Fan Representatives Meeting report

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The following are an agreed record of the meeting

In attendance:

From the Club: Phil Beard (Chief Executive Officer), Mark Donnelly (Chief Operating Officer) Andy Rees (Supporters Liaison Officer)

From supporters groups: Paul Moore (Disabled Supporters Association), Paul Finney (IndyRs) Bill Cox (Loyal Supporters Association) Stephen Dedridge (QPR1st Supporters Trust)

Each represented group was entitled to raise one topic for discussion:

QPR1st-Training ground and Stadium proposals

QPR1st has been asked by the local council to comment on regeneration proposals for the Old Oak Common which would include the building of a sports stadium and the possible involvement of a major educational, health, leisure, entertainment or sports provider. The Club were able to confirm that it was aware of the proposals and what they might mean for QPR, but stressed that there are still a number of possible sites being looked at. The Club was keen to emphasis that the plans to build a new stadium are still at a very early stage and no decisions had been made. It reassured the group that fans would be consulted as progress was made. From the fans perspective the key issue was that the stadium was designed to create maximum atmosphere.

The Club was able to confirm it was continuing to work closely with Ealing Council regarding the Warren Farm Training Ground and both the Club and the Council continued to be strongly committed to the project. It regretted the legal action taken by a residents group over the Warren Farm sports facility but remained confident that the project would still go ahead.

LSA – Ticket booking fee

Both the LSA and QPR1st have petitioned the Club regarding the payment surcharge of £3.50 which fans have to pay for telephone and internet transactions . The Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 say that traders mustn’t charge more than it costs them to process the payment.

The Club pointed out the transaction fee covered the costs incurred by the club including postage, administration, ticketing charges and credit card fees.  The club stated that it was standard business practice carried out by most football clubs and was common practice for any ticket purchase. It was argued that if the payment surcharge was not made then the costs would have to be incurred by the club and considerations given as to how to offset these with higher ticket prices being an option. The Club felt that it had placed its efforts on keeping the initial cost of tickets as low as it could and pointed out that only one charge was made for a transition regardless of the number of tickets sold.

IndyR’s- Are there long term plans to remember Alan McDonald?

The club is in continual close contact with Alan’s wife and immediate family, and it is the Club’s understanding that  the tributes made to Alan last year were considered appropriate and enough, and the family requested that the club not pursue any further tributes.
There will be tribute articles about Alan McDonald in the Swindon Programme and also in the Inside’R’ Magazine.

DSA- ‘Soccersight’ headphones

Soccersight headphones which are made available to season ticket holders who are Blind or partially sighted have been superb so far this season. It would be extremely helpful if they could be dropped off at the stand where the fan is sitting at the end of the match. So far the Club has been unable to identify how this could be practically managed on a match day but agreed to continue to work on finding a solution.

Future meetings

This is now the third of these meetings and they have proved to be a successful means by which the Club can consult with representative fans groups. There was some discussion about how the format could be developed further to ensure the meetings are as efficient and effective as possible and can offer transparency and active engagement to the wider fan base.

‘The Story of QPR’ film was discussed. QPR1st intend to enter into a partnership agreement with QPR Trust regarding this important project which will provide a lasting oral history of the fans experience. QPR1st is proposing to help fund the project to the sum of £10,000 from the Hoops Fund. Serena Williamson from the Octavia Foundation who will be making the film hopes to attend the next meeting of this group to explain more about the project.

Posted in Boardroom, QPR1st

Fans Representative Meeting with the Club

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QPR1st has been invited to send one attendee to a Fans Representative Meeting with the Club this month. Each representative group have been asked to send in their suggestion for one topic they wish to be focussed on in advance of the meeting.

We have asked for the opportunity to discuss the role fans can play in supporting and influencing the Stadium and Training Ground developments. This follows the recent letter we sent to the club regarding proposals affecting the Old Oak Common site.

Posted in All News, QPR1st

Coventry City Situation

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QPR1st would like to offer our support to the Sky Blue Supporters Trust of Coventry City Football Club. Yet again it appears that it is ordinary fans who suffer as a result of poor governance and financial regulation of the national game. The statement issued by the Sky Blue Trust is shown below:

The Sky Blue Trust are appalled at the latest turn of events. Liquidation poses the most serious threat to the future of our Club. Where today’s liquidation leaves our club, we don’t yet know. The Football League have not issued a verdict yet, but it has consistently failed to make decisions that have taken into account the views of the supporters and the community that sustain our Club. It has failed to stand up to the bullying and alleged legal threats coming from SISU, and it has still failed to investigate the role of Joy Seppala as a shadow director.

Today’s publication of documents purporting to show that administrator Paul Appleton and SISU itself must have known all along where the Golden Share of the Football League lay all along is another area of deep concern for us which we call on the League to investigate.

We call upon all those involved to pause for thought before taking any further action. Please don’t make a bad situation any worse. We urge the League not to take precipitate action to award the share to Otium. They must give full consideration to the detailed representations the Trust has made to them, in a detailed, evidenced dossier, before they take any decisions.

We would implore you all to finally look seriously at your responsibilities and act accordingly – what is needed now is the right action not a knee jerk reaction. The future long term viability of Coventry City must be the over riding criteria. Your actions will now be judged by thousands of Sky Blue fans and the world of football in general at a most critical time.

Do not compound your mistakes. Do the right thing.

Posted in Community, Media

Council response to QPR training ground objectors

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Ealing council is facing a legal challenge from a local group opposed to the plans for the new QPR training to be built on run down sports fields at Warren Farm.

Hanwell Community Forum has served papers against the council, raising a number of objections.

The council is standing by its decision, made in April, to grant planning permission for the club’s proposal to build a full multi-purpose Elite Training Facility and Community Sports Complex on the Warren Farm site.

The council has produced papers responding to every argument raised by objectors.

One paper(see document vial link below)  given to us by a local councillor, spells out how the proposals will improve facilities for local people.

It will provide the community with new changing rooms, improved pitches, a floodlit artificial grass pitch, a café, a multi-use games area with markings for tennis and netball, artificial cricket facilities and space for grass pitches that can be marked out for sports, including mini, junior, youth and adult sized pitches.

The council says that the proposed facilities will significantly enhance the opportunities and experiences of those who use the site in the future. The site will be used by the community for 30 activities from archery to yoga. It says this will include activities for people with disabilities, women and teenage girls and older people as part of a community sports development programme.

An article in a building magazine has suggested the construction company that built Spurs’ new training facilities is lined up to build the QPR facilities at Warren Farm. We hope the council is successful in arguing the case that the project will offer substantial benefits to local residents so that work can begin as soon as possible.

Warren_farm_FAQ2_V5_Final_publication

 

Posted in All News

Jamie Mackie

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The Trust thanks Jamie Mackie for the determination and energy he showed on the pitch during his time with the club since 2010. We won’t forget his winning goal against Liverpool or that goal at Man City not to mention the significant contribution to our title winning promotion from the Championship.

We would also like to put on record our appreciation for the way Jamie represented himself and the club off the pitch and in the media during his time with us. Good luck for the future Jamie.

Posted in Community, Media, QPR1st

QPR 1st writes to club on possible new stadium site consultation

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QPR 1st, the supporters’ trust, is on the local authority list of organisations it consults with on planning issues at the Shepherds Bush end of the borough.

To help us to comment on one current consultation – which shows a possible new stadium close to Willesden Junction station – we have written to the club asking for advice and information.

The consultation is on regeneration proposals for the Old Oak Common – Park Royal area and come from the Mayor of London, Transport for London (TfL), Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Brent Councils.

The consultation document shows a sports stadium in what is now an industrial estate area to the north of the Grand Union Canal, close to Willesden Junction Overground and Bakerloo Line stations. It is about two miles north of Loftus Road. The document says, “In this location it may be possible for a major educational, health, leisure, entertainment or sports provider to help to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the area, by frontloading the provision of infrastructure and giving the area an identity.”

This may be one of the options the club is looking at for the new stadium, in which case QPR 1st would like to able to tell the Mayor and the councils we think this would be an appropriate development for the area – while recognising the club may also be looking at other options too.

Were this site to be option for QPR, it would also be appropriate for us to support proposals in the document for good pedestrian links, passing the stadium, from both Willesden Junction and a new Old Oak Common Crossrail/HS2 station.

We hope the club will give us enough information to allow us to respond to the consultation. We are, of course, also expecting the club to fully consult supporters on the new stadium so that it becomes a ground we can all feel proud of.

More information on the proposals, is at: http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/planning/consultations/old-oak-common. The consultation ends on 6 September.

Posted in Boardroom, Community, QPR1st

A new vision for Old Oak

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The Trust received the email below this afternoon along with  pdf which you can view or download using the link below, we would love to heare any comments you have about this development bearing in mind it is one of the areas that may be under consideration for a new stadium development

Vision-for-Old-Oak-web

Dear Stakeholder

Working together, the Mayor of London, Transport for London (TfL), Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing and Brent Councils are consulting on a vision to regenerate Old Oak Common – which is set to become Britain’s best connected railway station after the Government named the site as the main interchange between High Speed 2 (HS2) and Crossrail. The new HS2 station also provides the opportunity for a new Overground station creating links to jobs all over London.

Given the regeneration potential HS2 provides, the authorities have developed a 30 year vision to transform Old Oak. The Vision spells out how up to 90,000 jobs and 19,000 new homes – in addition to new schools, open spaces, shops and leisure facilities – could transform the area.

The ideas put forward in the new Vision for Old Oak will form part of the authorities’ Local Plan reviews and the Mayor’s London Plan and bring economic benefits to local centres in Harlesden, Acton and Ealing, as well as supporting connections to the White City, Earls Court, Wembley and Brent Cross and Kensal Canal side Opportunity Areas.

We want to know what you think about the principles of the vision and 30 year plan. The ideas will also feed into a future ‘Opportunity Area Planning Framework’ being produced for the area. This framework will be used by the authorities when assessing future planning applications for development in the area.

Attached is a copy of the leaflet being distributed to the community in the next few days.

Further information and feedback

You can find out more details about the Vision for Old Oak and provide your feedback by visiting www.london.gov.uk/oldoak or by emailing oldoak@london.gov.uk

Please provide your comments by Friday 6 September.

Posted in Community

QPR1st Committee Meeting

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An end of season meeting was held by the QPR1st Committee. A range of issues were discussed including:

our commitment to work in partnership with the QPR Community Trust and the Octavia Foundation in the production of a documentary film about the stories and memories of the QPR fan base.

Appealing for more volunteers to join our committee.

The improved communication with the Club in recent months, in particular following the appointment of Andy Reece as the Club’s SLO and how we need to build on the progress that has been made to create a structured model of consultation.

Ways of increasing fans involvement with the Supporters trust.

We also brainstormed issues which we felt the trust needed to focus on for further discussion and consultation with our members. This included the new stadium and training ground; Safe Standing; the Women’s team; the matchday experience and restoration of the Shareholders AGM.

if you would like to comment on any of the issues mentioned above please do not hesitate to email us your thoughts.

Posted in All News, QPR1st

Radek Cerny departs

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The Trust would like to place on record our thanks to Radek Cerny for his service as a player and a coach over the past five-years at the Club.

We wish him well and all the best with his future endeavours.

Posted in All News, QPR1st

Season ticket prices

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QPR1st welcome the announcement by the Club to slash season ticket prices and effectively reverse the price hike that led to Amit Bhatia’s resignation and confirmed the contempt in which Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone regarded the loyal fans who had stuck with the Club through thick and thin.

Whilst some have pointed out that what QPR fans were already paying in the Championship was over the odds, many fans will appreciate not just the financial savings, but the symbolic gesture of fans being recognised for our continued passion and commitment.

We also congratulate the Club on the process of genuine consultation with the Supporters Trust and other fans representative groups leading up to the decision. While we respected the Club’s request not to say too much about what was discussed prior to this announcement, we are happy to state that the Club proved to be honest brokers and were true to their word in wanting to take action based on our comments and advice. We hope that this has established the framework for future engagement between the Club and the Supporters Trust.

The Trust believes the reduced pricing will help improve the atmosphere at Loftus Road next season.

Posted in All News, Boardroom

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