Leaving The Loft Behind

Vital Queens Park Rangers new signing, Robbie_QPR shares his thoughts with fellow Hoops about the real possibility of ‘Leaving The Loft Behind’.

In recent interviews I have read about both the board and our manager talking about their aspirations for future success and how this would probably involve in a leave from Loftus Road to a larger modern stadium down the road, possibly in White City.

I, like most long suffering QPR fans, literally salivate at the thought of a return to the Premier League, the best football division on the planet, and anything that needs doing in order for this to happen should, indeed must, be allowed to happen.

With ideas of Rangers playing Champions League football in the next three to four years being discussed and without being followed by shouts of ‘only joking’, a move to a shiny new home would seem a necessary part of our the clubs progression up the ranks.

Nevertheless, I will be extremely sad to leave Loftus Road.

Whenever I discuss our home ground with other teams` fans, I find myself having to defend our beloved hallowed turf from cruel accusations like ‘poky’, ‘cramped’, ‘boxy’, and ‘crap’.

I understand why the untrained eye would find fault, and I agree it needs more than just a lick of paint to cover the cracks, but Loftus Road is my second home and it will forever be a part of me (sprinkle my ashes in the loft-end goal mouth please).

I recently entered a competition to write a 300-word piece about a street somewhere in London; no prizes for guessing which street I chose as my subject matter. Thoughts and opinions are welcome, as long as their complimentary!

Here it is…

Loftus Road

‘Two rows of elegantly lined, ivory white town houses stand to attention in an unspectacular corner of Shepherds Bush. At one end, a bustling high street; neon lit fried chicken franchises, sari shops with never ending sales, a quiet market with lamented hints of a more fashionable past, Polish food-stores catering to our hard working eastern European friends.’

‘However, it’s the other end of this street that I’m more interested in.’

‘Loftus Road is the home of Queens Park Rangers Football Club, a team I have been watching, loving and hating since I was old enough to care. The stadium resembles a cramped, blue, lidless shoebox; a throwback to the corrugated iron ‘shed` style stadia of yesteryear.’

‘It may not be an architectural wonder, but on the right occasion, with enough of a crowd, there is no better arena for lifting those hairs on the back of your neck.’

‘To me, there is nowhere more beautiful in this world on a cold, wet, dark winter’s evening.’

‘Sheets of raindrops drift in the glow of the floodlights resembling cascading curtains of liquid gold. A fog-like mist hangs in the air like the collective breath of the thousands of hopeful and desperate minions whose cries echo around this corner of west London.’

Come on you Rangers!

‘Stamping my feet to get the feeling back, trying to breath warmth into my fingers, scalding hot barely chocolate flavoured water in a cracked white polystyrene cup, 11 hooped brothers pushing their physical abilities to the limit for my entertainment, thousands of like minded adults old enough to know better waiting, hoping, praying for a ball to nestle in the back of the opposition`s net… heaven is a place on earth, it’s a place in W12 actually.’

Article courtesy of Robbie_QPR

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