' QPR Could be Relegated Now '

The Guardian

' QPR could be relegated to Conference unless they pay £40m FFP fine '

by Owen Gibson

theguardian.com, Tuesday 9 September 2014

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has vowed to fight the Football League's fine for breaching its financial fair play rules.

The Football League has confirmed QPR could be consigned to the Conference in the event of relegation from the top flight if they refuse to pay a huge fine incurred under its financial fair play rules.

QPR are expected to face a fine of up to £40m when they reveal their financial results later this year, covering the season they spent in the Championship following relegation from the Premier League.

The club posted record pre-tax losses of £65.4m for the year ending May 2013, when they were relegated from the Premier League. The losses for the last financial year, expected to be made public in December, are also expected to be sizeable.

The QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has vowed to fight any fine imposed by the Football League, which would have to go to charity rather than the other clubs under an agreement with the Premier League over its solidarity payments.

The Football League chief executive, Shaun Harvey, said he was “satisfied” that it would be able to charge QPR for a breach of the rules while they were still part of the competition and that the ultimate sanction would be to refuse re-admission.

“Theoretically, that is the position but I would hope there would be resolution long before that option even had to be considered. The one thing for certain is that most clubs [in the Premier League] will become a Football League club again,” said Harvey, speaking at the Soccerex conference in Manchester.

“Now QPR will of course be hoping it does not happen for some considerable number of seasons but the chances they will need to return to the Football League fold at some point. Certainly, three of the 20 clubs that are in the Premier League will be in the Football League next season.”

Clubs that remain within the Football League that breach the rules, introduced in 2012, face a transfer embargo but those that win promotion are fined instead.

“Will we fight the fine? What do you think? After all we’ve been through, it’s my middle name – ‘Fight It’ Fernandes,” said the QPR chairman after the club won promotion.

“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.”

The Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, is also on record as saying the rules needed to be amended. Harvey said there was little chance of them being altered before the FFP declarations had to be made on 1 December.

Harvey said: “Unless the 24 clubs vote to change the rules, the rules as they are now will stay in place. I don’t suspect there is any form of rule change that would be considered or brought forward that would see the current circumstances we potentially face changing.”

He added that discussions with the Premier League were continuing over trying to standardise their financial fair play rules.

“There’s a long-standing discussion that’s taken place between the Football League and the Premier League as to how to try to ensure that we have regulations that actually work for clubs regardless of which division they’re in,” he said.

“We do talk to them periodically about any number of issues and this features – being topical – relatively high on that agenda.”

At the end of the day, if they are guilty then the sanction is clear and QPR are no different to any other club (Cardiff City FC included) in knowing the rules before they embarked on their mission to reach the Premier League!

To be perfectly honest, it is of little concern to me other than a point of interest, as I don't care too much about Tony Fernades and/or QPR, as they are not the club I support

Outside that club (QPR) I think the majority of fans of other clubs will feel the same; just as they did when we reported Malky, Palace and Moody for their inappropriate actions recently

QPR will (literally) pay for their misdemeanour(s) when/if found guilty no differently to any other club; and so it should be

Sort of puts the Tan thing into perspective, though, as all I am hearing is how he is trying to get our club on to a sound and operationally sound footing

Tan or Fernandes?? Blue apart, a no-brainer for me!

That's what u get for paying average players high wages like Remy was on £80,000 Tararabt on £70,000, Sandro £65.000 a week

I feel for their fans, not their faults.

Remind me who their manager is? Hmmm

That's what u get for paying average players high wages like Remy was on £80,000 Tararabt on £70,000, Sandro £65.000 a week

I feel for their fans, not their faults.

Yes, I agree with you on that point, Annis

I just know how it would be portrayed (on here and beyond) IF it had been Cardiff City FC in this position

Perhaps Stan-QPR will give us his view later?? He's normally pretty upfront on such things

They got away with playing ineligible players - they will get away with this as well

They got away with playing ineligible players - they will get away with this as well

Not according to the Chief Exec. of the Premier League

Remind me who their manager is? Hmmm

Wheeler Dealer Arry.

That's what u get for paying average players high wages like Remy was on £80,000 Tararabt on £70,000, Sandro £65.000 a week

I feel for their fans, not their faults.

how can you call remy an average player? he's gone to chelsea and has a 1 in 2 goal record in the premier league, whats the going rate for a 1 in 2 striker? sandro has played 17 times for brazil, top player. the players that cost them were the likes of bosingwa, taarabt, julio cesar, granero etc.

but as for appealing against the fine, they are fighting a losing battle here. their argument that "it isn't fair" will not work. their only hope is to try to negotiate it to a lower level, and even that will fail IMO. they knew the rules and agreed to them. despite a huge wage bill, they spent on big transfer fees for the likes of austin and phillips, as well as retaining high earners.

i'd blame the fans as much as anyone, they demand owners to spend big, and give them abuse if they don't.

That's what u get for paying average players high wages like Remy was on £80,000 Tararabt on £70,000, Sandro £65.000 a week

I feel for their fans, not their faults.

how can you call remy an average player? he's gone to chelsea and has a 1 in 2 goal record in the premier league, whats the going rate for a 1 in 2 striker? sandro has played 17 times for brazil, top player. the players that cost them were the likes of bosingwa, taarabt, julio cesar, granero etc.

but as for appealing against the fine, they are fighting a losing battle here. their argument that "it isn't fair" will not work. their only hope is to try to negotiate it to a lower level, and even that will fail IMO. they knew the rules and agreed to them. despite a huge wage bill, they spent on big transfer fees for the likes of austin and phillips, as well as retaining high earners.

i'd blame the fans as much as anyone, they demand owners to spend big, and give them abuse if they don't.

Ok, I will take it back he is more than average, i still dont believe in paying those type of wages

That's what u get for paying average players high wages like Remy was on £80,000 Tararabt on £70,000, Sandro £65.000 a week

I feel for their fans, not their faults.

how can you call remy an average player? he's gone to chelsea and has a 1 in 2 goal record in the premier league, whats the going rate for a 1 in 2 striker? sandro has played 17 times for brazil, top player. the players that cost them were the likes of bosingwa, taarabt, julio cesar, granero etc.

but as for appealing against the fine, they are fighting a losing battle here. their argument that "it isn't fair" will not work. their only hope is to try to negotiate it to a lower level, and even that will fail IMO. they knew the rules and agreed to them. despite a huge wage bill, they spent on big transfer fees for the likes of austin and phillips, as well as retaining high earners.

i'd blame the fans as much as anyone, they demand owners to spend big, and give them abuse if they don't.

Ok, I will take it back he is more than average, i still dont believe in paying those type of wages

neither do i, the problem is that you will never get top players, or if your players improve and you don't pay them commensurate wages, they leave, and you will never do well long term.

QPR have ambitions to be a big club, which is great. the problem is that they do not have the ability to cover the wage bill to get there, and this is the result. to be fair they have ambitions to move to a new stadium, but this fine, if enforced, will set them back.

Hope nothing like this happens to us. Glad our club have been a bit more business like in this transfer window and seemingly made a profit on transfer dealings. Long may it continue

Presumably we will be OK? Our parachute payments are much more than those received by QPR?

Financial fair play is a load of bollocks.

We would not have Man City or Chelsea as the top two clubs in the country if financial fair play was brought in fifteen years ago.

Why shouldn't counts like Peterborough and Brentford dream of playing in the top flight because some billionaire decides to bank roll them to the top, and why should clubs that are already big, and have overpaid for years to grow thoe fan base benefit ??

I was talking to some wanky Liverpool supporting prick a few users ago, he couldn't wait for financial fair play so they would benefit....

Tell them to feck off Fernandes and challenge them in court ........

Football is pathetic. There are 10-15 teams that used Cva to screw creditors over prior to pts deductions yet they can trade successfully. QPR have a rich owner who backed them whilst they were in championship and ensured bills were paid and now they face a 4 league relegation. Unbelievable.

Fine the chairman

Interesting debate but for me fundamentally flawed in the most obvious circumstances.

A club with financial muscle who want to get out of a league pay players what they FEEL they think they should to get them to sign (yes in hindsight massive mistakes were made), you sign them on two, three year deals otherwise they won't sign, we're not an attractive option! You get promoted and are then told you've spent to much??? Contracts have to be honored by law so what do we do get promoted then rip up everyone's contracts? It's pathetic. You should be given an amount of time once promoted to get the books balanced again otherwise what's the point of trying to buy good players to go up? No point.

I agree FFP has to come in but who's it benefiting and where do these £40,000,000 fines go? Hmmmm

It's already been stated clubs like Man City are getting around it by getting one of their own companies to for example sponsor their training kit for £15m a season when it was previously £1m for example. By the books they are bringing that money in so can then spend it. Ridiculous idea that can't be policed properly in my book.

Much more simple option. Wage cap at £100,000 a week, maximum transfer of £50m, lower the amount sky give clubs so players can't moan that chairman are creaming it all & reduce the cost to the paying public. Get it back to a normal mans game. Personally I think it's to late & greed has ruined it.

Interesting debate but for me fundamentally flawed in the most obvious circumstances.

A club with financial muscle who want to get out of a league pay players what they FEEL they think they should to get them to sign (yes in hindsight massive mistakes were made), you sign them on two, three year deals otherwise they won't sign, we're not an attractive option! You get promoted and are then told you've spent to much??? Contracts have to be honored by law so what do we do get promoted then rip up everyone's contracts? It's pathetic. You should be given an amount of time once promoted to get the books balanced again otherwise what's the point of trying to buy good players to go up? No point.

I agree FFP has to come in but who's it benefiting and where do these £40,000,000 fines go? Hmmmm

It's already been stated clubs like Man City are getting around it by getting one of their own companies to for example sponsor their training kit for £15m a season when it was previously £1m for example. By the books they are bringing that money in so can then spend it. Ridiculous idea that can't be policed properly in my book.

Much more simple option. Wage cap at £100,000 a week, maximum transfer of £50m, lower the amount sky give clubs so players can't moan that chairman are creaming it all & reduce the cost to the paying public. Get it back to a normal mans game. Personally I think it's to late & greed has ruined it.

My local non league Andover (they discovered Nigel Spackman!)went under a few years ago for less than 10k. They have now reformed. Another local team Salisbury city are virtually dead and buried over an ownership issue and less than 100k. I'm more or less done with the greed of football.

I'm not sure if that's a genuine question but doesn't the fine go to charity?

I refuse to believe you couldn't reduce your wage bill, you even added players. If you or or even us get caught then you /we have no one to blame but yourselves. Fernades has seemed dodgy from start.

Interesting debate but for me fundamentally flawed in the most obvious circumstances.

A club with financial muscle who want to get out of a league pay players what they FEEL they think they should to get them to sign (yes in hindsight massive mistakes were made), you sign them on two, three year deals otherwise they won't sign, we're not an attractive option! You get promoted and are then told you've spent to much??? Contracts have to be honored by law so what do we do get promoted then rip up everyone's contracts? It's pathetic. You should be given an amount of time once promoted to get the books balanced again otherwise what's the point of trying to buy good players to go up? No point.

I agree FFP has to come in but who's it benefiting and where do these £40,000,000 fines go? Hmmmm

It's already been stated clubs like Man City are getting around it by getting one of their own companies to for example sponsor their training kit for £15m a season when it was previously £1m for example. By the books they are bringing that money in so can then spend it. Ridiculous idea that can't be policed properly in my book.

Much more simple option. Wage cap at £100,000 a week, maximum transfer of £50m, lower the amount sky give clubs so players can't moan that chairman are creaming it all & reduce the cost to the paying public. Get it back to a normal mans game. Personally I think it's to late & greed has ruined it.

My local non league Andover (they discovered Nigel Spackman!)went under a few years ago for less than 10k. They have now reformed. Another local team Salisbury city are virtually dead and buried over an ownership issue and less than 100k. I'm more or less done with the greed of football.

Disgusting mate.

A portion of sky money (BILLIONS) should be filtered down to grass roots & lower league. Not for chairmen but things like facilities, help with grounds, pitches, training. Not wages just the other things I mentioned to release funds for clubs to pay players & staff etc.

I'm not sure if that's a genuine question but doesn't the fine go to charity?

I refuse to believe you couldn't reduce your wage bill, you even added players. If you or or even us get caught then you /we have no one to blame but yourselves. Fernades has seemed dodgy from start.

No way dodgy mate. Naive yes massively as he's said himself dodgy no.

As my initial point states we spent a lot to get promoted to then be hammered? Where's the logic? Everyone may as well just sign mediocre poor players then. We get 18,000 we're not a big catch we have to offer more for players to sign or we'd never go anywhere. Silly rule.

Yeah I get that but you could have reduced your wage bill, you didn't have to sign more players.

Yeah I get that but you could have reduced your wage bill, you didn't have to sign more players.

We got rid of 14 players mate & had 11 pro's at the club in July.

The whole FFP scheme is great in principle, but the big money clubs will get around it.

My personal feeling is that if you bring in these regulations they will make a Premier League 2, take all the TV money and the rest of the league will have to live off scraps. The wealthy clubs shareholders have too much to lose to let the playing field get too level.

Yeah I get that but you could have reduced your wage bill, you didn't have to sign more players.

We got rid of 14 players mate & had 11 pro's at the club in July.

Yeah but you didn't have to add so much after, the squad looked excessive.

QPR threatened with relegation to Conference
Tue 9 Sep 2014
Sport QPR Football


Premier League side Queens Park Rangers face the prospect of being demoted to the Conference if they fail to pay a potential £40million Financial Fair Play fine.

Having racked up losses of around £60million last season, the club will be sanctioned by authorities.

Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey, speaking at the Soccerex Conference, said QPR will not be re-admitted to the Championship if relegated from the top flight, if they have not paid off their fine, forcing them to seek a league position in the Conference.


Shaun Harvey feels he has sufficient powers to punch clubs who don't comply. Credit: PA
Harvey said it was theoretically possible they could be refused entry back into the second tier if they did not comply with a December 1 deadline to submit accounts or pay any fine.

Asked if it was the 'nuclear option' to not admit QPR, Harvey responded: "Theoretically that is the position, but I would hope there would be resolution long before that option even had to be considered.

"We are satisfied we still have the ability under our regulations to charge them for a breach of our rules whilst they were in membership."

Interesting debate but for me fundamentally flawed in the most obvious circumstances.

A club with financial muscle who want to get out of a league pay players what they FEEL they think they should to get them to sign (yes in hindsight massive mistakes were made), you sign them on two, three year deals otherwise they won't sign, we're not an attractive option! You get promoted and are then told you've spent to much??? Contracts have to be honored by law so what do we do get promoted then rip up everyone's contracts? It's pathetic. You should be given an amount of time once promoted to get the books balanced again otherwise what's the point of trying to buy good players to go up? No point.

I agree FFP has to come in but who's it benefiting and where do these £40,000,000 fines go? Hmmmm

It's already been stated clubs like Man City are getting around it by getting one of their own companies to for example sponsor their training kit for £15m a season when it was previously £1m for example. By the books they are bringing that money in so can then spend it. Ridiculous idea that can't be policed properly in my book.

Much more simple option. Wage cap at £100,000 a week, maximum transfer of £50m, lower the amount sky give clubs so players can't moan that chairman are creaming it all & reduce the cost to the paying public. Get it back to a normal mans game. Personally I think it's to late & greed has ruined it.

the £18m in parachute payments QPR got (overall, a £60m parachute payments package) are meant to bridge the gap between a PL cost base, and a championship one. i don't think thats an unreasonable expectation that all smallish premier league clubs operate with one eye on the potential financial impact of relegation.

the fines go to charity, sorry to disappoint you.

wage caps and maximum fees will never happen, and nor should they. knock it all you want, but the current arrangement has produced the most watched football league in the world, and all the benefits that come with that.

Interesting debate but for me fundamentally flawed in the most obvious circumstances.

A club with financial muscle who want to get out of a league pay players what they FEEL they think they should to get them to sign (yes in hindsight massive mistakes were made), you sign them on two, three year deals otherwise they won't sign, we're not an attractive option! You get promoted and are then told you've spent to much??? Contracts have to be honored by law so what do we do get promoted then rip up everyone's contracts? It's pathetic. You should be given an amount of time once promoted to get the books balanced again otherwise what's the point of trying to buy good players to go up? No point.

I agree FFP has to come in but who's it benefiting and where do these £40,000,000 fines go? Hmmmm

It's already been stated clubs like Man City are getting around it by getting one of their own companies to for example sponsor their training kit for £15m a season when it was previously £1m for example. By the books they are bringing that money in so can then spend it. Ridiculous idea that can't be policed properly in my book.

Much more simple option. Wage cap at £100,000 a week, maximum transfer of £50m, lower the amount sky give clubs so players can't moan that chairman are creaming it all & reduce the cost to the paying public. Get it back to a normal mans game. Personally I think it's to late & greed has ruined it.

the £18m in parachute payments QPR got (overall, a £60m parachute payments package) are meant to bridge the gap between a PL cost base, and a championship one. i don't think thats an unreasonable expectation that all smallish premier league clubs operate with one eye on the potential financial impact of relegation.

the fines go to charity, sorry to disappoint you.

wage caps and maximum fees will never happen, and nor should they. knock it all you want, but the current arrangement has produced the most watched football league in the world, and all the benefits that come with that.

Benefits for who?

Interesting debate but for me fundamentally flawed in the most obvious circumstances.

A club with financial muscle who want to get out of a league pay players what they FEEL they think they should to get them to sign (yes in hindsight massive mistakes were made), you sign them on two, three year deals otherwise they won't sign, we're not an attractive option! You get promoted and are then told you've spent to much??? Contracts have to be honored by law so what do we do get promoted then rip up everyone's contracts? It's pathetic. You should be given an amount of time once promoted to get the books balanced again otherwise what's the point of trying to buy good players to go up? No point.

I agree FFP has to come in but who's it benefiting and where do these £40,000,000 fines go? Hmmmm

It's already been stated clubs like Man City are getting around it by getting one of their own companies to for example sponsor their training kit for £15m a season when it was previously £1m for example. By the books they are bringing that money in so can then spend it. Ridiculous idea that can't be policed properly in my book.

Much more simple option. Wage cap at £100,000 a week, maximum transfer of £50m, lower the amount sky give clubs so players can't moan that chairman are creaming it all & reduce the cost to the paying public. Get it back to a normal mans game. Personally I think it's to late & greed has ruined it.

the £18m in parachute payments QPR got (overall, a £60m parachute payments package) are meant to bridge the gap between a PL cost base, and a championship one. i don't think thats an unreasonable expectation that all smallish premier league clubs operate with one eye on the potential financial impact of relegation.

the fines go to charity, sorry to disappoint you.

wage caps and maximum fees will never happen, and nor should they. knock it all you want, but the current arrangement has produced the most watched football league in the world, and all the benefits that come with that.

Benefits for who?

fans, in terms of brand new stadia, world class players to watch.

owners and players for obvious reasons.

Interesting debate but for me fundamentally flawed in the most obvious circumstances.

A club with financial muscle who want to get out of a league pay players what they FEEL they think they should to get them to sign (yes in hindsight massive mistakes were made), you sign them on two, three year deals otherwise they won't sign, we're not an attractive option! You get promoted and are then told you've spent to much??? Contracts have to be honored by law so what do we do get promoted then rip up everyone's contracts? It's pathetic. You should be given an amount of time once promoted to get the books balanced again otherwise what's the point of trying to buy good players to go up? No point.

I agree FFP has to come in but who's it benefiting and where do these £40,000,000 fines go? Hmmmm

It's already been stated clubs like Man City are getting around it by getting one of their own companies to for example sponsor their training kit for £15m a season when it was previously £1m for example. By the books they are bringing that money in so can then spend it. Ridiculous idea that can't be policed properly in my book.

Much more simple option. Wage cap at £100,000 a week, maximum transfer of £50m, lower the amount sky give clubs so players can't moan that chairman are creaming it all & reduce the cost to the paying public. Get it back to a normal mans game. Personally I think it's to late & greed has ruined it.

the £18m in parachute payments QPR got (overall, a £60m parachute payments package) are meant to bridge the gap between a PL cost base, and a championship one. i don't think thats an unreasonable expectation that all smallish premier league clubs operate with one eye on the potential financial impact of relegation.

the fines go to charity, sorry to disappoint you.

wage caps and maximum fees will never happen, and nor should they. knock it all you want, but the current arrangement has produced the most watched football league in the world, and all the benefits that come with that.

Benefits for who?

fans, in terms of brand new stadia, world class players to watch.

owners and players for obvious reasons.

Yea at a massive cost! That's not benefitting the fans. Why do you think there is so much uproar & banners & the,likes about ticket prices? Because fans are not happy! I haven't benefited from it at all. Costs me more money than it's ever done despite sky's billions so I'll have to disagree with that one.