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Malaysians Divided on Fernandes’s QPR Purchase | The Jakarta Globe

Discussion in 'Queens Park Rangers' started by Northolt-QPR, Aug 19, 2011.

  1. Northolt-QPR

    Northolt-QPR Active Member

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    Malaysians Divided on Fernandes’s QPR Purchase | The Jakarta Globe

    Malaysian reaction to local tycoon Tony Fernandes’s purchase of newly promoted Premier League club Queens Park Rangers is ranging from patriotic support to jibes on fan forums.

    “I don’t know how this will affect me as an Arsenal fan, but as a Malaysian it makes me very proud to see a fellow Malaysian owning a Premier League club,” said Hasminderaputra Abu Bakar, a spokesperson for the official Arsenal Malaysia supporters’ club.

    Fernandes, the owner of budget airline AirAsia and the Team Lotus Formula One outfit, announced on Thursday that he had purchased 66 percent of London-based QPR. He is the second Malaysian to buy into a football club in Britain.

    Vincent Tan, a Malaysian billionaire with interests in retail, gaming and tourism, owns the single biggest stake in Cardiff City, who play in the second tier.

    “They almost made it to the Premier League this year, so maybe next year they will be in the Premier League with us, and then we will have two Malaysians,” said Hasminderaputra. “I am proud of that.”

    On Fernandes, a self-proclaimed West Ham fan, he said,: “I am very pleased to see that he plans to take a different approach to the other rich owners and that they would like to run QPR like a proper business.

    “So hopefully this means they will not be spoiling the transfer market with obscene amounts of money.”

    Mohan Thamirajah, president of the official Malaysian Chelsea Supporters club, told Reuters that it did not matter who owned a football club as long as the team enjoyed success under the new ownership.

    “Basically, if you want to buy into a premiership club, you have to spend big,” Mohan said. “Tony is talking about spending tens of millions but I don’t know if that’s enough to generate success.”

    Southeast Asia is passionate about football and about the English Premier League in particular. In Malaysia, the interest borders on obsession and club rivalries are almost as fierce as on the terraces of faraway English grounds.

    However, Mohan said he did not think having a Malaysian owner would necessarily make the club popular with Malaysians.

    “If you look at Vincent Tan and Cardiff, they’ve hardly caused a ripple here since the purchase. It may be because they are in the first division, so it might be different if they were in the premiership and had more TV time.”

    On Twitter, some Malaysian fans suggested there might be a conflict of interest as Fernandes’s investment vehicle Tune Group sponsors Premier League referee gear.

    Others called on Fernandes to take Malaysian’s Safee Sali, who plays for Indonesia’s Pelita Jaya FC, to QPR.

    Fernandes joins a select club of Southeast Asian tycoons who have bought Premier League clubs, including former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who owned Manchester City briefly, and Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung.

    Malaysia got independence from Britain in 1957 and English is widely spoken among its 28 million people. In the capital Kuala Lumpur, bars are packed when satellite television channels show live Premier League games.

    In the off-season, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea visited Malaysia for friendlies and played to packed houses of up to 80,000 supporters.

    Liverpool and Manchester United have the biggest fan following, and Chelsea and Arsenal are tied for third place, local supporters say.

    Premier League Champions Manchester United are seeking to cash in on their support in the region with a $1-billion planned listing in neighboring Singapore, sources say.

    Reuters
     
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  2. Flanman

    Flanman Well-Known Member

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    Blah,blah,blah
     
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  3. QPAAAAAGH

    QPAAAAAGH Well-Known Member

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    Beneath the blah, blah, blah is an important issue. If a small club like QPR are to make a go of it longer term in the top tier then they need to look well beyond our 20k or so loyal supporters in the UK. Briatori knew that and did a good job with starting to globalize the QPR brand but was not able to deliver a Premiership team to back it up quickly enough. We are now premier League of course and hopefully Fernades and co are well placed to continue that process.
     
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  4. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    Agree QPRAAAAGH
    WE should not dismiss stuff like this. I said some time ago on the BBC606 that the future was getting asian countries involved with QPR. Just look at the World markets and where the growth is? Teams like ManU, Chels,City are not stupid and are getting involved with these countries. , by going on tour and sponsorship. Just think of the shirt sales or money people will spend to see these teams. I hope that the Mittals get India involved because that would be a huge market.
    Football has changed so much and we don't need to get left behind anymore.
    We are a Premiership club now and we need to act like one on and off the field.
     
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  5. QPAAAAAGH

    QPAAAAAGH Well-Known Member

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    Spot on Ellers. While we have missed the boat to some extent in parts of Asia India is particular is ripe for a Premier League invasion and QPR should be well placed to take advantage.
     
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  6. Flanman

    Flanman Well-Known Member

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    I wasn't trying to be flippent simply was at work and only got half way down before being called away, very good comments from both QPAAH & Ellers whole heartedly agree.

    Recently a new work colleague came from Australia who said he used to be a QPR fan since a boy but now supports Chelsea, I couldn't believe my ears "you can't change your football team in my book that's a sin". Anyway after he picked himself up off the floor he explained living down under he never got to see the games when we were relegated and therefore lost interest after a couple of years when we were in the wilderness, my point being you can't really blame him for following another team as he likes his footy but also showed me first hand the power of the prem and the value all those overseas supporters can bring to a club.
     
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  7. ELLERS

    ELLERS Well-Known Member

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    Funny i found this after i posted. If you have a few minutes watch his Bloomberg interview.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...ttal-s-billions-for-sake-of-soccer-glory.html

    I hope the link works.

    Really happy by what i have heard/seen/read about TF. This guy is the real deal chaps and i am sure he will make QPR a Success. Take a look at his business interests and how they are all doing well.
    What makes him stand out for me is the team around him and how genuine he comes across.
    Yes, these are early days but i really have a good feeling about our future.
    No we won't spend like Chelsea,City and co but we will get in the players that will move us forward.
     
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  8. Steelmonkey

    Steelmonkey Well-Known Member

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    If we can only gather a small minority of the Asian/Indian fanbase, it would massively increase our exposure, thus bringing in more income. If TF and AB push the brand in the right direction, I can see QPR doing far east tours pre-season in the coming years. All I've seen about both of them puts me in a really positive frame of mind regarding the club - probably the best I've felt since the Faurlin case was sorted out - this summer was nail-biting as a QPR fan!
     
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  9. BrixtonR

    BrixtonR Well-Known Member

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    The realities of contemporary football club ownership becomes clearer if we run two simple equations against each other.

    Income from Ticket Costs (Home Games Only)

    18,000 fans x £50 ticket = £900,000 x 19 home games = £13,300,000

    Players Wages (Estimate)

    35 players at average (just) £20,000 per week = £700,000 x 39 weeks = £27,300,000


    These are simply hypothetical figures and exclude just about every other cost involved so don't bother querying this and that... I'm only a fan and ain't about to go into full fledged accountancy!

    What it tells us is that to ensure solvency, there's a need to generate as many additional income streams as possible.

    Premier League football sells to a global market and interest must be attracted in as many countries as possible. It's kind of like a Monopoly game where London district names are replaced by the names of nation states. Top clubs have placed some chips on these national squares but the fact is, as with England, there is no limit to the number of clubs 'trading' in each nation; and there are lots of nations worth looking at.

    The bad news for Rangers is that there's lots of marketing work to do to start making hay (hence the new Mr Beard no doubt).

    The good news is that we've at last got people in place looking beyond their own arses!

    Way to go - game on! COYRRRRRsss!!
     
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  10. KooPeeArr

    KooPeeArr Well-Known Member

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    TF did unveil the guy behind the O2 and other things at the press conference which I was impressed with. It looks like they want to hit the ground running on marketing along with the entire club infrastructure.

    I'm so impressed with everything. Now waiting for a few signings with NW not tied by budget restrictions (still don't think he'd go nuts).

    Happy days.
     
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