League Championship side Queens Park Rangers "confirmed they are in talks over building a new 40,000 all-seater stadium as part of a massive redevelopment scheme at Old Oak Common," according to Simon Johnson of the London EVENING STANDARD. The club has "made finding a new ground a priority since owner Tony Fernandes took over two years ago." Old Oak Common, which is close to Loftus Road, "has been identified as a potential site for some time with 100 acres of land available earmarked for a huge building scheme." Loftus Road’s capacity is just 18,439 and the hierarchy "know that a bigger venue is vital to progress" (EVENING STANDARD, 8/21). In London, Charles Sale reported QPR "are advanced enough in negotiations with Hammersmith and Fulham council and the Greater London Authority for a memorandum of understanding to have been drawn up." The stadium will be part of a "massive" £10B ($15.7B) Canary Wharf-style development that will include office space and 19,000 homes. The proposals are said to require a £200M ($313M) contribution from QPR, who have the backing of Fernandes and the Mittal steel family, "one of the richest" in the U.K. (DAILY MAIL, 8/20).
