Yesterdayâs season ticket news caused uproar within the Râs Community. The Board made a futile attempt to justify these outrageous price increases with the following statement: âThe Board are keen to stress that the prices are in line with other London-based clubs, and are encouraged by early sales figures following the release of season ticket prices earlier today.â No doubt those sales were unprecedented !!! If that wasnât bad enough, during the afternoon the devastating news then broke that Amit Bhatia had quit the Board following the decision to hike up the season ticket prices, sack Ishan Saksena and other reasons which are currently unclear: âIt is with a heavy heart that I tender my resignation as vice-chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club. Although there have been challenges, the last 15 months have been a period of stability and success and it gives me immense pleasure to see QPR back in the Premier League where I feel the club belongs. However, it is clear to me from recent board meetings that my vision, strategy and direction for the club is very different from that of the other shareholders and board members. It has been the greatest honour to have served this club as an owner and board member for the past three years, The recent decisions to sack the club CEO and chairman Ishan Saksena and significantly increase season ticket prices are just two of the decisions I disagree with. While it saddens me to leave QPR after such a successful season and at the beginning of an exciting new phase, I do not wish to be associated with or take responsibility for decisions made by the board and with which I disagree so strongly. The Mittal family have been in discussions concerning the possible acquisition of the club. However, we have been unable to reach agreement on this matter and therefore those discussions have now come to an end. Although no longer a decision-maker at QPR, I shall continue to be a 33% owner and a 100% fan of the club. In due course, we will appoint a board representative to monitor my familyâs investment in the club. I shall look forward to supporting the club as a fan next season and would like to thank Neil Warnock for his leadership and friendship over the past 14 months. It has been my pleasure to work with him and be part of the clubâs recent success and wish the club every success in the Premiership.â Personally, my hope had been that having reached what could of been an ideal opportunity to re-build our club, this optimism quickly evaporated when I heard this terrible news. We pinned our hopes on the Mittal family and now Iâm stunned. Our club is unstable once again and we look to the future with great uncertainty. For now, somehow it will splutter along to God knows where with a policy of âtake it or leave it.â Arrogance abounds and the erratic decision making will continue until their real motives are revealed. As I watched the Mittalsâ on the Loftus Road pitch celebrating with the fans after the Leeds game, I then hoped that this would become a poignant period in our history as their attempt to take full control of the club would be successful. With the sacking of Ishan Saksena and that quote from Bernie Ecclestone the other day it was obvious that something had to give: âMittal put out a statement to say he was going to buy all the shares on Monday. But itâs a bit like these Murdoch people saying theyâre going to buy CVC. They have forgotten to ask if itâs for sale.â Now we are left with the clowns and a very uncertain future, the only thing is of course, we ainât laughing ! Steve Russell
According to qprdot.org the offer the Mittals made was £50 million for Eccelstoneâs 70% plus taking on the £40 club debt, so weâre talking about a £90 million investment overall, which seems to me to be more than reasonable. So, letâs just recap where we are since this offer was arrogantly rejected by Eccelstone; Rather than being a solvent club, who fully own their own ground, with a modest increase in ticket prices under a benevolent regime who fully back the manager and believe in the responsible long-term guidance of the club, we are instead left in a position where our ground is mortgaged, we are carrying £40 million of debt, we have ludicrous increases in ticket prices whereby our cheapest season ticket is now more expensive than at Manchester United, the owners have publicly professed that involvement with our club is a âhassleâ and have an existing track record of undermining our most successful manager of the last thirty years. It makes pretty grim reading doesnât it. I just hope with all my heart that the Mittals donât give up and sell out their third, and somehow come back and manage to wrestle control of the club from Ecclestone, Paladini and Briatore. Itâs a pretty slim hope I know, but itâs all the hope we have.
It's a long shot, but does anyone know if there is a way of actually contacting Bhatia to let him know that he has the full backing of the fans??? It might encourage him to come back and fight for our club if he knows just how many of us are behind him...
Mittal's steel business must have a web site, can someone have a look and see if there is a place to leave messages? If not, I'll have a look later. It must be worth a try.
One interesting point that seems to be overlooked by all concerned is that UEFA fair play rules will prohibit clubs carrying massive debts from entering their competitions. I believe Birmingham may be barred from the Europa League because of their financial position, which, allied to relegation, is close to meltdown. The bottom line is that anyone taking on QPR as a going concern with ambitions of Europe is gonna have to write-off £40 million+ or be resigned to being on the outside looking in.
Kaspers, Bhatia is listed at the following two addresses for his various directorships:- 3rd. Floor Berkeley Square House Berkeley Square London W1J 6BY and Curzon House 21 - 23 Curzon Street London W1J 7TE
