I've heard that we have purchased The Concorde Club for £4.5 million. It's just up the road from Harlington and is more or less set up to go, 30 acres and loads of pitches and facilities.
It used to be, not sure if it still is. Maybe BA are desperate for cash and we got a bargain due to the current climate.
This sounds like a great deal. I know there are many who will write this off as another TF PR exercise but the link seems to make that very unlikely or am I getting confused? https://www.openplay.co.uk/view/65/qpr-academy-dome
Presumably land with zero chance of planning permission for one reason or other? Very cheap otherwise!
999's, this is the place that I meant earlier. As both myself and Staines were X BA staff. It used to be the main BA club, and I have fallen out from their many a time. Think the youngster's spend a lot of time there already.
https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/football-qpr-training-ground-cranford-080520201 So WLS have confirmed it is the Concorde Club/Heston Imperial College site. It is where our academy is based. It is about 2 miles from our training ground which we also hire from Imperial. We are buying it for 4.5 million but it is set up and ready to go with no planning permission problems and we will own it. It has lecture theatres, venues, offices, football pitches etc as well as other facilities like cricket pitches and indoor sports. It sounds far too good to be true. Imperial college bought it from BA in 2014 and at that time had three sports centres at Heston, Harlington and Teddington as well as indoor facilities in South Kensington. They seemed to acquire these riches through the merging of the London colleges. They vacated the site in April and want to sell
Sounds great. I always wonder how they hear what the coaches say with all those planes flying so close. At both locations
Sorry to introduce a negative note. Imperial are selling this to us but we know from the consultation document commissioned about the future of the Linford Christie Stadium that Imperial have a strong interest in that site. I'm afraid their relinquishing of this site may mean they've acquired the LC site instead of us. Hope I'm wrong.
A very interesting articles by David McIntryre who is now clearly advocating to also scrap “the Academy”. Well worth a read. https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/football-qpr-warren-farm-academy-052022
The fact he's thought about it and changed his mind about the academy adds credibility I think. A considered and not reflex opinion. Just a bit galling that we're emulating Brentford!!
Absolutely, sadly. We are already following the Brentford model, of giving 2nd chances to people thrown away by bigger clubs. I hope that continues following Penrices departure
Yes, it is a model that worked. Let’s see how it develops without Gary Penrice. One thing is the model, but another more important aspect is the process with people with the correct competencies, experience and behaviour. Only together they make the whole process.