The announcement many QPR fans have been praying for came at 1.30pm this afternoon – Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore have left the club and airline boss Tony Fernandes is the new majority stakeholder.
Fernandes has been tipped for sometime as the most likely man to buy out the widely disliked QPR owners and travelled with the team on the recent tour of Italy. He was also in the director’s box for Saturday’s mauling by Bolton but sat with Briatore and with the structure of the deal unclear until today fears had abounded that he would be coming in with Flavio and Bernie rather than instead of.
At 1.30pm today those fears were dispelled when the club announced he had bought a controlling 66% stake in the club with the Mittals retaining their 33% and reappointing the popular Amit Bhatia to the board as vice chairman. The loan secured against the ground, previously in the hands of a holding company owned by Bhatia and Briatore has now passed to Fernandes. Phil Beard, previously credited with turning round the fortunes of the Millennium Dome and helping London’s Olympic bid success, will become the CEO subject to Premiership approval. This also means that Gianni Paladini’s six year spell with the club is over. If Carlsberg did takeovers…
Half an hour after the announcement Fernandes appeared alongside Bhatia and manager Neil Warnock at a press conference in the club’s new media centre. Broadcast live on Sky Sports News he promised that a new era of openness and fan engagement would be one of his top priorities along with money for new players and investment in the youth academy. Neil Warnock, he said, has his full support. Amit Bhatia confirmed that he and Fernandes were now the only shareholders in the club and that they would be “looking at” the club’s controversial ticket prices in the coming days.
Fernandes told the club’s official website: “I feel very good about Neil. He has similarities to me. He's very impulsive. He says what he believes, without maybe thinking of the consequences sometimes, but I'm famous for that in my country. He's honest and transparent and a very excitable person. I love his passion and that word is key in my psyche. Money can get you so far, but passion can get you a lot, lot further. "Without doubt there will be funds made available. It won't be crazy money though, because having watched football for a long, long time, I don't think our squad is too bad. We've got some special players. The front-line looks as strong as many in the Premier League. We need to strengthen and I've spoken to Neil. I think two or three good players could make a big difference. Neil will identify the players. He's living the dream and this has been his life for so long now. What I will do is give confidence that when he comes to me with a name and I'll say 'yeah, okay, let's try it.' "I think it will be a good relationship with the Mittal Family that we can build on over the years. I don't know them that well, but we share a common passion. They're very passionate. Amit is extremely passionate and that's why I wanted them to be involved.
"QPR is a raw diamond and hopefully I can contribute into turning it into a diamond."
Fernandes is reported to have been backed in the takeover by the Malaysian consortium with whom he bought and built up Air Asia. David Conn reports in the Guardian that the takeover fee paid to Briatore and Ecclestone is equal to the amount of money they loaned into the club – around £35m – but other reports place the fee a good deal higher with the Fulham Chronicle reporting £60m.
Neil Warnock told the club’s official website: “"It's a momentous day. To get Tony on board and listen to his ideas and plans for the club is exciting - not just for the first team but for the whole club. I think everyone connected with QPR should be excited about the whole prospect. The club needs the stability and expertise that Tony has got to take it to the next step. We've got to the promised land and we want to stay there and build a club for the future - that doesn't happen overnight. We have to put bricks in place to build that foundation - everything about today is positive. Everybody knows why I came here - Amit was instrumental in me doing so. I'm as excited today as I was when I came and shook Amit's hand to take the job last year. I told him then that we'd get up next year, and I don't think he quite believed me when I told him that."
Warnock went on to tell Sky Sports he expected to bring in between three and five new players but would not be drawn on names. Rangers have already been linked with West Ham’s Scott Parker, Chelsea’s Patrick Van Aarnholt and Man City pair Shaun Wright Phillips and Nedum Onouha today.
Bhatia told West London Sport: “We badly needed stability at the club. You can get away with certain things in the Championship but in the Premier League you’re playing on a different stage and you have to conduct yourself in a certain way. It’s different. Now, there is absolute 100% certainty that Flavio and Bernie are no longer involved with QPR. They have no ties with the club left. Their involvement is completely finished.”
Elsewhere today Swindon Town have renewed their interest in out of favour striker Leon Clarke. Manager Paulo Di Canio said last week that the player’s wages were too rich for Swindon’s budget but now it seems the move is likely to go ahead. Di Canio said: "I don't know if it will happen in time for Sunday but I will be happy if he signs before then. I spoke to him after the game at Dagenham and things are looking positive between our club and the player. There is a lot going on at QPR at the moment and hopefully things there can get resolved and we can have a positive outcome. The base of the deal has been agreed and we are now waiting for QPR. It could be a loan deal or it could be something longer, because we want to build for the long-term."
Clint Hill has been handed a three match ban for his sending off against Bolton after QPR elected not to appeal the decision.
And finally Jimmy Bullard, who QPR tried to sign during the close season, has had his contract terminated by Hull City for breaches of discipline. It could be that the standard of Neil Warnock’s targets have now changed in the meantime though. The same applies to Jason Puncheon who had been a loan target for Rangers earlier this week.
“Britain’s brainiest footballer” Clarke Carlisle is to stand trial on drink driving charges in October. The centre half spent time in a drying out clinic while at QPR and then left the club at the end of his contract to be closer to his family in the north before returning south to sign for Watford just nine months later. The 31-year-old, who is now the chairman of the PFA, was stopped in Prestwich in July after police observed his £40,000 Audi being driven erratically. Carlisle, who has since signed on loan at League One Preston, denies the charge.
- West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie has ended speculation about a move to Wigan by signing a new three year deal at The Hawthorns. The 30-year-old scored 15 goals in his maiden season
- Chelsea have completed the £20m signing of Anderlecht teenager Romelu Lukaku. However they will have to do without goalkeeper Petr Cech for the next four weeks after he suffered a knee injury in training. Hilario and Ross Turnbull are on standby.
- New Blackburn signing David Goodwillie is in trouble with the police again. The £2.8m striker, who was previously accused of rape north of the border before the charges were dropped, has now been charged with assault after allegedly kicking and punching a man in the street in Glasgow.
- Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri is poised to complete a £22m to Man City.
- Newcastle have made an enquiry after Charlton ggoalkeeper Rob Elliott after allowing Fraser Foster to rejoin Celtic on loan. Steve Harper and Tim Krul are the club’s other goalkeepers.
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