Well. That just got interesting for Brentford fans. The chance to sit back, watch potential carnage ensue and be reminded once more of the Financial Fair Play rulings. Whilst most Championship eyes were probably focussed on Crystal Palace (L) being thumped 4-1 by our divisional rivals Bristol City in the League Cup last night, a huge story had already unfolded in West London. Namely , that of hapless QPR and the fine of up to £58 million for breaching divisional FFP rules back in 2013-14.
The BBC sum things up nicely, but in a nutshell clubs were allowed losses of up to £8million that season. QPR ran up a deficit of £9.8million aswell as then seeing owner Tony Fernandes and other shareholders write off an additional £60million loan, deeming it an ‘exceptional item’. As you do.
The case has dragged on for the last three years. So much so that, speaking about it recently to a fellow Brentford fan, gut reaction was that Fernandes had just paid the fine ‘under the counter’. Do it discreetly and make it go away. Save some face. Surely that was the only reason we’d heard nothing else about this?
Sadly not, for QPR. An arbitration panel has now given their verdict that the fine was correct for the offence committed. They may have edged their way into the Premier League but having dropped out of it, that pigeon has now come home to roost.
Not surprisingly, there has been little comment out of the Loftus Road club although plenty on Social media. Chief Executive Lee Hoos has issued a short statement , expressing the customary disappointment aswell as noting that “We will be appealing“. Surely a first for a club normally about as appealing as finding a maggot in an apple.
Back at the time, Fernandes was all blood and thunder. There’s a piece in The Guardian where he denounced how unfair this all was. His team had been a Premier League club but after employing the likes of Neil Warnock and Harry Redknapp (not for the first time) were relegated (not for the first time). Yet despite the rules in place they chose to breach them to suit their own situation.
“My view has been consistent, that it is very unfair for a club that has been relegated as the wage difference between the Premier League and Championship is impossible. There should be a time period for clubs to rectify their salaries.
“If we were in the Championship in two years with that wage bill it wouldn’t be right. I’m in favour of FFP but it is unfair for a club coming down.”
Boo-hoo. Welcome to the real world of football. It’s not ‘fair’. Don’t clubs like Brentford, trying to compete on a level playing field with the likes of over spending QPR and Bournemouth, know that? We’ve had to watch for year on year as our best players are sold to balance the books. The likes of Moses Odubajo, Scott Hogan, Andre Gray, Jota, Maxime Colin, number 26 and Stuart Dallas. To name but a few.
How nice would it have been just to spend beyond our means and then cry ‘unfair’? Instead, despite huge frustration as to the individual sales, the update from Loftus Road shows the longer term reasoning behind such decisions. We’ve made no secret of buying low to sell high. Of using this model to keep ourselves afloat and build for the future. It has been frustrating at times for sure, I’m the first to admit that. Yet, also, there’s now a wonderful opportunity for a line to be drawn.
Will QPR be able to wriggle out of this one? Will a further appeal be successful? Will their board pay the fine through gritted teeth? Do they even have any money left to do so? Or is a points deduction and demotion the alternative?
One things for sure, when Brentford travel to Loftus Road next month (assuming QPR are still in existence at that point) it’s going to be tasty.
It has been a troubled few seasons for QPR
Nick Bruzon
BrentfordFC 
Never a tiny drop of sympathy for that mob. They tried to put Brentford out of existence and for that they deserve all they get. Karma
Too true, David. Too true
Bo hoo. The chicken has come home to roost pay up and shut up spirt of 67
What a shocking piece about another club.
You are crowing about a situation that could affect decent football supporters who want to follow their team.
Call yourself a football fan.You should be ashamed of yourself
A pity QPR did not share your sentiments in 1967 when the only agenda was destruction of Brentford. Sorry mate, but the proposed action by QPR in 1967 was totally unacceptable and in the end they had to withdraw. That action will never be forgotten or forgiven by Brentford supporters. Your team got themselves into the mess by breaking the rules to gain promotion, so you have to wear the consequences – and rightly so. As Brentford supporters do we sympathise – certainly not.
1967! 50 years ago and you still go on. Co and get a Murray Mint before Bingo starts. Up the Rssss
Ha ha qprha ha …..karma indeed. I don’t want qpr to disappear in to non existence truly ….but if you don’t pay the fine I would want you chucked out of the league and your shit hole of a ground to be sold and developed on.
Have a look at the Derby supporters response. They are Football Supporters unlike you I am afraid, Sir.
Good luck for the season and up the Rssss
Interesting perspective. I AM a football supporter. But I support my club above all other things. You expect me NOT to quote facts – and thats what they are – in case such as this. Sorry – this is football. Not happy clappy land. We’ve played fair for years. Suddenly the boot is on the other foot and Rangers getting all upset. Good day to YOU, sir
Yeah that’s what we want, football to be a closed shop. Top 6 in the PL will be the only teams to win anything forever more. If you bought your way to success before 2012, that’s fine. If not, the best you can hope for is maybe one day, if your wildest dreams come true, you might finish 7th or 8th in the PL.
Yes I am a QPR fan, yes we spent money worse than anyone has in history & got a bit too big for our boots, but the wider implications here are that top level football is now a closed shop.
Genuinely not sure if this is serious or a joke? I’m ‘crowing’ about a football club who, having already tried (and failed) to wipe us off the face of the map have then sought to cheat/breach the rules of the game, because they don’t find them ‘fair’. If you have an issue with that, one would suggest you take it up with Mr Fernandes
Supporters do not control club finances. We just want to follow our team and achieve success once in a while. Do you think we enjoyed watching Boswinga, Sandro, Redknapp et al, take the club to the cleaners. Good luck for the season and up the Rsssss!
Which makes it all the more tragic where the overspend went
Next time I see you the only Bruzon will be on your fuckin face. Smarmy cunt.
Wow. not heard that one in about 30 years. As we won’t be in the Conference any time soon, I fear you may have a long wait. Thanks for reading and commenting
Ah Bruzon face, nice pun, however the rest of it needs a bit of work or there is the danger you might look like someone with mental difficulties.
As a QPR fan, I see both sides. For sure, they tried to buy their way to the top, and a combination of voracious agents, dodgy managers and naive owners created a perfect storm. Despite this, a punishment is merited.
QPR’s beef is that the the rules that they broke were significantly diluted a year later because they were felt to have been unrealistic in relation to the offense they were designed to prevent. The principle was retained, but the punishment significantly reduced.
QPR are arguing that they should not be unduly penalized by rules that were almost immediately deemed inappropriate and excessive in relation to the “crime”.
I don’t think QPR have a problem with paying a fine, but are arguing it should be proportionate. I sympathize with the gist of the argument put forward by Nick, but I also see where QPR are coming from.
Nice column Nick, sorry about some of the offensive replies. It’s only a game.
Thanks Freehold. Appreciated. Always expect flak on one of these – football is emotive. We’ve taken it enough in the past and will no doubt get it again. Amazing what a few facts can do, though
Thoroughly nasty piece by the last word of the green-eyed monster. Must be a smashing bloke in the pub…watch your backs lad. Love the banter of local clubs, certainly don”t want any to go out of business. Disgraceful!
Would suggest you may want to update your dictionary Jay. If,indeed, you possess one. Thoroughly nasty ? Green-eyed? Don’t make me laugh. Just pointing out a few facts and boys, doesn’t it seem to hurt?! As for not wanting local clubs to go out of business, perhaps you may want to check your history book whilst you are updating that dictionary… If you’ve any issues perhaps take it up with Mr Fernandes and his club’s overspending…
QPR Season Ticket Holder
1967 50 years ago and will still go on about it.
2017 100 years ago and we will still be going on about it.
Those sort of acts are NEVER forgotten.
Up the BEES
No further questions, m’lud
I was born long after 1967, but every Brentford fan young or old knows about 67 and understands why the ra’s are utterly despised for which most of us would happily see them vanish forever.
As for blaming Harry and co. It doesnt wash with me. If owners are dumb enough to give obscene amounts of money to any individual without any checks or restraints then the owners deserve everything thats coming to them.
gratest blog! weel never forget. mebe alow clubs to spnd what dey wanna den dese problems wil go away bfc wil also benefit!
hi Nick.
QPR fan here in peace ( I trust to be reciprocated !)
I don’t agree with people resorting to being abusive on social media as that is just ignorant and childish, but it is difficult to have a rational debate when such emotive topics are before us. I think you’ll find most sensible QPR fans accept that this FFP fine is a fair cop and is down to the stupidity of the owners allowing the likes of Redknapp & Hughes to jeopardise the club’s future. So the buck stops with our owners and we neither expect nor want sympathy from Bees or any other fans ( just as well eh !) What does surprise me is the pure hatred and animosity coming from Bees fans , many of whom probably were not even born in 67 ( I was, but too young to understand what it all meant) , especially considering that the people in question are now dead, so it has nothing to do with today’s fans or club owners. Sure we all expect local rivalry, but this comes across as being a bit bitter & twisted. 50 years is a long time. By all means dislike us for taking Sinton , Rowly and whoever else when we were a bigger club ( not any more I readily accept ) but TBH this all seems a bit churlish. We have a great fans’ web site called loftforwords which , whilst being passionate about our club, as we all are, is impressively objective and in the past has written articles praising BFC’s way of scouting lower league players and developing them eg Hogan , Woods, Mawson etc. Incidentally, you may not have noticed, but during the League Cup game at our place, Ryan Woods was applauded by our fans when warming up as a sub. That’s how football should be. Rivalry by all means but fair minded. If you all degenerate into blind hatred that is a sad reflection on you. A bit like Scotland fans wearing Argentina shirts when they played England because of Robert the Bruce centuries ago . Get over it lads.. Things move on, especially after 50 years. Thanks for your time guys.
Very friendly post, thank you, but I’m not dead yet.
Replace 2017 with 2067.
What a sad bloke to take the time to write a column about another club! Obsessed or what!
Imagine. Talking about football and a divisional, geographical rival. Saaaaad
Not just talking about it though pal, seems you been rubbing one out over it
I was a kid at the time of the qpr bid but in the 70s when the pitch at Griffin park was a quagmire and the football was dire I would ask my dad why are we in the bottom two divisions why arent we doing better. We lived with the consequences of the 67 bid for the decades that followed. Events included the fire in braemar stand, bucket collections every home game, sometimes suffering from unscrupulous managers and owners, the redevelopment of the royal oak stand for housing. 67 is in our blood and is now enshrined in our lore. The dislike and in some cases, hatred for qpr will forever be there ! So yes i am enjoying this moment. U bees.