Today’s Standard carries a story about QPR facing the prospect of having to sell Loftus Road to survive. It quotes administrator Ray Hocking “admitting” he would listen to separate offers for the stadium and the football club after the sale of Wasps and Twyford Avenue has been completed.
It would of course be quite wrong to dimiss the story out of hand. Equally, it would be complacent to offer assurances that the story is nothing more than a recycling of old material merely to flesh out the bald statement that the sale to Chris Wright had gone through. But administrator Ray Hocking would always have had to consider offers for individual parts of Loftus Road plc.
In legal terms, the administrator does have the final say on whether or not a bid is accepted. But in the real world, it is Chris Wright as owner and main creditor who influences that decision. Chris Wright has given both public and written assurances that he will do everything in his power to ensure that QPR and Loftus Road are protected and sold in a joint deal. We have regular communication with Chris Wright and the administrator, and have had no indication from either party that the stated commitment to fund QPR through until October has in any way altered. Our expectation therefore is that Chris Wright will honour his commitment – or that the administrator, in promising to keep QPR fans as fully informed as appropriate-confidentiality will allow, will make a statement if there is a fundamental shift in policy.
We have asked Ray Hocking to clarify the situation, and are awaiting a response.
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A commitment to Queens Park Rangers Football Club and QPR 1st has been given by each of the leading candidates in the forthcoming general election. This unique cross-party commitment was formalised yesterday with the signing of a document by the candidates for the Ealing, Acton and Shepherd’s Bush constituency – Clive Soley (Labour), Justine Greening (Conservative), Martin Tod (Lib-Dem), and Nick Grant (Socialist Alliance).
The official signing took place at Hammersmith Town Hall, and photographs will appear in next week’s local press. The document read:
We the undersigned, as your prospective parliamentary candidates in the forthcoming election, would like you to be aware that we view Queens Park Rangers Football Club to be an essential part of the fabric of the local community. In the light of that fact we would like to assert the following:
- That it is vital Queens Park Rangers Football Club be maintained in its current form and continues to be based in the local area.
- That the administrators operate a policy of openness and consult with supporters on key issues related to the club’s future.
- That the current and future owners support the QPR 1st supporters trust and accept the need for supporter representation on the board of the club.
Despite it being a welcomed photo-opportunity for all the candidates, and politicians being extra keen to don a QPR scarf for the pictures, their pledges of support are anything but token. QPR 1st will be working to nurture and maintain close liaison with all the main political parties in the borough, and ensure that QPR remains to the forefront of local issues. QPR 1st is strictly a non-political organisation, but of course it is essential that those who will govern or adminster the borough have a full understanding of the club, its supporters and its current and potential role in the community.
One of those candidates putting their name to the pledge will, on June 7, be elected as MP for the borough, and knowing that QPR and QPR 1st can call on his or her support and influence is good news. We thank all the political parties for their backing and wish each of the candidates well for next Thursday.
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It was back to the Town Hall a few hours later, as the first of what will be regular meetings between leading Council officials and QPR 1st got underway. Areas of discussion included planning issues, regeneration, PR and community. Clearly these are subjects that aren’t covered in depth in a single evening, but there were several avenues opened, and the result of the partnership and the Council will become apparent in time.
Mayor Andrew Slaughter wrote to us recently, and in line with the parliamentary candidates reaffirmed his and his council’s backing for QPR and QPR 1st. He stated:
“As I said when I addressed the very successful public meeting to launch QPR 1st, this council is committed to QPR, committed to the R’s remaining as QPR, and committed to the club remaining in Shepherds Bush. I will personally do everything within my power to ensure that this happens. I am pleased to hear that your organisation has already had success in putting pressure on Chris Wright and the administrators and ending the merger rumours. We will continue to do everything we can to keep in contact with the events at the club and make our sentiments felt, and will keep you informed of any developments of which we hear. I hope that you will also keep me informed as the situation unfolds. I have asked my Advisor, who I know has spoken to members of your organisation, to provide a single point of contact on this issue for councillors and the Council. I would welcome your suggestions as to any other assistance that the council could usefully offer. ”
In 1994 the Council adopted a Unitary Development Plan, which is currently being updated, although remaining exactly the same in spirit. The Council’s proposed UDP contains the following formal and plain excerpt, reproduced without much interpretation due to the complex legal situation surrounding planning, but of interest and relevence to QPR.
CS3 PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL GROUNDS
In considering any redevelopment proposal for all or part of an existing football ground, the Council will normally require the provision of suitable facilities to enable the continuation of professional football or other field-based spectator sports. Any proposals will, however, be subject to locational policies in the plan, such as the policies on major new ACE and recreation uses and food and drink uses, and should not have a significant adverse impact on residential amenity or on-street parking. In addition, the Council will require transport impact assessments where proposals are likely to give rise to pressures on the transportation network (see policy TN13 on TIAs).
8.32 The Council wishes to retain professional football in the Borough, because it provides a major source of entertainment and contributes to the life of the community. The Council is only prepared to consider re-development proposals for professional football grounds if they make provision for continuation of professional football or other field-based spectator sports at that ground, and if they are compatible with neighbouring uses and the public transport accessibility level of the area. Refurbishment and enhancement of facilities will also need to be assessed against environmental and transport policies of the Plan, including traffic impact assessments. Proposals which are not clearly linked to professional football will particularly be subject to policies CS2A and CS2B. If it can be demonstrated that professional football or other field- based spectator sports are no longer viable there, the redevelopment should include provision for other community service uses in accordance with other policies in this Chapter.
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This weekend should (finally!) see the launch of the new, improved QPR 1st website. We have seen it – and very impressive it is too. Now nearly halfway through the three-month mandate to go away and put in place a fully-fledged Supporters Trust, it is an appropriate juncture to update progress on that. There is a great deal of work going on behind the scenes but we are well on course to achieve that target. More by Sunday.