The club was founded asChristchurch Rangers in 1882 and took up their current name after merging with St Judes Institute four years later, near theQueen's Park andKensal areas.[2] Having won theWest London League in 1898–99, QPR joined theSouthern andWestern leagues where they won titles in both. It was during this period that the club reached the final of theFA Charity Shield twice in1908 and1912. QPR were elected to theFootball League in 1920. The club played in theThird Division South until winning promotion as champions in 1947–48. The club was relegated in 1952, but slowly rebuilt under the stewardship ofAlec Stock which culminated in winning theThird Division title and also their only major trophy to date, theLeague Cup in the1966–67 season. Promoted from theSecond Division in 1967–68, they were relegated after one season in theFirst Division. QPR won promotion again in 1972–73 and then narrowly missed out winning theEnglish league title in 1975–76, finishing only one point behind championsLiverpool. Relegated in 1979, they reached theFA Cup final as a second-tier club in1982, losing toTottenham Hotspur after areplay.
QPR won another Second Division title in 1982–83 and were beaten finalists in the1986 League Cup final. They remained in the top-flight for thirteen years, becoming founder members of thePremier League in 1992, before being relegated in 1996. Relegated again in 2001, they secured promotion from the third tier at the end of the 2003–04 campaign. QPR won promotion as winners of theChampionship in 2010–11, although they were relegated from the Premier League after two seasons. They won an immediate promotion via the play-offs in2014 but were relegated again the following season and have remained in the Championship since that time.
After a nomadic early existence, QPR have played home matches atLoftus Road since 1917, apart from two brief spells at theWhite City Stadium. They share rivalries with various other clubs; most notably they contest theWest London derby againstChelsea.
The club was formed in 1886, when a team known as St Jude's (formed in 1884) merged with Christchurch Rangers (formed in 1882).[3] The resulting team were called Queen's Park Rangers and their official formation date is considered to be 1882, which is the original founding date of Christchurch Rangers. The club's name came from the fact that most of the players came from theQueen's Park area of West London. St Jude's Institute on Ilbert Street W10 is still in use as a community hall and in July 2011 club iconStan Bowles unveiled a plaque celebrating its place in QPR history.1882: QPR was founded as Queens Park Rangers by a group of schoolboys from the area of Queen's Park in North-West London. The club initially played in local leagues and was part of the amateur football movement.
QPR became a professional team in 1889. The club was elected into the Southern Football League in1899. In 1899–1900 they put themselves on the map after qualifying for the first round proper of the FA Cup by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers on their own ground 1–0. The Guardian said "the hitherto unknown Queens Park Rangers, a team hailing from the north-west suburbs of London...upset all calculations."[4]
At this time the club's core support, as indicated by its marketing area, was an area of West London, to the west of theA5 Road (Roman Watling Street), in and around the former Boroughs ofPaddington andWillesden. As London extended further west, the club's following grew along with it.[5]
They first won the Southern Football League in1907–08. As Southern League champions that year, they played in the first everCharity Shield match, against the Football League championsManchester United. The clublost 4–0 in a replay after the first game had finished 1–1. Both games were played atStamford Bridge. QPR were Southern League champions for a second time in1911-12.
The club joined the Football League in1920, when the Third Division was formed, mainly withSouthern League clubs. When the Third Division was split into North and Souththe following season, QPR, like most of the former Southern League clubs that had joined the Football League to form the Third Division, were in the Third Division (South).
QPR played their home games in nearly 20 different stadia - a league record - before permanently settling atLoftus Road in 1917; although the team would briefly attempt to attract larger crowds by playing at theWhite City Stadium for two short spells: 1931 to 1933, and the1962–63 season.[6]
Chart showing the progress of QPR's league finishes from the 1920–21 season up to the present
The club were promoted as champions of Division 3 South in the 1947–48 season.Dave Mangnall was the manager as the club participated in four seasons of the Second Division, being relegated in 1951–52.Tony Ingham was signed fromLeeds United and went on to make the most-ever league appearances for QPR (519). Arguably the club's greatest ever manager,[7]Alec Stock, arrived prior to the start of the1959–60 season. The1960–61 season saw QPR achieve their biggest win to date: 9–2 vsTranmere Rovers in a Division 3 match. In time, Stock, together withJim Gregory who arrived as chairman in the mid-1960s, helped to achieve a total transformation of the club and its surroundings.
In1966–67, QPR won theDivision Three championship and became the first Third Division club to win theLeague Cup, on Saturday, 4 March 1967, beatingWest Bromwich Albion 3–2, after coming back from a two-goal deficit, securing the clubs first and only major trophy. It was also the first League Cup final to be held atWembley Stadium. After winning promotion in 1968 to thetop flight for the first time in their history, Rangers were relegated after just one season and spent the next four years inDivision Two.
In 1972 QPR were promoted to Division One (the top tier of English football), under managerJim Gregory.
In 1974,Dave Sexton joined as manager and in 1975–76 led QPR to the runners-up spot in theFirst Division, missing out on the championship by only one point, with a squad containing sevenEngland internationals and internationals from thehome nations. After completing their 42-game season, QPR sat at the top of the league, one point ahead ofLiverpool who went on to defeatWolverhampton Wanderers to clinch the title. Wolves were relegated to the Second Division that same season. The late 1970s also saw some cup success with Rangers reaching the semi-finals of theLeague Cup and in their first entry into European football reached the quarter-finals of theUEFA Cup losing toAEK Athens on penalties. Following Sexton's departure in 1977 the club eventually slipped into the Second Division in 1979.
Promotions, Relegations and two cup finals (1980s)
In 1980 Terry Venables took over as manager and in 1981 the club installed anartificial turf pitch. In 1982 QPR, still playing in theSecond Division, reached theFA Cup final for the only time in the club's history, facing holdersTottenham Hotspur. Tottenham won 1–0 in a replay.The following season QPR went on to win the Second Division championship and returned to English football's top division. After a respectable fifth-place finish, andUEFA Cup qualification, the following year, Venables departed to become manager ofBarcelona. In 1988 the club had a new chairman, 24-year-old Richard Thompson. Over the next seven years, various managers came and went atLoftus Road and the club spent many seasons finishing mid-table and avoiding relegation. The most successful season during this period was the1987–88 season in which QPR finished fifth, although missing out on a UEFA Cup campaign due to the ban on English clubs in European competition as a result of theHeysel Stadium disaster. They were also runners-up in the1986 League Cup, losing toOxford United.
Gerry Francis, a key player in the 1970s QPR side who had proved himself as a successful manager withBristol Rovers, was appointed manager in the summer of 1991. Inhis first season in charge they finished mid-table in the league and in the1992–93 season were founder members of the inauguralPremier League, finishing fifth, as top London club. Francis oversaw one of QPR's most famous victories, the 4–1 win atOld Trafford in front of live TV on New Year's Day 1992. Midway through the1994–95 season Francis resigned and very quickly became manager ofTottenham Hotspur andRay Wilkins was installed asplayer-manager. Wilkins led QPR to an eighth-place finish in the Premiership. In July 1995 the club's top goalscorer,Les Ferdinand, was sold for a club record fee of £6 million toNewcastle United.
QPR struggled throughout the following season and were relegated at the end of the1995–96 season. QPR then competed in Division 1 until 2001 under a succession of managers including club legendGerry Francis who was reappointed for a second spell finishing mainly mid-table and towards the bottom half of the division.
Relegation, promotion, financial struggles and the arrival of Bernie & Flavio (2000s)
After several years of struggle in the second tier, QPR became embroiled in financial and boardroom controversy. Although the club had floated on theAlternative Investment Market in 1991, in 2001 it enteredadministration (receivership). A period of financial hardship followed and the club left administration after receiving a £10m high-interest emergency loan which continued to burden the club.[8] The00–01 season proved to be a disaster and Francis resigned in early 2001.[9] Former Rangers midfielderIan Holloway was appointed manager but failed to prevent the club from being relegated to the third division at the end of the season, the first time since the 1960s. After relegation Holloway assembled a team featuring several QPR fans in the squad includingKevin Gallen,Marc Bircham andRichard Langley alongside other key players such asDanny Shittu,Gareth Ainsworth andClarke Carlisle. In their second season in the third tier, the club reached the play-off final in Cardiff, losing 0–1 to Cardiff City in extra time. Thefollowing season QPR put their playoff heartache behind them and returned to Division 1 after as runners-up, with a famous 3–1 win away at Hillsborough in front of 7000 travelling Rangers fans.
Rangers struggled for consistent form over the next two campaigns before Holloway was suspended amidst rumours of his impending departure forLeicester City.[10] A poor series of results and lack of progress at the club saw Holloway's successorsGary Waddock and laterJohn Gregory – both former players – fail to hold on to the manager job.
Scandals involving the directors, shareholders and others emerged in2005–06 season and included allegations of blackmail and threats of violence against the club's chairmanGianni Paladini.[11] In an unrelated incident, QPR were further rocked by the murder of youth team playerKiyan Prince on 18 May 2006[12] and, in August 2007, the death of teenager and promising first-team playerRay Jones in a car crash.[13]
Rangers continued to face mounting financial pressure, in the September 2007 it was announced that the club had been bought by wealthyFormula One businessmenFlavio Briatore andBernie Ecclestone (seeOwnership and finances below).[14] John Gregory's reign as manager came to an end in October 2007 after a string of poor results left QPR at the bottom of the Championship and he was replaced byLuigi De Canio until the end of the 2007–08 season. Further investment followed in early 2008 as the club looked to push for promotion to thePremier League within four years, on the back of greater financial stability.[15] On 14 May 2008,Iain Dowie was announced as the manager to begin the campaign to return Rangers to the top flight.[16][17] However, on 24 October 2008, Dowie was sacked after just 15 games in charge of the club.[18]
Crest introduced under Flavio Briatore and used from 2008 until 2016
On 19 November 2008, QPR named former Portugal midfielderPaulo Sousa as their new first team coach.[19] However, on 9 April 2009, his contract was terminated after he allegedly divulged confidential information without authority.[20] On the same day as Sousa's sacking, player/coachGareth Ainsworth was appointed as player/caretaker manager for a second time. In June 2009Jim Magilton was named as new manager of QPR. Despite leading QPR to a good start to the2009–10 season, a loss of form combined with an alleged head-butting incident with Hungarian midfielderÁkos Buzsáky saw the club further embroiled in controversy.[21] Magilton left the club by mutual consent on 16 December 2009, along with his assistantJohn Gorman.[22] They were replaced byPaul Hart andMick Harford on the next day.[23]
Promotions to the Premier League and Relegations from it (2010s)
Less than a month and only five games after becoming manager at QPR, Paul Hart parted with the club on 14 January 2010; the reasons for his leaving the club were unstated.
On 1 March 2010, experienced Championship managerNeil Warnock joined Queens Park Rangers as manager on a three-and-a-half-year deal after agreeing compensation with Crystal Palace. After comfortably helping the club avoid relegation in the 10–11 season, Warnock assembled a squad consisting mainly of Championship veterans such asShaun Derry,Clint Hill,Paddy Kenny with previous on loan playmakerAdel Taarabt being given a central role in the team and given the captains armband.
On 30 April 2011, QPR secured promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship with a 2–0 win overWatford.[24] A subsequent FA investigation involving QPR's acquisition ofAlejandro Faurlín threatened to deduct points from the side and put their promotion into jeopardy. The investigation concluded on 7 May 2011, with QPR found to be at fault in two of the seven charges, and received an £875,000 fine. However, there were no points deducted by the FA, and QPR's promotion to the Premier League was secured.[25]
After the club was promoted Eccleston and Briatore sold their shared to Malaysian billionaire and Air Asia ownerTony Fernandes whose arrival sparked a deadline day spending spree to strengthen the QPR squad.
In January 2012, Fernandes sacked Warnock and appointedMark Hughes as teammanager. Following a tough start to his Loftus Road career and after a run of five straight home wins, Hughes and QPR escaped relegation despitea dramatic 3–2 defeat atManchester City on the last day of the season.[26]
On 23 November 2012, Mark Hughes was sacked after a poor start to the 2012–13 season,[27] having amassed only four points in 12 games and with the club languishing at the bottom of the Premier League despite significant financial investment in new players in the 11 months of Hughes' tenure. A day later,Harry Redknapp was confirmed as the new manager.[28] On 28 April 2013, in a 0–0 draw against fellow relegation rivalsReading, and with three games of the season to play, QPR were relegated from the Premier League down to the Championship after two seasons in the top flight.[29]
During the13–14 season, QPR finished fourth in the Championship, and qualified for the play-offs where they defeatedWigan Athletic in the semi-finals. In thefinal against favouritesDerby County on 24 May 2014, QPR won 1–0 with a goal scored byBobby Zamora in the 90th minute to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.[30]
Following promotion back to the Premier League, QPR endured a difficult14-15 season. Harry Redknapp resigned in February after poor results and mutual frustration with the board. He was replaced byChris Ramsey. The club finished the season in last place, amassing only 30 points, and were relegated back to the Championship after only one season. After a poor start to the following season, Ramsey was sacked in November 2015 and former manager Neil Warnock returned in interim charge. On 4 December 2015,Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was appointed the club's new manager on a rolling contract.[31] Hasselbaink was sacked on 5 November 2016, just 11 months after being in charge.[32] Then six days later QPR reappointed Ian Holloway who was in charge ten years previously.[33] Holloway's second spell saw him focus on bringing through young players to replace some of the aging players in the squad on big wages. Holloway gave debuts to youth team playersEberechi Eze andIlias Chair and made other youngers likeDarnell Furlong,Ryan Manning andBright Osayi-Samuel key members of the team. Results on the pitch were inconsistent under Holloway and the club finished lower midtable in both seasons of his second spell. Holloway left the club at the end of the2017–18 season.[34]
On 17 May 2018, QPR appointed formerEngland managerSteve McClaren as manager.[35] Despite a promising first half of the season in which the team sat as high as eighth by Christmas, results quickly tailed off following the turn of the year and McClaren was sacked in April 2019 after a 2–1 loss to Bolton.[36]
On 8 May 2019, former Rangers & Brentford managerMark Warburton was appointed as McClaren's successor on a two-year deal.
The club continued to build on its development of young talent, with a focus on producing more homegrown players and challenged for promotion in each of Warburton's three seasons in charge however failed to make the play-offs in any of these seasons.[citation needed] Warburton's contract was not renewed after the 2021–22 season in which a disappointing end to the season saw Rangers drop out of the play-offs where they had spent the majority of the season and finishing 11th.[citation needed].
Ahead of the 2022–23 season, formerAston Villa assistant manager andRangers first-team coachMichael Beale was appointed as manager on a three-year deal on 1 June 2022.[37][38] A fortnight after pledging his loyalty to the club Beale was approached by Scottish club Rangers who appointed him manager in November 2022.[39] On 11 December 2022, formerBlackpool manager andAston Villa assistantNeil Critchley was named QPR manager after signing a3+1⁄2-year deal.[40] However, after a dismal run of form and dropping to 20th in theEFL Championship,Neil Critchley was sacked after just 46 days in charge, leaving with the lowest win percentage of any manager in their history, winning one match from twelve.[citation needed] He was replaced by former playerGareth Ainsworth, signing fromWycombe Wanderers.[41]
After a poor start to the 2023–24 season, Gareth Ainsworth was sacked with the club in 23rd place in the Championship, before being replaced byMartí Cifuentes.[42] Despite spending much of the season in the relegation zone Cifuentes turned the teams fortunes around guiding them to Championship survival with a 4–0 home win over promotion contenders Leeds United. In April 2025, Cifuentes was placed on Gardening Leave and Kevin Betsy and Xavi Calm took charge of the final game of the season. Cifuentes parted way with the club in June 2025 and was replaced byJulien Stéphan.
Queens Park Rangers have led a somewhat nomadic existence in their history. The several grounds used prior to 1886 are unknown but were probably in theQueen's Park area of London (the first beingThe Queen's Park itself). Thereafter, the club played at 15 different locations in west London and north-west London, but since joiningthe Football League in 1920,[48] they have only played at two grounds:Loftus Road (briefly known as Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium between 2019 and 2022) andWhite City Stadium.
Loftus Road has been QPR's stadium for the majority of their history
There were plans to build a new 40,000-seater stadium called New Queens Park; however, plans have been shelved with the club looking to build a stadium on the site of theLinford Christie Stadium with 30,000 seats. The club have argued this would bring a huge financial boost to the local area,[50] but their plans were met with some initial scepticism[51] byHammersmith & Fulham Council.
QPR have also been involved in a long-running legal battle to build a training ground atWarren Farm[52] inSouthall. In November 2018,Supreme Court judges rejected the final appeal from local objectors[53] against the proposals,[54] paving the way for the redevelopment of the site to begin. However the club formally abandoned plans for a training ground at Warren Farm on 6 May 2020 replacing it with a plan to develop the site into a community sports centre as the club signed a non-disclosure agreement with an unknown party regarding the freehold of another site.[55][56] It was announced on 6 July that the club formally secured the freehold of the Heston Sports Ground from Imperial College, with the intention of developing the site into a training ground for the club, with discussions ongoing between the club and Hounslow Council.[57][58]
On 31 March 2021, the club obtained planning permission for the redevelopment of Heston Sports Ground into a state of the art training ground, subject to a referral to the Secretary of State. The club received formal support from the Secretary of State on 27 September 2021 along with final planning permission from Hounslow Council being granted, with formal construction beginning on 1 October 2021.[59] The Club aims to move into the £20m facility, (with £6.75m being raised through a bond scheme), by the start of the 2022–23 season, with the final competition date being the 2023–24 season.[60]
In June 2019, the club gifted the stadium naming rights to The Kiyan Prince Foundation, a local charity set up by the father ofKiyan Prince. Prince was a former QPR youth player who was fatally stabbed in 2006.[61][62] On 25 May 2022, the club announced that the stadium name would revert to Loftus Road ahead of the 2022–23 season.[63]
QPR have a modest but loyal fanbase who come from across west London and the home counties. The club have supporters clubs across the world, including the Republic of Ireland, the US, Australia, Norway, and Sierra Leone. The club's longest running fanzine isA Kick Up The R's, which has been published every month since August 1987 and is sold at both home and away matches.
QPR have long-standing rivalries with several other clubs due to the club's location in West London. The most notable of these is the West London derby againstChelsea. Other rivalries includeBrentford,Cardiff City,Millwall,Fulham andLuton.
The most vocal QPR fans at home games can be found in the Q, P and R Blocks where fans often choose to stand and create the chants which the rest of the support in the Loft and the Stanley Bowles Stand follow.
Rangers fans standing in the Loft End before a game againstLuton Town in 2022
When the club won the League Cup final in 1967, the club released the single "QPR – The Greatest" about the famous win, which featured the vocals of Rangers wingerMark Lazarus.
As the team come onto the pitch at Loftus Road and when they score, the songPapa's Got a Brand New Pigbag by post-punk bandPigbag is played, with the fans shouting "HOOPS" after the fifth trumpet toot.[64]
At matches, Rangers fans sing chants such as "Come On You Rs", "We are Boy George fans" "We are the pride of West London, The Blue & The White", "Captain Jack" and "We Are the Rangers Boys".[65]
QPR signedChristopher Samba for a club record £12.5 million fromAnzhi Makhachkala in January 2013, then sold him back for a then club record £12 million in July
Highest attendance: 35,353 vsLeeds United, 27 April 1974, Division 1
Highest all-seated attendance: 19,002 vsManchester City, 6 November 1999, Division 1
Biggest league win: 9–2 vsTranmere Rovers, 3 December 1960, Division 3
Biggest league loss: 1–8 vsManchester United 19 March 1969, Division 1
Biggest home defeat: 0–6 vs Newcastle United, 13 September 2016
Most capped player:Alan McDonald, 52, Northern Ireland
QPR's first foray into European competition came when they qualified for the1976–77 UEFA Cup, reaching the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated byAEK Athens on penalties. The club also qualified for the1984–85 UEFA Cup but were knocked out in the second round byPartizan Belgrade.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
British music, media and sport entrepreneurChris Wright bought QPR in 1996, eventually relinquishing his majority shareholding in 2001 having ploughed £20 million into Loftus Road over the previous five years; the club struggled financially and went into administration that same year.[83][84] Following lengthy negotiations in December 2004, Wright agreed to sell his remaining 15% stake; 50% of the money paid to him was given back to QPR, which was significant amount of cash to the club.[85]
After a number of years of financial difficulties which included a period in financial administration, QPR was bought byFormula One tycoons and multi-millionairesBernie Ecclestone andFlavio Briatore in a £14 million takeover in August 2007. In spending £690,000 to acquire a 69% majority stake in the club from a Monaco-based consortium led by Italian football agent, Antonio Caliendo, Ecclestone spent £150,000 on his 15%, while Briatore bought 54% for £540,000 through a British Virgin Islands registered company, Sarita Capital. In addition, Briatore and Ecclestone were believed to have promised £5 million in convertible loan facilities to help buy players and have covered £13 million of debt, in a total commitment to the club of around £20 million. At the time of purchase, the remaining 31% of shareholders turned down the offer of 1p a share.[86]
On 20 December 2007, it was announced that the family of billionaireLakshmi Mittal had purchased a 20% shareholding in the club from Flavio Briatore. The purchase price of the 20% stake was just £200,000. As part of the investment Lakshmi Mittal's son-in-lawAmit Bhatia took a place on the board of directors.[87] While Gianni Paladini remained chairman of the football club,Alejandro Agag, as chairman of QPR Holdings (the parent company) was the de facto chairman,[86] until he was replaced by Flavio Briatore in early February 2008.[88] Agag moved into the role of managing director, supported by a deputy managing director, Ali Russell, who moved fromHearts in theScottish Premier League.[88]
Despite QPR's perilous financial condition in 2007–08, the combined personal wealth of the club's new owners – which included the then world's eighth richest man, Lakshmi Mittal – sparked speculation that QPR would receive significant further investment from their new benefactors, drawing parallels with their wealthy West London neighboursChelsea andFulham.[89] However, no significant further funds were made available to the club other than those injected as part of the purchase of its share capital, and much of the subsequent player transfer activity involved loan acquisitions or free transfers. Indeed, it was reported in January 2008 that the investors had not discharged the £10 million loan from ABC Corporation – secured on the club's stadium – together with its £1 million annual interest burden—despite the club's prospective annual turnover of between £10 million and £15 million. Furthermore, around £2 million was still owed to former director and major shareholder, Antonio Caliendo, who waived £4.5 million of loans when Briatore and Ecclestone bought the club. It was expected that the ABC loan would be discharged in June 2008 on its maturity and that the debt owed to Caliendo would be paid off "in early 2008" in line with a funding strategy which Ecclestone publicly stated would not result in the wealthy owners simply bankrolling the club.[89] In fact, the ABC loan was discharged on or around 31 July 2008.[90]
Mittal's investment is thought to be primarily motivated by his son-in-law's interests and it was assumed that Mittal himself would remain a silent investor while Briatore, Ecclestone and Bhatia worked together to implement the strategy of slowly building the club up ahead of a push for promotion to the Premier League in 2009. The new owners also pledged to refurbish Loftus Road and use their experience inFormula One to increase sponsorship revenues.[86] On 25 March 2008, QPR confirmed that, from the2008–09 season and for five seasons, their kits would be supplied byLotto Sport Italia as part of a number of new partnerships formed by Flavio Briatore.[91] The investment potential of the club's new backers resulted in a number of wildly speculative storylines in the football press throughout the 2007–08 season, including rumoured signings of formerWorld Player of the Year winnersLuís Figo andZinedine Zidane, the latter as a possible manager.[92]
In May 2008, billionaireVijay Mallya was linked with buying into the club, as part of the Ecclestone, Briatore and Mittal consortium.[citation needed] Following the termination of the club's sponsorship deals with Car Giant,Le Coq Sportif andSellotape at the end of the2007–08 season, in early July 2008 it was expected to be announced thatGulf Air would be the new shirt sponsors for three years.[93] Further sponsorship packages were also announced, includingAbbey Financial Services andLotto Sport Italia.[94] On 12 September 2011,Malaysia Airlines andAirAsia announced sponsorship of QPR's shirts for the two seasons, with the sponsorship costing some £6.2 million.[95]
Flavio Briatore's future as QPR chairman came into question in September 2009 after he left theRenault F1 team in the midst ofrace fixing allegations.[96][97] The Football League board discussed the matter on 8 October 2009 and declared that they would be awaiting a response from Briatore to various questions before commenting further.[98] Meanwhile, the club continued to make losses (£18.8m in 2008–09 and £13.7m 2009–10). Briatore sold his 62% share to Ecclestone in December 2010, with the Italian possibly retaining a right of first refusal should Ecclestone sell, and initially stepped back from the day-to-day running of the business in favour of Amit Bhatia and Ishan Saksena, the company chairman and managing director respectively. However, his involvement gradually returned, and conflicts between Briatore on the one hand and Bhatia and Saksena on the other resulted in both Bhatia and Saksena leaving QPR in May 2011.[99]
On 18 August 2011, Malaysian businessmanTony Fernandes was unveiled as the majority shareholder after having bought out Ecclestone's 66 per cent stake in the club for a rumoured fee of around £35 million, while the Mittal Family retained their 33% stake. Amit Bhatia was restored to his position as vice-chairman.[100] Phillip Beard was announced as the new chief executive of the club and Gianni Paladini removed as club chairman. Briatore and Ecclestone were no longer involved with the club, with no board representation or other financial ties. Bhatia also explained in the takeover announcement that the loan, representing the refinanced ABC Corporation debt secured using the stadium as collateral, had now been "bought off" by the new regime – that is, refinanced by new debt. It is thought that the current debt is represented by ashareholder loan to the club and is non-interest-bearing.[101] Despite the club's fortunes in attracting investors, it continues to be mired in controversy from previous ownership regimes and has been subject to proceedings from former investorsDunga and Antonio Caliendo.[102][103]
On 15 August 2018, Bhatia took over as chairman of the club.[104] On 10 July 2023, Fernandes announced that he is disposing all of his shares in the club to focus on rebuilding his airline business.[105]
Note: the leagues and divisions of English football have changed somewhat over time, so here they are grouped into their relative levels on theEnglish football league system at the time they were won to allow easy comparison of the achievement
