QPR launch B team
Written by Training Ground Guru — August 17, 2021
QPR have formally launched a B Team for the 2021/22 season in an effort to increase the number of players making the transition from their Academy to first team.
The B team will play at Wealdstone’s Grosvenor Vale stadium and take part in a bespoke games programme against a range of EFL, non-league & European clubs, as well as other B teams.
The initiative is an attempt to “expedite the pathway of Academy players to the first team and to provide competitive experiences for first-team players who are in need of match minutes,” QPR said.
Unlike near neighbours Brentford, who launched a B team in 2016, QPR will continue to run their Category Two Academy. They will participate in the U23 Professional Development League and have also entered the Premier League U23 Cup.
QPR Director of Football Les Ferdinand, himself a former Academy product at the club, said: “When I was first appointed, the owners made it clear that a key component of their vision was to increase the number of young players making the transition from our Academy to the first team.
"We are extremely satisfied with the progress made on that front and we see this project as a way to build on that success. The games will provide our young players with more of a first-team experience, playing against senior teams in a competitive environment. We feel that these experiences form a vital part of their development.
“We will also utilise the games to ensure that selected first-team players have an opportunity to remain in the best physical condition possible when called upon by Mark [Warburton] and his staff.”
