28
|
40
| |
28
|
40
| |
28
|
33
| |
28
|
33
| |
28
|
33
| |
28
|
32
| |
28
|
30
| |
28
|
30
| |
28
|
27
| |
28
|
24
| |
27
|
24
| |
28
|
23
| |
28
|
20
|
LAST SEASON's TABLE AFTER 28 GAMES
And how things finished
POS
|
LP
|
CLUB
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
PTS
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
|  |
(1)
|
Manchester City
|
38
|
28
|
5
|
5
|
93
|
29
|
64
|
89
|
2
| |
(2)
|
Manchester United
|
38
|
28
|
5
|
5
|
89
|
33
|
56
|
89
|
3
| |
(3)
|
Arsenal
|
38
|
21
|
7
|
10
|
74
|
49
|
25
|
70
|
4
| |
(4)
|
Tottenham Hotspur
|
38
|
20
|
9
|
9
|
66
|
41
|
25
|
69
|
5
| |
(5)
|
Newcastle United
|
38
|
19
|
8
|
11
|
56
|
51
|
5
|
65
|
6
| |
(6)
|
Chelsea
|
38
|
18
|
10
|
10
|
65
|
46
|
19
|
64
|
7
| |
(7)
|
Everton
|
38
|
15
|
11
|
12
|
50
|
40
|
10
|
56
|
8
| |
(8)
|
Liverpool
|
38
|
14
|
10
|
14
|
47
|
40
|
7
|
52
|
9
| |
(9)
|
Fulham
|
38
|
14
|
10
|
14
|
48
|
51
|
-3
|
52
|
10
| |
(10)
|
West Bromwich Albion
|
38
|
13
|
8
|
17
|
45
|
52
|
-7
|
47
|
11
| |
(12)
|
Swansea City
|
38
|
12
|
11
|
15
|
44
|
51
|
-7
|
47
|
12
| |
(13)
|
Norwich City
|
38
|
12
|
11
|
15
|
52
|
66
|
-14
|
47
|
13
| |
(11)
|
Sunderland
|
38
|
11
|
12
|
15
|
45
|
46
|
-1
|
45
|
14
| |
(14)
|
Stoke City
|
38
|
11
|
12
|
15
|
36
|
53
|
-17
|
45
|
15
| |
(15)
|
Wigan Athletic
|
38
|
11
|
10
|
17
|
42
|
62
|
-20
|
43
|
16
| |
(16)
|
Aston Villa
|
38
|
7
|
17
|
14
|
37
|
53
|
-16
|
38
|
17
| |
(17)
|
Queens Park Rangers
|
38
|
10
|
7
|
21
|
43
|
66
|
-23
|
37
|
18
| |
(18)
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
38
|
10
|
6
|
22
|
46
|
77
|
-31
|
36
|
19
| |
(19)
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
38
|
8
|
7
|
23
|
48
|
78
|
-30
|
31
|
20
| |
(20)
|
Wolverhampton Wanderers
|
38
|
5
|
10
|
23
|
40
|
82
|
-42
|
25
|