Of all the grounds I've visited as an away City fan, I have to say that Loftus Road is the best. I'd never been before last night, but my dad had sung its praises before I headed down to London. He wasn't wrong.
The way it feels so enclosed, with the fans so close to the pitch, just creates a brilliant atmosphere. I'd been to similar grounds back in our Div2 days but was probably too young to appreciate them then. Loftus Road is obviously not as comfortable and sleak as modern stadiums (half-time queuing at the bar was a horrendous experience) but the feel of the place - it's traditional, almost antiquated charm - is rare in the Premier League these days. To cap it off, the QPR fans were right up for the game and seemed a good bunch (it felt very comfortable and safe to walk around in colours before and after the game, and there were no nasty chants, which sadly can't be said for every team in this league).
I bitched about the £55 ticket price before the game but I think now that it was worth every penny. I will be making every effort to attend any games we have at Loftus Road in the future, and will also add Craven Cottage to my wishlist, as I've never been there before either and I imagine it's quite similar.
I gather that the QPR owners are looking to move to a bigger stadium, and I can fully understand why from a business/long-term future persective, but I think it will be a real shame.
Loftus Road
posted on 6/11/11
Yeah I agree to an extent
posted on 6/11/11
Fulham is the coldest ground I've ever been to. The wind from the Thames in February is horrendous
posted on 6/11/11
you will enjoy craven cottage go over putney bridge and there are plenty of good places to drink.
ps get used to the nasty chants i'm afraid the more you succeed the more they will increase.good luck
posted on 6/11/11
I love the where were you when you were silt chants, as if we would forget, chant away as long as its not racist!
posted on 6/11/11
comment by hounslows-finest (U6180)
ps get used to the nasty chants i'm afraid the more you succeed the more they will increase.good luck
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Well, I was speaking in more general terms as opposed to anything particularly directed at us; the recent issues with Chelsea fans, Spurs and Arsenal towards Adebayor, Utd and Liverpool with their exchanges, Leeds fans and their chants, and even some of our own fans with the Munich songs (some young lads near us were making a Munich chant last night; my mate asked them if they were even aware that one of our players died in the crash, and they basically replied that they didn't care).
Maybe I'm wrong, but it sounded like the QPR fans didn't have those sorts of chants. I think they prove that you can be a good, family-friendly club and still be able to create a brilliant atmosphere at games.
posted on 6/11/11
I hate I mean really hate Munich chants, even if frank swift hadn't died its still pathetic and needs to be stamped out!
posted on 6/11/11
went to Loftus Road years ago (Gerry Francis was playing!) great atmosphere and a good bunch of lads. A lot of the old grounds were good like that, Ayresome Park, Roker, The Dell, Filbert Street; I remember at Boundary Park, the away end was partly a grassy hill, in winter for a bit of entertainment you could mudslide down it
The new grounds have much better facilities, and you're actually treated as a human, never mind as a paying customer, but the atmosphere seems to have lost something. I guess it's a fine balance, because looking back at it, some of those places were death traps!
posted on 6/11/11
The QPR fans were singing something about Lescott and the elephant man yesterday but other than than they were pretty good,they certainly make a racket.Had a few beers with some rangers fans in the wetherspoons near the tube,plenty of friendly banter as it should be
posted on 6/11/11
The Dell was mega!!! Really intense atmosphere!
The most threatening atmosphere was at the old Ninian Park...the really hate the English down there
Worst atmosphere I have witnessed was Sunderland @ TSOL!
posted on 6/11/11
spent a charming afternoon at the old Den a few years back. The police made us park at the opposite end of the ground to where we were stood, and then kept us in for 20 minutes afterwards, giving the locals time to get in position. I remember running like Usain Bolt down the road shouting "START THE 4KING BUS!!!"
Now that gets the adrenaline going!