Tony's Troubles TONY Fernandes is finding out the hard way that you cannot please everybody all of the time. Offering a freeze on season ticket prices is a good news story however a negative manner in which it is construed, offering supporters the chance of a much-improved season at the same price is a complete no-brainer for those who can afford to renew their tickets. Mr Fernandes has been keen to get the fans on board, and has been promising and delivering to an extent on the promises he set out to achieve - key to point out that there is a long way to go in a plan that is unfolding. A disappointing aspect of the new season ticket plan is the displacement of supporters in the Lower Loft to make way for a family area, a mainstay and a bedrock of the Fernandes era - underpinned by his under 8s season tickets for free offer being continued. He has now stated via his Twitter account that those displaced will be moved into Gold seats - more than fair considering the circumstances. It seems that after announcing and promoting the new ticket prices on twitter Mr Fernandes has been met with a barrage of disappointed supporters - some saying it's still too expensive, others disappointed at their displacement. He has spoken and requested views from the fans on varying matters within the club, but to my mind has taken the correct stance to install his vision for QPR. Attempting to appease unhappy football supporters however will only lead down a bad road. It seems at least that the badge situation has been put to rest - the club has entered a new area with a badge that was agreed by a lot of hierarchy that are still in place, including the Mittal family - in terms of the badge the club is being progressive not regressive, a language Fernandes understands. This view is balanced off by the fact that the kits for 2013-14 will be of the club's design with the desired width hoops and the 'Dennis The Menace' kit also looks to be in the pipeline for reinstatement. Fernandes has got these two issues, potentially contentious issues, right to my mind. The outpouring of bitterness and anger on Twitter, rather serves to epitomise everything that is bad about the modern supporter. Some wanting a new stadium tomorrow, others angry that prices haven't been reduced - both very far fetched suggestions when you think that there is still a business to run. As a supporter that often experiences the vast range of emotions that the game can bring, but patience and prudence is also very important and the right balance is being struck at the top level in my opinion. Fernandes is quickly finding out that in his quest to make all supporters happy and usher in a spirit of community and family, that to try and please everyone all of the time can often be counter-productive. http://www.qpr.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=282975
Of course you can't please all of the fans all of the time (tho' three points per game is a great leveller!), but Tones is getting it right. Why? Not because his solutions suit everyone - but because he has the respect denied us by the cynically laconic Goon Shower, to recognise our existence; consult with us if we can be arsed with Twitter; and most importantly, explains his thinking, ambitions and decisions. Top bloke, our Tone!
Couldn't agree more Brix. I'm sure my spectacles are well and truly rose tinted, and i doubt we'll ever really know how all this is being funded, but Tony's enthusiasm and openness is a real breath of fresh air. He really has been bitten by the QPR bug. His comment to our friend Bobmid at Citeh -"I want some of this" - is what we all, however secretly, dream of. Sure, he has marketing for a range of brands in his mind, but he can't help acting like a big kid.
Season ticket prices are always going to be a contentious issue,but getting the kit and the badge right are imo the most important thing to get right.Supporters, season ticket holders,members etc all follow and support the club and it is important to all that our identity remains as we all see it and not as messers briaore and ecclestone saw it.I am sure Amit and Tony know the feeling of supporters towards the new kits and hopefully next season will put it right.
Totally agree Brix and Stan. This guy is just brown-nosing Fernandes. Ruislip, surely the bloody badge isn't the most important thing? If the team are playing well and winning games I wouldn't care if we played in brown sacks with holes cut out for the head and arms.
The countless morons constantly bleating about the badge, kit, lack of bovril in South Africa Road, texture of the toilet paper in the Ellerslie Road bogs etc. can all piss off. The season ticket prices were spot on though I hope the prices for new season tickets won't be too steep. The whole Lower Loft just doesn't need to be a family stand. It'll be half empty for midweek games and it's just too big an area for a ground our size and will cost the club dough. It's also one of the best areas for atmosphere if you can get the people that make the noise in there. The kids should be in the West Paddock. It's of an adequate size relative to the stadium, is close to the pitch, mascots and all that and further away from the R block corner which is the main source of bad language which people in the family stand are presumably looking to avoid.
I must be a bad dad. My lad loves that corner and if we go anywhere else 'it's a bit quiet!'. For me TF is getting things just right. You need some consistency so I can live with the badge. Return to proper shirts will be great. Lower loft hasn't been the same for me since standing was replaced by seats so no love lost there. Most importantly as my lad is under 8 another massive thank you to the club for developing a fan of the future. With a class full of Chelsea / Utd / Arsenal fans it takes some doing for him to stand up as the only one supporting a less fashionable team.
Stan, that HAS to be one of the most defining quotes we've had on this board. Sums up the FUN our Chairman has brought back to our club. There's undoubtedly an element of innocense about the 'new' Rangers (can't even get the kit right yet) but watch us grow!
Moving the family area to the West Paddock might be you opinion Watford but I'm sure their are many who have season tickets in that area would disagree. There are of course a few problems with doing that as the area is unvovered ( not nice to take littleJunior to his first match when its p###### down, and of course the close proximity to the away fans ( it can get maybe a little too boistrous in there sometimes). Personally if they wanted to offer me the same deal people in the Lower Loft are getting ie an upgrade to a Gold Season ticket for the same price then I would snap it up. You are never gonna please all of the people all of the time so I think TF has done the best he can and we all just have to abide by his decision.
East Paddock then, whichever one is by the Loft rather than the School. I just think the Lower Loft is far too big to be entirely a family section and you can get pissed on there too. The stand behind the goal is meant to make the noise and having a half-empty creche down there is going to look stupid, take away some of the atmosphere and cost the club money if they steadfast refuse to sell tickets there unless you have a kid with you (or pretend you do and buy a free under 8 season ticket which is never used.) Giving people a Gold seat at a reduced rate is fine for this season but then they're paying Gold prices from the season after onwards which isn't affordable to a large percentage of our core fanbase, thus them moving to silver in the first place. I wouldn't have a problem with it if we were definitely going to fill the lower loft and there were enough silver tickets to go round. More of the upper loft should be silver and more of Ellerslie too.
I agree with Watford on this one. Started penning my agreement last night and woke up at 5 on the sofa with it unfinished. The home stand behind the goal needs to be vocal and visual and full. Plenty of options for the family stand, surely.
I agree Watford. The Loft should the engine room for the whole stadium in terms of providing the best 12th man support. We should rip out all the seats in the Loft too, and stand - if allowed. More supporters will get in, and more npise will be made. Perhaps an extra few points will be won as a result!
Grounds in England have to be all seater by law following Hillsborough. But you're right about the Loft being the engine room
But I read there has been some movement in England in respect of these laws, exactly what I'm not sure, but it needs hurrying up! There are similar laws here in Norway. At Vålerenga the fans, after a long time trying, eventually got permission to remove all the seats at the national Stadium (Ullevål, where Vålerenga play) in the upper section behind the goal where the engine room of support is. It works great, except the fans themselves have had to to remove the seats and remount them for international and other non- Vålerenga games played there!
