Loftus Road has been home to QPR since 1963. All except the Stanley Bowles Stand are double decker. The Bhatia Stand on one side of the ground, has a larger upper tier, compared to the lower tier, with a row of executive boxes running across the middle. There are a couple of supporting pillars in this stand. The other side, the Stanley Bowles Stand, is single tiered, with a television gantry suspended below its roof. Both ends are similar looking two tiered stands. In the both lower and upper tiers you'll rarely find a bad view.
Approximately 1,800 visiting supporters can be catered for and are situated in the upper tier of the School End behind one of the goals. If demand is high then the lower tier can also be given over, increasing allocations to around 2,500. If the upper tier allocation is all that's taken up, then the lower tier is allocated to home supporters. It used to be a case of 'sit right at the front of the tier, or you can't see all the goal at the near end or even the last few yards of the pitch'. However, the club has shortened the pitch so this shouldn't be a problem any longer.
Loftus Road seating plan:
For a detailed look into the best and worst places to sit at Queens Park Rangers's Loftus Road, check out their team page on 'Where To Sit?' which features plenty of information and photos submitted by fans with views from their seats - Best Places To Sit at Loftus Road
There are a number of pubs on the Uxbridge Road that are heavily used by home supporters, including the Conningham Arms, The Queen Adelaide and The British Prince.
Primary option for visiting fans is Belsushi’s Bar in Shepherd’s Bush Green, which is just a 10 walk away from the stadium. Alternatively, other options for away fans include The Grove Tavern at 83 Hammersmith Road, W6 0NQ, Pavillion on Wood Lane, W12 0HQ and The Prince Bonaparte at 80 Chepstow Road, W2 5BE. All great options.
Parking is very limited in the streets surrounding the stadium due to the residential permit holder zones. Private car parks are a good bet whilst you can also park at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherds Bush. It is open seven days a week and costs £9.50 at weekends and £8.50 on weekday evenings. Alternatively you can do as a lot of others do and park on the outskirts of London or the immediate area and get the tube.
Secure a parking space near to Loftus Road and save £££. Simply book a nearby space or driveway with JustPark
Get directions to the Loftus Road from your house by entering your post code or location below:
Loftus Road is easily walkable in less than 10 minutes from White City tube station on the Central Line or Shepherds Bush on the Hammersmith and City Line. There is also Wood Lane Station, on the Hammersmith & City line nearby, about a seven-minute walk from Loftus Road.
The nearest / closest train station to QPR's Loftus Road Stadium is Shepherds Bush, which is close to the tube station although it's not served by any of the major mainline stations and therefore you're advised to stick to the tube.
Rivals - Brentford, Fulham, Chelsea
Visiting supporters are normally accommodated in the School End at MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium.
White City and Wood Lane are among the closest Underground stations, while Shepherd's Bush stations are also within walking distance.
The stadium's traditional name is Loftus Road and its current sponsored name is MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium.
Matchday parking is extremely limited in the surrounding residential area and public transport is strongly recommended.
Loftus Road is a compact stadium built on a restricted urban site, creating unusually close proximity between the seating and the pitch.
Accessible seating and facilities are available, although the stadium's compact and historic design means supporters with specific requirements should arrange assistance in advance.
Yes, Shepherd's Bush has both London Overground and London Underground services within walking distance of the stadium.
Public transport is generally a better option because parking around the stadium is very limited and local restrictions apply.
Travel: Having looked at the advice on these pages, I decided to catch a train into London and then jumped on the tube to Shepherd's Bush Market. This was a short walk from the ground and the floodlights were already on when I arrived in the area. Without them, however, the ground would be pretty difficult to spot as it is almost totally enclosed by housing.
Refreshments: I took a leisurely stroll along the Uxbridge Road towards the ground. There's a huge array of eateries from across the world along the 10-minute stretch to the ground, from chains such as Nando's to a Lebanese pastry place. As I wanted to have some time soaking up the atmosphere outside the ground, I didn't get anything to eat here, which turned out to be a big mistake. The home fans were all very friendly, and both sets of supporters mingled with each other in the streets around the stadium. There was a surprisingly heavy police presence - perhaps this was due to the disgraceful behaviour by some Potters "fans" in the match against Port Vale earlier in the season. But it was all very good-natured and the police seemed to spend most of their time dealing with angry local motorists caught in the road closures around the ground. As I said above, Loftus Road is almost completely surrounded by houses, and the only stand fully visible from the surrounding roads is the Main Stand on South Africa Road. Going around the perimeter of the ground was therefore a bit of a disappointment, as access to the other three sides was either through a gap in the houses or from the end of the Main Stand. A quick tip for away fans - make sure you know where you're heading when you get to the stadium. Lower tier blocks are accessed via South Africa Road, whilst fans on the upper tier will need to enter via Ellerslie Road. There's no shortcut between the two. Away coaches will drop fans nearer the Main Stand, so you'll need to allow an extra five minutes to get round to the other end of the away end if you are on the upper tier.
Impressions: Although the Main Stand at Loftus Road is quite impressive, I'd forgotten just how small it was. The corners are, however, completely filled in unlike most similar stadia, which makes for a good atmosphere. The stands are all very close to the pitch, which poses difficulties for subs warming up (and means that there's virtually no run-up for corners or throws). Away fans have all the School End stand to themselves and it sounded like there were plenty of Stokies in the upper tier. Those of us in the lower tier were ticketed into two small blocks, although there was no attempt to constrain us there by the few stewards in the stand. As a result, we spread all across the away end. I've not been to a game for years when there had been so many empty seats amongst the travelling supporters!
Atmosphere: I had hoped to have a bite to eat before the game in the ground, but the range of options (a chicken or beef pie, or a sausage roll) was truly woeful and very pricey in any case. So I settled for a coffee rather than having a beer and rued walking past all that lovely food on the Uxbridge Road. Stoke started off very brightly and looked the best I'd seen them all season. At least that was the case until the eighth minute when Sam Clucas had a fit of pure madness and stamped on a QPR player right in front of the referee. Stoke have had problems enough scoring goals this season, so when we lost one of our forwards with more than 80 minutes to play, it was only the desperately poor performance by QPR which kept us in the game. Having said that, it was one of the more spirited performances of the season and a draw was probably a fair result. The facilities in the Lower Tier were pretty basic, but ample for the few fans who were in there. I'm not sure I'd be quite so complimentary if the match was a sell-out! The stewards were very amiable before, during and after the game, again made easier by the lack of fans in the tier.
Exit: I retraced my steps to Shepherd's Bush Market station and was back on a tube train by 5.15. Some of the QPR fans in front of me were complaining how busy the station was - I thought it was remarkably quiet.
Enjoy: Despite the game being spoilt by the early sending off - entirely justified, I might add - I still enjoyed my return trip to Loftus Road. It's a ground with some character and I hope that I get to go there again before the club's inevitable move to a soulless stadium in the middle of nowhere.
Ground Name: Loftus Road
Capacity: 18,439 (all seated)
Address: South Africa Road, London, W12 7PA
Main Tel No.: 020 8743 0262
Team Nickname: The Super Hoops
Year Ground Opened: 1917
Site: www.qpr.co.uk
