After 40 odd years supporting QPR both as a walk up spectator and Season Ticket holder I can honestly say this is the lowest I have ever felt whilst following QPR. I am not writing this as a knee jerk reaction to our capitulation at Forest, I really didn’t expect anything other than a lucky draw; such is our record at their place.
When this “consortium” or as it now appears “dictatorship” first took over I, like many other fans, was looking forward to a bright successful future. A four year plan filled with nothing but glory. I swallowed their stories and dreamed, foolishly it would appear, of world class players, world class managers and a full, happy noisy football ground (I was even swaying toward us leaving Loftus Road; as our promised success would need a bigger theatre.)
Then we had the Ali Russell hype about the whole package and the “Rangers Experience” closely followed by a hike in Season ticket prices. What did we, the humble fan get for this? Well; in my opinion, nothing. My seat was still cramped and the retail outlets were still selling the same rubbish at inflated prices served by people who seem to want to be anywhere else. We are still watching mediocre football and success is still a pipe dream. Though people tell me we have a wonderful corporate area with a spectacular chandelier.
I was then insulted by the “owner” who said that as I only pay £20 I am not entitled to voice an opinion on the football club that has been a big part of my life for most of it. I have recently been told that QPR can now attract players that we have only dreamed of in the past. Thanks for that; and here’s to the internationals that played for us in the seventies, eighties and nineties.
I did not buy a season ticket this year (I realise that by admitting this certain people will think that I have no right to an opinion but I am going to have one anyway.), mainly because I could not justify spending £600 plus travelling expenses to watch football that, in all honesty, I was not enjoying toward the end of last season. The “matchday experience” was far from pleasurable.
I have witnessed managers come and go with disturbing regularity and seen the club drift from one crisis to another. I have seen a plethora of midfielders come to the club whilst everyone seemed to know we needed a striker. I have watched as talented players that could have been the blocks on which to build a successful football club were allowed to leave. I have seen support that was once one of the most unified in the league split and decimated.
I read on message boards how some people feel Gianni Paladini is to blame for the mire we find ourselves in. Well; I do not know enough to comment on this but I do know that Mr Paladini has never done anything wrong to me personally; in fact he has always been friendly and approachable whenever I have met him, and so I shall not attack him. I shall how ever attack the position of Director of Football. I have never felt the need for this position within a football club and as far as I can remember there have not been many teams that have been successful with a director of football.
So now I have put down in words how I feel can I offer any solutions? Well no! I just wanted to vent my spleen. I could go on a lot more but what’s the point? If anyone that matters at the club reads this message board do they really take any notice of what’s said? After all; as we have been told “we only pay £20 a week, what do we know.”
When this “consortium” or as it now appears “dictatorship” first took over I, like many other fans, was looking forward to a bright successful future. A four year plan filled with nothing but glory. I swallowed their stories and dreamed, foolishly it would appear, of world class players, world class managers and a full, happy noisy football ground (I was even swaying toward us leaving Loftus Road; as our promised success would need a bigger theatre.)
Then we had the Ali Russell hype about the whole package and the “Rangers Experience” closely followed by a hike in Season ticket prices. What did we, the humble fan get for this? Well; in my opinion, nothing. My seat was still cramped and the retail outlets were still selling the same rubbish at inflated prices served by people who seem to want to be anywhere else. We are still watching mediocre football and success is still a pipe dream. Though people tell me we have a wonderful corporate area with a spectacular chandelier.
I was then insulted by the “owner” who said that as I only pay £20 I am not entitled to voice an opinion on the football club that has been a big part of my life for most of it. I have recently been told that QPR can now attract players that we have only dreamed of in the past. Thanks for that; and here’s to the internationals that played for us in the seventies, eighties and nineties.
I did not buy a season ticket this year (I realise that by admitting this certain people will think that I have no right to an opinion but I am going to have one anyway.), mainly because I could not justify spending £600 plus travelling expenses to watch football that, in all honesty, I was not enjoying toward the end of last season. The “matchday experience” was far from pleasurable.
I have witnessed managers come and go with disturbing regularity and seen the club drift from one crisis to another. I have seen a plethora of midfielders come to the club whilst everyone seemed to know we needed a striker. I have watched as talented players that could have been the blocks on which to build a successful football club were allowed to leave. I have seen support that was once one of the most unified in the league split and decimated.
I read on message boards how some people feel Gianni Paladini is to blame for the mire we find ourselves in. Well; I do not know enough to comment on this but I do know that Mr Paladini has never done anything wrong to me personally; in fact he has always been friendly and approachable whenever I have met him, and so I shall not attack him. I shall how ever attack the position of Director of Football. I have never felt the need for this position within a football club and as far as I can remember there have not been many teams that have been successful with a director of football.
So now I have put down in words how I feel can I offer any solutions? Well no! I just wanted to vent my spleen. I could go on a lot more but what’s the point? If anyone that matters at the club reads this message board do they really take any notice of what’s said? After all; as we have been told “we only pay £20 a week, what do we know.”
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