Following a meeting this morning, the Board of Queens Park Rangers Football Club have announced the departure of Plc Chairman Ross Jones and Club Chairman Nick Blackburn, with immediate effect.
QPR Director Bill Power has been appointed Chairman of the Football Club and fellow Director Kevin McGrath will become the acting Chairman of the Plc until the AGM.
Nick Blackburn has been a Director at Loftus Road since 1996 and became Football Club Chairman in 2001.
He said: “As from today I have decided to step down from both the Board of QPR Holdings and QPR Football Club.
“I have made this decision because I feel that the Board has not functioned in a manner that I believe to be correct since April of this year. I also believe that the resignations of David Davies and Ross Jones are not in the best interests of the club.
“Finally, the business that I run, See Tickets, is growing rapidly and it is important that I devote as much time to this business as I can to enable the company to run successfully and for its growth to continue.
“I will always be proud that I was Chairman of the football club when it achieved promotion and I particularly enjoyed my close personal and professional relationship with Ian Holloway.
“I wish nothing but success for the club in the future. QPR is a very special football club and the support of the fans has been magnificent during difficult times.
“I would publicly like to thank those fans who either wrote or spoke to me after we won promotion and said such kind things. I would also like to thank all those who work at the Club for their unstinting hard work during the time I was Chairman.
“I look forward to returning next season as a supporter.”
Rangers manager Ian Holloway said that he was sad to hear the news of Nick Blackburn’s departure.
He said: “I am very disappointed to hear that Nick Blackburn is stepping down. During the time I have been Manager he has been an enormous help to me and the Club.
“I found him to be extremely knowledgeable and very honest. The relationship I had with Nick, David Davies and Ross Jones helped me immensely in achieving our recent success.
“I am now looking forward to forging new relationships to continue the work we have been doing.”
Ross Jones departs having been on the Board at Queens Park Rangers for five years and he made the following statement.
He said: “After three years very hard work, the Club now needs to move forward from the base that we have built.
“I have every confidence that the remaining Board members will continue the good work and I look forward to watching Rangers next season as a fan.
“Finally, I would like to thank everyone at the Club for their unstinting efforts during my time at Loftus Road.
“We could not have made any progress without the hard work of the players and staff.”
Acting Plc Chairman Kevin McGrath has also reflected on the departures of Nick Blackburn and Ross Jones.
He said: “Ross, David and Nick have been an integral part of the move out of administration and their efforts have rebuilt the club.
“These efforts have seen QPR reach a play-off final and subsequently achieve promotion to the Coca Cola Championship, and their contribution will allow the Club to build on this success in seasons to come.”