Less than a year ago, in May 2018, we thanked Ian Holloway for all his hard work as he was replaced as QPR manager. We said “Supporters have a range of views of his recent time as manager ; but he was tasked with the job of keeping the club in the Championship with a team in transition, and he achieved this. He had to keep the show on the road in an environment where the wage bill had to be cut and experienced players would leave the club.”

Although Steve McClaren does not have the same great history with QPR As Ian Holloway, we could make a similar statement today. We also thank Steve McClaren for doing his best in difficult circumstances.

We hope his successor will be chosen after a clear process, and given clear objectives. The board needs to stop selecting names from England’s footballing past who have no track record in managing in a difficult financial environment such as QPR today faces. We want a manager capable of creating a committed, well-organised team, making the best of the resources we have. We want that manager to be given the time to develop an entertaining, committed QPR style, good enough to keep us in this league and to build on for the future.

QPR1ST

Hammersmith and Fulham Council has launched a survey on the future of the Linford Christie stadium – which could include a new stadium for QPR if there is local support for a major redevelopment of the site.

The survey is very short and asks for views on three options for the stadium – do nothing, a modest improvement, and redevelopment of the site.  If QPR are to keep alive the hope of moving to a new stadium then support for the major redevelopment will be important.

This survey does not deal with the detail of a major redevelopment – a 45,000 stadium is just one idea produced by consultants working for the council and not by the club.  Support for the principle of major development would mean more detailed options would be drawn up.

It will be inevitable that the council will regard comments from users of Linford Christie Stadium and from people who live nearby as the most important, but it is also important that the voices of QPR supporters are heard, whether they live locally or not.  A stadium for the club at the Linford Christie could be good for the club, and benefit the community with community-focused projects based there, including the work of the QPR in the Community Trust.

The council survey is here: https://lbhf.citizenspace.com/growth-and-place/linford-christie/

QPR Supporters’ Trust congratulates Amit Bhatia on his appointment as chairman of the club.

We hope this appointment will be a move towards a new relationship of partnership between the club and its supporters.

Amit Bhatia was chair of QPR in the Community Trust from 2009 to 2016. Under his chairmanship the Community Trust thrived – it became a registered charity and developed innovative and wide-ranging projects to change people’s lives.  It is now one of QPR’s great achievements.

Tony Fernandes’ time as chair and co-chair of the club has been controversial and led to the current financial constraints facing the club.  He was happy to tweet – which did not always clarify issues – and occasionally chatted with supporters, but was rarely able to take part in any form of structured dialogue with supporters.

We would welcome more genuine dialogue between supporters and the new chairman – including meetings so all the challenges and opportunities facing the club can be discussed freely and honestly.