QPR ISSUES

APRIL 2004 -LSA
16th AprilLSA Meeting With Club - 15/4/04 Present - David Davies, Gerry Lonsdale, Kevin McGrath, David Cox, Vic Stevenson, Steve Rapjohns, Steve Russell, Sylvia Dallibar, Spencer Schwartz, Kenny Stevenson, Alan Barnes, Trish Phillips. Investment- There are currently 3 prospective investors in discussions with the Club and talks are on going. The Club have done what they failed to do in the past and looked in to their backgrounds.. There should be an announcement over the next week or so. The investment in the club will not be an enormous sum but enough to steady the ship. Plymouth tickets- The LSA made the Club aware that on the Plymouth official website it stated we should be given over 2 thousand tickets for the game, however as many of you know we have been given only 1700. League rules state we should be given 10%. However, the police can intervene as they have done in this case, hence why we have received a smaller allocation than normal. Lyndon Fuller- Further to a letter Steve Russell recently received in the post, DD said that negotiations are continuing and the matter is under investigation. Ross Jones- Rumours of his imminent departure were unfounded apparently ! Harold Winton- KM confirmed that talks were continuing with him and we all hope that the matter is quickly resolved. Tickets in General- We raised the issue over why fans are unable to give their forms and ticket stubs for away games over the counter in the box office instead of sending them in. The Club stated that in order to make it fair for all fans from around the country, they go by the postmark. The Club said they would look into the possibility of using their database to see what tickets fans have bought so they don't have to send them in. Also we have been given over 7 thousand tickets for Sheffield Wednesday. God forbid we have to go through the Play-offs, but it was also acknowledged after a Club re-think, that mistakes were made with the distribution of tickets last time, in particular to Regional fans, and it would be organised. with the LSA. Possibility of a Train to Sheffield Wednesday- Much discussion on the LSA Board recently regarding organising a Football Special. This, we were told, would be simply too expensive to run as it costs 4 grand a carriage. There is still the perception that Football Specials would still get vandalised !!! and they would make it as difficult as possible to arrange. Money from Australia v South Africa- The Club received a flat fee for the game. Incidentally, the organisers expected 4 thousand less for the attendance. Due to the success of the game there will possibly be the chance of more international games. Women's FA Cup Final- Like the International game the Club has received a flat fee from the FA to stage the game. Player of the Year Do- We asked the Club why there wasn't much advertising for the event. We felt it was unfair not to make the night open to everyone including those who travel up and down the country. The Club stated that it was simply first come, first served and to sell out so quickly was in the best interests of the Club. Fans Forum- We asked about the possibility of more fans forums. The Club stated they would continue with these successful events. There is incidentally one more this season, most likely in Slough but certainly in the Bracknell/Windsor area. Pre-season- The club will be off to the Scottish Highlands for a week pre-season. The team will be based at RAF Lossiemouth and they will play Nairn County on 14 July and Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 17 July. One date was confirmed, the other should follow shortly. Ian Holloway- The Club will be meeting his Agent next week about the possibility of a new contract. Regarding a new number 2, its up to Ian to find one and come back to the Club. Ian has a good relationship with the Board and everything with the Kenny Jackett affair has not hindered that. Wasps- They have a contract to come back at the end of the 2004/2005 Season. However, it is likely they will negotiate. Reserves- The 2 year contract is up at the end of the season in Northwood. The Club has been approached by 2 or 3 Clubs who we might use and the Board will be considering these. AGM- The Accounts should be signed off in the next week or so and there should be an announcement over the date of the AGM in the next 21 days. Players Contracts- The Club will wait to see where we are before the Board start discussing contracts. Last Home Game- The Club want the LSA and other organisations to stress the importance of QPR fans staying off the pitch after the last home game of the season against Swindon. The LSA fully support this and it should be noted that we have a suspended 25k fine !!!! PLEASE STAY OFF THE PITCH Goldrange- The stewarding contract is up at the end of the Season and the Club are in talks with 3 companies, one of whom is Goldrange. The Club informed us that they have taken into account the points the LSA raised at previous meetings. Programme- This contract is up at the end of the Season and 3 companies wanting to produce the programme have approached the Club. Incidently, programmes sales have held up this Season. Clubcall- The Club's Clubcall is the most successful outside the Premiership and even ahead of Clubs like Wolves and Birmingham. Club shop- It was good to hear that the Club shop had quadrupled its sales over the last Season. The LSA made it clear to the Club how pleased we are with the management of the Shop by Pinky. Beamback for Plymouth- There is the strong possibility of a beam back for the Plymouth game at 9 pound a head at Harlequins Rugby Club. Official Website- The Website has been very successful and currently brings in approx £50,000 pa Sky Blue Away Shirt- There has been a big debate on the LSA Board about the proposed away shirt, none of it favouable! DD said that we hadn't seen it, we said that we hadn't been asked! Dave Cox
http://www.qpr-lsa.co.uk/04marmay.htm

FEBRUARY 2004 - LSA
24th FebruaryLSA Meeting With The Club - 12th February 2004Present - Nick Blackburn, David Davies, Ross Jones, Steve Russell, Paul Finney, Joe English, Vic Stevenson, Albert Weight, David Cox and Steve Rapjohns. Dairy Crest - Any plans for QPR to be involved in the takeover of the Dairy Crest site at White City are still ongoing. Fulham are in continual talks with the Council over potentially taking over the site and given that we have a good relationship with Fulham, QPR are being kept informed of any updates. The Council will support anything either Club will want to do with the site. However, anything involving the site is a very long way off. Chesterfield - We informed the Club over the disgraceful treatment of many Rangers fans at Chesterfield station before our game up there recently. Rangers fans travelling up on the train were rounded up by the police including young children and women. They were then led to the side of the station where there were at least 50 police officers. One by one in the pouring rain, each fan had to fill in a form and then moved on to have their photo taken. The next stage was being moved on again where the police filmed fans and had to repeat what they already told them. I was one of those fans that was subjected to this treatment. One of the police officers was from Shepherd's Bush and like his Derbyshire counterparts refused to answer questions from us. What happened up at Chesterfield was an absolute disgrace. The Club informed us that this was the first they had heard of it.A Rangers fan Banned From Crewe Game - We informed the club that it took until 4 games into the season to ban a Rangers fan that had originally been arrested at last season's Crewe game. The LSA were not questioning the fact that he had been banned, but the fact that he had bought his season ticket in the summer, only to have it taken away from him 4 games into the season. The LSA felt the matter should have been dealt with in the summer. The Club did not know anything about it and said they would look into it and get back to us.Port Vale - At our last meeting we asked the club to look into why Port Vale charged us more to get in compared to other teams. We felt that they shouldn't get away with it. The Club informed us that Port Vale categorise their games and we are Category A, meaning we pay the most !Bristol City - Apparently when Brentford played their recently, they had trouble with the stewards, given that their 300 supporters were so close to the home fans, when we play them the stakes will be much higher and the game will be highly charged. We have asked the Club to look into the possibility of having the whole away end. We reckon we will take a good 3 thousand there. Accounts - The LSA questioned the Club as to why they hadn't filed the Accounts for the Year End. The Club informed us that as a result, they have incurred a £250 penalty. We asked if this would go up and we were informed that they had a year's grace before the penalty would increase. Chris Wright's shares - The LSA asked for an update on Chris Wright's shares. The Club informed us that Nick Blackburn and Ross Jones met him last week and they stated that Wright is willing to do a deal. They feel he is highly sympathetic and supportive to Rangers. They are effectively 'the men in the middle' but they feel if he gets too much aggro he would 'up sticks and say stuff it' He clearly wants to facilitate a deal.New Deal For Club - There are currently 3 parties involved in wanting to takeover the Club. Halem is not involved in any of them. All the 3 deals would involve the Company going private and have their own Board. The Club added that if we were to return to our former status it would be a very long process. To fully takeover the Club, it would require a motion at a Shareholder's Meeting. Depending on the timing, it could be at the AGM otherwise an EGM would have to be called . 47% of shares are unissued. The Club informed us that as many of you know, a fan called Dave Anderson sits in on Board meetings as a financial advisor. He has obviously had to sign a confidentiality agreement.Tommy Flynn's - As many of you know, the LSA are doing a Race Night at Tommy Flynns by Ravenscourt Park tube station to raise money for 'Our QPR.' The LSA gave posters to the Club to put up around the ground before the Notts County game to raise the profile of the Event. As a result the posters were not put up and the LSA asked why. The Club said that they would look into it and get back to us. The Club also added that they would let us put something in the programme about the night that incidentally is on 4 March, a very significant day in our proud history. Nick Blackburn also stated that he would give some prizes for the raffle, which the LSA thanked him for.Players - The LSA asked for any news on the player front. The Club stated, that Holloway only wants players who want to play for our great Club. With regards to Warren Barton he is not a Rangers player anymore but we still hold his registration. We are not going to sign Matthew Brazier (phew!!!). Clarke Carlisle is out of contract at the end of the season and obviously can go to whom ever he wants in the summer. Read into that what you like. The Club will be looking to wrap up the signing of Richard Johnson from Stoke this week.Brentford - There is a meeting scheduled with them to see what their intentions are for next season. Away Kit - As many of you know it has been leaked out that the Club will have a 3rd kit next season, which will be sky blue ??? The LSA asked why this was not put to the fans. They stated that in the first place it should not have been leaked and when the shirt is actually designed they will put it to the fans. Season Tickets - Should we go up (everything crossed) there will be the same deal as last year when we could buy 1st division season tickets for 2nd division prices. Brighton - The LSA informed the Club over an incident at the Brighton game where a couple of Brighton fans who were clearly making their allegiances known and being abusive in the Lower Loft. It was made clear to the stewards that they should be ejected asap. However, what annoyed Rangers fans was it took 25 minutes for them to be ejected. The LSA have asked the Club why it took so long. They will look into it and get back to us.Stewards - There will be a recruitment drive for next season to have our own stewards in the ground. We informed them that we would obviously support this long awaited initiative.Wintons Dispute - We asked for an update over the dispute involving the club and the Wintons. The club informed us that the dispute is now with arbitration. Ross Jones - Given that Ross Jones finally came to a LSA meeting for the first time after requesting his prescence countless times, we asked him for some background information. In my opinion he came across as a man with a knowledge of business affairs, having had a City background. He stated that he had supported the R's since 1969 and owned 1.2 million shares. When he was invited to the Board he was an overseer to a bank. He has made various loans to the Club including a very big one. Ross was anxious to leave so further questioning wasn't possible. Dave Cox
http://www.qpr-lsa.co.uk/04janfeb.htm


JANUARY 2004

24th JanuaryChris Wright And His Shares At our meeting with representatives of the Board on the 8th January, we reported that Nick Blackburn eventually agreed to suggest to Chris Wright that, as a gesture of goodwill, that he should donate his shares to 'Our QPR' Since that meeting, with the backing of the LSA and the help of 'Our QPR'I have been trying to persuade Chris Wright via Nick Blackburn to hand over his shares to 'Our QPR' I feel that eventually Chris Wright will do one of two things:- (a) Give 'Our QPR' his shares and walk away from Rangers and allow our Club to move on. (b) Or Give 'Our QPR' a third of his shares and sell the remainder to some of the current Board Members. Currently, the state of play is very different, Wright wants to make us work for that by stating that he will hand over only x amount of shares now and x amount when 'Our QPR' raises x amount of funds. I feel that this is wrong, we the fans have done enough already and should not be held to ransom !!! I will try and keep LSA Members/R's fans up to speed with what transpires and I really hope that we have some good news asap. Paul FinneyAuction Package Now Up On The Official Site For 'Our QPR' Fundraising Recently Wombat's other half won a hospitality package as a 'In2Win' Member. She generously decided to put her prize straight back for auction and help raise money for 'Our QPR'. The package is for two people and includes:- (a) Seats in a box for the Notts County game (b) Buffet Lunch (c) Matchday programmes and team sheets Currently there have been 6 bids and stands at £105.00 with the hammer due to fall at 16.59 on the 1st February. All monies raised will go to 'Our QPR'. Well done to Wombat for his gentle persuation! Steve Russell 17th JanuaryMinutes of meeting between QPR and LSA on Thursday 8th January 2004 at Loftus Road StadiumIn attendance: David Davies, QPR. Paul Finney, LSA. Nick Blackburn, QPR. Steve Russell, LSA. Kevin McGrath, QPR. Vic Stevenson, LSA. Bill Power, QPR. Dave Cox, LSA. Jerry Lonsdale, QPR. Steve Rapjons, LSA. Paul Fisher, LSA. Alan Barnes, LSA. Albert Weight, LSA. § Before any questions were taken, DD told the LSA that, after recent sales of half-season tickets, the club now has around 9,000 season ticket holders. § With the club's financial situation the main concern of the supporters, DD said he would give a full update on this before any other points were raised. § DD stated that the club's finances were 'very tight', but no worse than other clubs in the Nationwide League and, like most of these other clubs, QPR would have to look at any 'reasonable' offer for a player. DD did stress that, contrary to reports in the press, no such offer has come in for any R's player. With regard to the media, NB felt that the article in the Evening Standard that had alarmed many fans was, in his opinion, mainly positive, but that the headline put a negative spin on the whole story. The LSA asked if NB had raised this with the journalist, Matt Hughes; NB replied that the headline is usually down to the sub-editor and out of the writer's hands, and that he thought that Rangers are covered well by the Evening Standard, a point of view that was disputed by the LSA. NEW INVESTMENT NB and DD stated that 3 or 4 small-scale investors had expressed interest in the club; all have links with the club already in the shape of season tickets or executive box holders, and one potential investor with a larger sum. NB, DD and KM stressed that there is an internal back-up plan to ensure the club's survival through to the end of the season. CONTRACTS DD confirmed that he does not have a three year contract, and that he, like almost all non-playing staff are on normal employee contracts. NB said the non-executives on the Board do not claim expenses from the club and that they pay for their season tickets. HAROLD WINTON The LSA asked about the disputed debt between HW and the board; KM said that he had met twice with HW, both parties agreeing a route to resolve the situation; NB confirmed the club pay both Shittu and Bircham's wages. FULHAM/WASPS DD stated that rent money lost due to the departure of Fulham as tenants was £600,000. Wasps are obliged to return to Loftus Road - any change of plan would have to be negotiated along with possible compensation. OUR QPR DD felt that it was vital that any money raised (£25,000 so far) must be spent on visible, long term projects so supporters know their money has not been 'swallowed up' by the financial problems of the club; he gave examples such as improvements to the disabled section and minibuses for the youth team, and felt the club could approach OUR QPR about funding other such schemes. The LSA asked about the possibility of using the ground for a public meeting for OUR QPR, and also for a benefit concert. DD said that both plans may be acceptable but had to be planned with the condition of the pitch in mind. At this point NB was urged to make a public statement in support of OUR QPR which he has so far failed to do; NB replied that he would do this. The LSA were unanimous in the opinion that Chris Wright was 'a shadow' over the club and that, while collecting for OUR QPR, many fans had voiced concerns that their money would go to debts incurred during Wright's tenure as chairman, and that this 'shadow' stops fans from contributing. NB stressed that Wright has no influence over any matters at QPR, denied accusations that he was a 'Chris Wright puppet', and said that he had not spoken to him for months until just prior to tonight's meeting. It was suggested that Chris Wright could, as a gesture of goodwill, donate his shares to either the club or to OUR QPR, enabling all parties to move on and look forward. NB said he had spoken to Chris Wright to advise him of tonight's meeting, and would suggest this idea to him. SCHOOL END The LSA stated that many fans had asked about the empty seats in the School End. JL replied that the club have spoken to both the Police and the council to gain permission to use one tier of the School End for QPR fans when a low away support is expected. The lower tier would be used for this purpose, the upper tier designated for away fans, apart from the first three rows for safety reasons. Each game would be risk-assessed, the Notts. County match (County having asked for just 500 tickets) the first fixture the extra seats will be available. PORT VALE DD said that he had contacted the club on the inflated ticket prices and that Port Vale had apologised, saying that they had installed a 'category' system of admission prices. The LSA replied that it appeared the changes in price were made on the night. ELLERSLIE ROADAn LSA member had asked questions over safety due to the crush around the toilets in the Ellerslie Road stand - would it be possible to install Porta-loos? JL said that, due to the compact nature of Loftus Road, there was no room for Porta-loos, and that the club had not had the problem pointed out to them before, but that he would look into the issue at the next home game. PLAY-OFF FINAL TICKETS The LSA asked for confirmation that, in the event of the club being involved in the play-off finals again, there would be a plan in place so that supporters who lived outside the London area could buy tickets without having to travel to the capital and avoid last season's problems; this could be done by using the cup ticket scheme when tickets are automatically sent out. DD conceded this should be possible. SCRATCH CARDS/'IN2WIN' DD stated, in reply to LSA questions about scratch cards, that the club made little money out of them; however, 500 people had already signed up for 'In2win', which was more than the club had expected. C****** SCUM HEADHUNTER BADGES The person under the Loftus Road stand who was selling the disgusting and offensive objects that many Rangers fans had, quite rightly, taken extreme offence to, was sub-contracting the stall from the club to sell QPR merchandise and had obviously brought outside stock. DD said that the stall-holder had 'been dealt with.' GLENTORAN DD was asked about the proposed link-up with the Irish club. DD said that he had spoken to Glentoran but it was still unsure what would be happening; possible coaching of players, similar with the tie-in with Milwaukee Wave. LSA asked whether a friendly could be arranged with Glentoran as part of a pre-season tour, DD stated that any pre-season plans were up to the Manager and wouldn't be discussed until later in the season. SMOKING JL asked what the LSA's views would be on a smoking ban inside the ground, as many fans had made complaints about people smoking during the game. The LSA had various opinions on the subject, and one committee member made the point that, until a public ban on smoking was legally in force, perhaps the club could put up posters asking fans to refrain from smoking. JL stated that he would be consulting supporters on this subject soon. At the end of the meeting both DD and NB said they would be taking part in the sponsored walk to Griffin Park next month. Mark Thornhill 9th JanuaryJoint Statement "The Committees of the LSA, QPR 1st and the Official Supporters Club are delighted with the success of the Our QPR fundraising efforts so far. With over £20,000 raised already, there is now a real opportunity for QPR's fanbase to make a real difference to the welfare of the club. "We are also delighted that the Our QPR initiative has enabled the LSA, QPR 1st, the Official Supporters Club to work together alongside individual supporters, such as Robert Elms and Joe Hylton, toward common aims. After all, we are all QPR supporters who just want the best for the club. "The challenge now is to make sure all funds raised are handled in a professional and prudent manner, and to ensure that ALL QPR supporters get the best value possible for any monies raised. "Representatives from our Committees will be meeting - along with other interested fans - as soon as possible, to work out the best way forward from here. "No-one wants to see funds disappear into a 'black hole', so we need to work out a fair and accountable way of handling the money which, we hope, will give QPR fans the assurances they need to continue to support the fundraising efforts. "In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has contributed or helped out with the fundraising efforts so far. Anyone who feels they have something to offer - be it volunteering to rattle a bucket, suggesting a fundraising idea or getting involved in the management of the Our QPR fund - is urged to get in touch, by emailing ourqpr@zoo.co.uk " 6th January'Our QPR' Fundraising Disco -Saturday 17th January Paul Bogalski has been in touch with the LSA to say that there will be a fundraising Disco in the Brackenbury Arms (corner of Goldhawk Road and Brackenbury Road) after the Brighton home game from 6pm on the 17th January. He's been in touch with Geraldine Field, requesting a donation from the Club and is also appealing for fans to bring along QPR Memorabilia etc to raffle/auction on the night. Steve Russell
http://www.qpr-lsa.co.uk/04janfeb.htm


DECEMBER 2003

23rd DecemberThe 'Our QPR' statement "We are at a pivotal moment in the history of our football club. "On the park Ian Holloway has put together a team we can all be proud of. The future is looking so positive after years of decline. "But we all know that the financial position of the club is precarious and threatens to undo all the good work. The debt we are burdened with is such that we cannot get through this vital season without further investment. "Yet despite genuine efforts by the board to bring in major new money, none has materialised. "We are therefore faced with some painful options. Either we see a dramatically slimmed down QPR, both in terms of what it does - the youth team, football in the community – and, even more pertinently, the backroom and playing staff, which could obviously have a disastrous effect on the push for promotion, or else we the supporters, the true keepers of this unique club, come up with the much needed investment. "The supporters have already made a magnificent effort, turning up in record numbers, creating a fantastic atmosphere. But now, between all of us, we need to raise a substantial sum to make sure that Ian Holloway can continue to do the job of taking Queens Park Rangers back to the First Division. "All of the various fans groups - the LSA, QPR 1st, the official supporters club - and indeed the club itself are totally behind this initiative. Ian Holloway has made the first pledge, a considerable sum from his own pocket and large amounts have already been promised from other prominent QPR fans. "But we need much, much more. We cannot solve all the club's problems. But we can ensure that the push for promotion does not get de-railed for want of this money. "Which is where YOU come in. We want you to give as much as you can. No donation is too small and certainly none too large. Your money can really make a difference to Ian and the team, so please give as generously as you can afford, for your club. "'Our QPR' will be officially launched with a collection at the Colchester game on 28th December. After that we will be contacting everybody who has a place in their heart for the hoops, and asking them to help. Together we can make it happen. This is… OUR QPR."19th DecemberToday’s Article In The Bush Gazette Interesting piece titled, ‘Row Over Shittu And Bircham Wages Spoils A Unique Relationship.’ The article goes on to say: A bitter wrangle over the non-payment of wages to three QPR players by the Company set up by the Winton family has soured one of the most unusual relationships between fans and Club of recent times. But now the Club are saying that £300.000 is still outstanding as a part of a £450,000 deal to cover the wages of Doudou, Marc Bircham and Dan Shittu until the end of the Season. The revelation comes at a time when the Club has renewed its appeal for investors to come forward and outlined just how crucial promotion is this Season. The Winton family set up ‘We Are QPR’, a publicly subscribed company with a view to covering the three players wages but the failure to attract enough backers meant that the company never got off the ground –leaving a question mark over whether the money would be paid. The bottom line could be litigation if the Wintons decide to contest the Club’s view that they are liable for the outstanding sum, but everyone hopes that it will not come to a prolonged clash between QPR Holdings and the staunch fans who have helped the Club so generously in troubled times. “We are hopeful of the matter being resolved, but we entered into an agreement with them and had not budgeted for paying the wages ourselves,” David Davies said. The Wintons declined to comment. The friction with them is just one of the frustrations compounding the Club’s failure to attract a new investor, David Davies admitted to the Gazette this week. In many ways, the dispute is just the tip of an iceberg when it comes to keeping the Club financially stable in these still fragile post-administration months. Rangers are resigned to losing the rent –believed to be about £600.000 a year –which they have received from Fulham FC for the past two Seasons. The loss of that revenue could be offset by Wasps, who are contracted to return to Loftus Road next Season. Fulham got Wasps to vacate LR by paying their rent of about £400,000 a year. “Frustration is getting the better of us because we have not been able to bring in a single investor,” said Mr Davies. “The problem may be in buyers wanting to secure 51% of the Company, because few would want partial control. Yet there is no better time to come in, we are top of the division, people are looking at our players, we are well structured and interest from our fans is phenomenal. Its not like we have debts comparable to a Club like Leeds for example. I haven’t put barriers in the way of new investors and absolutely understand that anyone putting in lots of their own cash would want to put their own close associates in charge. I accept that this might mean me stepping down –indeed I agreed to this when Peter Risdale was showing an interest.” Mr Davies added, “Fulham going is inconvenient but not insurmountable and of course we would wipe out our problems by gaining promotion because of the increased revenue from gate receipts, corporate boxes and merchandising. But at the moment, if we are to stay in this division, we might have to renegotiate our loan deal with ABC. We would also have to look again at who we could keep on, but with 14 of our 24 players out of contract, its clear we would be forced to prune and keep players on lower wages……..” Steve Russell
http://www.qpr-lsa.co.uk/03octdec.htm


NOVEMBER 2003

8th NovemberLSA Meeting with QPRPresent - David Davies, Bill Power, Nick Blackburn, Vic Stevenson, Albert Weight, Sylvia Dallibar, Steve Rapjohns, Steve Russell, David Cox, Paul Fisher and Paul Finney. The LSA once again met for our regular meeting with the club on Thursday night. The meeting was varied with some areas being discussed more fervently. Recent David Davies Comments - Steve Russell raised the point to Davies over comments he made recently on a website. The comments were over whether Rangers were in a position to continue to the end of the season. Davies hit back stating that our financial situation was no worse than a lot of other clubs. However, the club will have to find extra income to help us through the season. Karl Fowler - This particular name was raised by one committee member over whether he was interested in buying the club. The club simply stated that he has been around for 6 months. Chewing Gum - The LSA raised an issue over a fan that was taken out of the ground by police over chewing gum being thrown onto the pitch. The LSA felt the concerned individual was hard done by and Davies stated he would review the situation. He brought to the committees attention that the individual had been arrested and taken to the local police station. He added that if the gum had hit a player it would have cost us 25k. Ian Wright Incident - The LSA were quick to point out our view over the Ian Wright incident at the Man City game. The LSA were very happy to see the club deal with the person as we feel such comments have no place in society. Our membership covers all corners of the globe and we are extremely proud of that. The LSA take great pride when we hear of members spreading the gospel over the world. Many members have en come to Loftus Road such as people from Yugoslavia and Australia to name but a few. The club informed us the man arrested was a person who has attended at least 3 times a year since 1999. The police are now dealing with the matter. The club want to eradicate such unsavoury things from Loftus Road and the club have asked us to support them in their combat against such things. We fully support them as we do not want ignorant people coming down to Rangers. The club made it clear they need to aspire to the local community and the club have our full support in this. Stewards Against Kidderminster - We stated how stupid it was of the club to have so many stewards at the game in pointless areas such as the Lower Loft, and not having them retrieve the ball when it went out of play. The club admitted they made a make not briefing accordingly. LSA Message Board - The club asked us why our message board has been down in recent days. We informed them that due to some comments made against David Thorne we felt it was right that the board becomes membership only. This will hopefully eradicate some of the drivel that gets made. We are currently in the process of making it membership only. Share Issue - The club informed us the first shares to go will be the one’s Chris Wright had which are held in a trust. The majority of the debt is obviously owed to Chris Wright but the club informed us that the VAT people are the ones you have to be most aware of as they can close you down. Youth Team Home Games - The club have informed us that a sponsor has been found for our youth team to play at Brunel University. Wasps - There is a deadline of March 21st when they must tell us if they are coming back or not. In the contract it states they must come back next season and this could be changed should they want to stay up there given their recent success. Brentford - The club confirmed they have not been in talks with Brentford. But it was put to us by the club how we would feel if hypothetically they came to Rangers. We stated we were not bothered as long as WE had control.Stockport and Grimsby Tickets - The club informed us that they had spoken to the Post Office over whether tickets for these games would get to the supporters. The club were informed they would and then unfortunately the industrial action took place and therefore many tickets were caught in the system. The LSA informed the club that the Box Office had been giving out lots of different information and the club said they would look into it and get back to us. Advertising - We asked what the club were doing to get more sponsorship around the ground. The club stated they were looking for sponsorship but the industry is very quiet at the moment and they have even resorted to an agency to help look for potential advertisers. Fans Forum - The club stated they are open to new suggestions over where the Fans Forums will take place. Dublin Contact- The LSA wanted to thank the club over the treatment of a player who had come over from Ireland to have a trial. Although we don’t always agree with the club on many matters we always give credit where it’s due and on this occasion it was. Karl Ready - It was raised over whether there was a chance Karl Ready could be given a testimonial given his 16 years service for the club. The club stated they would look into it. However, it was for Karl to contact David Davies over an opposition and when it could take place. Kidderminster Tickets - The club admitted they made a mistake over the ticketing for the game. They said not enough tickets were printed and the club will sort it out for our game on Tuesday night against Dagenham. Port Vale - We raised the point over the ticket price for the game when it stated in the programme it was £13.50 and at the turnstile it was bumped up to £15. The club knew nothing about it but said they would look into it. David Cox 6th NovemberStatement from David ThorneFollowing an article in the Hammersmith Times, David Thorne has issued the following statement to ourselves, QPRnet.com and QPR 1st and asked for it to made available to all Rangers fans. Dear LSA, QPR1st & Rivals, This is a matter of some urgency.I have just been made aware of an article from the Hammersmith Times by Dave Evans. I have had no contact from Mr Evans, though I did email him my contact details earlier this evening, as David Davies forwarded me an email from Mr Evans requesting if he could interview me. The statements contained in the article are misrepresentative and alarmist. As you will all realise, I am in continual dialogue with the club, four times with the last business day, and the fact that I am writing this at 1.30 AM in the morning is indicative of the seriousness with which I view the matter. You will also be aware that I did not fail to turn up to the club but have delayed my visit pending clarification of a number of items prior to my visit. This was communicated both to the club and yourselves. To come over prior to this would not have achieved a conclusion to our discussions. In fact to help put matters into perspective, Kevin Keegan was my boyhood idol and to miss the chance to possibly meet him and see Manchester City play was a great disappointment. However that is not a reason to fly to London. It is my intention that when I come over, that our arrangements can be finally concluded and that I can contribute to a long and ongoing relationship with the club. Without putting a specific time frame on things and undue pressure on either party, I was in discussion with David Davies earlier today, and hope that matters with be resolved in the very near future. As I am unaware of whether the Hammersmith Times is a free paper or whether you have to pay for it, but such sensational writing does nothing for the moral or confidence of the club, for the fans, the business community nor the general population of White City. Finally, I would like to point out that David Davies has done his utmost to bring matters to a conclusion, and that the reasons for the delay have been beyond both parties control. When concluded, the club and the fans should be very pleased with what has been achieved. As you know I am available to you and look forward to meeting with each of you when I finally do get to London, and I thank you for your patience. I would appreciate if you could post this email to help allay the concerns of your respective members.Regards, and all the best for a favourable result this weekend David Thorne 2nd NovemberLSA StatementAnyone who knows anything about football will testify that QPR have, for generations, been the model of a friendly, family club. To see our club linked with racism is sickening and something Rangers fans are completely unaccustomed to. How dare the people involved in these alleged incidents bring shame on the good name of QPR. The proud reputation of Queens Park Rangers has been tarnished this week and we urge the board to ensure that anyone guilty of racist abuse is banned from Loftus Road for life. Everyone knows our club has suffered a fall from grace in recent years. We are rebuilding our reputation on the pitch and must also protect our good reputation off the pitch, which has been compromised this week. Despite the disgraceful incidents of Tuesday night, QPR's standing as an ultra-friendly club deserves to remain intact. It has been built up over time and is a source of great pride to the thousands of decent, loyal supporters that have stood by our club in difficult circumstances. The LSA has members in 24 different countries and this reflects the fact that QPR is a club for people from all races and backgrounds. Paul Finney


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