1967

[Ace Face]

Can someone please type a few paragraphs on what exactly happened with the QPHa Takeover?

I have donated my 100 years book.

Thanks

Bish

[roddy]

I hope this is what you wanted. When Jack Dunnett took over as Chairman a lot of money was spent on new players and indeed a very exiting team gained promotion .Unfortunately a lot were past there best and were mainly one seasom wonders. More money was spent and the manager Malcom McDonald left to go to Kilmarnock .Tommy Cavanagh was appointed as manager and we got relegated. Jack Dunnett would not fund the club anymore and hence the proposed merger with QPR . Naturally this did not go down too well with either set of fans and Dunnett was in fact prepared to sell the club to anyone who would relieve him of the debt. Ron Blindell who was in the market to buy a club stepped in but in fact got cold feet when he saw the extent of the debt involved and in fact it was former director Les Davey who put up the cash and guarantees but allowed Blindell to be the front man. Due to this and donations ,collections and cost cutting the club survived and in fact got into a fairly decent financial position again only for it to (in my opinion) it to be allthrown away again by successive managements.

[Ace Face]

Thanks Roddy.

But from your post, I don`t understand:

Was it the BFC Chairman who suggested the merger?

Would we have sold GP and moved to Loftus Rd as Brentford & Queens Park Rangers?

Who on the BFC Board was pro and against?

Thanks

[roddy]

The idea was the team to play at Griffin park. The only person for the move was Jack Dunett but he had very much the controlling interest in the club and could do what he wanted. Prophetically at the time Eric Radley-Smith said that never again should we allow one man to Solely control the club.

[Jockbee]

A popular slogan at the time was....Dunnett..done it.!!!! :wave:

[Santa Barbara Bee]

From what I remember we would have lost the name Brentford from the merged deal and would have ended up with QPR playing at Griffin Park (enough to make anyone have nightmares for decades).

[Wise old Bee]

Wasn't there some talk at the time of us moving to Hillingdon Borough's ground at the Lees with QPR taking over GP?

[roddy]

I beleive the idea was for a combined team but obviously QPR were going to be the dominant partner.There was talk of Hillingdons ground being used but I dont think that it was directly linked to the QPR issue.

Incidentally Les Davey who I have already mentioned had in place a consortium to build a new ground but was turned down by the then board.

[Beebop]

There is a very comprehensive account in A-Z of Bees.Briefly Jim Gregory,Chairman of QPR,approached Dunnett in Dec 1966,initially to share costs,then formally with a complete takeover offer.Dunnett and his associate companies owned 70% of the shares so had a free hand and kept the minor shareholders in the dark.As you know the fans went wild and 10,650 turned up at a Southend match to protest.Behind the scenes there was a "Save Brentford Campaign" and Walter Wheatley and Les Davey pledged £20,000.Ron Blindell entered the arena and became part of the syndicate that bought out Dunnett for £41,000 and with the club's debts at £250,000,Blindell guaranteed abridging loan of £104,000.

[roddy]

Sorry to labour the point but ( and I know this is true because Les Davey told me himself)

When Ron Blindell became involved the situation was much worse than he had imagined and he had cold feet Les Davey guaranteed a large part of Ron Blindelll commitment but wasd content for Blindell to take the cudos.

[California Bee]

Originally posted by Jockbee
A popular slogan at the time was....Dunnett..done it.!!!! :wave:

I remember Brentford fans borrowing another slogan from TV which went

"Let's have Dana for dinner",

Dana was a popular luncheon meat at the time. The Bees version of course was

"Let's have Dunnett for dinner!"