CONTROVERSIAL QPR co-owner Flavio Briatore has split opinion among Rangers fans as the fallout from his Formula One ban continues. We recently called for Briatore to relinquish his controlling interest at Loftus Road straight away and suggested that Rs fa

CONTROVERSIAL QPR co-owner Flavio Briatore has split opinion among Rangers fans as the fallout from his Formula One ban continues.

We recently called for Briatore to relinquish his controlling interest at Loftus Road straight away and suggested that Rs fans should do what they could to force the former Renault boss out if he refused to stand down.

Judging by the volume of responses the Times have since received, Rangers supporters also hold strong views on the issue. The following represents a cross-section of the emails sent to us.

YOUR comments on Briatore are spot on. The team are no better than the side that came up under Ollie.

Briatore changes managers every other week, what's the difference between Dowie and Magilton, Sousa etc? I don't know.

The ticket prices are pathetic. I have been watching the Rs for 35 years and the passion is being bled out of the club by this man.

John Pottinger

JUST wanted to say fantastic article with regards to Briatore. I am a proud QPR fan and could not agree more with you.

Personally I am going to stay away while the Italians are at QPR, something about the whole thing just doesn't sit right with me at all. This has to be sorted out asap, it shouldn't be down to the Football League to kick Briatore out.

The club should have booted him out by now, it's disgusting and confirms what the more perceptive QPR fans have been saying all along.

Steve Thackeray

READ your piece on Briatore. I agree 100 per cent. I'd choose financial bankruptcy over moral bankruptcy any day. Not that the choice the club faces is this stark in reality, I suspect.

Well done and keep up the good work.

Joel Lazarus

AS a Rangers supporter of 40-plus years, I too want Briatore to go. It was refreshing to read your stated belief that this club of ours will survive regardless of outcome. I agree and I'm convinced the majority of Rs fans will agree with you.

So much could be said about the last few years at Loftus Road, but let's focus on the future - one that will be so much more enjoyable without Briatore.

David Muir

I TAKE on board all your points and I'm no fan of the man. His constant meddling in team affairs, his treatment of some players, the unjust sackings of managers, the increase in ticket prices..... I'm as disappointed and disillusioned as anyone after such high hopes when he took over.

However, from what I can see it's not all been bad. I'd had enough of watching QPR before he came. No more trips to Port Vale and Stockport for me, there's only so much of that I could do.

Personally I'd love to see Briatore leave and the Mittals to buy him out. Magilton can be given free rein to manage as he wants, with the financial backing too.

However, what if the Mittals don't want to buy him out? I can see us going the same way as Leeds or worse, Luton. I suppose as you say we'd then have the moral high ground. Not sure I'd see it that way, when clubs with far worse owners are having a great time.

I'm not sure of Briatore's motives, but I'd rather have him here while nobody is expressing an interest in buying us.

Jonny Wiles

I HAVE absolutely no sympathy for Flavio Briatore but the final paragraph in your report drew some ire from me.

"It may fall to his fellow board members to tell Briatore his time is up. But the fans can play a part, by joining our campaign, by voicing their disapproval at matches, or even staying away from matches altogether."

Never before have I read something so stupidly counterproductive against our team. Against Barnsley, Rangers played some of the most entertaining football at Loftus Road for a long time. Let's hope it's onwards and upwards while you and your paper have deserted the team taking the moral high ground.

Graham Smith

WHILE we are all allowed our opinions and to have passion for our clubs, calling for fans to boycott games really does take it to another level and in my opinion is as bad as Flavio's involvement in the F1 scandal itself.

OK, so we may have survived without Flavio's involvement but it would have more likely been at Luton's level than our current one.

Would you have campaigned against Jim Gregory when he was chairman, the way he ran the club? The answer would have to have been yes because he did some fairly distasteful things during his time too BUT is now regarded as the man who built Rangers into what they are!

Kevin Angell

THE comments that you make are clearly those of someone with an anti-Flav agenda. If Flavio is as guilty as you and others make him out to be, fair enough, print all the real facts and then he will be justly banned from anything related to the sporting world, I would back that.

However, do not publish stuff as news when there is a sniff of evidence, but absolutely not a shred of proof! I haven't seen any proof of his guilt yet, and don't really expect to.

John Gallagher