QPR ISSUES

QPR & Paladini Respond to Today's Stories
QPR RIVALS compiles - TODAY's QPR STORIES http://queensparkrangers.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=2&stid=8393075
QPR OFFICIAL SITE: PALADINI "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"GIANNI Paladini today began legal action against the London Evening Standard after the paper published yet another libellous and factually inaccurate article about QPR.The QPR Chairman has instructed one of the country's top libel firms, Carter-Ruck, to commence legal proceedings immediately by formally requesting an immediate apology and retraction of damning statements made by the paper.Paladini will also be writing to the Press Complaints Commission, urging them to conduct an immediate inquiry into the unprofessional way the Standard has conducted its so-called investigation."I held detailed talks with Carter-Ruck yesterday," Paladini confirmed. "It is their belief I have been libelled by the paper and on that basis I have instructed them to commence legal action. This will be on a strictly no-win, no fee basis so it will have no financial impact on the club."I am demanding an immediate apology - not just for me, but for everyone who works for, and who loves, QPR."I am deeply saddened that this is happening but enough is enough. The Standard has chosen to mount a witch-hunt against QPR and are clearly being fed a string of deceitful lies, inaccuracies and misleading information by individuals who have their own axe to grind against the club and me."These individuals cannot possibly be true fans - how could they harm us by pedalling such rubbish?"Once again, the Standard is falsely claiming the FA are investigating how much QPR has paid agents to bring players into the club.Paladini added: "Let me state this clearly and categorically. I have spoken to the FA and there is no probe or investigation into our finances - or how much we have paid agents. Yes, they ask to be kept informed of how the club is being run - as they do with all clubs."That is right and proper and we have always co-operated. But we have nothing to hide and there is nothing that has caused them any concern. I have their assurance that we are not under suspicion."Anyone reading the Standard right now would think QPR is being run by the mafia. Let me tell you the only crime being committed at the moment is by the Standard. Every club, no matter how big or small, has to deal with agents - there's nothing I can do about that."If I tried to by-pass them, players would simply refuse to come to QPR. Is that what the Standard wants? A club with no players? What would our fans think of that?"The Standard has made me look like someone out of the Godfather and that's why I will also be writing to the Press Complaints Commission, urging them to launch their own investigation into the journalistic standards of this paper."Not only have they printed lies about the club, their columnist David Mellor has launched a particularly nasty and deeply personal attack on me - even though we have never met."It is my belief the Commission will want to seriously reprimand this paper for the way they are conducting themselves."http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~721332,00.htmlQPR OFFICIAL SITE: "THE REAL STORY"Contrary to reports in Friday's Evening Standard Queens Park Rangers Football Club once again confirms that it has NOT been the subject of a 'full-scale' FA probe in to 'the management and ownership of the club'.A representative of the FA's Financial Advisory Unit visited Loftus Road on Thursday afternoon as part of an ongoing review of all Football League clubs. This constituted a 'follow-up' to an original visit to the Club which took place in June 2004. The actual details of the process leading up to the FA's visit are as follows. In November 2003 the Club received a letter from the Football League referring to the establishment of a Panel in 2001 to: "co-ordinate and review the workings of the Football Association's Financial Advisory Unit in relation to its dealings with League Clubs."The letter continues: "The Panel's objectives are to ensure that each League Club is normally subjected to one visit in each five year cycle... to understand the financial position and processes of the member club and to provide advice and recommendations where appropriate to clubs on a confidential basis, in the form of a report."The Panel has selected Queens Park Rangers to be the subject of a visit during 2003/04."On May 5th 2004 the FA then wrote to confirm a date for the visit from the Financial Advisory Unit and the visit itself took place in June 2004 with a report finalised in September of that year.12 months later, earlier this month, the FA wrote to the Club once again, stating: "As you are aware we performed a financial review of QPR FC in September 2004. As stated at the time of issuing the final report, we intended to perform a follow up visit to assess the progress the club had made implementing our recommendations."A date was then arranged for the 'follow-up' which took place yesterday on Thursday September 29th 2005.The visit was undertaken by one representative of the Financial Advisory Unit who spoke to the Club's Chief Financial Officer about Club matters since the initial review. The initial review was then studied to establish whether any changes to company procedures had taken place in the intervening 12 months.The Evening Standard blusters that this is all a "dramatic new development". But the truth - confirming an ongoing process of review across the whole Football League, first established in 2001 - would suggest otherwise.http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~721323,00.html

SEPTEMBER 29 - STANDARD ON QPR
julia_ Posted on 29/9 13:53
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Standard article
This is most of it, I'll post the rest later if I have time.PALADINI TIGHTENS HIS GRIP ON QPRGianni Paladini is poised to strengthen his control of Queens Park Rangers after it emerged today that former chairman Bill Power has agreed to sell his shares in the club.Wanlock and Barnaby Holdings, the two mysterious Monaco-based consortiums behind Paladini, have agreed a deal to buy Power's 19.5% stake which is worth around £1.2million.That takes Paladini, Wanlock and Barnaby way beyond the crucial 50% shareholding mark, giving the former football agent a free reign at the club.Paladini was appointed QPR chairman at a board meeting yesterday afternoon in succession to Power, who was dramatically removed last month.Lifelong fan Power, who has also resigned as a director, will now sever his links with the club by selling his shares to the new board. "They said they want to buy them," Power told Standard Sport today. "I wanted to sell. Part of the agreement when you buy shares is you have to offer them back to the club first."I'm not involved at QPR any more so it's pointless having my money tied up there. It gives someone else the chance to buy into the club."Paladini revealed Wanlock and Barnaby had reached an agreement with Power. He said: "The Monaco people are buying Bill Power's shares. Everything has been agreed and it's now in the hands of the solicitors."THE TRUTH BEHIND THE PALADINI POWER GAMEHow the former club chairman and chief executive were ousted in an extraordinary and clinical boardroom coup, reports Raoul Simons.Gianni Paladini's boardroom coup at Queens park Rangers is complete following his appointment as club chairman. And with his Monaco-based backers poised to buy predecessor Bill Power's 19.5% stake in the club, the Italian businessman is now in total control.But the extraordinary way the former agent and his associates prepared the ground for their dramatic seizure of power at Loftus Road can today be revealed for the first time.Standard Sport has obtained leaked documents from a Rangers board meeting on 24 August which set out in remarkable detail the way Power and club chief executive Mark Devlin were ousted.The minutes provide a rare and fascinating insight into the way QPR are now being run and are certain to interest the Football League who are watching events closely.Five directors - Paladini, Power, Carlos Dunga, Kevin McGrath and Gualtiero Trucco were present for the meeting. Non-board members including Devlin, company secretary Chris Pennington and Antonio Caliendo, the football agent who acts as a consultant for Barnaby and Wanlock Holdings - the two Monaco-based investment companies which own 30% of QPR - were also there.The meeting was held just 11 days after a gang of men allegedly held Paladini at gunpoint at Loftus Road - now the subject of criminal proceedings.For 90 minutes it was business as usual. Then finance chief Pennington delivered a report in which he claimed the club were on course to lose nearly £2million this year, mainly due to increased player costs.As revealed by Standard Sport last week, the club have vastly increased payments to agents since Paladini bought 16% of QPR last year.At 2.30pm Calinedo left the meeting just as the final item on the agenda, "Examination and modification of the management structure" was about to be raised. A minute later, Devlin followed him after being asked to leave by Trucco.The Italian financial expert, who represents Wanlock on the board and is a known associate of Caliendo, then put forward the following motion: "I put to this board that we have no confidence in the chairman Mr Power as both chairman and as a director and call for his immediate removal."The motion was carried by three votes to one with McGrath understood to have been the dissenting voice. Power was barred from voting.At this point, the meeting broke down as a furious row erupted which culminated in Power and McGrath storming out. Around 25 minutes later they returned to the room accompanied by Devlin.In a desperate bid to cling on to his chairmanship, Power then launched a counter-attack.He claimed the vote was invalid under the company's rules and also called for Dunga to be removed as a director for failing to attend six consecutive board meetings.Dunga hit back, claiming he had not been informed of the previous meetings, while the other directors insisted the vote was in accordance with QPR's articles of association.Standard Sport has since obtained copies of QPR's articles of association.Article 88 states that any director can be removed by "extraordinary resolution" before the end of his period in office. The term is taken to refer to a 75% majority.Given this provision, Dunga's presence at the meeting was crucial in making that threshold. Yet Power also had a right to question the Brazilian's eligibility because artisle 81, sub-section 7, states: "The office of a director shall be vacated if he shall for more than six months be absent without permission of the board for meetings of the board held during that period."With the legal arguments still raging, Paladini dropped a second bombshell. he called for Devlin to be made redundant with immediate effect.Taken aback, McGrath pushed for an immediate suspension of the meeting pending clarification of the legal issues. Power followed up this request by announcing that the meeting was now closed in any case because he had to leave to visit his ill father-in-law in hospital.But Paladini, Trucco and Dunga had still not completed their coup and, astonishingly, chose to carry on the meeting even though McGrath, Power and Devlin all left at 3.37pm.In farcical circumstances they passed a vote of no confidence in Power by three votes to nil before the three-man board approved a motion to make Devlin redundant with immediate effect. Power later spoke of possible legal action to challenge the result but has now accepted his fate and resigned as a director. As we reveal today, he has now agreed to sell his stake in the club. Devlin has left the club and there are no plans to replace him.

Here's the rest of the article:Paladini defended his actions, saying: "There are people trying to destroy me but they won't win. My head is held high. We did the right thing at the meeting, it was all done properly."But for QPR fans and, potentially, the football authorities, there remain issues of concern.Standard Sport's investigation last week showed how agents are to be paid £473,000. Some of these agents are friends and former business associates of Paladini.In defence of his actions, the 59 year old stated that all the cheques relating to the deals were signed by Power and Devlin. By implication, the pair were acting as safeguards. With Power and Devlin gone, who's going to sign the cheques now?MINUTE BY MINUTE: THE MEETING THAT OUSTED A CHAIRMANMinutes of QPR Holdings board meeting on Wednesday 24 August 2005, 1pm, Loftus Road Stadium. Present: Bill Power (chairman), Kevin McGrath, Gianni Paladini, Gualtiero Trucco, Carlos Dunga. Also present: Mark Devlin (chief executive), Chris Pennington (company secretary), Antonio Caliendo, Andrea Primicerio. Extract from the minutes.......*2.30pm Caliendo leaves the meeting*2.31pm Trucco asks the board if Devlin can leave the room for the next part of the discussion. Devlin leaves.*2.35pm Meeting adjourned by Power and McGrath who leave the room after a vote of no confidence in Power is put to the board by Trucco and the motion carried by 3 votes to 1.*2.58pm Power, Devlin and McGrath return to the meeting. Power claims he could not be removed from the board in the above manner as per the company's Articles of Association. Power then states the meeting is closed as he has to leave for another engagement. The remaining board members (Paladini, Trucco and Dunga) tell Power that they will continue the meeting and wait for the clarification of the legal issues.*3.37pm Devlin, McHrath and Power leave the meeting. Paladini leaves the meeting shortly afterwards and returns five minutes later. Trucco then repeats a vote of no confidence in Power and asks Pennington "to take the votes count" for each board member. Motion carried by 3 votes to 0. The decision is that the board has no confidence in Mr Power and he will be removed from the board with immediate effect. Trucco is approved as interim chairman. Trucco proposes to the board that "Mark Devlin, chief executive, is made redundant with immediate effect" and this is also approved.*3.50pm Meeting closes.
http://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=16&style=2&forumId=3672&action=1&replytoid=533632904

Paladini as QPR's New Chaairman - Times & Independent Profiles
The Times - Chairman sees himself as agent for QPR revivalGIANNI PALADINI was in typically expressive form. The former Fifa-registered agent had just been appointed as chairman of Queens Park Rangers and the phone would not stop ringing. Call after call came in, from well-wishers, QPR fans and, yes, one or two agents, with congratulations. Paladini — who looks at least ten years younger than his 60 years — talked animatedly in English and Italian. Loftus Road has rarely echoed to the language of Dante, but the club’s long-suffering fans would not be surprised if a scene from The Divine Comedy appeared in the programme for Monday’s Coca-Cola Championship fixture against Crystal Palace. QPR have become the club at which anything can happen.Confirmation of Paladini’s appointment yesterday comes on the back of events straight out of a soap opera. “Not a month has gone by without someone trying to get rid of me,” Paladini said of his 18-month involvement with the club.An acrimonious boardroom dispute turned nasty when, minutes before an early-season home match against Sheffield United, a gang burst into the inner sanctum at Loftus Road, held a gun to Paladini’s head and allegedly forced him to sign a letter by which he would resign from the board. Four men have since been charged with conspiracy to commit blackmail and joint possession of a firearm with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.This week, fresh controversy surrounded the affable Italian. It has been alleged in the press that he is using QPR to line the pockets of various agent friends with deals that the club cannot afford. Typical is the suggestion that one recent acquisition — Marc Nygaard, on a free transfer from Brescia — is said to have resulted in a £60,000 payment to Brian Hassell, an agent.Similarly, it is claimed that £40,000 was paid to Mel Eves, a Midlands-based, for the transfer of Ian Evatt.“These allegations are stupid,” Paladini said. “They are made by people with no understanding of how football works. If they want to paint a picture of me as a crook, they should find something I have done wrong. In fact, I have done nothing wrong, and they have no idea what they’re talking about.”The phone rings again, and it is Nygaard’s agent. The tall striker’s stock is high, with two goals in the past two matches, including a header against Millwall on Tuesday night. His agent is chasing payment. “The first payment is due, but I haven’t had a chance to sort it out. There has been so much chaos here,” Paladini said.First payment? “Yes, the first payment — the deal was for four payments over the term of Nygaard’s contract.” So there was no £60,000 lump sum? “Not at all,” Paladini said, clearly exasperated. “Contracts are never done like that. The deal is for four payments and I haven’t paid a penny yet.”This, according to Paladini, is how all the deals for which he has been responsible have been structured. He adds that he has overseen only three signings. “The others were all signed off by either the ex-chairman or the chief executive,” he said. “I am angry that I have been dragged through the mud like this. They have called me a thief with no evidence at all.“What does it prove, that I know other agents? I have spent my life in football. If you a solicitor, you know other solicitors. I need to know all the agents in the game, and knowing them means I can do a better job for QPR. I understand how transfers work. Football is a business and you need to know this side of it as much as the passion.” The phone rings again, and afterwards Paladini is coy. He alludes to a deal, nearly complete, in which QPR’s £10 million debt to the Panama-based ABC corporation — arranged when the club came out of administration — is renegotiated. The ABC loan costs the club £1 million in interest each year, but Paladini hopes to cut this in half.“People must think there is some kind of mafia involvement here, but I want the best for QPR and I’m putting together the right people to achieve this,” he said. “The moment I came here I felt an affinity for the club, its fans and its history, and I wanted to get involved. I want to be part of the team that takes QPR back to the Premier League.”Between 1958 and 1967, Paladini was on Napoli’s books wearing the No 10 shirt that, thanks to Stan Bowles, Rodney Marsh and Tony Currie, has iconic status at Loftus Road. It would be some joy for him — and QPR fans — if this thread had more than merely symbolic resonancehttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,435-1804566,00.htmlIndependent - Paladini takes hot seat at QPRBy Gordon Tynan Published: 30 September 2005The Italian Gianni Paladini has been confirmed as the new chairman of Queen's Park Rangers. Paladini, a former football agent, takes over from interim chairman Gualtiero Trucco following the board meeting last month when former incumbent Bill Power was ousted and Mark Devlin sacked as chief executive.The Monaco-based consortiums Wanlock LLC and Barnaby Holdings, both of which have a substantial stake in QPR, had recommended the installation of Paladini as chairman. "Supporters will have been a little bewildered by recent events," Paladini told the club's official website, "but now I believe we have the right people in place to take the club forward."Reports last week claimed that QPR faced a Football Association investigation into the sums they had spent on agents' fees, reports Paladini has strenuously denied.Leicester and QPR have been charged by the Football Association with failing to control their players' behaviour after incidents in their match last weekend. Each side had a player sent off during the 2-1 win for QPR at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday, with both teams charged for a "mass confrontation".http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/coca_cola/article316041.ece

Paladini Appointed Chairman of QPR FC & QPR Holdings
QPR OFFICIAL SITEGIANNI PALADINIGianni Paladini has been appointed Chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club and QPR Holdings Ltd.Interim Chairman Gualtiero Trucco has stepped down and the Board of Directors have unanimously chosen Paladini to take on the role on a full-time basis.The changes were agreed at a Loftus Road Board Meeting on Wednesday afternoon and Paladini is delighted by the honour of this 'challenging but exciting' role."The Monaco investors have recommended that I be appointed Chairman and I am deeply honoured that the Directors have allowed me this opportunity."I hope now that after a period of instability we can all look forward to the brightest of futures at Loftus Road."We have a wonderful manager, an exciting and improving squad and a real opportunity to push for a place in the play-offs and even the Premiership."I believe these are wonderful times to be a QPR supporter and I just want to play whatever part I can in bringing both success and stability to this Club."I fully appreciate that supporters will have been a little bewildered by recent events and I wish that so much of what has happened could have happened differently."But I believe we now have the right people in place, both on the pitch and behind the scenes, to take this club forward."I would like to thank every single fan for their continued, passionate support for QPR and I would also like to pay tribute to all the staff here."Life hasn't been particularly easy for them recently either but every single one continues to work as hard as ever for the benefit of this club."It has never been clearer to me that, both in the stands and behind the scenes, this is a wonderful place full of very special people."http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~720129,00.html
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Holloway Criticizes Media Accusations re Paladini/Agents Fees
Holloway slams Paladini claimsCamden Times, UK Ben Kowsky 28 September 2005QPR manager Ian Holloway has slammed an apparent vendetta against Gianni Paladini after media accusations that the club had made excessive payments to players' agents.Reports in last week's Evening Standard lambasted director Paladini, claiming that Rangers owe nearly £500,000 to agents, many of them friends or business contacts of Loftus Road's majority shareholder.The following day, the same newspaper claimed that QPR could be the subject of an FA investigation into the recent signing of defender Ian Evatt from Chesterfield.Holloway rubbished the reports, saying: "I think it's really misleading, I think they've done it deliberately and they should sort their facts out. I know for a fact that some of those figures refer to things that happened before a certain individual was even here."Taking figures for five years and equating them to one year is ridiculous - more times than not we've paid £10,000 to an agent because it equals five per cent of what the player was worth over his whole contract."All I can surmise is that they chose to write it like that because it makes good reading and makes QPR fans have a bit of a panic attack. I don't like us doing our washing in public - I'm sick of it."This is a fantastic club. We went into administration a few years ago and, if we go there again, we were told by the administrators that there wouldn't be a QPR - they'd close us down."Holloway's scathing view of the Standard article is understandable, given that their list of players whose agents were alleged to be receiving payment from QPR included Arthur Gnohere, Richard Johnson and Tony Thorpe - all of whom signed their final contracts with the club prior to Paladini's arrival in 2004 and have since moved on.Paladini, who is effectively in control of Rangers since ousting former chairman Bill Power at a board meeting last month, has also refuted the allegations http://www.camdentimes.co.uk/content/camden/camdentimes/sport/story.aspx?brand=KLBTOnline&category=sportrugby&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=sportcamt&itemid=WeED28%20Sep%202005%2011%3A32%3A36%3A610


QPR's Gianni Paladini on his Napoli Playing Career (QPR1st)
QPR1st Latest news update -September 26, 2005Since our meeting with Gianni Paladini a week or so ago, the Trust has continued to maintain dialogue with key personnel at the club. At the end of last week, bearing in mind the departures of Mark Devlin and Bill Power, we contacted the company secretary.....Then on Friday afternoon, during a courtesy phone call between Gianni Paladini and a Trust rep....One other issue that was raised was the Naples thing with GP saying how he understood people were confused on some of the messageboards regarding him playing for them. He was asked what the story was and a rather scattered explanation followed with him saying how he had signed for Naples at the age of 13 in 1958 and that in 1967, due to a broken kneecap, his playing career was cut short. He mentioned how it's quite easy to find the history on this and made the offer to talk this through in detail at a later date.http://www.qpr1st.co.uk/main/newsarticle.asp?id=29


BBC's Tom Watt's Programme Notes re QPR
Tom Watt's Programme Notes - BBC LONDON 94.9's Tom Watt writes for the QPR Matchday Magazine17.09.05 QPR v Leeds UnitedThere have been a few distractions around Loftus Road just lately, haven’t there? More wrangles behind the scenes, in fact, than you’ll see at your average Wild West show. I can’t say I’m in any position to judge and you’d probably be right to point out that it’s none of my business anyway. What’s obvious to anybody who takes a passing interest in the business of football, though, is that – not just here, but at any club – uncertainty off the pitch, despite everybody’s protestations to the contrary, will almost always be reflected by uncertainty on it.Sometimes it’s a case of bad results and a team in decline that’ll bring divisions to a head in the boardroom. Sometimes it works the other way round and it’s the dressing room picking up on a row going on upstairs. A vicious cycle can spin things the wrong way very quickly indeed: just ask supporters in the School End this afternoon. One day they’re feeding the goldfish and living it up in Barcelona; the next, the administrator’s at the door and the road map’s marked up for the trip to Gresty Road.Most managers will make do with platitudes when a storm cloud gathers. Ian Holloway, mind, has never been ‘most managers’. Speaking to BBC London before that frustrating night at home to Sheffield Wednesday, he hit it on the proverbial head. Whether you’re talking about a family or a football club – or about QPR, which is both – the importance of communication is paramount. Honesty isn’t just the best policy, it’s what’ll keep the whole thing together.Over the past couple of seasons, I’ve hosted half a dozen Fans’ Forums at Loftus Road. I’ve come away from every single one inspired by what’s gone on in the room. There have been plenty of arguments, the criticism flying in every direction, but what’s counted above anything is that the board, the manager, the players and the supporters have looked each other in the eye and said what they wanted to say: no jollying along with half the truth, and no skulking in corners either.I’m convinced that a willingness to face up to conflicts of opinion has been very important in taking Rangers forward over the past few years. There’s been a strong sense of everybody being in it together, whatever their differences; bringing the club back from the brink was never going to be easy, after all, and was never going to be achieved by a wave of a benefactor’s chequebook. Whatever the immediate future holds, the long term depends on keeping that sense of a shared purpose strong.13.09.05 QPR v Luton TownThere’s always one. It may not bring economic rewards on the same dizzying scale as a place in the Premiership, but getting into the Championship brings with its own sense of the Big Time. Think back to the summer of 2004 and remember the feeling: winning out of League One – or whatever it was called at the time – brought a warm glow. It was as if the tide had turned and the Rs were headed in the right direction again at long last. Whether it’s the excitement that comes with promotion or just a case of momentum spilling over from a promotion campaign, one Championship new boy always seems to hit heady heights. Last season it was QPR. This time round, it already seems plain, it’s going to be Luton Town.I saw Luton beat Palace at Selhurst first day of 2005/2006. There was some talk, before and after, about whether the fixture should have been billed as a cup-tie, with the danger to the home team being that the little ‘uns were going to raise their game. Of course it didn’t play out like that at all. Luton were simply better all over the pitch. They won 2-1, a score that didn’t really do justice to their control of the game pretty much from first whistle to last. Since then, Mike Newell’s team has settled for more of the same. If Nicholls and Robinson get hold of midfield like they did against Palace, Luton will win plenty more games than they lose between now and next May. The loss of Curtis Davies on transfer deadline day won’t necessarily help. The extraordinary sum WBA paid for him, though, almost certainly will. Whatever level you’re playing at, after all, the bills have to be paid.In many respects, Luton and Rangers are worlds apart. They do, though, share a bit too, at least by way of tradition: not least, a finest hour at Wembley. There are plenty of Rs here today who’ll still remember being there to watch Rodney and company come from behind to beat First Division West Brom. Luton supporters don’t even have to go back that far. It’s not even twenty years ago that Town took care of Arsenal in the sunshine to win the League Cup, is it? Over the last decade, of course, both clubs have been to the brink and back. And for both, right now, the Championship is the penultimate rung on the ladder they’re climbing as they look to get clear of recent history’s mire.26.08.05 QPR v Sheffield WednesdayAnd there I was, along with everybody else at the start of the summer, wondering how much more foolish the cricket authorities could be. Why would you want the showpiece event of the international game, an Ashes series, running on deep into the football season? What chance would you have of anybody taking an interest once the national game had taken its grip on the country’s imagination for another nine months? The only explanation I could come up with was that the ECB expected the Australians to do what they usually do, and that another humbling for England would best be conducted away from the glare of the back page headlines.Week before last and the final day of the Third Test, though, at Old Trafford – not the Factory of Dreams but the place over the road from it – and something like 10,000 people were locked outside, weren’t they? Hope they all got to a telly or a radio in time is all I can say. Just like it had at Edgbaston the previous weekend, before England nicked that one by the narrowest of margins, the match ran on and on, the tension winding up ball by ball and over by over. A bit like a day-long penalty shootout, wasn’t it? Come Steve Harmison’s final – and ultimately fruitless – six deliveries, I just had to pull the car over and roll all the windows down. Having trouble breathing by that stage of the proceedings, I thought I was probably a danger, behind the wheel, to the public and to myself. Who’d have imagined eight hours spent in the company of the old buffers on Radio 4 Long Wave could get so exciting?The 20/20 competition, a talismanic all-rounder taking on the Botham mantle at last, and the best-balanced Test side we’ve produced in twenty years haven’t quite turned the clock back but it can’t be a bad thing that cricket’s caught the imagination over the past couple of months in a way it hasn’t for the past couple of generations. As the Fourth Ashes Test of the summer unfolds, it’s the start to the 2005/2006 football season that’s been in danger of passing us by, thanks to the exploits of Freddie Flintoff and company. There’ll be plenty of talk here before kick off, won’t there, about how England get on this afternoon at Trent Bridge before attention turns to the serious business of how the Rs are going to get on tonight?Saturday 13th August - QPR v Sheffield UnitedNearly £7 million seems a lot of money to have disappeared out of the game, which is what happened, effectively, to the percentages snaffled by agents involved in Championship deals last season. Over a quarter of that figure was handed over to agents by Leeds and a further £600,000 by Leicester. I’d bet companies who were frustrated creditors of those clubs a couple of years back weren’t best pleased when they got wind of the new figures.It’s a bitter aspect of the way football does business that those big boys should have been able to go on and re-invent themselves while underdogs like Wrexham have fallen foul of rules that – for the sake of the players and supporters, never mind any sense of natural justice – should never have applied in their circumstances. Mind you, nobody can blame agents for what’s happened at The Racecourse, even if ways are usually found to blame them for every other of modern football’s ills.Rangers were involved in a total of 57 player transactions last season, with that figure taking in new transfers, renewed contracts, cancelled contracts and loans. Agents were paid £320,935 for their part in the proceedings, which adds up to something like £5500 per deal. You can make your own mind up, I’m sure, about the value for money all that represents in W12.Myself, for all that I’m as nostalgic about the game as the next man, I can’t jump on the bandwagon that would take us back to the days of the maximum wage. If there’s money to be earned in football then, surely, it’s the players who should be earning it. They’re the ones we pay to watch, after all. Clubs will do their best to drive a hard bargain, presumably, and, in those circumstances, an agent’s role on behalf of the player shouldn’t cause any of us sleepless nights, should it?Of course, in football’s murkier corners, it’s not always as simple as that. And, without question, there have been plenty of instances where an agent has been devious enough to play both ends of a deal off against the middle. To make sure that kind of sharp practice doesn’t happen, any transparency must be a step in the right direction. As regards an individual club getting its money’s worth in the market, Rangers may already be ahead of the game. Gianni Palladini, who knows exactly how the agent’s game works, has lost his heart – if not his head – to the Rs. I suspect that ought to make him one of the most effective gamekeepers around.Tuesday 9th August - QPR v Ipswich TownAfter the defeat here against Charlton, Ian Holloway raised the spectre of Vauxhall Motors in the Cup. There can’t be many managers around who get that upset about a pre-season friendly. Anyone who remembers him as a player, though, won’t have been surprised. Ian probably sulks for a couple of days afterwards if his team loses badly in 5-a-sides at the training ground. I’d say that’s just as well. After a year back in the Championship, everybody at Loftus Road knows that if there’s one quality you need to survive – and to prosper – at this level it’s a competitive edge. Rangers surprised a few people last season on that score. The team is going to need plenty more of the same this time round, especially now that opponents will fancy they know what to expect from the Rs.I remember being here for the first home game of last season. For obvious reasons, nobody could be too sure how ready Rangers, newly-promoted, would be for the Championship. Rotherham, born to battle, were a rather more predictable quantity. Huff, puff and the odd dead ball earned them a point on a sunny Saturday at Loftus Road. Under Ronnie Moore, that had been enough in previous campaigns to see them escape relegation. As it turned out, the lack of quality undid them – and their manager – come last May. Rangers took a while to come to terms with the physical challenge, it’s fair to say. Once they had, though, the season turned into a thriller with promotion rather than relegation the challenge to hand.Last season’s home fixtures kicked off against strugglers. Tonight, Rangers start 2005/6 at Loftus Road against a team that’ll be expecting to challenge again like they have the last two years. Losing out in the play-off semi-finals again, though, has cost Ipswich pretty dear. Joe Royle will have needed to re-invent his forward line this summer, for starters. Kuqi’s gone and so, too, Darren Bent, who looked to have settled in pretty quickly at Charlton while scoring a hat-trick for his new club here a fortnight ago.It’s probably not my place to weigh in on the subject of the increased prices for season tickets at Loftus Road. It’s not me having to put my hand in my pocket, after all. Looking ahead to a new season, though, it seems pretty obvious to me that, from the point of view of taking the club forward, it can only be good news that the squad that rose to the challenge so well last time round is still pretty much in place. And that there’s a clutch of new players besides who are about to discover exactly what Ian Holloway and Rangers demand.last updated: 19/09/05http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/08/15/qpr_tom_august05_feature.shtml


Paladini Responds Further re Allegations/Reports
QPR Official Site Paladini: No FA ProbeRangers Director Gianni Paladini has told qpr.co.uk that the FA are NOT investigating Queens Park Rangers.Friday's Evening Standard contains an article claiming that the Football Association are considering a probe following a complaint from an agent regarding the signing of Ian Evatt.But Paladini has dismissed the whole story as 'ridiculous' and says that he has spoken to the FA himself about the matter."This is simply ridiculous and I am getting very tired with the agenda of other parties who have leaked information and who are clearly seeking to discredit me and the Club for their own ends," he said."I have spoken to a well-known senior executive at the FA and he has assured me that, as he understands it, there will be no probe and no investgation."For whatever reason, this newspaper is trying to make a big story out of a puff of nothing."Paladini then went on to discuss further details of Ian Evatt's transfer, and refuted suggestions printed in Friday's paper."First and foremost, Ian Holloway wanted the player. So when we spoke to the lad we asked him to meet us with his representative."Ian came along with his agent Jonathan Wall and Mel Eves and because Mr Wall is not licensed, Mel formally brokered the deal."Then out of the blue this company, First Artist, complained that he was their player. Well if that was the case, why did Ian Evatt come along with someone else?"This is an issue between First Artist and Ian Evatt and yet the Standard are suggesting impropriety on our part. It's pathetic."First we had this nonsense on Thursday which appeared to imply wrongdoing and now this. And yet the governing bodies are perfectly happy and there are other clubs spending vastly bigger sums than us."Leeds spent £1.89million on agents fees last season and Leicester spent £611,000. So why this nasty piece? Why the accusations and the negativity towards OUR football club?"For whatever reason, this newspaper has chosen to make a big issue out of this and I have nothing but contempt for them."http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~717849,00.htmlFollow-up Standard StoryQueens Park Rangers face a possible Football Association investigation into the controversial transfer of Ian Evatt.Director Gianni Paladini is the subject of a formal complaint from the First Artists football agency relating to the defender's £200,000 move from Chesterfield last June.QPR paid Midlands-based agent mel Eves £40,000 for his role in brokering the deal in a move which angered First Artists who cliam Evatt is their client.The AIM-listed company run by brothers Jon and Phil Smith have told the FA that, despite having a contract with the player, they were excluded from negotiations over his transfer.Chief executive Jon Smith said: "We signed ian Evatt to a First Artists contract on 21 April, a full two months before the transaction took place."It would appear that Mr Paladini wanted to deal with this matter outside of that agreemtn and, as a result, we have reported him to the Football Association."Paladini denies any wrongdoing. He admits there was a dispute with First Artist over Evatt, but claims the defender was represented by a different agent, Jonathan Wall.As Wall was not an officially registered agent, Paladini chose to use Eves to conclude the deal.The Italian said: "Ian Evatt was a player who Ian Holloway wanted. I went with Bill Power (former chairman) to see the agent of Ian Evatt, Jonathan Wall."He is not a FIFA-registered agent and, to do the deal, we needed to have a registered agent."We had a dispute with another company, the Smiths, who tried to get involved in the deal."The Evatt row follows yesterday's Standard Sport revelations about the staggering sums the club has agreed to pay agents since Paladini's arrival at QPR last year.http://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=16&style=2&forumId=3672&action=1&replytoid=533682271
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Paladini Responds to Evening Standard....Holloway on Paladini
QPR Official SiteANGER & DISTRESSGianni Paladini has reacted with anger and distress regarding allegations made in the press on Thursday.Paladini strongly refutes allegations that have been made and asserts that they are without foundation.He said: "All of our players have agents, if you are negotiating a contract you have to go through an agent. All of our payments have been done in the proper way.""With the exception of Milanese, Langley & Lomas all the other deals were signed by either the ex-Chairman or the Chief Executive""The article lists players who were here before I even invested in the club. If we go over budget who has to pay? The fellow directors and I""I am very angry that both myself and the club are being dragged through the mud. We have had a difficult few months and we just want to concentrate on running the club properly and pushing up the league. I am incredibly angry about this and am taking legal advice."Ian Holloway added: "I like to think the fans trust me and I trust Gianni. I cannot believe some of the stuff I've read today but I can assure everyone no matter what people throw at us it can only make us stronger.""I have nothing but the utmost respect for Gianni Paladini and what he is trying to achieve at Queens Park Rangers. It seems to me that people are looking at the job that Gianni used to do before he came to QPR and are jumping to ridiculous conclusions.""Gianni has the best interests of QPR at heart - I've absolutely no doubt about that."http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~717154,00.html


Today's Standards on Behind the Scenes Developments at QPR
Standard story on QPR.org at http://www.qpr.org/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=111920&t=34801And below copy/pasted from QPR RivalsStandard Stings Paladinihttp://queensparkrangers.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=2&stid=8392271".... THE extraordinary sums of money Queens Park Rangers are spending on agents' fees can today be revealed. In leaked documents obtained by Standard Sport, a detailed breakdown is provided of the £473,785 which the club now owe to their players' representatives. These payments to agents have helped push QPR £1million over budget for players this season and has put them on course to lose £2m in the financial year. More worrying are the questions our leaked documents raise over the role of director Gianni Paladini, himself a former FIFA-registered agent, who is in charge of transfers at Loftus Road. Many of the larger payments have been authorised to friends and/or former business associates of the Italian....Also: How much paid for each player/which agenthttp://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=16&style=2&forumId=3672&action=1&replytoid=533689220








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QPR Commercial & Marketing Director, Mark Austin Leaving QPR
QPR OFFICIAL SITE -AUSTIN DEPARTURECommercial & Marketing Director Mark Austin is to leave the Club.Austin has been at Loftus Road for just under a year and during his time with the Club has overseen a dramatic rise in commercial and hospitality revenues.Nevertheless, he has decided to leave football and departs with the very best wishes of everybody at Queens Park Rangers."It has been a real privilege and honour working for QPR," Austin said. "This is a great club with very friendly staff, sponsors, players and supporters."I will never forget the welcome I received and how helpful all the staff - from top to bottom - and sponsors have been, making the job a thoroughly enjoyable experience."I am taking up a new role away from football, a 'Monday to Friday, 9 to 5' job, which is also a lot closer to where I live and which will enable me to spend more time with my family." It was not an easy decision to leave football, but at least my wife is pleased to be seeing more of me, if not a little petrified at the same time!"I would like to wish everyone associated with Queens Park Rangers the very best of luck for the future. The supporters and all the playing and non-playing staff deserve every success."http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~714172,00.html

Additional Holloway Comments & Reports

SKYSPORTS "Olly wants assurancesQPR boss Ian Holloway is to seek assurancesQueens Park Rangers boss Ian Holloway is to seek assurances from the club's hierarchy before putting pen-to-paper on a new five-year deal.Holloway admits he is close to agreeing terms for a long-term stay at Loftus Road but does harbour concerns over a number of issues.The popular chief is unhappy that some of the players brought into the club in the summer were not those hand picked by himself, whilst he is concerned about a stipulation in his contract that means he will only be paid up until the end of any given season if he is sacked.Holloway is also looking for a pay rise, after orchestrating both QPR's promotion and subsequent consolidation in The Championship."We are discussing a new contract, but there are some things we need to sort out," said Holloway."But I need assurances that I will be able to improve the team year on year, otherwise we will be in trouble."In the summer there were three players (believed to be Mauro Milanese, Ugo Ukah and Marc Nygaard) signed who I don't know much about - and that can't be right."I will back my judgement (of players) all day long, and I don't need people telling me what to do."I believe I deserve a pay rise. I've been here a long time now http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=307620&lid=2&cpid=10&title=Olly+wants+assurances&channel=football_home


Sporting Life - HOLLOWAY HOLDS OUT FOR GUARANTEESQPR manager Ian Holloway will seek assurances over his role before agreeing to sign a new five-year contract at Loftus Road.After guiding his team to a 1-0 win over Luton, Holloway revealed he could sign the new deal before Saturday's home match against Leeds.But Holloway indicated he had some tough talking to do with the club hierarchy before he could be convinced to commit his long-term future to the club."We are discussing a new contract, but there are some things we need to sort out," said Holloway."But I need assurances that I will be able to improve the team year on year, otherwise we will be in trouble."In the summer there were three players (believed to be Mauro Milanese, Ugo Ukah and Marc Nygaard) signed who I don't know much about - and that can't be right."I will back my judgement (of players) all day long, and I don't need people telling me what to do."Holloway signed a three-year deal with the club last season, but he revealed that, under the terms of that agreement, Rangers would have to pay him only until the end of this season were they to sack him.Holloway, who took over in March 2001, will also be seeking a wage increase as part of his new deal."I believe I deserve a pay rise," he said. "I've been here a long time now."Lee Cook's second-half free-kick was enough to earn 10-man Rangers their first win for a month and came about thanks to a much-improved second-half display.The west Londoners were outplayed in the first half but, despite having Tommy Doherty sent off for appearing to throw a punch at Chris Coyne in the 80th minute, outmuscled their opponents after the break."When I look at the video of the first 10 minutes, I will not be a happy bunny," Holloway admitted."But in the second half we got behind them and looked much better."Luton boss Mike Newell, meanwhile, claimed his side should have been awarded a penalty for Marcus Bignot's injury-time tug on substitute Dean Morgan.Newell said: "It was a penalty. I spoke to the referee afterwards, but it's too late then."We created three or four good chances in the first half, but we didn't take them and it's a worry when that doesn't happen away from home."For their goal, I thought the wall hadn't been lined up properly, but Kevin Nicholls told me he had been pulled out of the wall."If the referee doesn't see that, there's not a lot you can do."


Holloway's New Deal?
BBC - Holloway poised to take new role Ian Holloway is set to be handed control QPR's purse strings under the terms of a new five-year contract he is close to agreeing. Holloway will take on some of the responsibilities previously held by Mark Devlin, who recently lost his job as chief executive.Devlin was sacked and chairman Bill Power removed after a boardroom coup.The proposed new set-up will allow Holloway to negotiate transfers and determine his players' contracts. But Gianni Paladini, who is replacing Power as chairman, will deal with agents.Holloway is frustrated at having been unable to sign many of his targets.The new role will give him a greater influence over purchases and the club's wage policy.Holloway said: "I'll deal with all that. It might not make me popular with some players though."But the one thing I do not want to be dealing with is agents. Gianni will deal with all that."I had a long list of targets in the summer and couldn't sign them. That can't be right."We are discussing a new contract, but there are some things we need to sort out."I need assurances that I will be able to improve the team year on year, otherwise we will be in trouble. "I also wanted to talk about my role now that the chief executive has gone."Behind-the-scenes changes at Loftus Road led to speculation that Holloway's future could be in doubt. But he is close to Paladini, who is keen to give the former Bristol Rovers boss the new deal he wants.(Willsden & Brent Times) Holloway lands long term dealnwln@inuk.co.uk14 September 2005IAN Holloway will be handed more control over transfers and players' contracts when he signs a new five-year deal with QPR later this week.The Rangers boss committed himself to the club until 2007 only last year, but has now been offered a longer contract following the boardroom upheaval that saw Gianni Paladini take command at Loftus Road last month.Although Paladini has been instrumental in securing a number of recent arrivals at QPR - including Generoso Rossi, Marc Nygaard and Mauro Milanese - he has promised Holloway the final say in future transfer deals.Holloway said: "Maybe I wasn't in the loop before, but I've got total assurances that every single player I sign will be who I want and if I haven't seen enough of them I'll be flying over to see them first."In the summer, we took one or two people slightly blind and whether they're good enough or not, we'll have to wait and see."But it was the transfer window that caused that situation and we can't go there again. We were going to spend a few quid on Tore Andre Flo, weren't we?"Well, we can't say to our fans 'we're going to sign exciting big names' and then not bring them. The fans will hear from us about where we're going, because we all want to take the club forward."As a manager, you have to know how much players are getting and how long their contracts are for. I'll be working more closely with [club secretary] Sheila Marson - she knows virtually everything there is to know about that sort of thing.http://www.wbtimes.co.uk/content/brent/willesdenchronicle/sport/story.aspx?brand=KLBTOnline&category=sportfootball&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=sportwbc&itemid=WeED14%20Sep%202005%2009%3A55%3A51%3A250


Clubcall QPR - Holloway on new deal talks14 Sep 2005 11:16 Ian Holloway has confirmed talks are ongoing about a new deal to remain at Loftus Road as the club look to move on after the boardroom confusion of the last few weeks. Major shareholder Gianni Paladini has said he wants Holloway to sign a new deal and some reports have claimed a five-year contract could be on the cards, Holloway would not be drawn on the length but confirmed talks are ongoing. 'We are discussing it. I need reassurances. I've been at this club a long time and this game can be ridiculous - if you last past 18 months you are doing well,' said the Rangers boss. 'I need assurances that I can continue to improve the club year on your and I have liked what the board have said. We need to get some clarity. I want my agent to go in and talk to them and there may be something by the end of the week, but I don't want to put any pressure on anyone. I am more than happy here,' Holloway added. http://www.clubcall.com/vsite/vcontent/content/transnews/0,10869,5034-143501-19728-27811-196149-11681-5024-layout104-160717-news-item,00.html

The Times - Holloway out of the woodsBy Nick SzczepanikSouthampton 1 Queens Park Rangers 1:IAN HOLLOWAY, THE QUEENS PARK Rangers manager, fears that recent events at the club will make his life story seem too far-fetched, but he can rest assured that the way he tells it will guarantee sales. Holloway recently compared his role during boardroom manoeuvres to that of “a nanny trying to calm the kids while Mum and Dad are splitting up”, and on Saturday he depicted himself as a man who has suddenly found a path after a period in the wilderness.But with the promise of stability at Loftus Road he is looking forward to consolidating his future at the club by signing a five-year contract. “I know where I’m going, which is a lot better than last week,” he said. “I’ve been wandering round in the woods and it’s been dark. I didn’t know what to do or say, I don’t know if I’m going to be called into the police station again, it’s been an absolute bloody nightmare. It’s going to make my book totally unreadable, no one will believe it.“Hopefully I can sit down next week and say, ‘I’m the man to take you forward’, and achieve what I want to achieve with this board. It’s four I’ve had now. I’ve said to them if it’s a fifth board I get, I’m allowed to keep the bloody club — if Liverpool can keep the European Cup after winning it five times, I should be allowed to keep QPR.”The team reflected that new confidence, defending solidly and taking the lead when Dan Shittu headed the first goal by a visiting team at St Mary’s this season. But for a slightly fortunate equaliser, the home fans might have been even more disgruntled at the final whistle.Danny Higginbotham, who scored Southampton’s goal, said that the pattern of Saturday’s match could become familiar. “You’ve got to take it as a compliment when teams come here and try to shut up shop against you,” he said. “It’s up to us as a team to be patient.”Easier said than done. Kamil Kosowski, the Poland winger, showed promise in a late cameo, but none of Southampton’s other attacking players looked sharp. Harry Redknapp, the manager, hopes that the return of Marian Pahars from injury will provide a cutting edge that was sorely missed. Higginbotham’s goal, from a free kick awarded for the mildest of challenges by Georges Santos on Kenwyne Jones, was one of too few efforts on target.“I think the referee did everything for them bar take the free kick,” Holloway said. “Our boys were a bit unhappy to be only 1-1 at half-time, but you can almost want things too much at times. We have got to be careful, keep our feet on the ground and keep working. We are little QPR trying to become big QPR and we are on our way." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,435-1776665,00.html



The Times - Holloway out of the woodsBy Nick SzczepanikSouthampton 1 Queens Park Rangers 1:IAN HOLLOWAY, THE QUEENS PARK Rangers manager, fears that recent events at the club will make his life story seem too far-fetched, but he can rest assured that the way he tells it will guarantee sales. Holloway recently compared his role during boardroom manoeuvres to that of “a nanny trying to calm the kids while Mum and Dad are splitting up”, and on Saturday he depicted himself as a man who has suddenly found a path after a period in the wilderness.But with the promise of stability at Loftus Road he is looking forward to consolidating his future at the club by signing a five-year contract. “I know where I’m going, which is a lot better than last week,” he said. “I’ve been wandering round in the woods and it’s been dark. I didn’t know what to do or say, I don’t know if I’m going to be called into the police station again, it’s been an absolute bloody nightmare. It’s going to make my book totally unreadable, no one will believe it.“Hopefully I can sit down next week and say, ‘I’m the man to take you forward’, and achieve what I want to achieve with this board. It’s four I’ve had now. I’ve said to them if it’s a fifth board I get, I’m allowed to keep the bloody club — if Liverpool can keep the European Cup after winning it five times, I should be allowed to keep QPR.”The team reflected that new confidence, defending solidly and taking the lead when Dan Shittu headed the first goal by a visiting team at St Mary’s this season. But for a slightly fortunate equaliser, the home fans might have been even more disgruntled at the final whistle.Danny Higginbotham, who scored Southampton’s goal, said that the pattern of Saturday’s match could become familiar. “You’ve got to take it as a compliment when teams come here and try to shut up shop against you,” he said. “It’s up to us as a team to be patient.”Easier said than done. Kamil Kosowski, the Poland winger, showed promise in a late cameo, but none of Southampton’s other attacking players looked sharp. Harry Redknapp, the manager, hopes that the return of Marian Pahars from injury will provide a cutting edge that was sorely missed. Higginbotham’s goal, from a free kick awarded for the mildest of challenges by Georges Santos on Kenwyne Jones, was one of too few efforts on target.“I think the referee did everything for them bar take the free kick,” Holloway said. “Our boys were a bit unhappy to be only 1-1 at half-time, but you can almost want things too much at times. We have got to be careful, keep our feet on the ground and keep working. We are little QPR trying to become big QPR and we are on our way." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,435-1776665,00.html

Telegraph - Holloway finds path to a pointAfter his side had contrived to poach a point from Southampton, a hyperactive Ian Holloway launched into one of his familiar garrulous speeches, this time declaiming a bright and bountiful future for QPR.Last Wednesday, Holloway went into a meeting with his new board, led by director Gianni Paladini and backed by Monaco-based groups.This is the same Paladini who was allegedly assaulted last month, an incident that meant Holloway had to give evidence to the police. Since then, rival director Bill Power has resigned and chief executive Mark Devlin has been made redundant. Hardly a recipe for stability."The last few weeks have been an absolute bloody nightmare," Holloway said. "I was walking through the woods, lost in the dark."But after meeting with the board I'm delighted. I had 10 questions for them and they answered with what I wanted to hear. This club is heading in the right direction."That means a new five-year deal and, crucially, control over transfers and contracts. To add strength in this department money will be made available from Monaco.Things are getting better at Southampton, too. Despite the frustration of this draw - secured by Danny Higginbotham's low free kick after Danny Shittu had headed in from a corner - the club is settling down.Sir Clive Woodward, the performance director, is certainly more relaxed, although still declining press interviews. "I don't need to, do I?" he said. "I'm not the manager - Harry Redknapp is. I'm just a member of the backroom staff. To be honest, I'm enjoying the peace."Match detailsSouthampton (4-4-2): Niemi; Hajto, Lundekvam, Powell, Higginbotham; Prutton (Kosowski 75), Oakley (Wise 85), Quashie, Belmadi; Jones (Ormerod 75), Fuller. Subs: Smith (g), Cranie. Goal: Higginbotham (37). Booked: Ormerod. Queens Park Rangers (4-4-2): Royce; Bignot, Shittu, Santos, Milanese; Moore, Bircham, Doherty (Lomas 68), Cook; Furlong (Langley 89), Sturridge (Nygaard 60). Subs: Evatt, Ainsworth. Goal: Shittu (32). Booked: Bircham, Santos, Sturridge. Referee: R Beeby (Northamptonshire

Sunday TimesSouthampton 1 QPR 1: Saints held by defiant QPRJeremy Wilson at St Mary’sIAN HOLLOWAY ...He also declared that he is a “happy bloke” following a meeting with QPR’s new board and is close to agreeing a five-year contract. “We are little QPR and we are trying to be big QPR again,” said Holloway. “I know where I’m going which is a lot better than last week. It’s been an absolute nightmare. But hopefully I will be the man to take the club forward.”Former QPR chairman Bill Power was recently removed by director Gianni Paladini and Monaco-based groups that own a major stake in the London club. It is the fourth different board that Holloway has worked under.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2093-1774596,00.html

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Ex-Chairman, Bill Power Leaves QPR Board
BBC - Ousted chairman leaves QPR board Ousted chairman leaves QPR board Former chairman Bill Power has resigned from the board of QPR.Following a bitter struggle, Power was recently removed by director Gianni Paladini and Monaco-based groups that own a major stake in the London club.Power initially resisted an attempt to remove him from the board altogether but has now stepped down as a director and will sell his shares.The Monaco groups have the option of buying Power's stake, enabling them to tighten their control at Loftus Road.Paladini, who is taking over as chairman, was a close ally of Power and the two united to oust the club's previous board 15 months ago.But their relationship turned sour and last month Power's attempt to increase his shareholding failed.He lost a no-confidence vote at a crucial board meeting after former Brazil captain Carlos Dunga unexpectedly flew in from Japan to vote against him.Chief executive Mark Devlin was then sacked.Dunga represents one of the Monaco groups and was made a director last year but had previously not attended any board meetings.Power and his supporters questioned the legality of the coup but later backed down.Rangers are currently 13th in the Championship and recently added to their squad by signing Steve Lomas and bringing back Richard Langley following his two-year spell at Cardiff.Last term the R's enjoyed an encouraging season following their promotion from the Second Division in 2004.But there have been problems off the pitch.Money from shareholders - including Power - has been needed to meet heavy losses.The club now expect a loss of close to £2m for 2005-06 and believe they will need further cash injections from December onwards to cover the shortfall.S


Bill Power on his post Chairmanship Plans
Power lifts a weight off his shoulders - Ben Kosky, Kilburn Times (and other Papers) - nwln@inuk.co.uk07 September 2005Bill Power has confirmed he will remain an active member of the QPR board despite conceding defeat in his battle to remain chairman at Loftus Road, writes Ben Kosky.Power had initially intended to mount a legal challenge to his ousting as chairman by majority shareholder Gianni Paladini at a board meeting two weeks ago.But he has now accepted the outcome of the meeting, which saw former World Cup winner Carlos Dunga make a surprise appearance to vote with Paladini and also resulted in Mark Devlin's sacking as chief executive.Power, a lifelong Rangers supporter, has been advised to take a short break for health reasons, but plans to be back at Loftus Road to support the team again in the near future.He said: "I'm still a member of the board and I'll do what I can to help the club go forward. I've been told to take it easy for the moment but, as soon as I feel up to it, I'll be getting along to matches again."Power, who joined forces with Paladini to unseat the previous board just over a year ago, announced in a statement that he wants his former ally to take over as chairman.The pair visited the dressing room together and then sat side by side in the directors' box during Rangers' last home match against Sheffield Wednesday, just two days after the board meeting.ben.kosky@archant.co.ukhttp://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/content/camden/kilburntimes/sport/story.aspx?brand=KLBTOnline&category=sportfootball&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=sportklbt&itemid=WeED07%20Sep%202005%2016%3A34%3A57%3A220


BP Abandoning Fight (Julia/Rivals posting David McIntyre/Gazette)
Julia on QPR RivalsDavid McIntyre, The GazetteBill Power has admitted defeat in his attempt to be reinstated...The showdown ... came after a series of bitter divisions.... Power and his supporters questioned the legality of Paladini's coup and planned to challenge it. The crucial vote took place after Power and fellow director Kevin McGrath had left the room in anger. But after seeking advice Power has been told the move was legal and even a successful challenge could take over a year to be concluded. Power quickly decided that he did not want to destabilise the club further by continuing the very public struggle for control. Paladini had initially proposed that Power be removed from the board completely but he will be staying on as a director. http://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=16&style=2&forumId=3672&action=1&replytoid=533829535

Thursday, September 01, 2005
"Chairman" Bill Power Statement Confirming he's Departing as QPR Chairman
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - BILL POWERToday following advice from my doctor and after lengthy discussions with my family and each member of the board I am confirming my departure as chairman of QPR.I am well aware of the feelings of supporters having received literally hundreds of goodwill messages. But I must be selfish and think of my own health and also the health of two family members, both lifelong R's - my beautiful mum and my lovely father-in-law, who are both in hospital and not in the best of health.I have been in discussions for the last two months with my fellow board members regarding who could, should or would 'pick up the baton'. I have told Gianni that he should become chairman with immediate effect to help focus everyone on going forward and I have advised him to meet with the supporters groups as quickly as he can.As I write this, I have just enjoyed a day talking and having lunch with Gianni and on the phone with Ollie discussing possible new signings and things that we thought could take the club forward. I hope, and am sure, that those discussions and my advice will be acted upon and that we all see the benefits for ourselves .In all honesty, and perhaps selfishly again, I must say it was like a weight being lifted from my shoulders having previously known that a decision I might make as Chairman could affect the hopes and dreams of so many fellow R's. Now it is time to let another friend push us forward. I am not leaving, just taking a well earned rest.Words fail to express how much I have enjoyed my tenure as chairman, living every fan's dream of helping the club they love. I'm sure I will think of dozens of things I should have said, so for now I will just say a big thank you to everyone I have met and wish you all well.Once again I ask you to get behind Gianni, Kevin, Ollie and the boys. I know that when we all pull together we are unstoppable.Come on you Rs.http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~707691,00.html