Another Tony Interview (with LFW)

[Stanley]

IMO the worst decision TF has made since the takeover was making lower-loft a family stand. Ever since, that area generates no noise whatsoever and as a result has totally ruined the atmosphere at LR - which in effect equates to countless dropped points at home IMO. We may well still be a PL club if it hadn't been for that monumentally ignorant and ill-advised decision. Worse still, the board STILL don't acknowledge this and is therefore a mistake they STILL haven't learn't from.

[Kevin Mcleod]

Where do you think the family section could and should be Stan? Last corner of Ellerlsie by the loft?

[Stanley]

Any of the Ellerslie blocks from T to X, or find a way to make lower-school end safe.

[Shania]

IMO the worst decision TF has made since the takeover was making lower-loft a family stand. Ever since, that area generates no noise whatsoever and as a result has totally ruined the atmosphere at LR - which in effect equates to countless dropped points at home IMO. We may well still be a PL club if it hadn't been for that monumentally ignorant and ill-advised decision. Worse still, the board STILL don't acknowledge this and is therefore a mistake they STILL haven't learn't from.

Has a representative from this site ever told the people in high places about this? I just wonder?

[MYU]

Not sure if this was Tony's idea or not but hope it's corrected for next season. We used to have a lot more vocal fans before and need it back.

[TBLOCKRANGER]

Any of the Ellerslie blocks from T to X, or find a way to make lower-school end safe.

Not sure Stan as S to W of Ellerslie is currently Gold and therefore club unlikely to either make family section (currently silver) more expensive by moving from silver to gold. Alternately can't see the club reducing T & W to silver as it will be major revenue loss including losing even more for family/children packages. T & W are prime Gold s/t areas just makes no financial sense and will cause discontent if changed.
As to X, I think the club might have childcare responsibilities...nonsense yesterday was hardly an advert for family fun day in X block.

[West Acton]

Don't think we need a family stand myself great if you have big stadium but we don't so not sure why we're creating something when we have such limited space.

Got be honest when I look lower loft don't see tons and tons of kids faces anyway so don't think the idea has worked so not sure we can blame lack of atmosphere on that.

For me the win win situation is to make first two blocks of lower loft SA road side family section and the rest over towards R block for anyone

[Stanley]

Not sure Stan as S to W of Ellerslie is currently Gold and therefore club unlikely to either make family section (currently silver) more expensive by moving from silver to gold. Alternately can't see the club reducing T & W to silver as it will be major revenue loss including losing even more for family/children packages. T & W are prime Gold s/t areas just makes no financial sense and will cause discontent if changed.
As to X, I think the club might have childcare responsibilities...nonsense yesterday was hardly an advert for family fun day in X block.

Tblock, it's a cost-benefit analysis. As I say, you could make a very strong case for saying we may still be a PL club had it not been for the loss of lower-loft to a family stand, causing the ruination of the once great LR atmosphere. It's what always made it a fortress and 12th man. I believe that the fiscal loss to the club of one Ellerslie block to a family section would be offset by the aforementioned point.

To compound the issue further, we also see many empty seats in lower-loft, killing the atmosphere even more.

Don't think we need a family stand myself great if you have big stadium but we don't so not sure why we're creating something when we have such limited space.

Got be honest when I look lower loft don't see tons and tons of kids faces anyway so don't think the idea has worked so not sure we can blame lack of atmosphere on that.

For me the win win situation is to make first two blocks of lower loft SA road side family section and the rest over towards R block for anyone

Agree with that Wests, especially the last sentence.

[Hubble]

IMO the worst decision TF has made since the takeover was making lower-loft a family stand. Ever since, that area generates no noise whatsoever and as a result has totally ruined the atmosphere at LR - which in effect equates to countless dropped points at home IMO. We may well still be a PL club if it hadn't been for that monumentally ignorant and ill-advised decision. Worse still, the board STILL don't acknowledge this and is therefore a mistake they STILL haven't learn't from.

That's actually not true Stan, Lee Hoos is well aware of this, and therefore the club is too. It was made patently obvious this was a problem at the fans' sites' meeting with Hoos and at the fans' forum with him a couple of months later. Both times, Hoos acknowledged this was a problem (you can read it in the minutes if you can be bothered to check them). However, the solution was not clear. Several people suggested moving the family area to the SA corner of the Lower loft, thereby giving 3/4 back to create atmosphere. Personally I think the front 5 rows of say T or V block would suffice. G block SA would also be an option. Ideally, we'd put away fans in the corner at X block, and give the lower School End to the families, but that isn't practical of course.

I also think it's a bit of an exaggeration to say we'd still be in the Prem if this hadn't happened!

[Stanley]

That's actually not true Stan, Lee Hoos is well aware of this, and therefore the club is too. It was made patently obvious this was a problem at the fans' sites' meeting with Hoos and at the fans' forum with him a couple of months later. Both times, Hoos acknowledged this was a problem (you can read it in the minutes if you can be bothered to check them). However, the solution was not clear. Several people suggested moving the family area to the SA corner of the Lower loft, thereby giving 3/4 back to create atmosphere. Personally I think the front 5 rows of say T or V block would suffice. G block SA would also be an option. Ideally, we'd put away fans in the corner at X block, and give the lower School End to the families, but that isn't practical of course.

Yes I accept that Hoos has been made aware of the problem, as was Beard before him. My main point is that in the four years we've complained about the issue the club have yet to act in any tangible way. So my conclusion from that is that they don't see the issue as important enough to have done something about it, which is where I and many others disagree with them. As I've said, I am explaining it here in a way that essentially equates to a large amount of dropped competitive points over the last 4 years.

I also think it's a bit of an exaggeration to say we'd still be in the Prem if this hadn't happened!

I never said we definitely would still be in the Prem. I said I believe there is a strong chance we would be, if the club had kept lower-loft as it originally was.

[West Acton]

Do we even need a family stand think that's first question which needs asking

[Stanley]

Do we even need a family stand think that's first question which needs asking

Personally I don't think we do.

However if the majority want it then fine, but it's in completely the wrong place and it should be a priority to move it (or reduce its size like you've suggested), as it's created far more problems than it's solved by having it in LL.

[Hubble]

I don't think we need one either, the ground is certainly too small to justify giving the whole of the lower loft over to families, certainly. The other issue is that for night games so many seats are empty because families don't turn up. But like I said, Hoos is already aware of this and concedes it's a problem, so maybe you need to start a petition to give to him, to persuade him he needs to change things.

[JJB]

F me. JJB, how long have you supported our club? 5 minutes? If you were truly a long time supporter, you would be used to this rollercoaster ride.
It really grinds me that I have to sit back and allow a bunch of planks put down my club.
In reference to the comments about this forum having a bad rep, how many other indie fan forums donate to QPR related charities and offer prizes and free tickets on a regular basis?

No, not 5 mins, try 35 years. Its not about not being used to this rollercoaster ride , its about not accepting the serious miss management under TF chairmanship which wally's like you and many others can't see due to the endless spin he and his media boys create.

Still ignore the fact of just how crap we are doing under TF considering all the money we have tossed away these last 4/5 years.

[Kirill]

No, not 5 mins, try 35 years. Its not about not being used to this rollercoaster ride , its about not accepting the serious miss management under TF chairmanship which wally's like you and many others can't see due to the endless spin he and his media boys create.

Still ignore the fact of just how crap we are doing under TF considering all the money we have tossed away these last 4/5 years.

But he gave (another) honest interview so everything will be alright now, chill dude