I was thinking about the recent history of the club and have maybe come up with an unexpected potential parallel. It seems to me that there similarities between the Ecclestone/Briatore axis and Richard Thompson and also similarities between what some people hope the Mittals would be like and Chris Wright. I think that Thompson got unjustly harshly criticised for trying to run the club as a business and was regarded as an asset stripper, as the Goons are. Chris Wright poured a lot of his own money into the club, as many hope that Lakshmi Mittal will, the major difference here being that Mittal has an awful lot more money. I agree it is slightly tenuous, but there is some sort of parallel. This leads on to an obvious question. With the benefit of hindsight, who was the better chairman â Thompson or Wright?
Chris Wright's tenure was soured by the Wasps association, he was a QPR fan, but it was a business marriage made in hell. So, for me it would be Thompson. Going slightly more off at a tangent, I was thinking of David Bulstrode the other day, & couldn't remember exactly when his chairmanship took place.
David Bulstrode was a good man, also a fan of the Hoops! How things could have been different if he had lived?
Am I correct in thinking that David was brought in purely for his business acumen, & fell in love with the Hoops before his untimely death.
Bulstrode's death was a hammer blow at the time, but, with hindsight, the Thompson era was the club's most succesful period in the top flight. It was the proposed appointment of Rodney Marsh as Director of Football that led to Francis going to Spurs and our slide into oblivion. Chris Wright was an allegedly successful businessman who jumped on the stock market bandwagon to finance his other love, Wasps RFC. We ultimately financed their successes, I remember when we were struggling in the two seasons after relegation the announcement that Dallaglio had signed a £250,000 a year contract when Wasps gates at Loftus Road were around 5,000 and there were other big money signings. That may not sound much these days but in Rugby they were monumental wages. When the plc went tits-up we were the fall guys, Wasps went to Wycombe and we went into administration. Who was better? The facts are indisputable, Wright was wrong!
Bulstrode was chairman after Jim Gregory. he took over in May '87 and died in Sep '88. Yeah, we could be called Fulham Park Rangers! Bulstrode was behind that proposed merger. I, for one, was on the pitch in protest and I very much doubt I'm on my own here.
Fulham Park Rangers, yes that still sends shivers down various parts of my body! Didn't think it was that long ago though, doesn't time fly!
Do you think it was solely Francis leaving, or more the general lack of funds which was inevitable for a small club? I'd say that the unwise investment of the "Ferdinand" money was equally to blame. Zelic, Osborne, Hateley. So going back to my original comparison, do you think we are better staying with Ecclestone/Briatore?
When Francis left Wilkins took over and didn't make any significant changes for the remainder of that season, we were also fortunate to have a run of 6 home games in 7 fixtures during late Feb and March which helped push us into the top half of the table. Once Wilkins actually had to make decisions for himself it all went pear-shaped. Ferdinand was always going so the £6 million was an opportunity to strengthen key areas of the team but we were always going to miss Ferdinand's presence and goals. Sadly, the £6 million was squandered on players that were worse than those already in the team, Zelic, Osbourne, Hateley just didn't perform and we also had the opportunity to sell Sinclair for big money to try and rescue our season but didn't. Wilkins decisions were the reasonn we went down and I don't think Francis would have made such errors. I think the contempt both Bernie & Flav show for the supporters makes their position untenable in the long term. Whatever the questionmarks over the Mittals they have made the right noises with the fans and at least seem to show some empathy with us.
It seems to me that Ecclestone is just in it for whatever profit he can make, clearly he doesn't give a monkey's for the club or fans. As for Flav, I've not been able to to work out what his motives are for hanging around. The Mittals appear at least to actually care about the club, & show some interest in the supporters. The resignation over ticket prices for example, if of course that is accurate.
In Wilkins' defence (not something I'd make a habit of) he didn't have £6 million to spend. A chunk of that went to pay off some debts, there were administration worries even in those days. Those 3 players were a disaster, but who could have replaced Sir Les? Not much of a defence as I've never forgiven him either! Completely agree, but would the same have been said about Chris Wright?
let's not forget that Wilkins was brought in to be the bridge between supporters and board. Persoanally, i would have preferrered Chris Wright than the Thompsons purely because Wright was a QPR fan. Admittedly, I believe he took too much on board as he was heading Heart Radio, Chrylasis Records (who had problems), rugby and football. However, I would have had David Bulstrode over the two prveiously mentioned. Yes I was on the pitch at the thought of Fulham Park Rangers - however, i do not think that that particular move would have ever worked. When Wimbledon were shafted by the FA and moved to Milton Keynes, there was no football team in that area and therefore there was an opportunity to get fans. However, if QPR and Fulham had merged, where would they have played, LR of Craven Cottage? And who would have supported this "new club" - for a start I would say that Bulstride would have alienated somewhere between 20 and 25 thousand people who would not have watched the new team. Also as far as Wilkins goes, I mean the guy must be very unlucky to sigbn the only Australian that cannot settle to life in the UK. Simon Osbourne was a talented player but for whatever reason the move did not work out. Hateley was an old boys act of friendship. and as so far as replacing Sr Les, I do not recall anyone being available that was fit to lace his boots. Back to the point - goons or Mittals. Mittals for me all the time. With them in charge, they would be daft NOT to promote QPR in Asia thus hopfully expanding our fan base. Plus, they would have the necessay finds in which to build a new stand and sell LR fo a profit.
