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QPR interested in Fulham sharing
Fulham
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Fulham were invited today by Queens Park Rangers
to share their Loftus Road ground when they redevelop Craven Cottage at
the end of next season.
The Second Division club are in administration and would welcome the prospect
of extra income from their Premiership neighbours during the 2002-03 season.
Rangers already share the stadium with London Wasps rugby club and have
previously argued that more use was not feasible. However, QPR's financial
predicament has altered their priorities.
They said today the Loftus Road pitch would be able to withstand use by
another football team if they stopped their own reserve team playing there.
The idea is bound to upset some QPR fans but will appeal to Fulham because
their fans would not have to travel far for home matches during the season
they are scheduled to be away from their ground.
Newly-promoted Fulham have already received planning permission to convert
outdated Craven Cottage into a 30,000-seat stadium and building work on
the £70 million project is due to begin next summer.
QPR chief executive David Davies said: "If we were approached by Fulham
we would welcome it. We could talk to the local authority together and I
think we could put the arrangements in place quite quickly."
Potential problems include the sometimes bitter rivalry between the football
clubs' fans and the possibility of 19,000-capacity Loftus Road being too
small for Fulham's needs if they do well in the Premiership.
West Ham's Upton Park, which will seat 34,000 supporters by the end of next
season, could be an alternative and they have already indicated they would
be interested in exploring the idea of a temporary ground-share.
But Fulham said they have made no decisions on where they will play while
their stadium is being redeveloped and will take note of supporters' views.
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Source Evening Standard by Leo Spall