QPR points deduction?

[Royal Rother]

Which is why, if case is proven, they won't be going up.

[Svlad Cjelli]

The timing of the hearing speaks volumes and says to me that the judgement has already been made before the case has even been heard - it will be a wrist slap and a fine.......

this also gives the FA a perfect opportunity to not have to make the right decision ........there was plenty of opportunity to have this case heard weeks before the actual date and the fact theyve timed up when they have ...says it all...under law, QPR would also have a right to appeal which would further extend the fiasco and makes any punitive action such as a large points deduction a non-starter

even the bookies have odds up to 1/100 on QPR being crowned champs, and bookies rarely get it wrong , so they must know too

another example of the spineless FA

Wow, the conspiracy theorists are out in force today.

[Ferris]

The timing of the hearing speaks volumes and says to me that the judgement has already been made before the case has even been heard - it will be a wrist slap and a fine.......

this also gives the FA a perfect opportunity to not have to make the right decision ........there was plenty of opportunity to have this case heard weeks before the actual date and the fact theyve timed up when they have ...says it all...under law, QPR would also have a right to appeal which would further extend the fiasco and makes any punitive action such as a large points deduction a non-starter

even the bookies have odds up to 1/100 on QPR being crowned champs, and bookies rarely get it wrong , so they must know too

another example of the spineless FA

The bookies won't know any more than we do.

[RoyalBlue]

And to mind the presence of MK Dons in the top tiers of the game still typifies everything that is rotten with the English professional game.

Yes, but don't you think that the football authorities have learnt from that and are embarrassed by it - and have tightened up their processes to make sure the same sort of cock-up doesn't happen again?

No, I have no confidence in that whatsoever. Everyone bar the football authorities could see what was happening with Wimbledon/MK Dons at the time it was happening and everyone bar the football authorities knew it was very wrong. The football authorities were incredibly thick and/or spineless and I don't see any evidence that they have changed since then.

[Svlad Cjelli]

And to mind the presence of MK Dons in the top tiers of the game still typifies everything that is rotten with the English professional game.

Yes, but don't you think that the football authorities have learnt from that and are embarrassed by it - and have tightened up their processes to make sure the same sort of cock-up doesn't happen again?

No, I have no confidence in that whatsoever. Everyone bar the football authorities could see what was happening with Wimbledon/MK Dons at the time it was happening and everyone bar the football authorities knew it was very wrong. The football authorities were incredibly thick and/or spineless and I don't see any evidence that they have changed since then.

Quite wrong. Even the football authorities knew it was wrong. But their rules were such that they had to grant an appeal because of the way that the FL Chairman had screwed up the whole process at the start. When asked about it, by the press at an airport on the way to the FL AGM, he said "There's no way we'll allow that to happen", and when the FL members overwhelmingly turned down the request, that statement by the FL Chairman was taken as grounds that the decision had been "prejudged".

That entitled those behind the move to have an appeal to a 3-man FA Commission, which voted 2-1 in favour of the move - after being presented with evidence which is highly dubious to say the least.

But to say "everyone bar the football authorities knew it was very wrong" is so incredibly wrong as to be laughable - they knew it was wrong also. I've not met anyone inside a football authority who approved of this or agreed with it. But it was cocked up completely and left a way open for it to happen that should never have happened.

So they have most definitely learnt from their mistakes and you won't now get anyone from a football authority commenting publicly about something that is likely to be heard by any panel.

[Royal Lady]

I agree with Tony Le Mesmer about 1995 - that was the worst bit of luck EVER in a promotion race. We should have gone up automatically - but we knew the rules, I don't remember people going mental at the time because we "only" finished second and had to go through the play-offs. It is only fair that at the very least, QPR are deducted enough points to have to go into the play-offs, with those that finish 2nd and 3rd getting automatic places. This way, if QPR didn't win the play-offs it would cost them a lot more than a couple of points and a few million fine - they would lose all the money they would have been entitled to had they got promotion, and would be a stark warning to other clubs who might try and cheat the system. Personally, I still think they should be automatically relegated.

[Svlad Cjelli]

I agree with Tony Le Mesmer about 1995 - that was the worst bit of luck EVER in a promotion race. We should have gone up automatically - but we knew the rules, I don't remember people going mental at the time because we "only" finished second and had to go through the play-offs.

Surely this has been discussed many times before - it's such a selective view of history!

If second place in 1995 had got automatic promotion we'd almost certainly have not got it. Boro had long since secured first place, and the 4 teams in the play-offs were already decided, the other 3 teams "eased off" and put weaker teams out in the final game to prepare for the play-offs. But if second place were worth anything they'd not have done this and we'd almost certainly not have ended up second!

[brendywendy]

tbh i dont think you can say that any more than RL can say what she said.


we just dont know

[Terminal Boardom]

I agree with Tony Le Mesmer about 1995 - that was the worst bit of luck EVER in a promotion race. We should have gone up automatically - but we knew the rules, I don't remember people going mental at the time because we "only" finished second and had to go through the play-offs. It is only fair that at the very least, QPR are deducted enough points to have to go into the play-offs, with those that finish 2nd and 3rd getting automatic places. This way, if QPR didn't win the play-offs it would cost them a lot more than a couple of points and a few million fine - they would lose all the money they would have been entitled to had they got promotion, and would be a stark warning to other clubs who might try and cheat the system. Personally, I still think they should be automatically relegated.

1995? I don't think so. Bolton played a much weakened team in their final league game to keep their key players fresh for the play-off at Molyneux. Who knows what would have happened had it been 2 automatic promotion spots to play for instead of just the one.

As for the QPR situation, I have very little confidence that the football authorities will do anything as dramatic as preventing QPR automatic promotion. But if they did deduct enough points for this to be the case, why would they allow them to qualify for the play-offs and give them a second bite at the cherry.

[Pardsme]

Everybody knows that QPR will go up automatically, regardless of any points deduction just enough points to clinch auto. But if they were outside the play offs or mid table then they would have deducted the points there and then. Football have been shafted over the years and I echoed WHO MOVED THE GOALPOSTS sentiments hate teams like Pompey, QPR and Cardiff.

Have been disillusioned with the Beautiful game for a long time and slowly beginning to fall out of love for the game.

[Mr Angry]

The timing of the hearing speaks volumes and says to me that the judgement has already been made before the case has even been heard - it will be a wrist slap and a fine.......

this also gives the FA a perfect opportunity to not have to make the right decision ........there was plenty of opportunity to have this case heard weeks before the actual date and the fact theyve timed up when they have ...says it all...under law, QPR would also have a right to appeal which would further extend the fiasco and makes any punitive action such as a large points deduction a non-starter

even the bookies have odds up to 1/100 on QPR being crowned champs, and bookies rarely get it wrong , so they must know too

another example of the spineless FA

Wow, the conspiracy theorists are out in force today.

True, but you can see why.

Us normal fans, who don't personally know any of the FA blazers, and who don't have "people in the know", can only view events as we see them.

People see that the charges were first mooted in, what, late February? Yet the hearing isn't set until the first week of May, with a decision scheduled for the day before the last regular game of the season. Even taking into account the complexity of this case, one would have thought that someone in charge at the FA could have spotted the potential for perception problems on this one so expedited the whole thing? If not, then even someone who rubs shoulders with the football Establishment (as you do) can recognise that by stating that a decision was to be announced the day before the last game of the season, ordinary fans would immediately read things into that.

The fact is that anything OTHER than a significant points deduction will be seen by fans of all clubs other than QPR as a cop out by the FA, and by having the hearing when they are will enable the FA to justify a morally bankrupt decision of no points deduction all the more easily.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

The timing of the hearing speaks volumes and says to me that the judgement has already been made before the case has even been heard - it will be a wrist slap and a fine.......

this also gives the FA a perfect opportunity to not have to make the right decision ........there was plenty of opportunity to have this case heard weeks before the actual date and the fact theyve timed up when they have ...says it all...under law, QPR would also have a right to appeal which would further extend the fiasco and makes any punitive action such as a large points deduction a non-starter

even the bookies have odds up to 1/100 on QPR being crowned champs, and bookies rarely get it wrong , so they must know too

another example of the spineless FA

Wow, the conspiracy theorists are out in force today.

....I guess we'll just have to await the judgement

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

This would be have been an ideal opportunity for the FA to gain such much needed credibility, and prove to the many doubters, that they serve a real and valuable purpose in football, as well as having a backbone to deal with contentious issues...I fear that the decision made in this case will prove that they didnt want to take the opportunity to do that, even though QPR are facing breach of rules on 7 counts, which in any FA case, is a considerable amount

[Royal Rother]

Everybody knows that QPR will go up automatically, regardless of any points deduction just enough points to clinch auto.

Everybody but me by the looks of it.

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

Everybody knows that QPR will go up automatically, regardless of any points deduction just enough points to clinch auto.

Everybody but me by the looks of it.

Well, I'm with you in sentiment RR, but history has shown that where the "bigger boys" with more money are concerned, justice is never served.

[Terminal Boardom]

The FA dicked s*indon 20 odd years ago but let Spurs off scot free. Who is to say that they won't dick QPR?

[BobKnows]

The FA dicked s*indon 20 odd years ago but let Spurs off scot free. Who is to say that they won't dick QPR?

Mr Money and Mr Influence is my guess.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Everybody knows that QPR will go up automatically, regardless of any points deduction just enough points to clinch auto.

Everybody but me by the looks of it.

Well, I'm with you in sentiment RR, but history has shown that where the "bigger boys" with more money are concerned, justice is never served.

Sometime, not always - and the context of now is that the FA are under real pressure to show the government that they are fit to govern the game (qv DCMS enquiry). Could well work to the advantage of everyone except QPR.

And for reference, it's not "The FA" as a totality - it's a small disciplinary panel acting as part of them. You can't judge the whole organisation by the actions of a bit of it in the past.

[Ian Royal]

Here's a groundbreaking suggestion...

Why don't we reserve judgement on how spineless the FA is in this case until they actually announce the result?

[brendywendy]

no. i demand kneejerk reaction and hair pulling and teeth gnashing on a national scale, in preparation for the FAs possible spineless pussy out.