Ex-QPR: Arthur Gnohere Signs to Play for Oxford United

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Former QPR defender Arthur Gnohere joins Jim Smith's Oxford United on a month-to-month deal...Also Mark Bircham, now at Yeovil, has a hamstring injury..and Alan McDonald talks about Glentoran, Manchester United and his greatest football day: Winning at Manchester United with QPR!

Belfast Telegraph
Winning 4-1 at United was highlight of my career - By Stuart McKinley

Alan McDonald played against Brazil in the World Cup finals with fewer than 10 international appearances under his belt.

He went on to captain his country and clock up over 50 caps for Northern Ireland.

In a club career that spanned over a decade in England's top flight with Queens Park Rangers he clocked up over 400 appearance in the famous blue and white hoops.

Ask him which is the most memorable of those games and he doesn't have to think for even a second.

" We beat Manchester 4-1 on New Year's Day 1992, going 3-0 up inside the first 20 minutes or so and we really shocked them," said McDonald.

" You don't get many days like that in your career and it is definitely one of the highlights of my career.

"Denis Bailey scored a hat-trick, he was still quite a young lad at the time and ended up getting quite a lot of attention after that game and rightly so.

"I don't think they could believe what happened, but we just made sure we enjoyed the occasion."

United were riding high at the top of the old First Division at the end of 1991, but come the end of the season they were pipped to the title by Leeds United.

They had to wait 12 months to be crowned champions, taking the inaugural Premier League crown and Sir Alex Ferguson has led the Old Trafford club to unprecedented success over the last 14 years.

Recognised as one of the world's leading clubs, that is why Glentoran invited the Red Devils to the Oval to play a friendly fixture as part of this year's 125th anniversary celebrations.

Tonight is the night when star names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and John O'Shea will grace the east Belfast turf.

Now manager of the Glens, McDonald is delighted that his players are getting the opportunity to face such illustrious opposition in one of the most high-profile club fixtures to take place in Northern Ireland for some years.

"I was fortunate enough to play against Manchester United many times," said McDonald.

"We really took those games against Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle and the like for granted because we had a long time in the top flight at QPR.

"Now my players have a chance to play against them.

"I hope they enjoy what will be a great occasion for the club and maybe get the chance to play against Manchester United again at some time in the future."

A no-nonsense centre-half during his playing days, McDonald wasn't the kind of player that the opposition warmed too very quickly.

Sir Alex Ferguson won't be at the Oval tonight, so that means there will be no exchanges on the touchline between him and McDonald.

"I've been up against Sir Alex Ferguson quite a few times with a few choice words spoken on occasions," he said.

"There is nothing that I can say about him that hasn't been said or written before.

"He has built three or four successful teams at Manchester United and his record speaks for itself."

On the pitch, however, it was someone else who McDonald used to relish facing when United were the opposition.

"I always loved playing at Old Trafford. It was a magnificent stadium even then," he said.

"I used to enjoy my great battles with Mark Hughes. We had some really good tussles and he was the kind of player you enjoyed playing against because you knew you were in a game.

"It is great to have this fixture and I think the club deserves to have a team like Manchester United here for it's 125th anniversary."


Belfast Telegraph

Oxford United Official Site -Standing and Gnohere sign


United today completed the signings of Arthur Gnohere and Michael Standing.

Midfielder Standing and French defender Gnohere have been very impressive throughout pre-season and signed deals this afternoon. Standing joins on non-contract basis, Gnohere on a month by month deal.
... Gnohere is a tough tackling centre half who first came to Jim Smith's attention when Jim was at Portsmouth. Gnohere came to Pompey on trial from Caen, and from there had successful spells at Burnely and QPR. A knee injury meant a year out of the game for the 28 year old, but now fully fit he has looked stronger with each game in pre-season. Oxford

[Gnohere did play - coming on as sub - in our promotion-clinching game at Sheffield Wednesday, back in May 2004. - Report

SEE: QPR Sign Gnohere
QPR Release Gnohere