QPR.. from moneybags to laughing stock

The circus continues: http://qprreport.blogspot.com/2008/11/helguson-loan-twiststill-silence-from.html

£50 for a ticket?

Well, I've come out of blogging retirement.

Why? Because the super rich morons in charge of QPR think they can charge fans £50 to watch a QPR game. Although this price band is for the most exclusive seats, even the cheap seats are £30 a pop. And they are very uncomfortable and don't provide a great view.

Well done to Derby fans for standing up to QPR on this issue.

If you want more about his story, check QPRREPORT, or here.

Stupid Stu Leaves Out Dex

Michael Mancienne came on as a sub for England U21s tonight, but Stuart Pearce did not allow Dexter Blackstock to leave the subs bench, instead opting for Theo Walcott.

What a joke, Walcott is fast but by no means a proven goalscorer at first team level... unlike Dexter Blackstock.

Blackstock scored shed loads of goals last season, and considering it was for a team that was struggling all season, his achievement is all the greater.

GIVE HIM A CHANCE.

Almost there....

From the Daily Mail:

Renault chief Flavio Briatore will complete his takeover of Queens Park Rangers within the next 24 hours. And Michael Mancienne, who is on a season's loan at QPR from Chelsea, believes the arrival of new funds could ensure Rangers get back in the Premier League next season.

Three of Rangers' four main shareholders have signed documents selling their shares to Briatore and the fourth, Franco Zanotti, is expected to follow suit this evening.

Club chairman Gianni Paladini, plc chairman Antonio Caliendo and Brazil manager Dunga, who with Zanotti make up the Monaco-based consortium that own 62 per cent of the club, have sold their holdings to the Italian businessman over the past few days.

"There is only Zanotti left and then the deal is complete," said Paladini. "It will either be tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest."

A press conference is likely to be scheduled for early next week to unveil Briatore, who is in Istanbul preparing for Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix.

Briatore will clear Rangers' £17million debt and will hand manager John Gregory around £10m, which will allow him to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes.

David McIntyre on the takeover

The Ealing Gazette reporter on the new regime...


Caliendo paves way for new Italian regime

Aug 20 2007

Rangers all set for change of ownership

By David McIntyre

MAJOR shareholder Antonio Caliendo has finally agreed to sell his stake in QPR to a group that includes Renault Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore. The proposed deal ran into serious trouble last week when Caliendo released a statement saying the club was not for sale following a furious row with Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini prior to Tuesday night’s Carling Cup game against Leyton Orient. Talks resumed the next day and the buy-out looked to be back on. Yet even as Paladini and his allies were celebrating, Caliendo was talking to other interested parties about a possible alternative deal. But Caliendo is now ready to sell to the new Italian regime and is due to formally sign over his shares on Tuesday. Paladini, who is selling most of his share, is to stay on as chairman but - at the request of the incoming new owners – the rest of the QPR board of directors have resigned. Kevin Steele, who did much of the work to secure the takeover, is stepping down along with Nick De Marco and recently-appointed director James Ferrary. Caliendo and his Monaco-based backers have been involved with QPR since 2004. Former Brazil captain Dunga was part of the group as were a number of other individuals, including former Argentina international Ramon Diaz. At one stage, Diaz was in line to take over as manager before a winning run saw Ian Holloway cling onto the job. Paladini and the Monaco-based groups collectively owned a majority of shares in QPR under the guise of companies Moorbound, Barnaby and Wanlock. Three new companies will now similarly own a majority stake as part of the takeover agreement. One of the first tasks facing the new owners will be to rid Rangers of the troublesome £10million loan arranged prior to the club coming out of administration in 2002. The interest rate of around 11 per cent has been a major burden and the terms of that deal were changed when a recent additional £1.3million loan was agreed. ABC Corporation can now acquire the freehold on Loftus Road if the original £10million loan is not resolved by August next year. The new owners plan to take on this loan themselves at a much more favourable interest rate – probably around 6.5 per cent.

QPR Board Resigns!!!

Things seem to be moving in the right direction...

From the official site:

BOARD CHANGES
Posted on: Mon 20 Aug 2007

The Board of Directors of QPR Holdings Ltd have tendered their
resignations with immediate effect ahead of potential new investment.

Speaking to www.qpr.co.uk earlier today, out-going Board members Nick
De Marco, James Ferrary and Kevin Steele issued the following
statement.

"We are delighted to be able to tender our resignations from the Board
of Queens Park Rangers Football Club in order to assist in the changes
set to take place this week.

We believe the new investment coming into the Club will be the most
important for years; will save QPR from the perilous financial
position we have found ourselves in over the past years; and should
put the Club in an excellent position to move forward.

We would like to thank Gianni Paladini in particular for attracting
this important new investment and we are delighted he will stay on as
Chairman of the Club. Gianni has had a difficult job keeping the Club
going but he has pulled off a master-stroke in bringing in this new
investment.

We are also deeply grateful to Antonio Caliendo and Franco Zanotti for
both financing the Club over the past years and for the terms upon
which they have agreed to assist with the new investment.

We are certain the new investors and the new board will get behind
John Gregory and give him the support he needs. We are also positive
that the fans can get behind a new board and continue in their loyal
and unrivalled support for the team.

It has been an honour for all of us to serve this great Club, and we
are grateful to all the staff and supporters we have had the pleasure
to work with."

*The Club will be making no further comment at this stage.

Here we go again... QPR 0 Cardiff 2

New season, same old Rangers.

Cardiff played well, but the R's barely played at all. The defense was
ineffective, the midfield non-existent and the attackers simply didn't
receive any service. It was a bizarre starting eleven that John
Gregory named, notably for the inclusion of Zesh Rehman at right back,
even though the previous season proved Zesh to be shaky at best at
Championship level.

Simply, there were no positives from this game.

This is what The Mirror thought:

QPR 0-2 Cardiff City

Birthday Boy Paul Parry showed Cardiff's new stellar recruits Robbie
Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank that they won't be gifted a starting
place.

Parry, who turned 27 yesterday, swopped his normal midfield habitat
for a striking role. And he kicked off his celebrations by making the
first goal and scoring the second to seal a well-deserved win against
hapless Rangers.

Parry's first league start of the season left boss David Jones
promising to make top billers Robbie and Jimmy wait their turn.

"It's not my position - the boss asked me on Friday if I was willing
to play there and I jumped at the chance," said Parry after Cardiff
had picked up their first league win of the season.

"I think I did pretty well, I felt right at home but overall I'm just
happy to be on the team sheet." He may also have made Wales boss John
Toshack choke on his cornflakes after the decision to overlook him for
Wednesday's friendly against Bulgaria.

First Parry cleverly flicked on a Trevor Sinclair corner for Steve
MacLean to sweep the ball home in the 29th minute, then he bulleted in
a 56th minute header.

But Parry isn't convinced he'll quickly add to his six caps. "Toshack
seems to have his squad settled, so I am just going to have to
concentrate on Cardiff City and hope to fight my way back in," he
added.

Unless QPR are quickly rescued from the financial precipice by
Renault's Formula One boss Flavio Briatore, John Gregory's men could
be facing a fight of their own ... to stay in the Championship.

Billionaire Briatore is in takeover talks which could wipe out the
club's £17million debt along with the threat of administration.

There is also talk of a further £100m investment.

But defender Michael Mancienne - on a season's loan from Chelsea -
insists there is already enough quality in the Rangers team to avoid
another hairraising flirtation with relegation.

"We'll bounce back from this," said Mancienne, whose disappointment
was tempered by his call-up for the England Under-21 squad to face
Romania tomorrow.

"It was just one of those games. We'll do well this season.

"Coming here isn't a step back for me, it was a step forward. I
certainly see myself as a Premiership player in the future."

England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce was at Loftus Road and the
19-year-old added: "It was an aim of mine to get a call-up but it's
come earlier than expected.

"If I get the chance I'm sure I can do a job for England."