Tributes and Kind Words Pour In...No Date Yet for Rescheduled Burnley Game

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Many, many tributes and kind words from across the football world, from managers; players; fans. See Tributes and comments including from Ian Holloway, Joe Gallen, Ainsworth, Bolder, John Gregory and Gianni Paladini

Lancashire Evening TelegraphClarets wait on re-arranging QPR clash
BURNLEY manager Steve Cotterill says the club cannot look into re-arranging Saturday's postponed game against Queens Park Rangers until later this week.

The Championship match was cancelled following the death of young QPR striker Ray Jones in a motor accident in the early hours of Saturday morning.

On hearing the news, Rangers contacted the Football League and Burnley FC to request that the game should not go ahead.

However, due to the Clarets' involvement in the Carling Cup this week, a new date for the Rangers game is largely dependent on the outcome of tomorrow night's second round clash with League One Oldham Athletic at Turf Moor (kick-off 7.45pm).

"We haven't had a chance to look at (a re-arrangement)," said Cotterill.

"What throws us a little bit at the moment is the Carling Cup really. It would certainly be a lot easier to have pencilled in maybe in a couple of days' time or in a couple of weeks, but because of the Carling Cup and our involvement in that we don't know at the moment yet, so we really haven't had an opportunity to look at that yet.

"We won't look at it, probably before tomorrow's game. But afterwards we can plan certrainly a little bit more for the next six to eight weeks."

Meanwhile, Cotterill revealed that the Clarets had no qualms about agreeing to QPR's request to postpone Saturday's game.

And he paid tribute to 18-year-old Jones, who played against the Clarets on the opening day of last season. The England youth international was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident in east London, in which two other teenage passengers were killed and two more were injured, one seriously, when a car and a bus were involved in a collision shortly after midnight on Saturday.

"It has been a difficult day all round and certainly more so for Queens Park Rangers then ourselves," said Cotterill after the postponement was announced.

"It's a very, very sad day in football. He was a nice young man and budding young footballer who I am sure had a good career ahead of him.

"I spoke to John Gregory (QPR manager) and Mick Harford (assistant manager) this morning, we've liaised with Queens Park Rangers all along and they have our deepest sympathy.

"It was never a problem to call the game off. Sometimes football is put into perspective and whilst we were looking forward to the game, we were more than happy when we knew that QPR perhaps weren't in the right frame of mind."

QPR chairman Gianni Paladini said: "We are all shocked and saddened by the news. It is a huge loss for this football club.

"Ray had the world of football at his feet and he will be sorely missed by everyone connected to Queens Park Rangers.

"Our thoughts at this time are with his family and friends and we will be doing everything we can to help them through this terrible time."

It is the second tragedy to befall Rangers in 15 months. In May 2006, 15-year-old youth team player Kiyan Prince was stabbed to death outside his school.
By Suzanne Geldard - Lancashire Evening Telegraph