Philip Beard reveals the new plan for #QPR page 20 http://www.fcbusiness.co.uk/eversion/fcb62/index.html
Very interesting article and goes to prove (as if we need proof) that the board are in this for the long term. Reading between the lines, i would reckon the new stadium isnt gonna far from Loftus Road
Great piece and great find Northolt Thanks. By the way, love your new signature picture And as Beard said in that article, a new stadium is a minimum 5 years away. So can we now not ruin every PR exercise from the club with expectations of a new stadium built "tomorrow"?!
A few quotes that i picked up on..... 'We are really at an early stage for a new stadium'. and 'a new stadium is a few years away, five years minimum'. so that tells us we are some way off. 'So if we are serious' what you mean you are not? and finally the quote that bugs me..... 'After all there is no point erecting a 40,000- 45,000 capacity arena and only having 18,500 coming along to watch the matches', sorry Phil but the reason we only get 18,500 is because that's all the ground holds. Do some history and check some of the gates in the 70's and 80's. And wasn't it them that said we had over 20K interest for season tickets. And finally you say in one quote that we need a bigger stadium for revenue and because of the money we lose each game then you say it will take a minimum of 5 years? Where is his business sense gone? Sorry but i don't like the sounds of some of the quotes. Shoot me down but it seemed as negative as the quote the other day of 'and hopefully a new stadium' when asked about the future. I know Rome was not built in a day but 5 years seems a long time to me and each day i read another bit of land in W12 going to someone else.
Phil Beard and team are vital to the growth of QPR. His CV is amazing and we are set for big, big, things. Some of us will have a moan about it not being like the old days, etc., but the future of the Club is in very good hands indeed.
Its only negative to the Clowns that got carried away (not saying you're one of them Ellers). If everyone manages to keep their feet on the ground - or at least tries - then we'll be far better prepared for the ups and downs that come our way.
I like what he says about the local area and staying close to LR. Sounds like there's not much chance of us ending up in Uxbridge or the like, which I'm very happy about.
Anyone thinking a new stadium is 3 years away is in dreamland. There is so much to do, so much to get approval for, and in a city like London where the land is at a premium it will take longer than other stadia in other parts of the country. I really like what PB said in that article- especially the bit about Shepherds Bush - it is vital not just for the fanbase, but for the club financially to stay in the near area with Westfield there.
Swords and Judo Totally agree. I know things take time. At work, it took about 4 years to get our new offices built (planning and stuff), and they are nothing compared to a stadium. I think Tony got carried away tweeting and quoting and fans believed it would be on the cards before the season started. However the only thing that bothers me is the finacial implications of only getting gates of 18K? I guess someone has deep pockets...
Thats a good point Ellers - but there is nothing anyone can do about that I guess. TF and AB will have to support the club until we get the new stadium - and I think they have both said they realise that and are willing to do so.
It takes 2 years to build it, theyve spent 6 months planning it already so 3.5 years total isnt out of the question as the design and acquiring of land will be done at the same time. I do admit that was the absolute best case scenario but it looks like weve lost our top 2 sites.
I dont think planning has even started by the sounds of it. PB said he has just been given the authority to explore feasability on number etc.. No planning has even started by the sounds of it to me.
They identified the sites they want and have plans drawn up of what it will look like, that sounds like planning to me. Obviously the major hurdle is getting the site and sorting out the planning permission because theres no point buying the land and then finding out they wont let us build there.
Thats not what PB said in the article though. I agree, before that article I thought exactly the same as you re your post above, but to me it sounds like a much earlier stage.
Coming late to this. Sorry. This is the one area where I think the TF vision is vague and uncertain. If it will genuinely take at least another 5 years to build a new stadium then I'm not sure how the business case can be drawn up with any degree of certainty. He can't possibly hope to make an ROI on the money being spent on players and facilities with crowds of 18500. In turn this means our investors are signing up for a big loss for 5+ years or risking the project by reducing investment. And then there is the small matter of EUFA investment rules on the horizon. I read the article and still don't see how this square can be circled short of simply doing a Man City for 5 years or so which isn't what Beard is about. Personally I think much more urgency is required in this area from a business sense. Also from the sense of improving on the bogs in the Ellerslie.
