As I noted last year. from the mouth of Amit Bhatia in April 2008 "..
there are no plans to change the logo, club colours or stadium name."
[ONE MONTH Later "QPR unveil the club's new crest"
news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/q/qpr/7384214.stm ]
Daily Mail: Tuesday, April 01, 2008"The Masterplan" - QPR's Prospects and Plans According to QPR's Mittal Family Rep., Vice Chair, Amit Bhatia
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Mail/This is London We are nothing like Chelsea, says QPR vice-chairman Bhatia as he reveals Rangers' masterplan
Amit Bhatia has outlined the Mittal family's masterplan to usher in a new era of success at Queens Park Rangers.
The Rangers vice-chairman, and son-in-law of billionaire owner Lakshmi Mittal, claimed that last week's £20million shirt sponsorship deal with Lotto Sport Italia is a signal of the club's intent to stop at nothing in their bid to become a Premier League powerhouse.
The key points include:
• No plans to move from Loftus Road "for now".
• The club will not "lose control" over spending because "we are nothing like Chelsea".
• QPR will remain "quintessentially English" and no names or badges will change. • Lakshmi will stay "as a fan rather than an owner" otherwise "he will not get involved unless it is necessary". • Missing out on promotion next season "would not be a failure".
Bhatia is the public face of the Mittal family's interest in QPR and is keen to allay fears among fans that the London-born Indian businessman will change the identity of the club and move away from their present ground.
"One of the most attractive things about this club is the stadium, so we have no desire to move from here at all," he said.
"If the day came where a move was warranted - and I guess that would be when the results were great, we get promoted and we need a 35,000-seat stadium - then, yes, maybe we'd explore it. But we don't need it today.
"Shareholders should not determine what a club looks like. QPR have a great history and a great tradition and for us to maintain that is of prime importance.
"Consequently, there are no plans to change the logo, club colours or stadium name.
"There is a need to ensure things are kept fundamentally English. If you look through the roster, there are mostly English players here and we like it that way."
Comparisons with Chelsea are inevitable. Mittal's estimated £26billion fortune dwarfs that of their more illustrious neighbour's owner and should they one day decide to move, the club could outbid Roman Abramovich for potential sites at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, White City or Earls Court.
Mittal, the fourth-richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine, has lavish tendencies - Bhatia's wedding to Vanisha Mittal in June 2004 was reported to be the most expensive in history at a cost of £30m - but fans should not expect a similar approach to the club's finances.
"We are nothing like Chelsea and we will not lose control over spending," said Bhatia. "The expenses involved with QPR are far smaller. The £20m deal will go a long way to making us profitable, as would promotion.
"My father-in-law's involvement on an emotional level is already known. He is involved firstly as a fan. If and when something warrants his involvement with the media, he will get involved but, for now, he believes the best way to be involved is as a fan and not an owner."
With money comes expectation, but the club's officials insist the team are not under pressure to deliver immediate results.
"We started off by setting a three-year target for promotion," Bhatia added. "If we didn't get promoted in three years, I don't think it would be a failure. We would be disappointed, of course, but I am sure we are going to get there.
"I don't think any of us has got into this to be second best. We have a specific plan and we will do anything it requires to get the club where we want them to be."
Workmen are at present relaying South Africa Road leading up to Rangers' stadium. Given Bhatia's confident blueprint for success, fans could be forgiven for thinking they will be paving it with gold.
qprreport.blogspot.com/2008/04/qprs-prospects-and-plans-according-to.html Read more:
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