Don Masson Q&A - Another Great Club Interview

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Congratulations/Mazel Tov to the Official Site on another great interview!


BLAST FROM THE PAST
In our latest instalment of exclusive past player interviews on www.qpr.co.uk, former R's midfielder Don Masson comes under the spotlight.
Don Masson (1974-1977)

Don Masson was the elegant midfield playmaker in that great Rangers team from the mid-1970's.

But after years of entertaining football fans on the field, he is now more concerned about making sure they get a good night's sleep!

Masson, 61, runs a luxury guest house in the Nottingham area and he always extends particularly warm hospitality to visiting R's followers.

"I've been a hotelier since I retired from football," he said in his warm Scottish brogue.

"I owned a commercial hotel for 15 years just along from the Trent Bridge and loads of QPR supporters used to stay there when they played against teams in the Midlands.

"Then I sold up four years ago and I now have a bed and breakfast at an old 18th century farm house on the main road to Grantham. We've only got three bedrooms, but it has a five star rating with the AA and there is a lovely garden with views to a private lake.

"We do everything ourselves - my wife Brenda and me. We really enjoy it and we meet lots of nice people. In fact, some of the QPR fans still stay with us out here which is brilliant."

Looking back to his playing days, Masson signed for Rangers at a late stage in his career. Having played in the lower leagues with Notts County for many seasons, he finally stepped up to the top flight at the age of 28, when he moved to Loftus Road for £100,000 in December 1974.

Masson said: "It was fantastic for me to join QPR. I wasn't bothered about money or anything. I just wanted the opportunity to show that I could play at that level.

"I can remember travelling down to London with my Notts County boss Jimmy Sirrel to complete the transfer. Jimmy said beforehand 'Make sure you don't sign when you go in there.' He didn't mention at that point that there were other clubs lined up to speak to me.

"But as soon as I saw the Rangers Manager Dave Sexton and he told me what his plans for the Club were, I shook hands on the deal straight away. All the other players at Loftus Road were full internationals so it was a great move for me.

"Then when we were going back to Nottingham on the train afterwards, Jimmy Sirrel said 'What did you sign for little fellow? I could have got Southampton - they were in for you. And Don Revie at Leeds United wanted you too.'

"But I wasn't bothered. In fact I was quite happy that I was a QPR man as Dave Sexton was fantastic and I finally had the chance to prove myself in the First Division.

"We struggled a wee bit initially that season in 1974/75 at Rangers. But the next year things really started to take off. It was unbelievable."

Some great times unfolded for the Super Hoops. Our ultra-attacking team just missed out on the League championship by a point to Liverpool in 1975/76. Indeed, that runners-up spot still rankles with Masson to this very day.

"We should have won the title really. It was a 3-2 defeat away to Norwich City over the Easter period that screwed us up big time.

"But overall, everybody that I ever speak to - even nowadays - says that we were so much better than Liverpool football-wise. They only pipped us in their last fixture against Wolves at Molineux. It was tragic really. We just didn't quite achieve what we should have achieved which was winning the League."

Masson could split any defence in the land with his sweeping 40-yard passes. He linked up intuitively with the other R's flair players and also won 17 full Scottish international caps.

"My form at Loftus Road was all down to Dave Sexton. He was the best boss I ever played under. He was so far ahead of his time - a coach in the finest sense rather than a Manager.

"Dave used to fly over to Holland on a Sunday and watch the Dutch League teams play. He based his QPR tactics on the 1974 Holland side from the World Cup Final which featured Cruyff and Neeskens and those types of players.

"We played 'total' football - from the defenders right out through the whole side. Dave had a rotation policy at Rangers where a player had to fill in at the back if one of his team mates charged forward. They are doing that in football nowadays but Dave had QPR playing like that 30 years ago!

"We used 4-3-3 at that time and I was fortunate enough to be the 'General'. Gerry Francis was the attacking midfield player, I was the creative man and John Hollins was the defensive wing-half.

"So I used to get the ball from the back four and then feed it through to Gerry. It was so easy to play in that system because everyone was on the same wavelength. The understanding we had between us came as second nature really.

"It was all about football intelligence and thinking ahead. And everybody wanted the ball. Especially the attackers we had - Dave Thomas, Don Givens and Stan Bowles, who were all unbelievably good. In fact 'Bowlesy' was the most talented footballer I ever played with."

After his great spell with Rangers, Masson eventually moved on to Derby County in October 1977 in exchange for Leighton James. It was a time of real change at Loftus Road.

"The magical R's team disintegrated. Dave Sexton had been tempted away to manage Manchester United and lots of players left too. Unfortunately, QPR have not been the force they should have been since that time."

As he sits back in his armchair at the homely B&B, Masson can allow himself a smile of satisfaction to reflect on his period at Loftus Road. He played a pivotal role in our most celebrated glory days and now hopes that the good times can return for the Hoops.

"It was the best spell of my career when I was at QPR. Without any doubt it was the most enjoyable football I played.

"So they are the first team I look for in the results every Saturday. It has been really disappointing to see the R's struggling in recent years and I just feel sorry for the supporters as they were always really good to me." QPR