Thanks guys, reading your comments I feel like a million dollars. I’m absolutely thrilled. While I’d love to take all the credit it was the quality and detail of information so willingly given to me by our Overseas Hoops that made it all happen. You were all so open and keen to help it was a joy to do, I am genuinely so pleased you like it. You provided so many rich veins to tap into by just being yourselves and going about your normal efforts to watch matches, individually you probably don’t really think about it but as a group you are amazing. It was picking up on that from many, many threads over the last year or so that got me started in the first place and, of course, we can always rely on QPR to add more than a little drama giving the perfect back drop. For fear of turning into Halle Berry I must add a few other thanks. When I needed some help The Hawkster came up with the term “Overseas Hoops”, Telfy came up with the peerless title of “This World of R’s” and Brixton and SB had to endure my first draft and told me where it needed to be improved. Thanks to you all. I think more than anything this also highlights some of the strengths of this forum. We are an ordinary bunch of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, but we are linked by a shared passion and whatever happens throughout the rest of our lives we will always share those moments. Ole, ole, ole, ole, Cisse, Cisse.
Roller...don't really know what to say except absolutely brilliant.. You got our oz boys) weeks spot on and really put it down on paper so well. Just from our few corespondances (spelling?) I know just how much work you put into that. I'm going to post that link on my facebook page too as i know a lot of rangers who dont do forums. Well worth the wait..Thank You Q.
That smiley thing is for Houston. Where I visited for a while. Home of the great Bill Hicks. I'm not sure the little bouncy smiley thing will appear.. if not the far better words thing will. .. tHAT MADE ME LAUGH
Just to highlight the international appeal of the Rs here are the stats for the hits on my blog. United Kingdom 520 Australia 48 United States 37 Ireland 28 Norway 9 Sweden 8 Denmark 8 Canada 8 Finland 8 Belgium 7 New Zealand 6 France 5 Trinidad and Tobago 4 Israel 4 Indonesia 4 Czech Republic 3 South Africa 2 Hong Kong 2 Spain 2 Switzerland 2 Germany 2 Netherlands 2 United Arab Emirates 2 Iceland 1 Malta 1 Mexico 1 Taiwan 1 Cayman Islands 1 Lebanon 1 Cyprus 1 Peru 1 I can’t believe that the U.S. outstrips the Irish for third place unless “The Other R’s” wife keeps checking for any additional notoriety. Belgium, Indonesia, Czech Republic, S.A., where are these people?
Agreed. Come on guys, roll up roll up. You all need a little oddball in your lives, and everyone needs Tarrabt in their kitchen! Brix, interesting you get stats on where everyone views from. I'm guessing that Taiwan would be Thai Canary?
Just checked my sched - we fly into Lima on 16th and stay at the airport before flying to aeroquipa on 17th. 2 nights there before we fly to puno for 3 nights in titicaca, then train ride to cusco, 6 nights in cusco sacred valley and macchu piccu(?)
It's really, really good Roller. Its a great read for anyone who loves our club. It's concept, alone, is ingenious and is testament to the thoughtful, respectful and dedicated person that you so obviously are. I am not a computer user. I found the bbc606 site purely by mistake after a wrong turn on the bbc QPR page. I liked what I found. I liked the idea of talking about something I love through the internet and I loved the realisation of being amoungst others who share my passion. This forum of ours is spot on - some great characters on here and your writing is a worthy acknowledgement of our overseas contingent. It's clear that you planned and work hard on this. You have my utmost respect.
Great post Woodie. I think I stumbled on bbc606 in something like the same way - thought I was tuning into the radio with a QPR focus!
Superb article. Sums up the final games perfectly. I can identify with all these emotions. Would have loved to have joined up with the lads in Wexford but as I have to commute to London for work my home time is precious with the wife and kids in Kilkenny. Also I need to ensure my two sons watch the games online/sky/ESPN/Setanta to keep the next generation of R's in Ireland in good numbers (the missus would have them supporting UTD if I was not around) I have felt the pain for the last 34 years when I first went to LR so my kids will have that cross to bear also. They can't stop singing ole ole ole ole Cisse Cisse .... They have the bug. U r'sss
As I said, you'll have an amazing time, I fly into Lima on the 16th in the evening, so I shall think of you at the start of what hopefully will be an epic trip for you
Roller this is amazing stuff! What a compelling read. I knew you had your work cut out when I first spoke to you, but this blew me away. Didn't have time before now to go through it as this piece deserved my utmost respect and attention, it would be an understatement to say you didn't disappoint Have always respected and enjoyed your writing, think you just took it to another level here. Knowing the dedication of the lads on here I'm sure your work will be spread and get the honour it deserves. Great ending too, well put Ink So what next Roller? You have certainly raised the bar, can't wait for your next 'project'.
FFS Roller, i'm now bucked. Though i would get away in Sept for a nice weekend at HQ with my cousins and some of you guys and now the wife is determined to come over with me for a match on my return. Just went through your article again and it was even better the second time. I found myself reading faster and faster as the article went on and almost had to catch my breath at the end.
Roller's blog certainly gives pause for thought doesn't it? 'This World of Rs' (great title Telford) reveals phenomena that few, including those involved, hardly realised exists in the context of football clubs - other than the obvious branded 'major league' types, e.g. Man Utd etc.. The big difference is that, whilst chat rooms involving international followings of the global brands suggests large numbers of 'plastics' with cringeworthy levels of interest and naivety in their commentary, the Rs abroad, both ex-pat and native are remarkably similar in so many ways to their fellow Rs in west London. The fact is that if we removed the locational give-aways in their user-names, it would be virtually impossible to distinguish between a London-based QPR fan and the likes of Swords, CORKeR, Maple, New York et al. Furthermore, the standard of 'football-English' as spoken by guys for whom English is a second language is amazing. It's one thing to learn a foreign language 'mainstream', but to be able to write like a west London local as Norway, Finn, Butthuber and Israel do, is an astonishing achievement! In fact only our Igor has a written accent - which in itself adds character to a clearly genuine, knowledgeable and plugged-in Ranger. The other great revelation that comes from both Roller's blog and this message-board itself, is that the internet is as safe a place to 'meet' people as it's not. Whilst most users of the the net will have had caution around hidden-agendas and dodgy contacts rightly drilled into them from the outset, the opposite would seem to be true in our case. For us the internet has provided a uniquely positive opportunity to remain in touch with genuinely like-minded people anywhere and everywhere - all sharing something that is so much better when shared: that rollercoaster of fates, fortunes, agonies and extacies that is little ol' (as yet unbranded) Queens Park Rangers! URRRRsssss!!!
That was Roller, Houston, not me I'm afraid. Also Thai Canary is (presumably) in Thailand which doesn't appear on the listing - yet! No idea who'd be reading the blog in Taiwan though.
dunkit, you're only out the road from me and tramore hoop. we'll have to add you to the list of travelling hoops to Wexford to see the rest of the lads!
It's the exclusivity that makes this so special, if it were ManUre or Liverpool as the subject matter the characters would be ten-a-penny and mostly plastic. You have to be a special kind of supporter to have followed the R's for 30 or 40+ years and still have the enthusiasm that can produce a 'script' so wonderfully diverse yet knitted together by this unique club of ours. If you are contemplating another project Roller it would have to be something completely different as this as an idea has been executed superbly and anything else of similar theme would always have to bear comparison...
