Three members of the QPR board have resigned today as the Flavio Briatore takeover moved a step closer. Nick De Marco, Kevin Steele and James Ferrary have all left the club with immediate affect.
De Marco first came to the attention of QPR supporters as a poster on various message boards, including our own. It soon became apparanet that the sports lawyer was offering free legal advice to the club and he was later made a director and praised for his input into the club by Gianni Paladini. He has often been seen as a controversial figure in some sectors after his application for membership to the Loyal Supporters Association caused a split in the organisation.
Steele were more recent additions to the board. Viewed with suspicion by some because of his background in property law he was apparently attempting to help QPR find a way around the ABC loan. At the recent AGM Steele said the club were faced with three options - find a rich man to pay it off, earn a miracle promotion to the Premier League, or refinance the loan with another lender. At the time you would have got long odds on the first of those things coming true but it seems we're now on the verge of that happening.
Less is known about Ferrary who only appeared on the staff list recently in place of Jason Kallis who had originally arrived at the same time as Steele.
In a statement on the club's official website the trio said: "We believe the new investment coming into the club will be the most important for years, will save QPR from the perilous financial position we find ourselves in and put the club in an excellent position to move forward.
"We would like to thank Gianni Paladini in particular who has attracted this important investment into the club and we are delighted he will be staying on as Chairman. Gianni has had a difficult job keeping this club going but he ha pulled off a master stroke in bringing in this new investment.
"We are also deeply grateful to Antonio Caliendo and Franco Zanotti for both financing the Club over the past years and for the terms upon which they have agreed to assist with the new investment.
"We are certain the new investors and the new board will get behind John Gregory and give him the support he needs. We are also positive that the fans can get behind a new board and continue in their loyal and unrivalled support for the team. It has been an honour for all of us to serve this great Club, and we are grateful to all the staff and supporters we have had the pleasure to work with."