Serious investigation needed

QPR1st Supporters Trust welcomes the club’s decision to investigate the Daily Telegraph report on Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s discussion with undercover reporters claiming to represent a sports company that aimed to sell players to the club. We hope it will be a serious investigation. 

We believe that everyone in a senior position at the club should focus on the club, and must not entertain deals that would conflict with the interests of the club. It is, of course, not unusual for high-profile professionals to be paid to give talks, but it would not be acceptable if this meant accepting money from an organisation that is expecting to profit from future deals with the club.  

Damian Collins of the Commons culture and sport committee has said the practice of a manager taking money from a firm involved in player transfers was a clear conflict of interest and should be banned. Whatever the outcome of the investigation, the club must make it clear that such conflicts of interest are not acceptable at QPR.