Bernie Ecclestone has laughed off reports that he is to sell his stake in the club to the Mittal family, but has said he intends to keep Neil Warnock as manager.
F1 mogul Ecclestone, a majority 62% shareholder in QPR, told journalists at the Spanish Grand Prix at the weekend that Mittal has jumped the gun by putting out a story saying he was looking to buy a controlling interest at Loftus Road.
Ecclestone said: “Mittal put a statement out to say he was going to buy all the shares on Monday but it's a bit like these Murdoch people saying they're going to buy CVC (Formula One's commercial rights holders). They've forgotten to ask if it's for sale."
But there was better news with Ecclestone insisting Warnock would remain as manager amid speculation the board are keen to replace him with a more widely recognised name. He said: “We've never discussed anything about him leaving. He's never wanted to leave and we don't want to get rid of him."
Warnock has however missed out on the Championship Manager of the Year prize. At the annual League Manager’s Association dinner on Monday evening Warnock was pipped to the award by Norwich’s Paul Lambert who has led the Canaries to successive promotions from League One to the Premiership.
Whether Warnock is managing Danny Graham at Loftus Road remains to be seen. As reported in the LFW Diary on Friday QPR have made their interest clear with a £2.5m bid for the Championship’s top scorer. Swansea City and Newcastle are also said to be keen and the manager of his former club Carlisle Gregg Abbott is hoping for a bidding war to boost his club’s sell on fee.
Abbott told BBC local radio in Cumbria: “There's one proven goalscorer at the top of my list who will be expensive. If Danny Graham gets sold, that will make that one affordable. Maybe a few other clubs might get involved now QPR have shown their hand, and the fee might end up being bigger, which does affect the type of player we go after. The money if Danny did go would make things happen."
QPR’s summer pre-season campaign continues to develop, with additional fixtures added in Cornwall and a further game at League Two new boys Crawley Town.
Graham is being linked as QPR seek a younger, more top flight version of Heidar Helguson whose performances were key to the R’s winning promotion this season. The veteran front man could do with some rest after the battering he took over the last nine months but he has been named in the Iceland squad for their European Championship qualifier with Denmark on June 4. Helguson has two goals in four qualifying games so far this campaign.
First Team:
Friday 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
Tuesday 2nd August Crawley Town (a) 7.45pm
Reserves:
Saturday 16th July Hampton & Richmond 3.00pm
Saturday 23rd July Truro (a) TBC
Monday 25th July Saltash (a) TBC
Wednesday 27th July Buckland Athletic (a) TBC
Saturday 30th July Southend Utd (a) 3.00pm
Wednesday 3rd August Woking (a) 7.45pm
YOUTH TEAM:
Sunday 24th July Liskeard Athletic (a) 3.00pm
Tuesday 26th July St Austel (a) 7.00pm
Thursday 28th July Elburton Villa (a) 7.00pm
Neil Warnock told the official website: “With my links to Cornwall, I am inundated every year, and unfortunately have to disappoint an awful lot of people. So I am really pleased that we will be taking the first team, reserves and youth team there this pre-season. It's great down there, the training facilities are fantastic. But, more importantly than that, it gives the players a real opportunity to bond with each other. I have found it beneficial throughout my career to take teams there, and I don't see any reason to change it now.”
We still await the full report into the FA hearing into the Alejandro Faurlin transfer, more than a fortnight after the verdict was delivered. Other Championship clubs, and QPR, await the outcome to see if appeals or counter actions need to be launched. Premiership chief executive Richard Scudamore said: “Everybody, including the FA, wishes it had all happened quicker and sooner and, again if there's anything to be learnt from processes, I think that's absolutely right. It's one of the difficulties with sanctioning, especially if there's any sniff of points deduction being involved, that is a rather clumsy instrument given where the timings are in a season. It's very, very difficult."
Finally, also ludicrously late, the club has announced today that season tickets will go on sale from tomorrow, when we will also get to find out what the cost will be for the first time. Full outpouring of grief and anger (followed by payment) on LoftforWords tomorrow night no doubt. Fun times.
I’m tired of these already, we’ve already been linked with the best part of 20 new signings this summer. There might be something in stories linking us to Montpellier’s Olivier Giroud, 24, and possibly Emir Spahic as well as assistant manager Mick Jones travelled to their match with Monaco at the weekend on a scouting mission.
The Robbie Keane story remains as well. Ahead of tonight’s match between the Republic and Northern Ireland Sports News Ireland carries an interview with the player and claims QPR are leading Celtic in the race for his signature. Keane, who has one year left on his deal with Spurs, said: “The chances in the Premier League for me are fairly slim. For me it is about enjoying my football and playing as much as I can, maybe going to a team where I can maybe help the younger players that are coming through. I am not getting any younger but I will go back and see what happens. I am a Tottenham player and I am sure they will want to get a bit of money for me. Whether a Championship team would pay that, that’s another problem, but I want to play in the Premier League for the next couple of years”.
As for the rest, try to stifle a yawn as I quickly rattle through the names that have been mentioned since our last diary on Friday. Craig Mackail-Smith who scored 32 goals for Peterborough in League One last season, Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra (both Tribal Football), and Tottenham centre half Sebastien Bassong (The People are all said to be on the cusp of moves to Loftus Road.
There’s a row brewing in Italy over the future of Lecce manager Luigi De Canio. The former QPR crowd favourite took over at Lecce just over two years ago and although he failed to save them from relegation from Serie A in his first campaign he led them to promotion from Serie B last season and has kept them up this term at Sampdoria’s expense. Ahead of this weekend’s final match against Lazio De Canio announced he was leaving the club by “mutual consent” but the club chairman has hit back saying the move was entirely of De Canio’s making, suggesting he had been tapped up by another club elsewhere.
Owner Giovani Semeraro said: “The version of events outlined by De Canio is completely different to what he told us. He explained in my office that his resignation was exclusively because he wanted to build on the success he achieved with us to challenge himself elsewhere. Considering his comments in the Press conference, he should be sacked, but we are good people, so we won’t do that.”
Jake Cole has been released by new Barnet manager Lawrie Sanchez. Cole made 97 appearances for the Bees after arriving on a free transfer from QPR in 2009.
Ed Harris is one of five players released by newly promoted AFC Wimbledon as they prepare to go into the Football League for the first time.
- The predicted mass exodus from Cardiff is well underway after their play off defeat by Reading. The Welsh side has not even bothered to offer deals to Jay Bothroyd and Chris Burke who will now be released along with Gavin Rae and Martin John. Adam Matthews has already agreed to join Celtic and Craig Bellamy, Jason Brown, Stephen Bywater, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Jason Koumas, Seyi Olofinjana and Jlloyd Samuel have all come to the end of their loan spells.
- Barnsley’s search for a new boss continues after their first choice Keith Hill elected to stay with League One Rochdale. Barnsley poached Steve Parkin from Spotland several years ago but sacked him a year later and Hill has elected not to follow the same path saying: “The most difficult thing to turn down was the chance to manage in the Championship. Nothing has gone wrong it is just down to choice. We've decided to stay at Rochdale because we are ambitious but we're also happy in our work here."
- Derby are on side eager to see the Oakwell situation resolved. The Tykes have put the Rams £600k bid for captain Jason Shackell on hold until a new manager is appointed. Nigel Clough is also chasing Kilmarnock’s Craig Bryson for £300k and Aberdeen striker Chris Maguire for a similar amount. Fans buying season tickets at Pride Park have been offered their money back if they are not happy with the transfer business done by the club during this summer’s transfer window.
- West Brom have signed 31-year-old Ipswich centre half Gareth McAuley at the end of his Portman Road contract. The Tractor Boys have given veteran midfielder Colin Healy another 12 month deal though.
- Relations between League One champions Brighton and Crystal Palace are unlikely to be any better today after the Eagles pinched striker Glenn Murray from their arch rivals on a three year deal. Murray scored 22 goals for the Seagulls last season and Palace boss Dougie Freedman said: “He fits the profile for the type of player that I want to add to the squad here.”
LoftforWords is updating its Shepherds Bush pub guide for the forthcoming season. To do this we need you to take two minutes out of your day and fill in a quick review form. Completed forms can be sent to me on Facebook, posted on the message board thread, or e-mailed to loftforwords@yahoo.co.uk.