QPR owner dilutes merger reports

Queens Park Rangers owner Chris Wright claims that reports of a merger with Wimbledon have been blown out of all proportion.

Queens Park Rangers owner Chris Wright claims that reports of a merger with Wimbledon have been blown out of all proportion.

And Wright also believes that it is highly unlikely that the merger will ever take place.

Wright told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's just the germ of an idea and it's been blown out of all proportion. Two or three days ago I personally decided that it's highly unlikely that it will grow from just a seed in the ground so to say."

But the QPR owner did concede there were certain aspects that would make a merger between the two clubs extremely attractive.

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"From a strictly financial standpoint there are some genuine reasons why a merger of the two clubs would be of interest," he said.

"It's a great concept but football mergers are always extremely difficult - but this one is not as difficult as most because the two clubs are not natural enemies of each other.

"But I think football mergers are extremely difficult and my view was that it wasn't really worthwhile taking it any further and getting into any detailed conversations unless the fans of the clubs of the clubs found it interesting."

And both sets of fans are united in their opposition to any merger. The Wimbledon Independent Supporters' Association declared that they "unequivocally oppose the merger of two separate identities, families, supporters and histories".

Those in favour of the merger hope that any new team would be allowed to play in the First Division, although this would inevitably cause a headache for the Football League.

For it would leave one place vacant in the Second Division, to which QPR were relegated this season.

The possibility does remain that any merged club would have to play in the lower of the two divisions, meaning that a deal could be put forward as a takeover of QPR by First Division Wimbledon.