Abramovich has built a monster here, that we can't compete with. The trouble is.. all the new Chelsea fans weren't there when they were ****e, they have been priced out of the game. So therefore any arguing we do will be against this new lot, will be pointless. They have only, let's face it, known only relative success. I know this to be true because having grown up in Fulham, ( In the early 80's ) If QPR weren't playing, I would get myself along to a Fulham or Chelsea game with my mates. It was easy to get in as at this time Chelsea & Fulham would only attract gates of 5-10,000. I used to jeer on the likes of, Fillery, Bumstead, Dean Wilkins, Rougvie, Droy etc etc. Real old pro's going for it, but still hoping they would lose. Roll on ten years, and Harding rolls up, and wants to elevate Chelsea to super club status, '' Do we want to carry on as we are, just like QPR? Or do we go for it? '' Fair play to the lad.. In came, Hoddle,Gullit,Zola ,Matteo,Wise ( QPR Fan ) & Hughes. TBH, double jealous, great team. Then Abramovich joined the party. No expense spared and bought in whoever was hot at the time. ( Too many to mention. ) They bought in Mourinho, And thus bought two titles but until until this day,still cant buy the ' Champions League '!!! which really grips their ****e. Long may it continue. All my Chelsea mates, can't go anymore. Having followed them through the crap times, they can no longer afford to go. So they now feel disillusioned and distanced from their current success. It's almost as if there operating in a parallell universe from what the real Chelsea used to be.Even when they won their first title, it was with a degree of embarrassment. Deep down, they knew they had bought and not earned it. The genuine joy of success was amiss. The Chelsea team we will play on Sunday isn't really the Chelsea team we all love to hate. We are so far removed from them since we last played them in the Prem, that we're really not worth 'The Sh*t ' on their shoe. They look upon us as we would Brentford..ie...pointless. I personally expect us to lose this game 8-0. Anything else will be a bonus. I know which team I would rather support.
Bang on 999 100% I have said before Pray QPR never loss their soul ... It's not for me what football is about Chelsea are a brand first and a manufactured team second . We will also face small talk when we bring in new faces in Jan and the team that got us here is spilt and gone I for one won't forget last season ... It will stand I think as one of QPR's greatest moments ... A team of misfits who played for each other in the most competitive league in the world ... Regardless of standard before anyone harps on about about **** players Everyone dreams of getting to the summit of football in the UK home of the game . But when you get there the price is your club's identity . Look at Norwich ... A team that has grown together as we did ... Their players are all doing their jobs in their new world ... If they make it then their best assets will be stripped to keep the machine clubs turning over their existence and keeping their flocks happy and in line ( Charlie Adam two years ago ) Smalling, Jones QPR next? Well the brand is strong enough will be interesting to see the team sheet that faces Man City at the end of the season ? And then the first game next season? Any guesses
I still don't get the obsession with Chelsea. It is true that our home gates declined in the 80s. But even in the 70s when we were in the 2nd division we were still pulling in the same gates as Arsenal, bigger gates than Spurs and West Ham etc all of whom were top tier sides. Home gates declined in the 80s due to Hooliganism and the fact we were mediocre. But what that doesn't tell you is how large our away following was. Bar United and Liverpool, our away following eclipsed anybody elses. We were taking 15,000 to places like Brighton, York and Grimsby. Towards the late 80s football attendances across the board were starting to decline anyway, even United and Liverpools dropped significantly, but popularity and interest in Italia 90 and optimism regarding English Football led to an increase in attendances across the board. Chelsea FC's fortunes would have been different had we not tried to renovate the East Stand which put us into financial oblivion. Up until then we were a top 6 side for the majority of the 50s and 60s, and pre-WW were the most supported club in England. As a club Chelsea have changed, there is no point denying that. United went through the same phase as did Liverpool, soon it will be City's turn, that just happens. We all know the sport is nearly unrecognisable from 20 or even 10 years ago. I get why we attract such hatred from Spurs, Arsenal and West Ham I really do, but it surprises me that we get so much stick from the likes of Man Utd, QPR, Fulham and Liverpool etc. I wouldn't change supporting Chelsea for anything as you wouldn't with QPR. To insinuate otherwise probably suggests you may have more insecurities about your club than Chelsea do. Just a viewpoint from the other side of the fence
Interesting stuff, and 100% agree that Chelsea is now a totally different club to 25 years ago, and not one that we can claim to be in competition with. Will take your word on the changes to the fan base. But a couple of things to ponder....... As for being priced out of going, we are there already, even with the welcome cuts/ discounts. Remember what a dump the Old Bridge was......well, despite our love of the atmosphere, LR is one of the least comfortable places to watch Prem football in, especially if you need a piss are 6 ft or over or want a clear view. Their old training ground was not good enough for them, now we have it and it's not good enough for us.....of course Chelsea have bought success, but they have also invested, which I think Tony and Amit get. Lastly DT, how many of last years team came through the R's youth system (we don't have an Academy coz of lack of investment....)? How many of this years squad of 25 are home grown? I have not looked it up, but I suspect Chelsea have more..... I don't want us to be like Chelsea, and believe there is such a thing as QPR 'soul', but neither do I want us to stand still and be afraid of change. Dream is that in 4 years time we will be playing in the Prem with at least 2 or 3 home grown youngsters in a new Stadium within walking distance of the current one, paying the lowest prices for seats in the league !
"They look upon us as we would Brentford..ie...pointless." ======================================= Sums it up.
I think the thing is any fan of any supposed "big club" will tell you the club is unrecognisable from the one they once knew. Football is about evolution not revolution. It is really interesting when you speak to Mancunian B&B Man Utd fans and the contempt they have for the southern based and non-local United fans, since the fame and fortune in the Busby era the club has evolved completely. My Dad has supported United since childhood and almost gave up supporting them completely when the Glazers came in (Straw that broke the camels back). City will experience the same thing in about 4 or 5 years (maybe even fewer). Owners come and go, players come and go, managers come and go, but the supporters will always be there.
Exactly what I have been saying QPR999 only you have put it more eloquently. This whole set up at Chelsea is an arrogant classless attempt at a club trying to compete with the real big 4 but failing in every way. Just listen to that fat Muppet ‘Chopper Harris’ whenever he comes on TV the arrogance oozes out of his fat face. The best interview was before the game against Barca and how ‘big-headed’ he was. Soon disappeared after that match though didn’t he. When do we ever have Manu, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs fans flood our boards trying to ‘big it up’? Answer is never. Those clubs are the real big boys and act like it. My Arsenal mate says simply “Chelsea has no class and the club is built on sand”. In the late 80’s I had a few mates that were Chelsea ‘Bovver Boys’ and I would go and watch QPR via the ‘Shed End’ and have a few beers after the game (when I mean a few, I used to get home in the early hours). Those guys are the real Chelsea fans and tbh whenever I met up with most now they say they don’t go anymore. Gone are the days of ‘Chelsea Headhunters’ they are now known as the ‘Chelsea househunters’. Chelsea is now infested with these new muppets who know nothing about football or the club, unlike us they don’t live/breath their club because it’s not real anymore. I hate them down my local pub, whenever they are on TV they turn up complete with their new shirts, they really are an embarrassing sight, plastic the lot of them. Agree they have created a monster and we all know what happened to Frankenstein and his Monster?
Who has been "bigging it up"? Of course an Arsenal fan is going to insult us, they are one of our biggest rivals. As I have said to you on other threads, there is a big difference between fans and supporters. We like to think that in England we are more passionate about football than any other country, but in Nigeria and other countries people have been known to take lives over football results. Everybody hates Chelsea which is ironic when people say we aren't a big club. As I said earlier, I can understand West Ham, Arsenal and Spurs giving us stick, but I am not sure why others seemingly have the same hatred, it seems nonsensical.
That's because you are probably some new plastic Jonny come Roman. Funny how you keep coming on to the QPR board and infesting our threads yet you keep saying you can't understand why we dislike Chelsea? Best thing you can do do is run along and bore your own fans because you say one thing then go back on it and tbh you have had your 5 minutes of fame. To all Rangers fans: AS I said we don't get Manu, Arse, Spurs, Liverpool fans on our boards because they don't need to as they are the big clubs and show their class unlike these Jonny come Roman lot
I don't get your aggressive stance, can we actually not debate and be polite and reasonable to one another? I come on this board as I enjoy the level of debate and talk about football in general, same with Norwich, Swansea and Sunderland. And no, I don't get or understand any logical reason as to why you hate Chelsea. We've played United and Liverpool so often in recent years maybe they have grown to dislike us, but I don't understand why they nor anyone outside North or East London does. All I have come on here for is a decent level of debate. Can't see why you feel so threatened by that.
District Line how old are you mate? 999 makes the point that Chels**m fand in their 20's have known only relative success is fair. Likewise QPR fans of a similar age will have known abject misery only too well. There was a thread on here not long ago about London Club rivalries and many Chelsea fans saw the real 'derby' games as being against Man U / City / Barcelona etc etc which exemplifies the gap that exists within the Premership. Sadly many QPR fans here are knocking on I'm guessing and yes Chelsea were for many of my formative years an equal (or sometimes a lesser) club than us and there was intense rivalry with players moving in a strange formation between us, you, Arsenal and for some reason Palace. Back in the mid '80's (when we all sported Wham! haircuts) when Rangers were playing away I used to go to the Bridge with some Chelsea supporting mates to watch the John Hollins era sides and stand in the Shed End. They were generally nthe same level as us and I remember them going to the Simod Cup Final - oh the glory! Anyway the point is well made but other than Liverpool, Arsenal and Man U there are no other English clubs that have sustained their financial base and relative success over a prolonged period. City had their wilderness period as we all know. Chelsea and now QPR exist in the Premeirship solely due to the largesse of their owners. Local rivalry should always be maintained, that is our heritage. When QPR fans start thinking of Real Madrid as a 'derby' game then quite frankly I've gone mad plus it will never happen in my lifetime. Keep it real DL, what goes around comes around mate.
I have supported Chelsea since 1995. I admit I have not seen us through the worst times. But we had finished 11th in the League and not finished top half in the top division 10 years prior to that which is why I object being labelled in the way Ellers has labelled me. All my family chose to support Arsenal and a few United and Liverpool. I chose not to go down that root and pick my local team. Sure we hadn't won anything for over 20 years, sure I had to get laughed at by the Man U and Arsenal en masse but never once did I feel ashamed to support my club. When Roman came along I and other Chelsea fans just for once could dream of being optimistic for a change as opposed to the doom and gloom, live for today, hope for tomorrow attitude surrounding the club. I totally get that Chelsea have attracted a huge amount of gloryhunters as Ellers and above have said, but they are fans, not supporters. Any local Chelsea fan will tell you that Spurs, Arsenal and West Ham in that order are our rivals and then QPR, Millwall and Fulham to a lesser extent. The same with local United fans. Manc B&B United fans over the age of 40 will tell you City is their biggest game, not Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal etc. I totally agree with you when you say that local rivalry should be maintained as it is one of the few traditions we have left in the game and local games can be enjoyed by the real supporters. As much as I hate Liverpool and United to a lesser extent I will never view them as rivals, this is why I tend not to go to home games unless it is vs West Ham, Arsenal or Spurs. It still grates me that we sell out quicker for Liverpool and United than we do for West Ham for instance. Compare that to away games where IMO the true hardcore support lies, and we could sell out the Boleyn, WHL and Emirates within half an hour Thanks for your post WBA, it's been refreshing to hear your view on this
District. When people post things like: 'The trouble is.. all the new Chelsea fans weren't there when they were ****e,' you need to illustrate the hypocrisy. Especially at a club that priced out its fans to such an extent that it only got 15k for its first home Prem gane in 16 years and changed its price structure after one match! Also it is fairly silly that to say 'all the new Chelsea fans weren't there when they were ****e' . Otherwise they would not be new fans, would they?
Yes but Ellers is blinkered. The vast majority of QPR fans on here recognise the transition that has occurred in football and how the game has changed and gone global etc. Way before football went global, floating fans always went to the clubs that were doing best. Spurs were the best supported club bar none from 1960-1962, no coincidence that came because it was the best team in their history. Same can be said of Arsenal in the 30s. Us and West Ham are rare in that despite relative mediocre pasts in terms of silverware, gates have always been high. Up until Man Utd began to win things in the 50s, City were actually the better supported club. Up until Liverpool began to win things in the 70s, Everton were the better supported club. Compare that to modern day and City and Everton are light years behind both in terms of global fanbase. The truth is success has always led to fluctuation of attendances and always will. It's the fickle nature of the football fan and people in general
Interesting reading guys, I for one have no probs with DL coming on here and getting involved in our discussions. His posts have usually been fair and well reasoned. I think we have to look at the fact that football is changing and has changed. The days when only fans from a city/region/local area support their team are long gone. Football is now a national and international game. When Roman came along he changed the game possibly forever. The massive money he brought to the game was unreal. Chelsea were on the brink of financial meltdown and lets face it Roman saved them. Chelsea are not the first club to buy success. Utd with their national and global supporters have been generating huge income for the last 20/30 years and they too dominated the transfer market during this period. They simply bought who they wanted. Blackburn also bought success. Man City are doing it now. We need to be careful before we slag others. If the Mittals and TF suddenly decided to move us to a new stadium, invest 10 million in a training complex and invest 100 million in our team/squad, not one single QPR supporter would complain. We would attract a whole new fan base. Tickets prices would rise and yes, we would loose a certain number of our exsisting supporters. Thats life. As mentioned above, football changes constantly.
Great post and thanks for your backing. Chelsea and City get a lot of critics but money has always been a huge factor in where teams end up. Wigan would not be where they are without Whelan investing so much of his own money into the club, Fulham are the same with Al Fayed, Wolves with Hayward. Being "well run" as some fans put it can only take you so far, eventually you will hit a glass ceiling, as Chelsea did in the late 90s, which is why in the early 00s we almost went bust were it not for CL qualification. In the long term, without RA we would have been screwed, but we were lucky, but I was amazed at the media reaction. I do not begrudge City one bit of success because like us and all football fans bar Arsenal, Liverpool or United (who I don't consider to have proper fans anyway) we have all seen the dark times. As aforementioned, I am willing to bet that if the same takeover had happened to any other club, including QPR not one fan would complain. Why? Because every fan of every club dreams of one day being able to win the league and compete with the upper echelon (even if they won't admit it). I would be willing to bet every QPR fan would dream of being able to face the likes of Chelsea etc and go toe-to-toe. We all appreciate the players and legends that have played for us in the past but lets face it nobody would say no to a Messi or Ronaldo being at Loftus Road or in our case Stamford Bridge every week. Crawley went up last season (and will go up this season) because they had more money than any of the other clubs in that division combined. West Ham will go up this season because they have more money than anybody else, same with Southampton, their Icelandic owners are dirt rich. Leicester will probably join them via the playoffs (also rich owners). If Birmingham's owner hadn't of been so unscrupulous and they weren't in Europe, I'd of said under Hughton's guidance with the parachute money they'd have been a shoe in to go up automatically, as it is, they may struggle to even get playoffs
So District has supported Chelsea since 1995? One of the old firm then!! Well you started just at the right time when Hoddle/Gullit/Vialli et al started bringing home the bacon and you replaced the dust in your trophy cabinet with some silver. Never understood how you could have dumped Vialli after the success he brought to the club but it was the shape of things to come I suppose. At work I am surrounded by old heads who used to go in the 70's and 80's but don't bother much any more due to the prices. Match these with the youngsters who have never been but still wear the replica kit and get bought Chelski bags & duvet covers for Christmas. I know 2, maybe 3, that go fairly regularly. Living in leafy suburbian Surrey you can throw a rock in any direction and you'll be guaranteed to hit a plastic Chelski fan, they even have a shop in Kingston high street!! I don't think District and his mates appreciate why there is still a rivalry as far as QPR are concerned even though we haven't met much over the last 15 years. It goes deep and you may have to have been supporting your team a bit longer to understand. I still think we are going to get humped on Sunday though!
