Council point finger at QPR’s owners over stadium campaign
Hammersmith & Fulham Council have issued a terse response to QPR’s attempts to have a new ground on the site of the Linford Christie Stadium.
A report commissioned as part of Rangers’ campaign to secure the site near Wormwood Scrubs has concluded that the club relocating there could be worth £60m a year to the local economy.
The report also painted a bleak picture of the possible consequences for QPR if the club cannot move there.
In a statement issued in response, the council said: “QPR’s proposals are less about keeping football in the borough – and much more about them playing property developer in White City.”
The council also suggested QPR’s owners were trying to secure the land on the cheap – or even for free – and challenged them to demonstrate their commitment to the club’s fans and local community by giving up part of their ownership.
The statement continued: “The council is a trustee of the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust. And as a trustee we can’t just give away over one hundred million pounds worth of land to QPR’s multi-millionaire owners.
“Linford Christie Stadium is a vital community asset in an open green space. We want to protect and enhance its use for the environment, athletics, recreation and the long-term benefit of all our residents. We will consult residents early next year about how we can best achieve this.
“The council is very proud to have QPR in our borough and has long made it clear to their owners and executive team that we will go out of our way to help QPR improve their current stadium or will work with them to look at other alternatives.
“However, we cannot just give away land for free or hand land to QPR’s owners well below its potential value – and just because QPR’s owners have decided to campaign for the council to do that. We believe QPR deserves to be invested in and call on its owners to do just that.
“We’d be interested in discussing with QPR’s owners the idea that they give up some ownership of the club to ensure the community and QPR’s fans have a greater voice in the club’s future.”
