Rangers ask for switch to Hayes

Last updated : 19 September 2003 By Mark O' Haire

QPR have asked the Football League if they can play their LDV Vans Trophy match on october 15th at Hayes.

Rangers are due to play Kidderminster at home in the lower leagues competition on the night and expect to lose £5,000 by just opening the Loftus Road gates.

The poorly supported trophy regularly sees sparse gates in the first round counted in three figures. Despite imaginative marketing last season, Hoops could still only attract 4,772 to the home defeat by Bristol City.

It might have been a poor night by R`s standards, but it was still a gate record for a first round of the LDV Vans.

If Rangers are allowed to re-locate for a one-off game the club could save administrative costs and other costly outlays by offering a cheaper deal to the Ryman Premier League clubwhose homely Church Road ground has a 6,500 capacity.

The corridor along the M4 headed towards Hayes has long been a hotbed of R`s support, and the unique game for a club that has already seen eight homes in its 121 year history could set another new record gate.

Ranger chief executive David Davies remembered with dark humour last seasons match which saw Rangers go out on penalties to the Robins.

He said "when I gave a cheque to the Bristol City secretary, he asked me why I was giving him a sum of less then £100. I said that`s your share of the gate receipts".

However it looks as though Davies is going to be disappointed despite overtures to league officials wednesday night.

Section 4, rules 13 and 13.1 of the Football League handbook make it plain that "no club shall remove itself from its ground agreed with the (league) executive."

Officials are privately worriedthat a one-off move could cause a precedent for a host of clubs, but are more concerned that the prestige of the competition would be lessened if it was allowed to be franchised out to more humble venues