Are You Rangers in Disguise? The Ups, Downs - And Ups of Reporting on QPR

Published 2020

Being paid to write about the club you support?

Short of actually playing for the team, it surely can’t get much better than that for any self-respecting football fan. Except… what happens when the people who run the club set out to transform it beyond recognition and steer it on a course you can’t accept? How do you approach your job then? Can your relationship with the club remain intact, not only on a professional level but also as a supporter?

As sports editor of a local newspaper series in north-west London, Ben Kosky found himself wrestling with those questions when Queens Park Rangers underwent a sweeping makeover – not only during the era of the infamous Four Year Plan, but before and after that as well. Retracing that chaotic period in QPR history,

Ben gives an insight on what it was like to deal with some of the key figures at the time – Ian Holloway, John Gregory, Neil Warnock and Gianni Paladini – as well as outlining his own journey from fervent follower to estranged fan and back again. 

About the Author

Ben Kosky is a freelance sports journalist based in Hertfordshire, working for
(among others) Sky Sports, the BBC and the England & Wales Cricket Board.

YouTube

Take a look at an interview with Tony Incenzo in which Ben Kosky discusses the book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRywjDFsOMM&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0eYUx_LM5bbOWQGhNj84Dl8_xQ2cQrLVKfvMKdvFY1PPdB2mRcpNMy8-4

Listen to Ben also being interviewed on West London Sport by Dan Bennett about the book.

https://youtu.be/EWH0e1VXjZo

Podcast

Listen to Ben being interviewed about the book on the 'Open All R's' podcast. Other platforms available. 

‎QPR Podcast: A trip down memory lane with Ben Kosky on Apple Podcasts

Audio

Listen to Phil Parry interviewing Ben on BBC Radio London, Ben Kosky | Sports Journalist

Programme

The second picture is a feature on Ben's book, taken from the QPR programme 24-11-2020 vs Rotherham. 

Follow Ben on Twitter Ben Kosky (@BenKosky1) / Twitter