If QPR did not exist, I would not be that interested in football. Because of them, I take a big interest in all things QPR and thus have a greater interest in QPR. But it's also special to me because its a shepherds bush club and that's where my family are from.
It is us, the fans. When I bring Swedes over to watch us they are always impressed, sometimes shell-shocked, with our support and togetherness. At a game last season (Man C) a Swedish friend was queueing at half time to buy a scarf. The man in front brought the last one of a certain type and then noticed my friend (with his Swedish accent) ask for the same scarf. He then offered to swap, as he wasn't that bothered and said that he could always buy another at the next game. My friend was touched and is now 100% QPR.
I find this a really hard thing to quantify. I guess it's that amazing capability of the place to cause people to be completely smitten after just one visit to Loftus Rd. Both my sons supported teams they's never seen live when they were young, Liverpool and Utd respectively. But they both became ardent QPR fans after their first individual visits to our fabulous little ground. I know we need to replace her, but **** I will shed a few tears on my last visit to the place. Also, I think it's our unique ability to be a constant rollercoaster, plus the fact that, although other fans are pretty jealous towards us at the moment, our reputation for playing good football with a famous flair player at No10.
So many things make us just a little bit special and different from other 'saner' clubs. For me, the first visit to Loftus Road in 1968 was an experience never to be forgotten, playing Man Utd with their superstars I'd only seen on telly before then in a ground packed out like sardines and although we were at the bottom of the league we gave them a run for their money before losing 3-2. The big bass drum whipping the fans into a frenzy really was something you don't get anymore. In fact so much of what made football really special in those days has gone now, but our tight little ground gives us some of that atmosphere that others lack and our fans are truly the exception rather than the rule. We're a bit like the Hotel California, you can checkout but you can never leave...
I have always wondered and marvelled at our activity on Not606, for such a little club, the activity is phenomenal. That is activity is a symptom of why the RRs are a special club. It is the downs and the ups, it is the kit, it is the quirky name that can be initialised, it is the characters we have had and still got, it is the ground, it is the supporters, it is the fight we all have to put in it is the friendship....it is the rollercoaster ride. I have said before I am stuck with the RRs, they are stuck with me. If QPR disappeared into smoke tomorrow, I would not follow footy, but I would also lose a vital element of my psyche that is me, certain bits of my character have been formed by supporting a club like Rs throughout the years (and most of those bits of my character I am quite pleased with: resilience, loyalty, humour in the face of despair)..... so thank you Rs.
Good thread Roller. RIP Harold. ____________________________ I don't know the answer, so I'll just say : Cos they're my team!
The area,White city is a special place,with a special team,that gets into your blood and never leaves,the Hooped shirts,the name,the famous no.10 shirt that was worn by many amazing players,and the football they played as a team.
I don't think I can add anything that has not been said by others. I ahve explained here how I came to be an R and if my path to Loftus Rd was different from many of you, there is still my personal connection to Shepherd's Bush and to W12. Lately trips to London have ended in Lewisham (brother-in-law) and I have had to again explain my attraction to W12 even there, but the belittling has been fairly gentle - except for having it suggested tta I give up on football altogetheer and concentrate on cricket - not likely I get a certain pride in attending football at Toronto FC home matches, while wearing QPR garb and giving my answer to the question "why QPR"?. Well, have ya got a few minutes...?, Yeah, then lemme tell you... And this will not change regardless of where we play next season - Charlton or Chelsea - I am QPR and We Are QPR
W12 born and bred, I support qpr because their my local team and I have heritage, we ain't the best but its good enough for me, I like the underdog card as well
It's never plain sailing or dull. But we love it and stick with them. 40 years of support and will continue whatever league we find ourselves in. Once an R...................
QPR born and bred like my dad and family, my son is QPR and best mates are Rangers. We are a proper club with proper fans (unlike these new plastic 'out of the woodwork fans' clubs). The team of the 70's was the best! The team of the 90's was great with Sir les. But for me what makes our club so special is: When we were down and out in Lge One/No money/No team/Buckets outside and it all looked we lost WE STUCK TOGETHER 16k home average, taking 2K away to games and an atmospher that put all top clubs to shame. How many other clubs would do that? Not many, they may say it but we did it. That's why i am QPR
I work on the theory that whatever team you support, regardless of what league they my be in ............... are the greatest club around. It's called being a true fan of the club.
This exactly. Walking through Paris, twice now, I've spotted those blue and white hoops, said hello, and had a drink. Sticking with it through all the past twenty years has dished up, and still wearing the hoops with pride is a sign of being part of something special...not like the bigger teams who have plastic fans all over the world.
No i actually find it funny that fans are so bitter about us and like i said in a post recently, that it comes down to the fact that the media talk more about us then most of the others. Our owners are spending big money at a time when others don't spend anywhere near that amount. The media want us to stay up due to what we have done. Who cares about Swans/Norwich/Wigan/Villa/Reading/Saints/Stoke/West Brom? They are boring for media and no one is interested in them other than their own fans. 'Swans play good football' that's all they can say about them, because other than that who cares? Not the media. Turn on the radio they are talking QPR, turn on the TV they are talking QPR and read a paper/twitter/net its all QPR, thats why so many muppets invade our board hoping we go down. They probably think if we are a Championship club the media will focus on them more, sadly although we will lose the 'spotlight' we will still be talked about more than the clubs mentioned. As Oscar Wilde said: "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about".
I have been a fan since my dad told me i support them.. tried once to change during the Italian era at boro.. dad wasn't pleased don't have any plans on changing in the next 80 years or so. i was in London for my first wedding anniversary in 2008 we stayed in aldgate east. asked Mrs hoop could we go to loftus road. It was in July so no games just to see the place was only there once before. finally managed to persuade her so off we set on the tube on one of the hottest days of the years. she was not happy. got to the club shop.. CLOSED. Went up to ask a guy who was dropping off boxes he said as at reception they might leave me look inside club was was under renovation i think. I went to reception was told nobody could go inside. passed the same guy i asked on the way down the road. he asked me had i any luck, i said no. guy said wait here 2 minutes he came back and said he could just bring me inside to see the pitch as there was building work going on. had a quick look in got a few pics taken. when we got out he also gave me a cap. and said if i was over for a 3pm game look for him, he was security for the players. and he would show me around. left loftus road very happy and wife was bemused. it was if someone had just brought us into see there new tv. i just turned to her and said that wouldn't happen and old trafford.. THAT MY FRIENDS IS WHAT MAKES QPR SO SPECIAL..
Why is QPR special? Wow, what a question! For me personally, Each and every one of us support QPR for footballing reasons, no glory hunters here. Just as well, you'd be disappointed if you were! We are a big extended family, it's already been mentioned that if you bump into another R on holiday for example, he, or she instantly becomes your long lost brother/sister. I also believe Loftus Road plays a big part in it, the intimacy of the ground pulls us all together, the Man City game was a prime example of this, the atmosphere was electric. Once the bug has bitten, blue & white hoops course through your veins for life, there is no known cure! How people change their allegiance from one team to another is completely beyond my comprehension!
This. Loftus Road is indeed a huge factor in making us what we are but also in some ways a millstone round our necks as regards the future. Sums QPR up nicely. Even famously intimidating stadiums like Naples don't come close to LR where the players can be just feet away. That and the ground configuration act as a sound box like nowhere else.
