My take on things Re: Supporters

[The Fishcake]

There are two things that concern me at present with supporters of QPR....

1 Over expectancy
2 Infighting

So, hear me out first before you counter with 'The club this...', 'Gianni that...' etc - I know the heirachy at QPR are making mistakes but supporters are shooting themselves in each others feet at present (a reversioned phrase to fit the collective!).

1 Over Expectancy
The board should not have come in all guns blazing on promises... That was a big mistake. But they are high profile and have lots of cash. Even if they hadn't said about a 4 year plan it would have been expected anyway surely!? Be honest... When you heard Flavio and Bernie were buying the club did you think 'Well it might be good... I'll wait to see if they suggest they want to be successful before getting excited'? I doubt it... we all just thought.. 'Well that's it - by association - we are gonna get success'

Bernie and Flav are used to making money from sport and I suspect they had no idea just how much a football club hemorrhages. I would also suspect both are losing money week in week out at QPR and have not made anything out of the club. But... the club have come a hell of a long way. I cant believe what short memories people have - the club was on it's knees. It takes a herculean effort just to get it to the level most other clubs in the league are at.

I am outraged by some of the tactics used by the club - the prices, managerial instability, the lack of community feeling with club and owners etc. I think this is what annoys people, but maybe they would turn a blind eye if results changed? Ironically, the one guy at the club who tries to bridge a link between board and community gets all the grief... GP. PS Im neither pro or anti GP - just pro balance.

So let's just take a step back and have a look - the club are STILL on an upward curve so why the panic? Quite simply the anger (on here) and booing (at HQ) is ugly in my opinion but (ironically) I will get pounced on by some posters for saying that.

2 Infighting
I have spent some time going through other messageboards... Ipswich, Norwich, Portsmouth, Soton, Sheff Weds, Sheff Utd, Blackburn etc.. LOTS. It seems noone has quite as much infighting as QPR message boards (Im a member of 3). The fighting with other clubs comes from and with rivals. They get really stuck into each other and it clearly unite's the supporters of each individual club. That's what football hatred and passion is about.. rivalry (and why the original football message boards were even called 'Rivals').

QPR in my opinion do not have a strong enough, discernible hated rival. Yes, we hate Chelsea... but let's face it - they don't give a monkeys about us. How many Chelsea fans come on here and whip it up!? NONE! EVER! So all negativity, frustration and anger just goes on each other. Infighting. This place reminds me of a football messageboard version of 'Lord of the Flies' sometimes...

Im prepared to be told Im wrong, but these are just my thoughts of late...

[qblockoompah]

very good thread

[Goddard]

Agree with most of that.

At least you have the balls to highlight some of the huge failings of the owners, as well as the huge problem we have with split, bickering and p*ss poor fans.

I happen to believe that one is the root cause of the other.

[themodfather]

rivals are now known as "loft for words"
fanbase is quite united at present, lsa and foqpr have shared travel for 2 seasons now
some from this mb use that travel too.
chelsea have bigger fish.

prices and expectancy affected us.
for me, stability was the ideal.
after years of the ABC worry, admin ,debts to see new owners with the clout of bern,flav and mittal was like a dream.
mistakes were made and for businessmen to immediately alienate fans with MASSIVE hikes and the "4 yr plan" , well that got all going
but did we sign a top player? buzza maybe but we strengthened.
the ideal is still for stability and that means keeping debts manageable, i assume all the refurb for c-club,exec boxes was put on qprfc 's bill/account when to fans was not a priority.

of all the stories posted on the mbs FEW COME TRUE.
many are blowing off steam or a bit of fun, some go wrong and lead to rows but qpr fans do that anyway...

[stainrodisalegend]

good post, agree with a lot of that fishcake, particularly about the pointless personal attacks which immediately have me abandoning a thread. But I take issue with two points. Firstly think you ignore that it is the spin that causes a fair bit of unrest. secondly, while agreeing there has been massive progress, this is being thrown away now by managerial instability. so even when we get a top player - like watson -we leave them de-motivated and gagging for a move.

[oldhoop]

There are two things that concern me at present with supporters of QPR....

1 Over expectancy
2 Infighting

So, hear me out first before you counter with 'The club this...', 'Gianni that...' etc - I know the heirachy at QPR are making mistakes but supporters are shooting themselves in each others feet at present (a reversioned phrase to fit the collective!).

1 Over Expectancy
The board should not have come in all guns blazing on promises... That was a big mistake. But they are high profile and have lots of cash. Even if they hadn't said about a 4 year plan it would have been expected anyway surely!? Be honest... When you heard Flavio and Bernie were buying the club did you think 'Well it might be good... I'll wait to see if they suggest they want to be successful before getting excited'? I doubt it... we all just thought.. 'Well that's it - by association - we are gonna get success'

Bernie and Flav are used to making money from sport and I suspect they had no idea just how much a football club hemorrhages. I would also suspect both are losing money week in week out at QPR and have not made anything out of the club. But... the club have come a hell of a long way. I cant believe what short memories people have - the club was on it's knees. It takes a herculean effort just to get it to the level most other clubs in the league are at.

I am outraged by some of the tactics used by the club - the prices, managerial instability, the lack of community feeling with club and owners etc. I think this is what annoys people, but maybe they would turn a blind eye if results changed? Ironically, the one guy at the club who tries to bridge a link between board and community gets all the grief... GP. PS Im neither pro or anti GP - just pro balance.

So let's just take a step back and have a look - the club are STILL on an upward curve so why the panic? Quite simply the anger (on here) and booing (at HQ) is ugly in my opinion but (ironically) I will get pounced on by some posters for saying that.

2 Infighting
I have spent some time going through other messageboards... Ipswich, Norwich, Portsmouth, Soton, Sheff Weds, Sheff Utd, Blackburn etc.. LOTS. It seems noone has quite as much infighting as QPR message boards (Im a member of 3). The fighting with other clubs comes from and with rivals. They get really stuck into each other and it clearly unite's the supporters of each individual club. That's what football hatred and passion is about.. rivalry (and why the original football message boards were even called 'Rivals').

QPR in my opinion do not have a strong enough, discernible hated rival. Yes, we hate Chelsea... but let's face it - they don't give a monkeys about us. How many Chelsea fans come on here and whip it up!? NONE! EVER! So all negativity, frustration and anger just goes on each other. Infighting. This place reminds me of a football messageboard version of 'Lord of the Flies' sometimes...

Im prepared to be told Im wrong, but these are just my thoughts of late...

post of the year (so far) balanced, well thought out and largley accurate!

[Dazzer1977]

A good post fella

What worries me is who is the fat kid 'Piggy' (you know the one with glasses).... And when we find can someone tell him to look out for large rocks!

[terry ball]

Nice post. One question, it's not a dig, I'm just curious.
Can you explain what gp does to build this bridge between the board and fans

[The Fishcake]

Nice post. One question, it's not a dig, I'm just curious.
Can you explain what gp does to build this bridge between the board and fans

I really dont want this thread to degenerate into another Paladini one. But... (and its just my opinion!) he is always prepared to talk with supporters, listen to their opinions, be the face of the club (even when its showing a dark side) and even stand with fans in the p**sing rain up in blackpool last year!

Again, for the record, I dont think he's great, I don't think he is terrible - so don't really need to discuss him at length.

[Mr Lofty]

Oooooohhh. I feel a nice calming influence. Pete take note, you should be posting like this instead of constantly getting backs up with drivel.

I think the real problem me Fishcakes is the repetative nature of the mistakes made by the owners. This is causing friction amongst the ranks. I fear it is still going to continue or rather it is. One more bad appointment after another.

We all want stability and quite frankly we are miles away from it. Still. Do you agree or not?

[qblockpete]

We are miles away, because Magilton alledgely headbutted Buzsacky, leading another spell of uncertainty. Hardly blame the club for that

Anything that happened in 1896 is irrevelant

[QPRacademy]

We need to go back to our roots: players coming up from the ranks and lower leagues aka Trevor Sinclair from Blackpool.

I dont understand why the board woulnt spend money on at least one hero who we can worship, aka Ferdy and the great Gerry.

I reakon we should sell Raheem to Arsneal and use money on Hooper plus Simpson. balances the books and a chance for us to go back in top flight.

Quashie is good for us now, he is loyal to club like Pete said

once that Ajax style of good passing football and promoting within of the 90s comes back, no more infighting. my opinion anyhow.

[coneysboots]

Anything that happened in 1896 is irrevelant

Say that to the people of Utah.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896

[The Fishcake]

Oooooohhh. I feel a nice calming influence. Pete take note, you should be posting like this instead of constantly getting backs up with drivel.

I think the real problem me Fishcakes is the repetative nature of the mistakes made by the owners. This is causing friction amongst the ranks. I fear it is still going to continue or rather it is. One more bad appointment after another.

We all want stability and quite frankly we are miles away from it. Still. Do you agree or not?

I agree with you. Whether I think we are miles away...? I dont know. The club isnt stable and that saddens me.

A few wins and it might be. Or Flavio gets the boot tomorrow/throws in the towel and it could send us into a tailspin. Or it might pave the way for more stable investors.