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Post by Macmoish on Sept 29, 2012 6:56:16 GMT
Happy Birthday BP Have a Great Day Today. May you also have a delayed celebration on Monday! Strange: We've had a series of QPR Chairmen professing their love for QPR. But only one Ex-QPR Chairman seems to have retained an "interest" - shall we call it "The Love That Dare not speak its name" ;D for Queen's Park Rangers, after they ceased to be QPR Chairman Have a Great Day
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Post by RoryTheRanger on Sept 29, 2012 7:30:39 GMT
Happy birthday bp
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Post by Markqpr on Sept 29, 2012 7:34:01 GMT
Happy Birthday BP! Have a great day and here's a birthday tune for you:
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Post by eusebio13 on Sept 29, 2012 7:44:53 GMT
Hooppy Birthday BP
Have marvellous day
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Post by Macmoish on Sept 29, 2012 7:49:28 GMT
And as I posted in a previous Birthday greeting Don't need to go through everything, cos we all know and no need to remember the bad times...But couple of things BBC - July 9, 2003 - Cash boost for QPR Queens Park Rangers fan Bill Power has joined the Loftus Road board after pumping £200,000 into the club. Power becomes the third supporter to be offered a directorship after injecting cash into QPR, following Harold Winton and Kevin McGrath. "It's a dream come true to join the board and I'm really pleased," Power told BBC Sport. "I'm from White City and have supported Rangers all my life. To be able to help QPR in this way means a lot to me. "I haven't been part of any of the bids to take over the club and I don't have any agenda other than wanting to help the club as best I can." BBC - June 24, 2004 QPR chief stands down - Nick Blackburn has resigned as Queens Park Rangers chairman. His future has been in doubt since the recent resignation of chief executive David Davies. Blackburn was former Rangers owner Chris Wright's deputy before taking over as chairman when Wright quit the club in 2001. Davies, Blackburn and company chairman Ross Jones are leaving as part of a shake-up at Loftus Road following disagreements at board level. .....QPR director Bill Power will replace Blackburn, with fellow director Kevin McGrath appointed acting plc chairman. Justin Pieris of the QPR supporters' trust, QPR 1st, welcomed news of Blackburn's departure.... Profile of Bill Power from about five years ago: Irish Abroad Power behind QPR - By Ian McCullough It has often been said, usually in dreamy tones, by many a football supporter, that they would give money to the club they love and support when they win the lottery. London Irishman Bill Power is someone who has fulfilled the first part of that dream although the money he has invested in Queens Park Rangers is his very own hard-earned cash and not the type made by buying a lucky dip ticket from the local supermarket. While London football is now dominated by the nouveau-riche Chelsea courtesy of the billions of Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich and the charismatic, free-flowing on their day, but enigmatic Arsenal under Arsene Wenger, there was a time when QPR were the talk of the capital. At a time when Irish emigration to London was rife during the late 1960s and through to the ’70s, many settled in west London areas such as Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush, Kensal Rise and Greenford and the team whose ground sits just off the Uxbridge Road became the focal point for a many of the new settlers in the capital and their offspring. Power, the son of Wexford parents and an Irish passport holder, was one of the many who were hooked by players such as Rodney Marsh, Les Allen and Mark Lazarus lighting up the pitch that the youngster could see from his bedroom window overlooking Loftus Road from the White City Estate adjacent to the ground. Forty years on and with memories of Marsh, Stan Bowles, Don Givens, Gerry Francis, Les Ferdinand et al, just that, Power stepped in to help out the club that had been such a huge part of his life. Less than 10 years after finishing as top London club in the Premiership, Rangers were on the brink of going out of business as they slipped into the third tier of English football for the first time in 40 years. Years of fecklessness both on and off the pitch had taken the club into administration and the only way it was able to get itself out of the parlous situation was by taking out an ill-advised £10million loan with a little-known Panamanian company ABC Loans. The repayments were costing the club £1m-a-year in interest alone and after failure to reach the old First Division after a play-off final defeat by Cardiff, the club spent the whole of last season on the verge of slipping back into administration despite an average gate of 16,000 and record season-ticket sales. Various parties had expressed an interest in putting money into the club, but to no fruition. The reluctance of former chairman Chris Wright to sell his shares to interested parties despite having declared he was no longer interested in the club proved a stumbling block and QPR needed investment ASAP. Step forward Power, a season-ticket holder of over 20 years and an electrician who made his money by setting up Datasat, a Satellite communication company.
Among their clients are governmental departments from numerous countries, including Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Buckinghamshire-based company are now among the world leaders in their field.
“It was a complete stroke of luck that I got into the business,” he admitted. “I was working as an electrician and I had just moved into a new house and a new family moved in next door and Phil Emmel, who is now my business partner, asked me if I could have a look at some circuit plans for a job he was about to embark on.
“He then asked me to help him out on a few jobs abroad and shortly after we set up the business and were very fortunate just getting in at the right time and we have done well to get where are, thanks to some hard work.”
While business was booming for Bill, the team he followed was not. A family called the Wintons had bought two players for the cash-strapped club so Bill made a phone call to QPR’s former chief executive to offer some further help and ask about the possibility of purchasing another player.
He explained: “Apart from my family, QPR have been the biggest part of my life and something I have dedicated a great deal of my time and support to.
“So I picked up the phone and couldn’t believe it when I was put straight through to chief executive David Davies.
“I made an initial investment of £200,000 which was accepted and was invited to sit in on a couple of board meetings, but I realised shortly after that there were a few things that didn’t make sense.
“There were some steps being taken that were costing us more money than was being brought in, like planning to install a whole new computer network with new equipment for staff, and bringing in even more personnel to an already oversized staff.”
In addition to Power an Italian former football agent Gianni Paladini had also become a shareholder along with another London Irishman Kevin McGrath — a senior partner in an asset management company in the City.
With the club losing money hand over fist, a number of changes had to be made with the first being at the top where senior staff were ousted followed by a number of redundancies.
“Basically I had put my money into the club which was gratefully received but I was being ignored and decisions were being made without my knowledge,” said Bill.
With the new board in place, Power was asked to become chairman of the club.
“It was a great honour to be asked to be chairman and something myself and my family are very proud of but not something I ever envisaged or was aspiring for when I made that phone call last year.”
So with the club’s long-term future looking far rosier than 12 months ago after a tax bill was paid off in the summer and investment being made in players and money available to manager Ian Holloway to spend, optimism is high in W12 after a respectable return to the Coca-Cola Championship.
“I am very confident that we will be back in the Premiership within three years. We have a very long way to go at the moment but we are making the right progress,” he said.
“The loan is still a major millstone around our necks and we looking to get a plan agreed to re-structure the payments as at the minute and hopefully that will be resolved.
“We are also very close to securing a site for a new training ground. This will not come out of club funds and will be a gift to the club and a sign of our intentions.
“Myself, Kevin and Gianni are not in the Abramovich mould, none of us have money to chuck away, but we all believe in what we are doing and, hopefully, that will see us back where we feel we belong.” Irish Abroard
Read more: qprreport.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=7138&page=1#ixzz27qJxdFm3
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Post by kempton ranger on Sept 29, 2012 9:51:56 GMT
Happy birthday BP!
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Post by scarletpimple on Sept 29, 2012 9:53:39 GMT
Happy birthday and i think your petrol stations are great.
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Post by Lonegunmen on Sept 29, 2012 10:40:55 GMT
Yes Bill, another birthday down. All the v ery best from new Zealand.
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Post by cpr on Sept 29, 2012 11:30:11 GMT
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Post by Macmoish on Sept 29, 2012 11:37:54 GMT
Happy birthday and i think your petrol stations are great. Now BP just needs a song to equal his bitter rival...Exxon (Esso)
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2012 12:15:42 GMT
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Post by mfnc on Sept 29, 2012 12:53:41 GMT
happy birthday bp and thanks for coming into QPR when you did.
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Post by bp on Sept 29, 2012 14:16:40 GMT
Thanks for the good wishes chaps. Just arrived in sunny Spain for a week of ......!!?? It's peeing down The drinks are on me next time you catch me.
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Post by Bushman on Sept 29, 2012 15:03:21 GMT
Should you be flying at your age. Happy Birthday mate.
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ingham
Dave Sexton
Posts: 1,896
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Post by ingham on Sept 29, 2012 15:19:03 GMT
Many happy returns, mate .
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Post by cpr on Sept 29, 2012 15:20:51 GMT
Thanks for the good wishes chaps. Just arrived in sunny Spain for a week of ......!!?? It's peeing down The drinks are on me next time you catch me. Whereabouts are you? Torrential in the south around Malaga and the forecast is for loads more!
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Post by harlowranger on Sept 29, 2012 15:40:36 GMT
Happy Birthday Bill , hope you had a great day !
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Post by gramps on Sept 29, 2012 18:48:08 GMT
Many Happy Returns Bill. (Nearly missed this one as I am still suffering from mind-wandering jet-lag!)
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Post by shenandoah on Sept 29, 2012 18:52:52 GMT
Happy birthday to an old QPR face!!
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Post by marianqpr on Sept 29, 2012 22:05:48 GMT
Just about made this in time for the big day. Happy Birthday BP from the West coast of Ireland. Hope you enjoyed the day and the rain stops soon
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Post by superckat on Sept 29, 2012 22:25:59 GMT
Thanks for the good wishes chaps. Just arrived in sunny Spain for a week of ......!!?? It's peeing down The drinks are on me next time you catch me. I'm still waiting Power. Happy Birthday mate. Hope you had a great day.
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Post by Lonegunmen on Sept 29, 2012 23:18:17 GMT
Don't buy me a drink, buy in a return business class ticket (just trying to take advantage of your generosity Bill. Hope Spain is nice for you.)
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Post by londonranger on Sept 29, 2012 23:49:43 GMT
Adding my best birthday wishes Bill.
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Post by sharky on Sept 30, 2012 1:54:38 GMT
Belated birthday wishes to you BP from down under.
As we say here, onya mate
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Post by Zamoraaaah on Oct 1, 2012 7:32:31 GMT
Missed the thread.
Belated Birfday greetings mate.
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