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Fernandes can make QPR a proper club again — guest column
Fernandes can make QPR a proper club again — guest column
Thursday, 18th Aug 2011 20:22 by Chris King

Chris King, exhausted but elated after a day glued to the newsfeeds, reflects on the relief of today’s announcement.

At 1.30pm this afternoon Queens Park Rangers supporters anxiously refreshing their Facebook and Twitter feeds whilst nervously keeping an eye on Sky Sports News’ relentless regurgitation of the day’s sporting stories finally received the news they so craved. Tony Fernandes had completed his takeover of the club.

Fernandes is taking on the 66% share formerly held by Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone. His inaugural news conference in the press area at Loftus Road was a triumphant affair, as the softly-spoken Malaysian announced that he would become QPR chairman, with the man on his left-hand side, Amit Bhatia, returning to his former position as vice-chairman. The glorious return of Bhatia to the R’s board, where he acquired a reputation as the only member of the Rangers ownership structure intent on building bridges with fans, was certainly very comforting indeed.

Neil Warnock, meanwhile, looked serene sat next to the men whose respective arrival and return should see his odds of being the Premier League’s next managerial casualty lengthen substantially. The messages being flagged up by the Sky presenters were endlessly positive and enthusiastic; this could be to QPR supporters what the fall of the Berlin Wall was to millions of suffocated Germans. For the past few weeks positivity has all but disappeared, to be replaced by desperation, intrigue and downright misery. Soaring season ticket costs and constant snubs to loyal supporters by shareholders intent on running the club their way without due to regard for the needs of anyone else have long seen Loftus Road’s buoyant, raucous atmosphere disappear.

Under the reign of Gianni Paladini, Briatore and Ecclestone QPR was transformed from a respected football club which had been through desperately dark days into an arrogant laughing stock, apparently nonchalant about breaking the rules of the game. In their first full season in charge they jacked up the ticket prices, then when gates fell they attempted to make-up the shortfall by increasing them again in mid-September contrary to league rules. Fortunately the first opponents to be affected, Derby County, cried foul and they relented. Last season’s farce over the transfer of Alejandro Faurlin has been mentioned often enough.

The next crisis was only ever around the corner. This summer, with promotion confirmed, Briatore, Ecclestone and Paladini tried to extract even more of the hard-earned money of QPR supporters and test their loyalty once again with another big price rise. Many were unable to meet this disgustingly unfair challenge, and this decision led to a crowd of just 15,000 against Bolton Wanderers on the opening day; nothing short of humiliating for a recently-promoted side who ought to have been on top of the world. Fandom under the previous regime was what I imagine living in Mao’s China must have been like – unable to find out the real truth behind all the propaganda, but with an innate knowledge of a perpetual catastrophe unfolding before your eyes. Now QPR have the chance to become a real football club again, and it is an opportunity we must not waste.

Back in 2003, on what I must describe as one of the best nights of my life, QPR defeated Oldham Athletic 1-0 at Loftus Road thanks to a strike from Paul Furlong. The atmosphere during and after the game was electric - euphoria was pervasive across the ground, and the successes of that night were shared by all; from the board, to the manager, to the players and finally the jubilant fans. Last season saw stability returned to Rangers like a long lost friend, and trust placed in a manager whose experience at Championship level was unquestionable. Sensible signings were made, and the R’s duly progressed to the Premier League as Champions. One hopes we can now achieve that stability and success for a third time.

To put it bluntly, any new investors in the club looking to follow on from Briatore and Ecclestone could immediately appear as saintly, untainted beings, no matter how heinous their previous exploits might have been. There is no evidence that Fernandes has such a previous record, and he has done everything right so far. However, he has yet to be tested by the intense demands of Premier League football, which will attack both Fernandes’ patience, and his wallet. Signings must be made, for there is no way the R’s will stay up without proper investment and a squad fit for purpose. If I could speak to the Team Lotus owner for a few fleeting moments, I would offer him four sound pieces of advice to ensure the continuation of the ‘saviour’ tag which he has thus far enjoyed.

First of all would be to back Warnock’s judgement on players. The QPR boss knows the sort of player he wants, and marquee signings are all well and good for the club’s reputation, but worthless if they don’t fit in to the Warnock school of getting things done.

Secondly, Fernandes could repair a great deal of the damage done to the standing of the Loftus Road ownership structure by apologising to fans for the misdemeanours of the previous regime. Whilst he has tried to distance himself from criticising Ecclestone and Briatore, the longer the legitimate grievances of R’s fans remain unacknowledged, the harder they will be to erase.

Thirdly Fernandes has to deliver on his promises of stability; that means resisting the temptation to fire Warnock when, inevitably, the R’s are struggling and racking up defeats during the long, harsh winter.

Fourth, he has to find a sponsor, repair the club’s damaged image and make Queens Park Rangers Football Club an institution people are prepared to put money into, as well as finally putting shirts on sale. Enough revenue has already been lost, and the honeymoon period that will follow his arrival for some weeks is an ideal time to flog replica kits.

Whatever he does, he should never, ever try and make the club into something it isn’t. We will never be a boutique ‘brand’; it is a family club, with excellent community links and a proud tradition of loyal support through thick and thin. This is what Fernandes will have to build on, as he tries to bring the QPR back to the people who were chased away and pushed out of their football club by owners motivated by greed alone. We had better just hope this isn’t another false dawn, for Rangers supporters have been conned before with big ideas and high-profile takeovers before.

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Photo: Action Images



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dermyqpr added 20:43 - Aug 18
EXCITING TIMES...........
Hope we can go forward, build a better team, fit for purpose. A happy club with happy fans. Good riddance to that shower. they came for the love of money......
sad really when you think about it.

We have REAL people now who want the best for the club. Thanks for your thoughts Chris. UuuuurrrrrR"ssssssssssssss.
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Spaghetti_Hoops added 21:24 - Aug 18
So why has Fernandes bought a controlling interest in QPR?
What does he hope to get out of it?
What has happened with similar purchases of PL clubs by Asians?

Whilst joining in the general euphoria about the more positive values and beguiling PR the new regime brings to the table these questions keep nagging away. I understood what Ecclestone and Briatore were in it for and what they were likely to do. I don't understand Mr Fernandes.

I can remember being absolutely elated by the Chris Wright regime and its bold and exciting prospectus back whenever. I thought the club had turned an important corner and would truely be able to compete on equal(ish) terms with the bigger clubs. How wrong we were then. Since I have watched umpteen clubs bought with the same sort of fanfare we were treated to today.

The old saying "actions speak louder than words" could not be more applicable.
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SomersetHoops added 22:04 - Aug 18
This is the day we've been waiting for - I feel so good for my team. I believe Tony Fernandes is sincere in his intent, but he is restricted in what he can put into the club and it is important that we are realistic in our expectations.

I hope this will be new era of good relationships between manager board and fans. I also hope that over time things like a proper youth development academy and improved training resources can be part of QPR so it can develop into a club we can all be proud of once more. It would be good if there is good contact with responsible fans so that when things go wrong (and nothing is perfect so they will) we can be told how it happened and how it can be put right.
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Monahoop added 22:07 - Aug 18
I can understand your cautious stance Spaghetti on this, however this new consortium has to be an improvement on what we have had to endure in the last few years under those two gangsters. We shall wait and see. My only worry is that this may have come too late in the day to have any real effect on how this club fares at this lofty level. A take over earlier in the summer would have been preferable. Things will not change overnight and supporters may have to be a little patient as Fernandes finds his feet and sorts out the mess that confronts him, but he sounds like the sort of chap who could rise to such a challenge. Here's hoping so and to a better run and more respected club.
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Northernr added 23:23 - Aug 18
Spaghetti you're an odd one. We spend the whole summer getting absolutely shafted and you accuse me of being negative for saying "we're being shafted". Now somebody comes along promising that the shafting days are over and you come over all pessmistic!
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jo_qpr63 added 00:13 - Aug 19
My question would be why did they sell the club for 60 mill when i thought they wanted 100 and if they excepted 60 mill what was wrong with the offer from the Mittals? I wont lose any sleep over it mind you and glad to see the back BE and FB.
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Spaghetti_Hoops added 10:20 - Aug 19
Northern you are right of course. I should let the euphoria wash over me in uncritical joyous expectation that all that is being said will come true. You have to be odd not to let that happen. Honestly I had a smile on my face and tears in my eyes watching that press conference and interviews.


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