-
Update: Add Danny Cullip to the list of September 17 birthdays!
Birthdays Today: Mauro Milanese...Mike Fillery...Coach Billy Bonds
Danny Cullip: Born September 17, 1976 - Signed last season on a free from Nottingham Forest. Cullip/Wikipedia
Mauro Milanese Turns 36 - Born September 17, 1971 - Milanese See Also: Milanese/Wikipedia
Mike Fillery - Turns 47 - Born September 17, 1960
Signed by Terry Venables from Chelsea in August 1983 (after QPR failed to sign Glen Hoddle and Ray Wilkins), Fillery stayed for 4 years before joining Portsmouth on a free in July 1987. Fillery See Also: Fillery/Wikipedia
Also Former Coach, and West Ham Midfielder, Billy Bonds, Turns 61. Was coach under Ray Wilkins. When Wilkins departed, Bonds resigned.
Bonds Also See: Bonds/Wikipedia
Mike Fillery on His Time at Chelsea and QPR
The Times, March 10, 2007 - Fillery still ready to work his ticket for cause closest to his heart Andy Lines -Almost 25 years ago to the day, in an FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur, a young Chelsea midfield player scored one of the best goals seen at Stamford Bridge. A minute before half-time — against a team including Glenn Hoddle, Osvaldo Ardiles and Garth Crooks — Mike Fillery smashed a 25-yard free kick past Ray Clemence, the England goalkeeper.
Chelsea, who were languishing near the foot of the old second division at the time, had gone a goal up thanks to Fillery. But the lead did not last long against their London rivals, who were riding high in the top division, and Tottenham ran out 3-2 winners before going on to lift the Cup.
For Fillery, now 46, it was the highlight of his Chelsea career. Tomorrow, he will be back at Stamford Bridge, having paid for his ticket just to be part of the game. Now working as a £23,000-a-year school maintenance man, he looks back fondly on the match. “We won the free kick just outside the box,” Fillery said. “I normally took the free kicks, but Clive Walker was hovering around. He was a bit of a glory-hunter when it came to the big games. But I just said, ‘I’m having this’.
“I hit it and it went in — past Ray Clemence. It was just before half-time and we walked off 1-0 up and the atmosphere was just amazing, unbelievable. Any Chelsea supporter I meet always says, ‘Remember that goal you scored against Totten-ham?’ It’s nice to be remembered for something like that.”
With his silky midfield skills and powerful long-range shooting, he was voted player of the year by Chelsea fans that year and when he looks at the list now and sees his name alongside those of subsequent winners such as Gianfranco Zola, Frank Lampard and John Terry, he feels nothing but pride.
Fillery was such a talented prospect as a teenager that, according to him, Bertie Mee, the Arsenal manager at the time, tried to “bribe” his father to make him sign for the North London club. Later, Terry Venables signed him for Queens Park Rangers, building his side around the midfield player.
“I never wanted to leave Chelsea,” Fillery said. “But I went with Terry Venables. Chelsea wanted me out because they could get some money for me. They offered me a £25 rise. I was earning £275 a week at the time — a bit different from now. “But it turned out to be a good move. I played in Europe. But my happiest memories were at Chelsea. When I was younger, Arsenal tried to sign me. Bertie Mee tried to bribe my father. He took my father aside and offered him a few quid — it was quite a lot of money in those times, but to be fair to my dad, he didn’t take it.”
Now a grandfather, Fillery cannot wait for tomorrow’s match and is hoping that he will see a free kick by Lampard to rival his own from 25 years ago. “This time I think Chelsea will win,” he said.
Fillery recalls playing alongside Ron “Chopper” Harris against Leyton Orient in the old second division. “He used to be my minder in the middle of the park,” he said. “That day, Orient had a big centre half called Bill Roffey. I nutmegged him and he said, ‘I’m going to f***ing do you — I’m going to break your leg’.
“Ron turned to me and just said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll sort him. In the 83rd minute, in a 50-50 tackle, Ronnie smashed his nose to pieces and they stretchered him off. Ronnie came running back to the halfway line, looked at me and said, ‘I told you I’d get him, Mick’.”
Highs and lows
— Mike Fillery, a midfield player, suffered relegation from the top flight in his first seasons with Chelsea (1978-79) and Portsmouth (1987-88)
— He scored the first league goal of the 1980s, for Chelsea away to Luton Town on January 1, 1980
— He scored in 6-0 wins for Chelsea over Newcastle United and for Queens Park Rangers over Stoke City
— After leaving Portsmouth in 1990, aged 30, he managed only seven more league appearances, for Oldham Athletic, Millwall and Torquay United (the last two on loan)
— He played for England schoolboys and England youth League appearances (and goals): Chelsea 161 (32); QPR 97 (9); Portsmouth 67 (6); Oldham 2 (0); Millwall 1 (0), Torquay United 4 (0) The Times
BILLY BONDS Friday, April 06, 2007
Billy Bonds on Nigel Quashie as a QPR Youth Player
Kevin Beattie and Billy Bonds - The Independent/Brien Viner Interview
"... Bonds. "When I joined the coaching staff at West Ham, my first job that summer was painting the dressing room. Imagine Mourinho doing that." A collective snort. "I went to QPR as youth team coach and Nigel Quashie was there. Good player, he was. At 16 years old he had everything, the kid. But he was spoilt rotten. I said, 'I want this boy cleaning boots, painting toilets'. They said, 'No, we can't have Nigel doing that.' And I'll tell you what, it's the one thing that's held the kid back, not learning discipline, character, at 16." Independent
Welcome to QPR REPORT - A completely unofficial and unaffiliated fan site focusing on G-d's Chosen Team, Queen's Park Rangers (QPR) FC. (Visit also QPR Report Messageboard and Follow on Twitter.) QPR Report accepts no sponsorship, advertising or financial contributions. In 2008, QPR Report was named as one of the top two blogs in the Football League
QPR Report Twitter Feed
Blog Archive
-
▼
2007
(1727)
-
▼
September
(128)
- WBA Defeat QPR
- WBA vs QPR: Today's Teams + Gregory Says Not Worri...
- Vine Loan to QPR?
- Hint! On This Date a Year Ago, QPR Broke the Form ...
- Vital Football QPR Looks at Various QPR Sites
- Ian Holloway on His Time at QPR and Other Perspect...
- Where Are They Now: - Ugo Ukah?
- Ex-QPR FA Cup Final Replay Sub Celebrates Birthday
- Former QPR Chairman Celebrates
- Previewing QPR Vs WBA
- QPR Snippets: Marking Two Years of Chairman Paladi...
- Ian Holloway on Gerry Francis as Manager...Playing...
- Ex-Juventus Antonio Giraudo at Loftus Road
- "Football Aid 2008" Seeks Support
- Vialli Says Not Interested in Replacing Gregory at...
- Nick Ward on Not Playing for QPR...Also Views of G...
- The Fall and Rise of Mark Bosnich
- Brazil's Ze Maria For QPR?
- Blackstock and Bircham Offer Their Views
- Ex-QPR Birthdays
- Q&A With Former QPR Director & Legal Counsel Nick ...
- Flashback: The Day The Chairman Threatened Legal A...
- Ex-QPR in Championship Team of the Week...Steffan ...
- QPR with Bosnich in Goal Defeat Barnet - QPR & Bar...
- Two Ex-QPR Birthdays
- Vialli's Time at Watford
- QPR, John Gregory and The Future
- 'Snippet' re QPR's Shares
- How Ex-QPRs Did Yesterday
- Additional QPR-Watford Match Reports
- Post-Match Comments & Reports re QPR - Watford
- QPR Draw 1-1 Against Leaders Watford
- QPR vs Watford - The Two Teams
- John Curtis on Briatore's QPR Talk...Mark Bircham ...
- QPR Snippets from Venables, Shittu, Mancienne, Shi...
- Ian Holloway on His QPR Victory
- Simon Walton Hopes to Return By End of November
- QPR vs Watford
- QPR Trash - Rangers bottom!
- QPR's Kevin Gallen Turns 32
- Ex-QPR Robbie Steiner on QPR
- Perspectives of Cullip, Ainsworth, Holloway..
- John Gregory: Marking One Year as QPR's Manager
- Gregory to be Axed if QPR Lose to Watford?
- 1967 Hero, Tony Hazell Turns Sixty
- QPR's Plymouth Loss - Further Reports and Comments
- Nick Ward On Not Playing and Maybe Leaving QPR
- QPR Supposedly Move for Brazil Defender
- Another Home Loss: QPR 0 Plymouth 2
- Teams for QPR vs Plymouth:
- QPR's Dominic Shimmin Trialing with Swindon
- Ian Holloway Looks Forward to Tonights's QPR vs Pl...
- Updated: "Potted History of QPR"
- Three Ex-QPR Birthdays
- QPR's Draw at Leicester - Additional Match Reports
- Holloway on Gianni Paladini and his QPR Departure
- Stan Bowles: On This Date...At this Moment...Thirt...
- Ex-QPR Captain Kevin Gallen Responds to QPR Chairm...
- Costarcurta and QPR - AC Milan's Coach Ancelotti
- Leicester 1 QPR 1 - Further Match Reports
- 3 Ex-QPR Birthdays...1 Year Since Defeat Marked Wa...
- Axed QPR Coach Joe Gallen Speaking Further
- QPR Draw 1-1 at Leicester (Remain Unbeaten in the ...
- Ex-QPR's Peter Crouch Autobiography 'Walking Tall'
- Maybe Costacurta to QPR?
- re Costacurta to QPR: QPR "No Comment"
- QPR Look at Leicester....Leicester Look at QPR
- QPR's former Player & Manager, Ray Wilkins Turns 51
- Former QPR Coach Richard Hill's Ban Reduced
- Ex-QPR's Ian Holloway's Autobiography Set for Publ...
- QPR Birthdays
- QPR Chairman Paladini Interviewed - The Complete I...
- Final Part - QPR Chairman Paladini Interviewed
- QPR Supposedly Want Italian International Costacur...
- Part III - QPR Chairman Paladini Interviewed
- Part II - QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini Interviewed
- QPR Supposedly Hope to Loan Arsenal Trio
- QPR John Curtis and Mikele Leigertwood Interviewed
- QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini Interviewed - Part I
- Dave Clement's Son For QPR? The Obstacle to Rowan ...
- Stan Bowles Joins QPR....Thirty-Five Years Ago
- Blackstock Again on the Bench for England U-21s
- West Ham's Hogan Staying at QPR Another Month..Gre...
- England U-19 To Remember Ray Jones
- No Fabio Capello to Manage QPR!
- Sunderland Interest in QPR's Blackstock?
- John Gregory on His Ongoing Loan Attempts & Frustr...
- QPR Taking Part in "Talent From Trash"
- Ex-QPR's Matt Rose Makes 'Team of the Week'
- Three Ex-QPR Birthdays
- Sunday Star Speculates re Ray Wilkins QPR Return
- Ex-QPR Birthdays
- QPR Snippets This Weekend
- Blackstock Makes England U-21 Debut....Holloway on...
- QPR, Ex-QPR and Could-Have-Been-QPR News
- -Lancashire Telegraph - Carlisle makes Clarets vow...
- Big Milestone for Ex-QPR Hero, QPR Manager & QPR F...
- Tommy Doherty's Non-Move to Wycombe
- What Briatore Expects From - and Offers To - QPR
- Ex-QPR Manager Update - Holloway's Book...Francis'...
-
▼
September
(128)