In a rare moment of balls and common sense the Football League have sided with Derby over the great QPR ticket price rip off. Rangers will now be forced to climb down across the board. Won’t they?

Derby County are celebrating victory this evening after the league told QPR to reduce prices for this Saturday’s match back to the levels they agreed before the start of the season.

QPR had, out of the blue, jacked up prices for this match last week when they introduced a new three category system for games at Loftus Road. That meant most fans paying on the day, including away fans, would be paying £30 or £40 for their ticket at a Championship match, more than many Premiership tickets.

This went against the Football League rule that states all prices must be declared before the start of the season and any changes must be agreed to by the opposing clubs. Derby didn’t agree and refused the allocation, QPR appealed to the league and today, in a rare show of stones, backed the away side and ordered QPR to reduce School End tickets to the previous levels.

Thanks to the scandalous behaviour of QPR Derby now have just four days to distribute tickets to their fans before the match, but it’s certainly a victory for the Rams and just reward for them standing up for the rights of their supporters.

John Vicars, Derby County’s vice-president of operations, said: "Derby County are pleased with the Football League’s decision. We will now be working closely with QPR to sort out the swift distribution of tickets to our supporters.”

It remains to be seen now whether QPR follow suit in the morning and reduce prices for their own supporters. It seems such a shame that while Derby are sticking up for their followers QPR are coming up with ever inventive ways of fleecing theirs. It is my understanding that clubs are not permitted to charge different fans different amounts for identical tickets and therefore it breaks the rules for Rangers to charge Derby £30 for Gold tickets and QPR £40. However there has been no statement from the league today on home tickets and as it was, incredibly, QPR that appealed to them in the first place it isn’t looking hopeful.

The whole sorry episode remains an embarrassment to QPR and one they really should climb down from at about 9.01am tomorrow but I won’t be getting my hopes up. QPR remain, as ever, silent on the matter.

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Two users have commented on this story. Click here to add your thoughts:

Thank goodness the league backed Derby. Our very rich owners should be ashamed. If prices continue to go up they will price themselves out of the market My son and I are still upset at being "evicted" from our seats which we had had for over 30 years and I am still unhappy with our new seats, but I suppose being a real supporter means very little these days!  -phwah

This won't be forgiven or forgotten,The Board,sorry not just handy scapegoat/frontman AliRussell,have declared war on working-class loyal fans. Remember GK Chesterton,my fellow fat Notting Hill Catholic in 1915 " Pay us ,pass us,fleece us.. But please don't forget.... We are the small people of England who have never spoken yet." Never mind talk of a 'business' or 'let's not do a Geordie' or flush apathy, with the right Joe-Hiltonish-Talk-to-Olly Direct-Post-Vauxhall spirit,if they transgress that little too far we can and we shall bring them down. This ain't no boutique vanity glory project,this is is OUR faith,OUR team,OUR club. WE ARE QPR! -otuck

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