Fulham Park Rangers

[Friendsoffulham]

Fulham Park Rangers

As the Riverside Development was announced today, there seems to be a lot of talk about our long term future, especially at Craven Cottage, so thought it might be a good idea to run a thread based on what could of been for us back in 1987 - Fulham Park Rangers.

What were your memories of this dark day? Were you part of the protests? Did you invade the pitch? We'd like to hear your stories.











30 years on, the story of how QPR and Fulham nearly became 'Fulham Park Rangers'

In 2017, the thought of such a suggestion would be laughed straight out of west London, but in 1987, the outlandish plan almost became a reality.

It's been 30 years since the proposal to merge Queens Park Rangers FC and Fulham FC, an idea which in this day and age seems frankly absurd.

In 2017, the thought of such a suggestion would be laughed straight out of west London, but in 1987, the outlandish plan almost became a reality.

But what is the story behind the proposed 'Fulham Park Rangers FC'?

It was February 24th 1987 when The Times first published news of the proposed merger.

The news came as Marler Estates, a property company that already owned Fulham's Craven Cottage and Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, acquired Loftus Road for a sum of £5,865,510, with new Chairman David Bulstrode intending to have QPR and the Cottagers playing under one banner, Fulham Park Rangers FC.

At the time, Fulham were playing in the third division, while the Hoops were in the top flight, meaning the plan was to play matches at QPR's stadium while selling off Craven Cottage for housing due to it's prime location by the River Thames being ideal for luxury housing.

The intention was also to put QPR manager Jim Smith in charge of on-the-field affairs, effectively disbanding Fulham as a footballing entity.

The previous R's owner Jim Gregory had previously tried to link up Chelsea, Fulham and the Hoops into one footballing side who would play at Wembley, but this didn't materialise.

As you can imagine, Fulham's fans were furious about the plans, especially when chairman Bulstrode, addressed 'their small number of fans' saying: "they will appreciate it is not economical in the long run for the club to continue on it's own'.

Clearly unhappy with the proposal, Jimmy Hill headed a public outcry, and ultimately bought Fulham Football Club with the help of his backers.

The only thing they didn't get back was the ownership of Craven Cottage.

Fulham remained at the Cottage as tenants, while the owners drew up their plans to develop the Stadium into housing.

The Stadium's owners, Marler Estates were then purchased by John Duggan's Cabra Estates, but the company soon went under meaning the Royal Bank of Scotland emerged as the Club's new landlords.

Fulham held the lease to to Cottage until 31st May 1993, and with the help of their 'Fulham 2000' scheme, fans joined forces to contribute towards the cost of a high-profile campaign to win back the Cottage, something they did with the help of Mohamed Al Fayed in 1997, as they bought the Stadium back for a price of £7.5m.

Meanwhile, the proposal to merge the two footballing entities of Fulham FC and QPR FC was rejected, before the death of David Bulstrode saw Richard Thompson become QPR's new Chairman in the 1988-89 season.

It was a naturally turbulent time for both clubs, and certainly goes a long way to explaining the long-standing connection between both Fulham and QPR.

https://www.mylondon.news/sport/football/football-news/30-years-on-story-how-14033884

[Andy S]

I was there with my young son and we went onto the pitch to protest at half time. It was quite a peaceful protest. I believe we played Walsal on the day and when the players came out for the second half they applauded us supporters. The thing is quite a blur now but there were banners all around the ground. I remember one that said Clay Rapes Bulstrode Murders. At the time the high fences went all around the ground. We already knew there was going to be a half time protest. The Stewards opened the gates and allowed us free access to the pitch. I remember talking to a man who was holding his baby the man was crying saying he would never be able to bring his son to watch a match at the Cottage

[Oakeshott]

Does put in perspective our disappointment re last season and the apparently on-going role of Khan junior, especially as it seems Khan senior is funding the improvements to CC.

[SuffolkWhite]

Does put in perspective our disappointment re last season and the apparently on-going role of Khan junior, especially as it seems Khan senior is funding the improvements to CC.

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[bog]

I fondly remember one of the papers printing the relative league table without Fulham in it as they thought we were gone.  :031:

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[Fernhurst]

Black black day in our history, which depressed me like no other Fulham FC related incident. Living and working abroad but dutifully sent my cheques into "Fulham2000" and waited forlornly for a saviour.
You hope for one and you get two. Firstly Jimmy Hill delayed things until the developers went bust and eventually MAF who backed us like no other Chairman in our history. Terrible terrible time but some heroes stepped forward during that era and worked tirelessly to save our club.

[Mince n Tatties]

I can see me and the lad I used to stand next
to in the Hammersmith end.
Those were the days when I used to have hair.😟

[mrmicawbers]

I'm sure that's me and my mate Maurice on someone's shoulders.

[toshes mate]

It was a very different era for football and for gentrification, which had turned much of Fulham (the borough as it once was) into a predominately middle and upper middle class area.  All (nobody owned property) in my extended by marriage family were forced to move away from the area, hit by landlords who were ruthlessly determined to remove tenants in any manner they could get away with.  All our working class friends were similarly hit and were relocated across a very wide area.  Some lost their jobs and livelihoods.  Some went to new town developments.     

By the time Marler Properties began their threats I was living on the Battersea - Balham border, an area which was also now threatened by the very same gentrification that had occurred across much of the inner ring of London's working class areas.  I was at the Walsall game, I walked around the pitch at half time, and I later gave money to the FFC rescue project.  At the time of the protest I had no doubt in my mind that the fight back would succeed.  My reasoning was simple - Craven Cottage and the Stevenage Road facade were just too good looking to be turned into ugly blocks of flats and too much of Fulham had already lost much of its culture and history for anything else to be taken away from it.  Sadly, IMO, gentrification is still a massive threat to far too much of London and the South East, and it seems human beings never learn anything.

[Russianrob]

Call me a traitor if you like but in those days we were so consistently awful that it surprises me more supporters might have fancied FPR.In fairness however not many QPR fans wanted it either but perhaps this was due to the embarassment of being connected with the Fulham team at that time.A FPR team would have been made up of 10 Rangers players and 1 Fulham player.Correct me if I am wrong.

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

At the time I ran a Special Events Company in London and was asked by Fulham 2000 come up with fund-raising ideas.
I met with a couple of Fulham Supporters spearheading the campaign, during an exhibition at Olympia. (in Bar 5   :0)
I cannot for the life of me remember the 2 guys names.
I'm wondering if anyone on here knows who they were or actually was one of them  ?
Anyway, we discussed various options but fortunately the wind changed with our beared chin saviour.

I'm amazed a statue of Jummy hasn't been erected, I think Coventry have built one.

[Two Ton Ted]

I was on the pitch against Walsall. Remember the period very well, dark days indeed. They were a lot of QPR fans who joined us that day too. I have to say their fans were superb throughout the whole affair.

With Hindsight, whether we like the thought or not, Cabra Estates actually saved the club by buying them when they did. In 1986 we were relegated form Division 2 with the worst team in my memory, had a lowest gates ever (2,139 against Carlisle) and the Clay's were strangling the club  The Clay's effectively closed the club in the summer. We had a handful of contracted players and no season ticket were offered for sale. I think most of the existing fanbase expected the club to fold, but the late summer purchase of the club by Cabra at least kept the club alive.

I certainly agree this guarantees the club at Craven Cottage for the long term

[Penfold]

Remember it well. Not that long after I'd moved out of Fulham into an area with plenty of QPR fans. The majority were dead against it but a handful were laughing at practically signing our death warrant. Never liked them since.

Jimmy Hill did fantastically well to drum up the attention to our plight but it does surprise me somewhat that he gets all the credit. Financially, the Muddyman family were the main saviours.

[Fernhurst]

Quite right to highlight the role of the Muddyman brothers who kept our head above water financially for a significant amount of time. Speaking to Jimmy on a charity golf day he seemed bitter during his takeover MAF made good the Muddymans loses and added some on top but there was nothing in the pot for Jim who had worked tremendously hard but did not contribute in any monetary way.

[Lighthouse]

I remember the whole depressing episode. Walking to work as if I had lost a family member. Then the Walsall match where the gates in the fences were opened at half time to allow the protesters on. The Walsall fans giving us their support. A very moving moment and one that will stay with us forever. It makes all the fuss about this season and relegation pale into insignificance when our club has gone through that. It is also the reason I will never set foot in QPR since. Despite many fans not wanting the merger anymore than we did. There was very little support from them as they after all had the better of the deal.

Dark and sad times. Since then so much has changed for the club. Not sure our insistence at staying at the Cottage will do us any good in the long term. But whatever we go through as a club. It will never be as bad as that. Well until something happens that is as bad.  :012:

[Steven Ageroad]

I had 2 "Craven Cottage Crusade/Fulham2000" posters framed at the time and they are still hanging in my office/man cave as we "speak". 1 has a picture of Johnny Haynes about to take a free kick, showing his famous number 10 on his shirt, with the cottage in the back ground with the caption "Staying Put". The other poster is an aerial of the ground and the surrounding area with the caption "The best view in football, let's keep it that way" It shows the Putney end with just terracing and weeds.

I also have coloured photograph of Craven Cottage taken 360 degrees around the ground from the half way line. It is a one off and was taken the week we left to move to QPR. The photgrapher took it because he had been told that we would not return and that we would be going to a brand new stadium in the White City area and the ground was being sold for redevelopment,
how life pans out eh.


I must agree with previous posters that the football at the time was awful.

[Jonnoj]

Don't forget it was lovable Ken Bates who sorted Marler estates, who owned the bridge as well. Can't remember exactly what he did but he pretty well bankrupted them in the process of defending what he saw as the rights of football clubs to remain as they were. He was vociferous in his defence of FFC as well as cfc to be fair to him.

[Stoneleigh Loyalist]

Saint Jimmy Hill did a fantastic job and I well remember the small time money raising suggestions which were being put forward by fans at the Fulham Town Hall meeting. They were all well intended but thousands of pounds were needed.
Then there was Jimmy's statement that we needed a ground with no bigger a capacity than 16,000 which was quite astonishing looking back now. Again well intended at the time.

[Stoneleigh Loyalist]

Anyone else still got their Fulham 2000 pottery Craven Cottage?
Mine is still in pride of place in our conservatory and I remember David Hamilton being on Through the Keyhole years ago. I identified him because of his pottery Craven  Cottage.

[70sPimlico]

Don't forget it was lovable Ken Bates who sorted Marler estates, who owned the bridge as well. Can't remember exactly what he did but he pretty well bankrupted them in the process of defending what he saw as the rights of football clubs to remain as they were. He was vociferous in his defence of FFC as well as cfc to be fair to him.

I didnt know that. Funny old bugger really. Is he still around?