QPR release details of training ground bond inspired by Norwich
Written by Simon Austin — September 30, 2021
QPR have released details of their new 'training ground bond', which is inspired by one issued by Norwich City in 2018.
As with the Canaries, QPR’s bond is available through Tifosy Capital and Advisory, the sports advisory and capital solutions firm co-founded by former Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli.
The five-year Norwich bond raised £5m to build their new Academy, which opened in August 2019. It reached the £5m threshold a day before it was due for public release, with 735 supporters and investors registering. When the club was promoted to the Premier League in 2019, the investors received a one-off 25% bonus.
QPR have not stated how much they hope to raise from their bond, but from a regulatory perspective it has a minimum threshold of £2m and a maximum of £6.75m, TGG understands.
The terms of the QPR bond will be pretty much identical. Again, people will be able to make a minimum investment of £500 with no upper limit. It will be a five-year bond, issued by QPR Holdings Ltd, with Tifosy as the arranger and distributor.
The bond will pay 5% gross interest annually, with an additional 3% gross in 'club credit,' which is redeemable on tickets and merchandise, and investors will again receive a one-off 25% bonus if the club is promoted to the Premier League within five years bond.
Money received will go towards the building of QPR’s new £20m Heston training ground. As TGG reported earlier this week, planning permission has been approved for the site and ground works are set to begin tomorrow (October 1st).
QPR's new purpose-built training ground will be twice the size of their current Harlington base and will house their first team, Under-23s and Academy. QPR say it is a key component of their “long-term commitment to making the club self-sustainable." The new facilities are due to open during the 2022/23 season.
Investors can pre-register for the QPR Academy bond from today (Thursday 30th September) for priority access, with the offer due to close no later than November 12th.
UK taxpayers will be able to invest in the bond through an “Innovative Finance ISA to receive tax-free returns” and investors will be able to trade their bonds through the Tifosy Exchange.
The new training ground will include seven specially-constructed pitches for the first team and Academy and players will have use of a performance gym, rehabilitation facilities, dining and recreation areas, classrooms and a performance analysis suite.
Twenty Academy-developed players have played for the first team in the last seven years, including current number 10 Ilias Chair.
Chairman Amit Bhatia said: “As a Board, we have a clear vision for QPR: to deliver competitive and entertaining football while ensuring the club becomes self-sustainable. The new training ground is designed to underpin a renewal of the footballing fundamentals at QPR, to enable the club to compete more effectively on the pitch and to help attract and develop the best talent.
"Once developed, it will offer cutting-edge facilities for QPR players of all levels – a key aim of this project is to accelerate the development of young talent.
"Supporter involvement and participation have always been at the core of QPR’s values. As a Board, we are fully behind this offer and believe that the QPR Bond can play a crucial role in further strengthening the connection between QPR and its passionate fans, and in bringing new investors and fans to the club.”
