Thursday, 25 September 2014 Should QPR mean Quiet Press Release? by James Evans Hand on heart I think I can honestly remember supporting QPR since the mid 1980s. In that time, I can remember crazy highs, QPR being the highest placed London club in the Premier League for several seasons, to real lows, us being relegated to the third tier. What I can also recall, is scouring the sport pages or ceefax in the faint hope of reading a few column inches about my team. However, this has now changed, massively. Taking the surge of interest and the internet boom as a given, QPRâs press and media profile is ridiculous and makes a rod for our backs. I think the current QPR media team is doing a fantastic job, but the club need to adopt a less is more policy when it comes to future announcements. As a fan, I feel completely confused about the current status of the clubâs training ground and stadium plans. The plans for a state of the art, multi-million pound facility at Warren Farm were announced with much fan fare and now, as a result of local protests, the club seems to have ditched plans to develop there at all. It now looks like they are going to improve their current training ground at Harlington. Hereâs an idea. If in doubt, say nothing. Better yet, wait until a spade has broken ground before revealing anything to the press and the fans. Read more here........... http://jimeevans.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/should-qpr-mean-quiet-press-release.html
There's a certain validity to the comments. It's the conflicting information and jumping the gun (transfers and projects) that drives me crazy. I also admit that I'm slightly hypocritical in terms of wanting to know the latest but we appear to have missed out on a couple of players as a result of premature announcements and, worse yet, are in danger of doing the same for the New Queens Park stadium (I don't think it has affected the training ground although that may or may not still be a false dawn).
" Hand on heart I think I can honestly remember supporting QPR since the mid 1980s" WTF? Let's take a minute to ponder the state of mind of someone who could submit such a bizarre sentence for public consumption. - paranoia - he obviously believes his readership will not believe even such a banal claim - 'hand on heart' 'honestly' - incipient dementia? 'I think I remember' - I think I remember where I left my keys. I remember pretty exactly when I first started following QPR. I know I would remember perfectly, unless already committed to a care home, if I was so entranced by the club as to write a blog about it. Certainly more exactly than 'the mid 1980's' (sometime between 1983 and 1987 then) - alcoholism/substance abuse. May not be paranoiac or demented, simply drunk or stoned when he wrote it. Perhaps the clue is in the title of his blog site - 'Confessions of a Mad Fan' I laughed so much at this once I'd stopped scratching my head I didn't read the rest.
I think the owners just have more faith in their abilities than most of our fans. Warren Farm isn't dead at all, the problem lies with the council, they're the ones who have the legal problems with the dog walkers, not us. So it's down to them to see them off which is probably frustrating the club leading to the story about us possibly losing interest. As for the Stadium, we know the main hurdle in cargiant, what none of us know is what the club know and have discussed behind closed doors. It would seem that TF does need to learn when to keep shtum, but that doesn't mean he can't get things done. Fans just have to realise that these things take time and we aren't privvy to the ongoings of such subjects until they're finalised, despite Tony opening his big gob.
To the above: Hi, I wrote the blog, I thought how best to reply to your comments. I considered not replying at all, or trying the classic witty reply, but decided that I'd go with an honest response. So, yes I agree the first sentence is pretty woolly and non committal, but as you have pointed out, the title of the blog probably hints that's it's going to be an irreverent take. I guess that poses the problem of trying to be considered seriously when blogging. Point taken. It's a shame that you didn't read the rest, as I would be genuinely interested to hear your opinions, positive or negative on the rest. This isn't my living or anything but always keen on feedback. As for the drunk or stoned comments, in all honesty I was simply bored. Though I have taken some lemsip this morning for a rotten cold. So you were partly right about being intoxicated. I'm on Jury Service at present and wrote the blog whilst waiting to be assigned a case. If you've never done it (jury service, not a blog) it can really drag. Anyway, glad that I made you laugh even if it was entirely unintentional on my part! James
Just to add that I have amended the first sentence. Future deconstruction may be less inspired. Anyway, be keen to hear a reply SB 73
Don't be disheartened James - we're all a bunch of pedants and nit-pickers (although a nice bunch all the same). A blank canvass and the required impact of the opening few words can be a problem but it was a piece that did make me consider my own opinions on the topic (or at least bring them all together). It's also very gracious of you to come on here and explain yourself and, despite any misgivings that you may now have about us all, it would be good if you felt like joining us in this mad old forum occasionally. No hard feelings (hopefully), Matt
Fair play to you James! Keep it up mate. It's been a slow week on here, so I think the ribbing probably owes more to that than to your article. Personally I'm always a sucker for a bit of extreme pedantry
With regret, Matt, I have to point out that a 'bunch' does not appear to be an approved collective noun for a pleurality of pedants. http://all-sorts.org/nouns/pedants
Cheers guys. Fret not, I'm not disheartened at all! Although, QPR's head of media Ian Taylor followed me on Twitter today. I'm a marked man.
Excellent! However, it does look like a special interest site that asks for suggestions for new collective nouns so I don't think it's definitive and I might just recommend the addition of "a bunch of pedants" so that, in essence, I was right (even if it's the least erudite offering on there).
Fair play to you James you do make some valid points. You may get a call from Tone at some stage for a quick chat about it all. Don't be a stranger on this board....
Nice one James. Apologies for my sarcasm, but it was an opportunity too good to miss (and a truly arresting sentence!) I agree with your viewpoint though. We have moved from little/no communication a few years ago to constant over communication now. I like Fernandes (though doubts are creeping in) but he is like an over enthusiastic boy sometimes, an idea or plan that looks exciting is shouted to the rooftops as nailed on, inevitably leading to confusion and disappointment when barriers emerge or things happen slowly. We have got nowhere with Warren Farm in over 3 years, why anyone believes a new stadium can be built by 2018 is beyond me. I think I preferred it when I first started supporting (September 1972) when you got your news from the newspapers, largely on Sundays or Mondays. But I am just a cynical old git.
f** off Col!! Sorry I didn't make the brains trust last Saturday, too knackered to leave my seat, and trying to process the flow of texts from my wife about the car she was about to buy without any discussion (or even hint that she needed a new car) prior to me leaving the house that morning........
