UNITED KINGDOM/FILE: FOOTBALL/MOTOR RACING - Renault Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore confirms interest in buying English Championship soccer club Queens Park Rangers

Record ID: 726048

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM/FILE: FOOTBALL/MOTOR RACING - Renault Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore confirms interest in buying English Championship soccer club Queens Park Rangers
  • Date: 25th August 2007
  • Summary: (BN11) LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (AUGUST 10, 2007) (REUTERS) EXTERIORS LOFTUS ROAD STADIUM (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 9th September 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8B5U94Q0FI0V32FKLBTQH6CD0
  • Story Text: Flavio Briatore, the multi-millionaire boss of Formula One team Renault, confirms he is interested in buying second division English soccer club Queens Park Rangers - but says Formula One will remain his priority.
    Renault Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore confirmed on Friday (August 24) that he was part of a group interested in taking over second division English soccer club Queens Park Rangers.
    However, the multi-millionaire and close associate of billionaire Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said he was only one of those involved in the talks. No offer had been made and nothing signed.
    The West London club, who have debts of 17 million pounds (34 million U.S. dollars) and need considerable new investment, said in a statement that they were in talks with various parties that could lead to a takeover bid.
    The flamboyant Italian, who is lifelong supporter of Italian club Juventus, has also pointed out that if his group were successful, Formula One would remain his priority.
    Queen's Park Rangers, currently in the Championship, the division below West London neighbours Chelsea and Fulham, were formed in 1882, spending their formative years in the lower reaches of the English League.
    Their first major success and only trophy to date came in 1967, when they became the first Third Division side to win the English League Cup, beating West Bromwich Albion of the First Division 3-2. Trailing 2-0 at half-time, goals from Roger Morgan, Rodney Marsh and Mark Lazarus gave QPR a famous Wembley win.
    After one season in the First Division in 1968-9, the club returned to the top flight in 1973 where, under the guidance of manager Gordon Jago and then Dave Sexton, players such as England internationals Stan Bowles and Gerry Francis produced an exciting blend of stylish attacking soccer that took QPR to runners-up spot just one point behind Liverpool in the 1975-6 season.
    Three seasons later, however, QPR again dropped to the Second Division but in 1980, Terry Venables, who was to go on to coach England, arrived and in 1982 led QPR to the FA Cup Final against First Division Tottenham Hotspur. QPR held Spurs to a 1-1 draw, but lost the replay five days later 1-0.
    Earlier that season, QPR had become the first professional club in England to play on a plastic pitch which remained in use for seven seasons.
    In 1983, they were back in the First Division, and though Venables left to coach Barcelona in 1984, QPR remained in the top division until 1996 when they were relegated from the Premier League. Worse was to follow, with the club going into financial administration as they dropped into the third division in 2001.
    Despite promotion to the second division in 2004, the club have continued to be dogged by financial problems and on the pitch, have only managed a draw from their opening two matches of the 2007-8 season.
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