Kiyan Prince Foundation: QPR's stadium being renamed

Published on: 09 August 2019

Kiyan Prince, a striker in QPR's youth academy, was stabbed outside his school in 2006

Mark Prince says seeing Queens Park Rangers' stadium named after a foundation bearing his son's name will be emotional.

Loftus Road has been renamed The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium after a charity which educates young people about the consequences of knife crime.

Kiyan Prince, a member of QPR's youth academy, was stabbed to death in May 2006 when he was 15 years old.

"When the unveiling happens there will be tears of joy," Mark Prince said.

"His mum, I haven't seen her that happy since the day we lost our son. Even just sharing the news with her she was over the moon and so excited."

Rangers announced their intention to gift the naming rights to the ground to a charity in April.

The Championship club compiled a shortlist of five charities before asking supporters to vote for their preference.

The Kiyan Prince Foundation was the winner with 63% of votes.

Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show on BBC Two, Mark Prince added: "It is something massive for the whole family and for everyone that loved Kiyan, supported him and was looking forward to him playing in the Premier League and Championship with QPR.

"I am still trying to get my head around the fact it is actually happening. There are no words that can really describe it.

"I see Kiyan Prince Foundation and QPR on the same top and I think 'wow'."

Mark Prince received an OBE for services to tackling knife and gang crime in March this yearClubs do 'fantastic work'

A series of events to mark the new name will occur when Rangers host Huddersfield on Saturday (15:00 BST) in their first home game of the 2019-20 season.

QPR chief executive Lee Hoos hopes the move will promote the work football clubs do in their communities.

"Football in England is very different from anywhere else, certainly from US sports, in terms of how much community work it actually does," he said.

"Unfortunately that doesn't make a good story.

"Every club up and down the length and breadth of the country is doing some fantastic work in their community.

"People don't even know it, but they use football as a medium to go in and make social change."

Championship club QPR have played at Loftus Road since 1917

Source: bbc.com

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