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- Warnock on How he Tried to Sign Rudolph Austin while at QPR (But Briatore Wouldn't)
- Warnock's Column Including re Last Night's Leeds Fan Vicious Assault
The News Conservative Party Chief Whip, Sir George Young: A QPR Supporter!
Sir George Young - Come On you R's
25 Oct 2008
Last Saturday afternoon was spent at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, watching Reading play Queens Park Rangers. I drove there with mixed loyalties.
As a young lad growing up in Berkshire, I would make the pilgrimage on a Saturday to Elm Park Road – their old ground - to watch Reading play at home. Known then as the Biscuitmen, because of the Huntley and Palmer’s factory in the town, they never achieved the ambitions I harboured for them. They were subjected to cruel jokes by my friends who supported glamorous clubs like Arsenal and Spurs. They would ask me if it was true that, so small was the home crowd, the announcer read out the names of the spectators as well as the players. And was it the case that the Reading goalkeeper was so short-sighted that he couldn’t even find the ball at the back of the net?
Later, as the MP for Acton in West London, I shared my commitment to Reading with a commitment to Queens Park Rangers. This was not as difficult as it sounds. They were in different leagues, and both sides had white and blue colours. Both were known as the Hoops and the cry from both terraces was “Come On You R’s”. I bought four season tickets for myself and my two sons, who could then invite whichever schoolfriend they wanted to curry favour with. I started taking them at an early age – one son surprised his mother on return by singing a chant he had picked up from the terraces at Loftus Road - “The ref’s a w*nker”. Queens Park Rangers got to Wembley one year and lost, and then sank down the league. At one home game where they were playing appallingly, a dog strayed onto the pitch. The game was momentarily halted. “Leave the dog on” shouted my neighbour, “Take Masson off.”
The game last Saturday was a draw, with QPR thankful to get an away point, having sacked their manager the day before.
I played my last game of football a few years ago for the parliamentary team. We went to Bisham Abbey, where the England team trained, to play a team of Swiss Parliamentarians. We were hoping to get revenge for the Annual Ski Race at Davos which the Swiss Parliamentarians understandably won every year.
We played this match after a bitter row in the Commons, when the Labour Government were accused of breaking a pair – the equivalent of pocketing your opponent’s ball at golf. Relations had broken down and, if MP’s had ambassadors, they would have been recalled. We took to the pitch barely on speaking terms with each other and perhaps took our row to extremes. The Conservatives would only pass to other Conservatives, and the Labour MP’s would only pass to other comrades. By half-time we were severely behind. After sucking an orange, we agreed to call a truce and went on to win. Sir George Young
The Star/Ed Aarons - MARK HUGHES TELLS QPR TO SPARK A REVIVAL
20th October 2012
MARK Hughes insists he is not threatened by rumours linking Harry Redknapp with his job at QPR.
The ex-Spurs boss has been heavily tipped to take over if Hughes does not turn things around at Loftus Road soon.
But despite his side being rock bottom of the table and still looking for a first win of the season, the former Manchester City manager has no doubts he remains the right man for the job.
“I know how well I work. I know what my staff do on a daily basis. I would put my ability up against anyone,” he said.
“I’m very positive about where we are. I understand the reasons why we are where we are.
“The focus on us is not going to go away until we start winning games, we understand that.
“We can’t change that until we start winning games. So why worry about it?”
Hughes added: “It’s the football world. We’re at the bottom of the league as we stand.
“But we feel once we get players back and we have continuity of selection then we can produce good football. It’s only a matter of time.”
Rangers owner Tony Fernandes again backed Hughes on Twitter after the 3-2 loss to West Brom last time out.
But with most of his injured players now back, Hughes knows it is time to start delivering results.
He said: “It wasn’t an excuse, it was just reality.
“We need to put some points on the board because the longer it goes on we put pressure on ourselves if that doesn’t happen soon.
“We just need a couple of results and we’re not far from turning defeats into positive results.
“But we have to eradicate the mistakes because at the moment we aren’t giving ourselves the best chance.”
Five straight home wins at the end of last season, including the scalps of Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs was the main reason QPR survived last term.
And Hughes knows it is vital to rediscover their Midas touch in west London.
He said: “Last season our home form is what kept us up.
“We’ve got to replicate that and get the same intensity and the same ability to get the crowd behind us.
“We have not recreated that yet this season.
“Once we do that then everybody understands Loftus Road is a really difficult place for teams to come.
“So we’ve got to keep on recreating that atmosphere that helps us and hinders opposition teams.
” The Star
20th October 2012
MARK Hughes insists he is not threatened by rumours linking Harry Redknapp with his job at QPR.
The ex-Spurs boss has been heavily tipped to take over if Hughes does not turn things around at Loftus Road soon.
But despite his side being rock bottom of the table and still looking for a first win of the season, the former Manchester City manager has no doubts he remains the right man for the job.
“I know how well I work. I know what my staff do on a daily basis. I would put my ability up against anyone,” he said.
“I’m very positive about where we are. I understand the reasons why we are where we are.
“The focus on us is not going to go away until we start winning games, we understand that.
“We can’t change that until we start winning games. So why worry about it?”
Hughes added: “It’s the football world. We’re at the bottom of the league as we stand.
“But we feel once we get players back and we have continuity of selection then we can produce good football. It’s only a matter of time.”
Rangers owner Tony Fernandes again backed Hughes on Twitter after the 3-2 loss to West Brom last time out.
But with most of his injured players now back, Hughes knows it is time to start delivering results.
He said: “It wasn’t an excuse, it was just reality.
“We need to put some points on the board because the longer it goes on we put pressure on ourselves if that doesn’t happen soon.
“We just need a couple of results and we’re not far from turning defeats into positive results.
“But we have to eradicate the mistakes because at the moment we aren’t giving ourselves the best chance.”
Five straight home wins at the end of last season, including the scalps of Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs was the main reason QPR survived last term.
And Hughes knows it is vital to rediscover their Midas touch in west London.
He said: “Last season our home form is what kept us up.
“We’ve got to replicate that and get the same intensity and the same ability to get the crowd behind us.
“We have not recreated that yet this season.
“Once we do that then everybody understands Loftus Road is a really difficult place for teams to come.
“So we’ve got to keep on recreating that atmosphere that helps us and hinders opposition teams.
” The Star
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - MARSH: FANS NEED TO BE PATIENT
Rodney insists results will come
The results will come and I'm confident this new-look team will begin to gel very soon."
Rodney Marsh
QPR LEGEND Rodney Marsh believes Rangers fans need to show a sense of realism and patience over the coming weeks.
Mark Hughes's men have collected just two points from their opening seven Barclays Premier League fixtures, but Marsh believes results will come.
Speaking exclusively to London Call-In last night, Marsh said: "I am one-hundred per-cent convinced QPR will climb the table in the coming weeks and I am one-hundred per-cent convinced the club won't be relegated.
"The fans need to be patient.
"The media, who mostly know next to nothing by the way, try to create such a load of nonsense.
"QPR have new owners, new directors, new players, a new management team and people are talking about replacing the manager after seven games - that, to me, borders on insanity.
"I'm not telling Tony Fernandes how to run this football club by the way, but the results will come and I'm confident this new-look team will begin to gel very soon."
Marsh added: "I look at Taarabt, Faurlin - who is a lovely player - and Granero, for example, and I see good quality.
"But the important thing is the defensive unit doing well and I am sure Mark will agree one-hundred per-cent with me on that.
"There have been a lot of injuries in that department. It's not an excuse, it's a reason.
"When you're given a reason for failure, you have to look at the other side of the coin. And in this instance, Rangers have suffered from a change in personnel and a change in system.
"A solid central defensive partnership is so important and hopefully Mark will get that right once everyone returns to full fitness."
*To view more of Marsh's views on all-things Rangers, click here QPR
From Yesterday's QPR Report!
The Annual BBC BBC Sport Price of Football survey 2012
The BBC Reports "T he average cost of the cheapest adult ticket in the top four divisions of English football has risen by 11.7% in the past 12 months ...the average price of the cheapest matchday ticket in English league football has gone from £19.01 to £21.24
The BBC Survey also lists the most expensive and cheapest season tickets and individual Adult Match Day ticket. ALso Cost of Food, Drink and Programme.BBC
For QPR
Cheapest Season Ticket £ 499.00
Most Expensive Season Ticket £ 949.00
Cheapest Adult Day Ticket £ 25.00
Most Expensive Adult Day Ticet £ 55.00
Cheapest Day Out £ 33.00
Programme £ 3.00
Pie £ 3.00
Tea £ 2.00
See Also the BBC Assessment
