| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road 09:32 - Feb 11 with 5977 views | TGRRRSSS |
Much talk about the new ground and so on, I know it's strange but for those who remember the changes in Jim Gregory's era - he built the club up and as I understand it (other than the Taylor stuff post Hillsborough) is broadly responsible for the ground as it is today.
Anyone remember it and was there anything is missed out back in the day that today would we are hamstrung by?
Finally how well built was the ground and how safely was it all done, as the bottom line was I believe the bottom line for our Jim. |  | | |  |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 09:43 - Feb 11 with 5385 views | Juzzie |
People today often scoff at Loftus Road but forget it was 20 years ahead of its time.
We were playing in a good stadium whilst most other grounds were not fit for purpose.
Time has caught up and overtaken us but people need to remember we were ahead of the game for a decade or two. |  | | |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 09:45 - Feb 11 with 5376 views | Dorse |
There's a fella who comes into the shop who did some of the concrete finishing on the Ellerslie Road stand way back when.
I hold him personally responsible for the scars on my knees. |  |
| 'What do we want? We don't know! When do we want it? Now!' |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 09:55 - Feb 11 with 5353 views | TGRRRSSS |
Great not sure if I have read that before or not, but great to see it. | | | |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 10:13 - Feb 11 with 5307 views | cyprusmel |
I remember when South Africa Road was stone terracing with staircases leading up to them and grass banks in between.
The loft had a corrugated roof and the Ellerslie stand was made of wood.
Jim Gregory made a major difference to Loftus Road the only thing I don't forgive him for was the sacking of Alec Stock. [Post edited 11 Feb 2017 11:21]
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 10:25 - Feb 11 with 5277 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Great article. Well done, Roller. |  |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 10:31 - Feb 11 with 5262 views | 2Thomas2Bowles |
What messed it up was the end to terraces it knocked 8-10 K off the gate
Think it was about 27K to start with after the rebuild |  |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 10:32 - Feb 11 with 5255 views | 2Thomas2Bowles |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 10:13 - Feb 11 by cyprusmel |
I remember when South Africa Road was stone terracing with staircases leading up to them and grass banks in between.
The loft had a corrugated roof and the Ellerslie stand was made of wood.
Jim Gregory made a major difference to Loftus Road the only thing I don't forgive him for was the sacking of Alec Stock. [Post edited 11 Feb 2017 11:21]
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Who's Jim Smith... the bald eagle | |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 10:43 - Feb 11 with 5232 views | PunteR |
Enjoyed reading that, cheers Roller.
One thing that struck me was how ahead of the times we were. From being the first London club that could play flood lite night games, to then having the tallest floodlights in England. I also didn't know Gregory tried fitting a state of the art rolling roof before the plastic pitch.
Its a shame we haven't got a chairman like that anymore, who seemed to do things for the good of QPR and just got on with it instead of waving it about a bit.
Regarding the plastic pitch, which stood us out from the crowd, I was always under the impression that people thought we used it to gain advantage over other teams, which I guess we sort of did, but we did have a legit reason for having it as the water drainage for the pitch was poor. I guess that backs up the idea that digging further down to expand Loftus rd wouldn't be a good idea. |  |
| Occasional providers of half decent House music. |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 10:56 - Feb 11 with 5195 views | LongsufferingR |
Cheers, that's a great read. I had no idea that when I saw my first game v Arsenal in 1974 from the Ellerslie, the stand was only 2 years old at the time. |  | | |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 11:23 - Feb 11 with 5140 views | cyprusmel |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 10:32 - Feb 11 by 2Thomas2Bowles |
Who's Jim Smith... the bald eagle |
Quite right Thomas how the Fxxx did Smith get in there. | | | |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 11:43 - Feb 11 with 5095 views | enfieldargh |
I remember the talk of a retractable roof, very exciting at the time.
The FA thought we would have too much of an advantage with a roof so they let us put omniturf down instead....Muppets!!!! |  |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 12:15 - Feb 11 with 5027 views | Toast_R |
Does beg the question though, has the human body evolved that much in 60 odd years that we are now on avearge 6 to 8 inches taller because anyone who designed that stadium and many other older sporting venues/theatres, with such little regard to poor sods having to sit in them, must have made a serious miscalculation with the size of an average adult person?
Also the capacity has dropped considerably since it becale all seater yet on a capacity matchday, the concourses inside the ground are still heaving, how bad must it have been with another 8000 souls? |  | | |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 12:39 - Feb 11 with 4966 views | 2Thomas2Bowles |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 12:15 - Feb 11 by Toast_R |
Does beg the question though, has the human body evolved that much in 60 odd years that we are now on avearge 6 to 8 inches taller because anyone who designed that stadium and many other older sporting venues/theatres, with such little regard to poor sods having to sit in them, must have made a serious miscalculation with the size of an average adult person?
Also the capacity has dropped considerably since it becale all seater yet on a capacity matchday, the concourses inside the ground are still heaving, how bad must it have been with another 8000 souls? |
Not so must getting in, people use to go in earlier, I use to go about 1.30 when the gates opened to get my spot standing in the loft. I think they may have even opened at 1pm
If it was a big game like Leeds 74. 35,353 you had to go early
Getting out was a mad rush often standing at the top of the loft stairway or just hanging around after. [Post edited 11 Feb 2017 12:41]
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 13:26 - Feb 11 with 4868 views | kensalriser |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 09:45 - Feb 11 by Dorse |
There's a fella who comes into the shop who did some of the concrete finishing on the Ellerslie Road stand way back when.
I hold him personally responsible for the scars on my knees. |
Perhaps you could have avoided that by walking upright? |  |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 14:02 - Feb 11 with 4787 views | loftus77 |
I think, looking back, what impressed me was the speed with which a lot of it was done.
The West End Upper Tier with new scoreboard went up in the close season of 1980 (given to away fans at first, we had the open Loft minus roof)) and the Loft Upper a year later (summer 1981) with the intro of Omniturf. The first home game against Luton (we lost of course) was heralded as a new age in football technology and we did feel like pioneers then as went into the early 1980s ('They Used To Play On Grass' etc.).
It all seems a lot more complicated now. I think the last major change was the 'Roy Wegerle Staircases' of the early 90s... | | | |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 18:45 - Feb 11 with 4529 views | TGRRRSSS |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 13:53 - Feb 11 by isawqpratwcity |
I see that Christopher Wren old boys include Sir Les , and Cook and Jones from the Sex Pistols. |
and my Dad | | | |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 19:08 - Feb 11 with 4493 views | peejaybee |
And Me. |  |
| If at first you dont succeed, pack up and f**k off home. |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 20:28 - Feb 11 with 4414 views | isawqpratwcity |
Well I'm sorry but the Wiki list of CW alumni made no mention of a 'TGRRRRSSS' or a 'peejaybee'.
It's your own faults. You should have gone to a decent school like Holland Park Comprehensive. |  |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 21:35 - Feb 11 with 4344 views | Brightonhoop |
Brilliant read on QPR Reports site. He used to take pelters on here. From the Paladini squad.
Lovely memories of standing in the Loft and Phil Parkes coming over to say hello every game.
We'd be daft to leave the greatest football ground in England. [Post edited 11 Feb 2017 21:36]
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 22:21 - Feb 11 with 4282 views | bosh67 |
Great read, thanks for posting it again. |  |
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| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 02:07 - Feb 12 with 4166 views | FDC |
Superb |  | | |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 09:36 - Feb 12 with 4065 views | TGRRRSSS |
| Gregory's Redevelopment of Loftus Road on 20:28 - Feb 11 by isawqpratwcity |
Well I'm sorry but the Wiki list of CW alumni made no mention of a 'TGRRRRSSS' or a 'peejaybee'.
It's your own faults. You should have gone to a decent school like Holland Park Comprehensive. |
I didnt go there, my Dad did.
However my school wasn't up to much either...  | | | |
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