QPR’s Loftus Road to be renamed The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium from next season

3 min

Loftus Road will be renamed The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium from the start of the 2019/20 season, QPR have announced.

The news comes after supporters were invited to nominate a local charity which would be gifted the naming rights of the stadium.

From those nominations a shortlist of five charities was drawn up for supporters to select their preferred choice and, receiving more than 63% of the overall votes, The Kiyan Prince Foundation was the unanimous winner.

Kiyan Prince was a promising footballer in the QPR academy who was tragically stabbed to death outside his school trying to break up a fight on 18th May 2006. He was just 15.

Kiyan was destined to make it to the top of the game before his tragic death

His father, Mark, set up The Kiyan Prince Foundation to educate young people about the devastating consequences of knife crime.

Mark said: “I can’t tell you what this means to Kiyan’s mum, to me, his brothers and sisters, his friends and people who have been supporting the work we have been doing.

“Kiyan was a very special young man. We hear many stories about his kindness and good nature so to have the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium at a place where his skills were honed is a dream come true.

“It means so much and only confirms the relationship that I know I have with the QPR fans. They always give me their support.

“This gives us so many opportunities and we have to make sure we capitalise on them. Kiyan would be blown away by what is going on.”

QPR CEO Lee Hoos added: “From the outset we wanted fans to nominate a local charity which has had a strong impact on our community, and The Kiyan Prince Foundation has certainly done that.

“With Kiyan’s connection to QPR, there is already a very close bond between the club and the charity.

“We will be looking to strengthen that over the coming months while helping to enhance the impact and reach of their fantastic work.

“I am delighted for Mark who is an inspiration to us all.”

READ MORE: Mark Prince: How the spirit of son Kiyan lives on in anti-knife campaign

Hoos also confirmed the club will be looking at ways to work with a number of the charities who were nominated by supporters during this process.

“There are some amazing charities right on our doorstep and with the reach of the club and our fantastic Trust we will be having discussions with them to see how we can help.”

The official unveiling of the new stadium name will take place when QPR play their first competitive fixture of the new campaign.

To learn more about The Kiyan Prince Foundation click HERE.

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