| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS 19:22 - Apr 18 with 8310 views | NoDiddley |
Doesn't get much mention on here even though our own Clive is a resident columnist.
Dave Thomas puts a lot of time/effort into it as it is his source of income!
I recently wrote an article which Dave published in March issue 312 & as he says it fills the pages.
There are a load of wordsmith's on here, so why not knock up a rambling about your team & email it to Dave at qpr@netcomuk.co.uk
He will respond eventually (that's Dave). |  | | |  |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 10:25 - Apr 19 with 3393 views | parker64 |
The best cover I remember was a Spot the Ball competition showing Dominic Iorfa having a shot towards the Loft end. I'm not sure but I think the back cover was the answer with the ball going towards the White City estate. |  | | |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 10:49 - Apr 19 with 3368 views | paulparker |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 10:25 - Apr 19 by parker64 |
The best cover I remember was a Spot the Ball competition showing Dominic Iorfa having a shot towards the Loft end. I'm not sure but I think the back cover was the answer with the ball going towards the White City estate. |
I remember that one well Parker , some of the earlier editions were very good
the best article I read was the interview they had with Ray Harford when he first took over the club, it was one of the most honest interviews with a manager I have read even to this day, it summed up all that was wrong with the club in that period, a real eye opener |  |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 11:15 - Apr 19 with 3338 views | PlanetHonneywood |
I used to write regularly for AKUTRs in the 90s and Naughties and as I am now back again in London for a bit, I rocked up to Dave a while back and said, time I did you another article.
And so, I got cracking and it was all lovely and positive about what I think we're slowly seeing take place under James. I was just about to send it, got distracted and missed the deadline. Handy really, because the next game we were an utter shower against Fulham. But hey, this is QPR.
AKUTRs has been something Dave should be proud of and we should cherish. I also think we should thank him because its not easy thing to do and of course, he has had his battles with various individuals whose agenda was about them and not QPR!
Its role back in the day shouldn't be forgotten either because it was a beacon at a troublesome time and it also happens to have been the template for fanzines nationwide.
It is a QPR success and we really should support it. Buy it, its a good read. |  |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 11:58 - Apr 19 with 3297 views | Phildo |
I do think the reason it has kept going when others have disappeared is Dave's passion. If there was some sort of QPR honours system he would be in for a knighthood by now. I am really looking forward to the issue on Stan. |  | | |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 13:08 - Apr 19 with 3236 views | BrianMcCarthy |
AKUTR's has been a huge part of my Rangers life and a major factor in my obsession with the R's.
I was born in London and was a regular visitor as a toddler to LR with my Brother and Dad. Then, when I was five, we moved to Ireland. I stayed a Rangers fan but it was notional really. We'd be on Match of the Day and I had all the posters on the wall and all that lark, but I knew nothing of the Rangers culture and none of my Irish mates even knew who we were. I was a fan of Rangers the way they were fans of Heather Locklear.
In '85 we moved back to England again and I was straight down to Rangers with my Dad. His love had gone, though, as had most of his mates, and his heart was no longer in it. I had no-one to go with and was too bashful and insecure to wangle my way into a gang. I went to the games regardless but I still had no idea about our culture, no-one to swap stories with, no-one to learn from. This went on for two seasons.
Then, in August '87, I saw a beardy man selling something that looked illicit and I grabbed one in the scrum and read it while tripping over my shoes on the way to the station. It was like nothing I'd ever read before. It took the pi$$ out of the owners, the players, the oppo - everyone. It was merciless. And it was funny, too. I went from star-struck boy to worldly cynic in the time it took to scan through the wafer-thin pages. This was rebellion. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Within a few months I was writing the odd paragraph for it. Truly awful stuff. It started with me getting a doing-over by the coppers in the Loft and, not knowing where to turn, writing a letter to Dave. He replied with a long letter, and called to visit me. He asked me to write a few lines and I did, then a few more in the next issue, then a few more.
Within a few more months Dave had me selling outside the Loft. This changed everything. People recognised me and started to chat to me at matches (they had to, I still wouldn't start a conversation). By the end of that season myself and a few new friends had formed our own travelling crew. We're close friends to this day. Within a couple of years I felt as part of Rangers as anyone else. I never looked back.
I think I would've always fallen in love with Rangers and I think I would've made many friends eventually, even allowing for my teenage shyness, but Dave and AKUTR's brought me into the Rangers family with a bang. I'll always be grateful to him. |  |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 13:12 - Apr 19 with 3227 views | YorkRanger |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 13:08 - Apr 19 by BrianMcCarthy |
AKUTR's has been a huge part of my Rangers life and a major factor in my obsession with the R's.
I was born in London and was a regular visitor as a toddler to LR with my Brother and Dad. Then, when I was five, we moved to Ireland. I stayed a Rangers fan but it was notional really. We'd be on Match of the Day and I had all the posters on the wall and all that lark, but I knew nothing of the Rangers culture and none of my Irish mates even knew who we were. I was a fan of Rangers the way they were fans of Heather Locklear.
In '85 we moved back to England again and I was straight down to Rangers with my Dad. His love had gone, though, as had most of his mates, and his heart was no longer in it. I had no-one to go with and was too bashful and insecure to wangle my way into a gang. I went to the games regardless but I still had no idea about our culture, no-one to swap stories with, no-one to learn from. This went on for two seasons.
Then, in August '87, I saw a beardy man selling something that looked illicit and I grabbed one in the scrum and read it while tripping over my shoes on the way to the station. It was like nothing I'd ever read before. It took the pi$$ out of the owners, the players, the oppo - everyone. It was merciless. And it was funny, too. I went from star-struck boy to worldly cynic in the time it took to scan through the wafer-thin pages. This was rebellion. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Within a few months I was writing the odd paragraph for it. Truly awful stuff. It started with me getting a doing-over by the coppers in the Loft and, not knowing where to turn, writing a letter to Dave. He replied with a long letter, and called to visit me. He asked me to write a few lines and I did, then a few more in the next issue, then a few more.
Within a few more months Dave had me selling outside the Loft. This changed everything. People recognised me and started to chat to me at matches (they had to, I still wouldn't start a conversation). By the end of that season myself and a few new friends had formed our own travelling crew. We're close friends to this day. Within a couple of years I felt as part of Rangers as anyone else. I never looked back.
I think I would've always fallen in love with Rangers and I think I would've made many friends eventually, even allowing for my teenage shyness, but Dave and AKUTR's brought me into the Rangers family with a bang. I'll always be grateful to him. |
Nice story Brian |  | | |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 13:43 - Apr 19 with 3202 views | PlanetHonneywood |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 13:08 - Apr 19 by BrianMcCarthy |
AKUTR's has been a huge part of my Rangers life and a major factor in my obsession with the R's.
I was born in London and was a regular visitor as a toddler to LR with my Brother and Dad. Then, when I was five, we moved to Ireland. I stayed a Rangers fan but it was notional really. We'd be on Match of the Day and I had all the posters on the wall and all that lark, but I knew nothing of the Rangers culture and none of my Irish mates even knew who we were. I was a fan of Rangers the way they were fans of Heather Locklear.
In '85 we moved back to England again and I was straight down to Rangers with my Dad. His love had gone, though, as had most of his mates, and his heart was no longer in it. I had no-one to go with and was too bashful and insecure to wangle my way into a gang. I went to the games regardless but I still had no idea about our culture, no-one to swap stories with, no-one to learn from. This went on for two seasons.
Then, in August '87, I saw a beardy man selling something that looked illicit and I grabbed one in the scrum and read it while tripping over my shoes on the way to the station. It was like nothing I'd ever read before. It took the pi$$ out of the owners, the players, the oppo - everyone. It was merciless. And it was funny, too. I went from star-struck boy to worldly cynic in the time it took to scan through the wafer-thin pages. This was rebellion. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Within a few months I was writing the odd paragraph for it. Truly awful stuff. It started with me getting a doing-over by the coppers in the Loft and, not knowing where to turn, writing a letter to Dave. He replied with a long letter, and called to visit me. He asked me to write a few lines and I did, then a few more in the next issue, then a few more.
Within a few more months Dave had me selling outside the Loft. This changed everything. People recognised me and started to chat to me at matches (they had to, I still wouldn't start a conversation). By the end of that season myself and a few new friends had formed our own travelling crew. We're close friends to this day. Within a couple of years I felt as part of Rangers as anyone else. I never looked back.
I think I would've always fallen in love with Rangers and I think I would've made many friends eventually, even allowing for my teenage shyness, but Dave and AKUTR's brought me into the Rangers family with a bang. I'll always be grateful to him. |
Heather Locklear you say. Hmm, that's a tricky one, certainly gamey! | |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 13:55 - Apr 19 with 3191 views | headhoops |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 00:17 - Apr 19 by CroydonCaptJack |
I always remember the edition with Phil Collins on the front. A speech bubble was asking "so exactly how long have you been a life long Spurs fan Phil"
Brilliant. |
or the two men reading the paper - one says - Oh, I see Liverpool drew nil-nil.
The other replies - who missed their penalty?
Loved the Ken bates stuff and Alan McDonals tattoo.
Great work, still got most of the first 200 or so editions. |  |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 07:28 - Aug 7 with 2926 views | Roller |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 08:34 - Aug 7 with 2861 views | davman |
Think I should buy a copy too today; used to subscribe years ago during the desperate years (The Paladini ones) and have a number of early ones (including issue 1) at my dad's.
A wonderful publication. |  |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 09:29 - Aug 7 with 2805 views | N12Hoop |
Tell me if i am wrong, but if memory serves, this all came about when David Bulstrode took over and spoke about merging with Fulham. There was a meeting in the Springbok one morning before a game and I was around 15 at the time. I had rocked up to the ground to get a ticket for the afternoon and found myself in a pub for the first time listening to Dave passionately voice his concerns and the need for peaceful protest. Out of this AKUTR was born and I was a massive fan.
In those days there was no Internet so the only QPR news was what you got in the club prgramme, found on teletext or got ripped off paying for on QPR club call (0898 121162).
Fanzines were a godsend back then because they were an alternative and unsanitized view of the club and were full of brilliant articles written by like minded fans. The fact AKUTRs still exists in the days of the Internet forums is a huge testimony to Dave and the other contributors. |  |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 10:03 - Aug 7 with 2761 views | derbyhoop |
Brilliant effort by Dave Thomas to keep it going with all the pressures. I subscribed until I moved to France and offer occasional articles as well. Should have one on the aftermath of Euro 2016 in the current edition.
Where it scores over the official programme and a lot of the internet/social media stuff is that the articles are more considered, and often highly critical of the club. |  |
| Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime. (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 10:41 - Aug 7 with 2738 views | Discodroids |
Used to plague Dave (and indeed Howard Prosser @ in the loft), with my shite musings back in the early 90's, and god bless him, he actually printed quite a few as well.
In a league cup defeat away at leyton Orient years ago , I bent daves ear for a ten minute Rant on the state of the club which was more manic than keith moon on his pictures of lily drum kit . he just let me expunge my rant before patting me on the shoulder and asking me to take a deep breath.
great bloke and a great publication. |  |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 13:32 - Aug 8 with 2619 views | R_from_afar |
My guilt at not ever having bought such a noble publication finally got the better of me at the end of last season and I bought one. It's entertaining and engaging, without being trashy and full of ranting (spot the eats shoots and leaves moment in this sentence).
I love the self-deprecating style and the fact that it oozes passion and commitment to the cause. The retro feel is nice too.
RFA |  |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 14:35 - Aug 8 with 2537 views | WilloW4 |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 10:41 - Aug 7 by Discodroids |
Used to plague Dave (and indeed Howard Prosser @ in the loft), with my shite musings back in the early 90's, and god bless him, he actually printed quite a few as well.
In a league cup defeat away at leyton Orient years ago , I bent daves ear for a ten minute Rant on the state of the club which was more manic than keith moon on his pictures of lily drum kit . he just let me expunge my rant before patting me on the shoulder and asking me to take a deep breath.
great bloke and a great publication. |
Sounds strangely familiar that disco.... I think I did the same at Barnet many years ago...saw Dave at the play off final, a genuiley nice guy....as you say.."great bloke and a great publication". |  | | |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 14:49 - Aug 8 with 2381 views | DWQPR |
Bought the first edition of the new season yesterday from Dave who still looks the same from close on 30 years ago. Very rarely get the chance to read from cover to cover, but given that Mr Thomas has literally devoted half of his life to this contribution towards QPR and its support then buying each copy is the least I can do. He even relented to a request from the Missus to have my picture in the April edition with a 50th birthday wish. Maybe it is about time that the club themselves recognised the efforts in producing the fanzine over the last 30 years and the devotion towards it by Dave and his team. | |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 23:04 - Aug 8 with 2233 views | CiderwithRsie |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 20:49 - Apr 18 by BrianMcCarthy |
The others were Gus's 'The Whingeing Donkey" and Pete Doherty's "All Quiet On The Western Road". Loved both of them. ITL was well done as well, but not quite my style somehow. |
There was another occasional one called "Ooh I Think It's My Groin" which I used to buy just for the title | | | |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 23:21 - Aug 8 with 2208 views | connell10 |
Wasnt there another one called "in the loft" or am i mistaken. |  |
| AND WHEN I DREAM , I DREAM ABOUT YOU AND WHEN I SCREAM I SCREAM ABOUT YOU!!!!! | | Poll: | best number 10 ever? |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 23:56 - Aug 8 with 2180 views | ozexile |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 23:21 - Aug 8 by connell10 |
Wasnt there another one called "in the loft" or am i mistaken. |
Yes there was. I remember buying a few. | | | |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 00:00 - Aug 9 with 2180 views | SydneyRs |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 23:21 - Aug 8 by connell10 |
Wasnt there another one called "in the loft" or am i mistaken. |
Yes there was, and it wasn't too bad. It was probably the only one that came close to rivalling AKUTRs.
It was good to see AKUTRs still on sale outside the ground when I was over for a game last season and I made a point of buying a copy. I too was a regular reader when it all started after the Fulham merger thing. I had the car sticker proudly displayed too.
No internet in those days and only the heavily sanitised match programme largely filled with happy clappy articles by the likes of Terry Cinzano for QPR related stuff. AKUTRs was a breath of freash air with a totally honest, call a spade a spade approach.
Not to mention the humour, which was brilliant. The front cover pics were always a highlight. I recall Dave Thomas coming back one time after being away ill and apologising for having "annoyingly nearly died". | | | |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 07:09 - Aug 9 with 2139 views | londonscottish |
I made a point of buying a copy on the way in on Saturday.
Haven't read it yet but it's worth it purely for the undertakers' ad on the back page.
"Ranger till I die".
Brilliant. |  |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 08:16 - Aug 9 with 2108 views | connell10 |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 23:18 - Aug 8 by connell10 |
Yes a great read, the bloke i sit next to writes articles for it..... i normally skip those!  |
Do you like my new avatar mate? Thats chris and me having a drink at christmas | |
| AND WHEN I DREAM , I DREAM ABOUT YOU AND WHEN I SCREAM I SCREAM ABOUT YOU!!!!! | | Poll: | best number 10 ever? |
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| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 08:47 - Aug 9 with 2086 views | CroydonCaptJack |
| AKUTRs - Written BY the FANS for The FANS on 23:18 - Aug 8 by connell10 |
Yes a great read, the bloke i sit next to writes articles for it..... i normally skip those! |
I normally see Simon most games as we travel in the same direction. Funnily enough he mentioned he sat near you when I was talking to him on Saturday. |  | | |
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