Well I never actually met him...And I first came to know him when he signed up here to post. And initially none of had any idea of his terrible sickness. And except for the very occasionally passing reference to not being able to be at a game, we had no idea.
And some of his posts were on the theme of what the club used to be/and his experiences.
And assuming no one minds, or thinks it inappropriate to do, I'd like to repost a few of those past posts by Robbie.
Robbo's Very First Post on this site, back in August of 2010Originally Titled "Looking forward to this new campaign!"
[QPR Report edited the title in hope other visitors will read these memories - and threw in a few paragraph beaks! But ultimately if you're not happy with it, obviously change it back - or go for a third title. Thanks/Apolgies in advance]
"Hi all, just registered on the site.
Followed the R's since 1966, and am still excited everytime I visit Loftus Road, but yesterday was something else!
I usually do not get to wrapped up in the pre-season hype, but this year (for the first time in a long time) I am really looking forward to the campaign.
I believe we have at last got a manager capable of taking us into the Prem, and I have been happy with the new signings.. so far.
Yesterday I thought we deserved the 4-0 win, and I was impressed with all the new lads; however I am a little nervous with Kenny in goal, who looked a bit apppprehensive to me.
I thought Hill and Orr both had good games at full back, Derry was strong in the middle of the defence, and looked like the kind of leader we have missed for a while.
Mackie seems to run forever and I am looking forward to see him develop further and perhaps become our new Sinton.
Adel... outstanding and well worth the £30 on his own.
About time we had a truly gifted talent back at LR.
Not too sure about Fitz as our captain, but I believe we should trust Neil and watch this space so to speak.
Hogan impressed me and Faurlin continues to perform well.
It goes without saying that we still crave a big name signing up front, and if this is Chopra or Roberts, I will believe that we really will be up there challenging for promotion.
One small disappointment for me though, where are all our fans gone!
With all the summer activity and the promise of more to come, I really thought we would have attracted a better crowd than the meagre 13,500!
All credit to the fans that did attend as it was a great atmosphere and a pleasure to be in.
Unless you were in the upper tier of the School End of course, LOL.
On the way out of South Africa Road after the game a Barnsley supporter came up to me and said something about "congratulations on bringing yer own ref with yer", although it was hard to understand him as his mouth was full of sour grapes!!!
Anyhow, here's to a cracking season.
And Robbo's follow up on that threadWell.. part of my role was to appoint the QPR mascots from the membership of the Junior R's, who applied and then joined a long waiting list, however when they got their allocated match it was free of charge to them plus complimentary tickets for their family for the relevant match, a tour of the ground, a visit to meet a few players and get autographs etc, which was all very popular.
However the people upstairs caught on to the fact it was free of charge and put pressure on me to start charging the Junior R's, which I fought against successfully, however the Marketing dept among others decided that they would start to appoint sponsorship mascots etc, with the end result sometimes being 5 or 6 home mascots, which sought of devalued it for our members that had queud for 2 years.
I also was responsible for introducing the Player of the Year Dinners: This came about because Paul Parker (among others) refused to attend the previous sort of end of season "piss up" style events at places like Acton Town Hall, and the Abbey on the Western Avenue.
I tried to get the board and the players to attend BOTH types of event as it was obvious some fans were not up for a suit and tie style event, but the players were having none of it... well most of them anyway!
When I arranged the first POY dinner at Heathrow, I drew names from a hat to place 1 player and their guest on every table of ten to enable them to sit with the paying fans.
You would not believe the grief I had over this, with many players refusing to come unless they sat together, away from the fans etc.
I argued long and hard with a few of them, and eventually persuaded Clive Berlin that if the players wanted a formal presentation night, then they should make more of an effort to mix in with their supporters.
Eventually it went well, but these days at £60 a throw, it is still out of the league of many of our fans.
Then there would be the qpr Open Day, which I organised at Shepherds Bush Cricket Club.
This free event saw QPR players play cricket against the local team, with a real free and easy atmosphere... on the surface anyway.
As usual the inner sanctum clique of players moaned about giving up a Sunday to play cricket, although many were up for it. Les Ferdinand, Alan Mac, and others really got into the spirit of the day, but others refused to come out of the club bar for more than a few minutes to mix with the fans.
I spent most of the day with Michael Wale trying to get the "usual suspects" to put a smile on their faces and join in, and eventually it was a great day for one and all, but why should it have been such a bl**dy effort to get them out in the 1st place?
It should be said that the majority of the players I worked with were fine, but over the years there has always been those that take the p*ss and only go through the motions.
Some love the idolisation they receive whilst others are uncomfortable with it; others take the money and run, always have always will.
!
I also introduced a motto for the Supporters Club which was "Always There", and had 500 enamel badges made for general sale with the loggo on the scroll at the bottom of the badge.
I thought this was a good idea and the badges sold out in 1 week, but when I asked permission to order more, I was firmly told that I had utilised the club badge without checking with the Marketing department first, that I was in breach of copyright - even though I was a full time employee of QPR, and that if I did it again I would be sacked!
The fans loved the badges - the club hated them. Nothing changes... look at the badge today and ask if it was the choice of the supporters... I don't think so!
At the last away game of every season I used to operate free coaches to the regular QPR fans that travelled to most games.
I was told after 3 years of this that it had to stop!
What a way to treat people that sat on our coaches all over the country, often getting home from mid-week games at 2am! The club couldn't give a toss, it was all about pounds sterling to Mr Thompson et al.
I also introduced the Pub Stops en route to away games, and once more had major issues with the key names upstairs, even though at that time we were the only club in London that were allowed to make these stops after I had liaised with the Met, and all the various Football Liason forces around the country.
I continued to make the stops anyway as the police were happy with it, even if my bosses were not!
I could go on forever, but my fingers are sore now.
Perhaps there will be another instalment in the future?
Either way, whilst I had a great time working at LR and although it broke my heart when they made me redundant, I cannot stress enough that I will always support our club, and will always get that lump in my throat when the team runs out for each game.
YOU RRRRRRRRRRR'SSSS.
[QPR Report edit just to provide paragraph breaks]
And then another Robbo followupNice to see someone remembers the good old pub stops!
The only problem I had with the pub stops was that once I got in there and got the taste, I never wanted to leave!
It was always a laugh on the second half of a journey after the pub, as I used to take the microphone, and we would all end up singing for the rest of the journey. Happy days.
I am chuffed that London still has his badge after all these years; sadly I lost mine years ago at a certain away trip to Old Trafford on New Years Day as our 4th goal went in!
Always wanted to get another to replace it, but I have never been able to source on.
I have looked on ebay for a long time but the "Always There" badge never crops up.
Also good to see some of the fans from those days are still around and still in love with the club.
As far as current inside info goes, there are only two people left at the club that I worked with, and I would not consider contacting them to get the inside stories.
I also would not to be classed as one of these posters that claim to be ITK all the time; I was but not these days.
There are however many stories to tell, and perhaps when the time is right, a few more may appear on here.
Not trying to be clever or anything, but some of the stories would still get me in the preverbial sh*t.
That said though... one night the QPR backroom staff played the Watford backroom staff on the pitch, behind closed doors.
I never seemed to get on with Roger Cross who was in charge of our team, and this resulted in me being put in goal for us.
I sulked at this as I wanted the chance to perhaps nick a goal on our beloved grass, and as we were so much in control of the game I barely got a touch.
I got so bored that I lit up a fag and stood in the middle of the Loft End goalmouth puffing away like billyo.
The club photographer at the time - John Searight - snapped me standing there with my fag on the go, and I took stick for a few weeks after, but I still have the photo at home.
The only person that didn't take the mick was Alan Mac who often had a sly fag in the home dressing room toilets at halftime!
Macca was a true QPR legend.
One final follow up on that thread of memoriesApril78;
Michael and I were close friends for many years, and in fact he and I were Bowls partners for several years in the Bowls section of Shepherds Bush Cricket Club.
I could tell you some really funny stories about MW but this forum isn't really the place for some of them!
I lost contact with Michael in about 2002 when I got divorced and moved from west London down to Kent, and the last I knew of him he was living just off the Askew Road, with his other half and their baby girl.
Davemc;
Are the fond memories of the away games.
The mad scramble to get every on board the coaches at LR, making sure that the non-smokers were allocated the correct coaches, checking everyone had their match tickets etc, contacting the LSA coach to see if they had any spare seats, or if the needed extra places with us.
Then the mad rush up the motorway to which-ever pub stop I had arranged, invading the pub and sinkinf a couple whilst checking with the landlord/s that they were happy with our group of brilliant fans so we could stp there again in the future, then rounding up our happy group and trying to get the stragglers away from their full glasses!
Back on the coaches for a sing-song on board and videos of our recent matches.
Happy days!
Davemc is correcet about my last official away game with the club.
Aston Villa away was an incredibly emotional day for me.
I had been told that Richard Thompson was travelling with us on the coaches to try to show that all was cool about my redundancy.
I never understood why he felt he would be accepted on the coach, and it was really funny when he got on board and everyone booed and hissed at him - and the big minder he had with him.
He asked me where we would be stopping en route for the pub stop, and I said as I was no longer required in his employ, I would leave it to him to tell the driver where we were going to stop! Thompson of course had no idea.
I refused to tell him the destination but told the supporters not to worry as I would ensure the stop was completed anyway.
Mate.. you should have seen him squirming as the supporters made it clear that thanks to him being on board they would miss out on the popular bevvy pre-match.
Anyhow, I told the driver/s discreetly that we were to stop off at a pub I had arranged in Coventry, and you should have seen the relief on Thompson's face when he suddenly realised we were pulling into the pub car park.
Funniest thing of all though was when a group of supporters (un-beknown to me) went round with the hat to start a collection for me, and a large group approached Thompson and asked him to put in too!
One particular fan - who shall remain nameless, but was a big old lump - said to RT "you're a effing millionaire, get your effing wallet out and help our mate out you tight git", at which point RT got the minder to step in, whilst he walked away!!
When we got to Villa Park the West Midlands police were waiting for me and escorted me into the police control room where I was informed that a large section of our wonderful travelling army were planning an on-pitch demo against Thompson, and that I had to go onto the pitch and address our fans asking them through a load hailer, to show restraint and to keep any demos for LR, otherwise they would not allow the game to take place!
I was stunned that this had happened but did as I was asked anyway, and through tears of pride, I duly addressed our fans from the penalty area and the game went on.
Some of you will recall that shortly after the on-pitch demo took place anyway at home to Ledds United, where the game was held up at the start of the second half, and made all the national papers.
It should be said that the demo was not all about me.
By this time RT had also got rid of Brian Bedford (an all-time QPR legend) who used to be the head groundsman, and several QPR stalwarts, and had started to cause problems between Gerry Francis and Rodney Marsh, by trying to "play them off" against each other.
Shortly after this I had a meeting with RT to discuss my severance pay, and asked if I could have a complimentary season ticket in future as part of my settlement, for every season he remained at the club.
My dad was present at this meeting and said in front of RT "don't waste your breath son.. he wont be here long enough".
Anyhow, I have to go now cos it's a 100 mile drive up to LR for today's game (and another three points) against Sc**thorpe.
I wonder if Thompson will be there!!! ;D
And then Robbo's final post on this site, with no reference to any of his own problems made at the end of January:Re: My Story
Jan 25, 2011, 12:00am
Welcome on board Finatic.
the best place to pick up the kit is currently in the Club Shop where they are offering some nice discounts; I picked up a really nice coat/jacket on Sunday at £20 quid off!
Another way to SAVE MONEY is to visit ANY Sunday morning CAR BOOT SALE, whre for as little as 10 pence you can pick up an old Chelsh*t shirt, and use it to clean out dirty ashtrays, or wash down the toilet etc... hey it is a good money saving tip, and I seriously have one under my bathroom sink for such unpleasant menial tasks!
