Fernandes would like 45,000-capacity stadium for QPR
QPR chairman Tony Fernandes insists he would have no qualms about the club building a new stadium with a capacity of up to 45,000.
Speaking on the club’s London Call-In show, Fernandes said the pursuit of a new home for Rangers was “progressing” and dismissed concerns about the potential size of the ground.
“I’ve always felt anything from 35,000 to 45,000,” he said.
“If we’re playing good football and have a good stadium, if you get a good product, people will come. And London’s a great city.
“The message to our architects was to keep what’s good [at Loftus Road] and try to make it a bit bigger.”
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04/11/2012 @ 5:39 pm
Tom Hark,
Your up mug, typical jump on the bandwagon merchant! So what about 2 FA cup wins 97, 2000, cup winners cup 98 and league cup 98. Selective memory loss.
Yes are crowds were low sometimes but the 80’s they were. I used to go along with 12000 CFC fans and take over Loftus road in the 80’s so we have 12000 loyal fans home and away. Are lowest ever average was about 16000 in 1982 big deal. 5th All time best supported club in history FACT, go look it up. So all the quotes of “chelsea used to only get 12000” is rubbish, clubs have there ups and downs. In the 60’s and 70’s we had average gates of 50,000 sometimes so stop talking shite.
I admit I don’t think we would consistently fill anymore than 55,000 but you lot will never ever fill 45,000 that is for sure.
I would worry about staying in the permiership before slating other rival clubs for low historic crowds in their history.
02/11/2012 @ 9:16 am
John Gallagher
You’re right of course, especially about Chelsea.
But Reading now have a realistic (for their fan base) capacity, which in the Prem they achieve.
We have a possible regular constituency of around 30k is my guess, in the Premiership, anything more and we will suffer Match of the Day with tranches of empty seats, which looks scruffy and tells a tale of disinterest, like at Wigan and others.
The atmosphere at LR is down to 16000 people who care sitting (literally in South Africa Rd) on top of each other. Fernandes needs to think very carefully about all this – provided, of course, there actually is anywhere to build this thing…
01/11/2012 @ 10:02 pm
Tom Hark,
Reading used to play in front of 3,000. Look at their gates now. Much as I disagree with Fernandes on certain issues, he is right. If you get the product right, people will come.
I remember the days when CFC had gates of 12,000. Things change. Then they got trendy and many of their fans learned to remember their history, all the way back to 2003.
01/11/2012 @ 8:46 pm
I meant 15, 000 of course…
01/11/2012 @ 8:45 pm
And who is gonna sit in the empty 1500 seats?