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Nice piece from Giles Coren in The Times today - will resonate with many...
I took my five-year-old son Sam to Loftus Road on Friday night to watch Queens Park Rangers play Watford in the fifth round of the FA Cup. To keep him real.
Sam is a football nut and an Arsenal fan, a situation I engineered because after 45 years of heartache, boredom and irrelevance supporting QPR, I felt I owed him the chance to follow a team that has lots of other supporters, a handful of famous players, a massive modern stadium and occasionally wins things.
But when Rangers beat Portsmouth to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 22 years, making it pretty much our biggest game for a quarter of a century, I thought Sam might as well get a glimpse of his dad’s ropey old first love, from poky folding seats where even he would struggle for leg room, in a rusty old sardine tin of a ground, just to get a bit of perspective.
On the way, I explained that, no, we have never won a major trophy. Except a League Cup once upon a time, when dinosaurs walked the Earth. This year, in the league, we haven’t even won a match. On the night, in typical fashion, we played better than Watford but went a goal down just before half time to their first attack of the match and were knocked out of the cup. Season over.
One detail I’d forgotten about Loftus Road was the terrible sightlines created by the stanchions holding up the roof. From where we sat, one goal was completely obscured so that as play moved, the crowd around us swayed from side to side, like the front row on Top of the Pops, trying to get a better view. Next to me was an old season-ticket holder who has watched QPR from the same spot for the past 43 years.
“But it’s a terrible seat,” I said. “You can’t see a thing. Why have you never moved?”
“Can’t move,” he replied. “It’s my lucky seat.”
“Lucky?” I laughed. “We’ve had the worst 43 years of any club in world football!”
“That’s not my fault,” he replied glumly. “It’s all these other bleeders sitting in the unlucky seats.”
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QPR - A proper football team on 09:23 - Feb 19 with 5606 views
Coren doesn't sound like much of a fan: he'd forgotten the stands have pillars, he's encouraged his kid to support another, much bigger, more successful team a few miles up the road and seems to think that even with a few promotions and time in the top division, you must be the most unsuccessful team in the world over the past four decades.
If Coren was being honest, he should probably have written: Sam is a football nut and an Arsenal fan, a situation I engineered because after 45 years of heartache, boredom and irrelevance supporting QPR, I felt I owed MYSELF the chance to follow a team that has lots of other supporters, a handful of famous players, a massive modern stadium and occasionally wins things.
Liked the line about lucky/unlucky seats, though.
Fulham FC: It's the taking part that counts
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QPR - A proper football team on 09:39 - Feb 19 with 5542 views
QPR - A proper football team on 09:32 - Feb 19 by Konk
Coren doesn't sound like much of a fan: he'd forgotten the stands have pillars, he's encouraged his kid to support another, much bigger, more successful team a few miles up the road and seems to think that even with a few promotions and time in the top division, you must be the most unsuccessful team in the world over the past four decades.
If Coren was being honest, he should probably have written: Sam is a football nut and an Arsenal fan, a situation I engineered because after 45 years of heartache, boredom and irrelevance supporting QPR, I felt I owed MYSELF the chance to follow a team that has lots of other supporters, a handful of famous players, a massive modern stadium and occasionally wins things.
Liked the line about lucky/unlucky seats, though.
How are you Konk? Do you think Fulham have any chance of staying up?
I've seen a few times it was our biggest match in 25 years or something. Er... City away Sheff wed away Oldham home Derby at Wembley Cardiff at Millennium
all seem bigger to me?
Bare bones.
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QPR - A proper football team on 11:03 - Feb 19 with 5230 views
QPR - A proper football team on 10:27 - Feb 19 by CroydonCaptJack
Is she Rangers? Tell me its true My adoration could potentially double.
Yes she is. Indoctrinated by her father, Alan Coren as was her brother. I actually quite like Giles on the TV, disappointed by his failure to continue the QPR supporting legacy with his son.
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QPR - A proper football team on 11:11 - Feb 19 with 5213 views
QPR - A proper football team on 11:03 - Feb 19 by jonno
Yes she is. Indoctrinated by her father, Alan Coren as was her brother. I actually quite like Giles on the TV, disappointed by his failure to continue the QPR supporting legacy with his son.
Babeage factor +1
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QPR - A proper football team on 11:37 - Feb 19 with 5109 views
QPR - A proper football team on 10:36 - Feb 19 by FDC
Correct. Absolute danger.
Remember when he unprovoked called Michael White a paedophile on twitter and threatened to come round and beat him up?
Or that he has an alternate twitter account he uses to accuse his critics of antisemitism that someone discovered because he is using his Times account
Why do we have a tranche of media gob Times columnist fans??? (I'll give Gove a pass here - I don't like the guy but at least he actually comes here most weeks, not just when he's on a jolly (Toby Young) or when we're doing well (Coren)
[Post edited 19 Feb 2019 11:54]
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QPR - A proper football team on 13:21 - Feb 19 with 4833 views
QPR - A proper football team on 09:56 - Feb 19 by bosh67
How are you Konk? Do you think Fulham have any chance of staying up?
I'm very well, thank you, mate. Very much enjoying life in Bristol and one of the bonuses, for this year at least, is that I've barely seen us this season! I think we are doomed. Players aren't good enough, Ranieri's not had the impact the board were hoping for and it's all just a mess. That sunny day at Wembley seems a long time ago now. I hope you're well.
Fulham FC: It's the taking part that counts
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QPR - A proper football team on 13:29 - Feb 19 with 4791 views
QPR - A proper football team on 09:32 - Feb 19 by Konk
Coren doesn't sound like much of a fan: he'd forgotten the stands have pillars, he's encouraged his kid to support another, much bigger, more successful team a few miles up the road and seems to think that even with a few promotions and time in the top division, you must be the most unsuccessful team in the world over the past four decades.
If Coren was being honest, he should probably have written: Sam is a football nut and an Arsenal fan, a situation I engineered because after 45 years of heartache, boredom and irrelevance supporting QPR, I felt I owed MYSELF the chance to follow a team that has lots of other supporters, a handful of famous players, a massive modern stadium and occasionally wins things.
Liked the line about lucky/unlucky seats, though.
I do think it's poor that Coren has deliberately steered his child away from Rangers. Following the herd and bowing to peer pressure hardly build character, do they?
That said, at least he has confessed his feelings for our club publicly. It's amazing how many of the celebs who reveal their allegiances support the "big" clubs.
On a related note, a much feared senior HR manager came to our office the other week. I say "much feared" because on the three previous occasions when she has rocked up, it has been to swing the axe and make someone redundant. No such issues this time, luckily, but we were all sweating bullets (and being very nice to her). Anyway, while the two of us were making coffees (with me prancing and fawning around her like Rowan Atkinson in the first series of "Blackadder"), she said something about being from The Wirral. I immediately asked he if she supported Tranmere, thinking "Fat chance of that" but she said she did. Wow!
Reminds me of the time I was in the pub with three blokes and it emerged that they supported Cheltenham Town, Carlisle and Blackpool.
RFA
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
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QPR - A proper football team on 13:29 - Feb 19 with 4790 views
QPR - A proper football team on 13:21 - Feb 19 by Konk
I'm very well, thank you, mate. Very much enjoying life in Bristol and one of the bonuses, for this year at least, is that I've barely seen us this season! I think we are doomed. Players aren't good enough, Ranieri's not had the impact the board were hoping for and it's all just a mess. That sunny day at Wembley seems a long time ago now. I hope you're well.
I did the March for men via various London football grounds in July,and I talked to a few Fulham fans along the route.They all seemed very positive for the coming season,especially with the thought of all the new signings.I guess it’s a bit like us in 2011. Of course they all enjoyed the Wembley win,and getting one over on john Terry.Where did it all go wrong?
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QPR - A proper football team on 13:30 - Feb 19 with 4781 views
QPR - A proper football team on 09:32 - Feb 19 by Konk
Coren doesn't sound like much of a fan: he'd forgotten the stands have pillars, he's encouraged his kid to support another, much bigger, more successful team a few miles up the road and seems to think that even with a few promotions and time in the top division, you must be the most unsuccessful team in the world over the past four decades.
If Coren was being honest, he should probably have written: Sam is a football nut and an Arsenal fan, a situation I engineered because after 45 years of heartache, boredom and irrelevance supporting QPR, I felt I owed MYSELF the chance to follow a team that has lots of other supporters, a handful of famous players, a massive modern stadium and occasionally wins things.
Liked the line about lucky/unlucky seats, though.
A faultless response as ever konk....
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QPR - A proper football team on 14:05 - Feb 19 with 4673 views
QPR - A proper football team on 13:29 - Feb 19 by stowmarketrange
I did the March for men via various London football grounds in July,and I talked to a few Fulham fans along the route.They all seemed very positive for the coming season,especially with the thought of all the new signings.I guess it’s a bit like us in 2011. Of course they all enjoyed the Wembley win,and getting one over on john Terry.Where did it all go wrong?
In a nutshell, our Director of Football is the son of our owner, relies upon his own analytics to target signings, and saw us sign various players who aren't good enough, mainly on deadline day, whilst also massively failing to address the ongoing failings in the January window.
Fulham FC: It's the taking part that counts
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QPR - A proper football team on 14:14 - Feb 19 with 4634 views
QPR - A proper football team on 13:21 - Feb 19 by Konk
I'm very well, thank you, mate. Very much enjoying life in Bristol and one of the bonuses, for this year at least, is that I've barely seen us this season! I think we are doomed. Players aren't good enough, Ranieri's not had the impact the board were hoping for and it's all just a mess. That sunny day at Wembley seems a long time ago now. I hope you're well.
If you ask me having to bare (bare) a season or two or pure shite in the Prem is so worth it if the means you got there was the playoff final.
Give me the Championship any day of the week but that day at Wembley......... Oh what a day at Wembley it was!!!
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