Saturday, November 26, 2005
QUOTES 1
QPR OFFICIAL SITE -AUSTIN DEPARTURECommercial & Marketing Director Mark Austin is to leave the Club
BBC's Tom Watt's Programme Notes re QPRTom 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.shtmlPaladini Responds Further re Allegations/ReportsQPR 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=533682271xxxPaladini Responds to Evening Standard....Holloway on PaladiniQPR 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.htmlToday's Standards on Behind the Scenes Developments at QPRStandard 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
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_homeSporting 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%3A250Clubcall 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.htmlThe 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......" 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 (NorthamptonshireSunday 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
Ex-Chairman, Bill Power Leaves QPR BoardBBC - 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.SBill Power on his post Chairmanship PlansPower 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%3A220BP 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=533829535Thursday, September 01, 2005 "Chairman" Bill Power Statement Confirming he's Departing as QPR ChairmanQPR 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
Paladini SpeaksQPR OFFICIAL SITEBRIGHT FUTUREGianni Paladini has promised a bright future for Queens Park Rangers following the changes at Boardroom level last week.Bill Power is no longer Chairman and Mark Devlin's position as Chief Executive was made redundant following a Board meeting at Loftus Road.But the Director insists that the decisions taken were made with only the Club's interest at heart and he has played down suggestions of turmoil at the highest level."I am still friends with Bill. We go out for lunch and we talk on the phone every day. I have no problem with Bill."This is not about individuals or personalities, it is about the future of this great Club and all of us - Bill included -want nothing more than to see QPR continue to grow and improve."Paladini is also sympathetic with supporters who may have been worried about the situation.He appreciates that the supporters are concerned and has stressed that their feelings are at the forefront of his mind."The supporters are what makes this Club great and from the moment I arrived at Loftus Road I have been overwhelmed by their passion and devotion."All supporters will worry when they see change and I can understand that. But I believe that change was necessary for long term stability."The investors and directors are ambitious - I am ambitious - but we are not turning things upside down. We are going to make sensible steady progress and take Rangers back to where we belong - the Premiership."Paladini also believes that the root of stability lies with the manager and that is why he hopes to sit down with Ian Holloway this week to discuss a new contract."Ollie is responsible for so much that has happened here during the past few years. Our successes on the pitch are down to him and he should be rewarded accordingly."http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~706682,00.html
Saturday, August 27, 2005 Match Reports & reports on Holloway's CommentsTimes -Eccentric Holloway torn by domestic disharmony at QPRBy Tom DartQueens Park Rangers 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0EVEN by Ian Holloway’s unmatched standards it was an extraordinary post-match press conference. The Queens Park Rangers manager launched an impassioned defence of his club and their two feuding directors after last night’s dull goalless draw against Sheffield Wednesday.Bill Power, the chairman, was removed from his post, and Mark Devlin, the chief executive, was sacked after Gianni Paladini, a director, ousted Power at a board meeting on Wednesday with the help of Carlos Dunga, the former Brazil captain, who flew in from Japan to vote.Holloway said that the uncertainty was affecting his players and used the analogy of a dysfunctional family. Given that a director is alleged to have been involved in the threatening of Paladini at gunpoint before the previous home game, dysfunctional may be an understatement.“Mum and dad are splitting up, nobody likes that as kids, do they? I feel like a nanny, I’ve got to calm down the kids,” Holloway said. “I can’t stand the last couple of weeks, it’s all politics. I don’t do politics, I’m not Tony Blair. I’m proud that this is worth fighting for, we’ve come a damn long way. I love mum, I love dad, and if one ends up with [the club] I’ll go and visit the other. I’ll stay overnight. They both put the money in, they both deserve this club.“When my Mum and Dad had a row there was Mum’s side, there was Dad’s side and the truth was somewhere in the middle. That’s the same here.”There are suggestions that Holloway may be destabilised by the uncertainty. John Gregory, the former Aston Villa manager, who knows Paladini, was present last night. “I’ve got to consider my position all the time, haven’t I? I’m a blimmin’ football manager,” Holloway said.Power intends to challenge his removal on the basis that Dunga, although a director, was ineligible to vote. Paladini and Power were present yesterday, visited the home dressing-room and appeared on friendly terms.Holloway went on to compare the situation, bizarrely, to Men In Black. No need to use the Will Smith character’s memory-eraser on those who saw this forgettable game. QPR, injury-hit like their opponents, missed the chance to go top of the Coca-Cola Championship even though Wednesday were reduced to ten men for the final 15 minutes when John Halls was sent off for a second bookable offence.on. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,435-1752939,00.html
# posted by Administrator @ 2:54 PM 0 comments "Ousted" Chairman, Bill Power's Posting/StatementBill Powers StatementThis is the only posting I will be making and, I will not be responding to any questions. Apologies if that is frustrating, but I am sure you will understand. A lot of things are being said and posted which are wildly off the mark. As in every board meeting different opinions were expressed, totally normal. What should be noted is that everybody at that meeting believed they had the interests of QPR in mind. No I didnt agree with everything, but to put things into perspective there was 100% agreement about most of the topics discussed. Obviously I could not comment on the decisions that were made after Kevin and I had to leave the meeting for family reasons and it continued without us. We are all talking amicably as we must above all else make sure that the club continues its revival. Everyone of us want only success for the club. Now what we all ask is that you do your part. When Ollie talks about the effect you have on the team it cannot be underestimated. We all know how unique our ground is when we really get behind the boys. We all remember the feeling around the place the night we beat Oldham in the play-off semi-final and that atmosphere is what we ask you to give us again tonight. Whoever plays tonight give them your all and you can be sure they will give you the same back. Finally I would like to thank everyone who has been kind enough to call me, text me and mail me. I have been overwhelmed by the many kind words that I have received and find myself truly humbled. Please feel free to post this to the Org, Rivals and Net. COME ON YOU R's _________________QPR & Ireland(taken from .org which in turn was taken from Official Sitehttp://www.qpr.org/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=103329&t=32358
BBC's Tom Watt's Programme Notes re QPRTom 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.shtmlPaladini Responds Further re Allegations/ReportsQPR 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=533682271xxxPaladini Responds to Evening Standard....Holloway on PaladiniQPR 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.htmlToday's Standards on Behind the Scenes Developments at QPRStandard 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
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_homeSporting 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%3A250Clubcall 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.htmlThe 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......" 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 (NorthamptonshireSunday 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
Ex-Chairman, Bill Power Leaves QPR BoardBBC - 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.SBill Power on his post Chairmanship PlansPower 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%3A220BP 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=533829535Thursday, September 01, 2005 "Chairman" Bill Power Statement Confirming he's Departing as QPR ChairmanQPR 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
Paladini SpeaksQPR OFFICIAL SITEBRIGHT FUTUREGianni Paladini has promised a bright future for Queens Park Rangers following the changes at Boardroom level last week.Bill Power is no longer Chairman and Mark Devlin's position as Chief Executive was made redundant following a Board meeting at Loftus Road.But the Director insists that the decisions taken were made with only the Club's interest at heart and he has played down suggestions of turmoil at the highest level."I am still friends with Bill. We go out for lunch and we talk on the phone every day. I have no problem with Bill."This is not about individuals or personalities, it is about the future of this great Club and all of us - Bill included -want nothing more than to see QPR continue to grow and improve."Paladini is also sympathetic with supporters who may have been worried about the situation.He appreciates that the supporters are concerned and has stressed that their feelings are at the forefront of his mind."The supporters are what makes this Club great and from the moment I arrived at Loftus Road I have been overwhelmed by their passion and devotion."All supporters will worry when they see change and I can understand that. But I believe that change was necessary for long term stability."The investors and directors are ambitious - I am ambitious - but we are not turning things upside down. We are going to make sensible steady progress and take Rangers back to where we belong - the Premiership."Paladini also believes that the root of stability lies with the manager and that is why he hopes to sit down with Ian Holloway this week to discuss a new contract."Ollie is responsible for so much that has happened here during the past few years. Our successes on the pitch are down to him and he should be rewarded accordingly."http://www.qpr.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10373~706682,00.html
Saturday, August 27, 2005 Match Reports & reports on Holloway's CommentsTimes -Eccentric Holloway torn by domestic disharmony at QPRBy Tom DartQueens Park Rangers 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0EVEN by Ian Holloway’s unmatched standards it was an extraordinary post-match press conference. The Queens Park Rangers manager launched an impassioned defence of his club and their two feuding directors after last night’s dull goalless draw against Sheffield Wednesday.Bill Power, the chairman, was removed from his post, and Mark Devlin, the chief executive, was sacked after Gianni Paladini, a director, ousted Power at a board meeting on Wednesday with the help of Carlos Dunga, the former Brazil captain, who flew in from Japan to vote.Holloway said that the uncertainty was affecting his players and used the analogy of a dysfunctional family. Given that a director is alleged to have been involved in the threatening of Paladini at gunpoint before the previous home game, dysfunctional may be an understatement.“Mum and dad are splitting up, nobody likes that as kids, do they? I feel like a nanny, I’ve got to calm down the kids,” Holloway said. “I can’t stand the last couple of weeks, it’s all politics. I don’t do politics, I’m not Tony Blair. I’m proud that this is worth fighting for, we’ve come a damn long way. I love mum, I love dad, and if one ends up with [the club] I’ll go and visit the other. I’ll stay overnight. They both put the money in, they both deserve this club.“When my Mum and Dad had a row there was Mum’s side, there was Dad’s side and the truth was somewhere in the middle. That’s the same here.”There are suggestions that Holloway may be destabilised by the uncertainty. John Gregory, the former Aston Villa manager, who knows Paladini, was present last night. “I’ve got to consider my position all the time, haven’t I? I’m a blimmin’ football manager,” Holloway said.Power intends to challenge his removal on the basis that Dunga, although a director, was ineligible to vote. Paladini and Power were present yesterday, visited the home dressing-room and appeared on friendly terms.Holloway went on to compare the situation, bizarrely, to Men In Black. No need to use the Will Smith character’s memory-eraser on those who saw this forgettable game. QPR, injury-hit like their opponents, missed the chance to go top of the Coca-Cola Championship even though Wednesday were reduced to ten men for the final 15 minutes when John Halls was sent off for a second bookable offence.on. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,435-1752939,00.html
# posted by Administrator @ 2:54 PM 0 comments "Ousted" Chairman, Bill Power's Posting/StatementBill Powers StatementThis is the only posting I will be making and, I will not be responding to any questions. Apologies if that is frustrating, but I am sure you will understand. A lot of things are being said and posted which are wildly off the mark. As in every board meeting different opinions were expressed, totally normal. What should be noted is that everybody at that meeting believed they had the interests of QPR in mind. No I didnt agree with everything, but to put things into perspective there was 100% agreement about most of the topics discussed. Obviously I could not comment on the decisions that were made after Kevin and I had to leave the meeting for family reasons and it continued without us. We are all talking amicably as we must above all else make sure that the club continues its revival. Everyone of us want only success for the club. Now what we all ask is that you do your part. When Ollie talks about the effect you have on the team it cannot be underestimated. We all know how unique our ground is when we really get behind the boys. We all remember the feeling around the place the night we beat Oldham in the play-off semi-final and that atmosphere is what we ask you to give us again tonight. Whoever plays tonight give them your all and you can be sure they will give you the same back. Finally I would like to thank everyone who has been kind enough to call me, text me and mail me. I have been overwhelmed by the many kind words that I have received and find myself truly humbled. Please feel free to post this to the Org, Rivals and Net. COME ON YOU R's _________________QPR & Ireland(taken from .org which in turn was taken from Official Sitehttp://www.qpr.org/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=103329&t=32358
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