When your partner is a Queen’s Park Rangers fan and he never had the stadium tour of Loftus Road now the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium. I knew I had to book it for him. Here’s my experience of going around the experience tour…
I’d heard of Queen’s Park Rangers growing up being in the premiership with Man Utd who I support. Since I got together with my partner, I have been to a couple of home and away games. I’d asked my partner a couple of times if he’d done the stadium tour. He replied no and he was keen to do it. When the lockdown was over and tours started again, I mentioned it to his parents. His Dad has been a QPR fan for many years, so I thought he would enjoy it as well. We booked the tickets and picked a non-match day which starts at 11am.
On the day we met at the player’s entrance to the reception and our tour guide. The tour started going through seeing what trophies they had won over the years and naming famous players and managers. They also had honor boards of captains and managers over the years.
We carried on and made our way to the home & away changing rooms. There was a big difference and I didn’t know that football teams want them to feel uncomfortable. The home team had all the players’ names, their shirts, and huge boards for football strategy where one said ‘Score more than one goal.’ We moved onto the physio area and I was able to get onto the bed for myself. The away side, was very small, less boards for strategy and no physio room.
Afterward, we made our way to the pitch, where we got to experience what it’s like for the players. We were told about how many crowds there are in attendance at any match, and what they have to do to maintain the pitch and the ground. It was the first time he’d been on the pitch and he said it looked bigger than he thought.
Next, it was off to see where they did the post-match interviews and the hospitality boxes. We got to see the different hospitality boxes in which you can sit and watch the match. They were fitted with bars, comfortable seats, large-screen TVs, and a QPR theme foosball table.
The last stop was to visit the W12 restaurant, where you can have lunch before the match or rent the space for parties and weddings. The room was very long, with lots of player photos on the wall and the space didn’t feel tall enough. We moved to the CClub media suite, where they showed us where they do post-match interviews, announcements of players, and for the club. The tour ended and we headed to the QPR Superstore shop, where my other half got a new football shirt and I walked out with Jude the Cat (QPR’s mascot) toy.
The tour for me meant that I learned so much more about the club’s history, we got to see hospitality boxes, and where the players get changed. Our tour guide knew a lot more about QPR and he answered a lot of questions the group had. He allowed us on the pitch for a photo, which made me smile and appreciate it. I’m glad I did the tour as I looked into dining at the W12 restaurant but seeing it in person and what you get. I’m not convinced I would want to do it. It makes me eager to go back to the ground to watch a match. Hopefully one day soon!
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