Family Stand in Lower Loft

[Northolt_Rs]

In the past we have sold x block to away fans if I remember right

That must be some time ago as I can’t ever remember that happening.

[Northolt_Rs]

Tonight was the perfect example of why this decision has been an absolute disaster for a multitude of reasons.

Just compare it to the away end which had both tiers full and noisy, with our end which was meek by comparison with an almost half empty lower-loft.

The decision to put the family stand there has basically ruined the atmosphere at home games now, or at least is the primary reason for it. Even as a financial / business decision it makes no sense whatsoever by the club because destroying the atmosphere at home games directly correlates to poorer results on the pitch from the negatively impacted atmosphere. The loft end is no longer the 12th man it used to be, especially in the 2nd half of games when it used to almost will the ball into the net.

A far better solution IMO would be to make the lower school end the family stand, and upper school end for home fans. This would also solve the problem of an often completely empty lower school end - which again also makes no business sense as it reduces attendances. The away stand could be either one of the paddocks, or both if there's a larger away following; or to give them X block and create adequate segregation with W block.

I just think it's so embarrassing to us as a club when away teams can fill both school end tiers and make a ton of noise, when our home end is so feeble by comparison, especially as it never used to be that way in the pre-family stand days, when our renowned LR atmosphere of bygone days was once so feared by opposing teams. The fact that it makes no business sense either makes it even more baffling, when there is surely a better solution.

I’m sure people are going to want to sit with their kids underneath Millwall, Leeds, Sheffield Weds, Cardiff, etc scum fans. That’s the dopiest idea ever mate. There’s no atmosphere in the ground because everyone is tired of watching sh.i.t results, away fans crowing etc. Get some results on the pitch and you’ll have the place rocking again.

[loftbalcony]

That must be some time ago as I can’t ever remember that happening.

Pretty certain we gave it to Chelsea and Portsmouth and couple of others who brought massive away away supports, early 90's?

[Northolt_Rs]

So 25-30 years ago then!

[loftbalcony]

So 25-30 years ago then!

Well 27ish! Trouble is as you get older it all seems like yesterday, I'm sure I saw Peter Eastoe score an overhead kick against everton the other day.

[vespa]

Pretty certain we gave it to Chelsea and Portsmouth and couple of others who brought massive away away supports, early 90's?

remember we gave it to Port Vale one year ,probably 97/98 ,they brought about 30 fans with a few OB round them . Chelsea just came and sat where they liked anyway !

[vespa]

I’m sure people are going to want to sit with their kids underneath Millwall, Leeds, Sheffield Weds, Cardiff, etc scum fans. That’s the dopiest idea ever mate. There’s no atmosphere in the ground because everyone is tired of watching sh.i.t results, away fans crowing etc. Get some results on the pitch and you’ll have the place rocking again.

Stan was saying have the Upper tier for home fans ,with the family stand underneath and move the away fans elsewhere. Personally id rather not have families behind either goal ,rather it was all geezers giving it to the opposition keeper !

[loftbalcony]

remember we gave it to Port Vale one year ,probably 97/98 ,they brought about 30 fans with a few OB round them . Chelsea just came and sat where they liked anyway !

So did spurs and arsenal although we always seemed able to stand up to arsenal but just completely overrun by spurs and particularly Chelsea, back to topic, family stands are required as we need people to bring young kids as they are our future fans and I believe they get decent ticket deals in family area, only problem is where to put it, I'm sticking with R and S blocks

[Northolt_Rs]

Stan was saying have the Upper tier for home fans ,with the family stand underneath and move the away fans elsewhere. Personally id rather not have families behind either goal ,rather it was all geezers giving it to the opposition keeper !

Ok fair enough - my mistake. So where would the away fans go if they were no longer in the School End? How would they be segregated and policed? Bear in mind the Championship isn’t like the prawn sandwich Prem in that you still get teams turning up with an away firm looking for agg....

[Stanley]

Ok fair enough - my mistake. So where would the away fans go if they were no longer in the School End? How would they be segregated and policed?

I set out a couple of suggestions for that in the OP (3rd para).

Or even posts #7 and #13 would be preferable to the current situation which has been an abject failure both financially and in terms of atmosphere.

[West Acton]

Would not be straight forward but what about split away end down the middle bit like at Chelsea have and other grounds.

Give away fans SA Rd side and couple blocks down stairs home fans on other side

[Shepherds Mush]

Away end would have been much quieter if they had lost...

[LoftusRoadLad]

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/qpr-ceo-lee-hoos-discusses-13786555

Speaking to the club's website, Hoos said: "This is a question that has come up so often that I've decided to do a bit of independent research.

[Bluehoop]

Yeah, to be fair to the Club they have addressed this on occasions and say it is currently impractical to relocate it for one reason of another. Agreed, mainly for night games, it can kill the atmosphere, but it wasn't too shabby at the Wall game, where the home crowd was small

[Stanley]

Lee Hoos: "The answer to the atmosphere is not due to the Family Stand."

What nonsense. He's clearly clueless as to the counter-arguments to everything he says.

Sounds to me like there's another agenda at play, otherwise he wouldn't be spouting such ignorant tripe.