I don’t know if anyone else read Clive’s rant in the match programme on Saturday. For those unable to I’ve reproduced some of it below. There’s been a feeling over the past couple of years that QPR has rather lost touch with itself, lost a little bit of its identity, tried too hard to be something it isn’t and is never going to be. In my opinion a club of this size needs to stay close to its roots and its history, and as well as the younger supporters I hope that a lot of the players, management and board members take time to read up on Alec after today and realise where this club has come from and what it is about. Because QPR isn’t a career step, it isn’t somewhere to pick up easy money from, it isn’t an advertising vehicle, it isn’t a play thing, it isn’t a boutique and it isn’t a project. It’s a wonderful community asset, loved by its supporters, vital to the local area and a lot of people, Stock notable among them, have worked seriously hard and dedicated a lot of their lives to getting it to where it is today. ....... But it’s also vital that the fans, players, management and directors at QPR bear these people in mind every single day and treat QPR properly in the present, if only so all the effort and sweat of those who went before them doesn’t ultimately go to waste. While I would take issue with the importance of the club to the local community, as I said in my blog about Alec Stock Day I think those roots need to be replanted, but the rest is spot on for me. So is Clive stuck in the same time warp as me (bearing in mind he is considerably younger than me), or do you agree?
I agree. We'll have more success doing as a club what we've traditionally been good than just throwing money at every problem. Youth must be given a chance and a youngish manager must have time to instil a philosophy that can be replicated at all levels. Most importantly stop pissing money on has-beens and never-weres when playing in the Championship on 18000 crowds.
You have to ask yourselves are we nothing more than a 'Championship' club or do we strive to be a 'Premier' club? If we stay true to our identity then we are where we belong now, a team with a 16,000 average crowd will never be a 'Premier' club no matter who owns us. We need to take a look at other clubs 'punching above their weight' and learn some lessons, Swansea would be a good place to start in every aspect...
Precisely. You don't need a huge budget to have success. Swansea were gifted a stadium though which helps.
Nothing. Just didn't know he writes in the matchday programme now. I knew he wrote in KIUTR's alright.
I agree totally. I've no problem with us being a Championship club which has the odd excursion into the premier league. Particularly if it means we maintain our history and identity. I'm not sure that Tony would see it like that though and Im also not sure if its possible in todays money world, especially with our finances.
QPR has been all those things in the last few years. As have many other clubs. Its a startling turnaround from the days we saved the club putting our money into buckets at the turnstiles. Maybe that's why we feel uncomfortable about the attitudes shown by owners, players, agents and others who never gave us a thought when we were down and out. I think we have to accept it though. Football itself has changed, we are wrong to think its just our club has changed.
I don't agree that remaining loyal to our identity and returning to the Premier League are mutually exclusive; Stock did take us to the top flight as we all well know. Neither does it prevent us from moving to a new stadium; we’ve done that more times than most over the years. We have traditionally done well at bringing through youth players, sourcing bargains in the transfer market and blended them with level headed experienced players and this philosophy has seen us scale the heights before. Players that buy into the ideals of the club, rather than see it as a cash cow. Southampton are pretty much following that path at the moment, we need to get back on it.
I do not entirely agree with the above. When I started supporting the club...we were nothing. A strange turnout in the Charity Shield in 1900s and something and then a 3rd division South title somewhere in the distance. In the 1960s that was a turn around...we became something, something a bit odd, but something. The first 3rd division club to win a trophy at Wembley. Things changed...we became an odd little club...but one doing a bit better. Then came our heyday...we were the best team in London for about a decade...and then it faded. But we are still there bubbling below the surface. Our Championship season, was the start What I am trying to say, is small forward steps have been happening. What we have to focus on is small little steps...I hopr that is what TF is looking forward to An Academy A training ground A new ground A team that is there fighting for things, every year We are fighting for promotion this year...even if not promoted...we fight next year...year after we are promoted...we fight to stay there, we fight to stay there...we fight for a cup run...we fight for a Europas cup place All the time building slowly, an academy draws young players, a training ground and a new ground and a fighting team draws older-young players.....a cup run draws real quality players It is a long trip, that is started by the first step The first steps have been made...enjoy the roller coster, because we are the RRRRs and it is gonna be a bumpy ride....but worth it
Every aspect of footbal has changed now. It would be niave to believe we could go back to doing what we did then Whether its changed for the better is a diffeent subject !
I agree mate, but longing for "the good old days" isnt the way forward is it. I guess that a large proportion of our supporters arent even "local" so the community bit is pointless. Just a look across this and other meage boards confirms that. We cannot carry on as we are so something has to change. Sdly its a bussiness now, not a sports club !
All the more reason to live within our means. The local community is important, especially for attracting the next generation of fans. Having fans in all corners of the globe is wonderful but it doesn't really do a lot for the club.
Im with you on the spending bit mate butI'd guess with our rich neighbours & Fulham just up the road, we've got to find other ways of generating cash. we cant compete with RA's play thing ATM. Partially agree with the "all corners of the globe thing" but dont forget that generates a lot of income across Australasia in replica kits and merchandising alone. Id actually be very intrested to find out the figures. i know it costs me a couple of hundres quid most seasons. The local community can only generate "so much" esp bearing in mind they wont be the local community in a few years with our shiny new stadium. the only way we are going to attract large numbers of fans is by being promoted. How many are going to watching us V Doncaster in a few years time? i dont have the answer Wat's but we have people in place that should do. I'm guessingNike is a big step forward in terms of cash and the "global brand".. Just out of intrest, how much would you reckon is generated on the average match day Say 18000 x 20 (kids are cheaper) = 360000 Plus drink & food = @ 18000 (pure guess at 1 pound / person) Merchandise & programmes @ 18000 So thats a guess of about 396K per week...Thats not enough to run a prem club once you take out players and staff wages, maintenance, running costs etc.. the extra income has to come from somewhere and like it or not the "global branding" exercise is the only way we can do it with a stadium and support our size. Facts are, we'arent a big club ! I'd be intrested to know your guys opinions on those (purely guessed) figures.Dont think they are too far off are they? opinions ?
Swords read the opening post - it doesn't indicate that Clive is going to write in every match day programme, but he obviously did in this one, and Roller kindly reproduced a segment of it to give us a taste. You seem to have a habit of making mountains out of mole-hills.
