Saturday, March 31, 2007
Ex-QPR Chairman Bill Power Waits re Swindon Bid and on his Swindon Plans
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Swindon Advertiser - Bill: 'We have the Power'
BILL Power's sense of frustration has not dented his determination to help take Town forward and see the club realise its potential.
And he points to Colchester United as a shining example of what it is possible to build' from the lower reaches of the Football League.
Takeover matters appear to have reached a brief, mutually acceptable lull ahead of today's clash with Shrewsbury Town.
The club's lawyers are believed to be formulating an official reply to the detailed response' provided by the legal representatives of the fans consortium.
That is unlikely to be dropping into the relevant in-tray until next week.
A few days grace is not going to cause a major row, although the consortium clearly expect matters to move forward sooner rather than later.
Power understands the frustration fans are feeling surrounding the whole saga and fully accepts that all the talk at this stage would ideally be focused on football.
He said: "It's a question of wait and see what comes back to us.
"I can understand fans' being frustrated, I'm frustrated."
Power is hoping today's clash earns Paul Sturrock's men another three points and he is anxious to be part of a process which will see progress both on and off the pitch and see potential realised.
He said: "I look at a club like Colchester United.
"They've won promotion to the Championship, are in the top half of that league and have agreed a new stadium. They've done all that with a third of the support that Swindon could call on."
As Power and company await developments, the Swindon Town Supporters Trust have issued a rallying cry while applauding a club initiative to swell attendances for the visit of Mansfield next month.
TrustSTFC chairman Paul Davis said: "This is a vital stage of the season and it is crucial as many fans as possible get 100 per cent behind the team."
Town are offering supporters the chance to pack out the Stratton Bank for the visit of Mansfield Town on Saturday April 21.
With automatic promotion back into League One the target, Paul Sturrock wants to see both ends of the stadium cheering on the Reds.
The club have announced a discounted ticket offer and fans have been given the opportunity to watch the game for just £5.
Season ticket holders can buy up to four tickets each at £5 per ticket.
Should a season ticket holder wish to sit on the Stratton Bank rather than in their usual seat, their seat in the Stratton Bank is free.
Fans who can produce their tickets, or ticket stubs, from both the Shrewsbury and Torquay games can also buy up to four tickets at £5 each.
These discounted tickets will be available for purchase from 9am on April 3 until 5pm on April 19.
Season ticket holders will be able to purchase their tickets either in person or by calling the box office.
Non-season ticket holders will need to call into the box office in person with their tickets from the Shrewsbury and Torquay games.
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/sportlatest/display.var.1299678.0.bill_we_have_the_power.php
Swindon Advertiser - Bill: 'We have the Power'
BILL Power's sense of frustration has not dented his determination to help take Town forward and see the club realise its potential.
And he points to Colchester United as a shining example of what it is possible to build' from the lower reaches of the Football League.
Takeover matters appear to have reached a brief, mutually acceptable lull ahead of today's clash with Shrewsbury Town.
The club's lawyers are believed to be formulating an official reply to the detailed response' provided by the legal representatives of the fans consortium.
That is unlikely to be dropping into the relevant in-tray until next week.
A few days grace is not going to cause a major row, although the consortium clearly expect matters to move forward sooner rather than later.
Power understands the frustration fans are feeling surrounding the whole saga and fully accepts that all the talk at this stage would ideally be focused on football.
He said: "It's a question of wait and see what comes back to us.
"I can understand fans' being frustrated, I'm frustrated."
Power is hoping today's clash earns Paul Sturrock's men another three points and he is anxious to be part of a process which will see progress both on and off the pitch and see potential realised.
He said: "I look at a club like Colchester United.
"They've won promotion to the Championship, are in the top half of that league and have agreed a new stadium. They've done all that with a third of the support that Swindon could call on."
As Power and company await developments, the Swindon Town Supporters Trust have issued a rallying cry while applauding a club initiative to swell attendances for the visit of Mansfield next month.
TrustSTFC chairman Paul Davis said: "This is a vital stage of the season and it is crucial as many fans as possible get 100 per cent behind the team."
Town are offering supporters the chance to pack out the Stratton Bank for the visit of Mansfield Town on Saturday April 21.
With automatic promotion back into League One the target, Paul Sturrock wants to see both ends of the stadium cheering on the Reds.
The club have announced a discounted ticket offer and fans have been given the opportunity to watch the game for just £5.
Season ticket holders can buy up to four tickets each at £5 per ticket.
Should a season ticket holder wish to sit on the Stratton Bank rather than in their usual seat, their seat in the Stratton Bank is free.
Fans who can produce their tickets, or ticket stubs, from both the Shrewsbury and Torquay games can also buy up to four tickets at £5 each.
These discounted tickets will be available for purchase from 9am on April 3 until 5pm on April 19.
Season ticket holders will be able to purchase their tickets either in person or by calling the box office.
Non-season ticket holders will need to call into the box office in person with their tickets from the Shrewsbury and Torquay games.
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/sportlatest/display.var.1299678.0.bill_we_have_the_power.php
Ex-QPR Chairman Bill Power Waits re Swindon Bid and on his Swindon Plans
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Swindon Advertiser - Bill: 'We have the Power'
BILL Power's sense of frustration has not dented his determination to help take Town forward and see the club realise its potential.
And he points to Colchester United as a shining example of what it is possible to build' from the lower reaches of the Football League.
Takeover matters appear to have reached a brief, mutually acceptable lull ahead of today's clash with Shrewsbury Town.
The club's lawyers are believed to be formulating an official reply to the detailed response' provided by the legal representatives of the fans consortium.
That is unlikely to be dropping into the relevant in-tray until next week.
A few days grace is not going to cause a major row, although the consortium clearly expect matters to move forward sooner rather than later.
Power understands the frustration fans are feeling surrounding the whole saga and fully accepts that all the talk at this stage would ideally be focused on football.
He said: "It's a question of wait and see what comes back to us.
"I can understand fans' being frustrated, I'm frustrated."
Power is hoping today's clash earns Paul Sturrock's men another three points and he is anxious to be part of a process which will see progress both on and off the pitch and see potential realised.
He said: "I look at a club like Colchester United.
"They've won promotion to the Championship, are in the top half of that league and have agreed a new stadium. They've done all that with a third of the support that Swindon could call on."
As Power and company await developments, the Swindon Town Supporters Trust have issued a rallying cry while applauding a club initiative to swell attendances for the visit of Mansfield next month.
TrustSTFC chairman Paul Davis said: "This is a vital stage of the season and it is crucial as many fans as possible get 100 per cent behind the team."
Town are offering supporters the chance to pack out the Stratton Bank for the visit of Mansfield Town on Saturday April 21.
With automatic promotion back into League One the target, Paul Sturrock wants to see both ends of the stadium cheering on the Reds.
The club have announced a discounted ticket offer and fans have been given the opportunity to watch the game for just £5.
Season ticket holders can buy up to four tickets each at £5 per ticket.
Should a season ticket holder wish to sit on the Stratton Bank rather than in their usual seat, their seat in the Stratton Bank is free.
Fans who can produce their tickets, or ticket stubs, from both the Shrewsbury and Torquay games can also buy up to four tickets at £5 each.
These discounted tickets will be available for purchase from 9am on April 3 until 5pm on April 19.
Season ticket holders will be able to purchase their tickets either in person or by calling the box office.
Non-season ticket holders will need to call into the box office in person with their tickets from the Shrewsbury and Torquay games.
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/sportlatest/display.var.1299678.0.bill_we_have_the_power.php
Swindon Advertiser - Bill: 'We have the Power'
BILL Power's sense of frustration has not dented his determination to help take Town forward and see the club realise its potential.
And he points to Colchester United as a shining example of what it is possible to build' from the lower reaches of the Football League.
Takeover matters appear to have reached a brief, mutually acceptable lull ahead of today's clash with Shrewsbury Town.
The club's lawyers are believed to be formulating an official reply to the detailed response' provided by the legal representatives of the fans consortium.
That is unlikely to be dropping into the relevant in-tray until next week.
A few days grace is not going to cause a major row, although the consortium clearly expect matters to move forward sooner rather than later.
Power understands the frustration fans are feeling surrounding the whole saga and fully accepts that all the talk at this stage would ideally be focused on football.
He said: "It's a question of wait and see what comes back to us.
"I can understand fans' being frustrated, I'm frustrated."
Power is hoping today's clash earns Paul Sturrock's men another three points and he is anxious to be part of a process which will see progress both on and off the pitch and see potential realised.
He said: "I look at a club like Colchester United.
"They've won promotion to the Championship, are in the top half of that league and have agreed a new stadium. They've done all that with a third of the support that Swindon could call on."
As Power and company await developments, the Swindon Town Supporters Trust have issued a rallying cry while applauding a club initiative to swell attendances for the visit of Mansfield next month.
TrustSTFC chairman Paul Davis said: "This is a vital stage of the season and it is crucial as many fans as possible get 100 per cent behind the team."
Town are offering supporters the chance to pack out the Stratton Bank for the visit of Mansfield Town on Saturday April 21.
With automatic promotion back into League One the target, Paul Sturrock wants to see both ends of the stadium cheering on the Reds.
The club have announced a discounted ticket offer and fans have been given the opportunity to watch the game for just £5.
Season ticket holders can buy up to four tickets each at £5 per ticket.
Should a season ticket holder wish to sit on the Stratton Bank rather than in their usual seat, their seat in the Stratton Bank is free.
Fans who can produce their tickets, or ticket stubs, from both the Shrewsbury and Torquay games can also buy up to four tickets at £5 each.
These discounted tickets will be available for purchase from 9am on April 3 until 5pm on April 19.
Season ticket holders will be able to purchase their tickets either in person or by calling the box office.
Non-season ticket holders will need to call into the box office in person with their tickets from the Shrewsbury and Torquay games.
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/sportlatest/display.var.1299678.0.bill_we_have_the_power.php
QPR's Rehman on QPR, Fulham and Brighton
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Brighton Argus/Andy Naylor
Zesh: You've got me buzzing
Zesh Rehman revealed today that Albion have given him back the buzz of playing after he began to feel like the Invisible Man.
Rehman, re-signed on loan from QPR, made his first appearance for six weeks in last Saturday's 0-0 home draw against Huddersfield.
He lost his place at Championship strugglers Rangers under former Seagull John Gregory, a familiar feeling after previously falling out of Premiership contention at Fulham.
Rehman said: "I was 21 when I made my Premiership debut for Fulham and I had a decent run in the side, because there were a lot of injuries at that time.
"As soon as the senior pros started to get fit my opportunities were limited. I could have stayed there for another two years and just been on the fringes and played the odd game here and there but if I am not playing I am a nightmare to be around.
"Being out there on a Saturday is a buzz, whether it is at Brighton, Fulham or QPR. I had that at QPR for the first six months of the season but then a new manager came in and I didn't play for a little while so, rather than just getting stale, I've come to Brighton and hopefully I can kick on again when I get back there.
"Football is about where you are at the moment. People have got short memories, so rather than not playing it is good to be visible again and have people talking about you playing."
Rehman is hoping for an improved Albion display in attacking areas at Northampton following his clean sheet start at rightback in the dull deadlock with Huddersfield.
"Defensively we were okay," he said. "It was just in the middle third and the final third that we could have had a bit more quality and the decision-making could have been a little bit better."
Rehman's on-loan QPR colleague Nick Ward is unlikely to feature in midfield. He only arrived back from Australia in the early hours this morning after playing for the under-23s in two Olympic qualifiers.
http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/argusgeneralsportsnews/display.var.1299778.0.zesh_youve_got_me_buzzing.php
Brighton Argus/Andy Naylor
Zesh: You've got me buzzing
Zesh Rehman revealed today that Albion have given him back the buzz of playing after he began to feel like the Invisible Man.
Rehman, re-signed on loan from QPR, made his first appearance for six weeks in last Saturday's 0-0 home draw against Huddersfield.
He lost his place at Championship strugglers Rangers under former Seagull John Gregory, a familiar feeling after previously falling out of Premiership contention at Fulham.
Rehman said: "I was 21 when I made my Premiership debut for Fulham and I had a decent run in the side, because there were a lot of injuries at that time.
"As soon as the senior pros started to get fit my opportunities were limited. I could have stayed there for another two years and just been on the fringes and played the odd game here and there but if I am not playing I am a nightmare to be around.
"Being out there on a Saturday is a buzz, whether it is at Brighton, Fulham or QPR. I had that at QPR for the first six months of the season but then a new manager came in and I didn't play for a little while so, rather than just getting stale, I've come to Brighton and hopefully I can kick on again when I get back there.
"Football is about where you are at the moment. People have got short memories, so rather than not playing it is good to be visible again and have people talking about you playing."
Rehman is hoping for an improved Albion display in attacking areas at Northampton following his clean sheet start at rightback in the dull deadlock with Huddersfield.
"Defensively we were okay," he said. "It was just in the middle third and the final third that we could have had a bit more quality and the decision-making could have been a little bit better."
Rehman's on-loan QPR colleague Nick Ward is unlikely to feature in midfield. He only arrived back from Australia in the early hours this morning after playing for the under-23s in two Olympic qualifiers.
http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/argusgeneralsportsnews/display.var.1299778.0.zesh_youve_got_me_buzzing.php
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Former QPR Chairman Bill Power Bids For Swindon
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BBC - Consortium make bid for Swindon
A consortium headed by Bill Power have made an official bid to take over Swindon, reports BBC Radio Swindon.
The board had asked for Power's lawyers to put their proposals for a potential takeover in writing and say they have now received a detailed response.
The details of what has been offered have not been released and there has been no comment from the consortium.
Swindon director Bob Holt has said that the letter from Power seems to have moved things forward. BBC
This is Swindon - Power struggle takes new twist
TOWN’S long running takeover saga has taken a new twist with both sides expressing a willingness to make progress.
The fans consortium believes it is best equipped to take the club forward but the current Town board has consistently denied that any bid had been made in a legally-satisfactory form.
A club statement has hinted that there is a basis for discussion, although talks will continue with other potential investors.
A club statement read: “We previously reported that the Club was in dialogue with Bill Power in relation to his involvement.
“Having made proposals to deal with those issues, the Club received a detailed response last week.
“It has now subsequently had the opportunity to review this with its lawyers.
“Part of the reply indicated a willingness on behalf of Mr. Power to explore a takeover of the club.
“Whilst the club is involved in other substantive ongoing discussions with potential investors, it will also continue discussions on a confidential basis with Mr Power’s representatives.
“The board wishes to assure the fans that this matter will not affect or detract the club from focusing on promotion back into League One at the end of this season.
“No further comment will be made pending those negotiations taking place.” This is Swindon
Swindon Town F.C have released a statement confirming they have received an offer from Bill Power to buy the football club.
Statment From Swindon Town F.C
We previously reported that the Club was in dialogue with Bill Power in relation to his involvement.
Having made proposals to deal with those issues, the Club received a detailed response last week.
It has now subsequently had the opportunity to review this with its lawyers.
Part of the reply indicated a willingness on behalf of Mr. Power to explore a takeover of the club.
Whilst the club is involved in other substantive ongoing discussions with potential investors, it will also continue discussions on a confidential basis with Mr Power`s representatives.
The board wishes to assure the fans that this matter will not affect or detract the club from focusing on promotion back into League One at the end of this season.
No further comment will be made pending those negotiations taking place. Swindon
Offer To Buy Swindon Town ConfirmedSwindon Town Director Bob Holt has confirmed this morning on BBC Radio Swindon that a consortium headed by Bill Power has made an offer to gain controlling interest in Swindon Town Football Club.
The club had been asking Power to make an offer for the last couple of months and now the club has finally confirmed that an offer has been made.
No details are available as of yet, however Vital Swindon Town understands the club will make a statement in the next couple of days.- Vital Swindon Town
BBC - Consortium make bid for Swindon
A consortium headed by Bill Power have made an official bid to take over Swindon, reports BBC Radio Swindon.
The board had asked for Power's lawyers to put their proposals for a potential takeover in writing and say they have now received a detailed response.
The details of what has been offered have not been released and there has been no comment from the consortium.
Swindon director Bob Holt has said that the letter from Power seems to have moved things forward. BBC
This is Swindon - Power struggle takes new twist
TOWN’S long running takeover saga has taken a new twist with both sides expressing a willingness to make progress.
The fans consortium believes it is best equipped to take the club forward but the current Town board has consistently denied that any bid had been made in a legally-satisfactory form.
A club statement has hinted that there is a basis for discussion, although talks will continue with other potential investors.
A club statement read: “We previously reported that the Club was in dialogue with Bill Power in relation to his involvement.
“Having made proposals to deal with those issues, the Club received a detailed response last week.
“It has now subsequently had the opportunity to review this with its lawyers.
“Part of the reply indicated a willingness on behalf of Mr. Power to explore a takeover of the club.
“Whilst the club is involved in other substantive ongoing discussions with potential investors, it will also continue discussions on a confidential basis with Mr Power’s representatives.
“The board wishes to assure the fans that this matter will not affect or detract the club from focusing on promotion back into League One at the end of this season.
“No further comment will be made pending those negotiations taking place.” This is Swindon
Swindon Town F.C have released a statement confirming they have received an offer from Bill Power to buy the football club.
Statment From Swindon Town F.C
We previously reported that the Club was in dialogue with Bill Power in relation to his involvement.
Having made proposals to deal with those issues, the Club received a detailed response last week.
It has now subsequently had the opportunity to review this with its lawyers.
Part of the reply indicated a willingness on behalf of Mr. Power to explore a takeover of the club.
Whilst the club is involved in other substantive ongoing discussions with potential investors, it will also continue discussions on a confidential basis with Mr Power`s representatives.
The board wishes to assure the fans that this matter will not affect or detract the club from focusing on promotion back into League One at the end of this season.
No further comment will be made pending those negotiations taking place. Swindon
Offer To Buy Swindon Town ConfirmedSwindon Town Director Bob Holt has confirmed this morning on BBC Radio Swindon that a consortium headed by Bill Power has made an offer to gain controlling interest in Swindon Town Football Club.
The club had been asking Power to make an offer for the last couple of months and now the club has finally confirmed that an offer has been made.
No details are available as of yet, however Vital Swindon Town understands the club will make a statement in the next couple of days.- Vital Swindon Town
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
"Memo to Club:" List Reserve & Youth Team Season's Results on Club Website
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UPDATE: Within 24 hours of posting this "Memo to Club" - and seven months after the season - the club's official site now lists the results of the Reserve and Youth Teams. Good responsiveness on the part of the club!
The club obviously gives the results of the reserves and youth team games at the time they were played. (Or at least it ususally does. The club never mentioned, let alone reported on the club's match a few months ago against a young USA select team touring England.) But if one looks at the season's results, that's another matter.
Unfortunately, the club's Official Site lists Reserve Fixtures and results and Youth Team Fixtures and results. Unfortunately this section doesn't include the results of the Reserves and Youth Team: Not since the begining of the season.
Other clubs at our level in the Championship and in the even lower leagues manage, so QPR probably should as well. The Reserves and Youth teams are important to the club and to fans. The club's website should reflect this.
Also needed to be updated: in its First Team Fixtures it starts with " Pre Season Fixtures (for July August 2006) PRE SEASON
Sorrento - The venue for this year's pre-season tour . Rangers will kick off their 2006-07 season with warm up games against the following teams:
July 8 - Aldershot Town v QPR
July 19 - Stevenage Borough v QPR
July 22 - Gillingham v QPR
July 25 - Cavese FC v QPR
July 28 - Sorrento FC v QPR
August 1 - Lewes v QPR XI (7.45pm)
Before giving the Championship Fixtures AND for the first team, also the results.
UPDATE: Within 24 hours of posting this "Memo to Club" - and seven months after the season - the club's official site now lists the results of the Reserve and Youth Teams. Good responsiveness on the part of the club!
The club obviously gives the results of the reserves and youth team games at the time they were played. (Or at least it ususally does. The club never mentioned, let alone reported on the club's match a few months ago against a young USA select team touring England.) But if one looks at the season's results, that's another matter.
Unfortunately, the club's Official Site lists Reserve Fixtures and results and Youth Team Fixtures and results. Unfortunately this section doesn't include the results of the Reserves and Youth Team: Not since the begining of the season.
Other clubs at our level in the Championship and in the even lower leagues manage, so QPR probably should as well. The Reserves and Youth teams are important to the club and to fans. The club's website should reflect this.
Also needed to be updated: in its First Team Fixtures it starts with " Pre Season Fixtures (for July August 2006) PRE SEASON
Sorrento - The venue for this year's pre-season tour . Rangers will kick off their 2006-07 season with warm up games against the following teams:
July 8 - Aldershot Town v QPR
July 19 - Stevenage Borough v QPR
July 22 - Gillingham v QPR
July 25 - Cavese FC v QPR
July 28 - Sorrento FC v QPR
August 1 - Lewes v QPR XI (7.45pm)
Before giving the Championship Fixtures AND for the first team, also the results.
Ex-QPR Player News
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Blackpool's Ian Evatt makes this week's Division One "Team of the Week" - Team
(Also in the team: Oldham's onloan striker, Leon Clarke, who was briefly at QPR last season.
Evatt (and another ex-QPR, Marcus Bean) played last night for Blackpool who lost at Rotherham - Result
Also playing last night - for Wycombe: Tommy Doherty. Booked again!
And released QPR youth player, Ricky Sappleton is having another trial at Liverpool
Liverpool online - Sappleton given second Anfield spell
By Rich Middleton Wednesday 28th March 2007
Former QPR striker Ricky Sappleton has been given more time to prove his worth at Anfield, following time spent at Middlesbrough.
The Jamiacan will now be given a further trial period which will begin next week. And his representative Barry Silkman believes the youngster has a future on Merseyside.
"Liverpool like Ricky. He enjoyed his time with them previously and we will see how it goes," Silkman said. News
Blackpool's Ian Evatt makes this week's Division One "Team of the Week" - Team
(Also in the team: Oldham's onloan striker, Leon Clarke, who was briefly at QPR last season.
Evatt (and another ex-QPR, Marcus Bean) played last night for Blackpool who lost at Rotherham - Result
Also playing last night - for Wycombe: Tommy Doherty. Booked again!
And released QPR youth player, Ricky Sappleton is having another trial at Liverpool
Liverpool online - Sappleton given second Anfield spell
By Rich Middleton Wednesday 28th March 2007
Former QPR striker Ricky Sappleton has been given more time to prove his worth at Anfield, following time spent at Middlesbrough.
The Jamiacan will now be given a further trial period which will begin next week. And his representative Barry Silkman believes the youngster has a future on Merseyside.
"Liverpool like Ricky. He enjoyed his time with them previously and we will see how it goes," Silkman said. News
Marking 18 Months As QPR Chairman: Gianni Paladini
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Today marks the one-and-a-half-year mark/eighteen months since Gianni Paladini officially became Chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club. (Subsequently, Antonio Caliendo became Chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd.) The official assumption of the Chairmanship came just over a month after the August 24th Board meeting which saw then-Chairman Bill Power voted out of the Chairmanship.
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - 28 September 2005 Statement GIANNI PALADINI
Gianni Paladini has been appointed Chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club and QPR Holdings Ltd.
Interim Chairman Gualtiero Trucco has stepped down and the Board of Directors have unanimously chosen Paladini to take on the role on a full-time basis.
The changes were agreed at a Loftus Road Board Meeting on Wednesday afternoon and Paladini is delighted by the honour of this 'challenging but exciting' role.
"The Monaco investors have recommended that I be appointed Chairman and I am deeply honoured that the Directors have allowed me this opportunity.
"I hope now that after a period of instability we can all look forward to the brightest of futures at Loftus Road.
"We have a wonderful manager, an exciting and improving squad and a real opportunity to push for a place in the play-offs and even the Premiership.
"I believe these are wonderful times to be a QPR supporter and I just want to play whatever part I can in bringing both success and stability to this Club.
"I fully appreciate that supporters will have been a little bewildered by recent events and I wish that so much of what has happened could have happened differently.
"But I believe we now have the right people in place, both on the pitch and behind the scenes, to take this club forward.
"I would like to thank every single fan for their continued, passionate support for QPR and I would also like to pay tribute to all the staff here.
"Life hasn't been particularly easy for them recently either but every single one continues to work as hard as ever for the benefit of this club.
"It has never been clearer to me that, both in the stands and behind the scenes, this is a wonderful place full of very special people." QPR OFFICIAL
"Flash Back" - QPR Report's Look Back at August-October 2005QPR's Past Year, Off-the-Field: Official Declarations - Part I, August-October 2005-
Today marks the one-and-a-half-year mark/eighteen months since Gianni Paladini officially became Chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club. (Subsequently, Antonio Caliendo became Chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd.) The official assumption of the Chairmanship came just over a month after the August 24th Board meeting which saw then-Chairman Bill Power voted out of the Chairmanship.
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - 28 September 2005 Statement GIANNI PALADINI
Gianni Paladini has been appointed Chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club and QPR Holdings Ltd.
Interim Chairman Gualtiero Trucco has stepped down and the Board of Directors have unanimously chosen Paladini to take on the role on a full-time basis.
The changes were agreed at a Loftus Road Board Meeting on Wednesday afternoon and Paladini is delighted by the honour of this 'challenging but exciting' role.
"The Monaco investors have recommended that I be appointed Chairman and I am deeply honoured that the Directors have allowed me this opportunity.
"I hope now that after a period of instability we can all look forward to the brightest of futures at Loftus Road.
"We have a wonderful manager, an exciting and improving squad and a real opportunity to push for a place in the play-offs and even the Premiership.
"I believe these are wonderful times to be a QPR supporter and I just want to play whatever part I can in bringing both success and stability to this Club.
"I fully appreciate that supporters will have been a little bewildered by recent events and I wish that so much of what has happened could have happened differently.
"But I believe we now have the right people in place, both on the pitch and behind the scenes, to take this club forward.
"I would like to thank every single fan for their continued, passionate support for QPR and I would also like to pay tribute to all the staff here.
"Life hasn't been particularly easy for them recently either but every single one continues to work as hard as ever for the benefit of this club.
"It has never been clearer to me that, both in the stands and behind the scenes, this is a wonderful place full of very special people." QPR OFFICIAL
"Flash Back" - QPR Report's Look Back at August-October 2005QPR's Past Year, Off-the-Field: Official Declarations - Part I, August-October 2005-
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Reserves: QPR Get Smashed by Brighton
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QPR Official Site - DOUBLE TROUBLE
Brighton Reserves 8 QPR 2
Nine man Rangers Reserves succumbed to a heavy 8-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday evening.
On a night to forget for the R's second string, Romone Rose and Jake Cole both saw red, while Seagulls striker Joe Gatting bagged five goals.
Rose was sent off midway through the second half for two bookable offences, before Cole received his marching orders when he was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball outside his penalty area, despite his protestations that it hit him in the face.
Rangers trailed 3-0 at half-time, despite the best efforts of Rohan Ricketts, who enjoyed a productive 45 minutes in his first outing in the famous Blue and White Hoops.
The deadlock was broken on 15 minutes, courtesy of Gatting's first of the evening. Gary Hart's far post cross was met expertly by the Seagulls attacker, whose flying header gave Cole absolutely no chance.
Buoyed by their goal, the Seagulls doubled their advantage midway through the half, when Nathan Elder's deft chip from eight yards beat the advancing Cole.
The R's fell 3-0 on the stroke of half-time, when Aaron Goode conceded a penalty and Alex Frutos finished with aplomb, smashing the ball into the top right hand corner of the net.
R's youngster Rose tested Michel Kuipers in stoppage time, but it was Brighton who headed into the break in the ascendancy.
Hart made it four early in the second half, before Gatting cashed in on some indifferent defending from the R's with four further strikes, to take his tally for the evening to five.
Rangers' goals arrived courtesy of sub Kieron St Aimie, who scrambled the ball home from close range and Ricketts, who capped a fine individual display with a free-kick from the left flank, which Kuipers failed to deal with.
Brighton Res: Kuipers, Hinshelwood, Elphick, Breach, Rents, Mayo, Frutos, Loft, Hart, Elder, Gatting.
Subs: Cobbs, Martin, Skinner, Sullivan, Gargan.
QPR Res: Cole, Goode, Milanese, Timoska, Brown, Baidoo, Ricketts, Smith, Arthur, Rose, Moore.
Subs used: Goodchild, St Aimie, O'Brien.
QPR
BRIGHTON OFFICIAL SITE - Brighton 8 QPR 2
Reserves Run Riot By Tim Dudding, at Woodside Road
Albion's reserves romped to an emphatic 8-2 win over shell-shocked QPR tonight in the Pontins Holiday Combination.
Joe Gatting hit the target five times on an action packed evening at Woodside Road, with Nathan Elder, Alex Frutos and Gary Hart also on the scoresheet.
The Seagulls were already 6-1 up before the visitors had Romone Rose and goalkeeper Jake Cole sent off within a matter of minutes in the second half.
Boss for the night Martin Hinshelwood told seagulls.co.uk, "Our attitude, commitment and work-rate was first class throughout the night.
"We looked fit and sharp all over the pitch. We're disappointed with the two goals we conceded, but as a side we looked solid and there are a lot of plusses tonight."
Gatting opened the scoring after quarter-of-an-hour with a stooping header from a Hart cross. Elder then doubled Albion's lead with a deft lob over Cole, before Frutos converted from the spot to send Albion into the break 3-0 up.
Hart made it 4-0 shortly after the restart, applying the final touch to an Elder header, and then Gatting charged through the left channel to slot his second of the night under Cole.
Stefan Moore pulled one back for the visitors despite the desperate attempts of Michel Kuipers on the line, before Gatting followed up a rebound to complete his hat-trick and make it 6-1.
Referee Steve Tomlinson then gave Rose his marching orders for a second bookable offence, and moments later the red card was out again - this time a straight sending off for Cole, who handled outside the area as Elder went for goal.
Replacement keeper Chris Goodchild's first contribution was to pick out Gatting's ensuing free-kick from the back of the net.
Gatting completed his five star performance by lofting the ball over the stranded Goodchild.
Kuipers couldn't hold former Spurs midfielder Rohan Ricketts's late free-kick as QPR grabbed a second consolation, but it didn't take the shine off an outstanding display from the Seagulls.
Loft was withdrawn after an hour after complaining of soreness in his knees.
Albion: (4-4-2) Kuipers; P Hinshelwood, Breach, Elphick, Mayo; Loft (Skinner 60), Rents, Hart (Martin 90), Frutos; Elder (Gargan 82), Gatting. Subs not used: Sullivan (GK), Cobbs. Brighton
The Argus - Gatting smashes five as reserves romp it
By Andy Naylor
The first team might be struggling for goals but Albion's Reserves are having no difficulty finding the net.
Joe Gatting helped himself to five as they continued their prolific run in the Pontin's Holiday Combination League with a remarkable 8-2 romp against Queens Park Rangers at Woodside Road last night.
As if the result was not embarrassing enough for Rangers they also finished the match with only nine men, goalkeeper Jake Cole and striker Romone Rose seeing red in the second half.
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It was Albion's third convincing victory in succession after despatching leaders Southampton 3-0 at home earlier this month and last week's 4-1 triumph away to Crystal Palace.
Gatting and fellow forward Nathan Elder bagged two apiece in that match and they caused havoc again as Albion wrapped the game up with three goals by half-time.
They went ahead in the 15th minute with a slick move. Elder released Gary Hart down the right and his cross was headed in by the unmarked Gatting, his eighth goal of the campaign for the Reserves.
Elder, not to be outdone, joined his partner on the eight goal mark in the 28th minute.
Sam Rents, playing the holding role in the midfield diamond, put Elder away with a defence-splitting pass and the former Billericay marksman's neat angled lob from close range left Cole rooted to the spot.
Alex Frutos got in on the act a minute from the break. The Frenchman, brought down inside the box by Aaron Goode, picked himself up to convert the penalty into the roof of the net.
There was no let-up from Albion in the second half, Hart increasing the lead eight minutes into the restart with a volley from point blank range when Elder headed a Kerry Mayo free-kick across the face of goal.
Gatting held off his marker to slot No. 5 past Cole in the 61st minute. Stefan Moore scrambled a goal back for the visitors three minutes later but that was merely the prelude to more humiliation.
Gatting completed his hat-trick on 71 minutes, heading into the empty net after Cole could only parry Hart's shot.
Rangers were reduced to ten men a couple of minutes later. Rose, already booked, received a second yellow card for a foul on Hart. Ten men became nine within two more minutes whenthe unfortunate Cole was sent off for deliberate handball outside his area.
The first task for replacement keeper Chris Goodchild was picking the ball out of his net as Gatting drilled in the resulting free-kick.
Gatting lobbed home his fifth, and Albion's eighth, with eight minutes remaining before Rohan Ricketts hit a late second for Rangers.
The unassuming Gatting, on target five times in 29 first team appearances this season, said: "I have scored a couple of fours for the youth team and I've scored seven before for my Sunday team Hove Rivervale when I was younger.
"I was lucky to be in the right positions when the ball came to me. It would be nice to one day hopefully transfer the goals to the first team."
Albion Reserves (4-1-2-1-2): Kuipers; P. Hinshelwood, Breach, Elphick, Mayo; Rents; Loft, Frutos; Hart; Elder, Gatting. Subs: Skinner for Loft (injured, 60), Gargan for Elder (withdrawn, 82), J. Martin for Hart (withdrawn, 90), Cobbs, Sullivan. The Argus
ALSO: TONY GIBSON - QPR RIVALS
Rivals Match Report
BRIGHTON OFFICIAL SITE - PRE GAME
Reserves Host QPR By Tim Dudding
Kerry Mayo is set to return from a back problem tonight when the reserve team entertain QPR at Woodside Road (kick-off 7.00pm).
The experienced full-back has been ruled out of the last two first team games after straining his back in training.
Tommy Fraser is still recovering from the foot injury sustained in last week's reserve game at Crystal Palace.
Kerry Mayo
Mayo has recovered from a back problem
Meanwhile on-loan trio Nick Ward, Zoumana Bakayogo and Joe O'Cearuill are all away on international duty.
Ward will be trying to help the Australian under-23 side secure a crucial victory against Saudi Arabia in their 2008 Olympic qualifier on Wednesday.
Bakayogo and the Ivory Coast took another step towards the Olympic finals in Beijing with a 3-1 win over Egypt on Saturday night.
O'Cearuill, who missed Albion's 0-0 draw with Huddersfield with a tight groin, has joined up with the Republic of Ireland under-21s for a friendly in Holland.
Albion reserves: Kuipers, P Hinshelwood, Elphick, Breach, Rents, Mayo, Frutos, Loft, Hart, Elder, Gatting. Subs: Cobbs, J Martin, Skinner, Sullivan (GK), Gargan.
Brighton Official
QPR Official Site - DOUBLE TROUBLE
Brighton Reserves 8 QPR 2
Nine man Rangers Reserves succumbed to a heavy 8-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday evening.
On a night to forget for the R's second string, Romone Rose and Jake Cole both saw red, while Seagulls striker Joe Gatting bagged five goals.
Rose was sent off midway through the second half for two bookable offences, before Cole received his marching orders when he was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball outside his penalty area, despite his protestations that it hit him in the face.
Rangers trailed 3-0 at half-time, despite the best efforts of Rohan Ricketts, who enjoyed a productive 45 minutes in his first outing in the famous Blue and White Hoops.
The deadlock was broken on 15 minutes, courtesy of Gatting's first of the evening. Gary Hart's far post cross was met expertly by the Seagulls attacker, whose flying header gave Cole absolutely no chance.
Buoyed by their goal, the Seagulls doubled their advantage midway through the half, when Nathan Elder's deft chip from eight yards beat the advancing Cole.
The R's fell 3-0 on the stroke of half-time, when Aaron Goode conceded a penalty and Alex Frutos finished with aplomb, smashing the ball into the top right hand corner of the net.
R's youngster Rose tested Michel Kuipers in stoppage time, but it was Brighton who headed into the break in the ascendancy.
Hart made it four early in the second half, before Gatting cashed in on some indifferent defending from the R's with four further strikes, to take his tally for the evening to five.
Rangers' goals arrived courtesy of sub Kieron St Aimie, who scrambled the ball home from close range and Ricketts, who capped a fine individual display with a free-kick from the left flank, which Kuipers failed to deal with.
Brighton Res: Kuipers, Hinshelwood, Elphick, Breach, Rents, Mayo, Frutos, Loft, Hart, Elder, Gatting.
Subs: Cobbs, Martin, Skinner, Sullivan, Gargan.
QPR Res: Cole, Goode, Milanese, Timoska, Brown, Baidoo, Ricketts, Smith, Arthur, Rose, Moore.
Subs used: Goodchild, St Aimie, O'Brien.
QPR
BRIGHTON OFFICIAL SITE - Brighton 8 QPR 2
Reserves Run Riot By Tim Dudding, at Woodside Road
Albion's reserves romped to an emphatic 8-2 win over shell-shocked QPR tonight in the Pontins Holiday Combination.
Joe Gatting hit the target five times on an action packed evening at Woodside Road, with Nathan Elder, Alex Frutos and Gary Hart also on the scoresheet.
The Seagulls were already 6-1 up before the visitors had Romone Rose and goalkeeper Jake Cole sent off within a matter of minutes in the second half.
Boss for the night Martin Hinshelwood told seagulls.co.uk, "Our attitude, commitment and work-rate was first class throughout the night.
"We looked fit and sharp all over the pitch. We're disappointed with the two goals we conceded, but as a side we looked solid and there are a lot of plusses tonight."
Gatting opened the scoring after quarter-of-an-hour with a stooping header from a Hart cross. Elder then doubled Albion's lead with a deft lob over Cole, before Frutos converted from the spot to send Albion into the break 3-0 up.
Hart made it 4-0 shortly after the restart, applying the final touch to an Elder header, and then Gatting charged through the left channel to slot his second of the night under Cole.
Stefan Moore pulled one back for the visitors despite the desperate attempts of Michel Kuipers on the line, before Gatting followed up a rebound to complete his hat-trick and make it 6-1.
Referee Steve Tomlinson then gave Rose his marching orders for a second bookable offence, and moments later the red card was out again - this time a straight sending off for Cole, who handled outside the area as Elder went for goal.
Replacement keeper Chris Goodchild's first contribution was to pick out Gatting's ensuing free-kick from the back of the net.
Gatting completed his five star performance by lofting the ball over the stranded Goodchild.
Kuipers couldn't hold former Spurs midfielder Rohan Ricketts's late free-kick as QPR grabbed a second consolation, but it didn't take the shine off an outstanding display from the Seagulls.
Loft was withdrawn after an hour after complaining of soreness in his knees.
Albion: (4-4-2) Kuipers; P Hinshelwood, Breach, Elphick, Mayo; Loft (Skinner 60), Rents, Hart (Martin 90), Frutos; Elder (Gargan 82), Gatting. Subs not used: Sullivan (GK), Cobbs. Brighton
The Argus - Gatting smashes five as reserves romp it
By Andy Naylor
The first team might be struggling for goals but Albion's Reserves are having no difficulty finding the net.
Joe Gatting helped himself to five as they continued their prolific run in the Pontin's Holiday Combination League with a remarkable 8-2 romp against Queens Park Rangers at Woodside Road last night.
As if the result was not embarrassing enough for Rangers they also finished the match with only nine men, goalkeeper Jake Cole and striker Romone Rose seeing red in the second half.
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It was Albion's third convincing victory in succession after despatching leaders Southampton 3-0 at home earlier this month and last week's 4-1 triumph away to Crystal Palace.
Gatting and fellow forward Nathan Elder bagged two apiece in that match and they caused havoc again as Albion wrapped the game up with three goals by half-time.
They went ahead in the 15th minute with a slick move. Elder released Gary Hart down the right and his cross was headed in by the unmarked Gatting, his eighth goal of the campaign for the Reserves.
Elder, not to be outdone, joined his partner on the eight goal mark in the 28th minute.
Sam Rents, playing the holding role in the midfield diamond, put Elder away with a defence-splitting pass and the former Billericay marksman's neat angled lob from close range left Cole rooted to the spot.
Alex Frutos got in on the act a minute from the break. The Frenchman, brought down inside the box by Aaron Goode, picked himself up to convert the penalty into the roof of the net.
There was no let-up from Albion in the second half, Hart increasing the lead eight minutes into the restart with a volley from point blank range when Elder headed a Kerry Mayo free-kick across the face of goal.
Gatting held off his marker to slot No. 5 past Cole in the 61st minute. Stefan Moore scrambled a goal back for the visitors three minutes later but that was merely the prelude to more humiliation.
Gatting completed his hat-trick on 71 minutes, heading into the empty net after Cole could only parry Hart's shot.
Rangers were reduced to ten men a couple of minutes later. Rose, already booked, received a second yellow card for a foul on Hart. Ten men became nine within two more minutes whenthe unfortunate Cole was sent off for deliberate handball outside his area.
The first task for replacement keeper Chris Goodchild was picking the ball out of his net as Gatting drilled in the resulting free-kick.
Gatting lobbed home his fifth, and Albion's eighth, with eight minutes remaining before Rohan Ricketts hit a late second for Rangers.
The unassuming Gatting, on target five times in 29 first team appearances this season, said: "I have scored a couple of fours for the youth team and I've scored seven before for my Sunday team Hove Rivervale when I was younger.
"I was lucky to be in the right positions when the ball came to me. It would be nice to one day hopefully transfer the goals to the first team."
Albion Reserves (4-1-2-1-2): Kuipers; P. Hinshelwood, Breach, Elphick, Mayo; Rents; Loft, Frutos; Hart; Elder, Gatting. Subs: Skinner for Loft (injured, 60), Gargan for Elder (withdrawn, 82), J. Martin for Hart (withdrawn, 90), Cobbs, Sullivan. The Argus
ALSO: TONY GIBSON - QPR RIVALS
Rivals Match Report
BRIGHTON OFFICIAL SITE - PRE GAME
Reserves Host QPR By Tim Dudding
Kerry Mayo is set to return from a back problem tonight when the reserve team entertain QPR at Woodside Road (kick-off 7.00pm).
The experienced full-back has been ruled out of the last two first team games after straining his back in training.
Tommy Fraser is still recovering from the foot injury sustained in last week's reserve game at Crystal Palace.
Kerry Mayo
Mayo has recovered from a back problem
Meanwhile on-loan trio Nick Ward, Zoumana Bakayogo and Joe O'Cearuill are all away on international duty.
Ward will be trying to help the Australian under-23 side secure a crucial victory against Saudi Arabia in their 2008 Olympic qualifier on Wednesday.
Bakayogo and the Ivory Coast took another step towards the Olympic finals in Beijing with a 3-1 win over Egypt on Saturday night.
O'Cearuill, who missed Albion's 0-0 draw with Huddersfield with a tight groin, has joined up with the Republic of Ireland under-21s for a friendly in Holland.
Albion reserves: Kuipers, P Hinshelwood, Elphick, Breach, Rents, Mayo, Frutos, Loft, Hart, Elder, Gatting. Subs: Cobbs, J Martin, Skinner, Sullivan (GK), Gargan.
Brighton Official
Ex-QPR's Jamie Cureton & Holloway on Aiming to Sign Kevin Gallen
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BBC - Colchester target big finish By Caroline Cheese
While Reading are this season's Premiership surprise package, the Championship honour must go to Colchester.
With seven games remaining, the U's still harbour a distant hope of sneaking into the play-offs and have every chance of finishing above East Anglia rivals Norwich and Ipswich.
You would have got very long odds on that when Geraint Williams' newly-promoted side began the season with four straight defeats in the league and an early Carling Cup exit at the hands of League Two outfit MK Dons.
Colchester's success is in no small part down to the little and large strikeforce of Chris Iwelumo (6ft 4in) and Jamie Cureton (5ft 6in).
Cureton has bagged 16 league goals, one more than his strike partner, and either could yet walk away with this season's golden boot.
"We just clicked really," Cureton said of his partnership with Iwelumo.
"It's your classic target man and little guy and we just seem to work well together. It's hard to explain."
Having one prolific striker, let alone two, is something of a novelty for Colchester fans, who have not seen a player score more than 20 goals for the club since Tony Adcock achieved the feat 22 years ago.
Cureton needs three more, while Iwelumo is another two behind.
"I did know about that before the season started," said Cureton. "It wasn't my target exactly but as the season has gone on, I've started thinking about it.
"Now I've set my sights on getting it and I'm confident I can get the three and hopefully a couple more as well."
Can Colchester make the play-offs?
Cureton's success at Colchester marks quite a dramatic change of fortune.
"This is probably the best form I've been in," commented the 31-year-old.
"I had really good spells at Bristol Rovers and then Reading in my early career but after I left Reading, it went a bit crazy.
"I went to Korea for a bit and then QPR, which I enjoyed but I didn't really settle, and then Swindon last year, which didn't go well."
Indeed, it was while he was at Swindon that Cureton enjoyed his first taste of life at Layer Road in a loan spell, before heading there permanently in the summer after the Robins were relegated to League Two.
RACE FOR THE GOLDEN BOOT
Chopra (Cardiff) 21
Kamara (West Brom) 19
Rasiak (Southampton) 18
Earnshaw (Norwich) 17
Cureton (Colchester) 16
Howard (Derby) 16
Iwelumo (Colchester) 15
Cureton admits he never dreamed this season would go so well - either for him or the club.
"I am a bit surprised at how well it's gone," he revealed.
"We all went into the season with hopes of staying up but when we didn't start well, it was a shock to the system.
"But as the season has gone on, we've adjusted to this division and we feel we belong at this level now."
Having hit a high of sixth earlier in the season, Colchester have wobbled a little of late and, as of 27 March, they are eight points off the play-off places.
"We know there's still a chance of the play-offs," stated Cureton.
"If we can sneak in, it would be a massive opportunity but all we've said to ourselves is we'll try and win as many games as possible out of the last seven so we can end the season on a high.
"If that takes us into the play-offs, that's great. If not, we still know we will have had a very good season." BBC
CLUBCALL - Gallen race hots up - 2007-03-20
Ian Holloway says he is not surprised other clubs are keen on Kevin Gallen but hopes the player will stay with Plymouth.
Gallen is impressing during his loan spell at Home Park but newspaper reports have claimed that Leicester along with a host of other Championship clubs are also keen.
Holloway is not surprised by all the interest but thinks he is in the box seat when it comes to striking a deal. Clubcall
BBC - Colchester target big finish By Caroline Cheese
While Reading are this season's Premiership surprise package, the Championship honour must go to Colchester.
With seven games remaining, the U's still harbour a distant hope of sneaking into the play-offs and have every chance of finishing above East Anglia rivals Norwich and Ipswich.
You would have got very long odds on that when Geraint Williams' newly-promoted side began the season with four straight defeats in the league and an early Carling Cup exit at the hands of League Two outfit MK Dons.
Colchester's success is in no small part down to the little and large strikeforce of Chris Iwelumo (6ft 4in) and Jamie Cureton (5ft 6in).
Cureton has bagged 16 league goals, one more than his strike partner, and either could yet walk away with this season's golden boot.
"We just clicked really," Cureton said of his partnership with Iwelumo.
"It's your classic target man and little guy and we just seem to work well together. It's hard to explain."
Having one prolific striker, let alone two, is something of a novelty for Colchester fans, who have not seen a player score more than 20 goals for the club since Tony Adcock achieved the feat 22 years ago.
Cureton needs three more, while Iwelumo is another two behind.
"I did know about that before the season started," said Cureton. "It wasn't my target exactly but as the season has gone on, I've started thinking about it.
"Now I've set my sights on getting it and I'm confident I can get the three and hopefully a couple more as well."
Can Colchester make the play-offs?
Cureton's success at Colchester marks quite a dramatic change of fortune.
"This is probably the best form I've been in," commented the 31-year-old.
"I had really good spells at Bristol Rovers and then Reading in my early career but after I left Reading, it went a bit crazy.
"I went to Korea for a bit and then QPR, which I enjoyed but I didn't really settle, and then Swindon last year, which didn't go well."
Indeed, it was while he was at Swindon that Cureton enjoyed his first taste of life at Layer Road in a loan spell, before heading there permanently in the summer after the Robins were relegated to League Two.
RACE FOR THE GOLDEN BOOT
Chopra (Cardiff) 21
Kamara (West Brom) 19
Rasiak (Southampton) 18
Earnshaw (Norwich) 17
Cureton (Colchester) 16
Howard (Derby) 16
Iwelumo (Colchester) 15
Cureton admits he never dreamed this season would go so well - either for him or the club.
"I am a bit surprised at how well it's gone," he revealed.
"We all went into the season with hopes of staying up but when we didn't start well, it was a shock to the system.
"But as the season has gone on, we've adjusted to this division and we feel we belong at this level now."
Having hit a high of sixth earlier in the season, Colchester have wobbled a little of late and, as of 27 March, they are eight points off the play-off places.
"We know there's still a chance of the play-offs," stated Cureton.
"If we can sneak in, it would be a massive opportunity but all we've said to ourselves is we'll try and win as many games as possible out of the last seven so we can end the season on a high.
"If that takes us into the play-offs, that's great. If not, we still know we will have had a very good season." BBC
CLUBCALL - Gallen race hots up - 2007-03-20
Ian Holloway says he is not surprised other clubs are keen on Kevin Gallen but hopes the player will stay with Plymouth.
Gallen is impressing during his loan spell at Home Park but newspaper reports have claimed that Leicester along with a host of other Championship clubs are also keen.
Holloway is not surprised by all the interest but thinks he is in the box seat when it comes to striking a deal. Clubcall
Five QPR Birthdays
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Five recent ex-QPR Birthdays
Garry Waddock Turned 45
Garry Waddock: Born March 17, 1962 (Waddock's QPR Playing Record
Given his debut as a 17 year old, by Tommy Docherty, in September 1979 - in our first season after Steve Burtenshaw took QPR down. (A QPR team which was also giving games to Clive Allen and Paul Goddard and others). His coaching and managerial career at QPR ended within weeks of John Gregory replacing him as manager.Career
Other Recent QPR Birthdays:
Gary Penrice - Turned 43 - March 23, 1964
Signed by Gerry Francis to QPR as a player for 500,000 pounds. Joined up with Holloway at QPR as a coach. Was placed on "Gardening Leave" along with Ian Holloway and Tim Breacker (for reasons never explained. Now with Holloway at Plymouth. Career
Robbie James - (RIP - Would have been 50) March 23, 1957
Alan Mullery signed him for QPR in 1984 and he spent three years with QPR. Career
Andrew Mcdermott - Turned 30 - March 20, 1977
Signed from Australia by Ray Wilkins. Made his debut for Houston/Rioch...sold to WBA for 400,000 pounds.
Antti Heinola - Turned 34 - March 20 1973
(although another site lists him as February 20, 1973 birthday!)
QPR's Finnish Defender signed by Ray Harford. - Career
Five recent ex-QPR Birthdays
Garry Waddock Turned 45
Garry Waddock: Born March 17, 1962 (Waddock's QPR Playing Record
Given his debut as a 17 year old, by Tommy Docherty, in September 1979 - in our first season after Steve Burtenshaw took QPR down. (A QPR team which was also giving games to Clive Allen and Paul Goddard and others). His coaching and managerial career at QPR ended within weeks of John Gregory replacing him as manager.Career
Other Recent QPR Birthdays:
Gary Penrice - Turned 43 - March 23, 1964
Signed by Gerry Francis to QPR as a player for 500,000 pounds. Joined up with Holloway at QPR as a coach. Was placed on "Gardening Leave" along with Ian Holloway and Tim Breacker (for reasons never explained. Now with Holloway at Plymouth. Career
Robbie James - (RIP - Would have been 50) March 23, 1957
Alan Mullery signed him for QPR in 1984 and he spent three years with QPR. Career
Andrew Mcdermott - Turned 30 - March 20, 1977
Signed from Australia by Ray Wilkins. Made his debut for Houston/Rioch...sold to WBA for 400,000 pounds.
Antti Heinola - Turned 34 - March 20 1973
(although another site lists him as February 20, 1973 birthday!)
QPR's Finnish Defender signed by Ray Harford. - Career
Monday, March 26, 2007
WBA - With 1 Points from 4 Games - Bringing 3,000 Fans to QPR
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Promotion challenging WBA with one point from the last 4 games will be bring 3,000 supporters with them on Saturday's visit to QPR.
WBA -LATEST NEWS Box office WBA
WBA Goalie, Dean Kiely on the need not to let recent results panick them.
WBA
Promotion challenging WBA with one point from the last 4 games will be bring 3,000 supporters with them on Saturday's visit to QPR.
WBA -LATEST NEWS Box office WBA
WBA Goalie, Dean Kiely on the need not to let recent results panick them.
WBA
WBA's Neil Clement on Dave Clement and QPR
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[See also below: Last year's Independent Profile of/interview with Neil Clement on his father, Dave Clement.]
Sunday Mercury -Clement's facing an emotional day at Rangers
Mar 25 2007 By Graham Hill
ALBION defender Neil Clement heads for QPR next week looking to revive Baggies' promotion hopes - but part of him will also be carrying his family name with pride.
Whenever Clement goes to Loftus Road, he knows the home fans regard his late father Dave as one of the finest players ever to pull on the blue-and-white hooped shirt.
It was one of the game's saddest losses when Clement Snr took his own life in 1982, believing his career was over after suffering a broken leg.
By coincidence, Baggies servant Clement will play at QPR on the 25th anniversary of the day his father passed away.
It will be a special moment for Clement who admits that Rangers hold a place in his heart for obvious reasons.
The 28-year-old has played at QPR only twice for Albion - the last time was six years ago when Baggies lost 2-0.
Now that the teams find themselves in the same division again, the fixture list has conjured up possibly the most respectful and fitting of matches for the Clement family.
Dave Clement spent 14 years at Rangers, making 472 appearances, and also won five England caps. He was only 34 when he died and the Albion star, just three at the time, has admitted the tragedy brought his family closer.
"I always like playing at QPR, what with my family connections and my dad playing there for years," said Clement.
"So I love going to QPR and trying to do my best.
"The fans remember my dad very well at Rangers and I hope some of that comes out whenever I play there.
"I'm proud of what he achieved. Everyone tells me that if I'm half the player he was I'll have had a great career.
"That's why I always want to go there and do well. I will always have a bit of a soft spot for QPR, but obviously I will be looking to beat them next week even so."
Clement did not find out the details of his father's death until he was 10 but, when he was loaned out to Reading by Chelsea, it upset his mother Pat as they play in the same colour shirts as QPR.
Neil's thoughts will surely be with her too as he turns out for Albion on Saturday and it would be the perfect result if he were to get on the scoresheet as Baggies took three points.
Clement marked his seventh anniversary at The Hawthorns this week - something of which he is also immensely proud.
When he arrived at Albion in 2000, again on loan at first from Chelsea, Gary Megson was battling to save Baggies from relegation to the old Division Two.
They survived with a last-day-of-the-season win over Charlton and Clement has seen the club's reputation rise ever
since. He has been there for it all. Three seasons in the Premiership, a play-off place, two promotions and the Great Escape mean that life has rarely been boring for Clement.
"Since I've come here, there's been something at stake every year which has been great for me," said Clement.
"As a player, you want to be in games where it means something. When I first came here, there was huge pressure on us to stay up.
"It was such a big club looking at relegation to what is now League One. Now the club has changed completely. The stadium, the training ground - it's all different. And we have better players. I am proud to have been a small part of that.
"When we stayed up in 2000, we had to beat Charlton who had already won the league and they were up for it on the day. We were really hungry too, though, and there was only going to be one team who won it.
"That was a great feeling to stay up. I'd left Chelsea where things were beginning to take off and come to a side struggling against relegation. But it was the best move I ever made.
"It's given me the opportunity to play regular first-team football at a big club. When I left Chelsea I told myself that I wanted to get back up to where they were.
"I have done that by playing in the Premiership, but now I want us to get promoted again and stay up this time.
"We should be doing what Charlton and Bolton have been doing for years.
"That's the aim and there is still a lot to achieve with this club. We were gutted not to be able to stay up last time - we probably had a better group of players than we had when we went down before.
"If we do go up, we'll be better equipped than we ever have been.
"Looking at the players we've got, this is the best we've played since I've been at the club. It would be the best quality too as we have so many international players here, and they all want to be in the Premier League."
Clement knows Albion have to win every game between now and the end of the season if their hopes of automatic promotion are to be revived.
And, even though many of their fixtures against promotion rivals are behind them, Clement knows that the strugglers are fighting to stay up.
Next week's opponents, QPR, are a perfect example.
They have picked up recently under former Villa boss John Gregory, taking a point off promotion hopefuls Derby and hammering Leicester at the Walkers Stadium.
"We may have come through the tough times, playing Sunderland after the Middlesbrough FA Cup tie and going to Wolves where we could have won 5-1 but for the goalkeeper," said Clement.
"You take that on the chin. Then we had the better of the chances against Birmingham.
"There are positives and we are hungrier than ever, but it will be a big ask to go up automatically." Sunday Mercury
See also this profile of interview with Neil Clement from last year
Saturday, March 04, 2006 Independent
The Premiership Interview: Chelsea educated, but a Baggie through and through
Neil Clement grew up training alongside Gullit, Zola and Vialli, but when the champions visit The Hawthorns today his commitment to West Brom's cause will be total. He talked to Phil Shaw
Published: 04 March 2006
Athens, 1994. The England Under-16 squad stroll through the streets, enjoying the historic sights on a balmy evening. Their game with Greece in the Panionos Stadium the following night is the biggest of their fledgling careers.
London, 1996. Chelsea's first-year professionals report for training near Heathrow. They are about to pit themselves against Ruud Gullit's senior players, legends like Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli, Mark Hughes and Dennis Wise.
One player was present on both occasions, although few observers would have identified him as a star of the future. Against the Greeks, he sat on the bench with Daryl Sopp and Anthony Ormerod as Matthew Wicks, John Curtis, Jason Crowe and Elliott Dickman filled the defensive roles. In Gullit's pecking order, he often seemed to be behind Mark Nicholls, Nick Crittenden, Jody Morris, Jon Harley and Rob Wolleaston.
A decade on, Wicks, the England Under-16 player who had the top clubs drooling, sells cars for a living. For him, as for Luke Staton, Paul Heritage and Andrew Wright, the life that appeared there for the taking never happened. The Chelsea boy most likely, Nicholls, is still playing, but for Uxbridge. The link between the squads - the only one from either now performing in the Premiership - is Neil Clement.
As more eye-catching individuals have fallen by the wayside, the 28-year-old utility player goes from strength to strength and will be involved at The Hawthorns this afternoon as Chelsea seek to honour the memory of Peter Osgood by tightening their grip on the Premiership title. These days, however, Clement is a West Bromwich Albion player. More importantly, given Albion's position just above the relegation zone, Clement is a survivor.
The wretched irony of such an epithet is that his father, the former Queen's Park Rangers and England defender Dave Clement, did not survive to see his son uphold the family honour. Depressed after a serious injury that he sustained as a fine career began fizzling out in the Fourth Division at Wimbledon, he took his life. Neil was three years old.
Too young to understand the enormity of what had happened, he and his brother Paul - who was then 10 and is now coaching Fulham's young players - grew up in the Midlands after his mother decided to move from London. "It wasn't particularly a football environment, so maybe it was in the blood," Clement recalls. "Like any kid, I loved the game. And there was always the incentive of following in my dad's footsteps."
In his mid-teens he was offered a scholarship at the FA's National School at Lilleshall in Shropshire. By the second year, his room-mate, Jody Morris, was already attached to Chelsea and told him the club wanted to sign him. "I'd always had a soft spot for QPR because of my dad, and it's an ambition of mine to play for them one day," he says. "But I went down to Stamford Bridge for a look around when I was 15, and of all the clubs that were interested, that was the one that really grabbed me."
Glenn Hoddle was his first manager and Graham Rix the youth coach. Clement liked their methods and the way they primed their teams to play. The progressive approach continued under Gullit, and a certain player provided all the inspiration a budding first-teamer needed. "Zola was the one I looked to in terms of preparation and training. His dedication was frightening. He was immaculate on the practice pitch. Every time he got the ball, it was as if it was the last time he would touch it."
Yet working with stellar talents from France, Italy and elsewhere was a double-edged sword. Clement started out "high on confidence and excited by the prospects", but he sensed over time that he was "trying too hard" during training. Nicholls, in particular, found greater favour with Gullit, while Morris came to be perceived as having the most potential.
Clement started just once in the Premiership for Chelsea, in a 3-1 win over West Ham in 1996. "Zola was unbelievable. He twisted Julian Dicks inside out. The game probably came too soon for me. With hindsight I could have done with my debut coming after I went on loan to Preston, Reading and Brentford. But it was a fantastic experience. I thought I had it in me to play more times, but it's good to be able to say I played for them."
It looks even better on the CV now that Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho have turned Chelsea into champions. Are they recognisable as the club he knew? "When I was there we had some top players. But even in the six years since I left they have moved on and up - the stadium, training ground, players. They could dominate for years."
The odd physio, kit man and coach is still at the Bridge from Clement's five-year stint, but a single player remains, and not the one he and others envisaged as the future of Chelsea. "Jody [Morris] was the outstanding talent as a teenager. He has been unlucky in the way things happened to him off the pitch. The way Chelsea developed as a club didn't help him either. I thought he would kick on when he finally left, but it hasn't really happened for him."
The contemporary who stayed was, of course, John Terry, an occasional golf partner of Clement's. "John was a couple of years younger, though we played in the youth team together. He always loved defending even as a kid. We would be messing about in training and he would throw his body in the way of anything. Totally fearless. But he has taken it on to a different level, the way he reads the game and leads the side."
Clement acknowledges but does not agree with the allegation, repeatedly levelled at foreign-based teams like Chelsea and Arsenal, that they do not give British players a chance. "If you're good enough, you'll get in, as John [Terry] and Ashley Cole have proved. But it is very difficult. Fans at those clubs demand instant success. To get it, they go and buy it."
Not for him the criticism often aired by Jermaine Pennant after his sojourn as the eternal understudy at Highbury. "I don't complain that I never got my chance. I had opportunities. More than anything, though, I got the best footballing education I could possibly have had."
Clement would draw heavily upon it after Gary Megson took him to Albion, initially on loan, during the spring of 2000. Then, as now, the club were embroiled in a fight against relegation - to the third tier of the English game - which they escaped only on the final day. Such late-season drama would become an annual event at The Hawthorns.
"The turnaround has been phenomenal. In my first full season we reached the play-offs. The following year we gained promotion - on the final day again - by beating Crystal Palace. That was probably a bit soon for the club, but you can't turn down the chance when it comes."
Albion went straight back down, then up again, but at the midway point of last season they were favourites for the drop once more. Bryan Robson had replaced Megson as manager, yet crushing defeats cast doubt on his credibility. Clement cites a fixture between Christmas and New Year, at Manchester City, as a collective and personal turning point.
"We didn't have a shot on target but Richard Dunne's own goal equalised for us late on. It started a feeling that maybe it wasn't a lost cause after all. Thomas Gaardsoe got injured that day and I moved to my preferred position at centre-back. I did well and have tended to stay there."
Albion achieved the so-called great escape on the final afternoon, forcing supporters and scribes to re-evaluate Robson's worth. "What he did was give us confidence," explains Clement. "He told us we were good enough to stay up, which perhaps we didn't believe any more.
"He also got us playing better football. We started passing the ball around and creating chances, which we weren't doing under the previous manager. Gary Megson instilled a great work ethic, and we used to try to out-run teams. But we never looked like outscoring them."
Robson's team currently occupy the place where they finished, immediately above the relegation places, but Clement makes sense when he asserts that they are "in a better position than last time". He adds: "We need to put down roots in the Premiership, like Bolton or Charlton. We have to be looking towards the top half rather than the bottom."
In these transient times, many players refer to their employers as "the club" or "they". With Clement, Albion's longest-serving player and often their captain, it is always "we". If he stays until the end of his contract he will have spent a decade there. "Last January I had six months left and I thought I might be leaving, but the manager and the club showed how much they wanted to keep me. I was chuffed to stay.
"I'm even on the club history DVD, Full Throstle. It's great to be part of the traditions, and to have played a part in helping Albion back to where we belong. People have come and gone, the stadium and training facilities have all changed, but I'm still here."
Versatility may be the key to his longevity. "I like central defence or left-back best, but I've also played in centre midfield - I scored at Blackburn in that role in our first-ever Premiership match - and at left wing-back. That's a very tough position to play at this level, especially when opponents play 4-4-2 against you. Their full-backs and wide midfielders double up on you. In the Championship you can play 3-5-2 and get away with it, but the teams we're up against now are too good. The full-backs are happy to bring the ball forward and go two-on-one against you.
"I even played on the right of midfield once, in a vital promotion match against Rotherham. Never again! Not one of my best games. But you will play anywhere to stay in the team. I just want to play as many games as I can. I'd like to play 500 for Albion. I'm already up around 270."
Several of his adolescent colleagues did not manage one, but Clement reflects no less warmly on them. "It doesn't mean that they failed. Some decided football wasn't for them. A lot are doing well in other areas. And people catch up. A kid who was little at 15 can grow taller than the one who was a giant. Others are as fast at 14 as they will ever be."
Growing pains are a problem in the Premiership, too. Albion's ability to get through them successfully may well depend upon the extent to which they can foster Clement's survival instinct.
Like father, like son A player in the image of his old man
"Strong and powerful, a good athlete and a very upright runner, like his dad," says Gerry Francis of Neil Clement. "You can see the resemblance, and not just in his looks. You can tell he's Dave Clement's son."
Francis played with the late Dave Clement for Queen's Park Rangers and England . Neil is left-footed whereas Dave was an overlapping right-back, but intriguingly, given the West Bromwich player's liking for centre-back, his father switched from central defence only after joining QPR in 1965.
Neil knew Dave won five caps, two in World Cup qualifiers against Italy, and that his 405-game sojourn at Rangers included a runners-up spot behind Liverpool in 1976. He had the word of Francis and others that Dave was an outstanding player, but he was too young to have seen him play.
"Dave Sexton, his old manager at QPR, asked John Motson if he could put something together from old video tapes," explains Neil. "I still watch it. But I also meet loads of people who remember him."
Francis, for one. "Dave was a bit older than me, but we both came through the youth team at QPR and played in the same side for 10 years or more. We roomed together, we went on international trips together. I knew his wife, Pat, well and, though I'd moved to Crystal Palace and he was at Wimbledon, they came down to a place I had in the South of France in the summer before his suicide. His death came as a major shock to all of us who were at QPR, and it's still hard to put into words how we felt. "
Francis is glad to see another Clement establish himself at the game's top level. In a strange way, says Neil Clement, he believes his father has, too. "I feel he is with me in spirit and sometimes think he is up there watching over me.
"What's happened has happened, and it's a shame he isn't around to see how me and my brother Paul [a coach at Fulham] have got on. But I'd like to think he would be proud of what I've achieved." Independent
[See also below: Last year's Independent Profile of/interview with Neil Clement on his father, Dave Clement.]
Sunday Mercury -Clement's facing an emotional day at Rangers
Mar 25 2007 By Graham Hill
ALBION defender Neil Clement heads for QPR next week looking to revive Baggies' promotion hopes - but part of him will also be carrying his family name with pride.
Whenever Clement goes to Loftus Road, he knows the home fans regard his late father Dave as one of the finest players ever to pull on the blue-and-white hooped shirt.
It was one of the game's saddest losses when Clement Snr took his own life in 1982, believing his career was over after suffering a broken leg.
By coincidence, Baggies servant Clement will play at QPR on the 25th anniversary of the day his father passed away.
It will be a special moment for Clement who admits that Rangers hold a place in his heart for obvious reasons.
The 28-year-old has played at QPR only twice for Albion - the last time was six years ago when Baggies lost 2-0.
Now that the teams find themselves in the same division again, the fixture list has conjured up possibly the most respectful and fitting of matches for the Clement family.
Dave Clement spent 14 years at Rangers, making 472 appearances, and also won five England caps. He was only 34 when he died and the Albion star, just three at the time, has admitted the tragedy brought his family closer.
"I always like playing at QPR, what with my family connections and my dad playing there for years," said Clement.
"So I love going to QPR and trying to do my best.
"The fans remember my dad very well at Rangers and I hope some of that comes out whenever I play there.
"I'm proud of what he achieved. Everyone tells me that if I'm half the player he was I'll have had a great career.
"That's why I always want to go there and do well. I will always have a bit of a soft spot for QPR, but obviously I will be looking to beat them next week even so."
Clement did not find out the details of his father's death until he was 10 but, when he was loaned out to Reading by Chelsea, it upset his mother Pat as they play in the same colour shirts as QPR.
Neil's thoughts will surely be with her too as he turns out for Albion on Saturday and it would be the perfect result if he were to get on the scoresheet as Baggies took three points.
Clement marked his seventh anniversary at The Hawthorns this week - something of which he is also immensely proud.
When he arrived at Albion in 2000, again on loan at first from Chelsea, Gary Megson was battling to save Baggies from relegation to the old Division Two.
They survived with a last-day-of-the-season win over Charlton and Clement has seen the club's reputation rise ever
since. He has been there for it all. Three seasons in the Premiership, a play-off place, two promotions and the Great Escape mean that life has rarely been boring for Clement.
"Since I've come here, there's been something at stake every year which has been great for me," said Clement.
"As a player, you want to be in games where it means something. When I first came here, there was huge pressure on us to stay up.
"It was such a big club looking at relegation to what is now League One. Now the club has changed completely. The stadium, the training ground - it's all different. And we have better players. I am proud to have been a small part of that.
"When we stayed up in 2000, we had to beat Charlton who had already won the league and they were up for it on the day. We were really hungry too, though, and there was only going to be one team who won it.
"That was a great feeling to stay up. I'd left Chelsea where things were beginning to take off and come to a side struggling against relegation. But it was the best move I ever made.
"It's given me the opportunity to play regular first-team football at a big club. When I left Chelsea I told myself that I wanted to get back up to where they were.
"I have done that by playing in the Premiership, but now I want us to get promoted again and stay up this time.
"We should be doing what Charlton and Bolton have been doing for years.
"That's the aim and there is still a lot to achieve with this club. We were gutted not to be able to stay up last time - we probably had a better group of players than we had when we went down before.
"If we do go up, we'll be better equipped than we ever have been.
"Looking at the players we've got, this is the best we've played since I've been at the club. It would be the best quality too as we have so many international players here, and they all want to be in the Premier League."
Clement knows Albion have to win every game between now and the end of the season if their hopes of automatic promotion are to be revived.
And, even though many of their fixtures against promotion rivals are behind them, Clement knows that the strugglers are fighting to stay up.
Next week's opponents, QPR, are a perfect example.
They have picked up recently under former Villa boss John Gregory, taking a point off promotion hopefuls Derby and hammering Leicester at the Walkers Stadium.
"We may have come through the tough times, playing Sunderland after the Middlesbrough FA Cup tie and going to Wolves where we could have won 5-1 but for the goalkeeper," said Clement.
"You take that on the chin. Then we had the better of the chances against Birmingham.
"There are positives and we are hungrier than ever, but it will be a big ask to go up automatically." Sunday Mercury
See also this profile of interview with Neil Clement from last year
Saturday, March 04, 2006 Independent
The Premiership Interview: Chelsea educated, but a Baggie through and through
Neil Clement grew up training alongside Gullit, Zola and Vialli, but when the champions visit The Hawthorns today his commitment to West Brom's cause will be total. He talked to Phil Shaw
Published: 04 March 2006
Athens, 1994. The England Under-16 squad stroll through the streets, enjoying the historic sights on a balmy evening. Their game with Greece in the Panionos Stadium the following night is the biggest of their fledgling careers.
London, 1996. Chelsea's first-year professionals report for training near Heathrow. They are about to pit themselves against Ruud Gullit's senior players, legends like Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli, Mark Hughes and Dennis Wise.
One player was present on both occasions, although few observers would have identified him as a star of the future. Against the Greeks, he sat on the bench with Daryl Sopp and Anthony Ormerod as Matthew Wicks, John Curtis, Jason Crowe and Elliott Dickman filled the defensive roles. In Gullit's pecking order, he often seemed to be behind Mark Nicholls, Nick Crittenden, Jody Morris, Jon Harley and Rob Wolleaston.
A decade on, Wicks, the England Under-16 player who had the top clubs drooling, sells cars for a living. For him, as for Luke Staton, Paul Heritage and Andrew Wright, the life that appeared there for the taking never happened. The Chelsea boy most likely, Nicholls, is still playing, but for Uxbridge. The link between the squads - the only one from either now performing in the Premiership - is Neil Clement.
As more eye-catching individuals have fallen by the wayside, the 28-year-old utility player goes from strength to strength and will be involved at The Hawthorns this afternoon as Chelsea seek to honour the memory of Peter Osgood by tightening their grip on the Premiership title. These days, however, Clement is a West Bromwich Albion player. More importantly, given Albion's position just above the relegation zone, Clement is a survivor.
The wretched irony of such an epithet is that his father, the former Queen's Park Rangers and England defender Dave Clement, did not survive to see his son uphold the family honour. Depressed after a serious injury that he sustained as a fine career began fizzling out in the Fourth Division at Wimbledon, he took his life. Neil was three years old.
Too young to understand the enormity of what had happened, he and his brother Paul - who was then 10 and is now coaching Fulham's young players - grew up in the Midlands after his mother decided to move from London. "It wasn't particularly a football environment, so maybe it was in the blood," Clement recalls. "Like any kid, I loved the game. And there was always the incentive of following in my dad's footsteps."
In his mid-teens he was offered a scholarship at the FA's National School at Lilleshall in Shropshire. By the second year, his room-mate, Jody Morris, was already attached to Chelsea and told him the club wanted to sign him. "I'd always had a soft spot for QPR because of my dad, and it's an ambition of mine to play for them one day," he says. "But I went down to Stamford Bridge for a look around when I was 15, and of all the clubs that were interested, that was the one that really grabbed me."
Glenn Hoddle was his first manager and Graham Rix the youth coach. Clement liked their methods and the way they primed their teams to play. The progressive approach continued under Gullit, and a certain player provided all the inspiration a budding first-teamer needed. "Zola was the one I looked to in terms of preparation and training. His dedication was frightening. He was immaculate on the practice pitch. Every time he got the ball, it was as if it was the last time he would touch it."
Yet working with stellar talents from France, Italy and elsewhere was a double-edged sword. Clement started out "high on confidence and excited by the prospects", but he sensed over time that he was "trying too hard" during training. Nicholls, in particular, found greater favour with Gullit, while Morris came to be perceived as having the most potential.
Clement started just once in the Premiership for Chelsea, in a 3-1 win over West Ham in 1996. "Zola was unbelievable. He twisted Julian Dicks inside out. The game probably came too soon for me. With hindsight I could have done with my debut coming after I went on loan to Preston, Reading and Brentford. But it was a fantastic experience. I thought I had it in me to play more times, but it's good to be able to say I played for them."
It looks even better on the CV now that Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho have turned Chelsea into champions. Are they recognisable as the club he knew? "When I was there we had some top players. But even in the six years since I left they have moved on and up - the stadium, training ground, players. They could dominate for years."
The odd physio, kit man and coach is still at the Bridge from Clement's five-year stint, but a single player remains, and not the one he and others envisaged as the future of Chelsea. "Jody [Morris] was the outstanding talent as a teenager. He has been unlucky in the way things happened to him off the pitch. The way Chelsea developed as a club didn't help him either. I thought he would kick on when he finally left, but it hasn't really happened for him."
The contemporary who stayed was, of course, John Terry, an occasional golf partner of Clement's. "John was a couple of years younger, though we played in the youth team together. He always loved defending even as a kid. We would be messing about in training and he would throw his body in the way of anything. Totally fearless. But he has taken it on to a different level, the way he reads the game and leads the side."
Clement acknowledges but does not agree with the allegation, repeatedly levelled at foreign-based teams like Chelsea and Arsenal, that they do not give British players a chance. "If you're good enough, you'll get in, as John [Terry] and Ashley Cole have proved. But it is very difficult. Fans at those clubs demand instant success. To get it, they go and buy it."
Not for him the criticism often aired by Jermaine Pennant after his sojourn as the eternal understudy at Highbury. "I don't complain that I never got my chance. I had opportunities. More than anything, though, I got the best footballing education I could possibly have had."
Clement would draw heavily upon it after Gary Megson took him to Albion, initially on loan, during the spring of 2000. Then, as now, the club were embroiled in a fight against relegation - to the third tier of the English game - which they escaped only on the final day. Such late-season drama would become an annual event at The Hawthorns.
"The turnaround has been phenomenal. In my first full season we reached the play-offs. The following year we gained promotion - on the final day again - by beating Crystal Palace. That was probably a bit soon for the club, but you can't turn down the chance when it comes."
Albion went straight back down, then up again, but at the midway point of last season they were favourites for the drop once more. Bryan Robson had replaced Megson as manager, yet crushing defeats cast doubt on his credibility. Clement cites a fixture between Christmas and New Year, at Manchester City, as a collective and personal turning point.
"We didn't have a shot on target but Richard Dunne's own goal equalised for us late on. It started a feeling that maybe it wasn't a lost cause after all. Thomas Gaardsoe got injured that day and I moved to my preferred position at centre-back. I did well and have tended to stay there."
Albion achieved the so-called great escape on the final afternoon, forcing supporters and scribes to re-evaluate Robson's worth. "What he did was give us confidence," explains Clement. "He told us we were good enough to stay up, which perhaps we didn't believe any more.
"He also got us playing better football. We started passing the ball around and creating chances, which we weren't doing under the previous manager. Gary Megson instilled a great work ethic, and we used to try to out-run teams. But we never looked like outscoring them."
Robson's team currently occupy the place where they finished, immediately above the relegation places, but Clement makes sense when he asserts that they are "in a better position than last time". He adds: "We need to put down roots in the Premiership, like Bolton or Charlton. We have to be looking towards the top half rather than the bottom."
In these transient times, many players refer to their employers as "the club" or "they". With Clement, Albion's longest-serving player and often their captain, it is always "we". If he stays until the end of his contract he will have spent a decade there. "Last January I had six months left and I thought I might be leaving, but the manager and the club showed how much they wanted to keep me. I was chuffed to stay.
"I'm even on the club history DVD, Full Throstle. It's great to be part of the traditions, and to have played a part in helping Albion back to where we belong. People have come and gone, the stadium and training facilities have all changed, but I'm still here."
Versatility may be the key to his longevity. "I like central defence or left-back best, but I've also played in centre midfield - I scored at Blackburn in that role in our first-ever Premiership match - and at left wing-back. That's a very tough position to play at this level, especially when opponents play 4-4-2 against you. Their full-backs and wide midfielders double up on you. In the Championship you can play 3-5-2 and get away with it, but the teams we're up against now are too good. The full-backs are happy to bring the ball forward and go two-on-one against you.
"I even played on the right of midfield once, in a vital promotion match against Rotherham. Never again! Not one of my best games. But you will play anywhere to stay in the team. I just want to play as many games as I can. I'd like to play 500 for Albion. I'm already up around 270."
Several of his adolescent colleagues did not manage one, but Clement reflects no less warmly on them. "It doesn't mean that they failed. Some decided football wasn't for them. A lot are doing well in other areas. And people catch up. A kid who was little at 15 can grow taller than the one who was a giant. Others are as fast at 14 as they will ever be."
Growing pains are a problem in the Premiership, too. Albion's ability to get through them successfully may well depend upon the extent to which they can foster Clement's survival instinct.
Like father, like son A player in the image of his old man
"Strong and powerful, a good athlete and a very upright runner, like his dad," says Gerry Francis of Neil Clement. "You can see the resemblance, and not just in his looks. You can tell he's Dave Clement's son."
Francis played with the late Dave Clement for Queen's Park Rangers and England . Neil is left-footed whereas Dave was an overlapping right-back, but intriguingly, given the West Bromwich player's liking for centre-back, his father switched from central defence only after joining QPR in 1965.
Neil knew Dave won five caps, two in World Cup qualifiers against Italy, and that his 405-game sojourn at Rangers included a runners-up spot behind Liverpool in 1976. He had the word of Francis and others that Dave was an outstanding player, but he was too young to have seen him play.
"Dave Sexton, his old manager at QPR, asked John Motson if he could put something together from old video tapes," explains Neil. "I still watch it. But I also meet loads of people who remember him."
Francis, for one. "Dave was a bit older than me, but we both came through the youth team at QPR and played in the same side for 10 years or more. We roomed together, we went on international trips together. I knew his wife, Pat, well and, though I'd moved to Crystal Palace and he was at Wimbledon, they came down to a place I had in the South of France in the summer before his suicide. His death came as a major shock to all of us who were at QPR, and it's still hard to put into words how we felt. "
Francis is glad to see another Clement establish himself at the game's top level. In a strange way, says Neil Clement, he believes his father has, too. "I feel he is with me in spirit and sometimes think he is up there watching over me.
"What's happened has happened, and it's a shame he isn't around to see how me and my brother Paul [a coach at Fulham] have got on. But I'd like to think he would be proud of what I've achieved." Independent
Ex-QPR's Dean Parret Makes his Spurs (Academy) Debut
-
Spurs Academy Report -March 13:
Jonathan Obika scored his first goal for our Under-18s as we drew 1-1 against Ipswich Town at the weekend.
The Under-16 winger was one of four schoolboys in the starting line-up alongside fellow Under-16s Andros Townsend and Yaser Kasim while Under-15 midfielder Dean Parrett made his debut.
Obika was in the right place at the right time to tap home from Daniel Hutchins' pass as the lads came from 1-0 down to grab a point.
Coach Alex Inglethorpe reported: "We went a goal down early on, perhaps a little inexperience in there - Reading played a diamond formation with a player behind the front two and he was the one that got away - but apart from that we pretty much controlled the game.
"After the goal we kept passing and playing and eventually got our rewards when Daniel Hutchins intercepted a pass from the goalkeeper and slid it across from Jon Obika to score his first goal for the Under-18s.
"We created lots if chances and I think we’ve probably out-shot most of the teams we’ve come up against.
"Credit to Jonathan, he’s an Under-16 winger playing up front for the Under-18s and he gave a very good account of himself. Dean Parrett also made his debut, an Under-15 in midfield, Andros Townsend and Yaser Kasim also played, so we had three Under-16s and one Under-15 in the starting line-up and full credit to them."
Spurs U18s: Stroud, Hughton, Martin, Kasim, Mills, Archibald-Henville, Hutton, Hutchins, Obika (Smith, 70), Parrett (Cox, 75), Townsend (Asajile, 85). Unused sub: Butler. Spurs
Paladini on Parrett at last month's Consulative Meeting with Fans
2.4. Dean Parrett deal
GP said that the deal was worth £1m up front and with a 25% sell-on clause, plus we will have first refusal on him should Dean be sent out on loan in the future. When asked why there had been reports of the deal having been worth £2m plus, GP replied that the final amount that comes back to the club could amount to the sum that was quoted. When PH informed GP that she regularly goes to the training ground and got to know the family, hence her surprise when he left because as far as she knew, the youngster appeared happy at QPR, GP claimed that both himself and John Gregory were against selling him; that the family had made the decision; that he had been offered a schoolboy contract when he was 14 but he had not signed; and that John Gregory had done the same thing but still the player had not signed. He stated that he (GP) had never approached the family but had dealt with the Wintons who were representing Dean.
PH mentioned about a rumour that had appeared on one of the message boards in which it had been quoted by a school friend of Dean's that he didn't want to leave and again GP refuted this, saying he challenges anyone who says that the club forced him to go. He said that there had been talks with Chelsea but the family had turned this down and then Tottenham had come in for him.
TS then informed GP about a couple of calls she had taken from individuals who had claimed that both himself and John Gregory had forced Dean Parrett's and his family's hand regarding the move to Spurs and the reason why there were discrepancies about the amount/s of money received from the transfer was because they had received bungs via brown paper envelopes, thus taking money away that should have rightfully been the club's. When GP was asked to comment he replied that he had something to show her and left the room for a few minutes. When he returned he was carrying a piece of paper and which he showed to TS which was an invoice showing a transaction made during this month for an amount of £1m from Barclays bank which was transferred to HMCE (the inland revenue). GP claimed that not one penny from the £1m down payment went direct to the club and that it all went to the inland revenue to pay the recent tax bill. He said the bottom line was because of the finances we would have had to have sold a player (from the first team) the Spurs offer came in for Dean Parrett, stating again that neither himself nor John Gregory - who he said had had plans for him to make his first team debut as QPR's youngest ever player - had wanted him to go. GP denied there were any undisclosed payments and challenged anyone who claimed to have evidence of them, or of wrongdoing, to go to the police and/or the FA.
* After the meeting, TS spoke to Alex Winton asking him if he would clarify on a couple of points. Alex told her that he is not an agent; that he helped the family out as a family friend by helping with the negotiations with Spurs; that he received no money; and that so far as he were aware, Gianni Paladini or John Gregory had not wanted Dean to go to Spurs QPR Official Site
The People Feb 4, - SPURS SMASH RECORD By Paul Smith
SPURS have smashed the transfer record for a youngster who is still not old enough to sign a professional contract by recruiting Dean Parrett from QPR.
Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal that the club's investment can rise to £3million if 15-year-old Parrett's career progresses at White Hart Lane. QPR staff are amazed at the deal the cash-strapped Championship side have sealed for the youngster. Spurs have put a £1m downpayment on the midfielder, who will join them as a full-time scholar in July 2008.But there are incentives in the deal, based on the youngster's progress through the ranks and future appearances, that can add a further £2m to the agreed price. Spurs will still see Parrett's recruitment as a massive coup - especially as they saw off a bid from Chelsea.
Parrett is widely seen as one of the brightest prospects in the country.
He's a regular in the junior England teams and is one of the quickest players at youth level. Sunday People
John Gregory Speaks About Dean's Parrett Departure to Spurs-
QPR Official Site - WIN-WIN SITUATION
Gaffer John Gregory believes it would have been wrong to deny Dean Parrett the opportunity to join Spurs.
The 15 year-old midfield prodigy - who helped England Under-16s retain the Sky Sports Victory Shield last year - yesterday finalised a deal that will see him join the Tottenham Academy on a student registration, before he eventually joins full-time as a scholar in July 2008.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Gregory said: "It's a win-win situation for all parties.
"It's been quite a long process in many respects. Loads of clubs have been chasing him - Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea to name a few.
"We've allowed the parents and Dean himself to make up their own minds on the situation.
"For us to turn down the chance for Dean to sign for Tottenham would have been wrong. His Dad is a huge Spurs fan, so in a way it's a dream move for them.''
Gregory continued: "We've been compensated financially for it, we don't deny that, but at the end of the day everyone comes out of the situation winning.
"We've won, Spurs have got their player and Dean has got a tremendous future at one of the greatest clubs in the country.
"Spurs believe in youth - they get thrown in very early and allow them to prosper. In that respect, it's a wise choice by the family to go to Tottenham.''
Gregory refused to rule out the chance of Parrett returning to QPR in the future though, adding: "There's still a chance that we'll see him back here. There's a chance that he might come back here on loan at some stage as part of his development, part of his growing up. We've not turned our back on seeing Dean in a Blue and White shirt at some stage.
"There's possibly more chance of Dean making his Championship debut, before he makes his Premiership bow. There's nothing written in stone, but there's a chance he could return to Loftus Road one day.
"We wish him all the best.''
*A full interview with John Gregory will be available on QPR World later today and Joe Gallen also gives his thoughts on the youngsters future. QPR
Independent - Tottenham beat Chelsea to signing young talent Parrett
By Sam Wallace -Published: 02 February 2007
Tottenham were last night celebrating victory in the battle to sign one of the most highly rated young players in English football after they beat Chelsea to the signature of Dean Parrett.
The 15-year-old midfielder, who has already represented England at Under-16 level, was signed from Queen's Park Rangers in a deal that could be worth more than £1m according to how he progresses at his new club. The player has been targeted by a host of Premiership clubs and has long interested Chelsea.
A Londoner, Parrett is an attacking midfielder in the mould of Steven Gerrard and has already played for QPR's Under-18s side. A good sprinter in schoolboy athletics, he still attends the Quintin Kynaston school in north-west London. He will become a full-time trainee at Tottenham only in the summer of 2008.
Competition for the top schoolboy footballers, especially English players, is fierce. Tottenham's sporting director, Damien Comolli, said last night: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team. He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity." Independent
Sporting Life - SPURS REACH AGREEMENT FOR PARRETT
By Mike McGrath, PA Sport
Tottenham have reached an agreement with QPR to sign 15-year-old midfielder Dean Parrett.
The teenager will join the academy at Spurs before becoming a full-time player in 18 months.
Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity."
It had been reported Spurs may have to pay a compensation fee to QPR of up to £2million, which would make him one of the most expensive teenagers in British football.
Spurs academy manager John McDermott added on the club's website www.tottenhamhotspur.com: "Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
"He's very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that's fantastic raw material to work with.
"Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We've four internationals in our under-16 age group and he makes it five."
Sporting Life
BBC -Tottenham capture QPR youngster
Tottenham have agreed a deal with QPR to sign 15-year-old midfielder Dean Parrett, who will join the Premiership club on a student registration.
Parrett, an England under-16 international, will join as a full-time scholar in July 2008.
Spurs sporting Director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity." BBC
QPR Official Site - February 1, 2007 - QPR's 15-Year Old Star Joins Tottenham Hotspur -
QPR's teenage starlet Dean Parrett has joined Tottenham Hotspur.
Dean, 15, will move into the Tottenham Academy on a student registration before joining full-time as a scholar in July 2008.
Parrett helped England Under-16s retain the Victory Shield against Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland in October last year.
A talented midfielder with bags of natural ability, Parrett made five starts and four sub appearances for the Under-18's this season, scoring one goal.
Tottenham's Sporting Director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our Club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity."
Academy Manager John McDermott added: "Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or Under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
"He's very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that's fantastic raw material to work with. Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We've four internationals in our Under-16 age group and he makes it five."
The deal has been extremely helpful for the club and QPR will benefit from a future move.
The club wishes Dean all the best for the future and thank him for all of his hard work during his time at QPR. QPR
SPURS OFFICIAL SITE ANNOUNCEMENT PARRETT JOINS01/02/2007
The Club is delighted to announce that it has reached agreement with QPR for the transfer of promising young player Dean Parrett.
Dean, 15, will come into our Academy on a student registration before joining us full-time as a scholar in July 2008. An attacking midfielder, he helped England Under-16s retain the Victory Shield against Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland in October last year.
Sporting Director Damien Comolli said: “Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our Club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
“He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity.”
Academy Manager John McDermott added: “Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or Under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
“He’s very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that’s fantastic raw material to work with. Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We’ve four internationals in our Under-16 age group and he makes it five.” Spurs
Also - Parrett Joins Spurs
Spurs Academy Report -March 13:
Jonathan Obika scored his first goal for our Under-18s as we drew 1-1 against Ipswich Town at the weekend.
The Under-16 winger was one of four schoolboys in the starting line-up alongside fellow Under-16s Andros Townsend and Yaser Kasim while Under-15 midfielder Dean Parrett made his debut.
Obika was in the right place at the right time to tap home from Daniel Hutchins' pass as the lads came from 1-0 down to grab a point.
Coach Alex Inglethorpe reported: "We went a goal down early on, perhaps a little inexperience in there - Reading played a diamond formation with a player behind the front two and he was the one that got away - but apart from that we pretty much controlled the game.
"After the goal we kept passing and playing and eventually got our rewards when Daniel Hutchins intercepted a pass from the goalkeeper and slid it across from Jon Obika to score his first goal for the Under-18s.
"We created lots if chances and I think we’ve probably out-shot most of the teams we’ve come up against.
"Credit to Jonathan, he’s an Under-16 winger playing up front for the Under-18s and he gave a very good account of himself. Dean Parrett also made his debut, an Under-15 in midfield, Andros Townsend and Yaser Kasim also played, so we had three Under-16s and one Under-15 in the starting line-up and full credit to them."
Spurs U18s: Stroud, Hughton, Martin, Kasim, Mills, Archibald-Henville, Hutton, Hutchins, Obika (Smith, 70), Parrett (Cox, 75), Townsend (Asajile, 85). Unused sub: Butler. Spurs
Paladini on Parrett at last month's Consulative Meeting with Fans
2.4. Dean Parrett deal
GP said that the deal was worth £1m up front and with a 25% sell-on clause, plus we will have first refusal on him should Dean be sent out on loan in the future. When asked why there had been reports of the deal having been worth £2m plus, GP replied that the final amount that comes back to the club could amount to the sum that was quoted. When PH informed GP that she regularly goes to the training ground and got to know the family, hence her surprise when he left because as far as she knew, the youngster appeared happy at QPR, GP claimed that both himself and John Gregory were against selling him; that the family had made the decision; that he had been offered a schoolboy contract when he was 14 but he had not signed; and that John Gregory had done the same thing but still the player had not signed. He stated that he (GP) had never approached the family but had dealt with the Wintons who were representing Dean.
PH mentioned about a rumour that had appeared on one of the message boards in which it had been quoted by a school friend of Dean's that he didn't want to leave and again GP refuted this, saying he challenges anyone who says that the club forced him to go. He said that there had been talks with Chelsea but the family had turned this down and then Tottenham had come in for him.
TS then informed GP about a couple of calls she had taken from individuals who had claimed that both himself and John Gregory had forced Dean Parrett's and his family's hand regarding the move to Spurs and the reason why there were discrepancies about the amount/s of money received from the transfer was because they had received bungs via brown paper envelopes, thus taking money away that should have rightfully been the club's. When GP was asked to comment he replied that he had something to show her and left the room for a few minutes. When he returned he was carrying a piece of paper and which he showed to TS which was an invoice showing a transaction made during this month for an amount of £1m from Barclays bank which was transferred to HMCE (the inland revenue). GP claimed that not one penny from the £1m down payment went direct to the club and that it all went to the inland revenue to pay the recent tax bill. He said the bottom line was because of the finances we would have had to have sold a player (from the first team) the Spurs offer came in for Dean Parrett, stating again that neither himself nor John Gregory - who he said had had plans for him to make his first team debut as QPR's youngest ever player - had wanted him to go. GP denied there were any undisclosed payments and challenged anyone who claimed to have evidence of them, or of wrongdoing, to go to the police and/or the FA.
* After the meeting, TS spoke to Alex Winton asking him if he would clarify on a couple of points. Alex told her that he is not an agent; that he helped the family out as a family friend by helping with the negotiations with Spurs; that he received no money; and that so far as he were aware, Gianni Paladini or John Gregory had not wanted Dean to go to Spurs QPR Official Site
The People Feb 4, - SPURS SMASH RECORD By Paul Smith
SPURS have smashed the transfer record for a youngster who is still not old enough to sign a professional contract by recruiting Dean Parrett from QPR.
Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal that the club's investment can rise to £3million if 15-year-old Parrett's career progresses at White Hart Lane. QPR staff are amazed at the deal the cash-strapped Championship side have sealed for the youngster. Spurs have put a £1m downpayment on the midfielder, who will join them as a full-time scholar in July 2008.But there are incentives in the deal, based on the youngster's progress through the ranks and future appearances, that can add a further £2m to the agreed price. Spurs will still see Parrett's recruitment as a massive coup - especially as they saw off a bid from Chelsea.
Parrett is widely seen as one of the brightest prospects in the country.
He's a regular in the junior England teams and is one of the quickest players at youth level. Sunday People
John Gregory Speaks About Dean's Parrett Departure to Spurs-
QPR Official Site - WIN-WIN SITUATION
Gaffer John Gregory believes it would have been wrong to deny Dean Parrett the opportunity to join Spurs.
The 15 year-old midfield prodigy - who helped England Under-16s retain the Sky Sports Victory Shield last year - yesterday finalised a deal that will see him join the Tottenham Academy on a student registration, before he eventually joins full-time as a scholar in July 2008.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Gregory said: "It's a win-win situation for all parties.
"It's been quite a long process in many respects. Loads of clubs have been chasing him - Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea to name a few.
"We've allowed the parents and Dean himself to make up their own minds on the situation.
"For us to turn down the chance for Dean to sign for Tottenham would have been wrong. His Dad is a huge Spurs fan, so in a way it's a dream move for them.''
Gregory continued: "We've been compensated financially for it, we don't deny that, but at the end of the day everyone comes out of the situation winning.
"We've won, Spurs have got their player and Dean has got a tremendous future at one of the greatest clubs in the country.
"Spurs believe in youth - they get thrown in very early and allow them to prosper. In that respect, it's a wise choice by the family to go to Tottenham.''
Gregory refused to rule out the chance of Parrett returning to QPR in the future though, adding: "There's still a chance that we'll see him back here. There's a chance that he might come back here on loan at some stage as part of his development, part of his growing up. We've not turned our back on seeing Dean in a Blue and White shirt at some stage.
"There's possibly more chance of Dean making his Championship debut, before he makes his Premiership bow. There's nothing written in stone, but there's a chance he could return to Loftus Road one day.
"We wish him all the best.''
*A full interview with John Gregory will be available on QPR World later today and Joe Gallen also gives his thoughts on the youngsters future. QPR
Independent - Tottenham beat Chelsea to signing young talent Parrett
By Sam Wallace -Published: 02 February 2007
Tottenham were last night celebrating victory in the battle to sign one of the most highly rated young players in English football after they beat Chelsea to the signature of Dean Parrett.
The 15-year-old midfielder, who has already represented England at Under-16 level, was signed from Queen's Park Rangers in a deal that could be worth more than £1m according to how he progresses at his new club. The player has been targeted by a host of Premiership clubs and has long interested Chelsea.
A Londoner, Parrett is an attacking midfielder in the mould of Steven Gerrard and has already played for QPR's Under-18s side. A good sprinter in schoolboy athletics, he still attends the Quintin Kynaston school in north-west London. He will become a full-time trainee at Tottenham only in the summer of 2008.
Competition for the top schoolboy footballers, especially English players, is fierce. Tottenham's sporting director, Damien Comolli, said last night: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team. He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity." Independent
Sporting Life - SPURS REACH AGREEMENT FOR PARRETT
By Mike McGrath, PA Sport
Tottenham have reached an agreement with QPR to sign 15-year-old midfielder Dean Parrett.
The teenager will join the academy at Spurs before becoming a full-time player in 18 months.
Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity."
It had been reported Spurs may have to pay a compensation fee to QPR of up to £2million, which would make him one of the most expensive teenagers in British football.
Spurs academy manager John McDermott added on the club's website www.tottenhamhotspur.com: "Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
"He's very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that's fantastic raw material to work with.
"Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We've four internationals in our under-16 age group and he makes it five."
Sporting Life
BBC -Tottenham capture QPR youngster
Tottenham have agreed a deal with QPR to sign 15-year-old midfielder Dean Parrett, who will join the Premiership club on a student registration.
Parrett, an England under-16 international, will join as a full-time scholar in July 2008.
Spurs sporting Director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity." BBC
QPR Official Site - February 1, 2007 - QPR's 15-Year Old Star Joins Tottenham Hotspur -
QPR's teenage starlet Dean Parrett has joined Tottenham Hotspur.
Dean, 15, will move into the Tottenham Academy on a student registration before joining full-time as a scholar in July 2008.
Parrett helped England Under-16s retain the Victory Shield against Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland in October last year.
A talented midfielder with bags of natural ability, Parrett made five starts and four sub appearances for the Under-18's this season, scoring one goal.
Tottenham's Sporting Director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our Club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity."
Academy Manager John McDermott added: "Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or Under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
"He's very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that's fantastic raw material to work with. Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We've four internationals in our Under-16 age group and he makes it five."
The deal has been extremely helpful for the club and QPR will benefit from a future move.
The club wishes Dean all the best for the future and thank him for all of his hard work during his time at QPR. QPR
SPURS OFFICIAL SITE ANNOUNCEMENT PARRETT JOINS01/02/2007
The Club is delighted to announce that it has reached agreement with QPR for the transfer of promising young player Dean Parrett.
Dean, 15, will come into our Academy on a student registration before joining us full-time as a scholar in July 2008. An attacking midfielder, he helped England Under-16s retain the Victory Shield against Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland in October last year.
Sporting Director Damien Comolli said: “Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our Club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
“He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity.”
Academy Manager John McDermott added: “Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or Under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
“He’s very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that’s fantastic raw material to work with. Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We’ve four internationals in our Under-16 age group and he makes it five.” Spurs
Also - Parrett Joins Spurs
Approaching the Five Year Mark Since QPR's ABC Loan
-
With QPR's 10 year, 10 million pound "ABC Loan" coming up to the crucial "half-time" mark in May - at which point the 10% per annum interest rate can be raised - or the entire loan could be paid off (with a new loan). And over the weeks, months and years, the messageboards have repeatedly focused on the ABC Loan (and who precisely are the people behind it.
At a recent meeting between the Chairman and various fan group representatives, the subject came up: (As posted on the Official Site - and other sites)
3. Financial
3.1. What is the current financial state (including concerning debts) and financial plan of the club?
GP started off by saying that with regards to clearing bills £250,000 is required and that includes the fee for Deloitte and Touche
He spoke about a recent tax payment (£1.5m) and how tax accrues all the time at the rate of around £300k per month, but that we no longer have a backlog. We have the ABC loan for £10m (£1m per year interest) and said that the aim is to get rid of the ABC loan as by May the interest could by put up to 13% and so this needs to be cancelled urgently and to get a fresh one. He said that the board are working continually on this stating the ground will not be sold and that there will be no sale and leaseback. He went on to describe the running of QPR as “like a big house, we have to pay bills, big bills and sometimes we have to prioritise”. He stated that there things like security bills which amount to £50k per month to be paid and that cashflow is the biggest problem, saying that to keep this club alive we need the money to do so, money in the bank, commenting that we do not even have an overdraft facility with the bank.
When asked about directors loans he said that yes, we are all aware of the directors loans but that if we were to go bust they would lose their money, they have no guarantee on anything and so it is not in their interests for us to go bust or go into administration.
GP denied that there were any truth in the rumour about Paul Kemsley (Tottenham vice chair) taking over/refinancing the ABC loan, saying there was no truth in this whatsoever.
SD again raised some questions that had been flagged on one of the message board’s, the first in relation to the ABC loan, which was regarding the legal implications of it and if the board had looked into this? NDM said that basically when it comes to challenging the loan, losses have to be shown and it would be difficult to establish losses given the club did borrow £10m. It would have to be proved that the company could have borrowed £10m on better terms (e.g. lower interest). He also said even if it was possible to prove corruption there would be little/no chance of receiving damages. ..
Official Site
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - December 2005 PALADIDINI Q & A
Paladini
QPR.CO.UK invited fans to send in their questions for QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini to answer.
...
Are there negotiations taking place with solicitors, lenders and ABC in order to either re-negotiate with ABC or a high street lender?
John Hardman
We are arranging a new loan with the Lloyds TSB. The directors will give their personal guarantee on the loan. We hope to get an interest rate between 5.75% to 6%. Depending on the final interest rate we will save between £400-425k per year.
QPR RIVALS Clive Whittingham - Q&A with PALADINI
The Paladini Interview - Off The PitchBy Clive Whittingham
Date: 2/5/2006
Five years until the ABC loan expires - should we be worried yet?
It is my mission to stop that. I didn't create that situation and it's a difficult one to deal with but while I'm here it is my mission to get rid of it.
The more people who see we're doing a good job the better the chance is that they'll help us out and work with us on this. We were very close to doing a deal with the Lloyds bank but then there was all that stuff in the Evening Standard and they pulled out, didn't want to know any more.
When I took over here, the VAT man, the tax man, the creditors - none of them trusted QPR, and we've had to catch up with payments. People were queuing up for money here in September.
We have to put forward a united front and look like a secure option for people to come and help us out. We're working hard on this, Antonio is in Milan today talking to banks and potential lenders. I am confident we'll be rid of the loan within the five years. Whatever happens I'm sure we'll do it.
Later at the QPR1st AGM the trust put forward the idea of the fans trying to raise the money themselves over the next five years in return for the ground being signed over to the supporters. This ambitious plan was given support by Gianni Paladini who described it as a "fantastic idea."
After the meeting had finished I spoke to, or rather listened to, Ross Jones' take on the loan. Jones maintains that with the football league breathing down our necks the deal was a good one for QPR; "You'd really struggle to find someone who'd lend you ten million pounds at anything less than ten percent. You may be able to get eight percent but time wasn't on our side. The football league wrote to us and said we would be expelled if we didn't find the funds to come out of administration - what would you have done?
"We took out the ten million because that's what we needed to come out of administration, seven million of it went to creditors immediately. Nobody will lend you that kind of money at six or seven percent. It was a good deal for QPR at that time."
Do we even know who ABC Corporation are?
No, no idea. They're based in Panama with a Swiss bank account I think but we just don't know.
Ross Jones does though - "I know who's behind it all but I gave my word that I wouldn't reveal who it is so that's that. I'm a man of my word."
FIVE YEARS AGO
May 2002: QPR Get out ofAdministration having take on the 10 Million Pound loan from the "mysterious" ABC Corporation.
Bucks Free Press - May 31, 2002
QPR on road to cash recoveryQPR or to be strictly accurate, parent company Loftus Road plc are out of administration following a High Court ruling on Monday.
The plc and QPR went into administration in April 2001, but following a refinancing package finalised by the directors last week, the company has been able to pay off its creditors.
Chief executive David Davies said: "This is wonderful news and the conclusion of one of the darkest periods of our history. Having the administration order lifted marks the end of more than a year of tough financial decisions and hard work.
"This would not have been possible were it not for the commitment of coaches, players and backroom staff and the hard work of our administrators."
Mr Davies said, however, that one of the major factors in pulling the club back from the brink had been the supporters: "None it would have been possible without the support of the QPR fans. After seeing the club placed in administration, relegated and then lose more than half of our squad, they stuck by us in record numbers and continue to do so."
He went on to say that he felt the hard lessons learned would benefit the club in the future - "gone are the days when players will be paid excessive wages" - at a time when many clubs are on the verge of calling in the administrators. In the past, QPR had been highlighted as being run "on the economics of the madhouse."
But Mr Davies warned that although coming out of administration was a major step forward, much remained to be done on and off the field, although he was optimistic that the hard work of manager Ian Holloway and others would bear fruit.
"We don't suddenly have a magic wand to wave and make everything better. We are not suddenly flush with cash. With hard work and passion, we will improve this club but by bit and season by season.
"Ian Holloway has restored pride to the team and brought together a hungry and talented bunch of players. With the handcuffs of administration finally removed, we can start to build a solid future for QPR."
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/search/display.var.183687.0.qpr_on_road_to_cash_recovery.php
QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini Answers QPR Rivals & QPR 1st Questions-
From QPR Rivals Interview/Q&A with QPR Chairman, Gianni Paladini:
Overview -http://queensparkrangers.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=2&stid=8410351
"On the Pitch" http://queensparkrangers.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=2&stid=8410348
"Off The Pitch" http://queensparkrangers.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=2&stid=8410350
And an Update/Clarification - CLarification
Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times Exclusive Q&A with Chairman Paladini - May 2006
Q&A
FROM QPR 1st Supporters Trust - Report of their April 27th 2006 AGM which included an appearance/address from QPR Chairman, Gianni Paladini - QPR1st
QPR 1st from five Years Ago - QPR1st - May 2002
More Stories re ABC & QPR (and also Derby County) ABC Loans
With QPR's 10 year, 10 million pound "ABC Loan" coming up to the crucial "half-time" mark in May - at which point the 10% per annum interest rate can be raised - or the entire loan could be paid off (with a new loan). And over the weeks, months and years, the messageboards have repeatedly focused on the ABC Loan (and who precisely are the people behind it.
At a recent meeting between the Chairman and various fan group representatives, the subject came up: (As posted on the Official Site - and other sites)
3. Financial
3.1. What is the current financial state (including concerning debts) and financial plan of the club?
GP started off by saying that with regards to clearing bills £250,000 is required and that includes the fee for Deloitte and Touche
He spoke about a recent tax payment (£1.5m) and how tax accrues all the time at the rate of around £300k per month, but that we no longer have a backlog. We have the ABC loan for £10m (£1m per year interest) and said that the aim is to get rid of the ABC loan as by May the interest could by put up to 13% and so this needs to be cancelled urgently and to get a fresh one. He said that the board are working continually on this stating the ground will not be sold and that there will be no sale and leaseback. He went on to describe the running of QPR as “like a big house, we have to pay bills, big bills and sometimes we have to prioritise”. He stated that there things like security bills which amount to £50k per month to be paid and that cashflow is the biggest problem, saying that to keep this club alive we need the money to do so, money in the bank, commenting that we do not even have an overdraft facility with the bank.
When asked about directors loans he said that yes, we are all aware of the directors loans but that if we were to go bust they would lose their money, they have no guarantee on anything and so it is not in their interests for us to go bust or go into administration.
GP denied that there were any truth in the rumour about Paul Kemsley (Tottenham vice chair) taking over/refinancing the ABC loan, saying there was no truth in this whatsoever.
SD again raised some questions that had been flagged on one of the message board’s, the first in relation to the ABC loan, which was regarding the legal implications of it and if the board had looked into this? NDM said that basically when it comes to challenging the loan, losses have to be shown and it would be difficult to establish losses given the club did borrow £10m. It would have to be proved that the company could have borrowed £10m on better terms (e.g. lower interest). He also said even if it was possible to prove corruption there would be little/no chance of receiving damages. ..
Official Site
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - December 2005 PALADIDINI Q & A
Paladini
QPR.CO.UK invited fans to send in their questions for QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini to answer.
...
Are there negotiations taking place with solicitors, lenders and ABC in order to either re-negotiate with ABC or a high street lender?
John Hardman
We are arranging a new loan with the Lloyds TSB. The directors will give their personal guarantee on the loan. We hope to get an interest rate between 5.75% to 6%. Depending on the final interest rate we will save between £400-425k per year.
QPR RIVALS Clive Whittingham - Q&A with PALADINI
The Paladini Interview - Off The PitchBy Clive Whittingham
Date: 2/5/2006
Five years until the ABC loan expires - should we be worried yet?
It is my mission to stop that. I didn't create that situation and it's a difficult one to deal with but while I'm here it is my mission to get rid of it.
The more people who see we're doing a good job the better the chance is that they'll help us out and work with us on this. We were very close to doing a deal with the Lloyds bank but then there was all that stuff in the Evening Standard and they pulled out, didn't want to know any more.
When I took over here, the VAT man, the tax man, the creditors - none of them trusted QPR, and we've had to catch up with payments. People were queuing up for money here in September.
We have to put forward a united front and look like a secure option for people to come and help us out. We're working hard on this, Antonio is in Milan today talking to banks and potential lenders. I am confident we'll be rid of the loan within the five years. Whatever happens I'm sure we'll do it.
Later at the QPR1st AGM the trust put forward the idea of the fans trying to raise the money themselves over the next five years in return for the ground being signed over to the supporters. This ambitious plan was given support by Gianni Paladini who described it as a "fantastic idea."
After the meeting had finished I spoke to, or rather listened to, Ross Jones' take on the loan. Jones maintains that with the football league breathing down our necks the deal was a good one for QPR; "You'd really struggle to find someone who'd lend you ten million pounds at anything less than ten percent. You may be able to get eight percent but time wasn't on our side. The football league wrote to us and said we would be expelled if we didn't find the funds to come out of administration - what would you have done?
"We took out the ten million because that's what we needed to come out of administration, seven million of it went to creditors immediately. Nobody will lend you that kind of money at six or seven percent. It was a good deal for QPR at that time."
Do we even know who ABC Corporation are?
No, no idea. They're based in Panama with a Swiss bank account I think but we just don't know.
Ross Jones does though - "I know who's behind it all but I gave my word that I wouldn't reveal who it is so that's that. I'm a man of my word."
FIVE YEARS AGO
May 2002: QPR Get out ofAdministration having take on the 10 Million Pound loan from the "mysterious" ABC Corporation.
Bucks Free Press - May 31, 2002
QPR on road to cash recoveryQPR or to be strictly accurate, parent company Loftus Road plc are out of administration following a High Court ruling on Monday.
The plc and QPR went into administration in April 2001, but following a refinancing package finalised by the directors last week, the company has been able to pay off its creditors.
Chief executive David Davies said: "This is wonderful news and the conclusion of one of the darkest periods of our history. Having the administration order lifted marks the end of more than a year of tough financial decisions and hard work.
"This would not have been possible were it not for the commitment of coaches, players and backroom staff and the hard work of our administrators."
Mr Davies said, however, that one of the major factors in pulling the club back from the brink had been the supporters: "None it would have been possible without the support of the QPR fans. After seeing the club placed in administration, relegated and then lose more than half of our squad, they stuck by us in record numbers and continue to do so."
He went on to say that he felt the hard lessons learned would benefit the club in the future - "gone are the days when players will be paid excessive wages" - at a time when many clubs are on the verge of calling in the administrators. In the past, QPR had been highlighted as being run "on the economics of the madhouse."
But Mr Davies warned that although coming out of administration was a major step forward, much remained to be done on and off the field, although he was optimistic that the hard work of manager Ian Holloway and others would bear fruit.
"We don't suddenly have a magic wand to wave and make everything better. We are not suddenly flush with cash. With hard work and passion, we will improve this club but by bit and season by season.
"Ian Holloway has restored pride to the team and brought together a hungry and talented bunch of players. With the handcuffs of administration finally removed, we can start to build a solid future for QPR."
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/search/display.var.183687.0.qpr_on_road_to_cash_recovery.php
QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini Answers QPR Rivals & QPR 1st Questions-
From QPR Rivals Interview/Q&A with QPR Chairman, Gianni Paladini:
Overview -http://queensparkrangers.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=2&stid=8410351
"On the Pitch" http://queensparkrangers.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=2&stid=8410348
"Off The Pitch" http://queensparkrangers.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=925&p=2&stid=8410350
And an Update/Clarification - CLarification
Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times Exclusive Q&A with Chairman Paladini - May 2006
Q&A
FROM QPR 1st Supporters Trust - Report of their April 27th 2006 AGM which included an appearance/address from QPR Chairman, Gianni Paladini - QPR1st
QPR 1st from five Years Ago - QPR1st - May 2002
More Stories re ABC & QPR (and also Derby County) ABC Loans
Sunday, March 25, 2007
QPR's April 30 Friendly vs Witney United
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There has been no word from QPR (and in fact the rescheduled game - or even the originally-scheduled game's cancellation - was never announced on QPR's Official Site - but Witney United's site continues to list April 30 as the date for the visit of QPR. (The man who was originally heavily involved in this match being scheduled (and then rescheduled was QPR's currently-suspended Assistant Manager, Richard Hill)
Witney United - 19-01-07 full strength hoops coming to witney!!
The website can today reveal that the postponed friendly against Championship side Queens Park Rangers has been re-arranged and will now be played on Monday 30th April.
The original game was postponed due to QPR’s FA Cup replay at Luton Town being postponed but the game was swiftly re-arranged with a new date for nearer the end of the season.
QPR Assistant Manager and ex Witney Town man Richard Hill offered his apologies to any Witney fans over the change of date.
“It was totally out of our hands, we had actually got to Luton before the game was postponed so we also had a frustrating evening. However I made a promise to bring the First Team to Witney and I won’t go back on that, although the date is some way off it will be a very strong side that I will bring to Witney on the night. It would have been really easy to send a Youth or a Reserve side down and just fulfil the fixture but the deal was I would bring the First Team down so in April that’s what we will do. On behalf of Queens Park Rangers I would like to apologise for any inconveniences caused but we look forward to seeing you on the new date”
The club have announced that all tickets purchased for the original date will be valid for the re-arranged game and that tickets are now back on sale for the new date and are available from the following places.
Printinco Corn Street Witney 0845 652 6552
Ady Bircher 07747 123411
Mark Reid 07771 805823
Witney United Football Club 01993 848558
Witney United
Witney Fixtures:
Monday 30th Apr 07
Friendly Q.P.R Home 7-45pm
Witney United Schedule
See also: QPR Report - Friendly with Witney United
There has been no word from QPR (and in fact the rescheduled game - or even the originally-scheduled game's cancellation - was never announced on QPR's Official Site - but Witney United's site continues to list April 30 as the date for the visit of QPR. (The man who was originally heavily involved in this match being scheduled (and then rescheduled was QPR's currently-suspended Assistant Manager, Richard Hill)
Witney United - 19-01-07 full strength hoops coming to witney!!
The website can today reveal that the postponed friendly against Championship side Queens Park Rangers has been re-arranged and will now be played on Monday 30th April.
The original game was postponed due to QPR’s FA Cup replay at Luton Town being postponed but the game was swiftly re-arranged with a new date for nearer the end of the season.
QPR Assistant Manager and ex Witney Town man Richard Hill offered his apologies to any Witney fans over the change of date.
“It was totally out of our hands, we had actually got to Luton before the game was postponed so we also had a frustrating evening. However I made a promise to bring the First Team to Witney and I won’t go back on that, although the date is some way off it will be a very strong side that I will bring to Witney on the night. It would have been really easy to send a Youth or a Reserve side down and just fulfil the fixture but the deal was I would bring the First Team down so in April that’s what we will do. On behalf of Queens Park Rangers I would like to apologise for any inconveniences caused but we look forward to seeing you on the new date”
The club have announced that all tickets purchased for the original date will be valid for the re-arranged game and that tickets are now back on sale for the new date and are available from the following places.
Printinco Corn Street Witney 0845 652 6552
Ady Bircher 07747 123411
Mark Reid 07771 805823
Witney United Football Club 01993 848558
Witney United
Witney Fixtures:
Monday 30th Apr 07
Friendly Q.P.R Home 7-45pm
Witney United Schedule
See also: QPR Report - Friendly with Witney United
Half-a-Year Since Chairman Paladini's Took Action re a AKUTRs Fan Magazine Article
-
In early September 2006, the QPR Fan Magazine, A Kick Up The Rs (AKUTRS) published an article to which QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini took strong exception. About couple of weeks after the AKUTRs publication (September 25) the club's official site posted a statement about the Chairman's response.
A month after this first statement, the QPR Official Site posted a statement entitled "An Apology" - although according to AKUTR's Dave Thomas, the "apology" was published without the pre-knowledge/agreemenet of Thomas. Among other things, the Chairman declared in the "Apology" that "I will be exercising a full right to reply in the December edition."
However, no such reply from Paladini was ever made. Meeting with the QPR Fan group in early January 2007, QPR1st in early January 2007, Paladini confirmed what many had begun to conclude: That there would be no written response by the Chairman to the AKUTRs article.
September 25, 2007 - QPR Official Site
Statement by Gianni Paladini on the recent edition of 'A Kick Up The Rs:'
The publication 'A Kick Up The Rs' has recently published a deeply misleading, inaccurate and scandalous article about myself and Queens Park Rangers FC.
A number of serious allegations have been made in that publication which are not true. The publication failed to contact myself or anyone else at the Club to verify their allegations.
Considering the seriousness of the allegations, I have been reluctantly forced to take legal action. The matter is now in the hands of my solicitors.
I expect a comprehensive retraction and apology from the publication for publishing these falsehoods. If they are not prepared to provide that, the matter will be dealt with by the courts.
I am sorry it must come to this, but in order for me to be able to defend myself from such blatant and hurtful untruths, I have no alternative than to take this action.
I shall make no further comment on this matter until either the apology and retraction has been received or legal proceedings are concluded QPR
October 26 2006: - QPR OFFICIAL SITE: AN APOLOGY
The Editor and proprietor of the fanzine 'A Kick Up The R's' today agreed to publish the following retraction and apology to QPR Chairman, Gianni Paladini:
In the September edition of the newsletter 'A Kick Up the R's', we published a series of articles by Cos Atiolis about Mr Paladini, the Chairman of Queen's Park Rangers football club.
In these articles we falsely suggested that Mr Paladini was involved in fraud, corruption, malpractice and dishonesty, and made a number of other serious false, misleading and defamatory statements about him.
We now fully accept that there is no truth whatsoever in these allegations and we are extremely sorry for the distress and embarrassment caused by the articles.
The newsletter containing the articles has been withdrawn from sale and we have offered Mr Paladini a full right of reply to the articles, which will appear in the next edition.
Paladini said: "I am delighted that the fanzine has withdrawn the untrue and unfair allegations it made against me, and that it was possible to resolve this without legal action.
"Although everyone has a right to free speech, and I welcome constructive criticism, I take my professional reputation very seriously and will not stand by whilst I am accused falsely.
"I find these allegations distressing, not just because they damage me, but also because of the distress they cause to my family and to QPR fans.
"I would never want to fall out with any of our fans. The way to move this club forward is to be united.
"Fortunately, AKUTRs has accepted there was no truth to the serious allegations it published and has retracted them. I will be exercising a full right to reply in the December edition, and I hope that is then the end of the matter." QPR
QPR1st Full QPR1st report on their January 7, 2007 meeting with Chairman Paladini
"[Paladini] was asked about what was happening regarding his right to reply in the fanzine? His reply was that “he wished to thank the editor of the fanzine for his response; that never before had he personally received such an apology; it was an honourable thing; that because the reply in his fanzine was sufficient, he had decided to leave his right to reply, preferring to let sleeping dogs lie”.
He asked if we would put his response in our report, to which we agreed..." QPR1st
Paladini at the QPR Fan Forum mid-October
"GP on AKUTR'S: I didn't take this man to court. People think I take people to court because the coffee is too cold.....The magazine, I never said I would take them to court, I wanted a chance to respond to serious things that were said about me in that magazine, he never had the decency to get in touch with me for a discussion and my side, I'm talking about the journalist here not the man who edits the magazine. If you don't do anything about this, you're guilty. The allegations he made against me are wrong. If they are true then I shouldn't be the chairman. If they are right I'd resign tomorrow." Fan Forum
QPR1st Response to Chairman's Paladini Threatened Action:
QPR1st Statement: September 27, 2006 - AKUTR's and The Club - September 27, 2006
"QPR1st supports the right of supporters to express their views in a variety of ways including fanzines and message boards.
We acknowledge that the Club also has the right to challenge what it considers to be unfair or inaccurate comments in fanzines through the official site, the programme, fans forums or by requesting a 'right to reply' within the fanzines themeselves.
Nevertheless fanzines have limited resources with which to defend themselves against legal action and therefore 'threats to sue' can be perceived as an act of intimidation. We would urge the Club to withdraw such threats and to seek to redress what they regard as a wrong through other less confrontational means. The Trust would be happy to act as a mediator between the Club and AKUTRs in the belief that QPR is at its strongest when it is united" QPR1st
LSA - John Reid, the Secretary of the LSA, made the following statement:-...'The LSA offers wholehearted support for Dave Thomas and 'AKUTRs right to freedom of speech. We deplore the actions of the Club in taking legal action which could kill off one of the most respected fanzines in England. 'AKUTRs has played a crucial role in keeping our Club alive in difficult times and we would be poorer without it. We agree that a right of reply should be given to the Club to answer the points raised in the current issue. We would be happy to play a role in ensuring that these matters are dealt with, without recourse to legal action against one of the most respected supporters of our beloved Club. However, if the Club pursues with legal action against Dave, we will offer wholehearted support in any manner we deem fit, including publishing material and raising a financial fighting fund to defend 'AKUTRs in Court.' LSA News
In early September 2006, the QPR Fan Magazine, A Kick Up The Rs (AKUTRS) published an article to which QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini took strong exception. About couple of weeks after the AKUTRs publication (September 25) the club's official site posted a statement about the Chairman's response.
A month after this first statement, the QPR Official Site posted a statement entitled "An Apology" - although according to AKUTR's Dave Thomas, the "apology" was published without the pre-knowledge/agreemenet of Thomas. Among other things, the Chairman declared in the "Apology" that "I will be exercising a full right to reply in the December edition."
However, no such reply from Paladini was ever made. Meeting with the QPR Fan group in early January 2007, QPR1st in early January 2007, Paladini confirmed what many had begun to conclude: That there would be no written response by the Chairman to the AKUTRs article.
September 25, 2007 - QPR Official Site
Statement by Gianni Paladini on the recent edition of 'A Kick Up The Rs:'
The publication 'A Kick Up The Rs' has recently published a deeply misleading, inaccurate and scandalous article about myself and Queens Park Rangers FC.
A number of serious allegations have been made in that publication which are not true. The publication failed to contact myself or anyone else at the Club to verify their allegations.
Considering the seriousness of the allegations, I have been reluctantly forced to take legal action. The matter is now in the hands of my solicitors.
I expect a comprehensive retraction and apology from the publication for publishing these falsehoods. If they are not prepared to provide that, the matter will be dealt with by the courts.
I am sorry it must come to this, but in order for me to be able to defend myself from such blatant and hurtful untruths, I have no alternative than to take this action.
I shall make no further comment on this matter until either the apology and retraction has been received or legal proceedings are concluded QPR
October 26 2006: - QPR OFFICIAL SITE: AN APOLOGY
The Editor and proprietor of the fanzine 'A Kick Up The R's' today agreed to publish the following retraction and apology to QPR Chairman, Gianni Paladini:
In the September edition of the newsletter 'A Kick Up the R's', we published a series of articles by Cos Atiolis about Mr Paladini, the Chairman of Queen's Park Rangers football club.
In these articles we falsely suggested that Mr Paladini was involved in fraud, corruption, malpractice and dishonesty, and made a number of other serious false, misleading and defamatory statements about him.
We now fully accept that there is no truth whatsoever in these allegations and we are extremely sorry for the distress and embarrassment caused by the articles.
The newsletter containing the articles has been withdrawn from sale and we have offered Mr Paladini a full right of reply to the articles, which will appear in the next edition.
Paladini said: "I am delighted that the fanzine has withdrawn the untrue and unfair allegations it made against me, and that it was possible to resolve this without legal action.
"Although everyone has a right to free speech, and I welcome constructive criticism, I take my professional reputation very seriously and will not stand by whilst I am accused falsely.
"I find these allegations distressing, not just because they damage me, but also because of the distress they cause to my family and to QPR fans.
"I would never want to fall out with any of our fans. The way to move this club forward is to be united.
"Fortunately, AKUTRs has accepted there was no truth to the serious allegations it published and has retracted them. I will be exercising a full right to reply in the December edition, and I hope that is then the end of the matter." QPR
QPR1st Full QPR1st report on their January 7, 2007 meeting with Chairman Paladini
"[Paladini] was asked about what was happening regarding his right to reply in the fanzine? His reply was that “he wished to thank the editor of the fanzine for his response; that never before had he personally received such an apology; it was an honourable thing; that because the reply in his fanzine was sufficient, he had decided to leave his right to reply, preferring to let sleeping dogs lie”.
He asked if we would put his response in our report, to which we agreed..." QPR1st
Paladini at the QPR Fan Forum mid-October
"GP on AKUTR'S: I didn't take this man to court. People think I take people to court because the coffee is too cold.....The magazine, I never said I would take them to court, I wanted a chance to respond to serious things that were said about me in that magazine, he never had the decency to get in touch with me for a discussion and my side, I'm talking about the journalist here not the man who edits the magazine. If you don't do anything about this, you're guilty. The allegations he made against me are wrong. If they are true then I shouldn't be the chairman. If they are right I'd resign tomorrow." Fan Forum
QPR1st Response to Chairman's Paladini Threatened Action:
QPR1st Statement: September 27, 2006 - AKUTR's and The Club - September 27, 2006
"QPR1st supports the right of supporters to express their views in a variety of ways including fanzines and message boards.
We acknowledge that the Club also has the right to challenge what it considers to be unfair or inaccurate comments in fanzines through the official site, the programme, fans forums or by requesting a 'right to reply' within the fanzines themeselves.
Nevertheless fanzines have limited resources with which to defend themselves against legal action and therefore 'threats to sue' can be perceived as an act of intimidation. We would urge the Club to withdraw such threats and to seek to redress what they regard as a wrong through other less confrontational means. The Trust would be happy to act as a mediator between the Club and AKUTRs in the belief that QPR is at its strongest when it is united" QPR1st
LSA - John Reid, the Secretary of the LSA, made the following statement:-...'The LSA offers wholehearted support for Dave Thomas and 'AKUTRs right to freedom of speech. We deplore the actions of the Club in taking legal action which could kill off one of the most respected fanzines in England. 'AKUTRs has played a crucial role in keeping our Club alive in difficult times and we would be poorer without it. We agree that a right of reply should be given to the Club to answer the points raised in the current issue. We would be happy to play a role in ensuring that these matters are dealt with, without recourse to legal action against one of the most respected supporters of our beloved Club. However, if the Club pursues with legal action against Dave, we will offer wholehearted support in any manner we deem fit, including publishing material and raising a financial fighting fund to defend 'AKUTRs in Court.' LSA News
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Ex-QPR CEO, David Davies to Leave WASPS
-
WASPS OFFICIAL SITE - March 12 - Wasps Chief Executive to stand down
London Wasps Chief Executive, David Davies has given notice that he will be standing down from his post at the start of September
Davies, who took up the post with Wasps three years ago, will be relinquishing his post in order to relocate for family reasons.
Over the next six months Davies will be working closely with the London Wasps board to recruit his successor, with a view to handing over in early September.
'I have enjoyed my time working with one of the most successful clubs in English and European rugby,' said Davies of his time at Wasps, 'and I wish everyone associated with the club the very best for the coming seasons.'
'The last three years have seen a lot of change at the club, both on and off the field,' he said, 'and I have enjoyed the challenge of steering the club though some testing times. I have made the decision to announce my resignation early in order to give the club time to locate my successor and plan a structured and smooth handover.
London Wasps Chairman, Chris Wright said, 'I'd like to thank David for the time and effort he has invested in the club over the last three seasons. During that time we have seen a significant expansion in the commercial activity of the company and David has developed some exciting plans to ensure the club continues to expand as a business and build on our current success in the coming seasons.
'I'd like to thank David for his open approach, which has given us a period of time to find a suitable candidate to succeed him, and I wish him and his family well with their future plans.' WASPS
Bucks Free Press/Alan Fedlberg - Davies makes executive decision
DAVID Davies will step down as chief executive of Wasps in September, but has told fans he does not believe the club will follow him out of Adams Park.
Davies announced his resignation on Monday but the man who has lobbied hardest for Wasps' High Wycombe future has gone a long way to calming worried fans.
He said: "I can assure the supporters that at present the board is foresquare for staying where it is.
"What happens in the future I think is crystal ball gazing, and people shouldn't spend time doing that.
"But people should recognise that we the board have stated publically and repeatedly that we're staying where we are."
At the moment Wasps only have a temporary lease agreement at Adams Park, but Davies is confident that will be firmed up by the autumn.
He said: "I think there'll be a signed agreement prior to September. Everybody knows the long term future is here at Wycombe and we're very comfortable with that."
Davies wants to return to the Midlands for family reasons, but will remain at his post another six months to give the club time to find a suitable replacement.
He said: "I've been thinking about it since I took some time off in August. I've been speaking to members of the board since early February and what we've arrived at enables the club to plan for change rather than have to be forced into it.
"I don't have anything planned at the moment. But part of the reason I had the conversation in the first place is I didn't want to do anything behind the club's back.
"In my position you can't just come out and start applying for jobs. I had to come out and make the first move.
"Now isn't the right time to be talking to people. But the season finishes at the end of next month and I suspect there'll be more serious discussions then."
For the time being Davies has his hands full at Wasps.
The club expect to be able to announce a new sponsorship deal with Magners shortly and are also expecting feedback from a safety advisory group regarding plans to carry out £5m-worth of upgrades to Adams Park.
Davies said: "We're in a better state now than we were three years ago. We're in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and we're in pretty good shape in the league.
"But you never look at silverware in anything else other than in dreams so at the moment I'm just looking at London Irish to see if we can get away with four points."
10:47am Friday 16th March 2007 Bucks Free Press
Updated: This is Local London
Davies makes executive decision
By Alan Feldberg
Comment
DAVID Davies will step down as chief executive of Wasps in September, but has told fans he does not believe the club will follow him out of Adams Park.
Davies announced his resignation on Monday but the man who has lobbied hardest for Wasps' High Wycombe future has gone a long way to calming worried fans.
He said: "I can assure the supporters that at present the board is foresquare for staying where it is.
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"What happens in the future I think is crystal ball gazing, and people shouldn't spend time doing that.
"But people should recognise that we the board have stated publically and repeatedly that we're staying where we are."
At the moment Wasps only have a temporary lease agreement at Adams Park, but Davies is confident that will be firmed up by the autumn.
He said: "I think there'll be a signed agreement prior to September. Everybody knows the long term future is here at Wycombe and we're very comfortable with that."
Davies wants to return to the Midlands for family reasons, but will remain at his post another six months to give the club time to find a suitable replacement.
He said: "I've been thinking about it since I took some time off in August. I've been speaking to members of the board since early February and what we've arrived at enables the club to plan for change rather than have to be forced into it.
"I don't have anything planned at the moment. But part of the reason I had the conversation in the first place is I didn't want to do anything behind the club's back.
"In my position you can't just come out and start applying for jobs. I had to come out and make the first move.
"Now isn't the right time to be talking to people. But the season finishes at the end of next month and I suspect there'll be more serious discussions then."
For the time being Davies has his hands full at Wasps.
The club expect to be able to announce a new sponsorship deal with Magners shortly and are also expecting feedback from a safety advisory group regarding plans to carry out £5m-worth of upgrades to Adams Park.
Davies said: "We're in a better state now than we were three years ago. We're in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and we're in pretty good shape in the league.
"But you never look at silverware in anything else other than in dreams so at the moment I'm just looking at London Irish to see if we can get away with four points." This is Local London
WASPS OFFICIAL SITE - March 12 - Wasps Chief Executive to stand down
London Wasps Chief Executive, David Davies has given notice that he will be standing down from his post at the start of September
Davies, who took up the post with Wasps three years ago, will be relinquishing his post in order to relocate for family reasons.
Over the next six months Davies will be working closely with the London Wasps board to recruit his successor, with a view to handing over in early September.
'I have enjoyed my time working with one of the most successful clubs in English and European rugby,' said Davies of his time at Wasps, 'and I wish everyone associated with the club the very best for the coming seasons.'
'The last three years have seen a lot of change at the club, both on and off the field,' he said, 'and I have enjoyed the challenge of steering the club though some testing times. I have made the decision to announce my resignation early in order to give the club time to locate my successor and plan a structured and smooth handover.
London Wasps Chairman, Chris Wright said, 'I'd like to thank David for the time and effort he has invested in the club over the last three seasons. During that time we have seen a significant expansion in the commercial activity of the company and David has developed some exciting plans to ensure the club continues to expand as a business and build on our current success in the coming seasons.
'I'd like to thank David for his open approach, which has given us a period of time to find a suitable candidate to succeed him, and I wish him and his family well with their future plans.' WASPS
Bucks Free Press/Alan Fedlberg - Davies makes executive decision
DAVID Davies will step down as chief executive of Wasps in September, but has told fans he does not believe the club will follow him out of Adams Park.
Davies announced his resignation on Monday but the man who has lobbied hardest for Wasps' High Wycombe future has gone a long way to calming worried fans.
He said: "I can assure the supporters that at present the board is foresquare for staying where it is.
"What happens in the future I think is crystal ball gazing, and people shouldn't spend time doing that.
"But people should recognise that we the board have stated publically and repeatedly that we're staying where we are."
At the moment Wasps only have a temporary lease agreement at Adams Park, but Davies is confident that will be firmed up by the autumn.
He said: "I think there'll be a signed agreement prior to September. Everybody knows the long term future is here at Wycombe and we're very comfortable with that."
Davies wants to return to the Midlands for family reasons, but will remain at his post another six months to give the club time to find a suitable replacement.
He said: "I've been thinking about it since I took some time off in August. I've been speaking to members of the board since early February and what we've arrived at enables the club to plan for change rather than have to be forced into it.
"I don't have anything planned at the moment. But part of the reason I had the conversation in the first place is I didn't want to do anything behind the club's back.
"In my position you can't just come out and start applying for jobs. I had to come out and make the first move.
"Now isn't the right time to be talking to people. But the season finishes at the end of next month and I suspect there'll be more serious discussions then."
For the time being Davies has his hands full at Wasps.
The club expect to be able to announce a new sponsorship deal with Magners shortly and are also expecting feedback from a safety advisory group regarding plans to carry out £5m-worth of upgrades to Adams Park.
Davies said: "We're in a better state now than we were three years ago. We're in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and we're in pretty good shape in the league.
"But you never look at silverware in anything else other than in dreams so at the moment I'm just looking at London Irish to see if we can get away with four points."
10:47am Friday 16th March 2007 Bucks Free Press
Updated: This is Local London
Davies makes executive decision
By Alan Feldberg
Comment
DAVID Davies will step down as chief executive of Wasps in September, but has told fans he does not believe the club will follow him out of Adams Park.
Davies announced his resignation on Monday but the man who has lobbied hardest for Wasps' High Wycombe future has gone a long way to calming worried fans.
He said: "I can assure the supporters that at present the board is foresquare for staying where it is.
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"What happens in the future I think is crystal ball gazing, and people shouldn't spend time doing that.
"But people should recognise that we the board have stated publically and repeatedly that we're staying where we are."
At the moment Wasps only have a temporary lease agreement at Adams Park, but Davies is confident that will be firmed up by the autumn.
He said: "I think there'll be a signed agreement prior to September. Everybody knows the long term future is here at Wycombe and we're very comfortable with that."
Davies wants to return to the Midlands for family reasons, but will remain at his post another six months to give the club time to find a suitable replacement.
He said: "I've been thinking about it since I took some time off in August. I've been speaking to members of the board since early February and what we've arrived at enables the club to plan for change rather than have to be forced into it.
"I don't have anything planned at the moment. But part of the reason I had the conversation in the first place is I didn't want to do anything behind the club's back.
"In my position you can't just come out and start applying for jobs. I had to come out and make the first move.
"Now isn't the right time to be talking to people. But the season finishes at the end of next month and I suspect there'll be more serious discussions then."
For the time being Davies has his hands full at Wasps.
The club expect to be able to announce a new sponsorship deal with Magners shortly and are also expecting feedback from a safety advisory group regarding plans to carry out £5m-worth of upgrades to Adams Park.
Davies said: "We're in a better state now than we were three years ago. We're in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and we're in pretty good shape in the league.
"But you never look at silverware in anything else other than in dreams so at the moment I'm just looking at London Irish to see if we can get away with four points." This is Local London
Late Paperwork Prevents Hislop From Making his Lewes Debut
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Argus O'Connor wins it for Rooks By Howard Griggs
Comment
Lewes 1, Salisbury 0: Steven King watched his Lewes side beat high-flying Salisbury and then declared: "Our play-off dream is still alive."...Many people believe the Rooks have little chance of a top five finish because they have played as many as five games more than some of their rivals.
Lewes suffered a blow before kick- off when new signing Matthew Hislop was prevented from playing.
The paperwork for the former Queens Park Rangers left-back had arrived a minute after the league's 24-hour deadline on Thursday.
With Matt McEntegart, who has been filling in at left-back for the injured Lewis Hamilton, ruled out with a broken foot it meant midfielder ...." Argus
See Yesterday: Hislop Set to make his debut for Lewes
Argus O'Connor wins it for Rooks By Howard Griggs
Comment
Lewes 1, Salisbury 0: Steven King watched his Lewes side beat high-flying Salisbury and then declared: "Our play-off dream is still alive."...Many people believe the Rooks have little chance of a top five finish because they have played as many as five games more than some of their rivals.
Lewes suffered a blow before kick- off when new signing Matthew Hislop was prevented from playing.
The paperwork for the former Queens Park Rangers left-back had arrived a minute after the league's 24-hour deadline on Thursday.
With Matt McEntegart, who has been filling in at left-back for the injured Lewis Hamilton, ruled out with a broken foot it meant midfielder ...." Argus
See Yesterday: Hislop Set to make his debut for Lewes
Zesh Rehman on Joining Brighton (and Rejecting Other Clubs)
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Andy Naylor/The Argus - Rehman: I owe it to Albion
Zesh Rehman has revealed he turned down other clubs to repay a debt of gratitude to Albion.
Rehman is back at Withdean on loan from Championship strugglers Queens Park Rangers for the rest of the season, three years after the Seagulls borrowed him from Fulham.
"The manager (John Gregory) told me I wasn't allowed to go to another Championship club but I had an opportunity to go on loan to a couple of other clubs," Rehman said.
"As soon as I found out Brighton wanted me I thought I owe the club, because they were the first to give me regular first team football.
"I've got great memories of my time here before. The club and the fans have had a special place in my heart ever since, so I couldn't really turn it down."
Albion swooped to complete the signing of the versatile Rehman, just ten minutes before Thursday's loan transfer deadline, with captain Dean Hammond and Joe O'Cearuill troubled by injuries and Adam El-Abd on the verge of suspension.
He has played at rightback, centre half and in midfield for Rangers and the 23-year-old Brummie, who made 21 Premiership appearances for Fulham, is ready to fill in where required.
"Where ever Dean Wilkins wants me to play I will play there," he said. "I am here to help Brighton out. I'll play in goal if he wants me to. If needed today I am ready.
"I played every game for the first six and a half months at Rangers but I haven't played for a month or so now.
"This is an opportunity to keep my match fitness up and hopefully come and do well for Brighton.
"I've got two years left on my contract so I want to get some games under my belt and kick on.
"I was aware that the youngsters were coming through the last time I was here, so it is nice to see that they have been given an opportunity to show what they can do.
"By all accounts they have done well and I am looking forward to getting in amongst it." The Argus
Andy Naylor/The Argus - Rehman: I owe it to Albion
Zesh Rehman has revealed he turned down other clubs to repay a debt of gratitude to Albion.
Rehman is back at Withdean on loan from Championship strugglers Queens Park Rangers for the rest of the season, three years after the Seagulls borrowed him from Fulham.
"The manager (John Gregory) told me I wasn't allowed to go to another Championship club but I had an opportunity to go on loan to a couple of other clubs," Rehman said.
"As soon as I found out Brighton wanted me I thought I owe the club, because they were the first to give me regular first team football.
"I've got great memories of my time here before. The club and the fans have had a special place in my heart ever since, so I couldn't really turn it down."
Albion swooped to complete the signing of the versatile Rehman, just ten minutes before Thursday's loan transfer deadline, with captain Dean Hammond and Joe O'Cearuill troubled by injuries and Adam El-Abd on the verge of suspension.
He has played at rightback, centre half and in midfield for Rangers and the 23-year-old Brummie, who made 21 Premiership appearances for Fulham, is ready to fill in where required.
"Where ever Dean Wilkins wants me to play I will play there," he said. "I am here to help Brighton out. I'll play in goal if he wants me to. If needed today I am ready.
"I played every game for the first six and a half months at Rangers but I haven't played for a month or so now.
"This is an opportunity to keep my match fitness up and hopefully come and do well for Brighton.
"I've got two years left on my contract so I want to get some games under my belt and kick on.
"I was aware that the youngsters were coming through the last time I was here, so it is nice to see that they have been given an opportunity to show what they can do.
"By all accounts they have done well and I am looking forward to getting in amongst it." The Argus
Friday, March 23, 2007
Released Defender Matt Hislop Debuts for His New Club
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Argus - Rooks refuse to give up play-off dream
Steven King will unveil his latest Lewes signing tonight in a game which could make or break their season.
The Rooks take on second-placed Salisbury City at the Dripping Pan with King warning a defeat would end their play-off hopes.
Despite being ranked as outsiders because of the number of games they have played, Lewes still believe they can force their way into the top five if they can continue their excellent recent run.
King's men have won four of their last five games, are unbeaten in eight matches and have lost just two of their last 15.
Left-back Matthew Hislop, who made one first team appearance for Queens Park Rangers, makes his debut tonight after joining on a noncontract basis until the end of the season with King knowing there is no margin for error.
He said: "We need maximum points.
I believe we need at least 70 points, possibly 73, to make the play-offs and that means more or less winning every game.
"All the time we feel we have got a chance, we have got to believe it and go for it.
"Our home form is good this year - we have only lost three at home. We have only lost two of our last 15 matches and we have got to keep winning and see where that takes us."
King already has half an eye on next season and wants to take a look at Hislop, who arrives at the Dripping Pan with a good pedigree.
The 20-year-old began his career at Arsenal where he was a regular in the under-17 and under-19 Academy sides before switching to QPR in March 2005.
He is also a former England Schoolboy international where he played alongside the likes of Jerome Thomas (Charlton), Mark Noble (West Ham) and Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham).
Hislop made his Rangers debut in a 2-1 win over Leicester at the Walkers Stadium in September 2005 but suffered a serious ankle injury in the second half and never played for the first team again.
After being transfer listed by Gary Waddock at the end of last season, he remained under new boss John Gregory but was recently released early from his two-year contract.
King said: "He is an out and out leftback who is 6ft and spent two years at QPR and Arsenal before that.
"He played against us in pre-season and is with us until the end of the season.
The incentive is to earn himself a deal for next season."
With Lewis Hamilton, the only recognised left-back at Lewes, currently sidelined with a thigh injury, Hislop will go straight into the side tonight.
Fellow defender Steve Robinson is again missing as he completes a twomatch suspension while midfielder Gary Holloway plays his last game before starting a two-match ban of his own which rules him out of the Sussex Senior Cup semi-final with Worthing on Wednesday and the Conference south clash with Welling next Saturday.
Striker Paul Booth will look to continue a remarkable sequence of scoring which has seen him net nine goals in his last five games.
As well as snapping up Hislop, King has been looking at other options to bolster his squad for the run-in although there will be no further signings before tonight's game with a Salisbury side short on strikers.
The visitors' main frontman Matt Tubbs is suspended, recent signing Marvin Brown has a groin injury while another forward Paul Sales is also sidelined.
In addition, goalkeeper Ryan Clarke is doubtful with injury. However, Salisbury will give a debut to former Blackburn midfielder Jerome Watt, who signed on loan yesterday from Northampton. The Argus
See also Lewes "the Might Rooks"- Lewes
Argus - Rooks refuse to give up play-off dream
Steven King will unveil his latest Lewes signing tonight in a game which could make or break their season.
The Rooks take on second-placed Salisbury City at the Dripping Pan with King warning a defeat would end their play-off hopes.
Despite being ranked as outsiders because of the number of games they have played, Lewes still believe they can force their way into the top five if they can continue their excellent recent run.
King's men have won four of their last five games, are unbeaten in eight matches and have lost just two of their last 15.
Left-back Matthew Hislop, who made one first team appearance for Queens Park Rangers, makes his debut tonight after joining on a noncontract basis until the end of the season with King knowing there is no margin for error.
He said: "We need maximum points.
I believe we need at least 70 points, possibly 73, to make the play-offs and that means more or less winning every game.
"All the time we feel we have got a chance, we have got to believe it and go for it.
"Our home form is good this year - we have only lost three at home. We have only lost two of our last 15 matches and we have got to keep winning and see where that takes us."
King already has half an eye on next season and wants to take a look at Hislop, who arrives at the Dripping Pan with a good pedigree.
The 20-year-old began his career at Arsenal where he was a regular in the under-17 and under-19 Academy sides before switching to QPR in March 2005.
He is also a former England Schoolboy international where he played alongside the likes of Jerome Thomas (Charlton), Mark Noble (West Ham) and Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham).
Hislop made his Rangers debut in a 2-1 win over Leicester at the Walkers Stadium in September 2005 but suffered a serious ankle injury in the second half and never played for the first team again.
After being transfer listed by Gary Waddock at the end of last season, he remained under new boss John Gregory but was recently released early from his two-year contract.
King said: "He is an out and out leftback who is 6ft and spent two years at QPR and Arsenal before that.
"He played against us in pre-season and is with us until the end of the season.
The incentive is to earn himself a deal for next season."
With Lewis Hamilton, the only recognised left-back at Lewes, currently sidelined with a thigh injury, Hislop will go straight into the side tonight.
Fellow defender Steve Robinson is again missing as he completes a twomatch suspension while midfielder Gary Holloway plays his last game before starting a two-match ban of his own which rules him out of the Sussex Senior Cup semi-final with Worthing on Wednesday and the Conference south clash with Welling next Saturday.
Striker Paul Booth will look to continue a remarkable sequence of scoring which has seen him net nine goals in his last five games.
As well as snapping up Hislop, King has been looking at other options to bolster his squad for the run-in although there will be no further signings before tonight's game with a Salisbury side short on strikers.
The visitors' main frontman Matt Tubbs is suspended, recent signing Marvin Brown has a groin injury while another forward Paul Sales is also sidelined.
In addition, goalkeeper Ryan Clarke is doubtful with injury. However, Salisbury will give a debut to former Blackburn midfielder Jerome Watt, who signed on loan yesterday from Northampton. The Argus
See also Lewes "the Might Rooks"- Lewes
John Gregory Looks at QPR's Forthcoming Games, including the Crucial Match vs WBA
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QPR Official Site - John Gregory "OUR BIGGEST TEST"
John Gregory has labelled the visit of West Bromwich Albion to W12 next Saturday as the R's 'biggest match of the season.'
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk ahead of a rare weekend away from competitive action, the R's gaffer gave us his thoughts on the week ahead.
"West Brom is our biggest match of the season, without any doubt.
"A win against West Brom and then another versus Preston will certainly go a long way to securing our future in this division.''
"It's absolutely massive for us, but if we get the support we've had over the last few weeks - both at Loftus Road and on our travels - it will have a huge influence on the side.
"A win against West Brom and then another on Tuesday versus Preston will certainly go a long way to securing our future in this division.''
With international football taking centre stage over the coming days, Gregory believes the 14-day break from competitive action will do his squad the power of good.
"We'll be using this short break to take one last deep breath before we march on to the final countdown,'' he said.
"I'd have preferred a fixture this weekend, but having said that, at least the break will give one or two players the opportunity to recover from their respective injuries.''
However, Gregory did bemoan the forthcoming fixture schedule, which see's the R's play four crucial games in the space of ten days.
"The fixture list is utterly crazy. By the time West Brom come to town we'll have had a 14-day break since our last fixture and then all of a sudden we play Albion, Preston, Coventry and Luton in the space of ten days!
"We'll be using this short break to take one last deep breath before we march on to the final countdown.''
"Its madness, but unfortunately it's been an annual problem in our game for many years. When the four home nations are all in action there is little alternative - so we just have to get on with the job in hand.''
Rotation could be the key for Rangers during that period and Gregory isn't afraid to tinker with his line-up: "Without question, we'll have to chop and change.
"Some of the lads will play all four games, but many of them will feature in one, two or three.
"We've got four strikers all vying for two positions and it would be safe to say that the front-two I pick against West Brom will differ from the two I pick for the visit of Preston a few days later.''
Martin Rowlands
Buoyed by a five point return from their last three fixtures, Gregory is also hopeful of recalling Dexter Blackstock and Martin Rowlands to the squad ahead of the West Bromwich fixture.
Blackstock sustained a hamstring injury against Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the month, while Rowlands was forced from the fray early on at Pride Park.
"Dex is well on the road to recovery. It was very much precautionary that we rested him for Derby and Leicester and if everything goes according to plan, he'll be back firing for West Brom.
"Rowly should be okay too, which is a massive boost when you consider how well he was playing prior to his injury.''
"Rowly should be okay too, which is a massive boost when you consider how well he was playing prior to his injury.'' Official Site
QPR Official Site - John Gregory "OUR BIGGEST TEST"
John Gregory has labelled the visit of West Bromwich Albion to W12 next Saturday as the R's 'biggest match of the season.'
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk ahead of a rare weekend away from competitive action, the R's gaffer gave us his thoughts on the week ahead.
"West Brom is our biggest match of the season, without any doubt.
"A win against West Brom and then another versus Preston will certainly go a long way to securing our future in this division.''
"It's absolutely massive for us, but if we get the support we've had over the last few weeks - both at Loftus Road and on our travels - it will have a huge influence on the side.
"A win against West Brom and then another on Tuesday versus Preston will certainly go a long way to securing our future in this division.''
With international football taking centre stage over the coming days, Gregory believes the 14-day break from competitive action will do his squad the power of good.
"We'll be using this short break to take one last deep breath before we march on to the final countdown,'' he said.
"I'd have preferred a fixture this weekend, but having said that, at least the break will give one or two players the opportunity to recover from their respective injuries.''
However, Gregory did bemoan the forthcoming fixture schedule, which see's the R's play four crucial games in the space of ten days.
"The fixture list is utterly crazy. By the time West Brom come to town we'll have had a 14-day break since our last fixture and then all of a sudden we play Albion, Preston, Coventry and Luton in the space of ten days!
"We'll be using this short break to take one last deep breath before we march on to the final countdown.''
"Its madness, but unfortunately it's been an annual problem in our game for many years. When the four home nations are all in action there is little alternative - so we just have to get on with the job in hand.''
Rotation could be the key for Rangers during that period and Gregory isn't afraid to tinker with his line-up: "Without question, we'll have to chop and change.
"Some of the lads will play all four games, but many of them will feature in one, two or three.
"We've got four strikers all vying for two positions and it would be safe to say that the front-two I pick against West Brom will differ from the two I pick for the visit of Preston a few days later.''
Martin Rowlands
Buoyed by a five point return from their last three fixtures, Gregory is also hopeful of recalling Dexter Blackstock and Martin Rowlands to the squad ahead of the West Bromwich fixture.
Blackstock sustained a hamstring injury against Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the month, while Rowlands was forced from the fray early on at Pride Park.
"Dex is well on the road to recovery. It was very much precautionary that we rested him for Derby and Leicester and if everything goes according to plan, he'll be back firing for West Brom.
"Rowly should be okay too, which is a massive boost when you consider how well he was playing prior to his injury.''
"Rowly should be okay too, which is a massive boost when you consider how well he was playing prior to his injury.'' Official Site
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Deadline Loan Out...Rehman to Brighton
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QPR Official Site
BRIGHTON BOUND
R's defender Zesh Rehman has joined League One outfit Brighton & Hove Albion on loan for the remainder of the season.
The 23 year-old - who joined Rangers from Fulham for an undisclosed fee in the summer - links up with fellow R's loanee Nicky Ward at the Withdean Stadium.
Rehman has made 25 starts in all competitions for the Hoops this season, but gaffer John Gregory believes the move will suit both the player and the Club.
"Zesh has still got two more years on his contract here, but it's in his and the Club's best interests that he goes out on loan to play some competitive football.
"He's a great professional and he's still very much our player. Going to Brighton presents him with an ideal opportunity to get his confidence back.''
Rehman previously spent two spells on loan with the Seagulls during the 2003/04 campaign, finding the back of the net twice in 11 appearances.
QPR
BRIGHTON OFFICIAL SITE - Rehman Returns!
QPR defender Zesh Rehman has today agreed to his third loan spell with the Albion.
The deal, which has been completed just short of the loan deadline of 5pm, sees Rehman join the Seagulls until the end of the season.
Rehman became the club's first Asian player when he was originally signed by Steve Coppell as a midfielder in September 2003 when still a Fulham player. He made a dramatic impact, scoring a spectacular goal on his debut in a 3-1 win at Rushden & Diamonds.
He then returned to Craven Cottage after the initial month, only to return to Withdean a few weeks later for a second month under Mark McGhee. In all Rehman made 13 appearances in a blue and white shirt, scoring two goals.
He has since enjoyed a three-month loan spell at Norwich - during which time he played against the Seagulls in the Canaries' 3-0 win at Carrow Road in February 2006 - before signing permanently for QPR in August.
Rehman has found first team opportunities limited at Loftus Road following the arrival of former Albion captain Danny Cullip from Nottingham Forest.
He will link up with the squad on Friday and will be available for the visit of Huddersfield this weekend. Brighton
QPR Official Site
BRIGHTON BOUND
R's defender Zesh Rehman has joined League One outfit Brighton & Hove Albion on loan for the remainder of the season.
The 23 year-old - who joined Rangers from Fulham for an undisclosed fee in the summer - links up with fellow R's loanee Nicky Ward at the Withdean Stadium.
Rehman has made 25 starts in all competitions for the Hoops this season, but gaffer John Gregory believes the move will suit both the player and the Club.
"Zesh has still got two more years on his contract here, but it's in his and the Club's best interests that he goes out on loan to play some competitive football.
"He's a great professional and he's still very much our player. Going to Brighton presents him with an ideal opportunity to get his confidence back.''
Rehman previously spent two spells on loan with the Seagulls during the 2003/04 campaign, finding the back of the net twice in 11 appearances.
QPR
BRIGHTON OFFICIAL SITE - Rehman Returns!
QPR defender Zesh Rehman has today agreed to his third loan spell with the Albion.
The deal, which has been completed just short of the loan deadline of 5pm, sees Rehman join the Seagulls until the end of the season.
Rehman became the club's first Asian player when he was originally signed by Steve Coppell as a midfielder in September 2003 when still a Fulham player. He made a dramatic impact, scoring a spectacular goal on his debut in a 3-1 win at Rushden & Diamonds.
He then returned to Craven Cottage after the initial month, only to return to Withdean a few weeks later for a second month under Mark McGhee. In all Rehman made 13 appearances in a blue and white shirt, scoring two goals.
He has since enjoyed a three-month loan spell at Norwich - during which time he played against the Seagulls in the Canaries' 3-0 win at Carrow Road in February 2006 - before signing permanently for QPR in August.
Rehman has found first team opportunities limited at Loftus Road following the arrival of former Albion captain Danny Cullip from Nottingham Forest.
He will link up with the squad on Friday and will be available for the visit of Huddersfield this weekend. Brighton
Deadline Loan! Wolves Midfielder, Rohan Ricketts Signs
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[Good luck to him. I WAS hoping for a forward...and Gregory himself said a couple of days ago that he would not be making any more loan signings before the deadline!]
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QPR Official Site - RICKETTS SIGNS
Wolverhampton Wanderers attacking midfielder Rohan Ricketts has joined the R's on loan until the end of the season.
The 24 year-old - whose former Clubs include North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur - will be available for seven of the R's final eight fixtures of the season.
Ricketts - who under the terms of his loan switch will not feature against Mick McCarthy's side at Molineux in the R's penultimate fixture of the season - will wear the number 34 shirt.
Gaffer John Gregory - who beat the Football League loan deadline by minutes to swoop for the versatile midfielder - expressed his delight at the move, telling www.qpr.co.uk: "It's a good deal for both QPR and Rohan.
"He's a decent footballer, with a good pair of legs and he'll be a useful addition to the squad between now and the end of the season.
"He's out of favour at the moment at Wolves, but I've always liked the look of him as a footballer and it's a great opportunity for him.''
Gregory continued: "I've not guaranteed him anything, but he's here for six weeks with the opportunity to help us out at any given stage should we lose one or two due to injury.
"He can play anywhere across the midfield and has experience of playing up-front too. He's one of those players who is capable of turning the game on its head when it's required.''QPR
WOLVES OFFICIAL SITE - Midfielder Out On Loan
Rohan Ricketts has joined Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the season.
The midfielder arrived at Wolves, originally on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, in March 2005 and he signed for the club on a free transfer from White Hart Lane that summer.
He has made 23 first team appearances this season but hasn't featured in a first team game since the FA Cup defeat against West Bromwich at the end of January.
The emergency loan runs through until the 6th May but he will not be eligible to play against Wolves when QPR come to Molineux at the end of April.
Speaking of the move, Rohan said: "I'm not figuring at Wolves at the moment and I'll go to Queens Park Rangers with the aim of helping them keep their Championship status.
"But I'll be keeping a close eye on how things are going at Molineux as the season draws to a close." Wolves
WIKIPEDIA
ohan Ricketts (born 22 December 1982 in Clapham, London) is a professional footballer with Wolverhampton Wanderers. A midfielder, he started out with Arsenal, with whom he won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001. He made one appearance for The Gunners, in the League Cup, against Manchester United, before making the unusual step of joining Arsenal's rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in 2002. He didn't play a single game in his first season, but was a first-team regular in 2003-04. Tord Grip was impressed with his ability and there was talk of Rohan being called up to the senior squad but soon as Hoddle left, Rohan found his first team opportunities limited despite being named Player of month in August and September for Tottenham. However, the following season, under Jacques Santini and then Martin Jol, he found appearances harder to come by, and had two loan spells, at Coventry City F.C., and then Wolves, linking up with his former manager, Glenn Hoddle. In the summer of 2005 he moved to Molineux on a permanent basis.
As a boy Ricketts supported Manchester United.
Wikipedia
Career Stats
Icons Column
QPR Official Site - RICKETTS IN PROFILE
www.qpr.co.uk looks back at the career of the R's latest loan signing, Rohan Ricketts.
Rohan Ricketts began life in the academy at Highbury, before making the breakthrough into the Gunners side during the 2001/02 season.
His debut came as a substitute in the 4-0 demolition of Manchester United in the Worthington Cup.
He was part of the Arsenal team which won the FA Youth Cup in 2001 and was also an England Under-18, Under-20 and Under-21 international.
Out of contract in the summer of 2002, he made the brave switch to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer in a bid to break into first team football on a regular basis. Then manager, Glenn Hoddle, gave Rohan a chance to shine in the first team but he fell out of favour following the manager's dismissal.
The midfielder made eight appearances for Tottenham in all competitions during 2004/05 and spent a month on loan at Coventry in October 2004.
He joined Wolves on loan shortly before the transfer deadline in March 2005, linking up again with Hoddle. He impressed during his short stay at Molineux, making seven appearances and scoring one goal.
He was granted a free transfer from White Hart Lane in the summer of 2005 and became Hoddle's first permanent signing as Wolves boss.
Rohan took a regular place in Wolves' team at the start of 2005/06, but an injury sustained in the game at home to Burnley in September saw him sidelined until shortly before Christmas. But he failed to maintain a regular slot in the team after returning and has since falling down the pecking order under current Wanderers' boss Mick McCarthy. QPR
PROFILE/AUTOBIOGRAPHY FROM ICONS
I was born on December 22, 1982, in Clapham, London. I grew up around Clapham and Stockwell, and I still live there with my family. Although it was quite a rough area, growing up there not only taught me about playing football, it also gave me a mental toughness and inner strength that you need to become a pro footballer.
I grew up playing football around the estates, honing my skills and in general having a great time. I look back and think that it was good for me to grow up where I did. I saw a lot of my friends go off the rails and lose sight of what they wanted to do with their lives, but I was strong, and determined to do more with my life. I realised from a young age that if I wanted to be a professional footballer I would have to make sacrifices.
I saw a lot of my friends go off the rails, but I was strong and was determined to do more with my life.
It also helped that I came from a strong family - my dad, an electrician, always pushed me to do as well as I could, and always encouraged me to follow my dream. I grew up surrounded by football; my dad would show me videos of Brazil and Holland from the Sixties and Seventies. I used to love watching Pele and Johan Cruyff. Although I lived in South London, I supported Manchester United. I remember they had some great players - Paul Ince, Brian McClair, Roy Keane and, the best of all, Eric Cantona. I loved watching Cantona play, the way he turned up his collar, and his aura. He was definitely a player that impressed me.
When I first started playing football I would try to copy the styles of the players I saw on videos and on television. I played for my primary school and it was whilst playing in a South London Schools five-a-side tournament that I first got spotted. Six of us from the same schools side were asked to go and train at Arsenal. At the time I was 10 years old.
Once I began training at Arsenal I really felt at home there. Although I received other offers, from clubs such as Chelsea, Wimbledon and West Ham, I was never tempted to leave. Although I was training at Arsenal and enjoying my time there, it wasn't until the age of 14 that I really began to take my football seriously.
One of the coaches at Arsenal was a guy called Neil Banfield, and he first made me realise what I could achieve in football. He spent a lot of time with me helping me develop my footballing skills and also focusing my mind on becoming a footballer. He helped me improve so much that at the age of 14 I was offered a schoolboy contract. I owe a lot to Neil and I have no doubt that he has played a major part in where I am today.
II: WINNING THE FA YOUTH CUP WITH ARSENAL
After signing my schoolboy contract my game continued to improve and at 16 I was offered a two-year full-time contract. This meant that I would be at the Arsenal training centre every day in the pursuit of my dream.
Arsenal, like every other club in the country, run an Under-17 and Under-19 team. I was lucky that everything went so well in my first year at the club that I played predominantly for the Under-19s. This is a great experience because not only does it get you used to playing with boys older and physically stronger than you, it also proves that the coaches have enough faith in your ability as a player. I was never nervous about playing in the older age group, because the way that I look at it, you only get a few chances in football to prove yourself, so you must always be prepared to take them.
Being part of the Under-19s set-up meant that I played in the most prestigious youth competition of all, the FA Youth Cup. Some great players have won this competition, players such as Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs. You only get two chances as a player to win this competition and I was fortunate that in my first year we won it. We played against Coventry in the final and to get my hands on the trophy was a very proud moment for me.
I was also fortunate that while I was at Arsenal I became part of the England youth set-up. This is something I enjoy. I love testing myself against the best young players in Europe and I have been to places like Italy and Israel. International football is great because it tests your technique to the limit and also makes you think more about the game.
In my second year at Arsenal I began playing with the reserves. Again, this was a chance to test myself alongside players who have played for the first team. I have played with the likes of Martin Keown, Edu and Ashley Cole. It is great that the coaches at Arsenal had so much faith in me to put me in the reserves. When people such as Don Howe (Head Youth Coach) and Liam Brady (Head Youth Development Officer) tell you what a good player they think you are, it is a huge boost.
III: TURNING PRO
Being at Arsenal was fantastic. They are one of the best clubs in the world. I watched players like Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira in training and I learned a lot from them. Dennis is a player who thinks about the game, while Vieira has enormous presence.
To me though, my role-model at the club was Ashley Cole. He is a player who I have played with and is someone who has been at Arsenal from a young age. He has gone right through the Arsenal youth system and into the first team and is a crucial member of the full England squad. He is a great player.
Icons
[Good luck to him. I WAS hoping for a forward...and Gregory himself said a couple of days ago that he would not be making any more loan signings before the deadline!]
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QPR Official Site - RICKETTS SIGNS
Wolverhampton Wanderers attacking midfielder Rohan Ricketts has joined the R's on loan until the end of the season.
The 24 year-old - whose former Clubs include North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur - will be available for seven of the R's final eight fixtures of the season.
Ricketts - who under the terms of his loan switch will not feature against Mick McCarthy's side at Molineux in the R's penultimate fixture of the season - will wear the number 34 shirt.
Gaffer John Gregory - who beat the Football League loan deadline by minutes to swoop for the versatile midfielder - expressed his delight at the move, telling www.qpr.co.uk: "It's a good deal for both QPR and Rohan.
"He's a decent footballer, with a good pair of legs and he'll be a useful addition to the squad between now and the end of the season.
"He's out of favour at the moment at Wolves, but I've always liked the look of him as a footballer and it's a great opportunity for him.''
Gregory continued: "I've not guaranteed him anything, but he's here for six weeks with the opportunity to help us out at any given stage should we lose one or two due to injury.
"He can play anywhere across the midfield and has experience of playing up-front too. He's one of those players who is capable of turning the game on its head when it's required.''QPR
WOLVES OFFICIAL SITE - Midfielder Out On Loan
Rohan Ricketts has joined Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the season.
The midfielder arrived at Wolves, originally on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, in March 2005 and he signed for the club on a free transfer from White Hart Lane that summer.
He has made 23 first team appearances this season but hasn't featured in a first team game since the FA Cup defeat against West Bromwich at the end of January.
The emergency loan runs through until the 6th May but he will not be eligible to play against Wolves when QPR come to Molineux at the end of April.
Speaking of the move, Rohan said: "I'm not figuring at Wolves at the moment and I'll go to Queens Park Rangers with the aim of helping them keep their Championship status.
"But I'll be keeping a close eye on how things are going at Molineux as the season draws to a close." Wolves
WIKIPEDIA
ohan Ricketts (born 22 December 1982 in Clapham, London) is a professional footballer with Wolverhampton Wanderers. A midfielder, he started out with Arsenal, with whom he won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001. He made one appearance for The Gunners, in the League Cup, against Manchester United, before making the unusual step of joining Arsenal's rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in 2002. He didn't play a single game in his first season, but was a first-team regular in 2003-04. Tord Grip was impressed with his ability and there was talk of Rohan being called up to the senior squad but soon as Hoddle left, Rohan found his first team opportunities limited despite being named Player of month in August and September for Tottenham. However, the following season, under Jacques Santini and then Martin Jol, he found appearances harder to come by, and had two loan spells, at Coventry City F.C., and then Wolves, linking up with his former manager, Glenn Hoddle. In the summer of 2005 he moved to Molineux on a permanent basis.
As a boy Ricketts supported Manchester United.
Wikipedia
Career Stats
Icons Column
QPR Official Site - RICKETTS IN PROFILE
www.qpr.co.uk looks back at the career of the R's latest loan signing, Rohan Ricketts.
Rohan Ricketts began life in the academy at Highbury, before making the breakthrough into the Gunners side during the 2001/02 season.
His debut came as a substitute in the 4-0 demolition of Manchester United in the Worthington Cup.
He was part of the Arsenal team which won the FA Youth Cup in 2001 and was also an England Under-18, Under-20 and Under-21 international.
Out of contract in the summer of 2002, he made the brave switch to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer in a bid to break into first team football on a regular basis. Then manager, Glenn Hoddle, gave Rohan a chance to shine in the first team but he fell out of favour following the manager's dismissal.
The midfielder made eight appearances for Tottenham in all competitions during 2004/05 and spent a month on loan at Coventry in October 2004.
He joined Wolves on loan shortly before the transfer deadline in March 2005, linking up again with Hoddle. He impressed during his short stay at Molineux, making seven appearances and scoring one goal.
He was granted a free transfer from White Hart Lane in the summer of 2005 and became Hoddle's first permanent signing as Wolves boss.
Rohan took a regular place in Wolves' team at the start of 2005/06, but an injury sustained in the game at home to Burnley in September saw him sidelined until shortly before Christmas. But he failed to maintain a regular slot in the team after returning and has since falling down the pecking order under current Wanderers' boss Mick McCarthy. QPR
PROFILE/AUTOBIOGRAPHY FROM ICONS
I was born on December 22, 1982, in Clapham, London. I grew up around Clapham and Stockwell, and I still live there with my family. Although it was quite a rough area, growing up there not only taught me about playing football, it also gave me a mental toughness and inner strength that you need to become a pro footballer.
I grew up playing football around the estates, honing my skills and in general having a great time. I look back and think that it was good for me to grow up where I did. I saw a lot of my friends go off the rails and lose sight of what they wanted to do with their lives, but I was strong, and determined to do more with my life. I realised from a young age that if I wanted to be a professional footballer I would have to make sacrifices.
I saw a lot of my friends go off the rails, but I was strong and was determined to do more with my life.
It also helped that I came from a strong family - my dad, an electrician, always pushed me to do as well as I could, and always encouraged me to follow my dream. I grew up surrounded by football; my dad would show me videos of Brazil and Holland from the Sixties and Seventies. I used to love watching Pele and Johan Cruyff. Although I lived in South London, I supported Manchester United. I remember they had some great players - Paul Ince, Brian McClair, Roy Keane and, the best of all, Eric Cantona. I loved watching Cantona play, the way he turned up his collar, and his aura. He was definitely a player that impressed me.
When I first started playing football I would try to copy the styles of the players I saw on videos and on television. I played for my primary school and it was whilst playing in a South London Schools five-a-side tournament that I first got spotted. Six of us from the same schools side were asked to go and train at Arsenal. At the time I was 10 years old.
Once I began training at Arsenal I really felt at home there. Although I received other offers, from clubs such as Chelsea, Wimbledon and West Ham, I was never tempted to leave. Although I was training at Arsenal and enjoying my time there, it wasn't until the age of 14 that I really began to take my football seriously.
One of the coaches at Arsenal was a guy called Neil Banfield, and he first made me realise what I could achieve in football. He spent a lot of time with me helping me develop my footballing skills and also focusing my mind on becoming a footballer. He helped me improve so much that at the age of 14 I was offered a schoolboy contract. I owe a lot to Neil and I have no doubt that he has played a major part in where I am today.
II: WINNING THE FA YOUTH CUP WITH ARSENAL
After signing my schoolboy contract my game continued to improve and at 16 I was offered a two-year full-time contract. This meant that I would be at the Arsenal training centre every day in the pursuit of my dream.
Arsenal, like every other club in the country, run an Under-17 and Under-19 team. I was lucky that everything went so well in my first year at the club that I played predominantly for the Under-19s. This is a great experience because not only does it get you used to playing with boys older and physically stronger than you, it also proves that the coaches have enough faith in your ability as a player. I was never nervous about playing in the older age group, because the way that I look at it, you only get a few chances in football to prove yourself, so you must always be prepared to take them.
Being part of the Under-19s set-up meant that I played in the most prestigious youth competition of all, the FA Youth Cup. Some great players have won this competition, players such as Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs. You only get two chances as a player to win this competition and I was fortunate that in my first year we won it. We played against Coventry in the final and to get my hands on the trophy was a very proud moment for me.
I was also fortunate that while I was at Arsenal I became part of the England youth set-up. This is something I enjoy. I love testing myself against the best young players in Europe and I have been to places like Italy and Israel. International football is great because it tests your technique to the limit and also makes you think more about the game.
In my second year at Arsenal I began playing with the reserves. Again, this was a chance to test myself alongside players who have played for the first team. I have played with the likes of Martin Keown, Edu and Ashley Cole. It is great that the coaches at Arsenal had so much faith in me to put me in the reserves. When people such as Don Howe (Head Youth Coach) and Liam Brady (Head Youth Development Officer) tell you what a good player they think you are, it is a huge boost.
III: TURNING PRO
Being at Arsenal was fantastic. They are one of the best clubs in the world. I watched players like Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira in training and I learned a lot from them. Dennis is a player who thinks about the game, while Vieira has enormous presence.
To me though, my role-model at the club was Ashley Cole. He is a player who I have played with and is someone who has been at Arsenal from a young age. He has gone right through the Arsenal youth system and into the first team and is a crucial member of the full England squad. He is a great player.
Icons
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Warren Neil Finally Listed on The Club's Site
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A couple of weeks after Warren Neil's coaching assistance was reported on the boards and then in the local press; and a few days after manager John Gregory finally made reference to it in some statements...Warren Neil has now been added to the club directory. (Meanwhile the suspended Richard Hill and Tony Roberts, who it was reported had been suspended (or departed) remain listed as coaches)
Official Site -First Team Coaching Staff
Manager - John Gregory
Coach - Richard Hill & Warren Neill
Sports Performance Manager - Joe Dunbar
Goalkeeper Coach - Tony Roberts
Official Site
From March 19 - QPR OFFICIAL SITE - A HELPING HAND
The Club can confirm that former R's defender Warren Neill is currently assisting Manager John Gregory.
However, contrary to reports in today's national press, Neill is only working on a part-time basis and has not replaced assistant manager Richard Hill.
Hill is currently suspended by the Club, pending an on-going internal enquiry into his involvement in the behind-closed-doors friendly against the Chinese Olympic team on February 9th.
Gregory told www.qpr.co.uk: "Warren is doing an old friend a favour for the time being.
"He's a very experienced guy and is QPR through and through. He spent three years here as our Assistant Academy Director and is certainly no stranger to coaching on the training ground. The situation regarding Richard Hill hasn't changed.''
Neill, 44, is a former Rangers team-mate of Gregory and a lifelong fan of the club. He was an apprentice at Loftus Road before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup Final against Oxford four years later.
Neill moved to Portsmouth and had a brief spell at Watford, before returning to QPR as a coach after his playing career ended. QPR
Last week: Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times on Warren Neil
JG turns to an old mate
WARREN Neill has no plans for a permanent return to QPR - despite answering John Gregory's SOS call to assist him on the training ground.
The former Rangers full-back has stepped into the breach left by the suspension of Gregory's right-hand man Richard Hill and will assume coaching duties on a short-term basis.
Neill was previously manager of QPR's successful under-19 team until the club's slide into administration - and subsequent downgrading from Academy status - cost him his job.
But Neill, who works as a London taxi driver, said: "Obviously I'll be doing something different for the next few weeks, but it's just until the end of the season.
"I've known John for along time and basically I'm just helping out a friend, simple as that. If anything happens after the end of the season, I'll think about it then."
Neill's sentiments are highly reminiscent of those voiced by another of his former QPR team-mates, Alan McDonald, when he returned to assist Gary Waddock just over a year ago.
McDonald stayed on as assistant manager when Waddock landed the top job - but was sacked, ironically to make way for Hill, after Gregory took over the hotseat in September.
Hill was suspended following an investigation into the punch-up between QPR staff and the Chinese Olympic team last month and is facing an FA charge of violent conduct.
He was also questioned by police on suspicion of actual bodily harm and, although no charges have been brought against Hill, he is highly unlikely to return to his role at Loftus Road.
Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini wants Gregory to sign a new two-year contract when his initial deal runs out, but has made it clear that no such offer will be made to Hill.
If Gregory has to appoint a new assistant, 44-year-old Neill - a veteran of more than 200 appearances in the blue and white hoops - could fit the bill.
The Acton-born right-back emerged through the ranks and made a real impact on the Rs' first team during their run to the FA Cup final of 1982, featuring in the replay against Tottenham.
He was also a key member of the side that lifted the Division Two title a year later, qualified for the UEFA Cup and also reached the Milk Cup final in 1986.
Moving to Portsmouth in 1988, he was briefly reunited with Gregory - taking his first step in management at Fratton Park - and spent another eight years on the south coast.
After finishing his career with Watford, Neill moved into coaching and led Rangers' under-19 side to the national championship final in 2001, only to be axed that summer.
But he was back in the dugout alongside Gregory for last Saturday's 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, a game which saw Spanish playmaker Inigo Idiakez make his debut after signing on loan from Southampton...." Kilburn Times
Also reported last week by Dave McIntyre: Warren Neill back in the Fold -Ex defender fills the void left by departure of assistant manager - By David McIntyre/Essex Gazette
Former QPR defender Warren Neill has joined manager John Gregory's backroom team.
Neill will help Gregory until the end of the season after assistant boss Richard Hill was axed following the brawl between a QPR reserve side and the Chinese Olympic team last month.
Hill will not face police charges having been arrested after the incident, but he will face an FA charge of violent conduct and chairman Gianni Paladini does not want him back at Loftus Road.
Neill, 44, is a former Rangers team-mate of Gregory and a lifelong fan of the club.
He was an apprentice at Loftus Road before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup final against Oxford four years later.
Neill moved to Portsmouth and had a brief spell at Watford before returning to QPR as a coach after his playing career ended.
He was the academy director before losing his job after Rangers went into administration in 2001. Gazette
A couple of weeks after Warren Neil's coaching assistance was reported on the boards and then in the local press; and a few days after manager John Gregory finally made reference to it in some statements...Warren Neil has now been added to the club directory. (Meanwhile the suspended Richard Hill and Tony Roberts, who it was reported had been suspended (or departed) remain listed as coaches)
Official Site -First Team Coaching Staff
Manager - John Gregory
Coach - Richard Hill & Warren Neill
Sports Performance Manager - Joe Dunbar
Goalkeeper Coach - Tony Roberts
Official Site
From March 19 - QPR OFFICIAL SITE - A HELPING HAND
The Club can confirm that former R's defender Warren Neill is currently assisting Manager John Gregory.
However, contrary to reports in today's national press, Neill is only working on a part-time basis and has not replaced assistant manager Richard Hill.
Hill is currently suspended by the Club, pending an on-going internal enquiry into his involvement in the behind-closed-doors friendly against the Chinese Olympic team on February 9th.
Gregory told www.qpr.co.uk: "Warren is doing an old friend a favour for the time being.
"He's a very experienced guy and is QPR through and through. He spent three years here as our Assistant Academy Director and is certainly no stranger to coaching on the training ground. The situation regarding Richard Hill hasn't changed.''
Neill, 44, is a former Rangers team-mate of Gregory and a lifelong fan of the club. He was an apprentice at Loftus Road before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup Final against Oxford four years later.
Neill moved to Portsmouth and had a brief spell at Watford, before returning to QPR as a coach after his playing career ended. QPR
Last week: Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times on Warren Neil
JG turns to an old mate
WARREN Neill has no plans for a permanent return to QPR - despite answering John Gregory's SOS call to assist him on the training ground.
The former Rangers full-back has stepped into the breach left by the suspension of Gregory's right-hand man Richard Hill and will assume coaching duties on a short-term basis.
Neill was previously manager of QPR's successful under-19 team until the club's slide into administration - and subsequent downgrading from Academy status - cost him his job.
But Neill, who works as a London taxi driver, said: "Obviously I'll be doing something different for the next few weeks, but it's just until the end of the season.
"I've known John for along time and basically I'm just helping out a friend, simple as that. If anything happens after the end of the season, I'll think about it then."
Neill's sentiments are highly reminiscent of those voiced by another of his former QPR team-mates, Alan McDonald, when he returned to assist Gary Waddock just over a year ago.
McDonald stayed on as assistant manager when Waddock landed the top job - but was sacked, ironically to make way for Hill, after Gregory took over the hotseat in September.
Hill was suspended following an investigation into the punch-up between QPR staff and the Chinese Olympic team last month and is facing an FA charge of violent conduct.
He was also questioned by police on suspicion of actual bodily harm and, although no charges have been brought against Hill, he is highly unlikely to return to his role at Loftus Road.
Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini wants Gregory to sign a new two-year contract when his initial deal runs out, but has made it clear that no such offer will be made to Hill.
If Gregory has to appoint a new assistant, 44-year-old Neill - a veteran of more than 200 appearances in the blue and white hoops - could fit the bill.
The Acton-born right-back emerged through the ranks and made a real impact on the Rs' first team during their run to the FA Cup final of 1982, featuring in the replay against Tottenham.
He was also a key member of the side that lifted the Division Two title a year later, qualified for the UEFA Cup and also reached the Milk Cup final in 1986.
Moving to Portsmouth in 1988, he was briefly reunited with Gregory - taking his first step in management at Fratton Park - and spent another eight years on the south coast.
After finishing his career with Watford, Neill moved into coaching and led Rangers' under-19 side to the national championship final in 2001, only to be axed that summer.
But he was back in the dugout alongside Gregory for last Saturday's 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, a game which saw Spanish playmaker Inigo Idiakez make his debut after signing on loan from Southampton...." Kilburn Times
Also reported last week by Dave McIntyre: Warren Neill back in the Fold -Ex defender fills the void left by departure of assistant manager - By David McIntyre/Essex Gazette
Former QPR defender Warren Neill has joined manager John Gregory's backroom team.
Neill will help Gregory until the end of the season after assistant boss Richard Hill was axed following the brawl between a QPR reserve side and the Chinese Olympic team last month.
Hill will not face police charges having been arrested after the incident, but he will face an FA charge of violent conduct and chairman Gianni Paladini does not want him back at Loftus Road.
Neill, 44, is a former Rangers team-mate of Gregory and a lifelong fan of the club.
He was an apprentice at Loftus Road before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup final against Oxford four years later.
Neill moved to Portsmouth and had a brief spell at Watford before returning to QPR as a coach after his playing career ended.
He was the academy director before losing his job after Rangers went into administration in 2001. Gazette
Ex-QPR Birthdays: Mike Keen and Gary Micklewhite
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Today's "QPR Birthday:" - Gary Micklewhite, turning 46. And a slightly belated birthday to 1967 Hero and Captain, Mike Keen, whose birthday was a couple of days ago (sharing that date with Roy Wegerle and Andy Sinton). Keen turned 67 .
Keen made more than 400 QPR appearances from 1959 to 1968/1969, midfielder/winghalf and Captain, Mike Keen. Captained QPR from 3rd to 1st Division and in the League Cup Final.
Keen was probably not very well treated by QPR at the end. He was sold to Alec Stock's Luton when we were in our Relegation Fight...and Keen then proceeded to lead Luton to promotion out of Division 3 (and returned to Loftus Road with Luton in 1970/71, scoring the winning goal!). Keen then joined Watford. Managed Watford and Northampton and then-non-League Wycombe,. Was briefly a coach at QPR when Frank Sibley was manager. His son played for West Ham and Wolves. Keen was recently back at Loftus Road with several members of the 1967 squad.
From Sunday Times, April 6 2003 "Where are they now"
"Mike Keen - One of the old school of half-backs Keen was a skilful player who enjoyed delivering long passes, and he was a strong, clinical tackler. He was a QPR stalwart who joined the club in 1958, and played in 393 League matches. After a change of managers, he moved to Luton before finishing his playing career at Watford. He was appointed manager at Vicarage Road and enjoyed four years at the club, where he set about engendering the spirit he had experienced as a player at Loftus Road. He managed Northampton for a year before taking charge of Wycombe part-time and then Marlow while he concentrated on running Sport and Ski, a shop in Wycombe. He lives in Flackwell Heath in Buckinghamshire, and is manager of a shop in Oxfordshire that sells outdoor gear and ski equipment." Paper
See Also:
Photo (Front row, sitting next to Chairman, Jim Gregory) - Photo
Also: Wycombe Profile
GARY MICKLEWHITE
Micklewhite was signed from Manchester United on a free transfer by Tommy Docherty but was given his chance by Terry Venables. Micklewhite was a substitute for Clive Allen in the FA Cup Final and played in the replay. He got the last-minute 5th goal in QPR's magical 5-5 draw against Newcastle in 1984-1985.
FROM WYCOMBE Fan Site -Gary Micklewhite in Profile
Born: Southwark 21 March 1961
Playing Career:Manchester United March 1978-May 1979 (apprentice)QPR July 1979-Feb 1985 127 apps-17 goalsDerby County Feb 1985-May 1993 288 apps-43 goalsGillingham July 1993-May 1996 113 apps-4 goals
Gary Micklewhite came to Wycombe at the start of the 1998/99 season as Assistant to Neil Smillie. He had spent the previous two seasons as Youth Team Manager at QPR and was a team-mate of Neil Smillie during his final playing years at Gillingham.
Micklewhite began his professional football at Old Trafford under the reigns of Tommy Docherty but he never made the first team. Then in the summer of 1979, with Docherty now at QPR, he arrived on a free and began a succesful spell at Loftus Road. In 1982 he appeared in both games against Spurs in the FA Cup Final at Wembley - playing in midfield alongside former Wycombe Manager John Gregory. A year later he gained a Division Two Championship with Rangers. A £90,000 move to Derby County in 1985 began an eight year spell at The Baseball Ground before his move to Gillingham. Wycombe
Today's "QPR Birthday:" - Gary Micklewhite, turning 46. And a slightly belated birthday to 1967 Hero and Captain, Mike Keen, whose birthday was a couple of days ago (sharing that date with Roy Wegerle and Andy Sinton). Keen turned 67 .
Keen made more than 400 QPR appearances from 1959 to 1968/1969, midfielder/winghalf and Captain, Mike Keen. Captained QPR from 3rd to 1st Division and in the League Cup Final.
Keen was probably not very well treated by QPR at the end. He was sold to Alec Stock's Luton when we were in our Relegation Fight...and Keen then proceeded to lead Luton to promotion out of Division 3 (and returned to Loftus Road with Luton in 1970/71, scoring the winning goal!). Keen then joined Watford. Managed Watford and Northampton and then-non-League Wycombe,. Was briefly a coach at QPR when Frank Sibley was manager. His son played for West Ham and Wolves. Keen was recently back at Loftus Road with several members of the 1967 squad.
From Sunday Times, April 6 2003 "Where are they now"
"Mike Keen - One of the old school of half-backs Keen was a skilful player who enjoyed delivering long passes, and he was a strong, clinical tackler. He was a QPR stalwart who joined the club in 1958, and played in 393 League matches. After a change of managers, he moved to Luton before finishing his playing career at Watford. He was appointed manager at Vicarage Road and enjoyed four years at the club, where he set about engendering the spirit he had experienced as a player at Loftus Road. He managed Northampton for a year before taking charge of Wycombe part-time and then Marlow while he concentrated on running Sport and Ski, a shop in Wycombe. He lives in Flackwell Heath in Buckinghamshire, and is manager of a shop in Oxfordshire that sells outdoor gear and ski equipment." Paper
See Also:
Photo (Front row, sitting next to Chairman, Jim Gregory) - Photo
Also: Wycombe Profile
GARY MICKLEWHITE
Micklewhite was signed from Manchester United on a free transfer by Tommy Docherty but was given his chance by Terry Venables. Micklewhite was a substitute for Clive Allen in the FA Cup Final and played in the replay. He got the last-minute 5th goal in QPR's magical 5-5 draw against Newcastle in 1984-1985.
FROM WYCOMBE Fan Site -Gary Micklewhite in Profile
Born: Southwark 21 March 1961
Playing Career:Manchester United March 1978-May 1979 (apprentice)QPR July 1979-Feb 1985 127 apps-17 goalsDerby County Feb 1985-May 1993 288 apps-43 goalsGillingham July 1993-May 1996 113 apps-4 goals
Gary Micklewhite came to Wycombe at the start of the 1998/99 season as Assistant to Neil Smillie. He had spent the previous two seasons as Youth Team Manager at QPR and was a team-mate of Neil Smillie during his final playing years at Gillingham.
Micklewhite began his professional football at Old Trafford under the reigns of Tommy Docherty but he never made the first team. Then in the summer of 1979, with Docherty now at QPR, he arrived on a free and began a succesful spell at Loftus Road. In 1982 he appeared in both games against Spurs in the FA Cup Final at Wembley - playing in midfield alongside former Wycombe Manager John Gregory. A year later he gained a Division Two Championship with Rangers. A £90,000 move to Derby County in 1985 began an eight year spell at The Baseball Ground before his move to Gillingham. Wycombe
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
No Loan Striker Coming...Paladini Denies Any Loftus Road Sale
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Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - 20 March 2007
No more Ins after Inigo
Inigo Idiakez will be QPR's last signing before the end of the season
QPR manager John Gregory is not planning any further additions to his squad ahead of tomorrow's Football League loan transfer deadline.
The Rs had been struggling for goals until last weekend's 3-1 victory at Leicester, but Gregory does not anticipate any last-minute attempts to increase his front line options.
He told the Times: "It'd be difficult for us to bring in a loan signing who could slide into the team effortlessly, so I think that's going to be it until the end of the season.
"Anyone who's got a striker isn't going to let him go at this stage of the season, so we'll see how we go with the four who are battling for places at the moment."
The first of Rangers' three goals at the Walkers Stadium came from Inigo Idiakez, the midfield playmaker who is on loan from Southampton until Easter.
And Gregory confirmed that he will discuss the possibility of extending that arrangement with Saints manager George Burley around the end of next week.
"The option's there for Southampton to take him back after 28 days," said the Rangers boss. "It helps Inigo to be playing and getting match fitness and if they need him to go back he'll be up to speed.
"They've got a chance of going into the play-offs, so he could play some part in that if necessary. But he could also help take points off their promotion rivals while he's with us.
"That was part of my selling plan to George. I'll probably discuss it with him a week or so before the loan ends and see what he wants to do."
The Spanish midfield star, 33, only moved to Southampton at the start of this season following two successful years with Derby, where he played alongside current QPR team-mates Adam Bolder, Lee Camp and Dexter Blackstock.
CHAIRMAN Gianni Paladini has firmly denied internet rumours that the club have agreed the £24m sale of Loftus Road to clear their debts.
Stories circulating on supporters' messageboards last week reported that Rangers would have to quit Loftus Road in 2009 and share with neighbours Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Proceeds from the sale, according to the report, would then be used to pay off debts and finance construction of a new stadium on the Dairycrest site at nearby Scrubs Lane.
The Dairycrest option was considered by potential investors around six years ago, but Paladini insisted there was no such plan in the offing now.
He said: "There's nothing at all in this story - it's a load of nonsense. Loftus Road is our home and there's no way in the world we are moving anywhere. Kilburn Times
Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - 20 March 2007
No more Ins after Inigo
Inigo Idiakez will be QPR's last signing before the end of the season
QPR manager John Gregory is not planning any further additions to his squad ahead of tomorrow's Football League loan transfer deadline.
The Rs had been struggling for goals until last weekend's 3-1 victory at Leicester, but Gregory does not anticipate any last-minute attempts to increase his front line options.
He told the Times: "It'd be difficult for us to bring in a loan signing who could slide into the team effortlessly, so I think that's going to be it until the end of the season.
"Anyone who's got a striker isn't going to let him go at this stage of the season, so we'll see how we go with the four who are battling for places at the moment."
The first of Rangers' three goals at the Walkers Stadium came from Inigo Idiakez, the midfield playmaker who is on loan from Southampton until Easter.
And Gregory confirmed that he will discuss the possibility of extending that arrangement with Saints manager George Burley around the end of next week.
"The option's there for Southampton to take him back after 28 days," said the Rangers boss. "It helps Inigo to be playing and getting match fitness and if they need him to go back he'll be up to speed.
"They've got a chance of going into the play-offs, so he could play some part in that if necessary. But he could also help take points off their promotion rivals while he's with us.
"That was part of my selling plan to George. I'll probably discuss it with him a week or so before the loan ends and see what he wants to do."
The Spanish midfield star, 33, only moved to Southampton at the start of this season following two successful years with Derby, where he played alongside current QPR team-mates Adam Bolder, Lee Camp and Dexter Blackstock.
CHAIRMAN Gianni Paladini has firmly denied internet rumours that the club have agreed the £24m sale of Loftus Road to clear their debts.
Stories circulating on supporters' messageboards last week reported that Rangers would have to quit Loftus Road in 2009 and share with neighbours Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Proceeds from the sale, according to the report, would then be used to pay off debts and finance construction of a new stadium on the Dairycrest site at nearby Scrubs Lane.
The Dairycrest option was considered by potential investors around six years ago, but Paladini insisted there was no such plan in the offing now.
He said: "There's nothing at all in this story - it's a load of nonsense. Loftus Road is our home and there's no way in the world we are moving anywhere. Kilburn Times
25 Years Ago Today: Yet Another Clive Allen Hattrick
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Twenty-Five Years Ago Today: March 20, 1982:
Terry Venables Promotion Chasing/FA Cup Winning (just failed on both) team crushed Charlton 4-0 with (another!) hatrick from Clive Allen and one from Terry Fenwick. (A few weeks after this victory, QPR crushed Bolton 7-1!)
QPR's team that day against Charlton: QPR's present manager, John Gregory was absent - as was QPR's previous manager, Gary Waddock. But QPR's current acting assistant, Warren Neil did play in that game.
Hucker
Gillard Roeder Hazell Newil
Flangan Fenwick CurrieMikclewhite
Stainrod Allen
Sub Burke
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today: March 20, 1982:
Terry Venables Promotion Chasing/FA Cup Winning (just failed on both) team crushed Charlton 4-0 with (another!) hatrick from Clive Allen and one from Terry Fenwick. (A few weeks after this victory, QPR crushed Bolton 7-1!)
QPR's team that day against Charlton: QPR's present manager, John Gregory was absent - as was QPR's previous manager, Gary Waddock. But QPR's current acting assistant, Warren Neil did play in that game.
Hucker
Gillard Roeder Hazell Newil
Flangan Fenwick CurrieMikclewhite
Stainrod Allen
Sub Burke
Marking Six Months Since John Gregory Took Over at QPR
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Today marks the half-Year mark since John Gregory replaced Gary Waddock as QPR manager. (Initially Waddock was said to be be staying as Gregory's assistant)
Gregory came in after 8 games, including final losses at Colchester in the Championship and Port Vale in the League Cup.
Waddock's record this season was Played 8. 1 win - 3 draws and 4 losses
[His record since taking over last season: 3 wins in 22 games. One win in the past 19 games. (In his 14 games at the end of 2005/06, QPR had 2 wins, 5 draws, 7 losses - and those 2 wins coming in Waddock's first 3 games in charge)
This Season under Waddock - Played 8: 1 Win. 3 Draws. 4 Losses - 6 points points
L - Burnley 2-0 QPR
D - QPR 2-2 Leeds
W - QPR 2-0
D - Preston 1-1 QPR
L - QPR 1-3 Ipswich
D - Plymouth 1-1 QPR
L - QPR 0-2 Birmingham
L - Colchester 2-1 QPR
In addition to the results, there were a number of players who were signed in the summer, many of them have since moved on. The degree to which Waddock was fully responsible for those signings is unclear.
Gregory's record thus far: Played 30 - 9 wins - 7 Draws - 14 losses- 34 Points (There have been a number of good loan signings under Gregory)
[See Waddock's Managerial Record - Record]
September 20, 2006 - OFFICIAL SITE - GREGORY APPOINTED
John Gregory has been appointed as QPR First Team Manager with immediate effect.
Gary Waddock will now work under the former Aston Villa boss in an Assistant Manager's role.
In an exclusive interview with www.qpr.co.uk, Chairman Gianni Paladini revealed his delight at the appointment: "It's a fantastic scoop for the Club.
"John is a proven manager at the highest level and is very eager to get back in to the managerial game.
"He's sat down with Gary and talked everything through and the situation is perfect as we look to climb the Championship table.
"I'd like to wish the pair of them the very best in their new roles.''
Gregory - who has been out of the game since leaving Derby County in 2003 - commented: "I'm back in the hot-seat and it's a huge challenge.
"QPR are very close to my heart and it's a fantastic opportunity for me.
"This is a job I can very much get my teeth into and I'm relishing the challenge that lies ahead.
"Winning matches is what matters most in the business and we aim to do that, starting Saturday.''
Waddock said: "It's the right decision for the club, I'm just thankful that Gianni thinks enough of me to keep me here as Assistant Manager.
"I look forward to working with John, we both played together under Terry Venables and have the same work ethic.
"I'll learn a lot from him and I'm sure that this appointment will benefit the club I love."
BBC - Gregory appointed as new QPR boss
Gregory makes his return after three-and-a-half years
Queens Park Rangers have unveiled John Gregory as their new manager, with former boss Gary Waddock handed the job of first-team coach.
Former Aston Villa boss Gregory, 51, returns to management three-and-a-half years after leaving Derby.
Waddock replaced the sacked Ian Holloway in February and was handed the position full-time in the summer.
But the former QPR midfielder has struggled and Gregory takes over with the club bottom of the Championship.
QPR have won just one league game this season and were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Port Vale on Tuesday evening.
Gregory, a close friend of Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini, began his managerial career at Portsmouth and he also had a spell at Plymouth.
He took over at Wycombe Wanderers in October 1996, where he helped the team avoid relegation and remained in charge for two years.
The former England midfielder took over at Villa in the 1997/98 season and during the four years under Gregory's management Villa never finished outside the top eight in the Premiership.
He has also managed Derby and has been out of management since leaving the Rams in March 2003.
SKY SPORTS - Rangers turn to Gregory
Queens Park Rangers have appointed John Gregory as their new manager with Gary Waddock becoming his assistant.
The Rangers board have lost patience with Waddock and have turned to Gregory to try and transform their fortunes.
Rangers have endured a terrible run of form lately, culminating in their 3-2 defeat to Port vale in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.
The Loftus Road outfit are currently languishing at the bottom of The Championship and have won only one league game all term.
Waddock only took charge of Rangers in February after Ian Holloway left the club and was handed the job on a permanent basis in the summer.
Waddock has struggled since taking over and won just four of his 24 games in charge.
Gregory has been out of work since March 2003 after leaving Derby County.
Gregory, who is a former QPR player, will be given the task of helping the side climb out of trouble and he knows he faces a huge challenge.
"I'm back in the hot-seat and it's a huge challenge," Gregory told the club's official website.
"QPR are very close to my heart and it's a fantastic opportunity for me.
"This is a job I can very much get my teeth into and I'm relishing the challenge that lies ahead.
"Winning matches is what matters most in the business and we aim to do that, starting Saturday.''
GUARDIAN -Gregory resurfaces at QPR
New appointment sees Waddock moves to first-team coach
Gregory resurfaces at QPR - Bottom-of-the-Championship QPR think John Gregory is the man to halt their downward slide. Anyone else?
QPR today unveiled John Gregory as their new manager, with former boss Gary Waddock handed the job of first-team coach.
Former Aston Villa and Derby manager Gregory is a close friend of Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini, and takes over with the club bottom of the Championship. The 51-year-old returns to management three-and-a-half years after leaving Derby.
"John is a proven manager at the highest level and is very eager to back into the managerial game," said Paladini. "It's a fantastic scoop for the club."
Waddock replaced Ian Holloway in February and was handed the position full-time in the summer. But the former QPR midfielder has struggled, winning just three league games during his Loftus Park reign, and saw his team knocked out of the Carling Cup by Port Vale last night
TEAMTALK - GREGORY FACT FILE
1954: Born Scunthorpe, May 11.
1970: Joins Northampton as a trainee.
1972: Signs professionally for Northampton and goes on to make 187 league appearances.
1977: Joins Aston Villa for £40,000, making 65 league appearances and scoring 10 goals.
1979: Moves to Brighton for £250,000.
1981: Signs for QPR in a £300,000 deal.
1982: Part of the QPR team who lose in the FA Cup final to Tottenham after a replay.
1983: Wins the first of six full England caps against Australia.
1985: Moves to Derby for £100,000.
1988: Retires and becomes assistant manager to Alan Ball at Portsmouth.
1989: Becomes Pompey manager when Ball is sacked.
1990: Sacked by Portsmouth, who are 23rd in the Second Division after a run of two victories in nine matches. Plays briefly for Plymouth and Bolton on a non-contract basis.
1991: Joins Leicester as coach to Brian Little.
1994: Follows Little to Aston Villa, becoming first team coach.
1996: Appointed manager of Second Division Wycombe after Alan Smith is sacked. Steers side from second bottom to safety.
1998: January - Succeeds Little as manager of Aston Villa.
August - Claims he could have 'shot' Dwight Yorke after striker revealed he wanted to go to Manchester United before his eventual £12.6million move.
2000: Leads Villa to the FA Cup final where they lose 1-0 to Chelsea, Roberto di Matteo scoring the winner.
December - Raps chairman Doug Ellis, claiming his boss is 'stuck in a time warp'. Ellis responds by accusing Gregory of 'talking big but acting small'.
2001: After an eighth-place finish in the Premiership, Gregory guides Villa into the UEFA Cup after a successful Intertoto Cup campaign. The European adventure is brief though as Croatian outsiders Varteks humiliate the former European champions in the first round.
2002: January 24 - Resigns as Villa manager, citing the 'pressures of the job'.
January 30 - Takes over as manager at Derby following the departure of Colin Todd but cannot help the club stave off relegation from the Premiership.
August 10 - The Rams begin the new season in fine style with a 3-0 win over Reading but it does not last with the club spending most of the campaign in the bottom half of the table.
2003: March 21 - Gregory, already under pressure due to the club's poor form, is suspended following allegations that midfielder Craig Burley was mistreated whilst injured.
May 29 - Derby uphold their decision, following appeal by Gregory.
2006: September 20 - Appointed manager of QPR.
See: QPR Report - Gregory Takes Over
See Also re Gregory & QPR:
QPR Report - Gregory Warns of Relegation Fight
QPR Report - Gregory (and Paladini) Comments after First Game
QPR Report
QPR Report - Gregory on Players
QPR Report
QPR Report - Gregory (and Paladini) Fan Forum
QPR Report - Fan Forum Report
QPR Report - Waddock Departs
Today marks the half-Year mark since John Gregory replaced Gary Waddock as QPR manager. (Initially Waddock was said to be be staying as Gregory's assistant)
Gregory came in after 8 games, including final losses at Colchester in the Championship and Port Vale in the League Cup.
Waddock's record this season was Played 8. 1 win - 3 draws and 4 losses
[His record since taking over last season: 3 wins in 22 games. One win in the past 19 games. (In his 14 games at the end of 2005/06, QPR had 2 wins, 5 draws, 7 losses - and those 2 wins coming in Waddock's first 3 games in charge)
This Season under Waddock - Played 8: 1 Win. 3 Draws. 4 Losses - 6 points points
L - Burnley 2-0 QPR
D - QPR 2-2 Leeds
W - QPR 2-0
D - Preston 1-1 QPR
L - QPR 1-3 Ipswich
D - Plymouth 1-1 QPR
L - QPR 0-2 Birmingham
L - Colchester 2-1 QPR
In addition to the results, there were a number of players who were signed in the summer, many of them have since moved on. The degree to which Waddock was fully responsible for those signings is unclear.
Gregory's record thus far: Played 30 - 9 wins - 7 Draws - 14 losses- 34 Points (There have been a number of good loan signings under Gregory)
[See Waddock's Managerial Record - Record]
September 20, 2006 - OFFICIAL SITE - GREGORY APPOINTED
John Gregory has been appointed as QPR First Team Manager with immediate effect.
Gary Waddock will now work under the former Aston Villa boss in an Assistant Manager's role.
In an exclusive interview with www.qpr.co.uk, Chairman Gianni Paladini revealed his delight at the appointment: "It's a fantastic scoop for the Club.
"John is a proven manager at the highest level and is very eager to get back in to the managerial game.
"He's sat down with Gary and talked everything through and the situation is perfect as we look to climb the Championship table.
"I'd like to wish the pair of them the very best in their new roles.''
Gregory - who has been out of the game since leaving Derby County in 2003 - commented: "I'm back in the hot-seat and it's a huge challenge.
"QPR are very close to my heart and it's a fantastic opportunity for me.
"This is a job I can very much get my teeth into and I'm relishing the challenge that lies ahead.
"Winning matches is what matters most in the business and we aim to do that, starting Saturday.''
Waddock said: "It's the right decision for the club, I'm just thankful that Gianni thinks enough of me to keep me here as Assistant Manager.
"I look forward to working with John, we both played together under Terry Venables and have the same work ethic.
"I'll learn a lot from him and I'm sure that this appointment will benefit the club I love."
BBC - Gregory appointed as new QPR boss
Gregory makes his return after three-and-a-half years
Queens Park Rangers have unveiled John Gregory as their new manager, with former boss Gary Waddock handed the job of first-team coach.
Former Aston Villa boss Gregory, 51, returns to management three-and-a-half years after leaving Derby.
Waddock replaced the sacked Ian Holloway in February and was handed the position full-time in the summer.
But the former QPR midfielder has struggled and Gregory takes over with the club bottom of the Championship.
QPR have won just one league game this season and were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Port Vale on Tuesday evening.
Gregory, a close friend of Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini, began his managerial career at Portsmouth and he also had a spell at Plymouth.
He took over at Wycombe Wanderers in October 1996, where he helped the team avoid relegation and remained in charge for two years.
The former England midfielder took over at Villa in the 1997/98 season and during the four years under Gregory's management Villa never finished outside the top eight in the Premiership.
He has also managed Derby and has been out of management since leaving the Rams in March 2003.
SKY SPORTS - Rangers turn to Gregory
Queens Park Rangers have appointed John Gregory as their new manager with Gary Waddock becoming his assistant.
The Rangers board have lost patience with Waddock and have turned to Gregory to try and transform their fortunes.
Rangers have endured a terrible run of form lately, culminating in their 3-2 defeat to Port vale in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.
The Loftus Road outfit are currently languishing at the bottom of The Championship and have won only one league game all term.
Waddock only took charge of Rangers in February after Ian Holloway left the club and was handed the job on a permanent basis in the summer.
Waddock has struggled since taking over and won just four of his 24 games in charge.
Gregory has been out of work since March 2003 after leaving Derby County.
Gregory, who is a former QPR player, will be given the task of helping the side climb out of trouble and he knows he faces a huge challenge.
"I'm back in the hot-seat and it's a huge challenge," Gregory told the club's official website.
"QPR are very close to my heart and it's a fantastic opportunity for me.
"This is a job I can very much get my teeth into and I'm relishing the challenge that lies ahead.
"Winning matches is what matters most in the business and we aim to do that, starting Saturday.''
GUARDIAN -Gregory resurfaces at QPR
New appointment sees Waddock moves to first-team coach
Gregory resurfaces at QPR - Bottom-of-the-Championship QPR think John Gregory is the man to halt their downward slide. Anyone else?
QPR today unveiled John Gregory as their new manager, with former boss Gary Waddock handed the job of first-team coach.
Former Aston Villa and Derby manager Gregory is a close friend of Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini, and takes over with the club bottom of the Championship. The 51-year-old returns to management three-and-a-half years after leaving Derby.
"John is a proven manager at the highest level and is very eager to back into the managerial game," said Paladini. "It's a fantastic scoop for the club."
Waddock replaced Ian Holloway in February and was handed the position full-time in the summer. But the former QPR midfielder has struggled, winning just three league games during his Loftus Park reign, and saw his team knocked out of the Carling Cup by Port Vale last night
TEAMTALK - GREGORY FACT FILE
1954: Born Scunthorpe, May 11.
1970: Joins Northampton as a trainee.
1972: Signs professionally for Northampton and goes on to make 187 league appearances.
1977: Joins Aston Villa for £40,000, making 65 league appearances and scoring 10 goals.
1979: Moves to Brighton for £250,000.
1981: Signs for QPR in a £300,000 deal.
1982: Part of the QPR team who lose in the FA Cup final to Tottenham after a replay.
1983: Wins the first of six full England caps against Australia.
1985: Moves to Derby for £100,000.
1988: Retires and becomes assistant manager to Alan Ball at Portsmouth.
1989: Becomes Pompey manager when Ball is sacked.
1990: Sacked by Portsmouth, who are 23rd in the Second Division after a run of two victories in nine matches. Plays briefly for Plymouth and Bolton on a non-contract basis.
1991: Joins Leicester as coach to Brian Little.
1994: Follows Little to Aston Villa, becoming first team coach.
1996: Appointed manager of Second Division Wycombe after Alan Smith is sacked. Steers side from second bottom to safety.
1998: January - Succeeds Little as manager of Aston Villa.
August - Claims he could have 'shot' Dwight Yorke after striker revealed he wanted to go to Manchester United before his eventual £12.6million move.
2000: Leads Villa to the FA Cup final where they lose 1-0 to Chelsea, Roberto di Matteo scoring the winner.
December - Raps chairman Doug Ellis, claiming his boss is 'stuck in a time warp'. Ellis responds by accusing Gregory of 'talking big but acting small'.
2001: After an eighth-place finish in the Premiership, Gregory guides Villa into the UEFA Cup after a successful Intertoto Cup campaign. The European adventure is brief though as Croatian outsiders Varteks humiliate the former European champions in the first round.
2002: January 24 - Resigns as Villa manager, citing the 'pressures of the job'.
January 30 - Takes over as manager at Derby following the departure of Colin Todd but cannot help the club stave off relegation from the Premiership.
August 10 - The Rams begin the new season in fine style with a 3-0 win over Reading but it does not last with the club spending most of the campaign in the bottom half of the table.
2003: March 21 - Gregory, already under pressure due to the club's poor form, is suspended following allegations that midfielder Craig Burley was mistreated whilst injured.
May 29 - Derby uphold their decision, following appeal by Gregory.
2006: September 20 - Appointed manager of QPR.
See: QPR Report - Gregory Takes Over
See Also re Gregory & QPR:
QPR Report - Gregory Warns of Relegation Fight
QPR Report - Gregory (and Paladini) Comments after First Game
QPR Report
QPR Report - Gregory on Players
QPR Report
QPR Report - Gregory (and Paladini) Fan Forum
QPR Report - Fan Forum Report
QPR Report - Waddock Departs
Monday, March 19, 2007
Chairman Paladini: Commemorating Three Years Since QPR Came into His Life
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Question: What made you want to invest in Queens Park Rangers, even though we are best team in London and the Championship?
Gianni Paladini Answer"I was initially interested in Port Vale but that fell through. I first heard about QPR through my accountant and I went to the game against Wycombe where it was very windy and we came back from 2-0 down. I met Bill Power at the game and I got hooked. The club then asked me to help out and I did. QPR
Question: How have you ended up here then?
Gianni Paladini Answer :"Well I love football you know.....So I've been an agent all my life, and I was living in Lanzarote a few years ago but my daughter had a child and I wanted to spend more time with the family so I moved to Britain and started looking for a football club to get involved with.
I looked at Northampton, Rotherham, Derby County, Burnley and Port Vale. QPR were the last team on the list. There was a good atmosphere here, it's a really good club. I went to the game at High Wycombe in the wind and I thought this was a club I'd like to be involved in. Initially I was only a consultant but I'm not the kind of person that can just sit around and not do anything I like to be here everyday working hard...QPR Rivals QPR
And a match report of Paladini's First QPR Game
Wycombe Wanderers 2 Queens Park Rangers 2 Saturday 20th March 2004
Football League Division Two
Wanderers recorded their ninth draw in eleven games after they threw away a two goal lead to draw with promotion chasing Queens Park Rangers at a windswept Adams Park. In front of the biggest League gate of the season at Adams Park and with the wind behind them, Wanderers scored twice in three first half minutes through Matt Bloomfield and Craig Faulconbridge but things were levelled up after the break as the wind turned the game into a near lottery. Kevin Gallen pulled a goal back a minute after the re-start and then on 68 minutes 'Wanderers reject' Martin Rowlands floated in a cross/shot from the right wing that Steve Williams watched sail over his head and into the back of the net. Danny Senda came closest to winning it for Wycombe when he went close in the 75th minute while Williams made up for his earlier misjudgement when he made late saves to frustrate the large travelling contingent from West London.
Tony Adams made one change to the side that had drew in the week versus Colchester United - a not fully fit Jermaine McSporran dropping to the bench and Danny Senda moving forward to the right of midfield and Mark Rogers returning to the side at right back for his first appearance since Boxing Day.
The effect of the wind was difficult to gauge in the opening stages where Wycombe's best chance came on 7 minutes when Nathan Tyson dragged a shot wide from the left after a good through ball from Michael Simpson. It was Tyson who played a major part in both of Wycombe's goals. First on 26 minutes he raced in on the left side of the penalty but under challenge from Clarke Carlise the ball deflected across the face of the goal where Bloomfield was waiting to convert his first goal in Wycombe shirt. Three minutes later Tyson broke again down the left and this time centred for Faulconbridge to cooly finish for his first goal since February 2003.
Tyson was the centre of attention again three minutes before the break when he fought back to retrieve the ball down the right only for Carlisle to challenge roughly backed up by Marc Bircham. Tyson seemed to react by raising his arms to Carlisle and will probably be grateful for only picking up a yellow card along with the Rangers player.
Half-time Wycombe 2 QPR 0
It was disappointing from Wycombe's point of view to concede so soon after the re-start when Kevin Gallen made the most of poor defending from Wycombe as he was able to take a touch on the right side of goal before finishing past Williams. However, Wanderers almost restored their two goal advantage on 61 minutes when Currie's goalbound free-kick from the left seemed to be headed over by Faulconbridge from inside the Rangers six yard box.
QPR's equaliser will go down as freak goal - Rowlands slung in a cross from the right that swirled and dipped in the wind before nestling in the far corner of the net. Most onlookers would have made QPR favourites to win from this point but Wanderers stuck in there and there was a chance to claim victory when Steve Brown's through ball to Tyson on 75 minutes culminated in Simpson and finally Senda seeing their efforts on goal twarted. At the other Williams made an excellent save from a Gallen free-kick on 82 minutes and with five minutes left on the clock he pushed away another Gallen attempt to earn Wycombe their deserved point and perhaps in more favourable conditions it would have been three.
Final Score - Wycombe 2 QPR 2
Rangers boss Ian Holloway commented on the conditions that had spoiled the game as spectacle, commenting "It was a really surreal day. I've never seen wind affect a football match like that before - not even in my amateur days. It was the most bizarre half time experience of my life. I wanted to scream and shout - but I also didn't think it was necessary. I just knew we'd get back in it.". Meanwhile, Tony Adams said he thought at half time that the two goal lead was not going to be enough bit and was frustrated that Wanderers had conceded straight away after the break. The Wycombe gaffer also didn't concede that his team were relegated "They're giving me everything they've got and as a manager I can't ask for more from them. They haven't thrown the towel in yet and they haven't done since I've been here. We may only have eight games left to avoid the drop but we're going to keep fighting until the last. If we win the last eight games, we'll stay up. Are we going to win the last eight? We'll most definitely try and that's all we can do." Wycombe: Williams, Rogers (sub 87 McSporran), Vinnicombe, Johnson, Nethercott, Senda, Simpson, Currie (sub 77 Philo), Bloomfield, Faulconbridge (sub 63 Brown), Tyson - subs not used: Simpemba, Dixon
Bookings: Tyson (ungentlemanly conduct 42)
Scorers: Bloomfield (26), Faulconbridge (29)
QPR: Camp, Forbes (sub HT Edghill), Carlisle, Gnohere, Rowlands, McLeod (sub 75 Cureton), Bircham (sub 86 Bean), Johnson, Gallen, Thorpe, Furlong - subs not used Day, Palmer
Bookings: Carlisle (foul 42), Bircham (foul 59)
Scorers: Gallen (46), Rowlands (68)
Referee: Martin Atkinson Attendance: 7,634 (1,986 away end) Wycombe
Question: What made you want to invest in Queens Park Rangers, even though we are best team in London and the Championship?
Gianni Paladini Answer"I was initially interested in Port Vale but that fell through. I first heard about QPR through my accountant and I went to the game against Wycombe where it was very windy and we came back from 2-0 down. I met Bill Power at the game and I got hooked. The club then asked me to help out and I did. QPR
Question: How have you ended up here then?
Gianni Paladini Answer :"Well I love football you know.....So I've been an agent all my life, and I was living in Lanzarote a few years ago but my daughter had a child and I wanted to spend more time with the family so I moved to Britain and started looking for a football club to get involved with.
I looked at Northampton, Rotherham, Derby County, Burnley and Port Vale. QPR were the last team on the list. There was a good atmosphere here, it's a really good club. I went to the game at High Wycombe in the wind and I thought this was a club I'd like to be involved in. Initially I was only a consultant but I'm not the kind of person that can just sit around and not do anything I like to be here everyday working hard...QPR Rivals QPR
And a match report of Paladini's First QPR Game
Wycombe Wanderers 2 Queens Park Rangers 2 Saturday 20th March 2004
Football League Division Two
Wanderers recorded their ninth draw in eleven games after they threw away a two goal lead to draw with promotion chasing Queens Park Rangers at a windswept Adams Park. In front of the biggest League gate of the season at Adams Park and with the wind behind them, Wanderers scored twice in three first half minutes through Matt Bloomfield and Craig Faulconbridge but things were levelled up after the break as the wind turned the game into a near lottery. Kevin Gallen pulled a goal back a minute after the re-start and then on 68 minutes 'Wanderers reject' Martin Rowlands floated in a cross/shot from the right wing that Steve Williams watched sail over his head and into the back of the net. Danny Senda came closest to winning it for Wycombe when he went close in the 75th minute while Williams made up for his earlier misjudgement when he made late saves to frustrate the large travelling contingent from West London.
Tony Adams made one change to the side that had drew in the week versus Colchester United - a not fully fit Jermaine McSporran dropping to the bench and Danny Senda moving forward to the right of midfield and Mark Rogers returning to the side at right back for his first appearance since Boxing Day.
The effect of the wind was difficult to gauge in the opening stages where Wycombe's best chance came on 7 minutes when Nathan Tyson dragged a shot wide from the left after a good through ball from Michael Simpson. It was Tyson who played a major part in both of Wycombe's goals. First on 26 minutes he raced in on the left side of the penalty but under challenge from Clarke Carlise the ball deflected across the face of the goal where Bloomfield was waiting to convert his first goal in Wycombe shirt. Three minutes later Tyson broke again down the left and this time centred for Faulconbridge to cooly finish for his first goal since February 2003.
Tyson was the centre of attention again three minutes before the break when he fought back to retrieve the ball down the right only for Carlisle to challenge roughly backed up by Marc Bircham. Tyson seemed to react by raising his arms to Carlisle and will probably be grateful for only picking up a yellow card along with the Rangers player.
Half-time Wycombe 2 QPR 0
It was disappointing from Wycombe's point of view to concede so soon after the re-start when Kevin Gallen made the most of poor defending from Wycombe as he was able to take a touch on the right side of goal before finishing past Williams. However, Wanderers almost restored their two goal advantage on 61 minutes when Currie's goalbound free-kick from the left seemed to be headed over by Faulconbridge from inside the Rangers six yard box.
QPR's equaliser will go down as freak goal - Rowlands slung in a cross from the right that swirled and dipped in the wind before nestling in the far corner of the net. Most onlookers would have made QPR favourites to win from this point but Wanderers stuck in there and there was a chance to claim victory when Steve Brown's through ball to Tyson on 75 minutes culminated in Simpson and finally Senda seeing their efforts on goal twarted. At the other Williams made an excellent save from a Gallen free-kick on 82 minutes and with five minutes left on the clock he pushed away another Gallen attempt to earn Wycombe their deserved point and perhaps in more favourable conditions it would have been three.
Final Score - Wycombe 2 QPR 2
Rangers boss Ian Holloway commented on the conditions that had spoiled the game as spectacle, commenting "It was a really surreal day. I've never seen wind affect a football match like that before - not even in my amateur days. It was the most bizarre half time experience of my life. I wanted to scream and shout - but I also didn't think it was necessary. I just knew we'd get back in it.". Meanwhile, Tony Adams said he thought at half time that the two goal lead was not going to be enough bit and was frustrated that Wanderers had conceded straight away after the break. The Wycombe gaffer also didn't concede that his team were relegated "They're giving me everything they've got and as a manager I can't ask for more from them. They haven't thrown the towel in yet and they haven't done since I've been here. We may only have eight games left to avoid the drop but we're going to keep fighting until the last. If we win the last eight games, we'll stay up. Are we going to win the last eight? We'll most definitely try and that's all we can do." Wycombe: Williams, Rogers (sub 87 McSporran), Vinnicombe, Johnson, Nethercott, Senda, Simpson, Currie (sub 77 Philo), Bloomfield, Faulconbridge (sub 63 Brown), Tyson - subs not used: Simpemba, Dixon
Bookings: Tyson (ungentlemanly conduct 42)
Scorers: Bloomfield (26), Faulconbridge (29)
QPR: Camp, Forbes (sub HT Edghill), Carlisle, Gnohere, Rowlands, McLeod (sub 75 Cureton), Bircham (sub 86 Bean), Johnson, Gallen, Thorpe, Furlong - subs not used Day, Palmer
Bookings: Carlisle (foul 42), Bircham (foul 59)
Scorers: Gallen (46), Rowlands (68)
Referee: Martin Atkinson Attendance: 7,634 (1,986 away end) Wycombe
Two Ex-QPR Players Make Football League's "Teams of The Week"
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Congratulations to Jamie Cureton and Ian Evatt
Football League Official Site - Teams of the Week
"Each week the Official Football League website will bring you the Teams of the Week. Produced by the Press Association, the Teams of the Week feature the eleven top performing players from each division from this weekend's matches.' - Football League
Championship "Team of the Week" includes Jamie Cureton - Championship Team of the Week
Division One "Team of the Week" includes Ian Evatt - League OneTeam of the Week
Congratulations to Jamie Cureton and Ian Evatt
Football League Official Site - Teams of the Week
"Each week the Official Football League website will bring you the Teams of the Week. Produced by the Press Association, the Teams of the Week feature the eleven top performing players from each division from this weekend's matches.' - Football League
Championship "Team of the Week" includes Jamie Cureton - Championship Team of the Week
Division One "Team of the Week" includes Ian Evatt - League OneTeam of the Week
Club Statement re Warren Neil Helping Out at QPR
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More than a week after it was reported and discussed on a variety of messageboard fora, the Club finally makes an official statement about Warren Neil assisting John Gregory with coaching in the aftermath of the suspension of QPR Coach Richard Hill.
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - A HELPING HAND
The Club can confirm that former R's defender Warren Neill is currently assisting Manager John Gregory.
However, contrary to reports in today's national press, Neill is only working on a part-time basis and has not replaced assistant manager Richard Hill.
Hill is currently suspended by the Club, pending an on-going internal enquiry into his involvement in the behind-closed-doors friendly against the Chinese Olympic team on February 9th.
Gregory told www.qpr.co.uk: "Warren is doing an old friend a favour for the time being.
"He's a very experienced guy and is QPR through and through. He spent three years here as our Assistant Academy Director and is certainly no stranger to coaching on the training ground. The situation regarding Richard Hill hasn't changed.''
Neill, 44, is a former Rangers team-mate of Gregory and a lifelong fan of the club. He was an apprentice at Loftus Road before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup Final against Oxford four years later.
Neill moved to Portsmouth and had a brief spell at Watford, before returning to QPR as a coach after his playing career ended. QPR
And from today's Mirror:
Daily Mirror - 'PUNCH-UP' HILL GETS KO AT QPR By Aidan Magee 19/03/2007
RICHARD HILL has lost his job as QPR assistant manager in the wake of the brawl with the Chinese Olympic team.
Former Rangers defender Warren Neill has been brought in by manager John Gregory as a replacement until the end of the season.
Hill will not face police charges having been arrested after the infamous punch-up that left Chinese player Zheng Tao with a broken jaw. Mirror
More than a week after it was reported and discussed on a variety of messageboard fora, the Club finally makes an official statement about Warren Neil assisting John Gregory with coaching in the aftermath of the suspension of QPR Coach Richard Hill.
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - A HELPING HAND
The Club can confirm that former R's defender Warren Neill is currently assisting Manager John Gregory.
However, contrary to reports in today's national press, Neill is only working on a part-time basis and has not replaced assistant manager Richard Hill.
Hill is currently suspended by the Club, pending an on-going internal enquiry into his involvement in the behind-closed-doors friendly against the Chinese Olympic team on February 9th.
Gregory told www.qpr.co.uk: "Warren is doing an old friend a favour for the time being.
"He's a very experienced guy and is QPR through and through. He spent three years here as our Assistant Academy Director and is certainly no stranger to coaching on the training ground. The situation regarding Richard Hill hasn't changed.''
Neill, 44, is a former Rangers team-mate of Gregory and a lifelong fan of the club. He was an apprentice at Loftus Road before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup Final against Oxford four years later.
Neill moved to Portsmouth and had a brief spell at Watford, before returning to QPR as a coach after his playing career ended. QPR
And from today's Mirror:
Daily Mirror - 'PUNCH-UP' HILL GETS KO AT QPR By Aidan Magee 19/03/2007
RICHARD HILL has lost his job as QPR assistant manager in the wake of the brawl with the Chinese Olympic team.
Former Rangers defender Warren Neill has been brought in by manager John Gregory as a replacement until the end of the season.
Hill will not face police charges having been arrested after the infamous punch-up that left Chinese player Zheng Tao with a broken jaw. Mirror
On This Day: Genius's Debut...QPR Humiliation...QPR Birthdays
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On This Day: March 19
Forty-One years ago today, Rodney Marsh began his QPR Career
March 19, 1966: Marsh made his debut away to Peterborough. Drew 1-1 and didn't score.The team for Marsh's debut: Peter Springett -Langley, Hunt Sibley Watson - Lazarus, Keen, Roger Morgan, Allen, Collins Marsh.
Thiry-Eight Years Ago, Humiliation
March 19, 1969: Humiliation! Manchester United 8 QPR 1 (Marsh scored for QPR - one of four he scored that season!) AsI recall, the half time score was Man Ut 1 QPR 0 (or 2-1). Manchester United scored 4 of their goals in the last 15 minutes. It was a terrible season for QPR but this result was the worst!
QPR's Team
Spratley
Clement Hazell Hunt Watson
Glover I.Morgan Sibley
Clarke Marsh Leach
Sub: Keetch for Clarke
Manchester United
Willie Morgan 3, George Best 2, John Aston, Brian Kidd and Nobby Stiles got the goals.
Man Ut's Team included: Stepney, Fitzpatrick, Dunne, Crerand, James, Stiles, Morgan, Kidd, Aston, Law, Best
Birthdays Today: Andy Sinton and Roy Wegerle-
Also Birthday of brief QPR Signing, Warren Barton - Barton. Barton was born on the day of QPR's humiliating loss to Manchester United: March 19, 1969
Andy Sinton Turns 41: Born, March 19, 1966 Sinton Record
Signed by Trevor Francis from Brentford for 350,000 pounds. Sold 4 years later to Sheffield Wednesday for almost 3 million pouns
Roy Wegerle Turns 43 - Born March 19, 1964
Wegerle's Record
Don Howe's first signing when he became QPR manager. Signed from Luton for 1 million pounds. Sold a couple of years later by Gerry Francis to Blackburn for just over a million pounds.
On this Day 22 Years ago, two more goals for QPR Midfielder (and current manager) John Gregory! (as he scored 15 goals that season in QPR's Championship winning team under Terry Venables) in the 4-0 home win versus Rotherham (Goals also for Sealy and Hazell).
On This Day: March 19
Forty-One years ago today, Rodney Marsh began his QPR Career
March 19, 1966: Marsh made his debut away to Peterborough. Drew 1-1 and didn't score.The team for Marsh's debut: Peter Springett -Langley, Hunt Sibley Watson - Lazarus, Keen, Roger Morgan, Allen, Collins Marsh.
Thiry-Eight Years Ago, Humiliation
March 19, 1969: Humiliation! Manchester United 8 QPR 1 (Marsh scored for QPR - one of four he scored that season!) AsI recall, the half time score was Man Ut 1 QPR 0 (or 2-1). Manchester United scored 4 of their goals in the last 15 minutes. It was a terrible season for QPR but this result was the worst!
QPR's Team
Spratley
Clement Hazell Hunt Watson
Glover I.Morgan Sibley
Clarke Marsh Leach
Sub: Keetch for Clarke
Manchester United
Willie Morgan 3, George Best 2, John Aston, Brian Kidd and Nobby Stiles got the goals.
Man Ut's Team included: Stepney, Fitzpatrick, Dunne, Crerand, James, Stiles, Morgan, Kidd, Aston, Law, Best
Birthdays Today: Andy Sinton and Roy Wegerle-
Also Birthday of brief QPR Signing, Warren Barton - Barton. Barton was born on the day of QPR's humiliating loss to Manchester United: March 19, 1969
Andy Sinton Turns 41: Born, March 19, 1966 Sinton Record
Signed by Trevor Francis from Brentford for 350,000 pounds. Sold 4 years later to Sheffield Wednesday for almost 3 million pouns
Roy Wegerle Turns 43 - Born March 19, 1964
Wegerle's Record
Don Howe's first signing when he became QPR manager. Signed from Luton for 1 million pounds. Sold a couple of years later by Gerry Francis to Blackburn for just over a million pounds.
On this Day 22 Years ago, two more goals for QPR Midfielder (and current manager) John Gregory! (as he scored 15 goals that season in QPR's Championship winning team under Terry Venables) in the 4-0 home win versus Rotherham (Goals also for Sealy and Hazell).
QPR's Crucial Leicester Win - Additional Reports
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Mirror - ICE-COOL GREGORY TAKES THE HEAT OFF
ANY relegation scrap calls for ice in the veins and in boss John Gregory Queens Park Rangers have the ultimate master of cool.
Skipper Marcus Bignot reckons Gregory will be Rangers' trump card in the last eight nerve-racking games of their survival bid.
Marc Nygaard's superb performance brought a first away win since November 17 and lifted Rangers out of the bottom three.
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But Bignot is in no doubt it will be the man with the slicked back hair and the Armani suits who is the key.
None of the teams battling with Rangers at the bottom of the table boast a manager with such vast experience or one who can remain calm in a crisis.
Luton have caretaker Brian Stein, Leeds and Southend the inexperienced Dennis Wise and Steve Tilson, while Gregory has been there, seen it and got the Hugo Boss T-shirt. "It all stems from the gaffer," said Bignot. "He's not put any pressure on us and never loses his head.
"He's a cool dude. Not only does he dress it, but he acts it as well and we have reached the time of the season where it's time to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
"It's not been easy and people can lose their heads, but we have the most experienced manager on our side down at the bottom. "And it's showing. He's taken it all away from us.
Obviously we have felt the pressure, but at no stage have we been scared to go out there and play and that's down to the gaffer."
Nygaard certainly showed no fear. He set up Inigo Idiakez for his first goal since arriving on loan from Southampton, tucked in a penalty and scored a superb third for Rangers.
The striker, nicknamed the Ninja Turtle because of his incredible back muscles, looks capable of carrying Rangers to safety.
But new Leicester owner Milan Mandaric must be thankful his side picked up enough points earlier in the season to be clear of the relegation scrap.
Iain Hume's late penalty will not have brought a smile to Mandaric's face.
The Serb is set for drastic rebuilding in the summer, and on this evidence it is hard to see many of the current squad being at the Walkers Stadium next season. Mirror
Mike Adamson - The Guardian Roundup
"...Luton's caretaker Brain Stein needed no introduction to the crowd but he was helpless as his team lost 2-0 at home to Ipswich and slipped deeper into trouble while QPR's completed an astonishing 3-1 win at Leicester where Marc Nygaard scored two, one from the spot and the other a dipping 30-yard volley, and they moved up to fourth bottom... Guardian
Also: QPR Rivals/Clive Whittingham Match Report - "Nygaard's wonder goal seals vital win"
Simon Skinner/QPR Net -"Foxes destroyed by Danish Dynamite"
Mirror - ICE-COOL GREGORY TAKES THE HEAT OFF
ANY relegation scrap calls for ice in the veins and in boss John Gregory Queens Park Rangers have the ultimate master of cool.
Skipper Marcus Bignot reckons Gregory will be Rangers' trump card in the last eight nerve-racking games of their survival bid.
Marc Nygaard's superb performance brought a first away win since November 17 and lifted Rangers out of the bottom three.
Advertisement
But Bignot is in no doubt it will be the man with the slicked back hair and the Armani suits who is the key.
None of the teams battling with Rangers at the bottom of the table boast a manager with such vast experience or one who can remain calm in a crisis.
Luton have caretaker Brian Stein, Leeds and Southend the inexperienced Dennis Wise and Steve Tilson, while Gregory has been there, seen it and got the Hugo Boss T-shirt. "It all stems from the gaffer," said Bignot. "He's not put any pressure on us and never loses his head.
"He's a cool dude. Not only does he dress it, but he acts it as well and we have reached the time of the season where it's time to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
"It's not been easy and people can lose their heads, but we have the most experienced manager on our side down at the bottom. "And it's showing. He's taken it all away from us.
Obviously we have felt the pressure, but at no stage have we been scared to go out there and play and that's down to the gaffer."
Nygaard certainly showed no fear. He set up Inigo Idiakez for his first goal since arriving on loan from Southampton, tucked in a penalty and scored a superb third for Rangers.
The striker, nicknamed the Ninja Turtle because of his incredible back muscles, looks capable of carrying Rangers to safety.
But new Leicester owner Milan Mandaric must be thankful his side picked up enough points earlier in the season to be clear of the relegation scrap.
Iain Hume's late penalty will not have brought a smile to Mandaric's face.
The Serb is set for drastic rebuilding in the summer, and on this evidence it is hard to see many of the current squad being at the Walkers Stadium next season. Mirror
Mike Adamson - The Guardian Roundup
"...Luton's caretaker Brain Stein needed no introduction to the crowd but he was helpless as his team lost 2-0 at home to Ipswich and slipped deeper into trouble while QPR's completed an astonishing 3-1 win at Leicester where Marc Nygaard scored two, one from the spot and the other a dipping 30-yard volley, and they moved up to fourth bottom... Guardian
Also: QPR Rivals/Clive Whittingham Match Report - "Nygaard's wonder goal seals vital win"
Simon Skinner/QPR Net -"Foxes destroyed by Danish Dynamite"
Sunday, March 18, 2007
QPR's Leicester Victory - Reports & Comments
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Updates:
Sunday People By John Percy - LEICESTER 1-3 QPR
MARC NYGAARD finally started punching his weight to earn Queens Park Rangers a vital three points in their bid to get off the Championship canvas and stagger to safety.
The 6ft 5in Dane has been a massive disappointment to manager John Gregory in recent weeks - but he made it a red-face day for embarrassed Leicester as Rangers picked up their first away win since November.
Nygaard hammered in a wonder goal and collected another from the penalty spot, as well as setting up Inigo Idiakez for his first goal since arriving on loan from Southampton.
Leicester disintegrated in a four-minute spell after half-time when Nygaard headed on Marcus Bignot's free-kick for Idiakez to force a close-range header past Wayne Henderson.
Nygaard doubled the lead from the spot after Alan Maybury shoved Paul Furlong.
Rangers keeper Lee Camp had kept Leicester at bay in the first half with three excellent saves, and no-one could see the remarkable turnaround coming.
But Nygaard confirmed the victory in awesome style with a swerving 30-yard effort in the 68th minute for his fourth goal of the season.
This finished off sorry Leicester, who found no consolation in Iain Hume's stoppage time penalty after handball by Danny Cullip. People
QPR Official Site John Gregory's Post-Match Comments LONG TIME COMING
John Gregory could not hide his delight following QPR's first away win since November.
The R's hadn't won outside Loftus Road since their smash-and-grab victory at Cardiff, and after seeing his side comfortably beat Leicester 3-1 this afternoon, Gregory said: "That win has been a long time coming.
"We've been playing very well recently but not getting the points are performances have deserved."
Rangers scored two quick goals at the start of the second half to take control against the Foxes, and the gaffer admitted: "The second goal was vital, and once it went in, it was just a case of running the clock down.
"We didn't look back from there. It was a real battling performance by every one of my players."
Gregory also had high praise for Marc Nygaard, who scored twice.
"He had the bottle to step up and take the penalty," he said, "and his second goal was a sensational strike. I hope he realises that he can't do that every week though.
"Joe Dunbar, who was sat next to me on the bench, actually shouted 'No Marc!' as he went to shoot!
"Now we have to concentrate on making sure we are ready for our next match against West Brom on 31st March." QPR
LEICESTER OFFICIAL SITE - Kelly
Kelly Offers No Excuses
City boss Rob Kelly could not hide his disappointment following his side's 3-1 defeat at the hands of QPR at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday.
The Foxes had gone into the game looking to build on their recent run of results which had seen them defeated just once in their last eight encounters.
But Leicester would come unstuck against John Gregory's men - with two goals at the start of the second period for the visitors doing the real damage.
Kelly said: "I am not going to make any excuses. The bottom line is our performance in the second half today wasn't anywhere near what we as a group are trying to achieve for our football club and its supporters.
"I will hold both hands up. That is my team and we weren't good enough.
"I certainly wouldn't try to pull the wool over anybody's eyes - we weren't anywhere near where we should be if we are going to move forward.
"We knew that QPR's main threat would come from set plays. We didn't defend a free-kick properly at the start of the second half and that effected us too much.
"I had again emphasised that their main threat would come from set pieces when I spoke to the players at half time. But in the end we lose two headers and the ball is in the back of the net.
"We didn't show nearly enough to get back into the game. We are disappointed in ourselves.
"We are also disappointed for the supporters. They have again turned out in great numbers, but we didn't do them justice.
"The fans have got every right to be disappointed.
"We let ourselves down and we have let our supporters down. When we win we win together and when we get beat we get beat together.
"We are where we are in the league because we are inconsistent.
"But we have got a two week break now and we will be working hard to put things right." Leicester
Leicester Official Site - Player's Perspective Darren Kenton
Darren Kenton offered no excuses after City slumped to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of QPR on Saturday afternoon.
It was only their second loss in nine Championship matches but they are now just seven points above the drop zone with eight games remaining this term.
"It was a very disappointing result especially after the way we started the game," said the defender, who came in at centre-half for the injured Gareth McAuley.
"We started quite brightly and had the better chances in the first half but two goals in four minutes at the start of the second half really took it out of us and we faced an uphill challenge after that.
"I thought myself and Paddy Kisnorbo handled their two big strikers quite well but one long ball in to the box which we didn't defend properly and a soft penalty turned the game on its head.
"We tried to force our way back into the game after that but the ball just wouldn't fall for us and their third was just a great strike and summed up our day.
"But we can't make excuses, it just wasn't good enough."
The match marked Kenton's first start since New Year's Day but while pleased to be back in the starting line-up, the defeat left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"It has been a while since I started and it is frustrating when you are not playing but up until a couple of games ago we had been on a good run," he added.
"It was disappointing again to lose and not get the three points. The last game I started was against Sunderland and we lost that as well!"
City now have an extended break due to internationals and are not back in action until March 31 when they travel to Midlands rivals Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.
"You always want to go into a break with three points in the bag but we can't afford to dwell, this game has now gone and we must prepare ourselves for the next one," Kenton said.
"We must remain focused and upbeat because there is still work to be done." Leicester
BBC - MANAGERIAL COMMENTS
# Leicester boss Rob Kelly:
"There was a lack of concentration in the second half. In the first half I thought we were dominant but you need to be scoring in those spells.
"It's now a long two weeks until our next game when we really need one tomorrow but we haven't and will just have to work hard to put it right.
"We've still got a lot of work to do this season. Our target has to be that we get over that 50-points barrier."
# QPR manager John Gregory:
"In the first half we were horrendous. We were tired and lethargic and allowed Leicester to dominate the early exchanges.
"I would have expected Leicester to do much better with all the possession they had but they never really punished us.
"It was a fine win in the end and we now have three matches at home. If we manage to win those it might just get us across the finishing line." BBC
SPORTING LIFE
QPR boss John Gregory set his players a survival target of three more wins after a superb second-half performance at Leicester lifted them out of the relegation zone in the Coca-Cola Championship.
The Londoners leapfrogged Southend as they recorded a first away victory since last November when they won at Cardiff.
Leicester dominated the first half but could not find a way past QPR goalkeeper Lee Camp.
The visitors netted two quick goals after the break as Inigo Idiakez headed home on 47 minutes and Marc Nygaard added a penalty four minutes later, with Alan Maybury penalised for bundling over Paul Furlong.
Leicester's problems increased when Nygaard struck a stunning third from 30 yards, a drive from the right which flew into the top left corner.
Gregory said: "In the first half we were horrendous. We were tired and lethargic and allowed Leicester to dominate the early exchanges.
"For 30 minutes we were second best and second to every ball.
"But we needed to get to half-time at 0-0 because we have a lot of energy in the side and lots of strength and we do tend to kick on in the second half.
"I would have expected Leicester to do much better with all the possession they had but they never really punished us.
"We now have three matches at home and if we manage to win those it might just get us across the finishing line."
Leicester manager Rob Kelly apologised to City fans and described his team's performance in the second half as the worst of his reign.
He said: "There was a lack of concentration in the second half. In the first half I thought we were dominant but you need to be scoring in those spells.
"In the second half we were nowhere near where we need to be and we need performances that will move this club forward.
"It's now a long two weeks until our next game when we really need one tomorrow but we haven't and will just have to work hard to put it right because we've still got a lot of work to do this season.
"Our target has to be that we get over that 50-points barrier.
"The second half was as poor as we've played since I've been in charge.
"The two goals really rocked us but unlike against Leeds the other night when we hit back, you could see that their two goals affected us too much, drained us and stopped us being brave.
"And then they scored a sensational third."
Leicester's reply came from a late Iain Hume penalty, after Danny Cullip had been penalised for handball. Sporting Life
Sunday Mail - Gregory pep talk just the job for QPR
QPR did their Championship survival hopes a power of good with a stunning win at the Walkers Stadium.
Whatever manager John Gregory said in his half-time team talk did wonders for Rangers who struck three times after the break to earn their first win on their travels since November.
First Leicester failed to cope with a Marcus Bignot free-kick which Marc Nygaard nodded on for Inigo Idiakez to head home within two minutes of the restart.
Nygaard then converted a 51st-minute penalty after Shaun Newton had bundled over Paul Furlong.
And City’s nightmare worsened on 68 minutes when Nygaard smashed a 30-yard drive from out on the right which flew into the top left-hand corner.
Deep in time added on at the end of the game Iain Hume scored a consolation penalty for Leicester after Danny Cullip had handled inside the box.
It was all in total contrast to a first half that Leicester dominated and Rangers had failed to get a single effort on target.
Indeed, Rangers might easily have turned around three goals down had not the excellent Lee Camp pulled off great saves to deny Alan Maybury, Hume and Stephen Hughes Mail
Also: Earlier Reports re QPR's Win at Leicester
Updates:
Sunday People By John Percy - LEICESTER 1-3 QPR
MARC NYGAARD finally started punching his weight to earn Queens Park Rangers a vital three points in their bid to get off the Championship canvas and stagger to safety.
The 6ft 5in Dane has been a massive disappointment to manager John Gregory in recent weeks - but he made it a red-face day for embarrassed Leicester as Rangers picked up their first away win since November.
Nygaard hammered in a wonder goal and collected another from the penalty spot, as well as setting up Inigo Idiakez for his first goal since arriving on loan from Southampton.
Leicester disintegrated in a four-minute spell after half-time when Nygaard headed on Marcus Bignot's free-kick for Idiakez to force a close-range header past Wayne Henderson.
Nygaard doubled the lead from the spot after Alan Maybury shoved Paul Furlong.
Rangers keeper Lee Camp had kept Leicester at bay in the first half with three excellent saves, and no-one could see the remarkable turnaround coming.
But Nygaard confirmed the victory in awesome style with a swerving 30-yard effort in the 68th minute for his fourth goal of the season.
This finished off sorry Leicester, who found no consolation in Iain Hume's stoppage time penalty after handball by Danny Cullip. People
QPR Official Site John Gregory's Post-Match Comments LONG TIME COMING
John Gregory could not hide his delight following QPR's first away win since November.
The R's hadn't won outside Loftus Road since their smash-and-grab victory at Cardiff, and after seeing his side comfortably beat Leicester 3-1 this afternoon, Gregory said: "That win has been a long time coming.
"We've been playing very well recently but not getting the points are performances have deserved."
Rangers scored two quick goals at the start of the second half to take control against the Foxes, and the gaffer admitted: "The second goal was vital, and once it went in, it was just a case of running the clock down.
"We didn't look back from there. It was a real battling performance by every one of my players."
Gregory also had high praise for Marc Nygaard, who scored twice.
"He had the bottle to step up and take the penalty," he said, "and his second goal was a sensational strike. I hope he realises that he can't do that every week though.
"Joe Dunbar, who was sat next to me on the bench, actually shouted 'No Marc!' as he went to shoot!
"Now we have to concentrate on making sure we are ready for our next match against West Brom on 31st March." QPR
LEICESTER OFFICIAL SITE - Kelly
Kelly Offers No Excuses
City boss Rob Kelly could not hide his disappointment following his side's 3-1 defeat at the hands of QPR at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday.
The Foxes had gone into the game looking to build on their recent run of results which had seen them defeated just once in their last eight encounters.
But Leicester would come unstuck against John Gregory's men - with two goals at the start of the second period for the visitors doing the real damage.
Kelly said: "I am not going to make any excuses. The bottom line is our performance in the second half today wasn't anywhere near what we as a group are trying to achieve for our football club and its supporters.
"I will hold both hands up. That is my team and we weren't good enough.
"I certainly wouldn't try to pull the wool over anybody's eyes - we weren't anywhere near where we should be if we are going to move forward.
"We knew that QPR's main threat would come from set plays. We didn't defend a free-kick properly at the start of the second half and that effected us too much.
"I had again emphasised that their main threat would come from set pieces when I spoke to the players at half time. But in the end we lose two headers and the ball is in the back of the net.
"We didn't show nearly enough to get back into the game. We are disappointed in ourselves.
"We are also disappointed for the supporters. They have again turned out in great numbers, but we didn't do them justice.
"The fans have got every right to be disappointed.
"We let ourselves down and we have let our supporters down. When we win we win together and when we get beat we get beat together.
"We are where we are in the league because we are inconsistent.
"But we have got a two week break now and we will be working hard to put things right." Leicester
Leicester Official Site - Player's Perspective Darren Kenton
Darren Kenton offered no excuses after City slumped to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of QPR on Saturday afternoon.
It was only their second loss in nine Championship matches but they are now just seven points above the drop zone with eight games remaining this term.
"It was a very disappointing result especially after the way we started the game," said the defender, who came in at centre-half for the injured Gareth McAuley.
"We started quite brightly and had the better chances in the first half but two goals in four minutes at the start of the second half really took it out of us and we faced an uphill challenge after that.
"I thought myself and Paddy Kisnorbo handled their two big strikers quite well but one long ball in to the box which we didn't defend properly and a soft penalty turned the game on its head.
"We tried to force our way back into the game after that but the ball just wouldn't fall for us and their third was just a great strike and summed up our day.
"But we can't make excuses, it just wasn't good enough."
The match marked Kenton's first start since New Year's Day but while pleased to be back in the starting line-up, the defeat left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"It has been a while since I started and it is frustrating when you are not playing but up until a couple of games ago we had been on a good run," he added.
"It was disappointing again to lose and not get the three points. The last game I started was against Sunderland and we lost that as well!"
City now have an extended break due to internationals and are not back in action until March 31 when they travel to Midlands rivals Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.
"You always want to go into a break with three points in the bag but we can't afford to dwell, this game has now gone and we must prepare ourselves for the next one," Kenton said.
"We must remain focused and upbeat because there is still work to be done." Leicester
BBC - MANAGERIAL COMMENTS
# Leicester boss Rob Kelly:
"There was a lack of concentration in the second half. In the first half I thought we were dominant but you need to be scoring in those spells.
"It's now a long two weeks until our next game when we really need one tomorrow but we haven't and will just have to work hard to put it right.
"We've still got a lot of work to do this season. Our target has to be that we get over that 50-points barrier."
# QPR manager John Gregory:
"In the first half we were horrendous. We were tired and lethargic and allowed Leicester to dominate the early exchanges.
"I would have expected Leicester to do much better with all the possession they had but they never really punished us.
"It was a fine win in the end and we now have three matches at home. If we manage to win those it might just get us across the finishing line." BBC
SPORTING LIFE
QPR boss John Gregory set his players a survival target of three more wins after a superb second-half performance at Leicester lifted them out of the relegation zone in the Coca-Cola Championship.
The Londoners leapfrogged Southend as they recorded a first away victory since last November when they won at Cardiff.
Leicester dominated the first half but could not find a way past QPR goalkeeper Lee Camp.
The visitors netted two quick goals after the break as Inigo Idiakez headed home on 47 minutes and Marc Nygaard added a penalty four minutes later, with Alan Maybury penalised for bundling over Paul Furlong.
Leicester's problems increased when Nygaard struck a stunning third from 30 yards, a drive from the right which flew into the top left corner.
Gregory said: "In the first half we were horrendous. We were tired and lethargic and allowed Leicester to dominate the early exchanges.
"For 30 minutes we were second best and second to every ball.
"But we needed to get to half-time at 0-0 because we have a lot of energy in the side and lots of strength and we do tend to kick on in the second half.
"I would have expected Leicester to do much better with all the possession they had but they never really punished us.
"We now have three matches at home and if we manage to win those it might just get us across the finishing line."
Leicester manager Rob Kelly apologised to City fans and described his team's performance in the second half as the worst of his reign.
He said: "There was a lack of concentration in the second half. In the first half I thought we were dominant but you need to be scoring in those spells.
"In the second half we were nowhere near where we need to be and we need performances that will move this club forward.
"It's now a long two weeks until our next game when we really need one tomorrow but we haven't and will just have to work hard to put it right because we've still got a lot of work to do this season.
"Our target has to be that we get over that 50-points barrier.
"The second half was as poor as we've played since I've been in charge.
"The two goals really rocked us but unlike against Leeds the other night when we hit back, you could see that their two goals affected us too much, drained us and stopped us being brave.
"And then they scored a sensational third."
Leicester's reply came from a late Iain Hume penalty, after Danny Cullip had been penalised for handball. Sporting Life
Sunday Mail - Gregory pep talk just the job for QPR
QPR did their Championship survival hopes a power of good with a stunning win at the Walkers Stadium.
Whatever manager John Gregory said in his half-time team talk did wonders for Rangers who struck three times after the break to earn their first win on their travels since November.
First Leicester failed to cope with a Marcus Bignot free-kick which Marc Nygaard nodded on for Inigo Idiakez to head home within two minutes of the restart.
Nygaard then converted a 51st-minute penalty after Shaun Newton had bundled over Paul Furlong.
And City’s nightmare worsened on 68 minutes when Nygaard smashed a 30-yard drive from out on the right which flew into the top left-hand corner.
Deep in time added on at the end of the game Iain Hume scored a consolation penalty for Leicester after Danny Cullip had handled inside the box.
It was all in total contrast to a first half that Leicester dominated and Rangers had failed to get a single effort on target.
Indeed, Rangers might easily have turned around three goals down had not the excellent Lee Camp pulled off great saves to deny Alan Maybury, Hume and Stephen Hughes Mail
Also: Earlier Reports re QPR's Win at Leicester
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Thirty Years Since QPR's UEFA Cup Run Ended at AEK Athens
-
Thirty years ago (as of two days ago) since Dave's Sexton's (virtual) League Champions side tragically got knocked out of the UEFA Cup on penalties. In the UEFA Cup, Stan Bowles scored 11 goals in that run
March 16, 1977: QPR lost 7-6 on penalties to AEK Athens (Webb missing the penalty. QPR had won the home leg 3-0...and then lost the game in Athens 0-3...
QPR's team that night was missing three of QPR's England players: Clement, Francis and Thomas and also QPR stalwart, Mick Leach. Shanks, Kelly and Eastoe deputized.
QPR's Team for that night:
Parkes Shanks Webb McClintock Gillard, Hollins, Masson, Leach, Eastoe, Bowles and Givens
QPR's 1976-77 UEFA Cup Run
1 BRANN BERGEN (NOR) H 4-0
(Bowles 3, Masson)
BRANN BERGEN (NOR) A 7-0 (Agg 11-0)
(Bowles 3, Givens 2, Thomas, Webb)
2 SLOVAN BRATISLAVA (TCH) A 3-3
(Bowles 2, Givens)
SLOVAN BRATISLAVA (TCH) H 5-2 (Agg 8-5)
(Givens 3 (1 pen) Bowles, Clement
3 1 F C KÖLN (GER) H 3-0
(Givens, Webb Bowles)
1 F C KÖLN (GER) A 1-4 (Agg 4-4)
(Masson)
Queens Park Rangers won on away goals
QF A E K ATHENS (GRE) H 3-0
(Francis 2 (2 pens) Bowles
A E K ATHENS (GRE) A 0-3 (Agg 3-3)
Queens Park Rangers lost 7-6 on penalties
History
1976/1977 COMPLETE UEFA CUP RESULTSResults
Ex-QPR Youth, Danny Blanchett Signs for Peterborough
Petebrough - Posh Pip Host Of Top Clubs In Transfer Coup
Peterborough United have beaten a whole host of clubs to secure the signing of highly-rated left-back Danny Blanchett for an undisclosed fee from Cambridge City.
Chairman Darragh MacAnthony has signed the youngster despite interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Watford who he was due to train with this week. Blanchett has had a trial period at Premier League giants Liverpool and will become 'the fastest left-back in League Two'.
Blanchett (19), speaking exclusively to theposh.com, said: 'I am really exited about this move, it is a good club to sign for. Peterborough are an ambitious club, the chairman wants to go places and the manager matches that ambition.
'I want to play first team football and hopefully I will get that opportunity here. A few clubs have watched me at Cambridge City, but I just kept my head down and did my job. I thought as a young player Peterborough would be the ideal club for me.
'I am a left-back, I like to play football and play with players that like getting the ball down. I have had a few chats with Darren Ferguson on the phone and his style seems to suit my game. He wants to get promotion and the club still has the chance this year,' Blanchett said.
Manager Darren Ferguson said: 'He has been tracked by loads of clubs including Wolves and Everton, he has good size and pace. We have brought a lot of young players in and he is no different. He has good potential, is ambitious and that's what we want at this football club.' Peterbrough
[QPR Youth come from 0-2 down to draw vs Southend (with 14 minutes of stoppage time! Scorers according to QPR Rivals report Kieron St Aimee and a trialist.
- See Southend Match Report - "...Southend United's assault on the Puma Youth Alliance League title was derailed in stoppage time as two late goals from QPR denied them all three points in west London. With just 75 seconds of normal time remaining at the Imperial College Sports Ground in Harlington, Blues Youths led 2-0, but they were undone twice in the dying moments of this top-of-the-table clash, with the referee eventually playing an incredible 14 minutes of stoppage time. .."Southend Report
Also QPR Rivals Report of Youth Game - Report
Mirror - GALLEN UP FOR GRABS
KEVIN GALLEN looks certain to quit QPR and head for pastures new this summer.
The Loftus Road fans' hero is currently on loan at Plymouth until the end of the season and at the end of June he'll become a free agent.
Leicester City and a string of other Championship clubs are keeping tabs on the 31-year-old striker who grew up close to Loftus Road" Mirror
The Mirror/BBC Gossip
"Luton want Colchester assistant boss Mick Harford as their new manager to replace Mike Newell, with Plymouth's Tim Breacker also on the shortlist (Mirror). BBC Gossip
On-Loan NICK WARD missed Brighton's game vs Scunthorpe - He's with the Australia National Team Squad - Brighton
IAN HOLLOWAY ON TRYING TO SIGN SCOTT SINCLAIR FOR QPRPlymouth Official Site
"...Manager Ian Holloway is delighted with the progress Sinclair has made. Holloway has known the youngster for many years and the 17-year-old is fulfilling the promise he showed as a kid at Bristol Rovers...."Our chief scout Gary Penrice knows Brendan Rogers, who runs the Chelsea youth set-up and Gary set the whole thing up.
"Gary and I spent hours and hours at Scott's home a few years ago trying to persuade him to come to QPR. He had the choice of a lot of clubs. I was a bit concerned when he went to Chelsea because he is such a lovely lad, but he has come on leaps and bounds.." Plymouth
It was Terell Forbes vs Ian Evatt (with Matt Rose and Marcus Bean,remaining on the bench) in Blackpool's 1-0 win at Yeovil - Report
And of course on Friday evening, it was two more goals for Jamie Cureton (to make 16 for the season) in Colchester's 2-1 at Southampton.
For Tony Roberts after a 1-1 Draw it was his Testimonial Disco Night
Robbo's Disco - Testimonial
Thirty years ago (as of two days ago) since Dave's Sexton's (virtual) League Champions side tragically got knocked out of the UEFA Cup on penalties. In the UEFA Cup, Stan Bowles scored 11 goals in that run
March 16, 1977: QPR lost 7-6 on penalties to AEK Athens (Webb missing the penalty. QPR had won the home leg 3-0...and then lost the game in Athens 0-3...
QPR's team that night was missing three of QPR's England players: Clement, Francis and Thomas and also QPR stalwart, Mick Leach. Shanks, Kelly and Eastoe deputized.
QPR's Team for that night:
Parkes Shanks Webb McClintock Gillard, Hollins, Masson, Leach, Eastoe, Bowles and Givens
QPR's 1976-77 UEFA Cup Run
1 BRANN BERGEN (NOR) H 4-0
(Bowles 3, Masson)
BRANN BERGEN (NOR) A 7-0 (Agg 11-0)
(Bowles 3, Givens 2, Thomas, Webb)
2 SLOVAN BRATISLAVA (TCH) A 3-3
(Bowles 2, Givens)
SLOVAN BRATISLAVA (TCH) H 5-2 (Agg 8-5)
(Givens 3 (1 pen) Bowles, Clement
3 1 F C KÖLN (GER) H 3-0
(Givens, Webb Bowles)
1 F C KÖLN (GER) A 1-4 (Agg 4-4)
(Masson)
Queens Park Rangers won on away goals
QF A E K ATHENS (GRE) H 3-0
(Francis 2 (2 pens) Bowles
A E K ATHENS (GRE) A 0-3 (Agg 3-3)
Queens Park Rangers lost 7-6 on penalties
History
1976/1977 COMPLETE UEFA CUP RESULTSResults
Ex-QPR Youth, Danny Blanchett Signs for Peterborough
Petebrough - Posh Pip Host Of Top Clubs In Transfer Coup
Peterborough United have beaten a whole host of clubs to secure the signing of highly-rated left-back Danny Blanchett for an undisclosed fee from Cambridge City.
Chairman Darragh MacAnthony has signed the youngster despite interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Watford who he was due to train with this week. Blanchett has had a trial period at Premier League giants Liverpool and will become 'the fastest left-back in League Two'.
Blanchett (19), speaking exclusively to theposh.com, said: 'I am really exited about this move, it is a good club to sign for. Peterborough are an ambitious club, the chairman wants to go places and the manager matches that ambition.
'I want to play first team football and hopefully I will get that opportunity here. A few clubs have watched me at Cambridge City, but I just kept my head down and did my job. I thought as a young player Peterborough would be the ideal club for me.
'I am a left-back, I like to play football and play with players that like getting the ball down. I have had a few chats with Darren Ferguson on the phone and his style seems to suit my game. He wants to get promotion and the club still has the chance this year,' Blanchett said.
Manager Darren Ferguson said: 'He has been tracked by loads of clubs including Wolves and Everton, he has good size and pace. We have brought a lot of young players in and he is no different. He has good potential, is ambitious and that's what we want at this football club.' Peterbrough
[QPR Youth come from 0-2 down to draw vs Southend (with 14 minutes of stoppage time! Scorers according to QPR Rivals report Kieron St Aimee and a trialist.
- See Southend Match Report - "...Southend United's assault on the Puma Youth Alliance League title was derailed in stoppage time as two late goals from QPR denied them all three points in west London. With just 75 seconds of normal time remaining at the Imperial College Sports Ground in Harlington, Blues Youths led 2-0, but they were undone twice in the dying moments of this top-of-the-table clash, with the referee eventually playing an incredible 14 minutes of stoppage time. .."Southend Report
Also QPR Rivals Report of Youth Game - Report
Mirror - GALLEN UP FOR GRABS
KEVIN GALLEN looks certain to quit QPR and head for pastures new this summer.
The Loftus Road fans' hero is currently on loan at Plymouth until the end of the season and at the end of June he'll become a free agent.
Leicester City and a string of other Championship clubs are keeping tabs on the 31-year-old striker who grew up close to Loftus Road" Mirror
The Mirror/BBC Gossip
"Luton want Colchester assistant boss Mick Harford as their new manager to replace Mike Newell, with Plymouth's Tim Breacker also on the shortlist (Mirror). BBC Gossip
On-Loan NICK WARD missed Brighton's game vs Scunthorpe - He's with the Australia National Team Squad - Brighton
IAN HOLLOWAY ON TRYING TO SIGN SCOTT SINCLAIR FOR QPRPlymouth Official Site
"...Manager Ian Holloway is delighted with the progress Sinclair has made. Holloway has known the youngster for many years and the 17-year-old is fulfilling the promise he showed as a kid at Bristol Rovers...."Our chief scout Gary Penrice knows Brendan Rogers, who runs the Chelsea youth set-up and Gary set the whole thing up.
"Gary and I spent hours and hours at Scott's home a few years ago trying to persuade him to come to QPR. He had the choice of a lot of clubs. I was a bit concerned when he went to Chelsea because he is such a lovely lad, but he has come on leaps and bounds.." Plymouth
It was Terell Forbes vs Ian Evatt (with Matt Rose and Marcus Bean,remaining on the bench) in Blackpool's 1-0 win at Yeovil - Report
And of course on Friday evening, it was two more goals for Jamie Cureton (to make 16 for the season) in Colchester's 2-1 at Southampton.
For Tony Roberts after a 1-1 Draw it was his Testimonial Disco Night
Robbo's Disco - Testimonial
Amazing! QPR Win (Away) at Leicester
-
Ending a goaless away run dating back to mid-November, QPR today travelled to Leicester and won 3-1. Halftime was 0-0. Second half goals Idiakez, Nygaard (penalty) and Nygaard again.
Table:
Leicester 38 46
Burnley 37 41
Hull 39 41
Barnsley 39 41
QPR 38 40
Southend 39 39
Luton 39 36
Leeds 39 36
Updated Table
QPR OFFICIAL SITE FOXES 1-3 QPR
A sensational second-half strike from Marc Nygaard capped Rangers' first away win in four months as they lifted themselves out of the bottom three.
Nygaard's stunning volley, his second of the game, put John Gregory's side into a 3-0 lead midway through the second half and, despite a late Leicester goal, it was enough for a morale-boosting victory.
Neither side could carve out many chances in a tepid first half as Leicester's Jason Jarrett bundled his finish wide of Lee Camp's goal.
At the other end, Lee Cook's cross picked out Paul Furlong, whose looping header sailed well wide of the target.
Leicester keeper Paul Henderson was finally called into action just before the half-hour mark when he fended Gareth Ainsworth's cross-cum-shot behind but the corner, from Inigo Idiakez, went astray.
Idiakez latched onto a half-chance when Nygaard nodded back Cook's cross, but the Spaniard's half-volley sailed into the stand.
Camp was the busier of the two keepers, fielding a 25-yarder from Alan Maybury and then leaping to his right to push away Iain Hume's curling free-kick from 25 yards.
And Camp then produced a magnificent block to parry Stephen Hughes' piledriver after Hume's shot had deflected off Damion Stewart.
On the stroke of half-time, though, the ball broke to Nygaard inside the penalty area, but he blazed wide and was relieved to see the linesman's flag raised for an offside decision.
There was nothing to prevent Rangers celebrating a goal just over a minute after the restart, though, as Nygaard nodded back Cook's free-kick and Idiakez powered a header beyond Henderson.
Suddenly the Rs were beginning to swarm forward with confidence and the home side scrambled Adam Bolder's cross behind before Furlong could reach it.
That respite was short-lived, though, and referee Neil Swarbrick pointed to the spot after a push by Maybury, giving Rangers an opportunity to double their lead.
In the absence of Rowlands, Nygaard took on the responsibility and the big Dane made no mistake, calmly slotting low to Henderson's right.
Leicester's response was to bring on ex-Fulham striker Elvis Hammond and he quickly scampered on to a Hume pass, but was halted by Stewart's timely challenge.
And Leicester were shattered by a third goal that came out of nowhere in the 68th minute - Furlong flicking on Camp's clearance for Nygaard who, from 30 yards out, lashed an astonishing volley into the net from wide on the right.
With 15 minutes remaining, Danny Cullip charged down a shot from Hammond and Rangers broke again, but Gareth Ainsworth's cross was plucked out of the air by Henderson.
With disgruntled Leicester fans spilling out of the stadium, those still inside must have known it was not their day when Camp spilled Danny Tiatto's deep free-kick and the ball rebounded to Shaun Newton, who blazed wildly over the bar.
There was a late scare for Rangers when Cook cleared Patrick Kisnorbo's header off the line and, in another penalty area scramble, Camp denied Newton from close range.
But Leicester gained a consolation in added time when Cullip handled Hume's cross and the striker smashed the spot-kick past Camp.
Leicester City: Paul Henderson, Alan Maybury, Darren Kenton, Patrick Kisnorbo, Nils-Eric Johansson, Shaun Newton, Jason Jarrett (James Wesolowski 77), Stephen Hughes (Danny Tiatto 77), Mark Yeates, Iain Hume, Geoff Horsfield (Elvis Hammond 63).
Subs not used: Conrad Logan, Richard Stearman.
Goals: Hume 90 (pen)
Bookings: Johansson, Hume
QPR: Lee Camp, Michael Mancienne, Danny Cullip, Damion Stewart, Marcus Bignot, Adam Bolder,
Gareth Ainsworth (Jimmy Smith 89), Inigo Idiakez (Steve Lomas 63), Lee Cook, Paul Furlong (Ray Jones 84), Marc Nygaard.
Subs not used: Jake Cole, Patrick Kanyuka.
Goals: Idiakez 47, Nygaard 51 (pen), 68
Bookings: Stewart, Cullip, Furlong, Jones
Att: 24,558 QPR Official Site
LEICESTER OFFICIAL SITE - Leicester 1 QPR 3
Leicester City suffered their first home defeat since New Year's Day as they went down 3-1 against Queens Park Rangers at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Two goals inside four minutes at the start of the second half from Inigo Idiakez and a Marc Nygaard penalty did the damage before a Nygaard wonder goal sealed matters.
It proved to be a bad day at the office for the hosts with Iain Hume's 12th of the campaign from the penalty spot late on proving scant consolation.
Stephen Hughes, Mark Yeates and Shaun Newton came close but they could not prevent the home side suffering their second defeat in nine matches.
Lee Camp saved well from Hume on two minutes after the diminutive striker had jinked his way into the penalty area.
Both Hume and Geoff Horsfield just failed to connect with the returning Mark Yeates' dangerous cross from the left two minutes later.
Jason Jarrett tried his luck from 30-yards in the ninth minute but Camp was equal to the task and saved comfortably.
Nils-Eric Johansson was booked for a deliberate hand ball a minute later before Jarrett stabbed his effort wide from close range after Newton's cross from the right.
At the other end Paul Furlong headed wide from Lee Cook's cross then Camp dived to his left to deny Alan Maybury from long distance on 22 minutes.
After Horsfield broke up a QPR attack on the half-way line, he released Yeates who raced clear before curling an effort just wide of the right-hand upright.
Damion Stewart was cautioned for a lunge on Hume in the 26th minute.
Paul Henderson had to divert Gareth Ainsworth's cross out for a corner moments later as the visitors tried to stamp their authority on the contest.
Danny Cullip was yellow-carded following a foul on Horsfield on 31 minutes and from the resulting free-kick Camp was forced to parry Hume's shot away from the danger zone.
Adam Bolder put his effort high and wide in the 37th minute before the Foxes came close two minutes later.
After good work by Newton down the right flank, Stephen Hughes unleashed a terrific effort which forced a fine save from Camp before Yeates' follow up shot was blocked for a corner.
In first half stoppage time, Hume was booked for a foul then Nygaard should have put his side a goal up but somehow drilled his close range shot wide when unmarked inside the six-yard box.
The Hoops took the lead within two minutes of the restart thanks to an Inigo Idiakez header.
Marcus Bignot's free-kick was met by Nygaard with the ball falling for the midfielder who had the simple task of directing his header past Henderson and into the back of the net for the opener.
And the visitors made it 2-0 on 51 minutes when Nygaard tucked away his penalty after Alan Maybury had been penalised for a push on Paul Furlong inside the area.
With City desperate for a way back into the game, Horsfield made way for Elvis Hammond on 63 minutes with Steve Lomas also replacing goalscorer Idiakez.
The Hoops went three goals clear in the 68th minute thanks to a moment of magic from Nygaard.
The ball found him wide on the right, and within a split second he hit an inch-perfect dipping effort from 25-yards which sailed over Henderson and into the net for a wonder goal.
The hosts made a double change in the 75th minute with Stephen Hughes coming off for Danny Tiatto and James Wesolowski replacing Jarrett.
Furlong was booked on 80 minutes before Newton put his effort over the bar and then Ray Jones came on for Furlong soon after.
Patrick Kisnorbo had a late header cleared off the line in the 85th minute then Camp saved well at the feet of Newton as City looked for a consolation.
Jimmy Smith replaced Ainsworth and Jones was booked for a foul on Darren Kenton.
Hume bagged a late consolation from the spot but it proved too little, too late for Rob Kelly's men.
City: Henderson, Maybury, Kenton, Kisnorbo ©, Johansson, Newton, Jarrett (Wesolowski 75), Hughes (Tiatto 75), Yeates, Hume, Horsfield (Hammond 63). Subs not used: Logan, Stearman.
QPR: Camp, Mancienne, Cullip, Stewart, Bignot ©, Bolder, Ainsworth (Smith 88), Idiakez (Lomas 63), Cook, Furlong (Jones 83), Nygaard. Subs not used: Cole, Kanyuka.
Yellow Cards
City: Johansson (10), Hume (45)
QPR: Stewart (26), Cullip (31), Furlong (80), Jones (89)
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)
Attendance: 24,558
Goals :
Hume 90 + 3 (pen)
Idiakez 47
Nygaard 51 (pen)
Nygaard 68 Leicester
PHOTOS FROM LEICESTER (Leicester Official Site)
Ending a goaless away run dating back to mid-November, QPR today travelled to Leicester and won 3-1. Halftime was 0-0. Second half goals Idiakez, Nygaard (penalty) and Nygaard again.
Table:
Leicester 38 46
Burnley 37 41
Hull 39 41
Barnsley 39 41
QPR 38 40
Southend 39 39
Luton 39 36
Leeds 39 36
Updated Table
QPR OFFICIAL SITE FOXES 1-3 QPR
A sensational second-half strike from Marc Nygaard capped Rangers' first away win in four months as they lifted themselves out of the bottom three.
Nygaard's stunning volley, his second of the game, put John Gregory's side into a 3-0 lead midway through the second half and, despite a late Leicester goal, it was enough for a morale-boosting victory.
Neither side could carve out many chances in a tepid first half as Leicester's Jason Jarrett bundled his finish wide of Lee Camp's goal.
At the other end, Lee Cook's cross picked out Paul Furlong, whose looping header sailed well wide of the target.
Leicester keeper Paul Henderson was finally called into action just before the half-hour mark when he fended Gareth Ainsworth's cross-cum-shot behind but the corner, from Inigo Idiakez, went astray.
Idiakez latched onto a half-chance when Nygaard nodded back Cook's cross, but the Spaniard's half-volley sailed into the stand.
Camp was the busier of the two keepers, fielding a 25-yarder from Alan Maybury and then leaping to his right to push away Iain Hume's curling free-kick from 25 yards.
And Camp then produced a magnificent block to parry Stephen Hughes' piledriver after Hume's shot had deflected off Damion Stewart.
On the stroke of half-time, though, the ball broke to Nygaard inside the penalty area, but he blazed wide and was relieved to see the linesman's flag raised for an offside decision.
There was nothing to prevent Rangers celebrating a goal just over a minute after the restart, though, as Nygaard nodded back Cook's free-kick and Idiakez powered a header beyond Henderson.
Suddenly the Rs were beginning to swarm forward with confidence and the home side scrambled Adam Bolder's cross behind before Furlong could reach it.
That respite was short-lived, though, and referee Neil Swarbrick pointed to the spot after a push by Maybury, giving Rangers an opportunity to double their lead.
In the absence of Rowlands, Nygaard took on the responsibility and the big Dane made no mistake, calmly slotting low to Henderson's right.
Leicester's response was to bring on ex-Fulham striker Elvis Hammond and he quickly scampered on to a Hume pass, but was halted by Stewart's timely challenge.
And Leicester were shattered by a third goal that came out of nowhere in the 68th minute - Furlong flicking on Camp's clearance for Nygaard who, from 30 yards out, lashed an astonishing volley into the net from wide on the right.
With 15 minutes remaining, Danny Cullip charged down a shot from Hammond and Rangers broke again, but Gareth Ainsworth's cross was plucked out of the air by Henderson.
With disgruntled Leicester fans spilling out of the stadium, those still inside must have known it was not their day when Camp spilled Danny Tiatto's deep free-kick and the ball rebounded to Shaun Newton, who blazed wildly over the bar.
There was a late scare for Rangers when Cook cleared Patrick Kisnorbo's header off the line and, in another penalty area scramble, Camp denied Newton from close range.
But Leicester gained a consolation in added time when Cullip handled Hume's cross and the striker smashed the spot-kick past Camp.
Leicester City: Paul Henderson, Alan Maybury, Darren Kenton, Patrick Kisnorbo, Nils-Eric Johansson, Shaun Newton, Jason Jarrett (James Wesolowski 77), Stephen Hughes (Danny Tiatto 77), Mark Yeates, Iain Hume, Geoff Horsfield (Elvis Hammond 63).
Subs not used: Conrad Logan, Richard Stearman.
Goals: Hume 90 (pen)
Bookings: Johansson, Hume
QPR: Lee Camp, Michael Mancienne, Danny Cullip, Damion Stewart, Marcus Bignot, Adam Bolder,
Gareth Ainsworth (Jimmy Smith 89), Inigo Idiakez (Steve Lomas 63), Lee Cook, Paul Furlong (Ray Jones 84), Marc Nygaard.
Subs not used: Jake Cole, Patrick Kanyuka.
Goals: Idiakez 47, Nygaard 51 (pen), 68
Bookings: Stewart, Cullip, Furlong, Jones
Att: 24,558 QPR Official Site
LEICESTER OFFICIAL SITE - Leicester 1 QPR 3
Leicester City suffered their first home defeat since New Year's Day as they went down 3-1 against Queens Park Rangers at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Two goals inside four minutes at the start of the second half from Inigo Idiakez and a Marc Nygaard penalty did the damage before a Nygaard wonder goal sealed matters.
It proved to be a bad day at the office for the hosts with Iain Hume's 12th of the campaign from the penalty spot late on proving scant consolation.
Stephen Hughes, Mark Yeates and Shaun Newton came close but they could not prevent the home side suffering their second defeat in nine matches.
Lee Camp saved well from Hume on two minutes after the diminutive striker had jinked his way into the penalty area.
Both Hume and Geoff Horsfield just failed to connect with the returning Mark Yeates' dangerous cross from the left two minutes later.
Jason Jarrett tried his luck from 30-yards in the ninth minute but Camp was equal to the task and saved comfortably.
Nils-Eric Johansson was booked for a deliberate hand ball a minute later before Jarrett stabbed his effort wide from close range after Newton's cross from the right.
At the other end Paul Furlong headed wide from Lee Cook's cross then Camp dived to his left to deny Alan Maybury from long distance on 22 minutes.
After Horsfield broke up a QPR attack on the half-way line, he released Yeates who raced clear before curling an effort just wide of the right-hand upright.
Damion Stewart was cautioned for a lunge on Hume in the 26th minute.
Paul Henderson had to divert Gareth Ainsworth's cross out for a corner moments later as the visitors tried to stamp their authority on the contest.
Danny Cullip was yellow-carded following a foul on Horsfield on 31 minutes and from the resulting free-kick Camp was forced to parry Hume's shot away from the danger zone.
Adam Bolder put his effort high and wide in the 37th minute before the Foxes came close two minutes later.
After good work by Newton down the right flank, Stephen Hughes unleashed a terrific effort which forced a fine save from Camp before Yeates' follow up shot was blocked for a corner.
In first half stoppage time, Hume was booked for a foul then Nygaard should have put his side a goal up but somehow drilled his close range shot wide when unmarked inside the six-yard box.
The Hoops took the lead within two minutes of the restart thanks to an Inigo Idiakez header.
Marcus Bignot's free-kick was met by Nygaard with the ball falling for the midfielder who had the simple task of directing his header past Henderson and into the back of the net for the opener.
And the visitors made it 2-0 on 51 minutes when Nygaard tucked away his penalty after Alan Maybury had been penalised for a push on Paul Furlong inside the area.
With City desperate for a way back into the game, Horsfield made way for Elvis Hammond on 63 minutes with Steve Lomas also replacing goalscorer Idiakez.
The Hoops went three goals clear in the 68th minute thanks to a moment of magic from Nygaard.
The ball found him wide on the right, and within a split second he hit an inch-perfect dipping effort from 25-yards which sailed over Henderson and into the net for a wonder goal.
The hosts made a double change in the 75th minute with Stephen Hughes coming off for Danny Tiatto and James Wesolowski replacing Jarrett.
Furlong was booked on 80 minutes before Newton put his effort over the bar and then Ray Jones came on for Furlong soon after.
Patrick Kisnorbo had a late header cleared off the line in the 85th minute then Camp saved well at the feet of Newton as City looked for a consolation.
Jimmy Smith replaced Ainsworth and Jones was booked for a foul on Darren Kenton.
Hume bagged a late consolation from the spot but it proved too little, too late for Rob Kelly's men.
City: Henderson, Maybury, Kenton, Kisnorbo ©, Johansson, Newton, Jarrett (Wesolowski 75), Hughes (Tiatto 75), Yeates, Hume, Horsfield (Hammond 63). Subs not used: Logan, Stearman.
QPR: Camp, Mancienne, Cullip, Stewart, Bignot ©, Bolder, Ainsworth (Smith 88), Idiakez (Lomas 63), Cook, Furlong (Jones 83), Nygaard. Subs not used: Cole, Kanyuka.
Yellow Cards
City: Johansson (10), Hume (45)
QPR: Stewart (26), Cullip (31), Furlong (80), Jones (89)
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)
Attendance: 24,558
Goals :
Hume 90 + 3 (pen)
Idiakez 47
Nygaard 51 (pen)
Nygaard 68 Leicester
PHOTOS FROM LEICESTER (Leicester Official Site)
QPR's Game at Leicester
-
QPR Travel to Leicester today for yet another crucial game for QPR. Leicester are almost safe with 46 points from 37 games - Table
Leicester's home record is 6 wins, 7 draws, 5 defeats (scoring 21 letting in 19). QPR's Away record: 3 wins, 5 draws and 11 defeats - Scored 18; let in 34.
(QPR have gone 10 away Championship games without a win - 2 draws and 8 defeats. Their last away win was at Cardiff back in November, although they came very close on Tuesday).
Of course, just over a year ago, QPR's then manager Ian Holloway was given permission to talk to Leicester (what exactly occurred is just a little "murky") about becoming their new manager. QPR's Chairman, Gianni Paladini then turned around and placed Holloway on "Gardening Leave" for talking to Leicester. In the epic words of the Chairman "If a man is happily married why would he look for another woman?"
Leicester's Results this Season - Results
Leicester's Squad - Squad
[Note: Looking at Leicester's website: Something very clever but very simple that QPR could easiy adopt: The players' sponsors are listed online - Players Sponsors
Sporting Life - FRYATT TO RETURN FOR FOXES
Leicester's striking options could be boosted by the return of Matty Fryatt for Saturday's Championship visit of QPR to the Walkers Stadium.
Fryatt has been sidelined since suffering a foot injury in the 3-2 defeat at Cardiff on January 27 but returned to training prior to last week's defeat at Crystal Palace and has stepped up his recovery this week.
The Foxes have no fresh injury worries as they look to return to winning ways after a loss and a draw in their last two outings.
Assistant manager Mike Stowell said: "Everyone has trained this week and Paddy McCarthy (shoulder) and Rab Douglas (knee) are our only absentees at the moment.
"You always have a few bumps and bruises around the place because it is a physical game but we are looking good ahead of Saturday."
QPR could be without Dexter Blackstock and Martin Rowlands for Saturday's Championship clash at Leicester.
Former Southampton striker Blackstock is still struggling with the hamstring injury which kept him out of the 1-1 draw at Derby in midweek, and midfield man Rowlands suffered a similar injury at Pride Park.
Rangers boss John Gregory said: "We could not risk Dexter at Derby, as much as he wanted to play. He is touch-and-go again for Saturday.
"Rowly limped off with a hamstring injury at Derby. It is not serious, but it might be enough to keep him out of the squad this weekend.
"The two-week break could be a blessing for us in terms of getting our players back to full fitness."
Midfielder Marc Bircham remains sidelined with a back injury.
Sporting LIfe
LEICESTER OFFICIAL SITE
Head To Head: QPR
We take a look back at previous encounters between the two clubs and reveal all the facts and figures ahead of the game.
HEAD TO HEAD
The two clubs have met 48 times previously in all competitions, 45 of which have come in the league. Leicester have won just 18 of the clashes overall, with 13 of those successes coming in the East Midlands. Rangers have managed just 5 victories in 22 visits to Leicester.
EARLY MEETINGS
The first meeting came in Division Two as recently as 1948-49. Rangers completed the double over City that year. City did, however, win each of the next five Filbert Street clashes.
RECENT HISTORY
Last October, the teams drew 1-1 in Shepherd's Bush, with Patrick Kisnorbo heading an early goal for the Foxes before Gareth McAuley was red carded for handling a goalbound effort and Paddy McCarthy reappeared after injury wearing that Phantom of the Opera mask. Last season's encounter at the Walkers Stadium was also marked by a Leicester dismissal: Alan Maybury was sent for an early bath as the visitors won a poor game by 2-1 - Elvis Hammond being City's goalscorer.
BIGGEST WINS
Only once has either team hit six goals in this fixture, a feat achieved by City in a 6-2 home win in 1950-51. QPR's best was a 5-2 win at Loftus Road in an F A Cup tie in 1986-87, when Terry Fenwick scored twice for the Londoners.
MARKSMEN
Rangers' Bert Addinall and City's Arthur Rowley are the only players to have registered hat-tricks in clashes between the two clubs, and neither more recently than 1951. Addinall is the leading overall scorer in the series, with 9 counters against the Foxes, whereas City's top marksman is none other than Gary Lineker, who has pierced the Rangers' defence 6 times.
DEBUTANTS
Just 3 players have made their Leicester bow when QPR provided the opposition, but what a trio: British record signing Allan Clarke in 1968, young Joe Waters in that sensational F A Cup quarter-final in 1974, and teenager Emile Heskey, currently City record outgoing transfer holder, in 1995.
FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS
The smattering of players to have represented both clubs over the years includes Arthur Chandler, Peter Eastoe, Terry Fenwick, Les Ferdinand, Bob Hazell, Andrew Impey, Robbie James, Eddie Kelly, Frank Large, Frank McLintock, Stefan Moore, John O'Neill, Simon Royce, Dean Sturridge and David Webb. Leicester
QPR OFFICIAL SITE PREVIEW
Hope suddenly springs eternal at The Walkers Stadium in the wake of the arrival of former Pompey Chairman Milan Mandaric.
Mandaric has taken full control of the Championship side after an Extraordinary General Meeting concluded the transfer of ownership last week.
The ex-Portsmouth owner's offer for the Foxes was accepted by club shareholders in February, but he has now been confirmed as executive chairman.
Mandaric believes the club's facilities and fan base mean it will only be a matter of time before they are Premiership club.
"In everything but name this is a Premiership club,'' he said.
"When I became frustrated during the buying process the fans still came out in their numbers."
Whether or not Mandaric's off-the-field ambitions can be matched by the players on it remains to be seen though.
The Foxes currently sit 16th in the Championship - nine points clear of the relegation zone and 17 points off the play-off's.
The Foxes could be ready to call on star striker Matty Fryatt.
Fryatt's recovery from a foot injury took another positive step forward earlier this week with his most active involvement yet in a training session.
Rangers seem certain to recall Dexter Blackstock for the trip to The Walkers Stadium.
Blackstock missed the 1-1 draw with Derby County on Tuesday night with a hamstring injury, but should be fit to return to John Gregory's squad.
Martin Rowlands - who limped off moments after scoring at Pride Park - will undergo a late fitness test for the R's, but Lee Camp and Adam Bolder are free to return, after missing out under the terms of their respective loan and permanent moves from the Rams.
Top scorer (league goals only): Iain HUME 11
Last league game:
Leicester City 1, Leeds United 1.
Coca Cola Championship.
March 13th 2007.
Leicester City: Henderson, Maybury, McAuley, Kisnorbo, Johansson, Newton, Jarrett, Hughes, Porter, Hume, Horsfield (Hammond 66).
Subs Not Used: Logan, Yeates, Tiatto, Stearman.
...Superhoopsbet.co.uk match odds:
Leicester City 8/11 QPR 10/3 Draw 12/5 ...
Head to head:
Leicester wins: 17 - QPR wins: 19 Draws: 9
Last meeting:
Queens Park Rangers 1 (Rowlands), Leicester City 1 (Kisnorbo).
Coca Cola Championship. October 28th 2006.
QPR Official Site
QPRNet's Ron Norris & Simon Skinner Preview - QPR Net Preview
Tracy Stent/QPR Rivals - Match Preview
QPR Travel to Leicester today for yet another crucial game for QPR. Leicester are almost safe with 46 points from 37 games - Table
Leicester's home record is 6 wins, 7 draws, 5 defeats (scoring 21 letting in 19). QPR's Away record: 3 wins, 5 draws and 11 defeats - Scored 18; let in 34.
(QPR have gone 10 away Championship games without a win - 2 draws and 8 defeats. Their last away win was at Cardiff back in November, although they came very close on Tuesday).
Of course, just over a year ago, QPR's then manager Ian Holloway was given permission to talk to Leicester (what exactly occurred is just a little "murky") about becoming their new manager. QPR's Chairman, Gianni Paladini then turned around and placed Holloway on "Gardening Leave" for talking to Leicester. In the epic words of the Chairman "If a man is happily married why would he look for another woman?"
Leicester's Results this Season - Results
Leicester's Squad - Squad
[Note: Looking at Leicester's website: Something very clever but very simple that QPR could easiy adopt: The players' sponsors are listed online - Players Sponsors
Sporting Life - FRYATT TO RETURN FOR FOXES
Leicester's striking options could be boosted by the return of Matty Fryatt for Saturday's Championship visit of QPR to the Walkers Stadium.
Fryatt has been sidelined since suffering a foot injury in the 3-2 defeat at Cardiff on January 27 but returned to training prior to last week's defeat at Crystal Palace and has stepped up his recovery this week.
The Foxes have no fresh injury worries as they look to return to winning ways after a loss and a draw in their last two outings.
Assistant manager Mike Stowell said: "Everyone has trained this week and Paddy McCarthy (shoulder) and Rab Douglas (knee) are our only absentees at the moment.
"You always have a few bumps and bruises around the place because it is a physical game but we are looking good ahead of Saturday."
QPR could be without Dexter Blackstock and Martin Rowlands for Saturday's Championship clash at Leicester.
Former Southampton striker Blackstock is still struggling with the hamstring injury which kept him out of the 1-1 draw at Derby in midweek, and midfield man Rowlands suffered a similar injury at Pride Park.
Rangers boss John Gregory said: "We could not risk Dexter at Derby, as much as he wanted to play. He is touch-and-go again for Saturday.
"Rowly limped off with a hamstring injury at Derby. It is not serious, but it might be enough to keep him out of the squad this weekend.
"The two-week break could be a blessing for us in terms of getting our players back to full fitness."
Midfielder Marc Bircham remains sidelined with a back injury.
Sporting LIfe
LEICESTER OFFICIAL SITE
Head To Head: QPR
We take a look back at previous encounters between the two clubs and reveal all the facts and figures ahead of the game.
HEAD TO HEAD
The two clubs have met 48 times previously in all competitions, 45 of which have come in the league. Leicester have won just 18 of the clashes overall, with 13 of those successes coming in the East Midlands. Rangers have managed just 5 victories in 22 visits to Leicester.
EARLY MEETINGS
The first meeting came in Division Two as recently as 1948-49. Rangers completed the double over City that year. City did, however, win each of the next five Filbert Street clashes.
RECENT HISTORY
Last October, the teams drew 1-1 in Shepherd's Bush, with Patrick Kisnorbo heading an early goal for the Foxes before Gareth McAuley was red carded for handling a goalbound effort and Paddy McCarthy reappeared after injury wearing that Phantom of the Opera mask. Last season's encounter at the Walkers Stadium was also marked by a Leicester dismissal: Alan Maybury was sent for an early bath as the visitors won a poor game by 2-1 - Elvis Hammond being City's goalscorer.
BIGGEST WINS
Only once has either team hit six goals in this fixture, a feat achieved by City in a 6-2 home win in 1950-51. QPR's best was a 5-2 win at Loftus Road in an F A Cup tie in 1986-87, when Terry Fenwick scored twice for the Londoners.
MARKSMEN
Rangers' Bert Addinall and City's Arthur Rowley are the only players to have registered hat-tricks in clashes between the two clubs, and neither more recently than 1951. Addinall is the leading overall scorer in the series, with 9 counters against the Foxes, whereas City's top marksman is none other than Gary Lineker, who has pierced the Rangers' defence 6 times.
DEBUTANTS
Just 3 players have made their Leicester bow when QPR provided the opposition, but what a trio: British record signing Allan Clarke in 1968, young Joe Waters in that sensational F A Cup quarter-final in 1974, and teenager Emile Heskey, currently City record outgoing transfer holder, in 1995.
FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS
The smattering of players to have represented both clubs over the years includes Arthur Chandler, Peter Eastoe, Terry Fenwick, Les Ferdinand, Bob Hazell, Andrew Impey, Robbie James, Eddie Kelly, Frank Large, Frank McLintock, Stefan Moore, John O'Neill, Simon Royce, Dean Sturridge and David Webb. Leicester
QPR OFFICIAL SITE PREVIEW
Hope suddenly springs eternal at The Walkers Stadium in the wake of the arrival of former Pompey Chairman Milan Mandaric.
Mandaric has taken full control of the Championship side after an Extraordinary General Meeting concluded the transfer of ownership last week.
The ex-Portsmouth owner's offer for the Foxes was accepted by club shareholders in February, but he has now been confirmed as executive chairman.
Mandaric believes the club's facilities and fan base mean it will only be a matter of time before they are Premiership club.
"In everything but name this is a Premiership club,'' he said.
"When I became frustrated during the buying process the fans still came out in their numbers."
Whether or not Mandaric's off-the-field ambitions can be matched by the players on it remains to be seen though.
The Foxes currently sit 16th in the Championship - nine points clear of the relegation zone and 17 points off the play-off's.
The Foxes could be ready to call on star striker Matty Fryatt.
Fryatt's recovery from a foot injury took another positive step forward earlier this week with his most active involvement yet in a training session.
Rangers seem certain to recall Dexter Blackstock for the trip to The Walkers Stadium.
Blackstock missed the 1-1 draw with Derby County on Tuesday night with a hamstring injury, but should be fit to return to John Gregory's squad.
Martin Rowlands - who limped off moments after scoring at Pride Park - will undergo a late fitness test for the R's, but Lee Camp and Adam Bolder are free to return, after missing out under the terms of their respective loan and permanent moves from the Rams.
Top scorer (league goals only): Iain HUME 11
Last league game:
Leicester City 1, Leeds United 1.
Coca Cola Championship.
March 13th 2007.
Leicester City: Henderson, Maybury, McAuley, Kisnorbo, Johansson, Newton, Jarrett, Hughes, Porter, Hume, Horsfield (Hammond 66).
Subs Not Used: Logan, Yeates, Tiatto, Stearman.
...Superhoopsbet.co.uk match odds:
Leicester City 8/11 QPR 10/3 Draw 12/5 ...
Head to head:
Leicester wins: 17 - QPR wins: 19 Draws: 9
Last meeting:
Queens Park Rangers 1 (Rowlands), Leicester City 1 (Kisnorbo).
Coca Cola Championship. October 28th 2006.
QPR Official Site
QPRNet's Ron Norris & Simon Skinner Preview - QPR Net Preview
Tracy Stent/QPR Rivals - Match Preview
QPR's Championship Statistics - Declining Attendances
-
In the Championship this season: QPR have the sixth worth attendance figures (12,612 at this point) and the sixth worst disciplinary record.
Championship Disciplinary Record
League Attendance
Other Championship Statistics: QPR have used 33 players (Leeds "top" with 42 players used; Colchester "bottom" with 22 players used.)
Number of Players used this season
Previous Seasons: (Obviously for the complete season, whereas QPR's season still has to go:)
Last Season's Attendance Average 13,440
2004/05 Attenance Figures (Our First back in the Championship) 16,055
Our Promotion Season 2003/2004 14,784
Our Playoff Season 2002/03 - 13,206
OTHER QPR STATISTICS FOR THE SEASON - Statistics
In the Championship this season: QPR have the sixth worth attendance figures (12,612 at this point) and the sixth worst disciplinary record.
Championship Disciplinary Record
League Attendance
Other Championship Statistics: QPR have used 33 players (Leeds "top" with 42 players used; Colchester "bottom" with 22 players used.)
Number of Players used this season
Previous Seasons: (Obviously for the complete season, whereas QPR's season still has to go:)
Last Season's Attendance Average 13,440
2004/05 Attenance Figures (Our First back in the Championship) 16,055
Our Promotion Season 2003/2004 14,784
Our Playoff Season 2002/03 - 13,206
OTHER QPR STATISTICS FOR THE SEASON - Statistics
Friday, March 16, 2007
QPR's Last AGM - A Year Ago
-
A year ago tomorrow, QPR held its AGM.
At the time, QPR1st's Tracy Stent wrote up an unofficial report on the AGM which can be read - QPR1st AGM Report
QPR1st - QPR Holdings Ltd -AGM Report
"March 19, 2006 Tracy Stent represented the interests of the Supporters Trust at the Annual General Meeting of QPR Holdings Ltd. It was a fairly lively affair and Tracy has produced a report of the meeting which can be viewed/downloaded via the link below. .... - QPR1st AGM Report
And a brief report in the Mirror
Daily Mirror, March 18, 2006 - RANGERS 'STAY PUT' By Aidan Magee
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini has assured supporters the club will stay at Loftus Road.
Paladini (pictured below), thought to have been considering a switch to a site at White City, made the pledge as he and Brazil World Cup legend Carlos Dunga - a club director - faced angry fans at QPR's annual meeting.
They were upset by price-hikes, boss Ian Holloway's sacking, debts of £18m and director Antonio Caliendo's suggestion of a move from Shepherds Bush.
But Paladini said: "Antonio Caliendo doesn't speak English. If you asked him what he thought White City was, he would reply: 'Que?' We won't be moving and that's final." Daily Mirror
And on the eve of the AGM:
BBC - March 16, 2006
BBC - Dunga will face QPR shareholders
Carlos Dunga will face shareholders at Queens Park Rangers' Annual General Meeting on Friday.
The former Brazil captain became a QPR director in 2004 as part of a Monaco-based group that later staged a boardroom coup at Loftus Road. Dunga did not attend board meetings prior to using his vote to help Gianni Paladini oust Bill Power as chairman. "I take my role as a director of QPR seriously and look forward to appearing in front of shareholders," said Dunga. "Myself and the other directors have put money into the club to help it survive and will continue to do so."
Paladini has faced scepticism from some fans since Power and chief executive Mark Devlin were removed following a series of boardroom disagreements. Rangers are heavily in debt and several behind-the-scenes changes have been made since Paladini took control along with Antonio Caliendo. Both men are former agents.
Italian businessman Franco Zanotti has also bought a major stake and Paladini has defended their running of the club.
Paladini said: "Can anyone say QPR aren't in a better position than when I came in two years ago? "The losses are reduced and we are in a position to move forward. Everything is settled and we just want to get on with running the club. "This board have invested over £8m. Yes, some of that has been used to buy shares, but that is how much has been paid and that shows commitment."
BBC
10 days before the AGM, the club issued this statement:
March 7, 2006 - QPR - CLUB STATEMENT -
Gianni Paladini has issued the following statement following recent inaccurate reporting.
Once again this club has been subjected to a barrage of pitifully inaccurate reporting in the London Evening Standard - and once again I am left with no option but to set the record straight in order that you, our true supporters, know exactly how QPR's finances stand.
The article in last Friday's edition should be seen in the light of the previous negative and misleading articles by the same author for which they had to print an apology and pay our solicitor's costs.
The total value of the debt in the 2005 accounts (ie the sum of the current liabilities and the long term liabilities) is £18m.The total value of the same debt in the 2004 accounts was £18m.In other words no change, but this is definitely not the impression conveyed by the headline.
As most fans know the biggest item in the total debt is the £10m loan from the ABC Corporation which was entered into in 2002 several years before the current regime took over.
Current liabilities fell in 2005 as the debts to the Customs & Revenue were reduced and short-term loans to shareholders were repaid.
You should also be aware that £2.8m of the total "debts" is for income for the 2005/06 season that was banked before the 31st May 2005 and, in accordance with standard accounting practice, is included in current liabilities as deferred income.The bulk of this deferred income is for season ticket receipts, which is being released in the 2005/06 financial year.
This means that the high value of the early bird season ticket sales for both the 2004 and 2005 seasons have increased the "debt" at the club's financial year end.So rather perversely the increase in deferred income is a positive sign and not an indication of "misery" as heralded by the Evening Standard.
The Standard did state that losses for the year were £2.5m but neglected to mention that was an improvement of £1.8m on the two previous years.This improvement was all the more impressive as it was achieved despite losing the revenue from Fulham ground sharing deal. Running costs have been reduced and supply contracts have been renegotiated.
I know these figures are wrong because I am so intimately involved in both the day-to-day running of the club, and its financial strategy and support. Along with my trusted friend and chairman of QPR Holdings, Antonio Caliendo, we have dug into our own pockets to pay off the debts we inherited when we took over - debts that, quite frankly, would have forced the club into liquidation if they had not been paid.
I need to say a few more words about Antonio at this point because the Standard has also intimated there is something dark and mysterious about his presence at the club. Antonio is chairman of our holding company, and I am chairman of the football club.
There is nothing murky or sinister about this two-man structure - it's exactly the same format that existed before we took over. We have no hidden agendas - if we did, we wouldn't have stuck around for so long, working so hard to get QPR's finances back on the straight and narrow.
The accounts for 2005 show a vast improvement on the previous years' results and the current projections for 2006 show that there will be another sizeable reduction in the clubs' net losses.However the Evening Standard states that the projected losses for the current season "could be as much as £4m" and will not be revealed until March 2007.
As the club has had no contact with the writer of this article we are left to ponder as to the both the source of his inaccurate statements and the motives behind them.
The club is currently working on its projections for next season and the board of directors are looking for further revenue opportunities and further cost savings as the club works towards a break-even situation.A more detailed update will be given to shareholders at the forthcoming AGM and a summary will then published on the QPR website. QPR
In recent weeks:
Daily Mail/Charles Sale -February 12, 2007 QPR figures don't add up, claims fan
Evidence of serious breaches of financial regulations at Queens Park Rangers has been uncovered by a fan examining the club’s records.
The Rangers supporter discovered that the QPR Holdings company accounts for the financial year ending May 31 2005 which were approved by shareholders at the March 2006 annual meeting differed by millions of pounds from the document which has just been lodged at Companies House
The widespread alterations affected the turnover figures, profit and loss numbers, commercial revenues, administrative expenses, operating accounts, matchday receipts and sponsorship, as well as the valuation of the Loftus Road ground that had risen from £17.2million to £20m.
It has also emerged that the QPR auditors Nieman Walters Niman had not signed off the company accounts that were presented to shareholders by the QPR executive.
Accountant Ed Nieman, who was asked to resign as QPR auditor by the club last week, said: "I didn’t go to the AGM because the accounts weren’t final. They were only signed off on January 22 this year.
"They shouldn’t have been approved at the AGM as they were not finalised. The QPR board know from me they should not have been presented or voted on. "I’ve no idea why the club no longer want me to act for them. I haven’t had an opportunity to discuss it."
No one at QPR was available for comment.
Mail
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - CONSULTATIVE MEETING
QPR Fans Consultative Group Meeting
Tuesday 13th February 2007 - 6pm, The Chairman's Suite, Loftus Road
Minutes
The following are the minutes taken from the initial QPR fans consultative group meeting, which was held at Loftus Road on the night of Tuesday 13th February. Those in attendance hope that this is of interest to all QPR fans everywhere.
In attendance: Gianni Paladini (GP) Chairman, QPR FC ~ Nick De Marco (NDM) QPR FC legal advisor, and Chair of initial meeting ~ Akin Yilmaz (AK) Club Financial Controller and Company Secretary ~ Pat Harrison (PH) Official Supporters Club ~ Karen Hampshire (KH) Official Supporters Club ~ Tracy Stent (TS) QPR 1st Supporters Trust ~ Stephen Dedridge (SD) QPR 1st Supporters Trust~ Victor Stephenson (VS) Friends of QPR ~ Spencer Schwartz (SS) Friends of QPR.
"....3 The 2005 accounts
AY started off by saying how at the AGM in March 2006, the accounts that were presented had not been signed off by the auditors. The changes of figures in the accounts that have just recently been filed are down to the subsidiary (Queens Park Rangers Football and Athletic Club) accounts that have now been done/finalised/filed. Geoff then intercepted by explaining that he has the facility for doing a search on Companies House which means that every time a new file appears or is updated on their website, he gets notified by an email and he then checks the website to see what has been updated. This allows him, and anybody else with this facility, to know the history of filing dates and he said that at the time when GP joined there were subsidiary accounts (QPRFAC) that were four years out of date. He said that AY is the first man to have brought those accounts up to date and explained about auditors; how they are basically an independent body of accountants who do an audit on company accounts; that they have to be fair; and with no skulduggery going on. He explained that the most important thing for any auditors is for them to be sure that the accounts they are signing off shows reasonable proof that the company is a going concern for the following year. He said that the note about this in the auditor's report had been changed and that it could have been an option by shareholders to call an EGM. It was quoted that the cost of calling an EGM could amount to £10k and that AY is now drafting a letter to be sent to shareholders explaining the situation to them about how the last accounts were not finalised; that they had now been filed; and that the proposal is for them to be approved within a resolution at the next AGM.
GP stated how new auditors had come in, that basically there had been confusion, and that the auditor had pressured the club for extra money before the books had been released to them. He said he had sought advice from other people and that it had been recommended to him to bring back the firm the company used in the past, Rothman Pantell, and that this had been done. He claimed how the club tried to put things right and SD pointed out to him that the club must have realised that this would happen, how it would give a wrong impression for fans/shareholders to read about this in the newspapers, and why did they not contact someone like Geoff in the first instance? AY acknowledged this and said how he could see that this could be seen as a cover-up but that there had been a lack of communication between the ex financial controller and the auditors.
GP commented on how it was all a bad mistake; that he has put his trust in people that are paid to do a job; that he acknowledges he has to carry the can; that the figures - the loss amount - is the exact same; that he wants to be surrounded by people who know what they are doing; and that he is learning something new every day.
AY said that Rothman are now on the case for the 2006 (May year end) accounts and that they are hopeful of them being signed off and filed at companies house on/by 31st March. GP asked Geoff if he would come in to monitor the accounts/process and he agreed to at the least send in one of his accountants for the day before the end of March. Geoff suggested this so as to avoid any possible conflict of interests.
AY asked if there were anything else required to be known about the accounts and as time was getting on by this stage, Geoff suggested he email specifics to him, as he does have a number of queries, and for any responses to be relayed in due course.
VS asked about the community department and into which company this department comes under and AY said it's the Holdings company. ..." QPR OFFICIAL SITE
BOARDROOM BLUES FAN SITE
For Copy of Accounts and comparisons: at Boardoom Blues
- "Meet the New Accounts, Not the same as the old Accounts"
- "Shareholders' Guide to the New Accounts"
- COMPLETE ACCOUNTS can be viewed here
Boardroom Blues
A year ago tomorrow, QPR held its AGM.
At the time, QPR1st's Tracy Stent wrote up an unofficial report on the AGM which can be read - QPR1st AGM Report
QPR1st - QPR Holdings Ltd -AGM Report
"March 19, 2006 Tracy Stent represented the interests of the Supporters Trust at the Annual General Meeting of QPR Holdings Ltd. It was a fairly lively affair and Tracy has produced a report of the meeting which can be viewed/downloaded via the link below. .... - QPR1st AGM Report
And a brief report in the Mirror
Daily Mirror, March 18, 2006 - RANGERS 'STAY PUT' By Aidan Magee
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini has assured supporters the club will stay at Loftus Road.
Paladini (pictured below), thought to have been considering a switch to a site at White City, made the pledge as he and Brazil World Cup legend Carlos Dunga - a club director - faced angry fans at QPR's annual meeting.
They were upset by price-hikes, boss Ian Holloway's sacking, debts of £18m and director Antonio Caliendo's suggestion of a move from Shepherds Bush.
But Paladini said: "Antonio Caliendo doesn't speak English. If you asked him what he thought White City was, he would reply: 'Que?' We won't be moving and that's final." Daily Mirror
And on the eve of the AGM:
BBC - March 16, 2006
BBC - Dunga will face QPR shareholders
Carlos Dunga will face shareholders at Queens Park Rangers' Annual General Meeting on Friday.
The former Brazil captain became a QPR director in 2004 as part of a Monaco-based group that later staged a boardroom coup at Loftus Road. Dunga did not attend board meetings prior to using his vote to help Gianni Paladini oust Bill Power as chairman. "I take my role as a director of QPR seriously and look forward to appearing in front of shareholders," said Dunga. "Myself and the other directors have put money into the club to help it survive and will continue to do so."
Paladini has faced scepticism from some fans since Power and chief executive Mark Devlin were removed following a series of boardroom disagreements. Rangers are heavily in debt and several behind-the-scenes changes have been made since Paladini took control along with Antonio Caliendo. Both men are former agents.
Italian businessman Franco Zanotti has also bought a major stake and Paladini has defended their running of the club.
Paladini said: "Can anyone say QPR aren't in a better position than when I came in two years ago? "The losses are reduced and we are in a position to move forward. Everything is settled and we just want to get on with running the club. "This board have invested over £8m. Yes, some of that has been used to buy shares, but that is how much has been paid and that shows commitment."
BBC
10 days before the AGM, the club issued this statement:
March 7, 2006 - QPR - CLUB STATEMENT -
Gianni Paladini has issued the following statement following recent inaccurate reporting.
Once again this club has been subjected to a barrage of pitifully inaccurate reporting in the London Evening Standard - and once again I am left with no option but to set the record straight in order that you, our true supporters, know exactly how QPR's finances stand.
The article in last Friday's edition should be seen in the light of the previous negative and misleading articles by the same author for which they had to print an apology and pay our solicitor's costs.
The total value of the debt in the 2005 accounts (ie the sum of the current liabilities and the long term liabilities) is £18m.The total value of the same debt in the 2004 accounts was £18m.In other words no change, but this is definitely not the impression conveyed by the headline.
As most fans know the biggest item in the total debt is the £10m loan from the ABC Corporation which was entered into in 2002 several years before the current regime took over.
Current liabilities fell in 2005 as the debts to the Customs & Revenue were reduced and short-term loans to shareholders were repaid.
You should also be aware that £2.8m of the total "debts" is for income for the 2005/06 season that was banked before the 31st May 2005 and, in accordance with standard accounting practice, is included in current liabilities as deferred income.The bulk of this deferred income is for season ticket receipts, which is being released in the 2005/06 financial year.
This means that the high value of the early bird season ticket sales for both the 2004 and 2005 seasons have increased the "debt" at the club's financial year end.So rather perversely the increase in deferred income is a positive sign and not an indication of "misery" as heralded by the Evening Standard.
The Standard did state that losses for the year were £2.5m but neglected to mention that was an improvement of £1.8m on the two previous years.This improvement was all the more impressive as it was achieved despite losing the revenue from Fulham ground sharing deal. Running costs have been reduced and supply contracts have been renegotiated.
I know these figures are wrong because I am so intimately involved in both the day-to-day running of the club, and its financial strategy and support. Along with my trusted friend and chairman of QPR Holdings, Antonio Caliendo, we have dug into our own pockets to pay off the debts we inherited when we took over - debts that, quite frankly, would have forced the club into liquidation if they had not been paid.
I need to say a few more words about Antonio at this point because the Standard has also intimated there is something dark and mysterious about his presence at the club. Antonio is chairman of our holding company, and I am chairman of the football club.
There is nothing murky or sinister about this two-man structure - it's exactly the same format that existed before we took over. We have no hidden agendas - if we did, we wouldn't have stuck around for so long, working so hard to get QPR's finances back on the straight and narrow.
The accounts for 2005 show a vast improvement on the previous years' results and the current projections for 2006 show that there will be another sizeable reduction in the clubs' net losses.However the Evening Standard states that the projected losses for the current season "could be as much as £4m" and will not be revealed until March 2007.
As the club has had no contact with the writer of this article we are left to ponder as to the both the source of his inaccurate statements and the motives behind them.
The club is currently working on its projections for next season and the board of directors are looking for further revenue opportunities and further cost savings as the club works towards a break-even situation.A more detailed update will be given to shareholders at the forthcoming AGM and a summary will then published on the QPR website. QPR
In recent weeks:
Daily Mail/Charles Sale -February 12, 2007 QPR figures don't add up, claims fan
Evidence of serious breaches of financial regulations at Queens Park Rangers has been uncovered by a fan examining the club’s records.
The Rangers supporter discovered that the QPR Holdings company accounts for the financial year ending May 31 2005 which were approved by shareholders at the March 2006 annual meeting differed by millions of pounds from the document which has just been lodged at Companies House
The widespread alterations affected the turnover figures, profit and loss numbers, commercial revenues, administrative expenses, operating accounts, matchday receipts and sponsorship, as well as the valuation of the Loftus Road ground that had risen from £17.2million to £20m.
It has also emerged that the QPR auditors Nieman Walters Niman had not signed off the company accounts that were presented to shareholders by the QPR executive.
Accountant Ed Nieman, who was asked to resign as QPR auditor by the club last week, said: "I didn’t go to the AGM because the accounts weren’t final. They were only signed off on January 22 this year.
"They shouldn’t have been approved at the AGM as they were not finalised. The QPR board know from me they should not have been presented or voted on. "I’ve no idea why the club no longer want me to act for them. I haven’t had an opportunity to discuss it."
No one at QPR was available for comment.
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - CONSULTATIVE MEETING
QPR Fans Consultative Group Meeting
Tuesday 13th February 2007 - 6pm, The Chairman's Suite, Loftus Road
Minutes
The following are the minutes taken from the initial QPR fans consultative group meeting, which was held at Loftus Road on the night of Tuesday 13th February. Those in attendance hope that this is of interest to all QPR fans everywhere.
In attendance: Gianni Paladini (GP) Chairman, QPR FC ~ Nick De Marco (NDM) QPR FC legal advisor, and Chair of initial meeting ~ Akin Yilmaz (AK) Club Financial Controller and Company Secretary ~ Pat Harrison (PH) Official Supporters Club ~ Karen Hampshire (KH) Official Supporters Club ~ Tracy Stent (TS) QPR 1st Supporters Trust ~ Stephen Dedridge (SD) QPR 1st Supporters Trust~ Victor Stephenson (VS) Friends of QPR ~ Spencer Schwartz (SS) Friends of QPR.
"....3 The 2005 accounts
AY started off by saying how at the AGM in March 2006, the accounts that were presented had not been signed off by the auditors. The changes of figures in the accounts that have just recently been filed are down to the subsidiary (Queens Park Rangers Football and Athletic Club) accounts that have now been done/finalised/filed. Geoff then intercepted by explaining that he has the facility for doing a search on Companies House which means that every time a new file appears or is updated on their website, he gets notified by an email and he then checks the website to see what has been updated. This allows him, and anybody else with this facility, to know the history of filing dates and he said that at the time when GP joined there were subsidiary accounts (QPRFAC) that were four years out of date. He said that AY is the first man to have brought those accounts up to date and explained about auditors; how they are basically an independent body of accountants who do an audit on company accounts; that they have to be fair; and with no skulduggery going on. He explained that the most important thing for any auditors is for them to be sure that the accounts they are signing off shows reasonable proof that the company is a going concern for the following year. He said that the note about this in the auditor's report had been changed and that it could have been an option by shareholders to call an EGM. It was quoted that the cost of calling an EGM could amount to £10k and that AY is now drafting a letter to be sent to shareholders explaining the situation to them about how the last accounts were not finalised; that they had now been filed; and that the proposal is for them to be approved within a resolution at the next AGM.
GP stated how new auditors had come in, that basically there had been confusion, and that the auditor had pressured the club for extra money before the books had been released to them. He said he had sought advice from other people and that it had been recommended to him to bring back the firm the company used in the past, Rothman Pantell, and that this had been done. He claimed how the club tried to put things right and SD pointed out to him that the club must have realised that this would happen, how it would give a wrong impression for fans/shareholders to read about this in the newspapers, and why did they not contact someone like Geoff in the first instance? AY acknowledged this and said how he could see that this could be seen as a cover-up but that there had been a lack of communication between the ex financial controller and the auditors.
GP commented on how it was all a bad mistake; that he has put his trust in people that are paid to do a job; that he acknowledges he has to carry the can; that the figures - the loss amount - is the exact same; that he wants to be surrounded by people who know what they are doing; and that he is learning something new every day.
AY said that Rothman are now on the case for the 2006 (May year end) accounts and that they are hopeful of them being signed off and filed at companies house on/by 31st March. GP asked Geoff if he would come in to monitor the accounts/process and he agreed to at the least send in one of his accountants for the day before the end of March. Geoff suggested this so as to avoid any possible conflict of interests.
AY asked if there were anything else required to be known about the accounts and as time was getting on by this stage, Geoff suggested he email specifics to him, as he does have a number of queries, and for any responses to be relayed in due course.
VS asked about the community department and into which company this department comes under and AY said it's the Holdings company. ..." QPR OFFICIAL SITE
BOARDROOM BLUES FAN SITE
For Copy of Accounts and comparisons: at Boardoom Blues
- "Meet the New Accounts, Not the same as the old Accounts"
- "Shareholders' Guide to the New Accounts"
- COMPLETE ACCOUNTS can be viewed here
Boardroom Blues
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Another £250,000 to QPR For Shittu
-
QPR Official Site
Watford's fairytale run to the FA Cup semi-finals has resulted in Rangers receiving an additional £250,000 for the sale of Danny Shittu.
The Hornets paid an initial £1.6 million for the no-nonsense defender in the summer, but with Shittu making his 25th competitive appearance for Aidy Boothroyd's men in the FA Cup quarter-final against Plymouth Argyle last weekend, the R's have now received their next installment for the 26 year-old.
"We always knew Danny wanted to move to the Premiership,'' Chairman Gianni Paladini told www.qpr.co.uk.
"He's shown what he's about for Watford, performing to an incredibly high standard and we're reaping the benefits.'' QPR
QPR Official Site
Watford's fairytale run to the FA Cup semi-finals has resulted in Rangers receiving an additional £250,000 for the sale of Danny Shittu.
The Hornets paid an initial £1.6 million for the no-nonsense defender in the summer, but with Shittu making his 25th competitive appearance for Aidy Boothroyd's men in the FA Cup quarter-final against Plymouth Argyle last weekend, the R's have now received their next installment for the 26 year-old.
"We always knew Danny wanted to move to the Premiership,'' Chairman Gianni Paladini told www.qpr.co.uk.
"He's shown what he's about for Watford, performing to an incredibly high standard and we're reaping the benefits.'' QPR
Micky Adams Assesses Clubs' Relegation Prospects
-
BBC - Battle to beat Championship drop By Charlie Henderson
Micky Adams was Coventry manager for 99 games from January 2005 to January 2007 and was at the helm of Leicester in the second tier before that
The race to avoid relegation from the Championship is hotting up with as few as eight games to go until the season ends on Sunday 6 May.
Seven points separate seven teams vying to pull away from the trap door to League One.
And the bottom four are within four points of each other, with three teams set to go down.
Taking the last eight, nine or 10 games, if teams mirror that form through to the end of the season the present bottom three of Leeds, Luton and QPR are doomed, with the latter just missing out on goal difference to Burnley on 44 points.
But former Coventry boss Micky Adams believes the survival mark will be much nearer the division's traditional benchmark of 52 points.
"The clubs at the bottom have to be looking for more than 50 points," he told BBC Sport.
"That means some of them are going to have to find five wins from somewhere in eight matches, and when you consider that some haven't even won 10 games out of 38 it's difficult to see where those wins are going to come from."
Wins are imperative and for Adams, who had been pounding the Championship beat with Coventry for two years up until this January, the means to that end is experience.
"If they can win games against those around them all the better and teams with bigger squads and experience are the ones more likely to get out of it," he added.
"There are some teams we expected to be down there at the beginning of the season through lack of resources and experience, but then there are also some surprises down there like Leeds.
"But I look at Leeds and I really think they can get out of this situation. They have experience on the pitch and in Dennis Wise, who took Millwall to an FA Cup final.
"Any manager who does that has got a good pedigree."
Leeds have been bottom since mid-January, but if they are going to climb clear, who is going to take their place in the bottom three?
BBC Sport asked Adams, who describes himself as one of football's 'fire-fighters', to run the rule over the clubs in peril at the wrong end of the Championship.
LEEDS
Position: 24th
Record: P38; W10; D5; L23; F38; A63; Pts 35
Form: DLLLWD
Still to play: Southend (a); Preston (h); Plymouth (h); Colchester (a); Burnley (h); Southampton (a); Ipswich (h); Derby (a).
They've got strong characters, people who have experienced the good times and not just the bad at the club, and they need to stand up and be counted.
Leeds haven't scored enough goals, but if you take the last two games in isolation it has been a good return and that sort of form would be enough for them to escape.
The interest and hype can make it very, very hard for the players to perform and the crowd at Elland Road can go one of two ways; if they see their team giving 150% they will be supportive, otherwise they can be quite unforgiving.
But I think they understand the problems Dennis Wise has had, know he won't be giving up and are now backing their boys to the hilt.
Did you know? Leeds still have six players on their books who were in the Championship play-off final last season and four of them played in the draw at Leicester last time out.
LUTON
Position: 23rd
Record: P38; W9; D9; L20; F47; A65; Pts 36
Form: WLLLLL
Still to play: Ipswich (h); Burnley (a); Southampton (h); QPR (a); Plymouth (h); Derby (a); Southend (a); Sunderland (h).
They are in the worst form of any of the teams down at the bottom and their present run must be very depressing for manager Mike Newell.
Rowan Vine, Steve Howard, Carlos Edwards and Kevin Nicholls were the nucleus of the side that played well last season, but now they've all gone it highlights the dangers of letting your best players go.
Look at the goals against figure. It is joint-worst in the division with Barnsley and it is clear where their problems are, but there is no easy quick fix.
Opportunities in the loan market are not as available as before as Premiership clubs want to keep their squads together more these days so you're left with scoring more goals - which is easier said than done!
Did you know? Rowan Vine (14) and Carlos Edwards (six) are still the club's leading two scorers despite leaving Kenilworth Road more than two months ago.
QPR
Position: 22nd
Record: P37; W9; D10; L18; F42; A58; Pts 37
Form: LDDLDD
Still to play: Leicester (a); West Brom (h); Preston (h); Coventry (a); Luton (h); Sunderland (a); Cardiff (h); Wolves (a); Stoke (h).
Manager John Gregory has addressed the fact they were leaking goals and Danny Cullip and goalkeeper Lee Camp have looked good since coming in.
Conceding a late goal at Derby to draw is a blow, but they cannot afford to look at it like that.
They still got a point away to a very good side, gave a good account of themselves and they must have gone into it thinking that if they got anything they would be pleased. It could yet be a turning point.
However, on the flipside is that run-in. Just look at the clubs they've yet to play, and their game in hand is against Preston. Five matches are at home, but it is the hardest of the lot and you have to fear for them.
Did you know? QPR have lost only one of their last seven games at home.
SOUTHEND
Position: 21st
Record: P38; W9; D11; L18; F39; A58; Pts 38
Form: LLLDWW
Still to play: Leeds (h); Hull (a); Colchester (h); Preston (a); Barnsley (h); Plymouth (a); Luton (h); Southampton (a).
Beating Burnley on Tuesday was a big result for them as they climbed out of the relegation places, but it is the next game against Leeds that is the key match.
Win and they make it three victories in a row as well as opening up a six-point gap on Leeds, which can give them the confidence to go on and avoid relegation.
It is one of three games against fellow relegation candidates at home, Roots Hall is never an easy place to go and picking up wins at home is the target for Steve Tilson's squad.
I can see them pulling out of trouble and the thing I like about them is that they have got players who can turn games - Freddy Eastwood and Jamal Campbell-Ryce on the right-wing can do bits of individual magic.
Did you know? Southend were in the relegation zone from 30 September until 13 March.
BARNSLEY
Position: 20th
Record: P38; W12; D5; L21; F44; A65; Pts 41
Form: LWWLLW
Still to play: Coventry (a); Derby (h); Ipswich (a); Birmingham (h); Southend (a); Crystal Palace (h); Leicester (h); West Brom (a).
They came from behind to beat Plymouth which is a big thing as they don't draw too many - only five all season - so they either get beat or win which is strange, and can be dangerous.
When you're a team that doesn't draw the mentality can be 'we've conceded and it looks like we're going to lose another game', but if you keep going to the end you can nick points here and there that can be vital.
They have a number of games against teams in mid-table, but managers and boards will be demanding a strong finish and there are no gimmes in the Championship.
They've done well until now, those new Hungarian players look fresh and eager and they've got to believe they can stay up, but if they finish in the bottom three nobody would be surprised.
Did you know? The win at Plymouth was the first time since November they have picked up three points having conceded a goal.
HULL
Position: 19th
Record: P38; W11; D8; L19; F41; A56; Pts 41
Form: LWLLWW
Still to play: Sunderland (a); Southend (h); Norwich (h); Wolves (a), Colchester (h); Stoke (a); Cardiff (a); Plymouth (h).
Manager Phil Brown has steadied the ship after a poor start.
Back-to-back wins will have done their confidence the world of good, especially picking up three points at Luton as away form has been their Achilles heel this season.
Matches at this stage of the season are readily called 'must-win' games, but they are nothing of the sort for the likes of Ray Parlour.
For him, a European final or an FA Cup final is a 'must-win' game - he has been there, seen it and done it and his experience, along with the likes of Dean Windass and Nick Barmby, will be vital in keeping their run of form going.
Did you know? This is the highest Hull have been in the table all season. All the other six clubs in the mire have at least enjoyed a more exalted status in the division at sometime or other during the campaign.
BURNLEY
Position: 18th
Record: P36; W10; D11; L15; F36; A39; Pts 41
Form: DLLDDL
Still to play: Preston (a); Luton (h); Plymouth (h); Birmingham (a); Cardiff (h); Leeds (a); Norwich (h); West Brom (h), Sunderland (a); Coventry (h).
Steve Cotterill has obviously got a board of directors who think he's the man for the job. I went eight games without a win and got the sack this season, but he's on 17 and counting!
With the standard of players they've got it is surprising they are down there and it just goes to show that results dictate confidence, and if the confidence is not there runs like this can happen to anybody.
The one thing you can say is that they are due a win, and with Andy Gray now fit alongside Ade Akinbiyi you'd expect the goals to come to boost that goals for column.
A bit of luck somewhere could earn three points which will immediately lift the mood, and if they win their two games in hand they will be flying up the table.
Did you know? Burnley, who were top after the first day of the season, have scored just eight goals in those 17 games they have failed to win. BBC
BBC - Battle to beat Championship drop By Charlie Henderson
Micky Adams was Coventry manager for 99 games from January 2005 to January 2007 and was at the helm of Leicester in the second tier before that
The race to avoid relegation from the Championship is hotting up with as few as eight games to go until the season ends on Sunday 6 May.
Seven points separate seven teams vying to pull away from the trap door to League One.
And the bottom four are within four points of each other, with three teams set to go down.
Taking the last eight, nine or 10 games, if teams mirror that form through to the end of the season the present bottom three of Leeds, Luton and QPR are doomed, with the latter just missing out on goal difference to Burnley on 44 points.
But former Coventry boss Micky Adams believes the survival mark will be much nearer the division's traditional benchmark of 52 points.
"The clubs at the bottom have to be looking for more than 50 points," he told BBC Sport.
"That means some of them are going to have to find five wins from somewhere in eight matches, and when you consider that some haven't even won 10 games out of 38 it's difficult to see where those wins are going to come from."
Wins are imperative and for Adams, who had been pounding the Championship beat with Coventry for two years up until this January, the means to that end is experience.
"If they can win games against those around them all the better and teams with bigger squads and experience are the ones more likely to get out of it," he added.
"There are some teams we expected to be down there at the beginning of the season through lack of resources and experience, but then there are also some surprises down there like Leeds.
"But I look at Leeds and I really think they can get out of this situation. They have experience on the pitch and in Dennis Wise, who took Millwall to an FA Cup final.
"Any manager who does that has got a good pedigree."
Leeds have been bottom since mid-January, but if they are going to climb clear, who is going to take their place in the bottom three?
BBC Sport asked Adams, who describes himself as one of football's 'fire-fighters', to run the rule over the clubs in peril at the wrong end of the Championship.
LEEDS
Position: 24th
Record: P38; W10; D5; L23; F38; A63; Pts 35
Form: DLLLWD
Still to play: Southend (a); Preston (h); Plymouth (h); Colchester (a); Burnley (h); Southampton (a); Ipswich (h); Derby (a).
They've got strong characters, people who have experienced the good times and not just the bad at the club, and they need to stand up and be counted.
Leeds haven't scored enough goals, but if you take the last two games in isolation it has been a good return and that sort of form would be enough for them to escape.
The interest and hype can make it very, very hard for the players to perform and the crowd at Elland Road can go one of two ways; if they see their team giving 150% they will be supportive, otherwise they can be quite unforgiving.
But I think they understand the problems Dennis Wise has had, know he won't be giving up and are now backing their boys to the hilt.
Did you know? Leeds still have six players on their books who were in the Championship play-off final last season and four of them played in the draw at Leicester last time out.
LUTON
Position: 23rd
Record: P38; W9; D9; L20; F47; A65; Pts 36
Form: WLLLLL
Still to play: Ipswich (h); Burnley (a); Southampton (h); QPR (a); Plymouth (h); Derby (a); Southend (a); Sunderland (h).
They are in the worst form of any of the teams down at the bottom and their present run must be very depressing for manager Mike Newell.
Rowan Vine, Steve Howard, Carlos Edwards and Kevin Nicholls were the nucleus of the side that played well last season, but now they've all gone it highlights the dangers of letting your best players go.
Look at the goals against figure. It is joint-worst in the division with Barnsley and it is clear where their problems are, but there is no easy quick fix.
Opportunities in the loan market are not as available as before as Premiership clubs want to keep their squads together more these days so you're left with scoring more goals - which is easier said than done!
Did you know? Rowan Vine (14) and Carlos Edwards (six) are still the club's leading two scorers despite leaving Kenilworth Road more than two months ago.
QPR
Position: 22nd
Record: P37; W9; D10; L18; F42; A58; Pts 37
Form: LDDLDD
Still to play: Leicester (a); West Brom (h); Preston (h); Coventry (a); Luton (h); Sunderland (a); Cardiff (h); Wolves (a); Stoke (h).
Manager John Gregory has addressed the fact they were leaking goals and Danny Cullip and goalkeeper Lee Camp have looked good since coming in.
Conceding a late goal at Derby to draw is a blow, but they cannot afford to look at it like that.
They still got a point away to a very good side, gave a good account of themselves and they must have gone into it thinking that if they got anything they would be pleased. It could yet be a turning point.
However, on the flipside is that run-in. Just look at the clubs they've yet to play, and their game in hand is against Preston. Five matches are at home, but it is the hardest of the lot and you have to fear for them.
Did you know? QPR have lost only one of their last seven games at home.
SOUTHEND
Position: 21st
Record: P38; W9; D11; L18; F39; A58; Pts 38
Form: LLLDWW
Still to play: Leeds (h); Hull (a); Colchester (h); Preston (a); Barnsley (h); Plymouth (a); Luton (h); Southampton (a).
Beating Burnley on Tuesday was a big result for them as they climbed out of the relegation places, but it is the next game against Leeds that is the key match.
Win and they make it three victories in a row as well as opening up a six-point gap on Leeds, which can give them the confidence to go on and avoid relegation.
It is one of three games against fellow relegation candidates at home, Roots Hall is never an easy place to go and picking up wins at home is the target for Steve Tilson's squad.
I can see them pulling out of trouble and the thing I like about them is that they have got players who can turn games - Freddy Eastwood and Jamal Campbell-Ryce on the right-wing can do bits of individual magic.
Did you know? Southend were in the relegation zone from 30 September until 13 March.
BARNSLEY
Position: 20th
Record: P38; W12; D5; L21; F44; A65; Pts 41
Form: LWWLLW
Still to play: Coventry (a); Derby (h); Ipswich (a); Birmingham (h); Southend (a); Crystal Palace (h); Leicester (h); West Brom (a).
They came from behind to beat Plymouth which is a big thing as they don't draw too many - only five all season - so they either get beat or win which is strange, and can be dangerous.
When you're a team that doesn't draw the mentality can be 'we've conceded and it looks like we're going to lose another game', but if you keep going to the end you can nick points here and there that can be vital.
They have a number of games against teams in mid-table, but managers and boards will be demanding a strong finish and there are no gimmes in the Championship.
They've done well until now, those new Hungarian players look fresh and eager and they've got to believe they can stay up, but if they finish in the bottom three nobody would be surprised.
Did you know? The win at Plymouth was the first time since November they have picked up three points having conceded a goal.
HULL
Position: 19th
Record: P38; W11; D8; L19; F41; A56; Pts 41
Form: LWLLWW
Still to play: Sunderland (a); Southend (h); Norwich (h); Wolves (a), Colchester (h); Stoke (a); Cardiff (a); Plymouth (h).
Manager Phil Brown has steadied the ship after a poor start.
Back-to-back wins will have done their confidence the world of good, especially picking up three points at Luton as away form has been their Achilles heel this season.
Matches at this stage of the season are readily called 'must-win' games, but they are nothing of the sort for the likes of Ray Parlour.
For him, a European final or an FA Cup final is a 'must-win' game - he has been there, seen it and done it and his experience, along with the likes of Dean Windass and Nick Barmby, will be vital in keeping their run of form going.
Did you know? This is the highest Hull have been in the table all season. All the other six clubs in the mire have at least enjoyed a more exalted status in the division at sometime or other during the campaign.
BURNLEY
Position: 18th
Record: P36; W10; D11; L15; F36; A39; Pts 41
Form: DLLDDL
Still to play: Preston (a); Luton (h); Plymouth (h); Birmingham (a); Cardiff (h); Leeds (a); Norwich (h); West Brom (h), Sunderland (a); Coventry (h).
Steve Cotterill has obviously got a board of directors who think he's the man for the job. I went eight games without a win and got the sack this season, but he's on 17 and counting!
With the standard of players they've got it is surprising they are down there and it just goes to show that results dictate confidence, and if the confidence is not there runs like this can happen to anybody.
The one thing you can say is that they are due a win, and with Andy Gray now fit alongside Ade Akinbiyi you'd expect the goals to come to boost that goals for column.
A bit of luck somewhere could earn three points which will immediately lift the mood, and if they win their two games in hand they will be flying up the table.
Did you know? Burnley, who were top after the first day of the season, have scored just eight goals in those 17 games they have failed to win. BBC
Ex-QPR's Tony Roberts' Dagenham Testimonial Disco & on Playing League Football Again
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Tony Roberts (who remains listed on the QPR Official Site Staff page, despite supposedly having been "let go" by the club after many years as a player and goalkeeping coach) has his Dagenham testimonial (Disco) on Saturday and hopes to be playing in the football League next season
BBC- Daggers disco for keeper Roberts
Dagenham & Redbridge keeper Tony Roberts gets his testimonial season celebrations underway on Saturday.
The former Wales international, who joined the Daggers in 2000, has played a big part in the club's climb to the top of the Conference table.
And Roberts hopes to celebrate another win for the high-flying Daggers by hosting a disco at Victoria Road after Saturday's game against Forest Green.
Tickets can be bought in advance or at the ground on the day. BBC
Dagenham Official Site - Robbo's Disco Saturday 17th March 2007
On the above date, the Tony Roberts Testimonial Disco will be held in the clubhouse. It all starts straight after the Forest Green Rovers game until late.
Tickets are £20 for adults and £10 for concessions.
Price includes a buffet.
Tickets can be purchase in the clubhouse. Dagenham
Bishop's Stortford Citizen - Robbo hails victory - By Guardian-series
Daggers' keeper Tony Roberts, who want to play until his 40
St Albans 1 - Dagenham & Redbridge 2
DAGENHAM and Redbridge came from behind at Clarence Park to extend their lead at the top of the Conference to 11 points.
Goalkeeper Tony Roberts, who celebrates his testimonial at the club on Saturday, said: "We won't count our chickens, but it would take an awful lot to throw it away now. It's in our hands.
"I've been at the club seven years. I've been to the play-off finals, finished second, finished third and I think this is our time.
"The boss has got the team training and playing the way he wants.
"He's gone with the young boys and they're coming through and showing their talent.
"It's the same group of lads from two years ago and the mentality is very strong now. It takes something special to beat us." Relegation-threatened St Albans took a surprise lead after 20 minutes as Leon Archer converted Malik Buari's cross, but Daggers' leading scorer Paul Benson wasted little time to put things right, robbing Djoumin Sangare of the ball and rounding keeper Paul Bastock to drill home eight minutes later.
Dave Rainford made it 2-1 in the 38th minute firing home Scott Griffiths cross with his left-foot.
Dagenham remained a constant menace in the second half, but could not increase their lead, as Sam Sloma saw a goal chalked off for off-side in the 50th minute.
Former QPR keeper Roberts, who left professional football in 1998 with a serious knuckle injury, said: "If I can get back to being a professional again and to play in the football league again, that would mean everything.
"I want to try and play until I'm 40 and if I can do that with Dagenham, there would be nothing better.
"St Albans was the first team I went to when I finished as a pro and it's been nine years now. It's coming full circle."
If the 37-year-old former Wales international were to make a league return, the £150,000 insurance payout he received in 1998 would need to be reassessed.
Manager John Still and chairman Dave Andrews are looking into the matter.
l Roberts' testimonial disco kicks off immediately after Daggers' game against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. Tickets are priced at £20, children £10, including buffet, and are available in advance or on the night. Paper
See Also: Congratulations to Tony Roberts
Tony Roberts (who remains listed on the QPR Official Site Staff page, despite supposedly having been "let go" by the club after many years as a player and goalkeeping coach) has his Dagenham testimonial (Disco) on Saturday and hopes to be playing in the football League next season
BBC- Daggers disco for keeper Roberts
Dagenham & Redbridge keeper Tony Roberts gets his testimonial season celebrations underway on Saturday.
The former Wales international, who joined the Daggers in 2000, has played a big part in the club's climb to the top of the Conference table.
And Roberts hopes to celebrate another win for the high-flying Daggers by hosting a disco at Victoria Road after Saturday's game against Forest Green.
Tickets can be bought in advance or at the ground on the day. BBC
Dagenham Official Site - Robbo's Disco Saturday 17th March 2007
On the above date, the Tony Roberts Testimonial Disco will be held in the clubhouse. It all starts straight after the Forest Green Rovers game until late.
Tickets are £20 for adults and £10 for concessions.
Price includes a buffet.
Tickets can be purchase in the clubhouse. Dagenham
Bishop's Stortford Citizen - Robbo hails victory - By Guardian-series
Daggers' keeper Tony Roberts, who want to play until his 40
St Albans 1 - Dagenham & Redbridge 2
DAGENHAM and Redbridge came from behind at Clarence Park to extend their lead at the top of the Conference to 11 points.
Goalkeeper Tony Roberts, who celebrates his testimonial at the club on Saturday, said: "We won't count our chickens, but it would take an awful lot to throw it away now. It's in our hands.
"I've been at the club seven years. I've been to the play-off finals, finished second, finished third and I think this is our time.
"The boss has got the team training and playing the way he wants.
"He's gone with the young boys and they're coming through and showing their talent.
"It's the same group of lads from two years ago and the mentality is very strong now. It takes something special to beat us." Relegation-threatened St Albans took a surprise lead after 20 minutes as Leon Archer converted Malik Buari's cross, but Daggers' leading scorer Paul Benson wasted little time to put things right, robbing Djoumin Sangare of the ball and rounding keeper Paul Bastock to drill home eight minutes later.
Dave Rainford made it 2-1 in the 38th minute firing home Scott Griffiths cross with his left-foot.
Dagenham remained a constant menace in the second half, but could not increase their lead, as Sam Sloma saw a goal chalked off for off-side in the 50th minute.
Former QPR keeper Roberts, who left professional football in 1998 with a serious knuckle injury, said: "If I can get back to being a professional again and to play in the football league again, that would mean everything.
"I want to try and play until I'm 40 and if I can do that with Dagenham, there would be nothing better.
"St Albans was the first team I went to when I finished as a pro and it's been nine years now. It's coming full circle."
If the 37-year-old former Wales international were to make a league return, the £150,000 insurance payout he received in 1998 would need to be reassessed.
Manager John Still and chairman Dave Andrews are looking into the matter.
l Roberts' testimonial disco kicks off immediately after Daggers' game against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. Tickets are priced at £20, children £10, including buffet, and are available in advance or on the night. Paper
See Also: Congratulations to Tony Roberts
35 Years Ago: Rodney Marsh Left QPR for Manchester City
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QPR fans (and club) were last week celebrating Forty years since QPR's 1967 League Cup Triumph. But it's also another historic milestone:
Thirty-Five Years Ago: March 1972, all QPR fans were devestated and desolate as Rod...nee was allowed to join Manchester City for £200,000. This was - at the time - thought to be one of the blackest days in QPR history as our just-capped England player (last 8 minute substitute!)
(Of course in hindsight, things turned out a little different. Gordon Jago's QPR went undefeated for the rest of the season - 12 games - and the following season, signed Stan Bowles who, many would say, became even greater than Marsh.)
Marsh's last game for QPR: March 4, 1972 away to Bristol City. QPR lost 0-2
Parkes - Clement Hazell Mancini Gillard - Francis Busby Hunt - Marsh O'Rourke Mcculloch Sub Leach (Note 7 "home growns" in the 12 - and Clement, Hazell, Hunt and Leach along with Watson were playing for QPR when Marsh joined)
In all, Marsh scored 106 goals in 211 League Games for QPR. In the 1966/67 season, Marsh was the country's top goalscorer with 44 goals (30 League goals. 11 Legue cup goals. 3 FA cup goals.)
Marsh's QPR Record
1965-66 -16 league games -8 goals
1966-67 - 41 league games - 30 goals
1967-68 - 25 league games - 14 goals
1968-69 - 22 league games - 4 goals
1969-70 - 38 league games- 12 goals
1970-71 - 39 league games - 21 goals
1971-72 -30 league games- 17 goals
Marsh was of course a lot, lot more than just scoring goals. Making goals. Dribbling. Excitement and relationship with fans...
Forty One ago this week: Rodney Marsh joined QPR from Fulham.
Then March 19, 1966: Marsh made his debut away to Peterborough. Drew 1-1 and didn't score.
The team for Marsh's debut: Peter Springett -Langley, Hunt Sibley Watson - Lazarus, Keen, Roger Morgan, Allen, Collins Marsh.
(The following week, Marsh made his home debut and scored twice in a 6-1 win over Millwall. Other scorers: Collins, Les Allen, Mark Lazaru & Roger Morgan)
MORE MARSH/QPR MEMORIES:
Memories 1
Memories II
Also Marsh Q& A
Gareth Ainsworth on Marsh - Kilburn Times, March 13, 2007
IT isn't very often you feel privileged to be a substitute, but for me, last Saturday was definitely one of those rare occasions.
Because I was a sub, I was warming up on the pitch at half-time and it was great to see the members of the 1967 squad walking out and hear the fans roaring them on.
That just reminds us what a big club QPR is, how much history there is and what we have to do our utmost to live up to in the coming weeks.
I think Rodney Marsh got the biggest cheer, but they were all warmly received and you could see the pride they all still felt in walking out at Loftus Road.
I was happy to applaud them and I'd love to think that one day, I could be part of a QPR team that gets invited back to celebrate an important achievement!...
Kilburn Times
QPR fans (and club) were last week celebrating Forty years since QPR's 1967 League Cup Triumph. But it's also another historic milestone:
Thirty-Five Years Ago: March 1972, all QPR fans were devestated and desolate as Rod...nee was allowed to join Manchester City for £200,000. This was - at the time - thought to be one of the blackest days in QPR history as our just-capped England player (last 8 minute substitute!)
(Of course in hindsight, things turned out a little different. Gordon Jago's QPR went undefeated for the rest of the season - 12 games - and the following season, signed Stan Bowles who, many would say, became even greater than Marsh.)
Marsh's last game for QPR: March 4, 1972 away to Bristol City. QPR lost 0-2
Parkes - Clement Hazell Mancini Gillard - Francis Busby Hunt - Marsh O'Rourke Mcculloch Sub Leach (Note 7 "home growns" in the 12 - and Clement, Hazell, Hunt and Leach along with Watson were playing for QPR when Marsh joined)
In all, Marsh scored 106 goals in 211 League Games for QPR. In the 1966/67 season, Marsh was the country's top goalscorer with 44 goals (30 League goals. 11 Legue cup goals. 3 FA cup goals.)
Marsh's QPR Record
1965-66 -16 league games -8 goals
1966-67 - 41 league games - 30 goals
1967-68 - 25 league games - 14 goals
1968-69 - 22 league games - 4 goals
1969-70 - 38 league games- 12 goals
1970-71 - 39 league games - 21 goals
1971-72 -30 league games- 17 goals
Marsh was of course a lot, lot more than just scoring goals. Making goals. Dribbling. Excitement and relationship with fans...
Forty One ago this week: Rodney Marsh joined QPR from Fulham.
Then March 19, 1966: Marsh made his debut away to Peterborough. Drew 1-1 and didn't score.
The team for Marsh's debut: Peter Springett -Langley, Hunt Sibley Watson - Lazarus, Keen, Roger Morgan, Allen, Collins Marsh.
(The following week, Marsh made his home debut and scored twice in a 6-1 win over Millwall. Other scorers: Collins, Les Allen, Mark Lazaru & Roger Morgan)
MORE MARSH/QPR MEMORIES:
Memories 1
Memories II
Also Marsh Q& A
Gareth Ainsworth on Marsh - Kilburn Times, March 13, 2007
IT isn't very often you feel privileged to be a substitute, but for me, last Saturday was definitely one of those rare occasions.
Because I was a sub, I was warming up on the pitch at half-time and it was great to see the members of the 1967 squad walking out and hear the fans roaring them on.
That just reminds us what a big club QPR is, how much history there is and what we have to do our utmost to live up to in the coming weeks.
I think Rodney Marsh got the biggest cheer, but they were all warmly received and you could see the pride they all still felt in walking out at Loftus Road.
I was happy to applaud them and I'd love to think that one day, I could be part of a QPR team that gets invited back to celebrate an important achievement!...
Kilburn Times
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Chairman Paladini Interviewed/Speaks!
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Interview with Gianni Paladini in The London Paper, March 14, by Matt Butler
"Face to Face: Gianni Paladini"
EXCERPTS
"QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini is not well. He says the stomach ulcer he has is due to the stress of running QPR...."
"....But he vows he will not walk away and leave the club in the lurch. Not because he loves the job, but because of his loyalty to his associates who have pumped in more than 8 million pounds...'I either have to carry on or go bust. The directors have put quite a lot of money into the club and without it we would have gone bust. Every single month the board is putting money in. Without this money, how was the club supposed to survive? When I took over at the club the losses were 4.5 million pounds - and now it is less than two [million pounds]. Next year we will probably break even and maybe even make a profit because the money from the players we sold this season will go into the budget for next year."
"It is not a nice thing to do to ask for people's financial help then jump ship.' But if someone came in with enough money to pay everybody off then I would do it tomorrow..."
[re John Gregory]:
"...If he doesn't keep us up then the fans won't be happy and...we'll have to look at that when the time comes..."
[re Former Press Secretary, Jackie Bass] "John told Jackie she wasn't allowed to go into the changing rooms. The players are in there walking around sometimes with no clothes on. It doesn't look right. Anyway she resigned, it's no big deal.."
re Tony Roberts: "The reason was that we had three goalkeepers and a coach. There may have been something else going on, but John's got his staff and he decides who he wants and who he doesn't.."
"...I have been called all sorts of things - Mafiaman, waiterman and pizzaman. I was called a wanker recently by some supporters. I want to know, when the club had to borrow 10 million pounds to stay open, when they were out with a bucket raising money for players, whether they needed a wanker like me. Because I am saving the club, they didn't. If every wanker is like me, vive les wankers"
The World According to Gianni Paladini
On the Positives of Running a Club
"There is nothing good about being Chairman of a football club"
On his past life as an agent:
"I used to have a fantastic Lifestyle, being invited to functions all the time, living in a nice house in the Canaries with a boat and another one in Italy. But I am stuck here like an idiot, being called things like cannelloni man."
On His Relationship with Fans
"If you are doing badly, the manager and the chairman gets stick. When things go well the manager gets praise - and the Chairman is still a wanker. I want them to see there is light at the end of the tunnel."
On the Stresses of Running QPR
"It affects your health. When I leve home I say to my wife: "I hope you don't get a phone call from the hospital telling you to pick me up feet first."
Interview with Gianni Paladini in The London Paper, March 14, by Matt Butler
"Face to Face: Gianni Paladini"
EXCERPTS
"QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini is not well. He says the stomach ulcer he has is due to the stress of running QPR...."
"....But he vows he will not walk away and leave the club in the lurch. Not because he loves the job, but because of his loyalty to his associates who have pumped in more than 8 million pounds...'I either have to carry on or go bust. The directors have put quite a lot of money into the club and without it we would have gone bust. Every single month the board is putting money in. Without this money, how was the club supposed to survive? When I took over at the club the losses were 4.5 million pounds - and now it is less than two [million pounds]. Next year we will probably break even and maybe even make a profit because the money from the players we sold this season will go into the budget for next year."
"It is not a nice thing to do to ask for people's financial help then jump ship.' But if someone came in with enough money to pay everybody off then I would do it tomorrow..."
[re John Gregory]:
"...If he doesn't keep us up then the fans won't be happy and...we'll have to look at that when the time comes..."
[re Former Press Secretary, Jackie Bass] "John told Jackie she wasn't allowed to go into the changing rooms. The players are in there walking around sometimes with no clothes on. It doesn't look right. Anyway she resigned, it's no big deal.."
re Tony Roberts: "The reason was that we had three goalkeepers and a coach. There may have been something else going on, but John's got his staff and he decides who he wants and who he doesn't.."
"...I have been called all sorts of things - Mafiaman, waiterman and pizzaman. I was called a wanker recently by some supporters. I want to know, when the club had to borrow 10 million pounds to stay open, when they were out with a bucket raising money for players, whether they needed a wanker like me. Because I am saving the club, they didn't. If every wanker is like me, vive les wankers"
The World According to Gianni Paladini
On the Positives of Running a Club
"There is nothing good about being Chairman of a football club"
On his past life as an agent:
"I used to have a fantastic Lifestyle, being invited to functions all the time, living in a nice house in the Canaries with a boat and another one in Italy. But I am stuck here like an idiot, being called things like cannelloni man."
On His Relationship with Fans
"If you are doing badly, the manager and the chairman gets stick. When things go well the manager gets praise - and the Chairman is still a wanker. I want them to see there is light at the end of the tunnel."
On the Stresses of Running QPR
"It affects your health. When I leve home I say to my wife: "I hope you don't get a phone call from the hospital telling you to pick me up feet first."
Lee Cook Named in Championship "Team of the Week"
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LEE COOK MAKES CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to QPR's Lee Cook for once again making the Championship Team of the Week [The Official Site unfortunately has thus fair failed to take note of this accomplishment]
CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF THE WEEK
Casper Ankergren Leeds
Kevin McNaughton Cardiff
Wayne Brown Colchester
Peter Clarke Southend
Chris Barker Colchester
Lee Cook QPR
Ray Parlour Hull City
Dean Whitehead Sunderland
Lee Martin Stoke
Rowan Vine Birmingham
David Connolly Sunderland
Nationwide's Championship Team of the week - March 12, 2007 - Championship
LEE COOK MAKES CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to QPR's Lee Cook for once again making the Championship Team of the Week [The Official Site unfortunately has thus fair failed to take note of this accomplishment]
CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF THE WEEK
Casper Ankergren Leeds
Kevin McNaughton Cardiff
Wayne Brown Colchester
Peter Clarke Southend
Chris Barker Colchester
Lee Cook QPR
Ray Parlour Hull City
Dean Whitehead Sunderland
Lee Martin Stoke
Rowan Vine Birmingham
David Connolly Sunderland
Nationwide's Championship Team of the week - March 12, 2007 - Championship
Gianni Paladini Makes BBC's "Quotes of The Week"
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BBC -13 March 2007, Quotes of the Week
"I wish all ******s were like me. If this ****** had been in charge years ago, the club wouldn't have lost their training ground and all sorts of other bad things would not have happened."
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini reacts to fans chanting "Paladini is a ******" at the Ipswich game." BBC
BBC -13 March 2007, Quotes of the Week
"I wish all ******s were like me. If this ****** had been in charge years ago, the club wouldn't have lost their training ground and all sorts of other bad things would not have happened."
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini reacts to fans chanting "Paladini is a ******" at the Ipswich game." BBC
QPR's Record: 7 Points from Last 10 Games...13 Points from Last 19 Games
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QPR have 37 points from 37 games....9 games remaining and probably the worst record of any the bottom six teams over the last few months. League Table
Since thir win at Cardiff in mid-November, QPR have won 3 of their last 19 games: 3 at home - and just once since New Year's Day. None away. (Barnsley in late December; Colchester on New Year's Day; and Burnley in early February)
7 points from last 10 League Games: 1 win 4 draws; 5 defeats
13 points from last 19 games
QPR Result's This Season -
Soccerbase
QPR Official Site
QPR have 37 points from 37 games....9 games remaining and probably the worst record of any the bottom six teams over the last few months. League Table
Since thir win at Cardiff in mid-November, QPR have won 3 of their last 19 games: 3 at home - and just once since New Year's Day. None away. (Barnsley in late December; Colchester on New Year's Day; and Burnley in early February)
7 points from last 10 League Games: 1 win 4 draws; 5 defeats
13 points from last 19 games
QPR Result's This Season -
Soccerbase
QPR Official Site
QPR's Derby Draw - Reports & Post-Match Comments
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UPDATED
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - The gaffer was quick to praise the R's travelling support after the 1-1 draw with his former side Derby County.
Over 550 Rangers fans made the long trip North up the M1 to cheer John Gregory's men on - and the players responded in style, with a display of character and class against their high-flying opponents.
"The fans were magnificent yet again,'' Gregory told www.qpr.co.uk.
"Sometimes we take it for granted, but on away days like that, we have to take our hats off to them - they were sensational.
"For large parts of the match all we could hear from the bench was that corner section of the ground and it gave us all a fantastic lift.''
With chants of 'We are the Rangers boys, stand up and make some noise' ringing in their ears, the R's stormed into a one goal lead, courtesy of Martin Rowlands' eighth goal of the campaign.
The Hoops continued to orchestrate proceedings - on and off the pitch - for large chunks of the second half, only for Darren Moore to deny them a memorable victory when his last gasp header nestled in the back of the net. QPR
John Gregory - QPR Official Site KICK IN THE TEETH
The gaffer described Darren Moore's last-gasp leveller as a 'huge kick in the teeth' for his R's side.
Rangers were denied a deserved victory when Moore pounced in the 87th minute to cancel out Martin Rowlands' first half opener.
"It feels like a defeat, but it will probably turn out to be a good point at the end of the season,'' said Gregory.
"It was almost the perfect script, but perhaps we scored too early.
"They never looked like hurting us, but one long punt into the box caught us out and it's a huge kick in the teeth.
"We knew it would be a battle but the lads rose to the occasion magnificently.''
The 1-1 saw Rangers slip into the bottom three, but Gregory was honest as ever, commetning: "We just have to get on with it. If we play like that between now and the end of the season we'll be fine.
"The Leicester game takes on huge significance now.'' QPR Official Site
SPORTING LIFE/PA Sport - Riath Al-Samarrai
GREGORY ANGERED BY OFFSIDE CALL
QPR boss John Gregory accused the officials of being "influenced" by the home crowd during his side's 1-1 draw at Derby.
The visitors were seemingly heading for an unlikely win when Martin Rowlands nodded them in front in the 14th minute, before Paul Furlong had an effort ruled out for offside and Darren Moore bagged a late leveller for the team placed second in the Coca-Cola Championship.
But Gregory, whose side slipped into the bottom three following the draw, slammed the officials for what he believed was an awful offside decision.
And the former Derby boss even suggested the referee knew his call was wrong.
He said: "The disallowed goal was atrocious. An awful decision by the linesman. Marc Nygaard was in an offside position but Furlong wasn't.
"The referee actually admitted to Furlong that the linesman had called the wrong player.
"Furlong came from behind the defender but the flag went up.
"There were a few strange decisions.
"I thought the referee was very influenced by the home crowd."
Gregory does not, however, believe his side are doomed to relegation.
He added: "You have got to get on with it. It's been a long season with lots of problems but hopefully we can stay in the Championship.
"We know what we have got to do but the games are coming thick and fast. But I can't fault our players tonight."
Derby boss Billy Davies, meanwhile, had no complaints with the result but warned his younger players to sharpen up their act.
He said: "I think that point will prove very important.
"People are fighting for their lives out there at this time of the season; there are no easy games, no easy points. The games are becoming scrappier and scrappier all the time and that is exactly what we got tonight. "When you get to this stage of the season it's what it's all about.
"We knew what to expect but it was a lesson for the younger players. They are learning that sometimes you can't get the ball down and play against these sides, that sometimes it needs to go up field.
"It would have been nice to get three points but that's easier said than done. This point could still be very crucial for us."
Davies also refuted suggestions his side had become porous at the back after they conceded for the eighth successive game.
He said: "You have to give credit to the opposition. It's not easy to keep clean sheets in this division.
"This team has been put together in seven months and has 70 points with eight games remaining. I'm not frustrated." Sporting Life
BBC- Derby 1-1 QPR
Darren Moore grabbed a last-gasp equaliser as high-flying Derby denied QPR a first away win since November.
Martin Rowlands put the Londoners ahead, nodding the ball home after Paul Furlong's shot hit the post.
But the Rams had the better of the chances with David Jones and Steve Howard both going close.
And the Rams continued to pile on the pressure in the second half and eventually got their reward when Moore headed home with three minutes left.
# Derby manager Billy Davies:
"We knew what to expect but it was a lesson for the younger players.
"They're learning that sometimes you can't get the ball down and play against these sides, that sometimes it needs to go up field.
"It would have been nice to get three points but it's easier said than done."
# QPR manager John Gregory:
"The disallowed goal was atrocious. An awful decision by the linesman. Marc Nygaard was in an offside position but Furlong wasn't.
"The referee admitted to Furlong the linesman had called the wrong player.
"There were a few strange decisions. I thought the referee was very influenced by the home crowd." BBC
Derby Official Site
Billy Davies reckons the point won against QPR on Tuesday night could prove vital at the end of the 2006/07 campaign.
"Of course we would have been delighted with three points," the Rams boss told dcfc.co.uk, "but if you look right across the country tonight teams are fighting for their lives and others have dropped points.
"What matters is that we continue to pick up points along the way. I have just told the players that tonight could be a very important point come the end of the season."
Billy expressed disappointment that his side didn't compete in the first half against John Gregory's side. "Teams like Stoke and QPR scrap - that's the way they play - and it's a learning process for some of our players," he said.
"Early on too many of our players were not taking part in that scrap, but we must learn to break down teams. It is important that we properly understand the nature of the games that are coming up. It doesn't matter if we are playing top or bottom, we have to earn the right to win games. That's what we did against Colchester and that's what we didn't do tonight.
"When you play 11 against 11 that's fine, but in the first half we played 11 against five or six and that's not good enough.
"I said before the game the only way they were going to score was from a long ball up to their big strikers or from a set piece. Furlong and Nygaard were a handful but we have to understand there is a time for suits and a time for armoured suits. Tonight was a time for the latter.
"Why are we not starting? I am asking the same question and I think the younger players have got to realise they need to get out of the blocks earlier and compete better.
"Eventually we ended up playing Darren Moore as a striker because of his presence and the type of game it was - and he got the goal."
Looking ahead to Saturday's home match against Cardiff, Billy added: "It doesn't matter that our next opponents are there or thereabouts - it is all about us."
Derby
Telegraph/Peter Gardiner - Moore to the rescue for Derby
Derby County (0) 1 Queens Park Rangers (1) 1
Derby County were spared the embarrassment of a damaging home defeat by struggling Queens Park Rangers when defender Darren Moore secured a late equaliser to salvage a point.
For much of a feisty encounter, it appeared the visitors would cling to the 13th minute lead Martin Rowlands had given them and make it a successful first return for former County manager John Gregory, now attempting to ensure Rangers' Championship survival. Gregory departed from Derby in acrimonious circumstances three years ago.
Rangers, chasing only their second victory in the last 11 games, defended with great resolve in the second half but were denied three minutes from the end, the result meaning they slid into the bottom three for the first time this season.
However, despite their precarious position, Gregory remained bullish about the chances of avoiding relegation. "If we continue to play like that, we should be OK,'' he said. ''The referee made a few strange decisions but I think he was influenced by the home crowd.
"We have now got to get on with it. It has been a long season for everyone at the club and there have been lots of problems. But hopefully we can stay in the Championship and regroup in the summer.''
Gregory was clearly disappointed at coming so close to taking all three points and claimed: "It felt like a defeat afterwards but when you look back it could be a very good point."
That was also the theme of Derby manager Billy Davies. ''I told the players as much at the end but this was a lesson for us,'' he said. ''We have got to battle in scrappy games like this and be prepared to fight for every ball if we are to break down teams. It is going to be like this right to the end of the season."
For Derby, Moore's face-saving third goal of the campaign could not have been better timed in view of results at the top of the table where the four teams who started the evening in the leading positions all failed to win.
Yet it all looked as if it might go wrong for Derby when Rowlands pounced after Paul Furlong's initial shot came back off a post. The turning point came when Derby goalkeeper Stephen Bywater superbly saved a stunning free-kick from Steve Lomas and, after playing with more authority in the second period, Derby earned their reward in the 87th minute when Moore headed in a cross from the left my Jay McEveley.
Match details
Derby (4-4-2): Bywater; Edworthy, Moore, Leacock, McEveley; Teale (Fagan 66), Barnes, Oakley, Jones (Peschisolido 77); Howard, Lupoli.
Subs: Grant (g), Fagan, Peschisolido, Johnson, Mears.
Booked: Moore, Howard.
Goal: Moore 87.
QPR (4-4-2): Royce; Mancienne, Cullip, Stewart, Bignot; Rowlands (Ainsworth 28), Lomas (Smith 90), Idiakez, Cook; Nygaard, Furlong (Jones 83).
Subs: Cole (g), Kanyuka, Jones, Smith.
Booked: Furlong, Ainsworth, Idiakez, Cook.
Goals: Rowlands 14.
Referee: S Tanner (Somerset). Telegraph
INDEPENDENT - Derby County 1 QPR 1: Moore leaves it late to save pride and hope for Derby By Phil Shaw
John Gregory, controversially sacked by Derby County after 14 months as manager, was three minutes from a victorious return to Pride Park with Queen's Park Rangers when Darren Moore headed a scarcely deserved equaliser.
The result pushed Rangers into the Championship relegation zone for the first time since early September, and yet Martin Rowlands' eighth goal of the season had looked likely to be sufficient to secure their first away win in six months.
Instead, Derby's pressure paid off when Moore, a centre-back lending his aerial power to attack, headed in Jay McEveley's cross. Results elsewhere gave the scoreline an unexpectedly pleasing look for their manager, Billy Davies.
"In the first half it was 11 men against six or even five," he said. Later, however, he insisted he was not frustrated, hailing the "great bottle" his players showed in the second half to scrape what could prove to be "a crucial point".
Davies revealed that he had signed Darren Currie, the left-sided Ipswich winger who has been on trial with LA Galaxy, on loan until the end of the season. He hoped Currie would "unlock a few doors" in the tight contests ahead.
Gregory said the draw "felt like a defeat", going on to criticise the officials over a disallowed effort by Paul Furlong that would have put Rangers 2-0 up. "It was an atrocious decision," he said. "They couldn't get it right between them. But there were a few strange decisions. I thought the ref was very influenced by the crowd."
Rangers were also left to rue a stunning second-half save by Stephen Bywater from Steve Lomas, the keeper diving at full stretch to tip a fierce shot over the bar. But Gregory claimed he was unconcerned by their precarious position, saying: "We just have to get on with it. We're still in with a great chance of staying up."
Derby's sluggish start was punished when they fell behind after 13 minutes. From Danny Cullip's long free-kick, Marc Nygaard headed the ball on for Furlong to hook against a post. The defence were static as Rowlands darted in to head home.
Rangers' ascendancy owed much to the way Derby were set up. Gregory's midfield outnumbered Davies', while Giles Barnes' tendency to push on into attack depleted the home side further.
David Jones' corner saw Steve Howard rise to power the ball goalward eight minutes before half-time, but Lee Cook headed off the line. Rangers' Simon Royce, beaten five times at Southend on his previous outing, then touched over Jones' long-range free-kick, but Moore's cameo as a striker turned a dreadful night into a step closer to promotion for Derby. Independent
GUARDIAN/Stuart James - Jittery Derby owe much to Moore's late rescue
Not for the first time John Gregory departed this stadium feeling aggrieved last night. The Queens Park Rangers manager, who had not been back here since he was dismissed in acrimonious circumstances three years ago, stood crestfallen as Darren Moore headed in an equaliser with three minutes left. It nudged Derby level on points with Birmingham but also denied Rangers the win that would have kept them clear of the relegation zone.
It was a cruel time to concede on a night when Derby rarely threatened, the home side giving an unconvincing display amid the audible unrest of their fans. Aside from Moore's late goal, the only cheer for Derby's fans was other results. With Birmingham and Wolves both losing and Sunderland drawing, this almost felt like a point gained rather than two dropped.
There was no such consolation available to Gregory. Southend's win last night means Rangers are now in the bottom three, prompting the manager to admit "we must get something from Saturday's match against Leicester". There was no surprise that he claimed the outcome "felt more like a defeat". Having taken a 14th-minute lead through Martin Rowlands' close-range header, Rangers never looked in danger of surrendering that advantage until Moore's late intervention.
A second goal probably should have arrived before the half-hour. Rowlands sent Furlong scampering clear and, though Marc Nygaard was offside, the striker was running away from goal and not interfering. Furlong sprinted on and lifted the ball over Stephen Bywater after Steve Tanner had blown the whistle. "It was an atrocious decision by the linesman," said Gregory, who claimed "the referee was very influenced by the home supporters tonight".
There was another turning point later when Steve Lomas, set up by Gareth Ainsworth, whipped a 20-yard shot towards the top corner only for Bywater to flick the ball behind with a superb save. The goalkeeper had no chance earlier when Rowlands, stooping at the back post, reacted quickest after Furlong's left-foot hooked shot cannoned off the upright.
Derby were firmly on the back foot at that point, with simple passes going astray as they struggled to find momentum. Steve Howard had a header cleared off the line by Lee Cook in the 36th minute but that opportunity was Rangers' first unnerving moment. The next was when Moore climbed powerfully to head Jay McEveley's deep cross past the stranded Simon Royce in the 87th minute.
Derby's manager Billy Davies, who has signed Ipswich's Darren Currie on loan until the end of the season, said: "We need to learn before we can get the ball down and play that there's a battle to be won. Guardian
The Times/Jeremy Cross - Moore’s equaliser at the last saves Derby blushes
John Gregory should have had the last laugh on his first return to Pride Park since being dismissed by Derby County in 2003, but his joy turned to despair courtesy of Darren Moore’s late equaliser to deny Queens Park Rangers.
Martin Rowlands’s 14th-minute goal looked like proving the defining moment between the sides. Derby’s impressive home record, accompanied by QPR’s dismal away form, suggested there could only be one result from this fixture, yet the prospect of reaching the Barclays Premiership can do funny things to teams once they come within touching distance.
QPR promptly took a deserved lead when Derby failed to clear Danny Cullip’s free kick. Paul Furlong’s shot rebounded off the post but Rowlands reacted first to bury the loose ball beyond Stephen Bywater.
Derby were eventually forced to pay Gregory £1 million in compensation for wrongful dismissal and this defeat would have cost them much more had Moore not met Jay McEveley’s deep cross to head past Simon Royce with three minutes remaining. Times
Derby Official SIte
Defender Darren Moore says the Rams will have to learn from their 1-1 draw against Queens Park Rangers when they come up against similar tests before the season ends.
QPR came to Pride Park desperate for the points after a run of five games without a win saw them dragged right into the Coca-Cola Championship's relegation battle.
And it looked as though they would leave with all three until Moore powered home an 87th-minute equaliser to earn Derby a draw.
"QPR came and made it hard for us and we've got to realise that, such has been the efforts of everyone at the club this season, that nobody will come up to Pride Park and play open football against us," he told www.dcfc.co.uk.
"Teams are going to make it hard, they'll make it difficult and frustrating for us, they'll slow the game down and every tactic in the book an away team can use against us they will do.
"But the players showed great resilience as it was a tough game out there tonight, and credit to QPR as they are scrapping for their lives.
"We have got a few more fixtures like that and all we can do is learn, and make sure that when we face these games we perform instead of dragging ourselves up from behind."
Moore's third goal of the season couldn't have been better timed as it lifts the Rams back to level on points with Birmingham City at the top of the table.
It was a typical centre-forward's header but with the regular talisman Steve Howard out on the touchline after setting up Jay McEveley's cross, Moore took up the mantle.
"I got the call to go up alongside Stevie, and we also had Pesch and Craig Fagan on at the time," Moore said.
"I got myself to the far post, Jay threw it in, and I managed to get between two defenders and headed it down.
"I'm really pleased with the goal, I wish it could have been a winner but an equaliser is better than a defeat." Derby
UPDATED
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - The gaffer was quick to praise the R's travelling support after the 1-1 draw with his former side Derby County.
Over 550 Rangers fans made the long trip North up the M1 to cheer John Gregory's men on - and the players responded in style, with a display of character and class against their high-flying opponents.
"The fans were magnificent yet again,'' Gregory told www.qpr.co.uk.
"Sometimes we take it for granted, but on away days like that, we have to take our hats off to them - they were sensational.
"For large parts of the match all we could hear from the bench was that corner section of the ground and it gave us all a fantastic lift.''
With chants of 'We are the Rangers boys, stand up and make some noise' ringing in their ears, the R's stormed into a one goal lead, courtesy of Martin Rowlands' eighth goal of the campaign.
The Hoops continued to orchestrate proceedings - on and off the pitch - for large chunks of the second half, only for Darren Moore to deny them a memorable victory when his last gasp header nestled in the back of the net. QPR
John Gregory - QPR Official Site KICK IN THE TEETH
The gaffer described Darren Moore's last-gasp leveller as a 'huge kick in the teeth' for his R's side.
Rangers were denied a deserved victory when Moore pounced in the 87th minute to cancel out Martin Rowlands' first half opener.
"It feels like a defeat, but it will probably turn out to be a good point at the end of the season,'' said Gregory.
"It was almost the perfect script, but perhaps we scored too early.
"They never looked like hurting us, but one long punt into the box caught us out and it's a huge kick in the teeth.
"We knew it would be a battle but the lads rose to the occasion magnificently.''
The 1-1 saw Rangers slip into the bottom three, but Gregory was honest as ever, commetning: "We just have to get on with it. If we play like that between now and the end of the season we'll be fine.
"The Leicester game takes on huge significance now.'' QPR Official Site
SPORTING LIFE/PA Sport - Riath Al-Samarrai
GREGORY ANGERED BY OFFSIDE CALL
QPR boss John Gregory accused the officials of being "influenced" by the home crowd during his side's 1-1 draw at Derby.
The visitors were seemingly heading for an unlikely win when Martin Rowlands nodded them in front in the 14th minute, before Paul Furlong had an effort ruled out for offside and Darren Moore bagged a late leveller for the team placed second in the Coca-Cola Championship.
But Gregory, whose side slipped into the bottom three following the draw, slammed the officials for what he believed was an awful offside decision.
And the former Derby boss even suggested the referee knew his call was wrong.
He said: "The disallowed goal was atrocious. An awful decision by the linesman. Marc Nygaard was in an offside position but Furlong wasn't.
"The referee actually admitted to Furlong that the linesman had called the wrong player.
"Furlong came from behind the defender but the flag went up.
"There were a few strange decisions.
"I thought the referee was very influenced by the home crowd."
Gregory does not, however, believe his side are doomed to relegation.
He added: "You have got to get on with it. It's been a long season with lots of problems but hopefully we can stay in the Championship.
"We know what we have got to do but the games are coming thick and fast. But I can't fault our players tonight."
Derby boss Billy Davies, meanwhile, had no complaints with the result but warned his younger players to sharpen up their act.
He said: "I think that point will prove very important.
"People are fighting for their lives out there at this time of the season; there are no easy games, no easy points. The games are becoming scrappier and scrappier all the time and that is exactly what we got tonight. "When you get to this stage of the season it's what it's all about.
"We knew what to expect but it was a lesson for the younger players. They are learning that sometimes you can't get the ball down and play against these sides, that sometimes it needs to go up field.
"It would have been nice to get three points but that's easier said than done. This point could still be very crucial for us."
Davies also refuted suggestions his side had become porous at the back after they conceded for the eighth successive game.
He said: "You have to give credit to the opposition. It's not easy to keep clean sheets in this division.
"This team has been put together in seven months and has 70 points with eight games remaining. I'm not frustrated." Sporting Life
BBC- Derby 1-1 QPR
Darren Moore grabbed a last-gasp equaliser as high-flying Derby denied QPR a first away win since November.
Martin Rowlands put the Londoners ahead, nodding the ball home after Paul Furlong's shot hit the post.
But the Rams had the better of the chances with David Jones and Steve Howard both going close.
And the Rams continued to pile on the pressure in the second half and eventually got their reward when Moore headed home with three minutes left.
# Derby manager Billy Davies:
"We knew what to expect but it was a lesson for the younger players.
"They're learning that sometimes you can't get the ball down and play against these sides, that sometimes it needs to go up field.
"It would have been nice to get three points but it's easier said than done."
# QPR manager John Gregory:
"The disallowed goal was atrocious. An awful decision by the linesman. Marc Nygaard was in an offside position but Furlong wasn't.
"The referee admitted to Furlong the linesman had called the wrong player.
"There were a few strange decisions. I thought the referee was very influenced by the home crowd." BBC
Derby Official Site
Billy Davies reckons the point won against QPR on Tuesday night could prove vital at the end of the 2006/07 campaign.
"Of course we would have been delighted with three points," the Rams boss told dcfc.co.uk, "but if you look right across the country tonight teams are fighting for their lives and others have dropped points.
"What matters is that we continue to pick up points along the way. I have just told the players that tonight could be a very important point come the end of the season."
Billy expressed disappointment that his side didn't compete in the first half against John Gregory's side. "Teams like Stoke and QPR scrap - that's the way they play - and it's a learning process for some of our players," he said.
"Early on too many of our players were not taking part in that scrap, but we must learn to break down teams. It is important that we properly understand the nature of the games that are coming up. It doesn't matter if we are playing top or bottom, we have to earn the right to win games. That's what we did against Colchester and that's what we didn't do tonight.
"When you play 11 against 11 that's fine, but in the first half we played 11 against five or six and that's not good enough.
"I said before the game the only way they were going to score was from a long ball up to their big strikers or from a set piece. Furlong and Nygaard were a handful but we have to understand there is a time for suits and a time for armoured suits. Tonight was a time for the latter.
"Why are we not starting? I am asking the same question and I think the younger players have got to realise they need to get out of the blocks earlier and compete better.
"Eventually we ended up playing Darren Moore as a striker because of his presence and the type of game it was - and he got the goal."
Looking ahead to Saturday's home match against Cardiff, Billy added: "It doesn't matter that our next opponents are there or thereabouts - it is all about us."
Derby
Telegraph/Peter Gardiner - Moore to the rescue for Derby
Derby County (0) 1 Queens Park Rangers (1) 1
Derby County were spared the embarrassment of a damaging home defeat by struggling Queens Park Rangers when defender Darren Moore secured a late equaliser to salvage a point.
For much of a feisty encounter, it appeared the visitors would cling to the 13th minute lead Martin Rowlands had given them and make it a successful first return for former County manager John Gregory, now attempting to ensure Rangers' Championship survival. Gregory departed from Derby in acrimonious circumstances three years ago.
Rangers, chasing only their second victory in the last 11 games, defended with great resolve in the second half but were denied three minutes from the end, the result meaning they slid into the bottom three for the first time this season.
However, despite their precarious position, Gregory remained bullish about the chances of avoiding relegation. "If we continue to play like that, we should be OK,'' he said. ''The referee made a few strange decisions but I think he was influenced by the home crowd.
"We have now got to get on with it. It has been a long season for everyone at the club and there have been lots of problems. But hopefully we can stay in the Championship and regroup in the summer.''
Gregory was clearly disappointed at coming so close to taking all three points and claimed: "It felt like a defeat afterwards but when you look back it could be a very good point."
That was also the theme of Derby manager Billy Davies. ''I told the players as much at the end but this was a lesson for us,'' he said. ''We have got to battle in scrappy games like this and be prepared to fight for every ball if we are to break down teams. It is going to be like this right to the end of the season."
For Derby, Moore's face-saving third goal of the campaign could not have been better timed in view of results at the top of the table where the four teams who started the evening in the leading positions all failed to win.
Yet it all looked as if it might go wrong for Derby when Rowlands pounced after Paul Furlong's initial shot came back off a post. The turning point came when Derby goalkeeper Stephen Bywater superbly saved a stunning free-kick from Steve Lomas and, after playing with more authority in the second period, Derby earned their reward in the 87th minute when Moore headed in a cross from the left my Jay McEveley.
Match details
Derby (4-4-2): Bywater; Edworthy, Moore, Leacock, McEveley; Teale (Fagan 66), Barnes, Oakley, Jones (Peschisolido 77); Howard, Lupoli.
Subs: Grant (g), Fagan, Peschisolido, Johnson, Mears.
Booked: Moore, Howard.
Goal: Moore 87.
QPR (4-4-2): Royce; Mancienne, Cullip, Stewart, Bignot; Rowlands (Ainsworth 28), Lomas (Smith 90), Idiakez, Cook; Nygaard, Furlong (Jones 83).
Subs: Cole (g), Kanyuka, Jones, Smith.
Booked: Furlong, Ainsworth, Idiakez, Cook.
Goals: Rowlands 14.
Referee: S Tanner (Somerset). Telegraph
INDEPENDENT - Derby County 1 QPR 1: Moore leaves it late to save pride and hope for Derby By Phil Shaw
John Gregory, controversially sacked by Derby County after 14 months as manager, was three minutes from a victorious return to Pride Park with Queen's Park Rangers when Darren Moore headed a scarcely deserved equaliser.
The result pushed Rangers into the Championship relegation zone for the first time since early September, and yet Martin Rowlands' eighth goal of the season had looked likely to be sufficient to secure their first away win in six months.
Instead, Derby's pressure paid off when Moore, a centre-back lending his aerial power to attack, headed in Jay McEveley's cross. Results elsewhere gave the scoreline an unexpectedly pleasing look for their manager, Billy Davies.
"In the first half it was 11 men against six or even five," he said. Later, however, he insisted he was not frustrated, hailing the "great bottle" his players showed in the second half to scrape what could prove to be "a crucial point".
Davies revealed that he had signed Darren Currie, the left-sided Ipswich winger who has been on trial with LA Galaxy, on loan until the end of the season. He hoped Currie would "unlock a few doors" in the tight contests ahead.
Gregory said the draw "felt like a defeat", going on to criticise the officials over a disallowed effort by Paul Furlong that would have put Rangers 2-0 up. "It was an atrocious decision," he said. "They couldn't get it right between them. But there were a few strange decisions. I thought the ref was very influenced by the crowd."
Rangers were also left to rue a stunning second-half save by Stephen Bywater from Steve Lomas, the keeper diving at full stretch to tip a fierce shot over the bar. But Gregory claimed he was unconcerned by their precarious position, saying: "We just have to get on with it. We're still in with a great chance of staying up."
Derby's sluggish start was punished when they fell behind after 13 minutes. From Danny Cullip's long free-kick, Marc Nygaard headed the ball on for Furlong to hook against a post. The defence were static as Rowlands darted in to head home.
Rangers' ascendancy owed much to the way Derby were set up. Gregory's midfield outnumbered Davies', while Giles Barnes' tendency to push on into attack depleted the home side further.
David Jones' corner saw Steve Howard rise to power the ball goalward eight minutes before half-time, but Lee Cook headed off the line. Rangers' Simon Royce, beaten five times at Southend on his previous outing, then touched over Jones' long-range free-kick, but Moore's cameo as a striker turned a dreadful night into a step closer to promotion for Derby. Independent
GUARDIAN/Stuart James - Jittery Derby owe much to Moore's late rescue
Not for the first time John Gregory departed this stadium feeling aggrieved last night. The Queens Park Rangers manager, who had not been back here since he was dismissed in acrimonious circumstances three years ago, stood crestfallen as Darren Moore headed in an equaliser with three minutes left. It nudged Derby level on points with Birmingham but also denied Rangers the win that would have kept them clear of the relegation zone.
It was a cruel time to concede on a night when Derby rarely threatened, the home side giving an unconvincing display amid the audible unrest of their fans. Aside from Moore's late goal, the only cheer for Derby's fans was other results. With Birmingham and Wolves both losing and Sunderland drawing, this almost felt like a point gained rather than two dropped.
There was no such consolation available to Gregory. Southend's win last night means Rangers are now in the bottom three, prompting the manager to admit "we must get something from Saturday's match against Leicester". There was no surprise that he claimed the outcome "felt more like a defeat". Having taken a 14th-minute lead through Martin Rowlands' close-range header, Rangers never looked in danger of surrendering that advantage until Moore's late intervention.
A second goal probably should have arrived before the half-hour. Rowlands sent Furlong scampering clear and, though Marc Nygaard was offside, the striker was running away from goal and not interfering. Furlong sprinted on and lifted the ball over Stephen Bywater after Steve Tanner had blown the whistle. "It was an atrocious decision by the linesman," said Gregory, who claimed "the referee was very influenced by the home supporters tonight".
There was another turning point later when Steve Lomas, set up by Gareth Ainsworth, whipped a 20-yard shot towards the top corner only for Bywater to flick the ball behind with a superb save. The goalkeeper had no chance earlier when Rowlands, stooping at the back post, reacted quickest after Furlong's left-foot hooked shot cannoned off the upright.
Derby were firmly on the back foot at that point, with simple passes going astray as they struggled to find momentum. Steve Howard had a header cleared off the line by Lee Cook in the 36th minute but that opportunity was Rangers' first unnerving moment. The next was when Moore climbed powerfully to head Jay McEveley's deep cross past the stranded Simon Royce in the 87th minute.
Derby's manager Billy Davies, who has signed Ipswich's Darren Currie on loan until the end of the season, said: "We need to learn before we can get the ball down and play that there's a battle to be won. Guardian
The Times/Jeremy Cross - Moore’s equaliser at the last saves Derby blushes
John Gregory should have had the last laugh on his first return to Pride Park since being dismissed by Derby County in 2003, but his joy turned to despair courtesy of Darren Moore’s late equaliser to deny Queens Park Rangers.
Martin Rowlands’s 14th-minute goal looked like proving the defining moment between the sides. Derby’s impressive home record, accompanied by QPR’s dismal away form, suggested there could only be one result from this fixture, yet the prospect of reaching the Barclays Premiership can do funny things to teams once they come within touching distance.
QPR promptly took a deserved lead when Derby failed to clear Danny Cullip’s free kick. Paul Furlong’s shot rebounded off the post but Rowlands reacted first to bury the loose ball beyond Stephen Bywater.
Derby were eventually forced to pay Gregory £1 million in compensation for wrongful dismissal and this defeat would have cost them much more had Moore not met Jay McEveley’s deep cross to head past Simon Royce with three minutes remaining. Times
Derby Official SIte
Defender Darren Moore says the Rams will have to learn from their 1-1 draw against Queens Park Rangers when they come up against similar tests before the season ends.
QPR came to Pride Park desperate for the points after a run of five games without a win saw them dragged right into the Coca-Cola Championship's relegation battle.
And it looked as though they would leave with all three until Moore powered home an 87th-minute equaliser to earn Derby a draw.
"QPR came and made it hard for us and we've got to realise that, such has been the efforts of everyone at the club this season, that nobody will come up to Pride Park and play open football against us," he told www.dcfc.co.uk.
"Teams are going to make it hard, they'll make it difficult and frustrating for us, they'll slow the game down and every tactic in the book an away team can use against us they will do.
"But the players showed great resilience as it was a tough game out there tonight, and credit to QPR as they are scrapping for their lives.
"We have got a few more fixtures like that and all we can do is learn, and make sure that when we face these games we perform instead of dragging ourselves up from behind."
Moore's third goal of the season couldn't have been better timed as it lifts the Rams back to level on points with Birmingham City at the top of the table.
It was a typical centre-forward's header but with the regular talisman Steve Howard out on the touchline after setting up Jay McEveley's cross, Moore took up the mantle.
"I got the call to go up alongside Stevie, and we also had Pesch and Craig Fagan on at the time," Moore said.
"I got myself to the far post, Jay threw it in, and I managed to get between two defenders and headed it down.
"I'm really pleased with the goal, I wish it could have been a winner but an equaliser is better than a defeat." Derby
Return of Warren Neil...Gregory's Aim to Win Away....Bignot on Team's Fighting Spirit (Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times)
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Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times on Return of Warren Neil- JG turns to an old mate
WARREN Neill has no plans for a permanent return to QPR - despite answering John Gregory's SOS call to assist him on the training ground.
The former Rangers full-back has stepped into the breach left by the suspension of Gregory's right-hand man Richard Hill and will assume coaching duties on a short-term basis.
Neill was previously manager of QPR's successful under-19 team until the club's slide into administration - and subsequent downgrading from Academy status - cost him his job.
But Neill, who works as a London taxi driver, said: "Obviously I'll be doing something different for the next few weeks, but it's just until the end of the season.
"I've known John for along time and basically I'm just helping out a friend, simple as that. If anything happens after the end of the season, I'll think about it then."
Neill's sentiments are highly reminiscent of those voiced by another of his former QPR team-mates, Alan McDonald, when he returned to assist Gary Waddock just over a year ago.
McDonald stayed on as assistant manager when Waddock landed the top job - but was sacked, ironically to make way for Hill, after Gregory took over the hotseat in September.
Hill was suspended following an investigation into the punch-up between QPR staff and the Chinese Olympic team last month and is facing an FA charge of violent conduct.
He was also questioned by police on suspicion of actual bodily harm and, although no charges have been brought against Hill, he is highly unlikely to return to his role at Loftus Road.
Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini wants Gregory to sign a new two-year contract when his initial deal runs out, but has made it clear that no such offer will be made to Hill. If Gregory has to appoint a new assistant, 44-year-old Neill - a veteran of more than 200 appearances in the blue and white hoops - could fit the bill.
The Acton-born right-back emerged through the ranks and made a real impact on the Rs' first team during their run to the FA Cup final of 1982, featuring in the replay against Tottenham.
He was also a key member of the side that lifted the Division Two title a year later, qualified for the UEFA Cup and also reached the Milk Cup final in 1986.
Moving to Portsmouth in 1988, he was briefly reunited with Gregory - taking his first step in management at Fratton Park - and spent another eight years on the south coast.
After finishing his career with Watford, Neill moved into coaching and led Rangers' under-19 side to the national championship final in 2001, only to be axed that summer.
But he was back in the dugout alongside Gregory for last Saturday's 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, a game which saw Spanish playmaker Inigo Idiakez make his debut after signing on loan from Southampton.
The 33-year-old former Derby star is available up to and including the Easter Saturday match against Coventry, but Gregory is keen to extend that arrangement, possibly even to a permanent deal.
He said: "Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would become available.
"He will certainly become a crowd favourite if he helps us to stay up this season. Kilburn Times
See Also: Kilburn Times - Gregory wants to follow the Venables formula
JOHN Gregory is aiming to draw inspiration from the Terry Venables era as QPR endeavour to improve their horrendous away record during the run-in.
Prior to last night's challenging test at Derby, Rangers had lost nine of their last 10 away games in all competitions and are on the road again this weekend when they face Leicester at the Walkers Stadium.
The Rs had a similar reputation as poor travellers under Venables 25 years ago, but underwent a dramatic transformation as a side including Gregory swept to the Division Two title the following season.
"We had a soft underbelly and lost 13 away games out of 21 in my first season here as a player," Gregory recalled.
"But the following year we won 10 times away from home, breaking the club record, because Terry Venables changed the personnel as well as the attitude.
"He added a bit more steel - I remember Steve Wicks coming in, a very solid, resolute defender - and effectively we won the league away from home.
"Rangers are expected to play an attacking style - we've often prided ourselves on trying to entertain before getting a result - but sometimes a draw is an acceptable result.
"When I was at Villa, we drew a lot of away games and it was usually looked on as a good point because we were winning at home. We need the right mentality and I've tried to bring in players who have that."
Rangers' last away win came on November 17, when Ray Jones' late goal gave them all three points at Cardiff. Kilburn Times
Bignot: this time it matters more - 13 March 2007 - Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times
SKIPPER Marcus Bignot is convinced QPR can avoid repeating their relegation disaster of 2001 - because this time the squad actually care.
Bignot, who returned from a two-month injury lay-off to captain Rangers in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday, was a member of the side that crashed into the old Division Two six years ago.
But the full-back says there is no comparison between the current squad and their 2001 counterparts - even though, like many of his team-mates, he is nearing the end of his Loftus Road contract.
"Personal issues have to go to one side in this situation and I didn't feel that was the case with the squad when I first joined QPR," said Bignot.
"No disrespect to those players, but quite a few of them were thinking about their holidays and things like that. I didn't feel they had the club at heart.
"It's totally different now. Everyone cares and feels they're fighting for the same cause, the most important thing, which is to keep this club up - that's the be-all and end-all.
"I'm sure no-one who came on Saturday could fault the effort, the commitment, or the quality of football - the fans' only grumble will be that we haven't won, we haven't turned our endeavour into three points.
"Going a goal down, we certainly showed the spirit that says we're never going to quit and that's what we'll need between now and the end of the season."
Bignot became Ian Holloway's first signing as QPR manager almost exactly six years ago - but both those arrivals came too late to save the club from the drop.
A lack of goals was a major problem for the class of 2001, who seemed overly reliant on rookie centre-forward Peter Crouch - and a similar issue haunts the current crop as well.
Rangers should have buried Wednesday under an avalanche of first-half opportunities, but eventually needed a Martin Rowlands penalty to even draw level.
Bignot admitted: "All that was missing was goals. We're at the business end of the season and that's going to be the difference in terms of what keeps us up.
"We know that and we've got to remain positive, become more ruthless and turn these performances into results. At this stage of the season, every game is massive, home or away."
And the Birmingham-born defender is determined to feature in every one of the Rs' remaining games, having been forced to sit out the previous eight with the medial ligament injury he suffered at Hull in January.
It was almost an exceedingly brief comeback for Bignot - who grimaced with pain as referee Andy Woolmer, in the process of awarding a free-kick against the Owls' Glenn Whelan, accidentally trod on his foot!
"He's got big feet, I'll give him that," observed Bignot, "and I'm sure the assessor will pull him up on that - he should have got a booking because it was deliberate and stopped us playing the free-kick early!
"Apart from that, it was great to be back and I've got to thank the gaffer for throwing me straight back in the team. I take that as a big compliment, especially with the situation we're in. Kilburn Times
Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times on Return of Warren Neil- JG turns to an old mate
WARREN Neill has no plans for a permanent return to QPR - despite answering John Gregory's SOS call to assist him on the training ground.
The former Rangers full-back has stepped into the breach left by the suspension of Gregory's right-hand man Richard Hill and will assume coaching duties on a short-term basis.
Neill was previously manager of QPR's successful under-19 team until the club's slide into administration - and subsequent downgrading from Academy status - cost him his job.
But Neill, who works as a London taxi driver, said: "Obviously I'll be doing something different for the next few weeks, but it's just until the end of the season.
"I've known John for along time and basically I'm just helping out a friend, simple as that. If anything happens after the end of the season, I'll think about it then."
Neill's sentiments are highly reminiscent of those voiced by another of his former QPR team-mates, Alan McDonald, when he returned to assist Gary Waddock just over a year ago.
McDonald stayed on as assistant manager when Waddock landed the top job - but was sacked, ironically to make way for Hill, after Gregory took over the hotseat in September.
Hill was suspended following an investigation into the punch-up between QPR staff and the Chinese Olympic team last month and is facing an FA charge of violent conduct.
He was also questioned by police on suspicion of actual bodily harm and, although no charges have been brought against Hill, he is highly unlikely to return to his role at Loftus Road.
Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini wants Gregory to sign a new two-year contract when his initial deal runs out, but has made it clear that no such offer will be made to Hill. If Gregory has to appoint a new assistant, 44-year-old Neill - a veteran of more than 200 appearances in the blue and white hoops - could fit the bill.
The Acton-born right-back emerged through the ranks and made a real impact on the Rs' first team during their run to the FA Cup final of 1982, featuring in the replay against Tottenham.
He was also a key member of the side that lifted the Division Two title a year later, qualified for the UEFA Cup and also reached the Milk Cup final in 1986.
Moving to Portsmouth in 1988, he was briefly reunited with Gregory - taking his first step in management at Fratton Park - and spent another eight years on the south coast.
After finishing his career with Watford, Neill moved into coaching and led Rangers' under-19 side to the national championship final in 2001, only to be axed that summer.
But he was back in the dugout alongside Gregory for last Saturday's 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, a game which saw Spanish playmaker Inigo Idiakez make his debut after signing on loan from Southampton.
The 33-year-old former Derby star is available up to and including the Easter Saturday match against Coventry, but Gregory is keen to extend that arrangement, possibly even to a permanent deal.
He said: "Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would become available.
"He will certainly become a crowd favourite if he helps us to stay up this season. Kilburn Times
See Also: Kilburn Times - Gregory wants to follow the Venables formula
JOHN Gregory is aiming to draw inspiration from the Terry Venables era as QPR endeavour to improve their horrendous away record during the run-in.
Prior to last night's challenging test at Derby, Rangers had lost nine of their last 10 away games in all competitions and are on the road again this weekend when they face Leicester at the Walkers Stadium.
The Rs had a similar reputation as poor travellers under Venables 25 years ago, but underwent a dramatic transformation as a side including Gregory swept to the Division Two title the following season.
"We had a soft underbelly and lost 13 away games out of 21 in my first season here as a player," Gregory recalled.
"But the following year we won 10 times away from home, breaking the club record, because Terry Venables changed the personnel as well as the attitude.
"He added a bit more steel - I remember Steve Wicks coming in, a very solid, resolute defender - and effectively we won the league away from home.
"Rangers are expected to play an attacking style - we've often prided ourselves on trying to entertain before getting a result - but sometimes a draw is an acceptable result.
"When I was at Villa, we drew a lot of away games and it was usually looked on as a good point because we were winning at home. We need the right mentality and I've tried to bring in players who have that."
Rangers' last away win came on November 17, when Ray Jones' late goal gave them all three points at Cardiff. Kilburn Times
Bignot: this time it matters more - 13 March 2007 - Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times
SKIPPER Marcus Bignot is convinced QPR can avoid repeating their relegation disaster of 2001 - because this time the squad actually care.
Bignot, who returned from a two-month injury lay-off to captain Rangers in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday, was a member of the side that crashed into the old Division Two six years ago.
But the full-back says there is no comparison between the current squad and their 2001 counterparts - even though, like many of his team-mates, he is nearing the end of his Loftus Road contract.
"Personal issues have to go to one side in this situation and I didn't feel that was the case with the squad when I first joined QPR," said Bignot.
"No disrespect to those players, but quite a few of them were thinking about their holidays and things like that. I didn't feel they had the club at heart.
"It's totally different now. Everyone cares and feels they're fighting for the same cause, the most important thing, which is to keep this club up - that's the be-all and end-all.
"I'm sure no-one who came on Saturday could fault the effort, the commitment, or the quality of football - the fans' only grumble will be that we haven't won, we haven't turned our endeavour into three points.
"Going a goal down, we certainly showed the spirit that says we're never going to quit and that's what we'll need between now and the end of the season."
Bignot became Ian Holloway's first signing as QPR manager almost exactly six years ago - but both those arrivals came too late to save the club from the drop.
A lack of goals was a major problem for the class of 2001, who seemed overly reliant on rookie centre-forward Peter Crouch - and a similar issue haunts the current crop as well.
Rangers should have buried Wednesday under an avalanche of first-half opportunities, but eventually needed a Martin Rowlands penalty to even draw level.
Bignot admitted: "All that was missing was goals. We're at the business end of the season and that's going to be the difference in terms of what keeps us up.
"We know that and we've got to remain positive, become more ruthless and turn these performances into results. At this stage of the season, every game is massive, home or away."
And the Birmingham-born defender is determined to feature in every one of the Rs' remaining games, having been forced to sit out the previous eight with the medial ligament injury he suffered at Hull in January.
It was almost an exceedingly brief comeback for Bignot - who grimaced with pain as referee Andy Woolmer, in the process of awarding a free-kick against the Owls' Glenn Whelan, accidentally trod on his foot!
"He's got big feet, I'll give him that," observed Bignot, "and I'm sure the assessor will pull him up on that - he should have got a booking because it was deliberate and stopped us playing the free-kick early!
"Apart from that, it was great to be back and I've got to thank the gaffer for throwing me straight back in the team. I take that as a big compliment, especially with the situation we're in. Kilburn Times
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
QPR Concede a Late Goal to End up with a Draw
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QPR Traveled to Derby County tonight and took the lead through Rowlands in the 14th minuted...And then, a late, late goal by Derby...made the score 1-1 and put Rangers in the bottom 3 with 9 games to go. Pbviously before the game, a draw at Derby would have been viewed as good. But now, it's a moral loss. QPR had five players booked:
Furlong 27 - Ainsworth 38 - Idiakez 74 - Bignot 79 - Cook 85
League Table
The Teams:
QPR: Royce, Bignot (C), Cullip, Rowlands, Lomas, Cook, Stewart, Idiakez, Furlong, Nygaard, Mancienne. Subs: Ainsworth, Cole, Kanyuka, R Jones, Smith.
Derby County: Bywater, Edworthy, Leacock, Moore, McEveley, Teale, Oakley (C), D Jones, Lupoli, Barnes, Howard.
Subs: Fagan, Peschisolido, Grant, S Johnson, Mears.
Official
QPR Traveled to Derby County tonight and took the lead through Rowlands in the 14th minuted...And then, a late, late goal by Derby...made the score 1-1 and put Rangers in the bottom 3 with 9 games to go. Pbviously before the game, a draw at Derby would have been viewed as good. But now, it's a moral loss. QPR had five players booked:
Furlong 27 - Ainsworth 38 - Idiakez 74 - Bignot 79 - Cook 85
League Table
The Teams:
QPR: Royce, Bignot (C), Cullip, Rowlands, Lomas, Cook, Stewart, Idiakez, Furlong, Nygaard, Mancienne. Subs: Ainsworth, Cole, Kanyuka, R Jones, Smith.
Derby County: Bywater, Edworthy, Leacock, Moore, McEveley, Teale, Oakley (C), D Jones, Lupoli, Barnes, Howard.
Subs: Fagan, Peschisolido, Grant, S Johnson, Mears.
Official
QPR 1st's Report on The Meeting with QPR's Two New DIrectors
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The QPR Fan Trust, QPR 1st has met with two of QPR's new Directors.
On the QPR1st is a report of that meeting
QPR1st: March 12 - Report from meeting with two new directors
"Last Thursday night, Geoff Gibbs, Jeremy Gardner, and Tracy Stent from QPR 1st met with Kevin Steele and Jason Kallis, two of the new directors at QPR. The meeting was informal and took place in a pub at Holborn in central London. ...
Report from meeting with two new directors
The QPR Fan Trust, QPR 1st has met with two of QPR's new Directors.
On the QPR1st is a report of that meeting
QPR1st: March 12 - Report from meeting with two new directors
"Last Thursday night, Geoff Gibbs, Jeremy Gardner, and Tracy Stent from QPR 1st met with Kevin Steele and Jason Kallis, two of the new directors at QPR. The meeting was informal and took place in a pub at Holborn in central London. ...
Report from meeting with two new directors
Clash of ABCs Tonight as QPR Travel to Derby
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It's the classic top vs bottom tonight as relegation "prospects" QPR travel to promotion prospects Derby. Derby who WERE Haunted by their ABC Loan versus QPR who currently are haunted. Derby of course WERE managed by QPR...And QPR's Chairman Gianni Paladini WAS at least interested in the buying Derby before he came to QPR. There probably won't be a replay of QPR's brilliant 5-1 victory at Derby in 1975/76.
See also: "ABC QPR and Derby County - Looking Back"
Update: Darren Currie is joining Derby on loan AFTER tonight's game (which is good!)
Currie to join Rams on loan tomorrowDARREN Currie will join Premiership hopefuls Derby County tomorrow.The Blues midfielder returns from a spell with LA Galaxy later today, after a 24-hour flight delay, and will join the Rams on loan for the remainder of the season....Currie is due to watch second-placed Derby play QPR at Pride Park tonight but will have tomorrow off to recover before joining his new team-mates on Thursday when they return for training....News
QPR Official Site Preview
Rangers face a daunting trip to Pride Park - the home of high-flying Derby County - on Tuesday evening.
County currently sit second in the Championship, with Friday's 1-0 defeat against Birmingham City seeing the Blues leapfrog the Rams into top spot.
Much of the praise for the Rams' superb season must be credited to gaffer Billy Davies.
The former Preston North End boss has worked wonders since taking over at Pride Park in the summer, building a squad which finally seems capable of booking their golden ticket back to the Promised Land of the Premiership.
The acquisition of hot-shot Steve Howard from Luton in the summer provided hope for the Rams faithful and when Davies strengthened his squad in January by signing Jones, Craig Fagan, Gary Teale, Stephen Pearson and James McEveley, the dream neared ever closer to becoming a reality.
It's a marathon not a sprint though and although the Rams are in pole position as the business end of the season looms ever closer, Davies is refusing to get too carried away.
"All I can say is we've got a few games to go and hopefully they'll be plenty more wins to celebrate if we keep concentrating and play as well as I know we can."...
Top scorer (league goals only): Steve HOWARD 14 Last league game:
...Head to head:
Derby wins: 13 QPR wins: 9 Draws: 11
Last meeting: Queens Park Rangers 1 (Smith), Derby County 2 (Bisgaard, Howard).
Coca Cola Championship. October 17th 2006.."QPR
DERBY OFFICIAL SITE - UP AND AT THEM
Billy Davies wants to see his Derby County side get at Queens Park Rangers from the opening whistle on Tuesday night.
The Rams' last home outing was a 5-1 thrashing of Colchester United after they raced to a three-goal lead before 30 minutes had passed.
Davies was delighted by his team's performance that night and admits a repeat showing would be good.
"Yes, it would be nice, and that's the target now - we've got to go and really get at them as much as we can," he told an interview soon to be screened on RamsWorld.
"We have got to cause them a lot of problems and continue the target of picking up as many points as we can.
"It will be a tough match for both sides but it is one we're looking forward to."
QPR are scrapping for points at the wrong end of the Coca-Cola Championship after a run of five games without a win that has dragged them into relegation trouble.
But Davies expects "no favours" from John Gregory's side.
The visitors will be without Lee Camp and Adam Bolder, who are prevented from playing against the Rams due to clauses in their respective loan and permanent transfers.
But they will have in their ranks Spanish midfielder Inigo Idiakez, Derby's 2004/05 player of the year who joined the Londoners on loan from Southampton last week.
"We expect no favours but that's the way it has always been," Davies added.
"We have got to where we are because we have deserved it from the first day of the season.
"It doesn't matter who they have in their team, or on the bench, we know what we have got to do.
"We will continue to try and pick up the three points." Derby
DERBY OFFICIAL SITE
INI IS BACK IN TOWN
John Gregory
QPR boss John Gregory
An in-depth look at Tuesday's visit of Queens Park Rangers.
TEAM NEWS
Derby: Central defender Michael Johnson is the major absentee with his hamstring injury that could rule him out for the rest of the season.
Paul Boertien is also on the sidelines with his knee problem but there are no other big concerns for the Rams.
QPR: The visitors signed former Derby midfielder Inigo Idiakez on loan from Southampton last week and he is set for his first return to the club since leaving in August.
Inigo Idiakez
Inigo Idiakez
Rangers boss John Gregory - himself an ex-Ram - will be without two men who have moved from Pride Park to Loftus Road.
Goalkeeper Lee Camp is on loan with Rangers until the end of the season but is prevented from playing against his parent club.
And midfielder Adam Bolder, who joined on a permanent deal in January, is also ruled out due to a clause in his transfer.
Club captain Marcus Bignot came back on Saturday after two months out with a knee ligament injury.
Rangers' attack is likely to be led by Dexter Blackstock, who scored three goals for Derby during a loan spell last season.
THE REFEREE
Steve Tanner makes the journey up from Somerset to take charge of a game at Pride Park for the first time...
LAST TIME AT PRIDE PARK
Derby County 1 Queens Park Rangers 2
Coca-Cola Championship October 29 2005
Derby: Poole, Kenna (Thirlwell 58), Michael Johnson, Thome, Johnnie Jackson, Bisgaard, Idiakez, Seth Johnson, Whittingham, John (Blackstock 59), Peschisolido (Tudgay 81).
Subs: Camp, Doyle.
Scorer: Blackstock 84.
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Shittu, Evatt, Dyer, Ainsworth (Milanese 89), Doherty (Langley 81), Santos, Gallen, Furlong (sent off 34), Sturridge (Moore 62).
Subs: Shimmin, Donnelly.
Scorers: Ainsworth 30; Gallen 80.
Bookings: Peschisolido (Derby).
Attendance: 24,427.
Match report
RamsWorld highlights
TICKETS
Already over 24,500 tickets have been sold for the visit of John Gregory's Londoners and it's time to once again get behind Billy Davies's Rams for another vital game.
Season ticket holders can bring along a friend for a fiver (strictly one £5 ticket per season ticket holder per game) while there are also price reductions across the board.
Adults who are gold members will pay just £10, seniors and young adults will pay £8, and tickets for juveniles are only £5.
The prices apply in all areas of Pride Park Stadium, as do the special deals for non-members.
Prices for non-members will be £20 for adults, £10 for seniors young adults and £5 for juveniles.
Gold membership is available at £10 for adults and £7.50 for Junior Rams.
Tickets for Tuesday are now on general sale and available by calling 0870 444 1884, on-line at www.shopdcfc.co.uk and in person at the Pride Park Stadium ticket office.
Buy home match tickets on-line at www.shopdcfc.co.uk
RAMSWORLD
The build-up will begin later today with the pre-match thoughts of Rams boss Billy Davies - then it will be time for the players to have their say on Tuesday.
And - as ever - you'll be able to listen to live commentary from Pride Park, the only internet site that allows you to do so legally while helping the club too.
We'll be back with highlights and reaction on Wednesday so make sure you stay tuned to RamsWorld to catch all the action.
If you're not already a subscriber then you can sign up to RamsWorld now for as little as £3.99 a month or the special price of £19.99 right the way through to August 1 2007.
RamsWorld - your on-line season ticket
MATCH ODDS WITH DCFCBET
Derby win - 4/9
Draw - 5/2
QPR win - 7/1
Full match odds and a wide range of other markets are available at www.dcfcbet.co.uk, where every bet you make helps the Rams financially. Derby Official Site
It's the classic top vs bottom tonight as relegation "prospects" QPR travel to promotion prospects Derby. Derby who WERE Haunted by their ABC Loan versus QPR who currently are haunted. Derby of course WERE managed by QPR...And QPR's Chairman Gianni Paladini WAS at least interested in the buying Derby before he came to QPR. There probably won't be a replay of QPR's brilliant 5-1 victory at Derby in 1975/76.
See also: "ABC QPR and Derby County - Looking Back"
Update: Darren Currie is joining Derby on loan AFTER tonight's game (which is good!)
Currie to join Rams on loan tomorrowDARREN Currie will join Premiership hopefuls Derby County tomorrow.The Blues midfielder returns from a spell with LA Galaxy later today, after a 24-hour flight delay, and will join the Rams on loan for the remainder of the season....Currie is due to watch second-placed Derby play QPR at Pride Park tonight but will have tomorrow off to recover before joining his new team-mates on Thursday when they return for training....News
QPR Official Site Preview
Rangers face a daunting trip to Pride Park - the home of high-flying Derby County - on Tuesday evening.
County currently sit second in the Championship, with Friday's 1-0 defeat against Birmingham City seeing the Blues leapfrog the Rams into top spot.
Much of the praise for the Rams' superb season must be credited to gaffer Billy Davies.
The former Preston North End boss has worked wonders since taking over at Pride Park in the summer, building a squad which finally seems capable of booking their golden ticket back to the Promised Land of the Premiership.
The acquisition of hot-shot Steve Howard from Luton in the summer provided hope for the Rams faithful and when Davies strengthened his squad in January by signing Jones, Craig Fagan, Gary Teale, Stephen Pearson and James McEveley, the dream neared ever closer to becoming a reality.
It's a marathon not a sprint though and although the Rams are in pole position as the business end of the season looms ever closer, Davies is refusing to get too carried away.
"All I can say is we've got a few games to go and hopefully they'll be plenty more wins to celebrate if we keep concentrating and play as well as I know we can."...
Top scorer (league goals only): Steve HOWARD 14 Last league game:
...Head to head:
Derby wins: 13 QPR wins: 9 Draws: 11
Last meeting: Queens Park Rangers 1 (Smith), Derby County 2 (Bisgaard, Howard).
Coca Cola Championship. October 17th 2006.."QPR
DERBY OFFICIAL SITE - UP AND AT THEM
Billy Davies wants to see his Derby County side get at Queens Park Rangers from the opening whistle on Tuesday night.
The Rams' last home outing was a 5-1 thrashing of Colchester United after they raced to a three-goal lead before 30 minutes had passed.
Davies was delighted by his team's performance that night and admits a repeat showing would be good.
"Yes, it would be nice, and that's the target now - we've got to go and really get at them as much as we can," he told an interview soon to be screened on RamsWorld.
"We have got to cause them a lot of problems and continue the target of picking up as many points as we can.
"It will be a tough match for both sides but it is one we're looking forward to."
QPR are scrapping for points at the wrong end of the Coca-Cola Championship after a run of five games without a win that has dragged them into relegation trouble.
But Davies expects "no favours" from John Gregory's side.
The visitors will be without Lee Camp and Adam Bolder, who are prevented from playing against the Rams due to clauses in their respective loan and permanent transfers.
But they will have in their ranks Spanish midfielder Inigo Idiakez, Derby's 2004/05 player of the year who joined the Londoners on loan from Southampton last week.
"We expect no favours but that's the way it has always been," Davies added.
"We have got to where we are because we have deserved it from the first day of the season.
"It doesn't matter who they have in their team, or on the bench, we know what we have got to do.
"We will continue to try and pick up the three points." Derby
DERBY OFFICIAL SITE
INI IS BACK IN TOWN
John Gregory
QPR boss John Gregory
An in-depth look at Tuesday's visit of Queens Park Rangers.
TEAM NEWS
Derby: Central defender Michael Johnson is the major absentee with his hamstring injury that could rule him out for the rest of the season.
Paul Boertien is also on the sidelines with his knee problem but there are no other big concerns for the Rams.
QPR: The visitors signed former Derby midfielder Inigo Idiakez on loan from Southampton last week and he is set for his first return to the club since leaving in August.
Inigo Idiakez
Inigo Idiakez
Rangers boss John Gregory - himself an ex-Ram - will be without two men who have moved from Pride Park to Loftus Road.
Goalkeeper Lee Camp is on loan with Rangers until the end of the season but is prevented from playing against his parent club.
And midfielder Adam Bolder, who joined on a permanent deal in January, is also ruled out due to a clause in his transfer.
Club captain Marcus Bignot came back on Saturday after two months out with a knee ligament injury.
Rangers' attack is likely to be led by Dexter Blackstock, who scored three goals for Derby during a loan spell last season.
THE REFEREE
Steve Tanner makes the journey up from Somerset to take charge of a game at Pride Park for the first time...
LAST TIME AT PRIDE PARK
Derby County 1 Queens Park Rangers 2
Coca-Cola Championship October 29 2005
Derby: Poole, Kenna (Thirlwell 58), Michael Johnson, Thome, Johnnie Jackson, Bisgaard, Idiakez, Seth Johnson, Whittingham, John (Blackstock 59), Peschisolido (Tudgay 81).
Subs: Camp, Doyle.
Scorer: Blackstock 84.
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Shittu, Evatt, Dyer, Ainsworth (Milanese 89), Doherty (Langley 81), Santos, Gallen, Furlong (sent off 34), Sturridge (Moore 62).
Subs: Shimmin, Donnelly.
Scorers: Ainsworth 30; Gallen 80.
Bookings: Peschisolido (Derby).
Attendance: 24,427.
Match report
RamsWorld highlights
TICKETS
Already over 24,500 tickets have been sold for the visit of John Gregory's Londoners and it's time to once again get behind Billy Davies's Rams for another vital game.
Season ticket holders can bring along a friend for a fiver (strictly one £5 ticket per season ticket holder per game) while there are also price reductions across the board.
Adults who are gold members will pay just £10, seniors and young adults will pay £8, and tickets for juveniles are only £5.
The prices apply in all areas of Pride Park Stadium, as do the special deals for non-members.
Prices for non-members will be £20 for adults, £10 for seniors young adults and £5 for juveniles.
Gold membership is available at £10 for adults and £7.50 for Junior Rams.
Tickets for Tuesday are now on general sale and available by calling 0870 444 1884, on-line at www.shopdcfc.co.uk and in person at the Pride Park Stadium ticket office.
Buy home match tickets on-line at www.shopdcfc.co.uk
RAMSWORLD
The build-up will begin later today with the pre-match thoughts of Rams boss Billy Davies - then it will be time for the players to have their say on Tuesday.
And - as ever - you'll be able to listen to live commentary from Pride Park, the only internet site that allows you to do so legally while helping the club too.
We'll be back with highlights and reaction on Wednesday so make sure you stay tuned to RamsWorld to catch all the action.
If you're not already a subscriber then you can sign up to RamsWorld now for as little as £3.99 a month or the special price of £19.99 right the way through to August 1 2007.
RamsWorld - your on-line season ticket
MATCH ODDS WITH DCFCBET
Derby win - 4/9
Draw - 5/2
QPR win - 7/1
Full match odds and a wide range of other markets are available at www.dcfcbet.co.uk, where every bet you make helps the Rams financially. Derby Official Site
Warren Neil Back at QPR to Assist Gregory
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[Warren Neil is reported back at QPR in a coaching role. Neil was given his debut by Tommy Docherty. He came to fame coming on as a sub in QPR's 3rd Round replay at Middlesbrough in the 1982 FA Cup Fun, and scoring the winner. Neil replaced the suspended Glen Roeder in the FA Cup Replay against Spurs...And for several years, Neil was one of QPR's fullback (along with other home grown, Ian Dawes)]
Warren Neill back in the Fold -Ex defender fills the void left by departure of assistant manager - By David McIntyre/Essex Gazette
Former QPR defender Warren Neill has joined manager John Gregory's backroom team.
Neill will help Gregory until the end of the season after assistant boss Richard Hill was axed following the brawl between a QPR reserve side and the Chinese Olympic team last month.
Hill will not face police charges having been arrested after the incident, but he will face an FA charge of violent conduct and chairman Gianni Paladini does not want him back at Loftus Road.
Neill, 44, is a former Rangers team-mate of Gregory and a lifelong fan of the club.
He was an apprentice at Loftus Road before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup final against Oxford four years later.
Neill moved to Portsmouth and had a brief spell at Watford before returning to QPR as a coach after his playing career ended.
He was the academy director before losing his job after Rangers went into administration in 2001. Gazette
[Warren Neil is reported back at QPR in a coaching role. Neil was given his debut by Tommy Docherty. He came to fame coming on as a sub in QPR's 3rd Round replay at Middlesbrough in the 1982 FA Cup Fun, and scoring the winner. Neil replaced the suspended Glen Roeder in the FA Cup Replay against Spurs...And for several years, Neil was one of QPR's fullback (along with other home grown, Ian Dawes)]
Warren Neill back in the Fold -Ex defender fills the void left by departure of assistant manager - By David McIntyre/Essex Gazette
Former QPR defender Warren Neill has joined manager John Gregory's backroom team.
Neill will help Gregory until the end of the season after assistant boss Richard Hill was axed following the brawl between a QPR reserve side and the Chinese Olympic team last month.
Hill will not face police charges having been arrested after the incident, but he will face an FA charge of violent conduct and chairman Gianni Paladini does not want him back at Loftus Road.
Neill, 44, is a former Rangers team-mate of Gregory and a lifelong fan of the club.
He was an apprentice at Loftus Road before making 224 appearances for the Rs between 1980 and 1988.
He played in the 1982 FA Cup final replay against Tottenham and the Milk Cup final against Oxford four years later.
Neill moved to Portsmouth and had a brief spell at Watford before returning to QPR as a coach after his playing career ended.
He was the academy director before losing his job after Rangers went into administration in 2001. Gazette
Monday, March 12, 2007
Birthday for Ex-QPR Player and Manager Ian Holloway
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Happy 44rd Birthday to QPR Hero, Ian Holloway: The man that Chairman Paladini just over a year ago, placed on "Gardening Leave." At the time of his departure from QPR, Holloway was QPR's longest-serving manager since the late, great Alec Stock.
Ian Holloway. Born March 12, 1963
Birthday
No more needs to be said. He did a lot for QPR. All QPR fans should be grateful for what he did. And it would probably be fair to say that a number of fans who were not unhappy to see him leave, in hindsight, wish he was still here.
[For more on Ian Holloway and QPR, just go through this blog!]
Some Past Statements by Chairman Paladini on Holloway - Prior to his being placed on "Gardening Leave"
CHAIRMAN PALADINI ON IAN HOLLOWAY
Q&A With Paladini - QPR OFFICIAL SITE
Q: "Do you think that Ian Holloway has taken the club as far as he can, and do we need a manager that will be able to take us to the next level?
A: I think Ian is the man to take us forward, that's why we gave him a three year contract. Ian is a very good manager and I think he is the man to take us forward.Our relationship is very good, we speak everyday. I have commented on our relationship very often. I love Ian."
Q: How much truth was there in the rumour of Ramon Diaz coming to Rangers?
A: When I first joined I didn't know Ian Holloway. My friend Ramon Diaz came to watch our matches but he couldn't work for us anyway due to work permits. But once I got to know Ian then I knew he was the man for the job. QPR
Q&A with Paladini - QPR NET
"...
QPRnet.com: Do you target Ian Holloway before each season as to a league finish?
GP: At the beginning of the season I targeted him to finish in the play offs and to improve on last season as a minimum. Anything less than that is disappointing, we have to improve, there is no other way, so let’s see what happens....
QPRnet.com: What were your thoughts on our Club President calling for Ian Holloway to be sacked recently?
GP: He’s been a supporter of QPR for years and years and years has Harold. He’s a very passionate man, lovely fella and he’s helped the club many times. He has his own ideas and they haven’t changed, he was like this ever since I’ve known him. He’s not on the board and he doesn’t interfere but he’s entitled to his opinion and I’ve no problem with that. I said to Ian that I take stick as well and you have to get on with it.
QPRnet.com: So what about you? You said recently that you loved Ian and wanted him to be the man who builds the clubs future – do you stand by that?
GP: I like Ian as a man, he’s been very close to me over the years but at the end of the day we all know in football you forget about the good times very quickly. There’s a time span for everyone in football for me and for Ian but it won’t be me that ever sacks him it will be the fans, they will decide what’s right.
If it comes to that then it doesn’t matter how much you love somebody, you have to make a decision you don’t want to. At the end of the day, Ian knows his job as a football manager is to be successful and I know my job is to run this football club and make sure the finances are sound and if either of us don’t do that then we have to go. It’s OK being a lovely friendly person but if you are not a success then you can only be a failure.
QPRnet.com: Are you and Ian both aware that the fan base is split over his future?
GP: Of course but that happens at every football club, you can be the most successful manager in the world but the moment things don’t go right you get moved on. Look at the pressure Alex Ferguson is under after everything he has done. QPR Net
PALADINI OFFICIAL STATEMENT AFTER HE TOOK OVER FROM BILL POWER
"...Paladini also believes that the root of stability lies with the manager and that is why he hopes to sit down with Ian Holloway this week to discuss a new contract. "Ollie is responsible for so much that has happened here during the past few years. Our successes on the pitch are down to him and he should be rewarded accordingly." QPR
Happy 44rd Birthday to QPR Hero, Ian Holloway: The man that Chairman Paladini just over a year ago, placed on "Gardening Leave." At the time of his departure from QPR, Holloway was QPR's longest-serving manager since the late, great Alec Stock.
Ian Holloway. Born March 12, 1963
Birthday
No more needs to be said. He did a lot for QPR. All QPR fans should be grateful for what he did. And it would probably be fair to say that a number of fans who were not unhappy to see him leave, in hindsight, wish he was still here.
[For more on Ian Holloway and QPR, just go through this blog!]
Some Past Statements by Chairman Paladini on Holloway - Prior to his being placed on "Gardening Leave"
CHAIRMAN PALADINI ON IAN HOLLOWAY
Q&A With Paladini - QPR OFFICIAL SITE
Q: "Do you think that Ian Holloway has taken the club as far as he can, and do we need a manager that will be able to take us to the next level?
A: I think Ian is the man to take us forward, that's why we gave him a three year contract. Ian is a very good manager and I think he is the man to take us forward.Our relationship is very good, we speak everyday. I have commented on our relationship very often. I love Ian."
Q: How much truth was there in the rumour of Ramon Diaz coming to Rangers?
A: When I first joined I didn't know Ian Holloway. My friend Ramon Diaz came to watch our matches but he couldn't work for us anyway due to work permits. But once I got to know Ian then I knew he was the man for the job. QPR
Q&A with Paladini - QPR NET
"...
QPRnet.com: Do you target Ian Holloway before each season as to a league finish?
GP: At the beginning of the season I targeted him to finish in the play offs and to improve on last season as a minimum. Anything less than that is disappointing, we have to improve, there is no other way, so let’s see what happens....
QPRnet.com: What were your thoughts on our Club President calling for Ian Holloway to be sacked recently?
GP: He’s been a supporter of QPR for years and years and years has Harold. He’s a very passionate man, lovely fella and he’s helped the club many times. He has his own ideas and they haven’t changed, he was like this ever since I’ve known him. He’s not on the board and he doesn’t interfere but he’s entitled to his opinion and I’ve no problem with that. I said to Ian that I take stick as well and you have to get on with it.
QPRnet.com: So what about you? You said recently that you loved Ian and wanted him to be the man who builds the clubs future – do you stand by that?
GP: I like Ian as a man, he’s been very close to me over the years but at the end of the day we all know in football you forget about the good times very quickly. There’s a time span for everyone in football for me and for Ian but it won’t be me that ever sacks him it will be the fans, they will decide what’s right.
If it comes to that then it doesn’t matter how much you love somebody, you have to make a decision you don’t want to. At the end of the day, Ian knows his job as a football manager is to be successful and I know my job is to run this football club and make sure the finances are sound and if either of us don’t do that then we have to go. It’s OK being a lovely friendly person but if you are not a success then you can only be a failure.
QPRnet.com: Are you and Ian both aware that the fan base is split over his future?
GP: Of course but that happens at every football club, you can be the most successful manager in the world but the moment things don’t go right you get moved on. Look at the pressure Alex Ferguson is under after everything he has done. QPR Net
PALADINI OFFICIAL STATEMENT AFTER HE TOOK OVER FROM BILL POWER
"...Paladini also believes that the root of stability lies with the manager and that is why he hopes to sit down with Ian Holloway this week to discuss a new contract. "Ollie is responsible for so much that has happened here during the past few years. Our successes on the pitch are down to him and he should be rewarded accordingly." QPR
Chairman Paladini on Remaining at QPR Even if Relegated and Citing His Accomplishments
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[Posted on Dave Barton's Queens Park Rangers FC Site(www.queensparkrangersfc.com )
David McIntyre - WE WON’T QUIT IF WE GO DOWN – PALADINI
QPR’s Italian owners will stay in charge even if the club are relegated, according to chairman Gianni Paladini.
Sliding into League One would be a disaster for Rangers and destroy Paladini and major shareholder Antonio Caliendo’s dream of owning a Premiership club. But any disgruntled fans who believe the silver lining might be regime change at Loftus Road will be disappointed, Paladini insists.
Paladini says he and Caliendo will not be prepared to cut and run if Rangers lose their Championship status. “That’s not going to happen,” he insisted.
“Our commitment here means that the right thing would be to stay and keep working to make the club better - whatever division we’re in. “I believe we’re going to stay up. The players are certainly good enough. But if we were to go down then no, we would not look to sell.”
That raises the prospect – especially if Rangers are relegated – of Caliendo ploughing in more money in the form of loans. He has already done so to the tune of several million pounds. Paladini angrily denies this will eventually put the club back in the position it was in when former owner Chris Wright, whose money was similarly keeping QPR afloat, decided he’d had enough and went from bankroller to chief creditor.
That debt kept Rangers in limbo for over a year and they emerged without ownership of their training ground and saddled with a £10m loan from ABC Corporation. The annual interest alone threatens the club’s survival.
Paladini said: “I understand people being worried because of what happened before, but this is completely different. “There is no charge on the ground. There have been loans and the only way they will ever be repaid is if QPR make a profit. “If the whole thing goes caput then the people involved lose their money, simple as that.”
Paladini is under pressure after a series of problems on and off the pitch since he won a battle for control in 2005 and forced out the then chairman Bill Power and chief executive Mark Devlin. He has always been distrusted by a section of supporters and discontent appears to be growing.
During Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Ipswich, the first audible anti-Paladini chants from Rangers fans were heard. Paladini countered: “I wish all bad guys were like me. “If this bad guy had been in charge years ago, the club wouldn’t have lost their training ground and all sorts of other bad things would not have happened. “People can say what they like. The board that were here a few years ago were bad news. They almost destroyed this club. Now we are trying to sort the mess out.
“I have had so many problems to deal with at this club and have kept doing my best since the moment I came here. “So many people said we would go into administration and it hasn’t happened. The debts have been reduced. “And I tell you this: QPR will make a profit next year – whatever division we’re in – and it will be the first time that has happened for many years. It will happen."
Meanwhile, Richard Hill will not be returning to his job as assistant boss following the now infamous brawl with the Chinese Olympic team. Hill will not face police charges having been arrested after the bust-up at Rangers' Harlington training ground last month. But he still faces the axe as a result of the club's own inquest into the debacle.
Paladini does not want Hill back and was prepared to risk a stand-off with manager John Gregory, who is now likely to appoint a new right-hand man. Hill, 43, has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association. Rangers also face charge relating to the incident, which left Chinese player Zheng Tao with a broken jaw.
McIntyre
[Posted on Dave Barton's Queens Park Rangers FC Site(www.queensparkrangersfc.com )
David McIntyre - WE WON’T QUIT IF WE GO DOWN – PALADINI
QPR’s Italian owners will stay in charge even if the club are relegated, according to chairman Gianni Paladini.
Sliding into League One would be a disaster for Rangers and destroy Paladini and major shareholder Antonio Caliendo’s dream of owning a Premiership club. But any disgruntled fans who believe the silver lining might be regime change at Loftus Road will be disappointed, Paladini insists.
Paladini says he and Caliendo will not be prepared to cut and run if Rangers lose their Championship status. “That’s not going to happen,” he insisted.
“Our commitment here means that the right thing would be to stay and keep working to make the club better - whatever division we’re in. “I believe we’re going to stay up. The players are certainly good enough. But if we were to go down then no, we would not look to sell.”
That raises the prospect – especially if Rangers are relegated – of Caliendo ploughing in more money in the form of loans. He has already done so to the tune of several million pounds. Paladini angrily denies this will eventually put the club back in the position it was in when former owner Chris Wright, whose money was similarly keeping QPR afloat, decided he’d had enough and went from bankroller to chief creditor.
That debt kept Rangers in limbo for over a year and they emerged without ownership of their training ground and saddled with a £10m loan from ABC Corporation. The annual interest alone threatens the club’s survival.
Paladini said: “I understand people being worried because of what happened before, but this is completely different. “There is no charge on the ground. There have been loans and the only way they will ever be repaid is if QPR make a profit. “If the whole thing goes caput then the people involved lose their money, simple as that.”
Paladini is under pressure after a series of problems on and off the pitch since he won a battle for control in 2005 and forced out the then chairman Bill Power and chief executive Mark Devlin. He has always been distrusted by a section of supporters and discontent appears to be growing.
During Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Ipswich, the first audible anti-Paladini chants from Rangers fans were heard. Paladini countered: “I wish all bad guys were like me. “If this bad guy had been in charge years ago, the club wouldn’t have lost their training ground and all sorts of other bad things would not have happened. “People can say what they like. The board that were here a few years ago were bad news. They almost destroyed this club. Now we are trying to sort the mess out.
“I have had so many problems to deal with at this club and have kept doing my best since the moment I came here. “So many people said we would go into administration and it hasn’t happened. The debts have been reduced. “And I tell you this: QPR will make a profit next year – whatever division we’re in – and it will be the first time that has happened for many years. It will happen."
Meanwhile, Richard Hill will not be returning to his job as assistant boss following the now infamous brawl with the Chinese Olympic team. Hill will not face police charges having been arrested after the bust-up at Rangers' Harlington training ground last month. But he still faces the axe as a result of the club's own inquest into the debacle.
Paladini does not want Hill back and was prepared to risk a stand-off with manager John Gregory, who is now likely to appoint a new right-hand man. Hill, 43, has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association. Rangers also face charge relating to the incident, which left Chinese player Zheng Tao with a broken jaw.
McIntyre
Lee Cook on Gregory's Way of Motivating: Letting Players Know Which Teams Are Watching Players
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Telegraph - Those were the days - By Oliver Brown
It was a day when the old mixed uncomfortably with the new at Loftus Road. The class of 1967, paraded at half-time to honour the 40th anniversary of QPR's League Cup triumph, formed a glaring contrast with a side struggling to arrest a slide towards League One.
In light of victories for Leeds and Southend, the perils for QPR in the relegation scrap were rendered more acute by a mere draw. A run-in that includes visits to Derby and Sunderland signals their probable doom, although John Gregory, their ebullient manager, does not buy into such pessimism.
According to midfielder Lee Cook, Gregory has kept a list of those teams who are monitoring QPR's home games, and has taken to posting it on the dressing-room wall. "It's his way of showing that people are coming here to watch us because they know we are playing some decent football."
Gregory's team espouse a direct line of attack above any deft build-up play - Wednesday manager Brian Laws counted 40 balls that were launched into his side's box - but still it took Martin Rowlands' 72nd-minute penalty to salvage any reward after Chris Brunt's opener.
Cook, however, seemed to grasp the central contradiction in QPR's season. "We have a tough run-in, but that suits us," he explained. "We have always liked playing the big teams, whereas we went to Southend and lost 5-0. That says it all about us." Telegraph
DAILY MAIL - Rowlands to the rescue on QPR'S big day by SIMON CASS
With only goal difference keeping them out of the drop zone and a run-in which will see them take on six of the Championship's top ten, Queens Park Rangers' failure to take maximum points against Sheffield Wednesday will be brought into sharp focus in the ensuing weeks.
But star attraction Lee Cook is only too happy for the struggling West London club's survival to depend on getting results against the best the division has to offer.
Victory away to second-placed Derby tomorrow night would go some way to atoning for the lapse in concentration which allowed Wednesday to leave Loftus Road with a point from a game Rangers, on the number of chances created, should have wrapped up by half-time.
And Cook, whose performances for Rangers this season prompted Steve Coppell, Alan Curbishley and Alan Pardew to spend their Saturday afternoon at Loftus Road, is adamant Rangers have what it takes to beat the division's best on their day.
Discussing the race to the finish line, Cook insisted: "We’re the type of side that will go to Derby and beat them. We’ve got no fears about meeting anyone. It’s the tightest division in the country, anyone can beat anyone else.
"We have a tough run-in, but that suits us. We’ve always liked playing the big teams, whereas we went to Southend and lost 5-0. That says it all about us.
"We like the run-in we’ve got, we’re excited about it and we feel we’re going to stay up.Although we are out of the relegation zone at the minute we know that it will probably go to the last two or three games of the season and we have to start winning. It’s going to be exciting."
Excitement is certainly something Cook's dynamic left wing performances offer the Rangers faithful. Linked with Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton, the likelihood is the 24-year-old winger, who began his career in non-league football with Aylesbury United, will be on his way come the summer.
Wisely, QPR boss John Gregory is using the top-flight interest in Cook as a motivational tool, rather than issue any hands-off warnings.
"Every week the gaffer puts a sheet up on the wall with the names of the clubs that are coming to watch us," revealed Cook.
"It’s his way of showing that people are coming here to watch us because they know we are a good team who are playing some decent football even thought the results are not happening for us. Am I ready for the Premiership? I’d like to think so."
Wednesday boss Brian Laws is of the opinion his own left winger, Chris Brunt, will certainly be plying his trade in the Premiership sooner or later.
Brunt handed Wednesday their opener on 56 minutes, stealing in at the far-post after QPR's defence failed to deal with a routine long throw, and could have had another but not for a terrific save by Lee Camp.
The home-side then earned their deserved point from the penalty spot when Kevin Rowlands converted the spot kick after Marc Nygaard had been pulled back by Richard Wood.
Brunt's 11 goals this season, despite his laid-back style, drew comparisons from Laws with Wednesday legend Chris Waddle - praise the former Middlesbrough trainee was happy to accept.
"It is very nice to be talked about in that manner," admitted Brunt. "It is flattering to be compared to Chris Waddle because he was such a great player for Sheffield Wednesday. If I have half the career he had I would be more than happy." Mail
Mirror - By Michael Martin
FORGET all the pious talk about professional pride and playing for the jersey.
John Gregory knows what drives footballers, above all else - self-interest. And the job of a manager is to harness that self-interest for the good of the club.
So when the Loftus Road fax machine starts churning out ticket requests from Premiership scouts, Gregory does not feed them to the shredder - he pins them up on the dressing room.
On Saturday the likes of Alan Curbishley, Alan Pardew and Steve Coppell decided to go window shopping in Shepherd's Bush rather than Bluewater. One of the tempting items on display was Rangers star Lee Cook.
The twinkled-toed winger, who has attracted strong interest from Tottenham, said: "Every week the gaffer puts a sheet up on the wall with the names of the clubs that are coming to watch us.
"It's his way of showing that people are coming here to have a look because they know we are a good team that are playing some decent football even thought the results are not happening for us. If asked personally if I am ready for the Premiership, I'd like to think so."
While Cook's talent will almost certainly see him leaving Rangers in the summer, there can be no doubting his commitment to the cause.
A Hammersmith-born, dyed-in-the-wool R's fan, Cook ran his heart out against Wednesday and his silver service deserved better finishing from strikers Dexter Blackstock and Paul Furlong.
It was left to Chris Brunt to show them the way to goal, opening the scoring for Wednesday 11 minutes into the second half.
R's levelled from the spot, Martin Rowlands converting after Richard Wood threw a not-so-friendly arm around Marc Nygaard's neck.
Northern Ireland midfield star Brunt, another left-footer who is not short of admirers, said: "That was my 10th of the season, the best return of my career. I'd love to play in the Premiership but right now I'm just disappointed we did not hold on for a win." Mirror
Telegraph - Those were the days - By Oliver Brown
It was a day when the old mixed uncomfortably with the new at Loftus Road. The class of 1967, paraded at half-time to honour the 40th anniversary of QPR's League Cup triumph, formed a glaring contrast with a side struggling to arrest a slide towards League One.
In light of victories for Leeds and Southend, the perils for QPR in the relegation scrap were rendered more acute by a mere draw. A run-in that includes visits to Derby and Sunderland signals their probable doom, although John Gregory, their ebullient manager, does not buy into such pessimism.
According to midfielder Lee Cook, Gregory has kept a list of those teams who are monitoring QPR's home games, and has taken to posting it on the dressing-room wall. "It's his way of showing that people are coming here to watch us because they know we are playing some decent football."
Gregory's team espouse a direct line of attack above any deft build-up play - Wednesday manager Brian Laws counted 40 balls that were launched into his side's box - but still it took Martin Rowlands' 72nd-minute penalty to salvage any reward after Chris Brunt's opener.
Cook, however, seemed to grasp the central contradiction in QPR's season. "We have a tough run-in, but that suits us," he explained. "We have always liked playing the big teams, whereas we went to Southend and lost 5-0. That says it all about us." Telegraph
DAILY MAIL - Rowlands to the rescue on QPR'S big day by SIMON CASS
With only goal difference keeping them out of the drop zone and a run-in which will see them take on six of the Championship's top ten, Queens Park Rangers' failure to take maximum points against Sheffield Wednesday will be brought into sharp focus in the ensuing weeks.
But star attraction Lee Cook is only too happy for the struggling West London club's survival to depend on getting results against the best the division has to offer.
Victory away to second-placed Derby tomorrow night would go some way to atoning for the lapse in concentration which allowed Wednesday to leave Loftus Road with a point from a game Rangers, on the number of chances created, should have wrapped up by half-time.
And Cook, whose performances for Rangers this season prompted Steve Coppell, Alan Curbishley and Alan Pardew to spend their Saturday afternoon at Loftus Road, is adamant Rangers have what it takes to beat the division's best on their day.
Discussing the race to the finish line, Cook insisted: "We’re the type of side that will go to Derby and beat them. We’ve got no fears about meeting anyone. It’s the tightest division in the country, anyone can beat anyone else.
"We have a tough run-in, but that suits us. We’ve always liked playing the big teams, whereas we went to Southend and lost 5-0. That says it all about us.
"We like the run-in we’ve got, we’re excited about it and we feel we’re going to stay up.Although we are out of the relegation zone at the minute we know that it will probably go to the last two or three games of the season and we have to start winning. It’s going to be exciting."
Excitement is certainly something Cook's dynamic left wing performances offer the Rangers faithful. Linked with Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton, the likelihood is the 24-year-old winger, who began his career in non-league football with Aylesbury United, will be on his way come the summer.
Wisely, QPR boss John Gregory is using the top-flight interest in Cook as a motivational tool, rather than issue any hands-off warnings.
"Every week the gaffer puts a sheet up on the wall with the names of the clubs that are coming to watch us," revealed Cook.
"It’s his way of showing that people are coming here to watch us because they know we are a good team who are playing some decent football even thought the results are not happening for us. Am I ready for the Premiership? I’d like to think so."
Wednesday boss Brian Laws is of the opinion his own left winger, Chris Brunt, will certainly be plying his trade in the Premiership sooner or later.
Brunt handed Wednesday their opener on 56 minutes, stealing in at the far-post after QPR's defence failed to deal with a routine long throw, and could have had another but not for a terrific save by Lee Camp.
The home-side then earned their deserved point from the penalty spot when Kevin Rowlands converted the spot kick after Marc Nygaard had been pulled back by Richard Wood.
Brunt's 11 goals this season, despite his laid-back style, drew comparisons from Laws with Wednesday legend Chris Waddle - praise the former Middlesbrough trainee was happy to accept.
"It is very nice to be talked about in that manner," admitted Brunt. "It is flattering to be compared to Chris Waddle because he was such a great player for Sheffield Wednesday. If I have half the career he had I would be more than happy." Mail
Mirror - By Michael Martin
FORGET all the pious talk about professional pride and playing for the jersey.
John Gregory knows what drives footballers, above all else - self-interest. And the job of a manager is to harness that self-interest for the good of the club.
So when the Loftus Road fax machine starts churning out ticket requests from Premiership scouts, Gregory does not feed them to the shredder - he pins them up on the dressing room.
On Saturday the likes of Alan Curbishley, Alan Pardew and Steve Coppell decided to go window shopping in Shepherd's Bush rather than Bluewater. One of the tempting items on display was Rangers star Lee Cook.
The twinkled-toed winger, who has attracted strong interest from Tottenham, said: "Every week the gaffer puts a sheet up on the wall with the names of the clubs that are coming to watch us.
"It's his way of showing that people are coming here to have a look because they know we are a good team that are playing some decent football even thought the results are not happening for us. If asked personally if I am ready for the Premiership, I'd like to think so."
While Cook's talent will almost certainly see him leaving Rangers in the summer, there can be no doubting his commitment to the cause.
A Hammersmith-born, dyed-in-the-wool R's fan, Cook ran his heart out against Wednesday and his silver service deserved better finishing from strikers Dexter Blackstock and Paul Furlong.
It was left to Chris Brunt to show them the way to goal, opening the scoring for Wednesday 11 minutes into the second half.
R's levelled from the spot, Martin Rowlands converting after Richard Wood threw a not-so-friendly arm around Marc Nygaard's neck.
Northern Ireland midfield star Brunt, another left-footer who is not short of admirers, said: "That was my 10th of the season, the best return of my career. I'd love to play in the Premiership but right now I'm just disappointed we did not hold on for a win." Mirror
Sunday, March 11, 2007
How Loaned & Released QPR Players Fared Yesterday
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Ex-QPR Ian Evatt played for Blackpool against Brighton (No Bean in the 16) Nick Ward remained on the bench for Brighton...Forbes played for Yeovil with Matt Rose also coming on as sub for Grimsby...Tommy Doherty was booked as Wycombe lost 3-0 to Torquay. And 3 QPR goalies: Sean Thomas remained on the subs bench for Bristol City...Chris Day remained on the Millwall bench...and Lee Harper let in 4 as MK Dons lost 4-0 to Peterborough...
BBC - Blackpool 0-0 Brighton
Blackpool sneaked into the play-off places afer they played out a dour draw against Brighton...
Blackpool: Rachubka, Barker, Evatt, Gorkss, Coid, Forbes (Hoolahan 62), Jorgensen, Fox, Gillett, Morrell (Parker 62), Burgess (Vernon 76).
Subs Not Used: Evans, Joseph.
Brighton: Flinders, El-Abd, Lynch, Butters, Mayo, Cox, Bertin, Robinson, Hammond, Revell (O'Cearuill 82), Savage (Elder 72).
Subs Not Used: Kuipers, Ward, Hart. BBC
BBC -Cheltenham 1-2 Yeovil
Two goals from Wayne Gray fired Yeovil up to third in League One and back into the race for an automatic promotion as they Cheltenham.
Yeovil: Mildenhall, Forbes, Skiverton, Guyett (Rose 48), Martin Cranie, Davies, Kalala, Law , Cohen, Gray, Stewart.
Subs Not Used: Barry, Brittain, Sweeney, Morris.
Goals: Gray 20, 63. BBC
BBC - Bristol City 1-0 Brentford
Phil Jevons hit the winner from a fifth minute penalty to give Bristol City their fifth successive league win and push Brentford closer to League Two.
Jevons slotted the ball home from the spot after handball by Kevin O'Connor.
Bristol City: Basso, Orr, McCombe, Fontaine, Brian Wilson, Betsy, Skuse (McAllister 62), Johnson, Noble (Russell 58), Showunmi, Jevons (Smith 80).
Subs Not Used: Thomas, Myrie-Williams.... BBC
Millwall 2-0 Carlisle
Neil Harris's fine brace led Millwall to a sixth win in seven games to keep the Lions' slim play-off hopes alive.
Millwall: Pidgeley, Senda, Robinson, Shaw, Craig, Ardley (Dunne 46), Elliott, Brammer (Hackett 86), Brighton, Harris, Byfield. Subs Not Used: Day, Zebroski, Hubertz. Goals: Harris 52, 82. BBC
BBC - Peterborough 4-0 MK Dons
Ten-man Peterborough took their winning streak to three matches with victory over a dismal MK Dons at London Road.
Peterborough: Tyler, Newton (Day 90), Morgan, Futcher, Blackett, Low, Strachan (Butcher 81), Hyde, Gain, Boyd (Huke 73), Mackail-Smith.
Subs Not Used: Jalal, Crow. Sent Off: Blackett (70).
Booked: Mackail-Smith, Gain, Huke.
Goals: Gain 25, Strachan 39, Mackail-Smith 79, Butcher 85.
MK Dons: Harper, Diallo (Hayes 67), O'Hanlon, Butler, Dyer, Jamie Smith (Stirling 21), Andrews, Wilbraham, McGovern (Knight 46), Platt, McLeod.
Subs Not Used: Baines, Edds.
Booked: Platt, Diallo, Hayes. Att: 5,880 BBC
BBC -Torquay 3-0 Wycombe
Torquay breathed new life into their battle to avoid relegation with a magnificent victory against Wycombe....
Torquay: Raynor, Andrews, Chris Robertson, Gordon, Robinson, Cooke (Smith 90), Mansell, Hockley, Kerry, Williams (McPhee 90), Thorpe (Dean Oliver 84).
Subs Not Used: Horsell, Angus. Booked: Williams, Kerry, Hockley, Dean Oliver.
Goals: Kerry 20, Williams 40, Chris Robertson 76.
Wycombe: Batista, Martin, Golbourne, Stockley, Crooks, Ainsworth (Easter 46), Grant (Palmer 59), Doherty, Bloomfield, McGleish, Mooney.
Subs Not Used: Young, Christon, Matthew Barnes-Homer.
Booked: Doherty, McGleish, Martin, Batista. BBC
Ex-QPR Ian Evatt played for Blackpool against Brighton (No Bean in the 16) Nick Ward remained on the bench for Brighton...Forbes played for Yeovil with Matt Rose also coming on as sub for Grimsby...Tommy Doherty was booked as Wycombe lost 3-0 to Torquay. And 3 QPR goalies: Sean Thomas remained on the subs bench for Bristol City...Chris Day remained on the Millwall bench...and Lee Harper let in 4 as MK Dons lost 4-0 to Peterborough...
BBC - Blackpool 0-0 Brighton
Blackpool sneaked into the play-off places afer they played out a dour draw against Brighton...
Blackpool: Rachubka, Barker, Evatt, Gorkss, Coid, Forbes (Hoolahan 62), Jorgensen, Fox, Gillett, Morrell (Parker 62), Burgess (Vernon 76).
Subs Not Used: Evans, Joseph.
Brighton: Flinders, El-Abd, Lynch, Butters, Mayo, Cox, Bertin, Robinson, Hammond, Revell (O'Cearuill 82), Savage (Elder 72).
Subs Not Used: Kuipers, Ward, Hart. BBC
BBC -Cheltenham 1-2 Yeovil
Two goals from Wayne Gray fired Yeovil up to third in League One and back into the race for an automatic promotion as they Cheltenham.
Yeovil: Mildenhall, Forbes, Skiverton, Guyett (Rose 48), Martin Cranie, Davies, Kalala, Law , Cohen, Gray, Stewart.
Subs Not Used: Barry, Brittain, Sweeney, Morris.
Goals: Gray 20, 63. BBC
BBC - Bristol City 1-0 Brentford
Phil Jevons hit the winner from a fifth minute penalty to give Bristol City their fifth successive league win and push Brentford closer to League Two.
Jevons slotted the ball home from the spot after handball by Kevin O'Connor.
Bristol City: Basso, Orr, McCombe, Fontaine, Brian Wilson, Betsy, Skuse (McAllister 62), Johnson, Noble (Russell 58), Showunmi, Jevons (Smith 80).
Subs Not Used: Thomas, Myrie-Williams.... BBC
Millwall 2-0 Carlisle
Neil Harris's fine brace led Millwall to a sixth win in seven games to keep the Lions' slim play-off hopes alive.
Millwall: Pidgeley, Senda, Robinson, Shaw, Craig, Ardley (Dunne 46), Elliott, Brammer (Hackett 86), Brighton, Harris, Byfield. Subs Not Used: Day, Zebroski, Hubertz. Goals: Harris 52, 82. BBC
BBC - Peterborough 4-0 MK Dons
Ten-man Peterborough took their winning streak to three matches with victory over a dismal MK Dons at London Road.
Peterborough: Tyler, Newton (Day 90), Morgan, Futcher, Blackett, Low, Strachan (Butcher 81), Hyde, Gain, Boyd (Huke 73), Mackail-Smith.
Subs Not Used: Jalal, Crow. Sent Off: Blackett (70).
Booked: Mackail-Smith, Gain, Huke.
Goals: Gain 25, Strachan 39, Mackail-Smith 79, Butcher 85.
MK Dons: Harper, Diallo (Hayes 67), O'Hanlon, Butler, Dyer, Jamie Smith (Stirling 21), Andrews, Wilbraham, McGovern (Knight 46), Platt, McLeod.
Subs Not Used: Baines, Edds.
Booked: Platt, Diallo, Hayes. Att: 5,880 BBC
BBC -Torquay 3-0 Wycombe
Torquay breathed new life into their battle to avoid relegation with a magnificent victory against Wycombe....
Torquay: Raynor, Andrews, Chris Robertson, Gordon, Robinson, Cooke (Smith 90), Mansell, Hockley, Kerry, Williams (McPhee 90), Thorpe (Dean Oliver 84).
Subs Not Used: Horsell, Angus. Booked: Williams, Kerry, Hockley, Dean Oliver.
Goals: Kerry 20, Williams 40, Chris Robertson 76.
Wycombe: Batista, Martin, Golbourne, Stockley, Crooks, Ainsworth (Easter 46), Grant (Palmer 59), Doherty, Bloomfield, McGleish, Mooney.
Subs Not Used: Young, Christon, Matthew Barnes-Homer.
Booked: Doherty, McGleish, Martin, Batista. BBC
Report on QPR vs Sheff Wed and Shittu Profiled & on Holloway ("his £1.6 million transfer...")
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Independent - Jason Burt - QPR 1 Sheffield Wed 1: Rangers feed off Cook's scraps
Lively winger gives Gregory's side a lift as they fight to arrest fall
They came to laud past glories at Loftus Road - and hoped they could inspire them to present-day success. Or at least salvation. This was a fixture that coincided with the 40th anniversary of QPR winning the League Cup and, at half-time, the players were paraded, Rodney Marsh, Les Allen et al.
Lazarus scored the winning goal that Wembley day back in 1967 and QPR needed a comeback yesterday to earn a point. It keeps them out of the Championship relegation places, with the bottom three all winning, by the slenderest margin of goal difference.
It was also an encounter dominated by two young performers. With the managers of Reading, West Ham and Charlton Athletic in attendance, as well as scouts from a host of other Premiership clubs, the names of QPR's Lee Cook, 24, and Wednesday's Chris Brunt, 22, will be in many a notebook.
"I was there that day. My dad took me," said the QPR manager John Gregory when asked about the League Cup triumph. It shouldn't be forgotten that they were in the third tier of English football then and are desperately fighting to stay out of that division now.
There is more recent, dramatic history, of course. Crisis has become a by-word at a club often touched by farce and madness with claims of blackmail and alleged threats of violence. On-the-field events have been equally crazy. After all QPR finished fifth in the inaugural Premiership season in 1992-93 - although what is even more remarkable was that they were the highest-placed London side.
That season was also remarkable for Sheffield Wednesday who were a Premiership club which made four appearances at Wembley that year before their own calamitous fall. Manager Brian Laws has stabilised matters, and overseen a resurgence, but his comment, that his target was to finish in the top 10, also highlighted the scale of decline.
Wednesday appeared to have little chance yesterday as QPR threatened to overwhelm them. Cook, with his trickery and pace coming off the left-wing before switching flanks, caught the eye with an exhilarating display. He struck the crossbar with one alert shot from 25 yards, after taking a quick touch, that left goalkeeper Iain Turner rooted.
There was also a series of elusive runs which set up opportunities for Dexter Blackstock - who forced a fine save from Turner with a header - and Paul Furlong. Cook also won a number of free-kicks for clumsy challenges with debutante Inigo Idiakez twice forcing sharp parries.
"We should have been home and dry by half-time," Gregory said. And then Wednesday scored. It was a calamity of a goal with Frank Simek's throw-in missed by both central defenders and Michael Mancienne, on loan from Chelsea, caught leaden-footed. Brunt stole inside and stabbed the ball in for his 11th goal of the season.
Brunt then forced a superb save from on-loan goalkeeper Lee Camp before QPR surged back. Furlong combined with the substitute Marc Nygaard only for the latter to be tugged back. Martin Rowlands' right-footed penalty just beat Turner's dive. With QPR facing a difficult run-in, including a mid-week visit to Derby County, the club Gregory left amid acrimony, the task is steep. "It felt like a defeat," Gregory admitted. Thankfully, for him, it wasn't. Independent
The People/Neil Silver -ROD'S HEROES CAN'T ROUSE RANGERS
RODNEY MARSH'S League Cup-winning class of 1967 failed to inspire QPR to the win that would have given them some breathing space in the battle against relegation.
With the bottom three clubs all winning, John Gregory's team remain just one place above the dreaded drop zone on goal difference.
Members of the Rangers Brom in the League Cup final 40 years ago, paraded on the pitch at half-time.
But those heroes - including Marsh, Les Allen and Mark Lazarus - couldn't quite give today's Hoops the edge.
Rangers dominated, but fe behind after 56 minutes to a goal from impressive midfielder Chris Brunt, whose admirers in the directors box included West Ham boss Alan Curbishley and Charlton's Alan Pardew. But a 72nd-minute penalty
from Martin Rowlands gave Rangers a deserved point.
"We should have been home and dry by half-time and then Gifted them the lead," said Gregory. "But the lads are well up for the fight and we are very confident when you look at the players' attitude, effort, enthusiasm and commitment to each other."
Wednesday scored when right back. Franck Simek"s thorw-in was flicked on by Marcus Tudgay and Brunt hooked home a half-volley from six yards - his 11th goal of the season.
QPR's lifeline arrived when Paul Furlong fed sub Marc Nygaard and he was knocked to the ground by Richard Wood and Tommy Spurr Rowlands tucked the penalty into the bottom corner.
Wednesday boss Brian Laws said: "They hit us with 40 aerial balls into our box and we had to deal with that so we'll take a point.
"It's one more towards our target of finishing as close to the play-off places as possible.
"We have stopped the rot, it's nowfour games without defeat - and the belief is back."
QPR ran the first half but Owls keeper Iain Turner saved from Dexter Blackstock, Lee Cook hit the bar with a delicate 25-yard chip and Furlong fired wide.
After the goals, Lee Camp came to QPR's rescue with a brilliant save to deny Brunt.
QPR: Camp 7 - Mancienne 6, Cullip 7, Stewart 6, Bignot 6 - Rowlands 7, Bolder 7, Idiakez 7 (Ainsworth, 68mins, 6), *COOK 8 - Furlong 7, Blackstock 6 (Nygaard, 61mins, 7)
SHEFFIELD WED: Turner 7 - Simek 7, Bullen 7, Wood 6, Spurr 6 - Tudgay 7, Whelan 7, Watson 6 (Lunt, 29mins, 6), *BRUNT 8 - MacLean 6 (Graham, 82mins), Burton 6. Ref: A Woolmer 7
The People
The Independent/Jason Burt - The Watford way: Shittu and a tutu
There are two images that provoke a deep belly-laugh from Dan Shittu. For the first he is standing, all 6ft 3in and 161/2 st of him, looking more than a little uncomfortable, holding a tiny ballerina above his head, the hem of her tutu falling over his eyes. For the second he is barefoot, ready to walk over a long tray of hot coals.
Both instances have formed part of the central defender's football training in the past few seasons. Unorthodox, yes. But then again his managers have been Ian Holloway and Adrian Boothroyd, who do not believe in doing things by the book. Not the textbook, anyway. But what does Shittu believe was the point of such antics? "Keeping us on our toes," he says before joining in the laughter once he realises his involuntary joke.
Shittu, 26, goes on to explain his thoughts on the two men who have been such an inspiration in his career. "They are the same," he says. "They are good at motivating, they tell you exactly what they want and you have to do it."
Have to? "I like to look at people who inspire and motivate and they are definitely two people who do that," he adds.
They are also in opposition today. Holloway - universally known as "Olly" - is now the manager of Plymouth Argyle having given Shittu his chance to impress at Queen's Park Rangers. And the Championship club host Boothroyd's - and Shittu's - Watford in an FA Cup quarter-final this evening. It is an encounter that will provoke memories of the semi-final between the two clubs in 1984 when, again, Watford, were the favourites. The two have not met in the competition since.
"There is more pressure on us because we are expected to win," Shittu acknowledges. "If you lose to Manchester United then people are not too surprised. But we are playing Plymouth. We are at the bottom of the [Premiership] table so Plymouth will believe that they can win. Also it's not like we are putting out a reserve team. We are putting out a strong side. I would be lying if I said it would not affect us if we did lose."
Not that such thoughts have crossed his mind, despite the trials of this season. "That's the thing about Aidy," he says of Boothroyd. "He's very big on 'You can do whatever you want to do' in life." Hence the walking on coals which occurred earlier this season, Shittu's first at Watford after his £1.6 million transfer to Vicarage Road following Holloway's departure from QPR.
"Walking on the coals was amazing," Shittu recalls. "And every player did it. He [Booth-royd] did it. Even some of the directors did it. When you finished it you felt very confident, very happy with yourself."
To some, such episodes may appear nothing more than gimmicks, but given the limited resources that Boothroyd has had this season and the fact that his team lie 19th with just three victories, the crackle of positivity is impressive. "That's why, even now, when we are just off the bottom, we still believe," Shittu says. "We still believe we can win. That we can still do it [avoid relegation]. He's instilled that in us. We also believe we've been unlucky. It's not like we've been spanked 4-0 every game."
They call it the "Watford Way", and there is humour to it too. The players now run out of the dressing room to the theme tune of Mission Impossible. It is also a way that Shittu has bought into, as a player and a person. "I have never been to a club like this," he explains. "The way they work, the way you are conditioned.
"We are so far into the season but the only thing we ever think about is the next game. We still believe. That doesn't slip. It doesn't matter who we play, and that's the amazing thing about being here. They don't just work you in terms of football, they work you mentally as well. They are one big family."
And, for someone who is himself one of seven children, that appeals. Shittu was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but was brought up in Bow, east London. It was a tricky area to grow up in but his family is close, his upbringing clear and football, and college, also provided an outlet.
"The reason why I got into this game was watching Match of the Day when I was 17. I used to see players like Sol Campbell and I believed I could do it," Shittu, whose career started at Charlton Athletic before he went on loan to Blackpool and eventually joined QPR in 2002, says. "It's been a long road but I never stopped believing that I could play in the Premiership. And now I believe that this is where I should be and I am working hard every day to stay here."
That desire means that the FA Cup is far less of a priority. Even winning it would be scant consolation if Watford do go down. "Our number one priority at the start of the season was to stay in the Premiership and that's still our number one intention now," Shittu says. "To win it [the cup] and get relegated means we'd still be very upset."
But there will be laughter, too, today, no matter the result. Shittu is looking forward to seeing Holloway again. "He's a madman," he says. "Very funny. He just makes you laugh. Just a very bubbly character. He's maybe different from Aidy in that he says more, you always hear him. But, really, they are the same. And he took a chance on me. When people do things like that, I don't forget." Independent
Independent - Jason Burt - QPR 1 Sheffield Wed 1: Rangers feed off Cook's scraps
Lively winger gives Gregory's side a lift as they fight to arrest fall
They came to laud past glories at Loftus Road - and hoped they could inspire them to present-day success. Or at least salvation. This was a fixture that coincided with the 40th anniversary of QPR winning the League Cup and, at half-time, the players were paraded, Rodney Marsh, Les Allen et al.
Lazarus scored the winning goal that Wembley day back in 1967 and QPR needed a comeback yesterday to earn a point. It keeps them out of the Championship relegation places, with the bottom three all winning, by the slenderest margin of goal difference.
It was also an encounter dominated by two young performers. With the managers of Reading, West Ham and Charlton Athletic in attendance, as well as scouts from a host of other Premiership clubs, the names of QPR's Lee Cook, 24, and Wednesday's Chris Brunt, 22, will be in many a notebook.
"I was there that day. My dad took me," said the QPR manager John Gregory when asked about the League Cup triumph. It shouldn't be forgotten that they were in the third tier of English football then and are desperately fighting to stay out of that division now.
There is more recent, dramatic history, of course. Crisis has become a by-word at a club often touched by farce and madness with claims of blackmail and alleged threats of violence. On-the-field events have been equally crazy. After all QPR finished fifth in the inaugural Premiership season in 1992-93 - although what is even more remarkable was that they were the highest-placed London side.
That season was also remarkable for Sheffield Wednesday who were a Premiership club which made four appearances at Wembley that year before their own calamitous fall. Manager Brian Laws has stabilised matters, and overseen a resurgence, but his comment, that his target was to finish in the top 10, also highlighted the scale of decline.
Wednesday appeared to have little chance yesterday as QPR threatened to overwhelm them. Cook, with his trickery and pace coming off the left-wing before switching flanks, caught the eye with an exhilarating display. He struck the crossbar with one alert shot from 25 yards, after taking a quick touch, that left goalkeeper Iain Turner rooted.
There was also a series of elusive runs which set up opportunities for Dexter Blackstock - who forced a fine save from Turner with a header - and Paul Furlong. Cook also won a number of free-kicks for clumsy challenges with debutante Inigo Idiakez twice forcing sharp parries.
"We should have been home and dry by half-time," Gregory said. And then Wednesday scored. It was a calamity of a goal with Frank Simek's throw-in missed by both central defenders and Michael Mancienne, on loan from Chelsea, caught leaden-footed. Brunt stole inside and stabbed the ball in for his 11th goal of the season.
Brunt then forced a superb save from on-loan goalkeeper Lee Camp before QPR surged back. Furlong combined with the substitute Marc Nygaard only for the latter to be tugged back. Martin Rowlands' right-footed penalty just beat Turner's dive. With QPR facing a difficult run-in, including a mid-week visit to Derby County, the club Gregory left amid acrimony, the task is steep. "It felt like a defeat," Gregory admitted. Thankfully, for him, it wasn't. Independent
The People/Neil Silver -ROD'S HEROES CAN'T ROUSE RANGERS
RODNEY MARSH'S League Cup-winning class of 1967 failed to inspire QPR to the win that would have given them some breathing space in the battle against relegation.
With the bottom three clubs all winning, John Gregory's team remain just one place above the dreaded drop zone on goal difference.
Members of the Rangers Brom in the League Cup final 40 years ago, paraded on the pitch at half-time.
But those heroes - including Marsh, Les Allen and Mark Lazarus - couldn't quite give today's Hoops the edge.
Rangers dominated, but fe behind after 56 minutes to a goal from impressive midfielder Chris Brunt, whose admirers in the directors box included West Ham boss Alan Curbishley and Charlton's Alan Pardew. But a 72nd-minute penalty
from Martin Rowlands gave Rangers a deserved point.
"We should have been home and dry by half-time and then Gifted them the lead," said Gregory. "But the lads are well up for the fight and we are very confident when you look at the players' attitude, effort, enthusiasm and commitment to each other."
Wednesday scored when right back. Franck Simek"s thorw-in was flicked on by Marcus Tudgay and Brunt hooked home a half-volley from six yards - his 11th goal of the season.
QPR's lifeline arrived when Paul Furlong fed sub Marc Nygaard and he was knocked to the ground by Richard Wood and Tommy Spurr Rowlands tucked the penalty into the bottom corner.
Wednesday boss Brian Laws said: "They hit us with 40 aerial balls into our box and we had to deal with that so we'll take a point.
"It's one more towards our target of finishing as close to the play-off places as possible.
"We have stopped the rot, it's nowfour games without defeat - and the belief is back."
QPR ran the first half but Owls keeper Iain Turner saved from Dexter Blackstock, Lee Cook hit the bar with a delicate 25-yard chip and Furlong fired wide.
After the goals, Lee Camp came to QPR's rescue with a brilliant save to deny Brunt.
QPR: Camp 7 - Mancienne 6, Cullip 7, Stewart 6, Bignot 6 - Rowlands 7, Bolder 7, Idiakez 7 (Ainsworth, 68mins, 6), *COOK 8 - Furlong 7, Blackstock 6 (Nygaard, 61mins, 7)
SHEFFIELD WED: Turner 7 - Simek 7, Bullen 7, Wood 6, Spurr 6 - Tudgay 7, Whelan 7, Watson 6 (Lunt, 29mins, 6), *BRUNT 8 - MacLean 6 (Graham, 82mins), Burton 6. Ref: A Woolmer 7
The People
The Independent/Jason Burt - The Watford way: Shittu and a tutu
There are two images that provoke a deep belly-laugh from Dan Shittu. For the first he is standing, all 6ft 3in and 161/2 st of him, looking more than a little uncomfortable, holding a tiny ballerina above his head, the hem of her tutu falling over his eyes. For the second he is barefoot, ready to walk over a long tray of hot coals.
Both instances have formed part of the central defender's football training in the past few seasons. Unorthodox, yes. But then again his managers have been Ian Holloway and Adrian Boothroyd, who do not believe in doing things by the book. Not the textbook, anyway. But what does Shittu believe was the point of such antics? "Keeping us on our toes," he says before joining in the laughter once he realises his involuntary joke.
Shittu, 26, goes on to explain his thoughts on the two men who have been such an inspiration in his career. "They are the same," he says. "They are good at motivating, they tell you exactly what they want and you have to do it."
Have to? "I like to look at people who inspire and motivate and they are definitely two people who do that," he adds.
They are also in opposition today. Holloway - universally known as "Olly" - is now the manager of Plymouth Argyle having given Shittu his chance to impress at Queen's Park Rangers. And the Championship club host Boothroyd's - and Shittu's - Watford in an FA Cup quarter-final this evening. It is an encounter that will provoke memories of the semi-final between the two clubs in 1984 when, again, Watford, were the favourites. The two have not met in the competition since.
"There is more pressure on us because we are expected to win," Shittu acknowledges. "If you lose to Manchester United then people are not too surprised. But we are playing Plymouth. We are at the bottom of the [Premiership] table so Plymouth will believe that they can win. Also it's not like we are putting out a reserve team. We are putting out a strong side. I would be lying if I said it would not affect us if we did lose."
Not that such thoughts have crossed his mind, despite the trials of this season. "That's the thing about Aidy," he says of Boothroyd. "He's very big on 'You can do whatever you want to do' in life." Hence the walking on coals which occurred earlier this season, Shittu's first at Watford after his £1.6 million transfer to Vicarage Road following Holloway's departure from QPR.
"Walking on the coals was amazing," Shittu recalls. "And every player did it. He [Booth-royd] did it. Even some of the directors did it. When you finished it you felt very confident, very happy with yourself."
To some, such episodes may appear nothing more than gimmicks, but given the limited resources that Boothroyd has had this season and the fact that his team lie 19th with just three victories, the crackle of positivity is impressive. "That's why, even now, when we are just off the bottom, we still believe," Shittu says. "We still believe we can win. That we can still do it [avoid relegation]. He's instilled that in us. We also believe we've been unlucky. It's not like we've been spanked 4-0 every game."
They call it the "Watford Way", and there is humour to it too. The players now run out of the dressing room to the theme tune of Mission Impossible. It is also a way that Shittu has bought into, as a player and a person. "I have never been to a club like this," he explains. "The way they work, the way you are conditioned.
"We are so far into the season but the only thing we ever think about is the next game. We still believe. That doesn't slip. It doesn't matter who we play, and that's the amazing thing about being here. They don't just work you in terms of football, they work you mentally as well. They are one big family."
And, for someone who is himself one of seven children, that appeals. Shittu was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but was brought up in Bow, east London. It was a tricky area to grow up in but his family is close, his upbringing clear and football, and college, also provided an outlet.
"The reason why I got into this game was watching Match of the Day when I was 17. I used to see players like Sol Campbell and I believed I could do it," Shittu, whose career started at Charlton Athletic before he went on loan to Blackpool and eventually joined QPR in 2002, says. "It's been a long road but I never stopped believing that I could play in the Premiership. And now I believe that this is where I should be and I am working hard every day to stay here."
That desire means that the FA Cup is far less of a priority. Even winning it would be scant consolation if Watford do go down. "Our number one priority at the start of the season was to stay in the Premiership and that's still our number one intention now," Shittu says. "To win it [the cup] and get relegated means we'd still be very upset."
But there will be laughter, too, today, no matter the result. Shittu is looking forward to seeing Holloway again. "He's a madman," he says. "Very funny. He just makes you laugh. Just a very bubbly character. He's maybe different from Aidy in that he says more, you always hear him. But, really, they are the same. And he took a chance on me. When people do things like that, I don't forget." Independent
Ex-QPR Mike Fillery on His Time at Chelsea and QPR
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The Times - 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
The Times - 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
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Ex-QPRs: Danny Shittu on Ian Holloway and Kevin Gallen
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PA Sport
SHITTU: I OWE CAREER TO HOLLOWAY
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By Tom Collomosse, PA Sport
More Watford Stories
FOSTER RETURNS FOR HORNETS
BARNES HAILS CAUTIOUS HORNETS
HORNETS COULD BOUNCE BACK - BARNES
STEIN BACKING CARLISLE
GLORY DAYS BEYOND HORNETS - BARNES
Watford defender Dan Shittu admits he owes Plymouth manager Ian Holloway a debt of gratitude but still hopes to dump his former boss out of the FA Cup when the sides meet in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
It was Holloway who gave Shittu his break in professional football by signing the 26-year-old for QPR on an initial loan deal in October 2001.
Holloway was a big influence on Shittu's career, which reached its pinnacle when the defender signed for the Barclays Premiership outfit in a £1.5million deal last summer.
And although Shittu will be determined to knock out Holloway's Coca-Cola Championship side at Home Park, he will never forget the 43-year-old's faith in him.
Shittu said: "If it had not been for Ian Holloway, I might not be in the Premiership now.
"Ollie took a gamble on me, which is something I really appreciate, because it is nice when someone gives you a chance.
"He gave me a platform to play, so I have a lot of respect for him, and I look forward to seeing him on Sunday.
"But the gratitude can go only so far. I would still love to beat his team on Sunday."
Holloway and Hornets chief Adrian Boothroyd are known for their unorthodox approaches to the game, with Holloway as well known for his idiosyncratic post-match reflections as Boothroyd is for his unusual motivational methods.
Shittu has experienced both men's ideas at first hand, and admits there are comparisons between the two.
On his time at QPR, he said: "We turned up to training, and Ollie told us all to get into a van.
"He took us to a ballet school, and we were all wondering what was going on.
"We found ourselves carrying ballerinas, and having our photos taken; it was all very comical. I don't remember being very good at it.
"I had to carry one ballerina on my shoulder, which was really embarrassing, especially when I saw the pictures - but at least I didn't drop her.
"We have done similar things at Watford. Once, instead of training, the manager decided to take us to the cinema, although I can't remember which film we saw.
"On another occasion, the whole squad, the manager, his staff and some of the directors were made to walk over hot coals.
"Aidy is very big on making people believe they can do anything, and we felt very confident and good about ourselves after walking over the coals.
"It was a good thing to do, and it didn't really hurt."
One of the key battles at Home Park is likely to be contested between Shittu and Argyle forward Kevin Gallen, who were team-mates at QPR from November 2001 until last August.
The pair have never played against each other and Shittu is keen to make his physical presence tell early in the game.
He said: "I haven't really spoken to Kevin since I left QPR, but I am definitely looking forward to kicking him.
"The only times we played against one another in the past were during training sessions, and I believe I used to get the better of him.
"I don't know what he would have to say about that, but I don't remember him getting past me too many times."
The Hornets welcome back on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster from injury, but will be without defender Jordan Stewart, who faces a month on the sidelines with a damaged calf. Sporting Life
PA Sport
SHITTU: I OWE CAREER TO HOLLOWAY
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Post to del.icio.us
By Tom Collomosse, PA Sport
More Watford Stories
FOSTER RETURNS FOR HORNETS
BARNES HAILS CAUTIOUS HORNETS
HORNETS COULD BOUNCE BACK - BARNES
STEIN BACKING CARLISLE
GLORY DAYS BEYOND HORNETS - BARNES
Watford defender Dan Shittu admits he owes Plymouth manager Ian Holloway a debt of gratitude but still hopes to dump his former boss out of the FA Cup when the sides meet in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
It was Holloway who gave Shittu his break in professional football by signing the 26-year-old for QPR on an initial loan deal in October 2001.
Holloway was a big influence on Shittu's career, which reached its pinnacle when the defender signed for the Barclays Premiership outfit in a £1.5million deal last summer.
And although Shittu will be determined to knock out Holloway's Coca-Cola Championship side at Home Park, he will never forget the 43-year-old's faith in him.
Shittu said: "If it had not been for Ian Holloway, I might not be in the Premiership now.
"Ollie took a gamble on me, which is something I really appreciate, because it is nice when someone gives you a chance.
"He gave me a platform to play, so I have a lot of respect for him, and I look forward to seeing him on Sunday.
"But the gratitude can go only so far. I would still love to beat his team on Sunday."
Holloway and Hornets chief Adrian Boothroyd are known for their unorthodox approaches to the game, with Holloway as well known for his idiosyncratic post-match reflections as Boothroyd is for his unusual motivational methods.
Shittu has experienced both men's ideas at first hand, and admits there are comparisons between the two.
On his time at QPR, he said: "We turned up to training, and Ollie told us all to get into a van.
"He took us to a ballet school, and we were all wondering what was going on.
"We found ourselves carrying ballerinas, and having our photos taken; it was all very comical. I don't remember being very good at it.
"I had to carry one ballerina on my shoulder, which was really embarrassing, especially when I saw the pictures - but at least I didn't drop her.
"We have done similar things at Watford. Once, instead of training, the manager decided to take us to the cinema, although I can't remember which film we saw.
"On another occasion, the whole squad, the manager, his staff and some of the directors were made to walk over hot coals.
"Aidy is very big on making people believe they can do anything, and we felt very confident and good about ourselves after walking over the coals.
"It was a good thing to do, and it didn't really hurt."
One of the key battles at Home Park is likely to be contested between Shittu and Argyle forward Kevin Gallen, who were team-mates at QPR from November 2001 until last August.
The pair have never played against each other and Shittu is keen to make his physical presence tell early in the game.
He said: "I haven't really spoken to Kevin since I left QPR, but I am definitely looking forward to kicking him.
"The only times we played against one another in the past were during training sessions, and I believe I used to get the better of him.
"I don't know what he would have to say about that, but I don't remember him getting past me too many times."
The Hornets welcome back on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster from injury, but will be without defender Jordan Stewart, who faces a month on the sidelines with a damaged calf. Sporting Life
QPR Again Fail to Win: Draw 1-1 at Home to Sheffield Wednesday - Reports & Managerial Comments
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QPR came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday. With 10 games left, QPR are just above the bottome 3 with 36 points. But it doesn't look too good for QPR with just three wins since Mid-November - and just one since their January 1 win. QPR's Results. League Table
QPR Official Site - John Gregory's Comments "COSTLY ERROR
John Gregory highlighted the one mistake that cost Rangers dear after the 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, the gaffer bemoaned the R's defending in the build-up to Chris Brunt's goal.
"We made one mistake,'' he said.
"Our centre-half wasn't alive from the throw-in and then another defender is asleep when their guy flicks the ball on. Today, it cost us.''
"The spirit, enthusiasm and endeavour was there for all to see today. We've got that in abundance and I'm still confident we'll pull clear of danger.''
Gregory couldn't fault the R's overall display though, commenting: "We dominated the game from start to finish and should have won by three or four goals.
"Our failure to put the ball in the back of the net has cost us this afternoon.
"We lacked the killer instinct and we'll look back on the chances we've created and know we should be going home tonight with three points.''
With Leeds United, Hull City and Southend United all winning, the scrap for survival seems destined to go the wire - but Gregory remains confident his side can beat the dreaded drop.
"There will be plenty of twists and turns before the end of the season. We'll roll up our sleeves and get on with it.''
"The spirit, enthusiasm and endeavour was there for all to see today. We've got that in abundance and I'm still confident we'll pull clear of danger.
"The run-in looks daunting on paper, but there are never any easy games in this division, so other sides are still in it with us.
"There will be plenty of twists and turns before the end of the season. We'll roll up our sleeves and get on with it.'' QPR Official
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY MANAGERIAL COMMENT
op Ten Aim For Laws
Brian LawsOwls manager Brian Laws admitted he was satisfied with a point from the 1-1 at QPR on Saturday, despite losing a one-goal lead.
"We settled for a point in the end but we came here to try and win the game. We knew it was going to be a tough game because QPR are fighting for their lives; they need the points," Laws said.
"I think we had to deal with something like 40 aerial balls into the box today and I felt we dealt with it quite well. Maybe that was their game plan, to put the ball into the box as quickly as possible to put us under pressure. It became a bit scrappy and there was not a lot of quality from either side until the later stages."
Centre backs, Richard Wood and Lee Bullen coped well with Rangers' aerial attack but Laws hoped that another late chance from Brunt could have given his side all three points.
"It would have been nice to have seen Chris Brunt, with a little bit of skill in the area, to have scored the winner but Lee Camp pulled out a great save," he said.
"All in all we have had to scrape out a point here but we'll take that. It's another step towards the target we are trying to hit and another point to keep us away from the bottom end.
"That belief is coming back and our target now is to finish in the top ten. It would be a great achievement for the football club, it would be satisfactory because it would be the best position Sheffield Wednesday have finished in for the last seven years. It is also a good starting point for next year."
While the equaliser came from what appeared to be a soft penalty, the Wednesday boss said his players did not feel to aggrieved by the decision.
"At first I thought it was very dubious but the players have been quite honest and said it was a penalty. The referee got two things right today in my opinion; the penalty and the booking for diving, the only two things he got right today." Sheffield Wednesday
QPR Official Site -Report
Martin Rowlands notched a priceless leveller from the spot, as the R's came from behind to pick up a point against The Owls.
Rangers orchestrated proceedings in the first half, only to be denied the goal their performance deserved by a series of top-drawer saves from Wednesday custodian Iain Turner.
Dexter Blackstock and debutant Inigo Idiakez each forced the Everton loanee into action, while at the other end, Lee Camp was a mere spectator.
The second half followed a similar pattern, only for Wednesday to grab the lead with their first effort of the match on 56 minutes.
Chris Brunt timed his late run into the box to perfection and smashed an unstoppable close range finish past Camp, after the R's had failed to deal with Frank Simek's long throw-in.
Undeterred, Rowlands set up a grandstand finish when he fired home from the spot, after second half substitute Marc Nygaard was sent tumbling to ground inside the box.
Yet despite a late flurry of half-chances for the R's in four minutes of added time, the all-important winner remained elusive.
John Gregory handed Idiakez his full debut, just 24 hours after the Southampton man put pen to paper on a one month loan deal.
Paul Furlong was recalled to partner Blackstock in attack, while the fit-again Marcus Bignot replaced Sampsa Timoska at left back.
Rangers made a promising start, forcing three corners inside the opening minute and a half.
Their fast start was almost rewarded in the fourth minute, when Cook - having capitalised on Simek's clumsy stumble - sent an enticing ball to the front post.
Blackstock was first to react on the edge of the six-yard box, only to be denied by a first class point-blank save from Turner.
The R's continued to create and on eight minutes, Bignot's in-swinging cross evaded the onrushing Blackstock by a matter of inches.
Quite how the R's weren't in front remained a mystery, when a minute later, Cook smashed a stunning 35-yard effort off the face of the bar, with Turner seemingly beaten all ends up.
The one-way traffic was relentless, with Blackstock forcing Turner to save on his line, after his header from Rowlands' cross forced the keeper to scramble across his line.
Idiakez was at the heart of the R's fruitful performance and when Cook was sent tumbling to ground by Steve Watson, the former Derby man wasted no time in showcasing his set-piece repertoire to the home faithful.
After a three step run-up, the 33- year-old sent a powerful, curling effort towards the far post, forcing Turner to tip the ball round for yet another Rangers corner.
The R's were on the front foot again moments later, with Furlong dragging his left footed strike inches wide of the right hand post.
The Owls were second best in every department and it was no surprise to see Rangers finish the half in the ascendancy, with Idiakez stinging the palms of Turner from another trademark 25-yard free-kick on the stroke of half-time.
Rangers picked up where they left off at the start of the second half, with Bignot's back post cross headed to safety by Tommy Spurr, with Furlong poised to pounce.
Undeterred, it was Wednesday who snatched the lead against the run of play in the 56th minute - with their first effort of the afternoon.
Simek's long throw-in from the right flank was flicked on by Marcus Tudgay, and Brunt arrived bang on cue to blast the ball past the exposed Camp from the edge of the six-yard box.
Rangers were dealt a further blow four minutes later, when Blackstock was forced from the fray and replaced by Marc Nygaard.
Sensing the R's required some urgency, Gregory introduced Gareth Ainsworth at the expense of Idiakez midway through the half.
His presence made an immediate effect, as Nygaard brought the best out of Turner yet again, saving at point-blank range from the Dane's impromptu shot on the turn.
Nygaard's impact was extraordinary and when he played a neat one-two with Furlong a minute later, Richard Wood pulled back the giant striker in the box and referee Mr Woolmer had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Rowlands stepped up from 12-yards and although the inspired Turner guessed correctly, he was powerless to prevent the right footed strike from nestling in the back of the net.
The topsy-turvy nature of the second half continued in kind and when Bignot inexplicably allowed the ball to bounce in his own area, Tudgay fed Brunt, who turned on a sixpence.
Camp came to Rangers rescue though, diving full stretch to his right to tip the winger's eight-yard effort round the post.
Cook was the catalyst for everything positive from the R's and when he left three in his wake to get to the by-line ten minutes from time, his cross evaded three Rangers players on the edge of the six-yard box.
Four minutes of added time provided hope for the R's and it was the hosts who should've made their dominant display count in stoppage time, only for Furlong to be denied from little more than two-yards by the outstanding Turner.
QPR: Camp, Bignot, Cullip, Bolder, Rowlands, Cook, Stewart, Idiakez (Ainsworth 67), Furlong, Blackstock (Nygaard 60), Mancienne.
Subs: Royce, Kanyuka, Smith.
Goals: Rowlands (pen) 72
Bookings: Rowlands 30, Bolder 51, Cook 83
Sheffield Wednesday: Turner, Bullen, Whelan, Tudgay, MacLean (Graham 80), Burton, Brunt, Wood, Watson (Lunt 27), Simek, Spurr.
Subs: Adamson, Gilbert, Lekaj.
Goals: Brunt 56
Bookings: Watson 22, Wood 41, Simek 68, Spurr 87
Referee: Mr K A Woolmer
Attendance: 15, 188 QPR
Sheffield Wednesday Official Site
Sheffield Wednesday recorded a 1-1 draw at strugglers Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon, having weathered a first half storm from the home side.
The Owls took the lead against the run of play through Chris Brunt but QPR converted a dubious penalty to set up an end-to-end finish to the match in which either side could have grabbed a winner.
With Jermaine Johnson unavailable due to a knee injury, Brian Laws returned Marcus Tudgay to the starting eleven. on the right side of midfield, Steven MacLean retaining his place up front.
Wade Small was also unavailable and 17-year-old Norwegian, Rocky Lekaj, took his place on the first team bench for the first time.
With their Championship status at stake, the home side came out of the blocks with purpose, determined to take the game to Wednesday. Big, bustling forwards, Paul Furlong and Dexter Blackstock looked to get at the Owls back line from the off but centre backs Richard Wood and Lee Bullen stood up well to the physical challenge.
The first clear-cut chance of the game came when Frank Simek slipped attempting to clear his lines. Lee Cook supplied a fine cross from the left, Dexter Blackstock found space in front of the Wednesday central defenders and fired in a powerful shot from which Iain Turner made an outstanding fingertip save to push the ball over his crossbar.
The R's continued to pour forwards but the closest the hosts came in the first half was from long range on nine minutes. Cook received the ball in space and struck a wicked left foot shot from 35 yards which dipped and bounced off the top of the bar with Turner stranded.
It was pretty much one-way traffic early on. Rowlands cut back and delivered a curling left-foot cross from the right wing on 12 minutes which Blackstock powered at goal with his head. But Turner again did well to hold the effort just in front of his goal line.
Wednesday were up for the battle even if they could not stop the flow of Rangers' attacks. There were fleeting glimpses of good link play up front but Lee Camp in the home goal was largely untroubled during the first period.
On 24 minutes Turner pushed Inigo Idiakez' curling free kick from 30 yards just wide of his far post. The chance came as a result of Watson's late tackle on the tricky Cook and the West Brom loanee was booked for his trouble. Watson took a heavy knock in the challenge and was soon replaced by Kenny Lunt.
As half time drew closer Mancienne intercepted Brunt's pass for Spurr and raced up the right flank, feeding Furlong just inside the penalty area. The striker turned well but struck his low shot just wide of the far post.
The Owls were rarely close to the QPR goal and Tommy Spurr's impressive run, resulting in a block inside the penalty area during the last minute of the half, was as close as it got before the break.
Laws would have asked for more form his team at half time but again they found QPR determined to push on, roared on by a passionate home crowd.
The Owls limited Rangers chances a bit more effectively early in the second period but it came against the run of play when the visitors took the lead on 56 minutes.
Tudgay flicked on a ball from the right at the near post and Brunt was on hand to stab it home at the back stick for his tenth goal of the season.
Until this point, Ranger performance had not reflected their 21st position in the Championship going into the game. But Wednesday seemed to have greater confidence and authority after the interval, MacLean and Deon Burton held the ball up more effectively and combining good movement.
But R's manager John Gregory threw on Marc Nygaard and Gareth Ainsworth in a bid to drive his team on and salvage a result.
The Owls did not look too troubled but when Nygaard went to ground under the challenge of Wood and Spurr the referee gave a penalty. It looked a harsh decision on Wednesday but Martin Rowlands calmly slotted it home beyond Turner on 72 minutes.
This set the match up for another exciting finale after the 3-2 win at Leeds a week earlier. Cook had to clear off the line when Burton went close to converting a corner before Camp made a great save from Brunt on 77 minutes. Receiving the ball from Burton, the winger turned superbly and fired a low right-foot shot towards the corner only for Camp to push it wide.
A goal could have come at either end though and Wednesday were let off after the home side failed to make Cook's mazy run into the box count. Turner also had to grab hold of Stewart's shot from a corner in stoppage time to hold out and preserve the 1-1 score line. Sheffield Wednesday
BBC REPORT QPR 1-1 Sheff Wed
QPR salvaged a draw thanks to Martin Rowlands' penalty after they had fallen behind to a Chris Brunt tap-in.
Rangers started well but Iain Turner tipped over Dexter Fletcher's shot, Lee Cooke hit the bar and debutant Inigo Idiakez saw his 20-yard curler parried.
And after the break, Brunt opened the scoring from six yards after collecting Steve MacLean's headed flick-on.
But Rowlands earned Rangers a vital point, levelling from the spot after Richard Wood had fouled Marc Nygaard.
# QPR manager John Gregory:
"This feels like a defeat, because we dominated the match for such a long time. Given the amount of opportunities we created, I felt we should have been home and dry by half-time.
"We made one error, which happened to be their first shot on goal, and we were punished because Brunt scored.
"We are not good enough to be more elaborate, so a more direct approach is the way we have to go. We are still optimistic about our chances of staying up."
# Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws, :
"Chris Brunt will attract attention. If you look at his goals this season, they would not look out of place in the Premiership.
"I believe he will get to the Premiership. He is young, talented and he is a shining light at Sheffield Wednesday.
"But he is not going anywhere. He is under contract, and we need players like him at the club." BBC
MAIL
Rowlands steps up to rescue Rangers
Last updated at 18:26pm on 10th March 2007
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QPR 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1
Martin Rowlands' 72nd-minute penalty rescued a potentially vital point for struggling QPR in their battle to stay in the Coca-Cola Championship.
Rangers, who missed several first-half chances, looked to be heading for an eighth home defeat of the campaign when Chris Brunt put Sheffield Wednesday in front 11 minutes after the interval.
But Rowlands kept his calm to earn his side a draw from the spot after substitute Marc Nygaard had been fouled by Richard Wood.
Rangers handed a debut to Spanish playmaker Inigo Idiakez, while Wednesday made just one change, forward Marcus Tudgay returning from suspension to replace the injured Jermaine Johnson.
Rangers began the day above the relegation zone on goal difference alone, but they started this match brightly.
In the fourth minute, former Rangers loanee Frank Simek's slip on the Wednesday right let in Lee Cook, whose cross was steered goalwards by Dexter Blackstock but tipped over superbly by Iain Turner.
Rangers came even closer five minutes later when Cook - in front of the watching Charlton boss Alan Pardew and West Ham chief Alan Curbishley - collected the ball 35 yards from goal and struck a shot that beat Turner but bounced back off the crossbar.
Rangers were causing their visitors plenty of problems down the flanks, but their next clear opportunity came in the 24th minute when Idiakez's free-kick from 30 yards was pushed around the post by Turner.
Moments later, Paul Furlong shot inches wide of the left post from 10 yards after finding space inside the penalty area.
Shortly before the break, Turner kept out another free-kick from Idiakez and Wednesday scrambled the loose ball clear.
Rangers could not rediscover their verve early in the second half, and they suffered a huge blow in the 56th minute when Wednesday took the lead with their first genuine chance of the match.
Simek's long throw from the right was flicked on by Tudgay, and Brunt took advantage of appalling marking to fire past Lee Camp from six yards.
Brunt could have scored a second seven minutes later when he was again left unmarked, but he blasted over from 10 yards to give Rangers hope.
But their luck was out once again when Nygaard saw a close-range effort cleared off the line by Tommy Spurr.
A minute later, however, Nygaard was pulled back inside the area by Wood, and Rowlands squeezed the penalty past Turner's right hand for a 72nd-minute equaliser.
Rangers, backed by a noisy home crowd, tried to build a head of steam, but they were indebted to Camp 13 minutes from time for his fine reflex save to deny Brunt from 10 yards, while at the other end Rangers could not believe their luck after Cook tricked his way into the Owls' box but could not pick out a team-mate.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Furlong almost scrambled in the winner from three yards. Mail
This is London - Rowlands to the rescue on QPR'S big day
QPR 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1
Rangers manager John Gregory was furious his side failed to win on such an important day.
It was not so much the 40th anniversary of the League Cup final victory over West Bromwich that demanded a win. The danger at the foot of the Championship should have been motivation enough.
But Martin Rowlands' gutsy penalty 18 minutes from time could salvage only a point after the impressive Chris Brunt had given Wednesday a second-half lead.
Now Gregory must take Rangers to high-flying Derby, the club he left under a cloud not so long ago. He said: "I've not been back since. I'll just get my head down and get on with the job."
His players appeared to do just that in the first half, and Lee Cook jolted Iain Turner's crossbar. Even Wednesday manager Brian Laws admitted: "We had to deal with about 40 crosses, but we knew it would be tough because they are fighting for their lives."
Brunt scored against the run of play after 56 minutes, having been left unmarked when Marcus Tudgay helped on Frank Simek's throw-in. Gregory said: "We should have been home and dry by then but we gifted them the lead."
Marc Nygaard was then hauled down in the Wednesday area and Rowlands held his nerve to rescue the day and fuel the nostalgia. Gregory said: "I was at that final in 1967. My dad took me."
The Rangers manager now hopes to create some happy memories from the remainder of the season. This is London
QPR came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday. With 10 games left, QPR are just above the bottome 3 with 36 points. But it doesn't look too good for QPR with just three wins since Mid-November - and just one since their January 1 win. QPR's Results. League Table
QPR Official Site - John Gregory's Comments "COSTLY ERROR
John Gregory highlighted the one mistake that cost Rangers dear after the 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, the gaffer bemoaned the R's defending in the build-up to Chris Brunt's goal.
"We made one mistake,'' he said.
"Our centre-half wasn't alive from the throw-in and then another defender is asleep when their guy flicks the ball on. Today, it cost us.''
"The spirit, enthusiasm and endeavour was there for all to see today. We've got that in abundance and I'm still confident we'll pull clear of danger.''
Gregory couldn't fault the R's overall display though, commenting: "We dominated the game from start to finish and should have won by three or four goals.
"Our failure to put the ball in the back of the net has cost us this afternoon.
"We lacked the killer instinct and we'll look back on the chances we've created and know we should be going home tonight with three points.''
With Leeds United, Hull City and Southend United all winning, the scrap for survival seems destined to go the wire - but Gregory remains confident his side can beat the dreaded drop.
"There will be plenty of twists and turns before the end of the season. We'll roll up our sleeves and get on with it.''
"The spirit, enthusiasm and endeavour was there for all to see today. We've got that in abundance and I'm still confident we'll pull clear of danger.
"The run-in looks daunting on paper, but there are never any easy games in this division, so other sides are still in it with us.
"There will be plenty of twists and turns before the end of the season. We'll roll up our sleeves and get on with it.'' QPR Official
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY MANAGERIAL COMMENT
op Ten Aim For Laws
Brian LawsOwls manager Brian Laws admitted he was satisfied with a point from the 1-1 at QPR on Saturday, despite losing a one-goal lead.
"We settled for a point in the end but we came here to try and win the game. We knew it was going to be a tough game because QPR are fighting for their lives; they need the points," Laws said.
"I think we had to deal with something like 40 aerial balls into the box today and I felt we dealt with it quite well. Maybe that was their game plan, to put the ball into the box as quickly as possible to put us under pressure. It became a bit scrappy and there was not a lot of quality from either side until the later stages."
Centre backs, Richard Wood and Lee Bullen coped well with Rangers' aerial attack but Laws hoped that another late chance from Brunt could have given his side all three points.
"It would have been nice to have seen Chris Brunt, with a little bit of skill in the area, to have scored the winner but Lee Camp pulled out a great save," he said.
"All in all we have had to scrape out a point here but we'll take that. It's another step towards the target we are trying to hit and another point to keep us away from the bottom end.
"That belief is coming back and our target now is to finish in the top ten. It would be a great achievement for the football club, it would be satisfactory because it would be the best position Sheffield Wednesday have finished in for the last seven years. It is also a good starting point for next year."
While the equaliser came from what appeared to be a soft penalty, the Wednesday boss said his players did not feel to aggrieved by the decision.
"At first I thought it was very dubious but the players have been quite honest and said it was a penalty. The referee got two things right today in my opinion; the penalty and the booking for diving, the only two things he got right today." Sheffield Wednesday
QPR Official Site -Report
Martin Rowlands notched a priceless leveller from the spot, as the R's came from behind to pick up a point against The Owls.
Rangers orchestrated proceedings in the first half, only to be denied the goal their performance deserved by a series of top-drawer saves from Wednesday custodian Iain Turner.
Dexter Blackstock and debutant Inigo Idiakez each forced the Everton loanee into action, while at the other end, Lee Camp was a mere spectator.
The second half followed a similar pattern, only for Wednesday to grab the lead with their first effort of the match on 56 minutes.
Chris Brunt timed his late run into the box to perfection and smashed an unstoppable close range finish past Camp, after the R's had failed to deal with Frank Simek's long throw-in.
Undeterred, Rowlands set up a grandstand finish when he fired home from the spot, after second half substitute Marc Nygaard was sent tumbling to ground inside the box.
Yet despite a late flurry of half-chances for the R's in four minutes of added time, the all-important winner remained elusive.
John Gregory handed Idiakez his full debut, just 24 hours after the Southampton man put pen to paper on a one month loan deal.
Paul Furlong was recalled to partner Blackstock in attack, while the fit-again Marcus Bignot replaced Sampsa Timoska at left back.
Rangers made a promising start, forcing three corners inside the opening minute and a half.
Their fast start was almost rewarded in the fourth minute, when Cook - having capitalised on Simek's clumsy stumble - sent an enticing ball to the front post.
Blackstock was first to react on the edge of the six-yard box, only to be denied by a first class point-blank save from Turner.
The R's continued to create and on eight minutes, Bignot's in-swinging cross evaded the onrushing Blackstock by a matter of inches.
Quite how the R's weren't in front remained a mystery, when a minute later, Cook smashed a stunning 35-yard effort off the face of the bar, with Turner seemingly beaten all ends up.
The one-way traffic was relentless, with Blackstock forcing Turner to save on his line, after his header from Rowlands' cross forced the keeper to scramble across his line.
Idiakez was at the heart of the R's fruitful performance and when Cook was sent tumbling to ground by Steve Watson, the former Derby man wasted no time in showcasing his set-piece repertoire to the home faithful.
After a three step run-up, the 33- year-old sent a powerful, curling effort towards the far post, forcing Turner to tip the ball round for yet another Rangers corner.
The R's were on the front foot again moments later, with Furlong dragging his left footed strike inches wide of the right hand post.
The Owls were second best in every department and it was no surprise to see Rangers finish the half in the ascendancy, with Idiakez stinging the palms of Turner from another trademark 25-yard free-kick on the stroke of half-time.
Rangers picked up where they left off at the start of the second half, with Bignot's back post cross headed to safety by Tommy Spurr, with Furlong poised to pounce.
Undeterred, it was Wednesday who snatched the lead against the run of play in the 56th minute - with their first effort of the afternoon.
Simek's long throw-in from the right flank was flicked on by Marcus Tudgay, and Brunt arrived bang on cue to blast the ball past the exposed Camp from the edge of the six-yard box.
Rangers were dealt a further blow four minutes later, when Blackstock was forced from the fray and replaced by Marc Nygaard.
Sensing the R's required some urgency, Gregory introduced Gareth Ainsworth at the expense of Idiakez midway through the half.
His presence made an immediate effect, as Nygaard brought the best out of Turner yet again, saving at point-blank range from the Dane's impromptu shot on the turn.
Nygaard's impact was extraordinary and when he played a neat one-two with Furlong a minute later, Richard Wood pulled back the giant striker in the box and referee Mr Woolmer had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Rowlands stepped up from 12-yards and although the inspired Turner guessed correctly, he was powerless to prevent the right footed strike from nestling in the back of the net.
The topsy-turvy nature of the second half continued in kind and when Bignot inexplicably allowed the ball to bounce in his own area, Tudgay fed Brunt, who turned on a sixpence.
Camp came to Rangers rescue though, diving full stretch to his right to tip the winger's eight-yard effort round the post.
Cook was the catalyst for everything positive from the R's and when he left three in his wake to get to the by-line ten minutes from time, his cross evaded three Rangers players on the edge of the six-yard box.
Four minutes of added time provided hope for the R's and it was the hosts who should've made their dominant display count in stoppage time, only for Furlong to be denied from little more than two-yards by the outstanding Turner.
QPR: Camp, Bignot, Cullip, Bolder, Rowlands, Cook, Stewart, Idiakez (Ainsworth 67), Furlong, Blackstock (Nygaard 60), Mancienne.
Subs: Royce, Kanyuka, Smith.
Goals: Rowlands (pen) 72
Bookings: Rowlands 30, Bolder 51, Cook 83
Sheffield Wednesday: Turner, Bullen, Whelan, Tudgay, MacLean (Graham 80), Burton, Brunt, Wood, Watson (Lunt 27), Simek, Spurr.
Subs: Adamson, Gilbert, Lekaj.
Goals: Brunt 56
Bookings: Watson 22, Wood 41, Simek 68, Spurr 87
Referee: Mr K A Woolmer
Attendance: 15, 188 QPR
Sheffield Wednesday Official Site
Sheffield Wednesday recorded a 1-1 draw at strugglers Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon, having weathered a first half storm from the home side.
The Owls took the lead against the run of play through Chris Brunt but QPR converted a dubious penalty to set up an end-to-end finish to the match in which either side could have grabbed a winner.
With Jermaine Johnson unavailable due to a knee injury, Brian Laws returned Marcus Tudgay to the starting eleven. on the right side of midfield, Steven MacLean retaining his place up front.
Wade Small was also unavailable and 17-year-old Norwegian, Rocky Lekaj, took his place on the first team bench for the first time.
With their Championship status at stake, the home side came out of the blocks with purpose, determined to take the game to Wednesday. Big, bustling forwards, Paul Furlong and Dexter Blackstock looked to get at the Owls back line from the off but centre backs Richard Wood and Lee Bullen stood up well to the physical challenge.
The first clear-cut chance of the game came when Frank Simek slipped attempting to clear his lines. Lee Cook supplied a fine cross from the left, Dexter Blackstock found space in front of the Wednesday central defenders and fired in a powerful shot from which Iain Turner made an outstanding fingertip save to push the ball over his crossbar.
The R's continued to pour forwards but the closest the hosts came in the first half was from long range on nine minutes. Cook received the ball in space and struck a wicked left foot shot from 35 yards which dipped and bounced off the top of the bar with Turner stranded.
It was pretty much one-way traffic early on. Rowlands cut back and delivered a curling left-foot cross from the right wing on 12 minutes which Blackstock powered at goal with his head. But Turner again did well to hold the effort just in front of his goal line.
Wednesday were up for the battle even if they could not stop the flow of Rangers' attacks. There were fleeting glimpses of good link play up front but Lee Camp in the home goal was largely untroubled during the first period.
On 24 minutes Turner pushed Inigo Idiakez' curling free kick from 30 yards just wide of his far post. The chance came as a result of Watson's late tackle on the tricky Cook and the West Brom loanee was booked for his trouble. Watson took a heavy knock in the challenge and was soon replaced by Kenny Lunt.
As half time drew closer Mancienne intercepted Brunt's pass for Spurr and raced up the right flank, feeding Furlong just inside the penalty area. The striker turned well but struck his low shot just wide of the far post.
The Owls were rarely close to the QPR goal and Tommy Spurr's impressive run, resulting in a block inside the penalty area during the last minute of the half, was as close as it got before the break.
Laws would have asked for more form his team at half time but again they found QPR determined to push on, roared on by a passionate home crowd.
The Owls limited Rangers chances a bit more effectively early in the second period but it came against the run of play when the visitors took the lead on 56 minutes.
Tudgay flicked on a ball from the right at the near post and Brunt was on hand to stab it home at the back stick for his tenth goal of the season.
Until this point, Ranger performance had not reflected their 21st position in the Championship going into the game. But Wednesday seemed to have greater confidence and authority after the interval, MacLean and Deon Burton held the ball up more effectively and combining good movement.
But R's manager John Gregory threw on Marc Nygaard and Gareth Ainsworth in a bid to drive his team on and salvage a result.
The Owls did not look too troubled but when Nygaard went to ground under the challenge of Wood and Spurr the referee gave a penalty. It looked a harsh decision on Wednesday but Martin Rowlands calmly slotted it home beyond Turner on 72 minutes.
This set the match up for another exciting finale after the 3-2 win at Leeds a week earlier. Cook had to clear off the line when Burton went close to converting a corner before Camp made a great save from Brunt on 77 minutes. Receiving the ball from Burton, the winger turned superbly and fired a low right-foot shot towards the corner only for Camp to push it wide.
A goal could have come at either end though and Wednesday were let off after the home side failed to make Cook's mazy run into the box count. Turner also had to grab hold of Stewart's shot from a corner in stoppage time to hold out and preserve the 1-1 score line. Sheffield Wednesday
BBC REPORT QPR 1-1 Sheff Wed
QPR salvaged a draw thanks to Martin Rowlands' penalty after they had fallen behind to a Chris Brunt tap-in.
Rangers started well but Iain Turner tipped over Dexter Fletcher's shot, Lee Cooke hit the bar and debutant Inigo Idiakez saw his 20-yard curler parried.
And after the break, Brunt opened the scoring from six yards after collecting Steve MacLean's headed flick-on.
But Rowlands earned Rangers a vital point, levelling from the spot after Richard Wood had fouled Marc Nygaard.
# QPR manager John Gregory:
"This feels like a defeat, because we dominated the match for such a long time. Given the amount of opportunities we created, I felt we should have been home and dry by half-time.
"We made one error, which happened to be their first shot on goal, and we were punished because Brunt scored.
"We are not good enough to be more elaborate, so a more direct approach is the way we have to go. We are still optimistic about our chances of staying up."
# Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws, :
"Chris Brunt will attract attention. If you look at his goals this season, they would not look out of place in the Premiership.
"I believe he will get to the Premiership. He is young, talented and he is a shining light at Sheffield Wednesday.
"But he is not going anywhere. He is under contract, and we need players like him at the club." BBC
Rowlands steps up to rescue Rangers
Last updated at 18:26pm on 10th March 2007
Comments
Sport headlinesTerry's threat to quit
Season's over for crocked Thierry
Home is where the heart is for Holloway
Mestalla cauldron boils for Chelsea while Liverpool meet Arsenal conquerors and United take in Rome
England suffer crushing defeat at hands of old enemy
Ashton's world of worry
Home is where the heart is for Holloway
The worst XIs of all time? Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs, West Ham and Liverpool
Gidley's hat-trick denies bold Briers
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QPR 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1
Martin Rowlands' 72nd-minute penalty rescued a potentially vital point for struggling QPR in their battle to stay in the Coca-Cola Championship.
Rangers, who missed several first-half chances, looked to be heading for an eighth home defeat of the campaign when Chris Brunt put Sheffield Wednesday in front 11 minutes after the interval.
But Rowlands kept his calm to earn his side a draw from the spot after substitute Marc Nygaard had been fouled by Richard Wood.
Rangers handed a debut to Spanish playmaker Inigo Idiakez, while Wednesday made just one change, forward Marcus Tudgay returning from suspension to replace the injured Jermaine Johnson.
Rangers began the day above the relegation zone on goal difference alone, but they started this match brightly.
In the fourth minute, former Rangers loanee Frank Simek's slip on the Wednesday right let in Lee Cook, whose cross was steered goalwards by Dexter Blackstock but tipped over superbly by Iain Turner.
Rangers came even closer five minutes later when Cook - in front of the watching Charlton boss Alan Pardew and West Ham chief Alan Curbishley - collected the ball 35 yards from goal and struck a shot that beat Turner but bounced back off the crossbar.
Rangers were causing their visitors plenty of problems down the flanks, but their next clear opportunity came in the 24th minute when Idiakez's free-kick from 30 yards was pushed around the post by Turner.
Moments later, Paul Furlong shot inches wide of the left post from 10 yards after finding space inside the penalty area.
Shortly before the break, Turner kept out another free-kick from Idiakez and Wednesday scrambled the loose ball clear.
Rangers could not rediscover their verve early in the second half, and they suffered a huge blow in the 56th minute when Wednesday took the lead with their first genuine chance of the match.
Simek's long throw from the right was flicked on by Tudgay, and Brunt took advantage of appalling marking to fire past Lee Camp from six yards.
Brunt could have scored a second seven minutes later when he was again left unmarked, but he blasted over from 10 yards to give Rangers hope.
But their luck was out once again when Nygaard saw a close-range effort cleared off the line by Tommy Spurr.
A minute later, however, Nygaard was pulled back inside the area by Wood, and Rowlands squeezed the penalty past Turner's right hand for a 72nd-minute equaliser.
Rangers, backed by a noisy home crowd, tried to build a head of steam, but they were indebted to Camp 13 minutes from time for his fine reflex save to deny Brunt from 10 yards, while at the other end Rangers could not believe their luck after Cook tricked his way into the Owls' box but could not pick out a team-mate.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Furlong almost scrambled in the winner from three yards. Mail
This is London - Rowlands to the rescue on QPR'S big day
QPR 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1
Rangers manager John Gregory was furious his side failed to win on such an important day.
It was not so much the 40th anniversary of the League Cup final victory over West Bromwich that demanded a win. The danger at the foot of the Championship should have been motivation enough.
But Martin Rowlands' gutsy penalty 18 minutes from time could salvage only a point after the impressive Chris Brunt had given Wednesday a second-half lead.
Now Gregory must take Rangers to high-flying Derby, the club he left under a cloud not so long ago. He said: "I've not been back since. I'll just get my head down and get on with the job."
His players appeared to do just that in the first half, and Lee Cook jolted Iain Turner's crossbar. Even Wednesday manager Brian Laws admitted: "We had to deal with about 40 crosses, but we knew it would be tough because they are fighting for their lives."
Brunt scored against the run of play after 56 minutes, having been left unmarked when Marcus Tudgay helped on Frank Simek's throw-in. Gregory said: "We should have been home and dry by then but we gifted them the lead."
Marc Nygaard was then hauled down in the Wednesday area and Rowlands held his nerve to rescue the day and fuel the nostalgia. Gregory said: "I was at that final in 1967. My dad took me."
The Rangers manager now hopes to create some happy memories from the remainder of the season. This is London
Congratulations to Ex-QPR Tony Roberts
-
See he made his 300th appearance for Dagenham.
Dagenham - 300 up for Roberts
Congratulations to Tony Roberts as the Daggers goalkeeper will make his 300th appearance this afternoon at Southport.
The Welsh goalkeeper signed for the Daggers back in July 2000 and is playing in his 7th season with the Daggers. Well done to Tony reaching this milestone for Dagenham & Redbridge. Dagenham
Tony Roberts Testimonial Disco - Saturday 17th March 2007
On the above date, the Tony Roberts Testimonial Disco will be held in the clubhouse. It all starts straight after the Forest Green Rovers game until late.
Tickets are £20 for adults and £10 for concessions.
Price includes a buffet.
Tickets can be purchase in the clubhouse. Dagenham
re Roberts desire to play League football again - see QPR Report/Roberts
See Roberts Career Profile - Wikipedia
BBC- July 4,2003 ROBERTS QPR TESIMONIAL
QPR honours Holyhead hero
Tony Roberts has two Welsh caps
A former Welsh international footballer will be running onto the pitch to play for QPR for one last time in his testimonial match this summer.
A host of former Queens Park Rangers players will turn out to honour Tony Roberts from Holyhead in a match against Charlton Athletic in August.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper joined the then First Division club at the age of 16 and played for them for 13 years.
Now playing for Dagenham and Redbridge, the former pupil of Ysgol Thomas Elis and Holyhead County School, will be appearing at Loftus Road with famous ex-Rangers players.
A penalty was kicked and I jumped up to save it and thought 'Hey, this is good!'
Tony Roberts
Les Ferdinand and Trevor Sinclair will be among those taking part in an "old boys" match beforehand.
"I am looking forward to the match, it will be great for the kids of today to have a chance to see so many great players.
"I joined QPR when I was 16 in 1986 and left in 1999. I came for six weeks and stayed for 13 years!
Juniors
"I had to retire from the team due to a finger injury and at the time I thought it was the end of the world.
"I was brought up playing football - ever since I was in Thomas Ellis school in Holyhead.
"I was put in goal because all the other places were taken. Then a penalty was kicked and I jumped up to save it and thought 'Hey, this is good!'"
"I then played for Bodedern and Holyhead juniors and was still with Holyhead when I got into the Wales under 18s.
"At the time I was the only one playing for a town team - all the others were in big clubs.
"I represented Wales at four levels - under 18, under 21, Wales B and the full team."
Honour
Roberts' membership of the first Welsh squad coincided with the long reign of Neville Southall, and was on the bench 30 times and won two caps.
"It was a great honour to be on the same squad as Neville Southall, Ian Rush and Ryan Giggs," he said.
Tony Roberts: "A bit of a hero around Holyhead"
He now plays for Dagenham and Redbridge but also coaches players from QPR, now in Division Two.
Loftus Road will be filled with supporters, friends and family from Holyhead with two buses already organised by Tony's sister, Donna Williams.
"We have completely filled one and we're already on the second one but we might need another," she said.
"He's definitely a bit of a hero around Holyhead.
Roberts now lives in Middlesex with his wife Joanne and sons Sam, 7, and Aaron, 5.
But he recently came home to present signed QPR and Wales shirts to the Hall of Fame exhibition which has been set up in Holyhead County School.
He also donated a £1,000 of sporting equipment to the school after winning an FA prize. BBC
See he made his 300th appearance for Dagenham.
Dagenham - 300 up for Roberts
Congratulations to Tony Roberts as the Daggers goalkeeper will make his 300th appearance this afternoon at Southport.
The Welsh goalkeeper signed for the Daggers back in July 2000 and is playing in his 7th season with the Daggers. Well done to Tony reaching this milestone for Dagenham & Redbridge. Dagenham
Tony Roberts Testimonial Disco - Saturday 17th March 2007
On the above date, the Tony Roberts Testimonial Disco will be held in the clubhouse. It all starts straight after the Forest Green Rovers game until late.
Tickets are £20 for adults and £10 for concessions.
Price includes a buffet.
Tickets can be purchase in the clubhouse. Dagenham
re Roberts desire to play League football again - see QPR Report/Roberts
See Roberts Career Profile - Wikipedia
BBC- July 4,2003 ROBERTS QPR TESIMONIAL
QPR honours Holyhead hero
Tony Roberts has two Welsh caps
A former Welsh international footballer will be running onto the pitch to play for QPR for one last time in his testimonial match this summer.
A host of former Queens Park Rangers players will turn out to honour Tony Roberts from Holyhead in a match against Charlton Athletic in August.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper joined the then First Division club at the age of 16 and played for them for 13 years.
Now playing for Dagenham and Redbridge, the former pupil of Ysgol Thomas Elis and Holyhead County School, will be appearing at Loftus Road with famous ex-Rangers players.
A penalty was kicked and I jumped up to save it and thought 'Hey, this is good!'
Tony Roberts
Les Ferdinand and Trevor Sinclair will be among those taking part in an "old boys" match beforehand.
"I am looking forward to the match, it will be great for the kids of today to have a chance to see so many great players.
"I joined QPR when I was 16 in 1986 and left in 1999. I came for six weeks and stayed for 13 years!
Juniors
"I had to retire from the team due to a finger injury and at the time I thought it was the end of the world.
"I was brought up playing football - ever since I was in Thomas Ellis school in Holyhead.
"I was put in goal because all the other places were taken. Then a penalty was kicked and I jumped up to save it and thought 'Hey, this is good!'"
"I then played for Bodedern and Holyhead juniors and was still with Holyhead when I got into the Wales under 18s.
"At the time I was the only one playing for a town team - all the others were in big clubs.
"I represented Wales at four levels - under 18, under 21, Wales B and the full team."
Honour
Roberts' membership of the first Welsh squad coincided with the long reign of Neville Southall, and was on the bench 30 times and won two caps.
"It was a great honour to be on the same squad as Neville Southall, Ian Rush and Ryan Giggs," he said.
Tony Roberts: "A bit of a hero around Holyhead"
He now plays for Dagenham and Redbridge but also coaches players from QPR, now in Division Two.
Loftus Road will be filled with supporters, friends and family from Holyhead with two buses already organised by Tony's sister, Donna Williams.
"We have completely filled one and we're already on the second one but we might need another," she said.
"He's definitely a bit of a hero around Holyhead.
Roberts now lives in Middlesex with his wife Joanne and sons Sam, 7, and Aaron, 5.
But he recently came home to present signed QPR and Wales shirts to the Hall of Fame exhibition which has been set up in Holyhead County School.
He also donated a £1,000 of sporting equipment to the school after winning an FA prize. BBC
Sheffield Wednesday vs QPR - Some Perspective
-
QPR take on Sheffield Wednesday today boosted with the loan signing of the Southampton's Spanish midfielder, Inigo Idiakez
See Pre-Match Assessments:
Ron Norris/Simon Skinner - QPR Net QPR Net
Tracy Stent/QPR Rivals - QPR Rivals
QPR played Sheffield Wednesday almost exactly a year ago (March 11, 2006), drawing 1-1 at Hillsbrough. QPR's team that day: Jones, Bignot, Shittu, Rose, Milanaese, Ainsworth, Bircham, Lomas, Cook (Langley 69), Gallen, Furlong (Baidoo 86).
Subs: Royce, Evatt, Bailey.
Sheffield Wednesday: Carson, Bullen, Folly, Coughlan, Whelan, O'Brien, Brunt (Best 83), Burton, Bischoff (Simek 83), Gilbert, Tudgay (MacLean 76).
Subs: Adamson, Hills. Goals: Burton 12 Bookings: Bischoff 23 Match Report
In October, John Gregory's QPR lost at Sheffield Wednesday 3-2
QPR: P Jones, Lomas, Stewart, Rehman, Bignot (Gallen 85), Rowlands (Ward 66), Bircham (Mancienne 44), Smith, Cook, Blackstock, R Jones.
Subs: Royce, Rose. Scorers: Blackstock 49, Blackstock 53
Match Reports
Before that game, Sheffield Wednesday were below QPR.
Sunderland 13 16
Stoke 13 15
QPR 13 13
Sheff Wed 13 13
Barnsley 13 12
Southend 13 10
Leeds 13 10
Hull 13 9
QPR's Promotion-winning game: May 8, 2004 - Amazingly just under three years ago:
QPR: Camp, Padula, Carlisle, Rose, Edghill, Ainsworth, Bircham, Richard Johnson, Rowlands, Furlong, Gallen. Subs: Day, Palmer, Thorpe, Gnohere, Cureton.
Sheff Wed: Pressman, Geary, Barry-Murphy, Dean Smith, Wood, McLaren, McMahon, Cooke, Brunt, Robins, Shaw. Subs: Tidman, Olsen, Chambers, Mustoe, Carr.
BBC
See QPR Report Earlier Sheffield Wednesday - Historical
See Also: QPR Report - Return of Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wedneday Official Site - Owls v QPR
Owls v Queens Park Rangers Preview - 10/03/07 at Loftus Road - kick Off: 3pm
Team News
SWFC: Jermaine Johnson unavailable with a knee injury sustained against Plymouth. Wade Small is also a doubt with a slight recurrence of his recent knee problem, with 17-year-old Academy winger, Rocky Lekaj added to the travelling squad. Graham Coughlan remains on compassionate leave in Ireland.
Brian Laws must decide whether to recall Marcus Tudgay after his suspension or continue with Steven MacLean, who scored on Tuesday.
John Hills (calf) and Burton O'Brien (groin) are both out. Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday - Simek Ready For Battle
Frank Simek is ready for a scrap and battle as Wednesday head down to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Simek expects nothing less than a blood and thunder approach from the relegation-haunted Londoners and has spelt out that the Owls must fight fire with fire and return the determination with interest.
The American believes Wednesday have the quality in their squad to take them past the 50-point mark if they can win there majority of 50/50s.
I guarantee they will be up for it and in our faces so we have to match them step for step.
Frank Simek
"We've been doing well lately so hopefully we can continue our form," Frank exclusively told WednesdayWorld.
"It is going to be another tough one, they are down there fighting for their lives as we were last year and they will do anything they can to win the game. We have to be up for the fight.
"We have been doing well although Plymouth was a bit of a dull game with not much in it. I guarantee Saturday won't be like that, they will be up for it and in our faces so we have to match them step for step. If we do that, we have players who can change the game." Sheffield Wednesday
QPR take on Sheffield Wednesday today boosted with the loan signing of the Southampton's Spanish midfielder, Inigo Idiakez
See Pre-Match Assessments:
Ron Norris/Simon Skinner - QPR Net QPR Net
Tracy Stent/QPR Rivals - QPR Rivals
QPR played Sheffield Wednesday almost exactly a year ago (March 11, 2006), drawing 1-1 at Hillsbrough. QPR's team that day: Jones, Bignot, Shittu, Rose, Milanaese, Ainsworth, Bircham, Lomas, Cook (Langley 69), Gallen, Furlong (Baidoo 86).
Subs: Royce, Evatt, Bailey.
Sheffield Wednesday: Carson, Bullen, Folly, Coughlan, Whelan, O'Brien, Brunt (Best 83), Burton, Bischoff (Simek 83), Gilbert, Tudgay (MacLean 76).
Subs: Adamson, Hills. Goals: Burton 12 Bookings: Bischoff 23 Match Report
In October, John Gregory's QPR lost at Sheffield Wednesday 3-2
QPR: P Jones, Lomas, Stewart, Rehman, Bignot (Gallen 85), Rowlands (Ward 66), Bircham (Mancienne 44), Smith, Cook, Blackstock, R Jones.
Subs: Royce, Rose. Scorers: Blackstock 49, Blackstock 53
Match Reports
Before that game, Sheffield Wednesday were below QPR.
Sunderland 13 16
Stoke 13 15
QPR 13 13
Sheff Wed 13 13
Barnsley 13 12
Southend 13 10
Leeds 13 10
Hull 13 9
QPR's Promotion-winning game: May 8, 2004 - Amazingly just under three years ago:
QPR: Camp, Padula, Carlisle, Rose, Edghill, Ainsworth, Bircham, Richard Johnson, Rowlands, Furlong, Gallen. Subs: Day, Palmer, Thorpe, Gnohere, Cureton.
Sheff Wed: Pressman, Geary, Barry-Murphy, Dean Smith, Wood, McLaren, McMahon, Cooke, Brunt, Robins, Shaw. Subs: Tidman, Olsen, Chambers, Mustoe, Carr.
BBC
See QPR Report Earlier Sheffield Wednesday - Historical
See Also: QPR Report - Return of Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wedneday Official Site - Owls v QPR
Owls v Queens Park Rangers Preview - 10/03/07 at Loftus Road - kick Off: 3pm
Team News
SWFC: Jermaine Johnson unavailable with a knee injury sustained against Plymouth. Wade Small is also a doubt with a slight recurrence of his recent knee problem, with 17-year-old Academy winger, Rocky Lekaj added to the travelling squad. Graham Coughlan remains on compassionate leave in Ireland.
Brian Laws must decide whether to recall Marcus Tudgay after his suspension or continue with Steven MacLean, who scored on Tuesday.
John Hills (calf) and Burton O'Brien (groin) are both out. Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday - Simek Ready For Battle
Frank Simek is ready for a scrap and battle as Wednesday head down to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Simek expects nothing less than a blood and thunder approach from the relegation-haunted Londoners and has spelt out that the Owls must fight fire with fire and return the determination with interest.
The American believes Wednesday have the quality in their squad to take them past the 50-point mark if they can win there majority of 50/50s.
I guarantee they will be up for it and in our faces so we have to match them step for step.
Frank Simek
"We've been doing well lately so hopefully we can continue our form," Frank exclusively told WednesdayWorld.
"It is going to be another tough one, they are down there fighting for their lives as we were last year and they will do anything they can to win the game. We have to be up for the fight.
"We have been doing well although Plymouth was a bit of a dull game with not much in it. I guarantee Saturday won't be like that, they will be up for it and in our faces so we have to match them step for step. If we do that, we have players who can change the game." Sheffield Wednesday
Friday, March 09, 2007
Ex-QPR Winger Mike Ferguson Turns 64!
-
Birthday Today - Mike Ferguson: QPR's Ex- Accrington Stanley/Blackburn/Aston Villa ..Turns 64: Born March 9, 1943-
Background:
QPR's Les Allen signed him in 1969 from Aston Villa for something like 15,000 pounds to replace Rodney Marsh who was suspended for a month (the days of draconian suspensions for 3 bookings). Skillful foward/winger...Ferguson was with QPR for 4 seasons, even captaining the club for a while in the 1971/72 season, when Venables was injured. Famous for being the last Accrington Stanley player playing in the League. (Ironically Accrington Stanley look like they will be returning to the League.) After we won promotion, joined Cambridge for a small fee.
Accrington Observer - 4th December 2002
Fergie remembers
LAST scorer: Mike Ferguson in action at Peel Park during the fateful 1961-62 season.
MIKE Ferguson scored Accrington Stanley’s last-ever Football League goal … and has spent more than half a lifetime listening to other people claim the distinction.
And Fergie, now 58, holds another record of sorts.
He was the first player to be transferred from the Football League to another club, joining neighbours Blackburn Rovers for around £2,500, a fraction of the fee he would have earned stricken Stanley had he gone before their demise.
Ironically, such a windfall might have gone some way towards saving the club. But cynics suggested that predatory rivals who had guessed at Stanley’s fate were hovering like vultures to swoop down on whatever meat remained on the carcass.
Ferguson’s goal, his first and only Stanley goal, earned the Reds their final point at Doncaster four days before their final game. It was one of only four points the ailing side picked up in their final 17 games after the last win, a 1-0 success at home to Crewe in mid-October 1961.
Mike, who now lives in Worsthorne, said: "I didn’t even realise it was the last goal until someone contacted me and told me a few years ago. I have met all kinds of people who said they scored it, people I know didn’t even play for the club!
"Football was so different then. I used to go to the ground from Burnley on the bus, with spectators getting on all the way down Burnley Road. If it was good enough for Tom Finney it was good enough for me. Diets? Unheard of in those days. I remember once pulling up at a transport café at 4am on the way to Gillingham and Harry Hubbick, the trainer, said: "Nobody have peas with your pies!"
Mike had a fine career as a winger-cum-midfield schemer with Blackburn, Aston Villa and QPR, living the London high-life with the likes of Rodney Marsh and Terry Venables at one stage. He also managed with great success abroad and as recently as 1996 was scouting foreign teams for his old pal Venables, then England manager.
Accrington Stanley
Spotlight on: The Career of Mike Ferguson
17/2/2002 - Rochdale Rivals
A keen desire to make the grade as a professional footballer saw the Burnley born inside forward travel in excess of 200 miles south after accepting an offer to join Plymouth Argyle. The first team proved just beyond him during his time at Home Park throughout which he remained an amateur. So the offer of professional terms combined with a move closer to home with Accrington Stanley was gleefully accepted.
Despite their lowly status Ferguson spent almost two seasons with Stanley. Blackburn Rovers scouts regularly attended games across Lancashire and on one of these visits saw Ferguson and marked him down as a transfer target. Financial problems primarily led to the demise of the club. Their subsequent loss of Football League status only hastened his arrival at Ewood Park in return for a £1500 fee. Although bought as a striker he was converted to a right sided midfielder usually operating on the wing. It was a move which benefited both parties as Blackburn had created an extra option going forward with a player who knew the strikers art and could anticipate the needs of the forwards as well as weighing in with his fair share of goals.
For his part Ferguson revelled in his creative role due to the responsibility and extra satisfaction he gained from the switch. However, that was tempered by a powerful will to win which unfortunately exposed a short fuse when the battle for points got heated enough. Although he missed just a handful of games during his six seasons with Rovers a fair share of these absences came through suspensions.
Although a crowd favourite like many other players he had a price which could buy his services and by offering £50,000 at the close of the 1967-68 season Aston Villa found it. Like Blackburn Villa were a major force during the fledging years of the Football League but neither enjoyed a comfortable level of standing. Rovers were relegated from the top flight in 1966 and weren't looking good bets for a quick return. The Midlanders were in the same division but usually finished well up the table while never pushing for promotion. They were eventually relegated to the Third Division but believed that the skills displayed by Ferguson could help them break back into the big time. However, by this time they suffered the drop Fergsuon had left the club. He spent just over a year with The Villains playing a more peripheral role than he had been used to with previous clubs before joining Queens Park Rangers in a cut price deal.
In complete contrast the London club got a keen deal and managed to give their signing a new lease of life. Their direct style being more suited to his style of play. Cambridge United provided a stop off before he arrived at Rochdale in time for the 1974-75 campaign. In two seasons at Spotland he became an established first choice in the centre of the park only breaking away to set up a pioneering transfer to Icelandic side IAK Arkanes. The move as player/coach only lasted a short time but a result of this move he became one of the first English players to sample life in Europe's northern most outposts. It was this experience and exposure to different techniques which set him in good stead when he took on other coaching posts. However, before concentrating on that side of the game he played a couple of matches for Halifax Town in the spring of 1977.
His backroom career literally had him journey from continent to continent although it started at lowly Enfield. Rochdale were the only Football League club he served as manager. He took the reigns at Spotland a few weeks into the 1977-78 season after a bad start to the campaign saw Brian Green's tenure ended. Form barely picked up throughout the campaign as Dale finished bottom of the league seven points shy of the second from bottom Southport and seventeen points clear of not having to battle out yet another re-election vote. In the event the Merseyside club rather than Dale were shown the door by their fellow league clubs. Just eight games were won all season and just one before Ferguson's arrival. No victories came on the club's travels except in the League Cup when a narrow win was recorded over Halifax Town. In the league two points were picked up away from Spotland from draws with York City and Doncaster Rovers.
He was given another chance to turn things around and retained his job. There was clearly a lot of pressure to produce but things got little better the following season with just one win and six draws picked up by the end of November. However, earlier in the month the manager had left Dale allowing him to embark on another oddessy around the world coaching teams as far a field as Cyprus and The Far East. Upon leaving the game during the 1980s despite all the places and climates he had experienced he chose to return to Burnley where he still lives. Rivals
Also -Accrington Stanley History
FERGUSON, Michael Kevin
Forward 5 ft 10 in, 11 st 2 lb
Born: Burnley 9 Mar 1943
Debut v Gillingham (h) 12 Sep 1960
Appearances: 50 Goals: 2
Career: Burnley schools; Plymouth Arg. amateur 16 Mar 1959; STANLEY 4 July 1960; Blackburn R. 15 Mar 1962 (fee £1,500); Aston Villa May 1968 (fee £50,000); QPR Nov 1969 (fee £15,000]; Cambridge U. July 1973; Rochdale July 1974 (free transfer); IA Akranes (Iceland) 1975-76; Halifax T. Dec 1976, retired 1977; Rochdale manager Sep 1977 to Nov 1978; coached around the world in 80´s especially Middle East; coached in Sweden; Apoel Nicosia manager; Enfield manager 1989; Tottenham H. scout 1989; Evagoras Paphos (Cyprus) manager Sep 1991; also England scout 1994-96.
Ferguson had had experience with Plymouth Arg. as an amateur but wanted home to Lancashire and wrote to Stanley, who promptly signed him without seing him play. He had represented the FA Youth team, played in the FA Youth Cup for Argyle and played for Devon Youth. When he made his League debut with Stanley he was 17 years 187 days, which made him the third youngest first-team player in club history. Obviously the most talented player in a poor side, he disappointingly managed just two goals. The impotent Stanley attack could have done with better shooting from the youngster. He turned down a move to Workington who had offered £3,000 in January 1962, moving to Blackburn R. when Stanley left the League. There he played his best football, becoming something of a cult figure. Being converted to right-winger he scored a goal at Villa Park that is still being talked about as goal of the Century, dribbling his way through from the half-way line. In 1968 he was sold to Aston Villa, where he played only 38 games. His careeer totals are 485 games, 44 goals, for seven different clubs. He led Akranes to the Icelandic championship but had little success as manager of Rochdale, being sacked after a particularly embarrassing FA Cup defeat at Droylsden. Prior to the 1996 European Championships he helped old team-mate Terry Venables with scouting for the England team. Mike Ferguson now lives in Worsthorne, Burnley. Accrington
Birthday Today - Mike Ferguson: QPR's Ex- Accrington Stanley/Blackburn/Aston Villa ..Turns 64: Born March 9, 1943-
Background:
QPR's Les Allen signed him in 1969 from Aston Villa for something like 15,000 pounds to replace Rodney Marsh who was suspended for a month (the days of draconian suspensions for 3 bookings). Skillful foward/winger...Ferguson was with QPR for 4 seasons, even captaining the club for a while in the 1971/72 season, when Venables was injured. Famous for being the last Accrington Stanley player playing in the League. (Ironically Accrington Stanley look like they will be returning to the League.) After we won promotion, joined Cambridge for a small fee.
Accrington Observer - 4th December 2002
Fergie remembers
LAST scorer: Mike Ferguson in action at Peel Park during the fateful 1961-62 season.
MIKE Ferguson scored Accrington Stanley’s last-ever Football League goal … and has spent more than half a lifetime listening to other people claim the distinction.
And Fergie, now 58, holds another record of sorts.
He was the first player to be transferred from the Football League to another club, joining neighbours Blackburn Rovers for around £2,500, a fraction of the fee he would have earned stricken Stanley had he gone before their demise.
Ironically, such a windfall might have gone some way towards saving the club. But cynics suggested that predatory rivals who had guessed at Stanley’s fate were hovering like vultures to swoop down on whatever meat remained on the carcass.
Ferguson’s goal, his first and only Stanley goal, earned the Reds their final point at Doncaster four days before their final game. It was one of only four points the ailing side picked up in their final 17 games after the last win, a 1-0 success at home to Crewe in mid-October 1961.
Mike, who now lives in Worsthorne, said: "I didn’t even realise it was the last goal until someone contacted me and told me a few years ago. I have met all kinds of people who said they scored it, people I know didn’t even play for the club!
"Football was so different then. I used to go to the ground from Burnley on the bus, with spectators getting on all the way down Burnley Road. If it was good enough for Tom Finney it was good enough for me. Diets? Unheard of in those days. I remember once pulling up at a transport café at 4am on the way to Gillingham and Harry Hubbick, the trainer, said: "Nobody have peas with your pies!"
Mike had a fine career as a winger-cum-midfield schemer with Blackburn, Aston Villa and QPR, living the London high-life with the likes of Rodney Marsh and Terry Venables at one stage. He also managed with great success abroad and as recently as 1996 was scouting foreign teams for his old pal Venables, then England manager.
Accrington Stanley
Spotlight on: The Career of Mike Ferguson
17/2/2002 - Rochdale Rivals
A keen desire to make the grade as a professional footballer saw the Burnley born inside forward travel in excess of 200 miles south after accepting an offer to join Plymouth Argyle. The first team proved just beyond him during his time at Home Park throughout which he remained an amateur. So the offer of professional terms combined with a move closer to home with Accrington Stanley was gleefully accepted.
Despite their lowly status Ferguson spent almost two seasons with Stanley. Blackburn Rovers scouts regularly attended games across Lancashire and on one of these visits saw Ferguson and marked him down as a transfer target. Financial problems primarily led to the demise of the club. Their subsequent loss of Football League status only hastened his arrival at Ewood Park in return for a £1500 fee. Although bought as a striker he was converted to a right sided midfielder usually operating on the wing. It was a move which benefited both parties as Blackburn had created an extra option going forward with a player who knew the strikers art and could anticipate the needs of the forwards as well as weighing in with his fair share of goals.
For his part Ferguson revelled in his creative role due to the responsibility and extra satisfaction he gained from the switch. However, that was tempered by a powerful will to win which unfortunately exposed a short fuse when the battle for points got heated enough. Although he missed just a handful of games during his six seasons with Rovers a fair share of these absences came through suspensions.
Although a crowd favourite like many other players he had a price which could buy his services and by offering £50,000 at the close of the 1967-68 season Aston Villa found it. Like Blackburn Villa were a major force during the fledging years of the Football League but neither enjoyed a comfortable level of standing. Rovers were relegated from the top flight in 1966 and weren't looking good bets for a quick return. The Midlanders were in the same division but usually finished well up the table while never pushing for promotion. They were eventually relegated to the Third Division but believed that the skills displayed by Ferguson could help them break back into the big time. However, by this time they suffered the drop Fergsuon had left the club. He spent just over a year with The Villains playing a more peripheral role than he had been used to with previous clubs before joining Queens Park Rangers in a cut price deal.
In complete contrast the London club got a keen deal and managed to give their signing a new lease of life. Their direct style being more suited to his style of play. Cambridge United provided a stop off before he arrived at Rochdale in time for the 1974-75 campaign. In two seasons at Spotland he became an established first choice in the centre of the park only breaking away to set up a pioneering transfer to Icelandic side IAK Arkanes. The move as player/coach only lasted a short time but a result of this move he became one of the first English players to sample life in Europe's northern most outposts. It was this experience and exposure to different techniques which set him in good stead when he took on other coaching posts. However, before concentrating on that side of the game he played a couple of matches for Halifax Town in the spring of 1977.
His backroom career literally had him journey from continent to continent although it started at lowly Enfield. Rochdale were the only Football League club he served as manager. He took the reigns at Spotland a few weeks into the 1977-78 season after a bad start to the campaign saw Brian Green's tenure ended. Form barely picked up throughout the campaign as Dale finished bottom of the league seven points shy of the second from bottom Southport and seventeen points clear of not having to battle out yet another re-election vote. In the event the Merseyside club rather than Dale were shown the door by their fellow league clubs. Just eight games were won all season and just one before Ferguson's arrival. No victories came on the club's travels except in the League Cup when a narrow win was recorded over Halifax Town. In the league two points were picked up away from Spotland from draws with York City and Doncaster Rovers.
He was given another chance to turn things around and retained his job. There was clearly a lot of pressure to produce but things got little better the following season with just one win and six draws picked up by the end of November. However, earlier in the month the manager had left Dale allowing him to embark on another oddessy around the world coaching teams as far a field as Cyprus and The Far East. Upon leaving the game during the 1980s despite all the places and climates he had experienced he chose to return to Burnley where he still lives. Rivals
Also -Accrington Stanley History
FERGUSON, Michael Kevin
Forward 5 ft 10 in, 11 st 2 lb
Born: Burnley 9 Mar 1943
Debut v Gillingham (h) 12 Sep 1960
Appearances: 50 Goals: 2
Career: Burnley schools; Plymouth Arg. amateur 16 Mar 1959; STANLEY 4 July 1960; Blackburn R. 15 Mar 1962 (fee £1,500); Aston Villa May 1968 (fee £50,000); QPR Nov 1969 (fee £15,000]; Cambridge U. July 1973; Rochdale July 1974 (free transfer); IA Akranes (Iceland) 1975-76; Halifax T. Dec 1976, retired 1977; Rochdale manager Sep 1977 to Nov 1978; coached around the world in 80´s especially Middle East; coached in Sweden; Apoel Nicosia manager; Enfield manager 1989; Tottenham H. scout 1989; Evagoras Paphos (Cyprus) manager Sep 1991; also England scout 1994-96.
Ferguson had had experience with Plymouth Arg. as an amateur but wanted home to Lancashire and wrote to Stanley, who promptly signed him without seing him play. He had represented the FA Youth team, played in the FA Youth Cup for Argyle and played for Devon Youth. When he made his League debut with Stanley he was 17 years 187 days, which made him the third youngest first-team player in club history. Obviously the most talented player in a poor side, he disappointingly managed just two goals. The impotent Stanley attack could have done with better shooting from the youngster. He turned down a move to Workington who had offered £3,000 in January 1962, moving to Blackburn R. when Stanley left the League. There he played his best football, becoming something of a cult figure. Being converted to right-winger he scored a goal at Villa Park that is still being talked about as goal of the Century, dribbling his way through from the half-way line. In 1968 he was sold to Aston Villa, where he played only 38 games. His careeer totals are 485 games, 44 goals, for seven different clubs. He led Akranes to the Icelandic championship but had little success as manager of Rochdale, being sacked after a particularly embarrassing FA Cup defeat at Droylsden. Prior to the 1996 European Championships he helped old team-mate Terry Venables with scouting for the England team. Mike Ferguson now lives in Worsthorne, Burnley. Accrington
QPR Sign Southampton's Spanish Midfielder, Inigo Idiakez on Loan
-
QPR Official Site
SPANIARD SIGNS
QPR are delighted to announce the signing of Southampton play-maker Inigo Idiakez on a one month loan deal.
The 33 year-old Spanish midfielder has today (Friday) penned a one month loan deal with the R's.
A player with exceptional technical ability, Idiakez - who was born in San Sebastian - is available to make his QPR debut in the Championship clash with Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow.
The Spaniard - who will be available up to and including the trip to the Ricoh Arena on Saturday 7th April - will wear the number 28 shirt.
Gaffer John Gregory revealed his delight at the midfielder's arrival: "He's somebody that I have kept a very close eye on, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would become available,'' he told www.qpr.co.uk.
"He can be an outright match-winner on his own.
"He will certainly become a crowd favourite and if he helps us to stay up this season, could quite easily become a legend in a very short space of time."
The Saints snapped up Idiakez on transfer deadline day, August 2006.
George Burley swooped for Derby's ace midfielder for the second time in his managerial career, having originally signed him for the Rams two years earlier.
"He's somebody that I have kept a very close eye on, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would become available.'' JG on Idiakez
The cultured engine-room midfielder made a huge impact in his first campaign on English soil, quickly earning himself a huge reputation for his set-piece specials.
In his first full season at Pride Park, he helped the Rams finish fourth in the Championship and scooped the Player of the Year award.
In just over two years at Derby, he found the net 22 times in 94 appearances.
An experienced midfielder, Idiakez began his career in Spain with Real Sociedad and went on to notch close to 300 appearances in La Liga, during spells with Real Oviedo and Rayo Vallecano.
"He will certainly become a crowd favourite and if he helps us to stay up this season, could quite easily become a legend in a very short space of time." JG on Idiakez
*A full interview with the R's new signing will be available exclusively on QPR World early next week. QPR
SOUTHAMPTON OFFICIAL SITE
Inigo Idiakez has joined QPR on a month's loan.
The Spanish playmaker was a key part of the Saints side until he picked up a thigh injury at home to Hull in November.
That ruled him out for a month and although he got back briefly, he suffered a recurrence of the problem at Christmas and was sidelined for a further month.
Since then he has been unable to get back in the team given the form of the players in front of him.
With fewer Reserve fixtures in the Pontins Holidays Combination League, the summer signing from Derby needs to play more games to maintain match sharpness.
And with Danny Guthrie coming in on loan from Liverpool, Saints have taken the chance to give Idiakez a run of competitive games after he shone against QPR Reserves at Staplewood last week.
Manager George Burley said: "Inigo is a quality player who has been unlucky with a couple of niggling injuries which have taken time to heal.
"While he has been out, other players have come in and seized their chance which shows the benefit of having strong competition for places.
"Inigo needs to be playing competitive games to maintain his sharpness and when QPR asked to borrow him, it was an ideal chance for him to play.
"And as QPR play Derby, West Brom and Preston during that month, Inigo can still play an influential role in our promotion push!"
Southampton
What was said when he signed for Southampton in the Summer
Burley hails bargain buy
Friday Sep 01 2006 12:25
Southampton boss George Burley believes the £250,000 deal to sign Inigo Idiakez from Derby County will prove to be the bargain of the summer transfer window.
Burley brought the Spanish midfielder to England during his time in charge at Derby and has been impressed by how well the free-kick specialist has coped with the transition.
Twenty goals in 88 league outings for the Rams made the 32-year-old one of the most sought after players in the Championship and the Saints had to show real persistence to get their man.
Burley told Southampton's official website: "When we initially spoke to Derby they were understandably reluctant to let him go but in the end we got him for what I think is a very reasonable price.
"When I first took him to Derby he adjusted to the English game immediately. There were no problems there - but then Inigo is a top class midfield player.
"Over the past two years he has been one of the best players in the Championship. His goal record is impressive and he is the type of player that will get your team passing.
"He may be 32 now but that is not a problem because he's in very good shape. He is fit as a fiddle - that is one of his attributes." Football
QPR Official Site
SPANIARD SIGNS
QPR are delighted to announce the signing of Southampton play-maker Inigo Idiakez on a one month loan deal.
The 33 year-old Spanish midfielder has today (Friday) penned a one month loan deal with the R's.
A player with exceptional technical ability, Idiakez - who was born in San Sebastian - is available to make his QPR debut in the Championship clash with Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow.
The Spaniard - who will be available up to and including the trip to the Ricoh Arena on Saturday 7th April - will wear the number 28 shirt.
Gaffer John Gregory revealed his delight at the midfielder's arrival: "He's somebody that I have kept a very close eye on, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would become available,'' he told www.qpr.co.uk.
"He can be an outright match-winner on his own.
"He will certainly become a crowd favourite and if he helps us to stay up this season, could quite easily become a legend in a very short space of time."
The Saints snapped up Idiakez on transfer deadline day, August 2006.
George Burley swooped for Derby's ace midfielder for the second time in his managerial career, having originally signed him for the Rams two years earlier.
"He's somebody that I have kept a very close eye on, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would become available.'' JG on Idiakez
The cultured engine-room midfielder made a huge impact in his first campaign on English soil, quickly earning himself a huge reputation for his set-piece specials.
In his first full season at Pride Park, he helped the Rams finish fourth in the Championship and scooped the Player of the Year award.
In just over two years at Derby, he found the net 22 times in 94 appearances.
An experienced midfielder, Idiakez began his career in Spain with Real Sociedad and went on to notch close to 300 appearances in La Liga, during spells with Real Oviedo and Rayo Vallecano.
"He will certainly become a crowd favourite and if he helps us to stay up this season, could quite easily become a legend in a very short space of time." JG on Idiakez
*A full interview with the R's new signing will be available exclusively on QPR World early next week. QPR
SOUTHAMPTON OFFICIAL SITE
Inigo Idiakez has joined QPR on a month's loan.
The Spanish playmaker was a key part of the Saints side until he picked up a thigh injury at home to Hull in November.
That ruled him out for a month and although he got back briefly, he suffered a recurrence of the problem at Christmas and was sidelined for a further month.
Since then he has been unable to get back in the team given the form of the players in front of him.
With fewer Reserve fixtures in the Pontins Holidays Combination League, the summer signing from Derby needs to play more games to maintain match sharpness.
And with Danny Guthrie coming in on loan from Liverpool, Saints have taken the chance to give Idiakez a run of competitive games after he shone against QPR Reserves at Staplewood last week.
Manager George Burley said: "Inigo is a quality player who has been unlucky with a couple of niggling injuries which have taken time to heal.
"While he has been out, other players have come in and seized their chance which shows the benefit of having strong competition for places.
"Inigo needs to be playing competitive games to maintain his sharpness and when QPR asked to borrow him, it was an ideal chance for him to play.
"And as QPR play Derby, West Brom and Preston during that month, Inigo can still play an influential role in our promotion push!"
Southampton
What was said when he signed for Southampton in the Summer
Burley hails bargain buy
Friday Sep 01 2006 12:25
Southampton boss George Burley believes the £250,000 deal to sign Inigo Idiakez from Derby County will prove to be the bargain of the summer transfer window.
Burley brought the Spanish midfielder to England during his time in charge at Derby and has been impressed by how well the free-kick specialist has coped with the transition.
Twenty goals in 88 league outings for the Rams made the 32-year-old one of the most sought after players in the Championship and the Saints had to show real persistence to get their man.
Burley told Southampton's official website: "When we initially spoke to Derby they were understandably reluctant to let him go but in the end we got him for what I think is a very reasonable price.
"When I first took him to Derby he adjusted to the English game immediately. There were no problems there - but then Inigo is a top class midfield player.
"Over the past two years he has been one of the best players in the Championship. His goal record is impressive and he is the type of player that will get your team passing.
"He may be 32 now but that is not a problem because he's in very good shape. He is fit as a fiddle - that is one of his attributes." Football
QPR News Snippets: Pay Cut if Relegation...Nicholls for QPR?...Ex QPR's Wes Daly Starring for AFC Wimbledon
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Mirror- QPR PLAYERS TO TAKE WAGES DROP IF RELEGATED
QPR players will lose 25 per cent of their wages - £1,500-a-week for some - if they are relegated, due to a clause in their contracts. Mirror
Leeds Today -
"...Meanwhile, the confusion surrounding Kevin Nicholls deepened today after Luton manager Mike Newell accused Leeds of offering to loan the midfielder to QPR.
The Kenilworth Road boss has claimed United were willing to lend their former captain to John Gregory's side – despite refusing an identical offer for Nicholls from Luton last week. Nicholls was stripped of the captaincy at Elland Road eight days ago after confirming to Dennis Wise that he wished to return to Kenilworth Road on loan, seven months after leaving Luton for Leeds in a £700,000 deal.
Wise rejected Newell's request to loan Nicholls until the end of the season, saying: "Is he seriously crazy, or what?"
But Newell added intrigue to tomorrow's crucial meeting between the clubs at Elland Road by claiming United were ready to release the midfielder to another of their relegation rivals. Leeds issued a statement denying his allegation this morning.
Asked whether he appreciated Wise's reluctance to aid Luton's cause, Newell said: "My understanding is that they've offered to loan him to QPR, and as far as I know they're down in the same area as us.
"It's never finished. The lad wants to come back to Luton which is great news.
"I was only made aware of the situation a week or two ago. As soon as I was made aware of it I made the phone call directly to Dennis Wise, as I would always do.
"But if someone says 'no, you can't have him' we just have to bide our time."
A United spokesman stressed today: "The club have had no contact with QPR regarding Kevin Nicholls."
Nicholls is unlikely to be involved against his former club tomorrow after being dropped for last weekend's game with Sheffield Wednesday, but he will still be considered for selection by United's management team, according to assistant boss Gus Poyet.
The Uruguayan insisted the "door was open" for Nicholls to resolve the situation with Wise, but claimed he could not shed further light on the midfielder's reasons for asking to leave Elland Road.
Poyet said: "It's up to Nicko to talk. He made a decision so it's up to him to clarify. He's not banned from speaking.
"He didn't say anything about any problems with us, or the way we train.
"It's up to him. Everyone here can come and talk to the manager, his door is open all the time. If he changes his mind, or if he made a mistake, he can say.
"He's available. He's still at the club and he's under contract.
"It's about picking the right team to play Luton. He wanted to go to Luton and now we might need him to play against Luton. "There's not too much chance, but he's available." Last Updated: 09 March 2007 Leeds Today
[Wes] Daly - Daly pulling the strings for Dons
Wes Daly is happy to be centre of attention as AFC Wimbledon's promotion tilt gathers pace.
Since manager Dave Anderson switched to a 4-3-3 system just after the turn of the year, Daly has been a revelation at the heart of the Dons midfield, which has coincided with a 10-game unbeaten run.
aly has been employed in every position across the midfield this campaign but admits it is in the middle of the park that he feels most comfortable.
He said: "My preferred position is centre midfield but I will play wherever I am told.
"I feel I have been playing better of late because I have been given that central role.
"But, if the boss asks me to play somewhere different, then I will.
"I love having that responsibility; a lot goes through me in midfield but I feel I am up to it.
"I have been playing in that role since I was young and that is how I have learnt to play football - to try to dictate things as much as I can."
The former QPR midfielder has become a fixture in the midfield three, together with Luke Garrard, but the diminutive Daly insists he does not mind who he plays with, and has heralded Anderson's decision to revert to 4-3-3.
"I enjoy playing with all our midfield players. Luke and I are the ones who seem to be playing at the moment but that can change," Daly said.
"Everyone works for each other and we do what we have to do.
"I think playing three instead of four in the middle of the park works well.
"Since we have switched to this formation, we have been playing better.
"It gives us more attacking options and creates space for us to get on the ball."
Anderson has been delighted with Daly's contribution.
"He is an important player for us, no matter what position he plays in," he said.
"He has been back on his game in recent weeks after a dip in form earlier in the season. He is a very intelligent player and that, together with his passing and work rate, makes him very important."
* AFC Wimbledon's appeal against the 18-point deduction for fielding Jermaine Darlington without international clearance will be heard by the FA on Monday, March 26.... Daily
Mirror- QPR PLAYERS TO TAKE WAGES DROP IF RELEGATED
QPR players will lose 25 per cent of their wages - £1,500-a-week for some - if they are relegated, due to a clause in their contracts. Mirror
Leeds Today -
"...Meanwhile, the confusion surrounding Kevin Nicholls deepened today after Luton manager Mike Newell accused Leeds of offering to loan the midfielder to QPR.
The Kenilworth Road boss has claimed United were willing to lend their former captain to John Gregory's side – despite refusing an identical offer for Nicholls from Luton last week. Nicholls was stripped of the captaincy at Elland Road eight days ago after confirming to Dennis Wise that he wished to return to Kenilworth Road on loan, seven months after leaving Luton for Leeds in a £700,000 deal.
Wise rejected Newell's request to loan Nicholls until the end of the season, saying: "Is he seriously crazy, or what?"
But Newell added intrigue to tomorrow's crucial meeting between the clubs at Elland Road by claiming United were ready to release the midfielder to another of their relegation rivals. Leeds issued a statement denying his allegation this morning.
Asked whether he appreciated Wise's reluctance to aid Luton's cause, Newell said: "My understanding is that they've offered to loan him to QPR, and as far as I know they're down in the same area as us.
"It's never finished. The lad wants to come back to Luton which is great news.
"I was only made aware of the situation a week or two ago. As soon as I was made aware of it I made the phone call directly to Dennis Wise, as I would always do.
"But if someone says 'no, you can't have him' we just have to bide our time."
A United spokesman stressed today: "The club have had no contact with QPR regarding Kevin Nicholls."
Nicholls is unlikely to be involved against his former club tomorrow after being dropped for last weekend's game with Sheffield Wednesday, but he will still be considered for selection by United's management team, according to assistant boss Gus Poyet.
The Uruguayan insisted the "door was open" for Nicholls to resolve the situation with Wise, but claimed he could not shed further light on the midfielder's reasons for asking to leave Elland Road.
Poyet said: "It's up to Nicko to talk. He made a decision so it's up to him to clarify. He's not banned from speaking.
"He didn't say anything about any problems with us, or the way we train.
"It's up to him. Everyone here can come and talk to the manager, his door is open all the time. If he changes his mind, or if he made a mistake, he can say.
"He's available. He's still at the club and he's under contract.
"It's about picking the right team to play Luton. He wanted to go to Luton and now we might need him to play against Luton. "There's not too much chance, but he's available." Last Updated: 09 March 2007 Leeds Today
[Wes] Daly - Daly pulling the strings for Dons
Wes Daly is happy to be centre of attention as AFC Wimbledon's promotion tilt gathers pace.
Since manager Dave Anderson switched to a 4-3-3 system just after the turn of the year, Daly has been a revelation at the heart of the Dons midfield, which has coincided with a 10-game unbeaten run.
aly has been employed in every position across the midfield this campaign but admits it is in the middle of the park that he feels most comfortable.
He said: "My preferred position is centre midfield but I will play wherever I am told.
"I feel I have been playing better of late because I have been given that central role.
"But, if the boss asks me to play somewhere different, then I will.
"I love having that responsibility; a lot goes through me in midfield but I feel I am up to it.
"I have been playing in that role since I was young and that is how I have learnt to play football - to try to dictate things as much as I can."
The former QPR midfielder has become a fixture in the midfield three, together with Luke Garrard, but the diminutive Daly insists he does not mind who he plays with, and has heralded Anderson's decision to revert to 4-3-3.
"I enjoy playing with all our midfield players. Luke and I are the ones who seem to be playing at the moment but that can change," Daly said.
"Everyone works for each other and we do what we have to do.
"I think playing three instead of four in the middle of the park works well.
"Since we have switched to this formation, we have been playing better.
"It gives us more attacking options and creates space for us to get on the ball."
Anderson has been delighted with Daly's contribution.
"He is an important player for us, no matter what position he plays in," he said.
"He has been back on his game in recent weeks after a dip in form earlier in the season. He is a very intelligent player and that, together with his passing and work rate, makes him very important."
* AFC Wimbledon's appeal against the 18-point deduction for fielding Jermaine Darlington without international clearance will be heard by the FA on Monday, March 26.... Daily
Ian Holloway on His QPR Return: When He Left QPR "...There were some awful things said that weren't true"
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BBC - Holloway The Return to QPR
... It was very emotional. I don't do relationships lightly. I'm very committed and I always have been. Whether you want all of me or not, you get it when you employ me.
I had five years at QPR and it didn't end how I wanted it to end but as a manager sometimes you're not in control of the situation.
There were some awful things said that weren't true and at the end of the day I had some great friendships there and when I went back I was fortunate enough to be supported by the whole of the crowd.
To go back under those circumstances and try to win a game - you have to do that otherwise you wouldn't be doing your job - was very awkward for me because I wish them all the very best.
You don't spend five years of your life there and not care about them - not if you're Ian Holloway.
I'm rooting for them and I'm very proud they made me stay at that club for that long but now I'm a Green Army man through and through. BBC
BBC - Holloway The Return to QPR
... It was very emotional. I don't do relationships lightly. I'm very committed and I always have been. Whether you want all of me or not, you get it when you employ me.
I had five years at QPR and it didn't end how I wanted it to end but as a manager sometimes you're not in control of the situation.
There were some awful things said that weren't true and at the end of the day I had some great friendships there and when I went back I was fortunate enough to be supported by the whole of the crowd.
To go back under those circumstances and try to win a game - you have to do that otherwise you wouldn't be doing your job - was very awkward for me because I wish them all the very best.
You don't spend five years of your life there and not care about them - not if you're Ian Holloway.
I'm rooting for them and I'm very proud they made me stay at that club for that long but now I'm a Green Army man through and through. BBC
Chairman Paladini: QPR's Italian Owners Will be Staying...QPR will Make Profit Next Year
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BBC - Italians will stay if QPR go down
QPR's Italian owners will stay in charge even if the club are relegated from the Championship, according to chairman Gianni Paladini.
"The right thing would be to stay and keep working to make the club better - whatever division we're in," he said.
"I believe we're going to stay up. The players are certainly good enough. But if we were to go down then no, we would not look to sell."
Paladini has faced criticism from some fans since becoming chairman in 2005.
Rangers have been beset by problems on and off the pitch.
But Paladini insisted: "If I had been in charge years ago, the club wouldn't have lost their training ground and all sorts of other bad things would not have happened.
"So many people said we would go into administration and it hasn't happened.
"QPR will make a profit next year - whatever division we're in - and it will be the first time that has happened for many years." BBC
BBC - Italians will stay if QPR go down
QPR's Italian owners will stay in charge even if the club are relegated from the Championship, according to chairman Gianni Paladini.
"The right thing would be to stay and keep working to make the club better - whatever division we're in," he said.
"I believe we're going to stay up. The players are certainly good enough. But if we were to go down then no, we would not look to sell."
Paladini has faced criticism from some fans since becoming chairman in 2005.
Rangers have been beset by problems on and off the pitch.
But Paladini insisted: "If I had been in charge years ago, the club wouldn't have lost their training ground and all sorts of other bad things would not have happened.
"So many people said we would go into administration and it hasn't happened.
"QPR will make a profit next year - whatever division we're in - and it will be the first time that has happened for many years." BBC
Released QPR Youth, RIcky Sappleton to Middlesbrough?
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Tribal Football:
Released QPR youngster Ricky Sappleton is trialling with Middlesbrough.
The 17 year-old striker played in Boro's 1-0 victory over Liverpool reserves this week. Tribal Football
Middlesbrough Official Site Reserve Report
Boro Res 1 Liverpool Res 0
ROBERT HUTH returned to action as Boro's Reserves consolidated their position at the top of the table tonight, writes GORDON COX from Central Avenue.
The German international, who has been missing with a broken foot suffered against Tottenham on December 5, played the opening half of a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Billingham.
Not called on to do a great deal, Huth looked comfortable and assured and is hoping the next few days don't bring any adverse reaction.
The game also brought welcome minutes for Fabio Rochemback who has missed a handful of first team games suffering with a thigh strain.
Boro made a bright start and goalkeeper Daniele Padelli was forced into a smart save to deny Ben Hutchinson after he had been set up by Robert Huth.
There were some nice touches for 17-year-old trialist Reneil Sappleton, recently released by QPR, early in the game, but the opening goal after eight minutes came from a senior professional.
A good cross from the left from Adam Johnson had Sappleton contesting aerial possession, the ball fell to Jason Euell who volleyed home in some style from the edge of the penalty area.
Jason Euell - Photo-North News and Pictures
Rochemback was clearly enjoying himself, creating time and space to display a range of passing. One superbly struck low ball through the middle from the halfway line picked out Hutchinson. But with just the goalkeeper to beat, he took too long, allowing defenders the time to get back and his eventual shot hit Padelli.
A few minutes later a precisely placed Rochemback corner picked out Johnson on the right edge of the Liverpool penalty area and a sweetly struck right-footed drive only just cleared the crossbar.
Boro dominated the opening 45 minutes, but a shot out of nothing almost sent Liverpool in level at the break when Besian Idrizaj, just up from the right-hand edge of the Boro penalty area, went for goal with a low drive which saw Ross Turnbull cover well in his first real action of half after 37 minutes.
Half-time: Boro Reserves 1 Liverpool Reserves 0
After a better start to the second half from the visitors, during the early part of which Boro couldn't get out of their own half, the home side settled and almost doubled their lead.
Winning possession midway inside the Liverpool half close to the left-hand touchline, Jonathan Grounds, who enjoyed a good game, spotted Padelli just off his line and went for goal with an audacious effort which the goalkeeper did well to tip over his bar after making up ground.
Liverpool were reduced to 10 men after 66 minutes when Idrizaj, warned on 58 for a foul and booked a minute later for another, was sent-off after receiving another yellow for another foul on Euell.
Boro had matched the upsurge in effort from Liverpool, McMahon looked strong as he continued his comeback, Chris Riggott, unflustered and competent at the back and the trio of substitutions introduced by Steve Agnew blending in well.
Behind them all came another assured display from an admittedly not overworked Ross Turnbull.
Rhys Williams, half-time replacement for Robert Huth, almost made it two with a close range header entering the final quarter of an hour, Padelli happy to tip over the bar.
Middlesbrough: Turnbull; McMahon, Grounds, Huth (Williams 46), Riggott, Goulon (Walker 46), Rochemback, Euell, Hutchinson, Sappleton (Thompson 63), A Johnson. Unused subs: Steele (gk); Robson.
Liverpool: Padelli; Darby, Insua, Roque, Huth, Hobbs (Capt.), Duran (Flynn 17), Idrizaj, Brouwer, El Zhar, Anderson. Unused subs: Roberts (gk); Lindfield
Middlsbrough
Tribal Football:
Released QPR youngster Ricky Sappleton is trialling with Middlesbrough.
The 17 year-old striker played in Boro's 1-0 victory over Liverpool reserves this week. Tribal Football
Middlesbrough Official Site Reserve Report
Boro Res 1 Liverpool Res 0
ROBERT HUTH returned to action as Boro's Reserves consolidated their position at the top of the table tonight, writes GORDON COX from Central Avenue.
The German international, who has been missing with a broken foot suffered against Tottenham on December 5, played the opening half of a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Billingham.
Not called on to do a great deal, Huth looked comfortable and assured and is hoping the next few days don't bring any adverse reaction.
The game also brought welcome minutes for Fabio Rochemback who has missed a handful of first team games suffering with a thigh strain.
Boro made a bright start and goalkeeper Daniele Padelli was forced into a smart save to deny Ben Hutchinson after he had been set up by Robert Huth.
There were some nice touches for 17-year-old trialist Reneil Sappleton, recently released by QPR, early in the game, but the opening goal after eight minutes came from a senior professional.
A good cross from the left from Adam Johnson had Sappleton contesting aerial possession, the ball fell to Jason Euell who volleyed home in some style from the edge of the penalty area.
Jason Euell - Photo-North News and Pictures
Rochemback was clearly enjoying himself, creating time and space to display a range of passing. One superbly struck low ball through the middle from the halfway line picked out Hutchinson. But with just the goalkeeper to beat, he took too long, allowing defenders the time to get back and his eventual shot hit Padelli.
A few minutes later a precisely placed Rochemback corner picked out Johnson on the right edge of the Liverpool penalty area and a sweetly struck right-footed drive only just cleared the crossbar.
Boro dominated the opening 45 minutes, but a shot out of nothing almost sent Liverpool in level at the break when Besian Idrizaj, just up from the right-hand edge of the Boro penalty area, went for goal with a low drive which saw Ross Turnbull cover well in his first real action of half after 37 minutes.
Half-time: Boro Reserves 1 Liverpool Reserves 0
After a better start to the second half from the visitors, during the early part of which Boro couldn't get out of their own half, the home side settled and almost doubled their lead.
Winning possession midway inside the Liverpool half close to the left-hand touchline, Jonathan Grounds, who enjoyed a good game, spotted Padelli just off his line and went for goal with an audacious effort which the goalkeeper did well to tip over his bar after making up ground.
Liverpool were reduced to 10 men after 66 minutes when Idrizaj, warned on 58 for a foul and booked a minute later for another, was sent-off after receiving another yellow for another foul on Euell.
Boro had matched the upsurge in effort from Liverpool, McMahon looked strong as he continued his comeback, Chris Riggott, unflustered and competent at the back and the trio of substitutions introduced by Steve Agnew blending in well.
Behind them all came another assured display from an admittedly not overworked Ross Turnbull.
Rhys Williams, half-time replacement for Robert Huth, almost made it two with a close range header entering the final quarter of an hour, Padelli happy to tip over the bar.
Middlesbrough: Turnbull; McMahon, Grounds, Huth (Williams 46), Riggott, Goulon (Walker 46), Rochemback, Euell, Hutchinson, Sappleton (Thompson 63), A Johnson. Unused subs: Steele (gk); Robson.
Liverpool: Padelli; Darby, Insua, Roque, Huth, Hobbs (Capt.), Duran (Flynn 17), Idrizaj, Brouwer, El Zhar, Anderson. Unused subs: Roberts (gk); Lindfield
Middlsbrough
"QPR Facing New Crisis" - Relegation & Holloway's Departure
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BBC - QPR facing new crisis
By Chris Bevan
QPR's long-suffering fans have been here before
For a club that finished fifth - and were the best-placed London side - in the inaugural Premiership season in 1992/93, precious little has gone right since.
Their 13-year stint in the top flight, which yielded two other top-five finishes, ended in 1996 and five years later they dropped down to the third tier of English football.
It took them until 2004 to clamber back up into the Championship but this season they are fighting for their lives to stay there.
With 10 games left, the club are only above the drop zone on goal difference - and still have to play several of the division's leading sides.
During the ups and downs of the last decade, possibly the only constant at Loftus Road has been boardroom upheaval and unrest.
There has been a high turnover of managers recently too, with Ian Holloway being replaced by Gary Waddock in February 2006 and John Gregory arriving seven months later.
It remains to be seen what the future will hold for chairman Gianni Paladini or Gregory if QPR do not stay up but, whoever is in charge, it would be a case of rebuilding the club all over again.
It is hard to put your finger on what has gone wrong there but financially the club seemed to be out of the mire and have stabilised but it looks like it has gone backwards again
Former QPR defender Matthew Rose
That would be a difficult task and former QPR defender Matthew Rose, who spent 10 years at Loftus Road before leaving in January, feels going down this season could spell disaster.
Rose, who was part of the relegation side in 2001 but helped Rangers back up in 2004, told BBC Sport: "To go down now would be a travesty for the club after all the work that was done to get back into the Championship last time.
"We did well to get up after three seasons but if they were relegated again I find it hard to believe they would get back up for a long time. It is such a hard division.
"It would spell a lot of trouble for the club financially. You have to pay less in wages and you are going to lose your better players because of that. If you start slipping down the leagues it can be a long way down.
"It is hard to put your finger on what has gone wrong there but financially the club seemed to be out of the mire and have stabilised but it looks like it has gone backwards again.
"They needed to keep a tight budget but I don't think lessons have been learned with things like wages and agent fees."
And Rose, who played under eight managers in his time at QPR, believes Holloway's departure played a big part in the London outfit losing their way.
"Under Ollie, as a squad of players we were not the best in the Championship but as a team he managed to get far more out of collectively," explained Rose.
"Whatever went on with him and the chairman was the turning point when the club started to go downhill."
Nick Blackburn, who was QPR vice-chairman from 1997 to 2001 and chairman from 2001 until 2004, knows how painful relegation can be - but believes the club will survive.
"In 2001 it was a difficult time. Not only did we get relegated but we were in administration," he stated.
"We had to get rid of a lot of players because we had to cut costs, either the ones that lacked ability or because they cost too much.
"The effects are you don't get the same income from sponsors or TV. And your gates go down.
We had a team of people who were determined to sort things out. Some fans may disagree but that board did a pretty good job and the thing I liked about Ian is that his head never dropped
Former QPR chairman Nick Blackburn
"But otherwise the money from being in the Championship is not huge. There is a difference between the Championship and League One - and it is bigger than it was six years ago - but it is not as big as the gap between the Premier League and the Championship."
Blackburn worked closely with Holloway during his time at the club and feels his departure was a mistake.
"The heartbeat of a club is the dressing room. That is where everything else comes from and we were lucky in what we had," he added.
"Ian had joined us in February before we went into administration and he was the catalyst for moving things along.
"The fans rallied around. I think Ian helped in that. They thought it was the time to support the club. We spent the whole year in administration but the crowd grew and we finished eighth that year, which was a good start.
"We managed to survive it and get a buzz back at the club."
Can QPR do the same this time around - whether they stay up or not? Blackburn is not sure.
"If you are winning you can get the gates. QPR has a strong fan base for that division and in our promotion season we averaged over 15,000 a game, which was bigger than some Premiership teams that year," said Blackburn.
"We had a team of people who were determined to sort out things. Some fans may disagree but that board did a pretty good job and the thing I liked about Ian is that his head never dropped.
"It was all part of being a unit and everyone was pulling in the same direction - the fans, the team and us. That is very different to what you have there now."
Saturday's game against Sheffield Wednesday marks the 40th anniversary of QPR's League Cup final victory over West Brom.
QPR were part of the old Third Division in 1967 and how they fare against the Owls will go a long way to deciding whether they return to that level next season. BBC
BBC - QPR facing new crisis
By Chris Bevan
QPR's long-suffering fans have been here before
For a club that finished fifth - and were the best-placed London side - in the inaugural Premiership season in 1992/93, precious little has gone right since.
Their 13-year stint in the top flight, which yielded two other top-five finishes, ended in 1996 and five years later they dropped down to the third tier of English football.
It took them until 2004 to clamber back up into the Championship but this season they are fighting for their lives to stay there.
With 10 games left, the club are only above the drop zone on goal difference - and still have to play several of the division's leading sides.
During the ups and downs of the last decade, possibly the only constant at Loftus Road has been boardroom upheaval and unrest.
There has been a high turnover of managers recently too, with Ian Holloway being replaced by Gary Waddock in February 2006 and John Gregory arriving seven months later.
It remains to be seen what the future will hold for chairman Gianni Paladini or Gregory if QPR do not stay up but, whoever is in charge, it would be a case of rebuilding the club all over again.
It is hard to put your finger on what has gone wrong there but financially the club seemed to be out of the mire and have stabilised but it looks like it has gone backwards again
Former QPR defender Matthew Rose
That would be a difficult task and former QPR defender Matthew Rose, who spent 10 years at Loftus Road before leaving in January, feels going down this season could spell disaster.
Rose, who was part of the relegation side in 2001 but helped Rangers back up in 2004, told BBC Sport: "To go down now would be a travesty for the club after all the work that was done to get back into the Championship last time.
"We did well to get up after three seasons but if they were relegated again I find it hard to believe they would get back up for a long time. It is such a hard division.
"It would spell a lot of trouble for the club financially. You have to pay less in wages and you are going to lose your better players because of that. If you start slipping down the leagues it can be a long way down.
"It is hard to put your finger on what has gone wrong there but financially the club seemed to be out of the mire and have stabilised but it looks like it has gone backwards again.
"They needed to keep a tight budget but I don't think lessons have been learned with things like wages and agent fees."
And Rose, who played under eight managers in his time at QPR, believes Holloway's departure played a big part in the London outfit losing their way.
"Under Ollie, as a squad of players we were not the best in the Championship but as a team he managed to get far more out of collectively," explained Rose.
"Whatever went on with him and the chairman was the turning point when the club started to go downhill."
Nick Blackburn, who was QPR vice-chairman from 1997 to 2001 and chairman from 2001 until 2004, knows how painful relegation can be - but believes the club will survive.
"In 2001 it was a difficult time. Not only did we get relegated but we were in administration," he stated.
"We had to get rid of a lot of players because we had to cut costs, either the ones that lacked ability or because they cost too much.
"The effects are you don't get the same income from sponsors or TV. And your gates go down.
We had a team of people who were determined to sort things out. Some fans may disagree but that board did a pretty good job and the thing I liked about Ian is that his head never dropped
Former QPR chairman Nick Blackburn
"But otherwise the money from being in the Championship is not huge. There is a difference between the Championship and League One - and it is bigger than it was six years ago - but it is not as big as the gap between the Premier League and the Championship."
Blackburn worked closely with Holloway during his time at the club and feels his departure was a mistake.
"The heartbeat of a club is the dressing room. That is where everything else comes from and we were lucky in what we had," he added.
"Ian had joined us in February before we went into administration and he was the catalyst for moving things along.
"The fans rallied around. I think Ian helped in that. They thought it was the time to support the club. We spent the whole year in administration but the crowd grew and we finished eighth that year, which was a good start.
"We managed to survive it and get a buzz back at the club."
Can QPR do the same this time around - whether they stay up or not? Blackburn is not sure.
"If you are winning you can get the gates. QPR has a strong fan base for that division and in our promotion season we averaged over 15,000 a game, which was bigger than some Premiership teams that year," said Blackburn.
"We had a team of people who were determined to sort out things. Some fans may disagree but that board did a pretty good job and the thing I liked about Ian is that his head never dropped.
"It was all part of being a unit and everyone was pulling in the same direction - the fans, the team and us. That is very different to what you have there now."
Saturday's game against Sheffield Wednesday marks the 40th anniversary of QPR's League Cup final victory over West Brom.
QPR were part of the old Third Division in 1967 and how they fare against the Owls will go a long way to deciding whether they return to that level next season. BBC
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Ex-QPR News: Holloway Preparing...Jackett's New Job...Murphy's Leg Not Broken
-
At Plymouth, of course, ex-QPR Manger Ian Holloway is preparing the club for their Quarter-Final Match against ex-QPR Danny Shittu's Watford. The Times: Ian Holloway's FA Cup Diary - Holloway's "Diary"
As has been widely reported, ex-QPR Asssistant Manager, Kenny Jacket, who resigned as Swansea manager a few weeks ago, is the new Reserve Team Manager of Manchester City.
BBC - Jackett to head Man City reserves
Manchester City have appointed Kenny Jackett as their reserve team coach.
However, despite his title, the former Swansea boss will not be restricted purely to reserve affairs and will be part of the first-team set-up.
Jackett, 45, replaces Frankie Bunn who left to link up with new Coventry manager Iain Dowie in February.
The arrival completes City's coaching team, which has also seen Eric Steele come in as goalkeeping coach for Tim Flowers, who has also joined Coventry.
Jackett decided to step down as Swansea manager three weeks ago after nearly three years in charge.
The former Wales international said he felt he no longer had the full support of the club, players or supporters at the Liberty Stadium.
Man City manager Stuart Pearce said: "He is someone that I had hoped to bring in at some stage and had previously thought about working with.
"I've known Kenny for a good length of time. I've worked on courses with him, I've played schoolboy football with him and he's someone who I've always felt could do a good job. It was fortunate for me the timing of it.
"He's worked at Swansea for three years and did extremely well there with a promotion, a play-off and was in seventh in the league when he was moved on.
"I think in our respect we've done extremely good business getting Kenny in." BBC
And for ex-QPR Player, Danny Murphy: Good News
BBC - Well handed Murphy injury boost
Danny Murphy Motherwell defender Danny Murphy has received a boost with news that he has not broken a bone in his foot.
The 24-year-old was injured during the 2-0 defeat by Hearts in Monday's SPL game at Fir Park.
"The foot is not broken after I got the all clear from the scan," he told the club's official website.
"I'm delighted with that news, although I didn't think it was broken at the time. It is badly bruised, so I need to wait to see when it disappears."
Murphy said he was a quick healer and aimed to return to training in time for Saturday's SPL game against Dundee United.
The defender moved to Fir Park from Cork City earlier this season and signed a deal until 2009 with Maurice Malpas' side.
Murphy, who was named in the Eircom League Team of the Year for 2006, previously played for West Ham United, QPR, Swindon Town and Margate. BBC
At Plymouth, of course, ex-QPR Manger Ian Holloway is preparing the club for their Quarter-Final Match against ex-QPR Danny Shittu's Watford. The Times: Ian Holloway's FA Cup Diary - Holloway's "Diary"
As has been widely reported, ex-QPR Asssistant Manager, Kenny Jacket, who resigned as Swansea manager a few weeks ago, is the new Reserve Team Manager of Manchester City.
BBC - Jackett to head Man City reserves
Manchester City have appointed Kenny Jackett as their reserve team coach.
However, despite his title, the former Swansea boss will not be restricted purely to reserve affairs and will be part of the first-team set-up.
Jackett, 45, replaces Frankie Bunn who left to link up with new Coventry manager Iain Dowie in February.
The arrival completes City's coaching team, which has also seen Eric Steele come in as goalkeeping coach for Tim Flowers, who has also joined Coventry.
Jackett decided to step down as Swansea manager three weeks ago after nearly three years in charge.
The former Wales international said he felt he no longer had the full support of the club, players or supporters at the Liberty Stadium.
Man City manager Stuart Pearce said: "He is someone that I had hoped to bring in at some stage and had previously thought about working with.
"I've known Kenny for a good length of time. I've worked on courses with him, I've played schoolboy football with him and he's someone who I've always felt could do a good job. It was fortunate for me the timing of it.
"He's worked at Swansea for three years and did extremely well there with a promotion, a play-off and was in seventh in the league when he was moved on.
"I think in our respect we've done extremely good business getting Kenny in." BBC
And for ex-QPR Player, Danny Murphy: Good News
BBC - Well handed Murphy injury boost
Danny Murphy Motherwell defender Danny Murphy has received a boost with news that he has not broken a bone in his foot.
The 24-year-old was injured during the 2-0 defeat by Hearts in Monday's SPL game at Fir Park.
"The foot is not broken after I got the all clear from the scan," he told the club's official website.
"I'm delighted with that news, although I didn't think it was broken at the time. It is badly bruised, so I need to wait to see when it disappears."
Murphy said he was a quick healer and aimed to return to training in time for Saturday's SPL game against Dundee United.
The defender moved to Fir Park from Cork City earlier this season and signed a deal until 2009 with Maurice Malpas' side.
Murphy, who was named in the Eircom League Team of the Year for 2006, previously played for West Ham United, QPR, Swindon Town and Margate. BBC
Next: QPR vs Sheffield Wednesday & The Return of the 1967 Squad
-
It's a crucial, crucial game for QPR this Saturday. With 11 games to go, QPR need at least three and perhaps four more wins. With various very tough games against promotion-chasing teams still ahead, QPR take on Sheffield Wednesday without any promotion or relegation fears. So if QPR can't win this game, they're in big trouble.
Earlier this season, Sheffield Wednesday looked like they might be headed for relegation. However the appointment of a new manager got the team surging and they truly are a middle of the table team.
Sheffield Wednesday are 13th with 48 points and a pretty impressive away record: 7 wins - 4 draws - 7 defeats: 26 goals scored. 25 goals conceded. (QPR at home have won 6 drawn 4 lost 6. Scored 23. Conceded 23. Table
Hopefully the team will be distracted by their reported pending takeover by a Chinese consortium. - Consortium Talks
A slight note of irony: The last time players from the 1967 team were at Loftus Road (en masse), QPR were also playing a team from Sheffield. It was that other Sheffield team, Sheffield United, and the date was a day that for QPR fans "will forever live in infamy" - August 13, 2005. The changeover since that August 2005 day, in the QPR Board, Managerial and coaching (and administrative) staff as well as the playing staff has been considerable.
League Table - Table
Sheffield Wednesday - Season's Results
Sheffield Wednesday - Squad
Memories of 1967: The team & photos
From the Official Site:
Video Highlights from the 1967 Final - Video
Official Site - Memories of 1967 - Memories
And QPR Official Site - WHEN SATURDAY COMES
Saturday is set to be a special day in W12 - as Rod-nee et al return to Loftus Road to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our League Cup Final triumph.
Marsh, Lazarus, Hazell and co will all be at Loftus Road this weekend, as the R's lock horns with Sheffield Wednesday in a crucial Coca Cola Championship fixture.
March 4th 1967 is a day ingrained in the hearts of R's fans and Commerical Manager Gary Hooper and his team have pulled out all the stops to ensure the squads homecoming will be one to remember.
"The response from the players has been fantastic,'' Hooper told www.qpr.co.uk.
"The history of this Football Club should be celebrated and in this - our 125th year - it's vitally important we rejoice everything QPR.''
Marsh is pencilled in for a Q&A with QPR World prior to kick-off and will then join eight of his '67 team-mates on the pitch during the half-time interval.
Hooper added: "Each player will be introduced to the crowd at half-time and then we've got a very special surprise in store for the fans.
"It's something very few of them would have seen before and hopefully it will spur the present day side on to pick up the three points we so dearly crave.''
Over 12,000 tickets have alreay been snapped up for the clash with the Owls, but tickets are still available, in a fixture which has been designated as a 'Local Promotion'.
Season ticket holders can purchase additional adult tickets for the exceptional price of only £10 per person.
Members can purchase tickets at the normal price and any additional adult tickets at £10.00 each.
Please note this offer is only available prior to Matchday.
Tickets now on General Sale on available in all areas. QPR
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - THE OWLS
Brian Laws described the Owls as a 'good mid-table side' when he took over in early November and his assessment appears to be spot on.
Wednesday currently occupy 13th place in the Championship - sitting a comfortable 13 points clear of the drop zone and 14 points adrift of the play-off's.
If truth beknown, Laws' initial task when he was appointed Owls boss was to improve the good work started by Caretaker Manager Sean McAuley. He didn't disappoint either.
Results were highly impressive at first under the new manager, with Laws' Wednesday side winning six and drawing one of his first 10 games in charge.
"I could have stayed at Scunthorpe for another 10 years," said Laws.
"But I wanted to really test myself at a club like Wednesday. They have had nine managers over the last 10 years - a ridiculous ratio that I want to change."
But the honeymoon period ended at the turn of the year and last weekend's victory at Elland Road - the home of rock-bottom Leeds United - was only their second of 2007.
''I wanted to really test myself at a club like Wednesday. They have had nine managers over the last 10 years - a ridiculous ratio that I want to change." Brian Laws
Laws has put a plan in place to ensure long-term improvement, while staying mindful that he will not be given the time that he had at former Club Scunthorpe United.
"We have got processes put in place already,'' he said.
"We have got our scouting network all over looking at players availability and their contractual situations.
"We will whittle it down to half a dozen in different positions and monitor them very carefully. It is not a quick process - it takes time and patience.''
Time and patience have been in short supply at Hillsbrough in recent years, but Laws is determined to make sure that he eventually takes them in the right direction.
...
Top scorer (league goals only): MacLean, Brunt, Tudgay (all nine)...
Last league game:
Sheffield Wednesday 1, Plymouth Argyle 1.
Coca Cola Championship.
March 6th 2007.
Sheff Wed: Turner, Bullen, Wood, Simek, Spurr, Whelan, Brunt, Watson, Johnson (Small 69), MacLean, Burton (Graham 72).
Subs Not Used: Adamson, Lunt, Gilbert...
Superhoopsbet.co.uk match odds: QPR 7/5 Sheffield Wednesday 8/5 Draw 9/4
....Head to head: QPR wins: 16 Sheffield Wednesday wins: 22 Draws: 11
Last meeting:
Sheffield Wednesday 3 (Tudgay (2), MacLean), Queens Park Rangers 2 (Blackstock).
Coca Cola Championship.
August 25th 2006.....QPR
It's a crucial, crucial game for QPR this Saturday. With 11 games to go, QPR need at least three and perhaps four more wins. With various very tough games against promotion-chasing teams still ahead, QPR take on Sheffield Wednesday without any promotion or relegation fears. So if QPR can't win this game, they're in big trouble.
Earlier this season, Sheffield Wednesday looked like they might be headed for relegation. However the appointment of a new manager got the team surging and they truly are a middle of the table team.
Sheffield Wednesday are 13th with 48 points and a pretty impressive away record: 7 wins - 4 draws - 7 defeats: 26 goals scored. 25 goals conceded. (QPR at home have won 6 drawn 4 lost 6. Scored 23. Conceded 23. Table
Hopefully the team will be distracted by their reported pending takeover by a Chinese consortium. - Consortium Talks
A slight note of irony: The last time players from the 1967 team were at Loftus Road (en masse), QPR were also playing a team from Sheffield. It was that other Sheffield team, Sheffield United, and the date was a day that for QPR fans "will forever live in infamy" - August 13, 2005. The changeover since that August 2005 day, in the QPR Board, Managerial and coaching (and administrative) staff as well as the playing staff has been considerable.
League Table - Table
Sheffield Wednesday - Season's Results
Sheffield Wednesday - Squad
Memories of 1967: The team & photos
From the Official Site:
Video Highlights from the 1967 Final - Video
Official Site - Memories of 1967 - Memories
And QPR Official Site - WHEN SATURDAY COMES
Saturday is set to be a special day in W12 - as Rod-nee et al return to Loftus Road to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our League Cup Final triumph.
Marsh, Lazarus, Hazell and co will all be at Loftus Road this weekend, as the R's lock horns with Sheffield Wednesday in a crucial Coca Cola Championship fixture.
March 4th 1967 is a day ingrained in the hearts of R's fans and Commerical Manager Gary Hooper and his team have pulled out all the stops to ensure the squads homecoming will be one to remember.
"The response from the players has been fantastic,'' Hooper told www.qpr.co.uk.
"The history of this Football Club should be celebrated and in this - our 125th year - it's vitally important we rejoice everything QPR.''
Marsh is pencilled in for a Q&A with QPR World prior to kick-off and will then join eight of his '67 team-mates on the pitch during the half-time interval.
Hooper added: "Each player will be introduced to the crowd at half-time and then we've got a very special surprise in store for the fans.
"It's something very few of them would have seen before and hopefully it will spur the present day side on to pick up the three points we so dearly crave.''
Over 12,000 tickets have alreay been snapped up for the clash with the Owls, but tickets are still available, in a fixture which has been designated as a 'Local Promotion'.
Season ticket holders can purchase additional adult tickets for the exceptional price of only £10 per person.
Members can purchase tickets at the normal price and any additional adult tickets at £10.00 each.
Please note this offer is only available prior to Matchday.
Tickets now on General Sale on available in all areas. QPR
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - THE OWLS
Brian Laws described the Owls as a 'good mid-table side' when he took over in early November and his assessment appears to be spot on.
Wednesday currently occupy 13th place in the Championship - sitting a comfortable 13 points clear of the drop zone and 14 points adrift of the play-off's.
If truth beknown, Laws' initial task when he was appointed Owls boss was to improve the good work started by Caretaker Manager Sean McAuley. He didn't disappoint either.
Results were highly impressive at first under the new manager, with Laws' Wednesday side winning six and drawing one of his first 10 games in charge.
"I could have stayed at Scunthorpe for another 10 years," said Laws.
"But I wanted to really test myself at a club like Wednesday. They have had nine managers over the last 10 years - a ridiculous ratio that I want to change."
But the honeymoon period ended at the turn of the year and last weekend's victory at Elland Road - the home of rock-bottom Leeds United - was only their second of 2007.
''I wanted to really test myself at a club like Wednesday. They have had nine managers over the last 10 years - a ridiculous ratio that I want to change." Brian Laws
Laws has put a plan in place to ensure long-term improvement, while staying mindful that he will not be given the time that he had at former Club Scunthorpe United.
"We have got processes put in place already,'' he said.
"We have got our scouting network all over looking at players availability and their contractual situations.
"We will whittle it down to half a dozen in different positions and monitor them very carefully. It is not a quick process - it takes time and patience.''
Time and patience have been in short supply at Hillsbrough in recent years, but Laws is determined to make sure that he eventually takes them in the right direction.
...
Top scorer (league goals only): MacLean, Brunt, Tudgay (all nine)...
Last league game:
Sheffield Wednesday 1, Plymouth Argyle 1.
Coca Cola Championship.
March 6th 2007.
Sheff Wed: Turner, Bullen, Wood, Simek, Spurr, Whelan, Brunt, Watson, Johnson (Small 69), MacLean, Burton (Graham 72).
Subs Not Used: Adamson, Lunt, Gilbert...
Superhoopsbet.co.uk match odds: QPR 7/5 Sheffield Wednesday 8/5 Draw 9/4
....Head to head: QPR wins: 16 Sheffield Wednesday wins: 22 Draws: 11
Last meeting:
Sheffield Wednesday 3 (Tudgay (2), MacLean), Queens Park Rangers 2 (Blackstock).
Coca Cola Championship.
August 25th 2006.....QPR
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Shittu Was Within an Hour of Signing for WBA Before Watford Move
-
Watford Observer - Shittu: I almost signed for Baggies
By Kevin Affleck
DAN SHITTU has revealed he came within an hour of signing for West Bromwich Albion.
The Nigerian man-mountain, who could be in line for a recall on Saturday, had undergone a medical at the Hawthorns in the summer and was all ready to put pen to paper when Watford came in at the 11th hour.
"I went to West Brom that day to sign the contract and was about an hour away from signing," recalled the defender.
"Watford called my agent and I left West Brom without signing. I think Bryan Robson was really upset that I didn't sign but once I had spoken to Aidy I knew Watford was the place I wanted to go."
For the full interview with Shittu, see this week's edition of the Watford Observer.
Watford Observer
How it was reported at the time:
QPR Official Site - Deal Agreed
QPR have reached agreement with fellow Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion for the £3million transfer of Dan Shittu.
The player is due to travel to The Hawthorns on Friday to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms.
The overall deal is worth £3million in total and the R's have negotiated a 10 per-cent sell on clause for any future transfer involving the player. QPR
West Bromwich Albion Official Site - QPR accept £1.5m Shittu bid
ALBION have had a £1.5million offer accepted by QPR for central defender Dan Shittu.
The fee could rise to £3million if certain criteria are met.
Nigerian international Shittu will travel to the Black Country tomorrow (Friday) to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.
Stay tuned WBA
BBC - QPR accept Baggies bid for Shittu
Danny Shittu
Shittu has made more than 160 league appearances for QPR
QPR have accepted an initial offer of £1.5m from West Bromwich Albion for defender Danny Shittu.
The Baggies have struck a deal which could rise to £3m according to his performance and that of the club.
The 25-year-old is set to travel to the Hawthorns on Friday discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.
WBA boss Bryan Robson wants to bring in defensive cover for Neil Clement and Thomas Gaardsoe who will both miss the start of the season through injury.
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini had previously insisted his club would not accept less than £3m for defender Danny Shittu.
Watford had a bid for the giant centre-back rejected.
Shittu moved to Loftus Road from Charlton in 2002 in a £350,000 deal funded by QPR fans Matthew and Alex Winton.
He has since made 162 league appearances and is a firm favourite among supporters.
BBC
SKY - QPR accept Shittu bid
By Alex Dunn - Created on 3 Aug 2006
West Bromwich Albion have agreed a fee for Queens Park Rangers defender Danny Shittu.
After a period of negotiation between the Championship rivals an accord has been struck whereby West Brom will pay an initial fee of £1.5 million.
The fee could eventually rise to £3 million depending on various criteria that will be appearance and success related.
success related.
Shittu, an imposing central defender, has established himself as one of the more powerful performers outside of the top flight and is seen as an ideal signing by Baggies boss Bryan Robson.
West Brom defensive duo Neil Clement and Thomas Gaardsoe are currently struggling with injury and Robson has previously stated a desire to add more competition to his ranks.
Shittu will travel to the Midlands on Friday for a medical and to discuss personal terms. Skysports
Watford Observer - Shittu: I almost signed for Baggies
By Kevin Affleck
DAN SHITTU has revealed he came within an hour of signing for West Bromwich Albion.
The Nigerian man-mountain, who could be in line for a recall on Saturday, had undergone a medical at the Hawthorns in the summer and was all ready to put pen to paper when Watford came in at the 11th hour.
"I went to West Brom that day to sign the contract and was about an hour away from signing," recalled the defender.
"Watford called my agent and I left West Brom without signing. I think Bryan Robson was really upset that I didn't sign but once I had spoken to Aidy I knew Watford was the place I wanted to go."
For the full interview with Shittu, see this week's edition of the Watford Observer.
Watford Observer
How it was reported at the time:
QPR Official Site - Deal Agreed
QPR have reached agreement with fellow Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion for the £3million transfer of Dan Shittu.
The player is due to travel to The Hawthorns on Friday to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms.
The overall deal is worth £3million in total and the R's have negotiated a 10 per-cent sell on clause for any future transfer involving the player. QPR
West Bromwich Albion Official Site - QPR accept £1.5m Shittu bid
ALBION have had a £1.5million offer accepted by QPR for central defender Dan Shittu.
The fee could rise to £3million if certain criteria are met.
Nigerian international Shittu will travel to the Black Country tomorrow (Friday) to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.
Stay tuned WBA
BBC - QPR accept Baggies bid for Shittu
Danny Shittu
Shittu has made more than 160 league appearances for QPR
QPR have accepted an initial offer of £1.5m from West Bromwich Albion for defender Danny Shittu.
The Baggies have struck a deal which could rise to £3m according to his performance and that of the club.
The 25-year-old is set to travel to the Hawthorns on Friday discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.
WBA boss Bryan Robson wants to bring in defensive cover for Neil Clement and Thomas Gaardsoe who will both miss the start of the season through injury.
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini had previously insisted his club would not accept less than £3m for defender Danny Shittu.
Watford had a bid for the giant centre-back rejected.
Shittu moved to Loftus Road from Charlton in 2002 in a £350,000 deal funded by QPR fans Matthew and Alex Winton.
He has since made 162 league appearances and is a firm favourite among supporters.
BBC
SKY - QPR accept Shittu bid
By Alex Dunn - Created on 3 Aug 2006
West Bromwich Albion have agreed a fee for Queens Park Rangers defender Danny Shittu.
After a period of negotiation between the Championship rivals an accord has been struck whereby West Brom will pay an initial fee of £1.5 million.
The fee could eventually rise to £3 million depending on various criteria that will be appearance and success related.
success related.
Shittu, an imposing central defender, has established himself as one of the more powerful performers outside of the top flight and is seen as an ideal signing by Baggies boss Bryan Robson.
West Brom defensive duo Neil Clement and Thomas Gaardsoe are currently struggling with injury and Robson has previously stated a desire to add more competition to his ranks.
Shittu will travel to the Midlands on Friday for a medical and to discuss personal terms. Skysports
Tony Roberts Desire to Play Again in the League
-
[No mention in the article re his QPR coaching position] or recent "developments."]
BBC - Chris Bevan - Roberts eyes League return
"I finished when I was 29 and I am still as hungry as ever. I would love to be a professional again" Dagenham & Redbridge keeper Tony Roberts
It is more than eight years since former Wales and QPR goalkeeper Tony Roberts played his last Football League game but he has never stopped dreaming of a return.
Now that could become reality as the veteran shot-stopper has helped Dagenham and Redbridge open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Conference with 12 games left.
Roberts, 37, is in his testimonial season at Victoria Road and after several unsuccessful promotion campaigns this could just turn out to be his year.
A serious knuckle injury forced Roberts to quit full-time football in 1998 but he has made a full recovery - Saturday's win over Southport was his 300th game for Dagenham - and feels he is performing better than ever.
There would be the small matter of an insurance payout to return if he resumes his former occupation as a professional footballer - but Roberts clearly has his heart set on one last hurrah.
"It means a lot," Roberts told BBC Sport. "I finished when I was 29 and I am still as hungry as ever. I would love to be a professional again.
"I am playing alright and I look at the likes of David Seaman, Peter Schmeichel and David Beasant who all played into their 40s.
"I can't see the lads giving it up now. They are looking so strong off the pitch too as a unit - they want success and I think they are going to get it."
Tony Roberts
"Experience counts for a lot when you are a keeper and I feel I am a better keeper now than I was when I was at QPR years ago. Mentally I am a lot stronger and I seem to know the game better."
There is still work to be done if Dagenham are to secure a League place and Roberts wants to focus on the task ahead before addressing the insurance issue - but the signs are the club will help him out.
"I have spoken to the manager John Still about it and he said they are looking into it so I have just left it to him," Roberts explained.
"I just want to concentrate on playing at the moment and all my thoughts are there.
"I've left that side of it to John and if it comes off it comes off, if not I'll have to move on.
"But when I first went to Dagenham the idea was to get in the league and if I can get them there after seven seasons at the club then I think that I'll deserve a chance."
Dagenham finished in the top five for the first four of those seven campaigns - including 2002 when they finished second to Boston on goal difference and 2003 when they lost in the play-off final to Doncaster.
They have already passed one hurdle this season though - their Victoria Road ground was assessed by the Football League on Monday and it met all their criteria.
And Roberts is confident that the Daggers can finish the job on the pitch.
"John has got the boys playing the way he wants them," Roberts said.
"Since he came in we have been steadily rebuilding and the club is run professionally on and off the pitch.
"He is getting his rewards now. The players we have are hungry, fit and strong. We have a spirit now where we go out and we don't think we are going to get beaten.
"I can't see the lads giving it up now. They are looking so strong off the pitch too as a unit. They want success and I think they are going to get it." BBC
[No mention in the article re his QPR coaching position] or recent "developments."]
BBC - Chris Bevan - Roberts eyes League return
"I finished when I was 29 and I am still as hungry as ever. I would love to be a professional again" Dagenham & Redbridge keeper Tony Roberts
It is more than eight years since former Wales and QPR goalkeeper Tony Roberts played his last Football League game but he has never stopped dreaming of a return.
Now that could become reality as the veteran shot-stopper has helped Dagenham and Redbridge open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Conference with 12 games left.
Roberts, 37, is in his testimonial season at Victoria Road and after several unsuccessful promotion campaigns this could just turn out to be his year.
A serious knuckle injury forced Roberts to quit full-time football in 1998 but he has made a full recovery - Saturday's win over Southport was his 300th game for Dagenham - and feels he is performing better than ever.
There would be the small matter of an insurance payout to return if he resumes his former occupation as a professional footballer - but Roberts clearly has his heart set on one last hurrah.
"It means a lot," Roberts told BBC Sport. "I finished when I was 29 and I am still as hungry as ever. I would love to be a professional again.
"I am playing alright and I look at the likes of David Seaman, Peter Schmeichel and David Beasant who all played into their 40s.
"I can't see the lads giving it up now. They are looking so strong off the pitch too as a unit - they want success and I think they are going to get it."
Tony Roberts
"Experience counts for a lot when you are a keeper and I feel I am a better keeper now than I was when I was at QPR years ago. Mentally I am a lot stronger and I seem to know the game better."
There is still work to be done if Dagenham are to secure a League place and Roberts wants to focus on the task ahead before addressing the insurance issue - but the signs are the club will help him out.
"I have spoken to the manager John Still about it and he said they are looking into it so I have just left it to him," Roberts explained.
"I just want to concentrate on playing at the moment and all my thoughts are there.
"I've left that side of it to John and if it comes off it comes off, if not I'll have to move on.
"But when I first went to Dagenham the idea was to get in the league and if I can get them there after seven seasons at the club then I think that I'll deserve a chance."
Dagenham finished in the top five for the first four of those seven campaigns - including 2002 when they finished second to Boston on goal difference and 2003 when they lost in the play-off final to Doncaster.
They have already passed one hurdle this season though - their Victoria Road ground was assessed by the Football League on Monday and it met all their criteria.
And Roberts is confident that the Daggers can finish the job on the pitch.
"John has got the boys playing the way he wants them," Roberts said.
"Since he came in we have been steadily rebuilding and the club is run professionally on and off the pitch.
"He is getting his rewards now. The players we have are hungry, fit and strong. We have a spirit now where we go out and we don't think we are going to get beaten.
"I can't see the lads giving it up now. They are looking so strong off the pitch too as a unit. They want success and I think they are going to get it." BBC
1967 Team Reunion...John Gregory on Jimmy Smith...Adam Bolder on QPR
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Other Items by Ben Kosky in this week's Kilburn Times
"Axed Jimmy responds in the right fashion" John Gregory praise for how Jimmy Smith has reacted to being dropped and noting nothing in the Chelsea deal that says he HAS to be played - Kilburn Times
"Bolder Makes His Voice Heard" - Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times
Kilburn Times
First half of Ben Kosky's article on Sam Hammam's rejected approach for QPR. The second half of the return on Saturday of a number of the 1967 Team - Kilburn Times
{Also from the Official Site - WHEN SATURDAY COMES
Saturday is set to be a special day in W12 - as Rod-nee et al return to Loftus Road to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our League Cup Final triumph.
Marsh, Lazarus, Hazell and co will all be at Loftus Road this weekend, as the R's lock horns with Sheffield Wednesday in a crucial Coca Cola Championship fixture.
March 4th 1967 is a day ingrained in the hearts of R's fans and Commerical Manager Gary Hooper and his team have pulled out all the stops to ensure the squads homecoming will be one to remember.
"The response from the players has been fantastic,'' Hooper told www.qpr.co.uk.
"The history of this Football Club should be celebrated and in this - our 125th year - it's vitally important we rejoice everything QPR.''
Saturday is set to be a special day in W12 - as Rod-nee et al return to Loftus Road to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our League Cup Final triumph.
Marsh, Lazarus, Hazell and co will all be at Loftus Road this weekend, as the R's lock horns with Sheffield Wednesday in a crucial Coca Cola Championship fixture.
March 4th 1967 is a day ingrained in the hearts of R's fans and Commerical Manager Gary Hooper and his team have pulled out all the stops to ensure the squads homecoming will be one to remember.
"The response from the players has been fantastic,'' Hooper told www.qpr.co.uk.
"The history of this Football Club should be celebrated and in this - our 125th year - it's vitally important we rejoice everything QPR.''
Marsh is pencilled in for a Q&A with QPR World prior to kick-off and will then join eight of his '67 team-mates on the pitch during the half-time interval.
Hooper added: "Each player will be introduced to the crowd at half-time and then we've got a very special surprise in store for the fans.
"It's something very few of them would have seen before and hopefully it will spur the present day side on to pick up the three points we so dearly crave.''
Over 12,000 tickets have alreay been snapped up for the clash with the Owls, but tickets are still available, in a fixture which has been designated as a 'Local Promotion'.
Season ticket holders can purchase additional adult tickets for the exceptional price of only £10 per person.
Members can purchase tickets at the normal price and any additional adult tickets at £10.00 each.
Please note this offer is only available prior to Matchday.
Tickets now on General Sale on available in all areas.
So don't delay, buy your tickets today and be part of a historic day in W12!
QPR
Other Items by Ben Kosky in this week's Kilburn Times
"Axed Jimmy responds in the right fashion" John Gregory praise for how Jimmy Smith has reacted to being dropped and noting nothing in the Chelsea deal that says he HAS to be played - Kilburn Times
"Bolder Makes His Voice Heard" - Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times
Kilburn Times
First half of Ben Kosky's article on Sam Hammam's rejected approach for QPR. The second half of the return on Saturday of a number of the 1967 Team - Kilburn Times
{Also from the Official Site - WHEN SATURDAY COMES
Saturday is set to be a special day in W12 - as Rod-nee et al return to Loftus Road to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our League Cup Final triumph.
Marsh, Lazarus, Hazell and co will all be at Loftus Road this weekend, as the R's lock horns with Sheffield Wednesday in a crucial Coca Cola Championship fixture.
March 4th 1967 is a day ingrained in the hearts of R's fans and Commerical Manager Gary Hooper and his team have pulled out all the stops to ensure the squads homecoming will be one to remember.
"The response from the players has been fantastic,'' Hooper told www.qpr.co.uk.
"The history of this Football Club should be celebrated and in this - our 125th year - it's vitally important we rejoice everything QPR.''
Saturday is set to be a special day in W12 - as Rod-nee et al return to Loftus Road to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our League Cup Final triumph.
Marsh, Lazarus, Hazell and co will all be at Loftus Road this weekend, as the R's lock horns with Sheffield Wednesday in a crucial Coca Cola Championship fixture.
March 4th 1967 is a day ingrained in the hearts of R's fans and Commerical Manager Gary Hooper and his team have pulled out all the stops to ensure the squads homecoming will be one to remember.
"The response from the players has been fantastic,'' Hooper told www.qpr.co.uk.
"The history of this Football Club should be celebrated and in this - our 125th year - it's vitally important we rejoice everything QPR.''
Marsh is pencilled in for a Q&A with QPR World prior to kick-off and will then join eight of his '67 team-mates on the pitch during the half-time interval.
Hooper added: "Each player will be introduced to the crowd at half-time and then we've got a very special surprise in store for the fans.
"It's something very few of them would have seen before and hopefully it will spur the present day side on to pick up the three points we so dearly crave.''
Over 12,000 tickets have alreay been snapped up for the clash with the Owls, but tickets are still available, in a fixture which has been designated as a 'Local Promotion'.
Season ticket holders can purchase additional adult tickets for the exceptional price of only £10 per person.
Members can purchase tickets at the normal price and any additional adult tickets at £10.00 each.
Please note this offer is only available prior to Matchday.
Tickets now on General Sale on available in all areas.
So don't delay, buy your tickets today and be part of a historic day in W12!
QPR
QPR Reportedly Reject Sam Hammam Approach
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QPR Reportedly Reject Sam Hammam Approach
Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times -
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini has turned down an approach from former Wimbledon and Cardiff owner Sam Hammam.
Hammam, together with ex-Crystal Palace and Brentford chairman Ron Noades, is understood to have sounded out Paladini about taking over at Rangers.
Although the Lebanese businessman watched the Rs' recent home game with Plymouth, his proposals have been rejected, mainly because they would involve the sale of Loftus Road.
Paladini, who took over as chairman in September 2005, has made it clear he will listen to serious offers, but is unwilling to countenance a scheme that could put the club's future in jeopardy.
Other potential investors have expressed interest in buying out Paladini and his business partner, Antonio Caliendo, but are waiting to see whether Rangers remain a Championship side next season before making their move.
Hammam, who sold the majority of his stake in Cardiff earlier this season, rose to prominence in the 1980s when he helped to create the FA Cup-winning 'Crazy Gang' at Wimbledon.
The Dons, of course, were homeless during much of Hammam's spell in charge, struggling to survive on woeful attendances at Selhurst Park and relegation from the Premiership followed soon after his departure.
Hammam then took over at Cardiff in 2001, overseeing their rise to the Championship by means of a play-off final defeat of QPR two years later, but has now handed over to former Leeds supremo Peter Ridsdale.
Noades - who was effectively Hammam's landlord during Wimbledon's groundshare at Selhurst Park - has previously shown an interest in taking over at QPR.
He was believed to have held discussions with former Rangers director Harold Winton some years ago, involving a groundshare arrangement with Brentford, then owned by Noades. Kilburn Times
QPR Reportedly Reject Sam Hammam Approach
Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times -
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini has turned down an approach from former Wimbledon and Cardiff owner Sam Hammam.
Hammam, together with ex-Crystal Palace and Brentford chairman Ron Noades, is understood to have sounded out Paladini about taking over at Rangers.
Although the Lebanese businessman watched the Rs' recent home game with Plymouth, his proposals have been rejected, mainly because they would involve the sale of Loftus Road.
Paladini, who took over as chairman in September 2005, has made it clear he will listen to serious offers, but is unwilling to countenance a scheme that could put the club's future in jeopardy.
Other potential investors have expressed interest in buying out Paladini and his business partner, Antonio Caliendo, but are waiting to see whether Rangers remain a Championship side next season before making their move.
Hammam, who sold the majority of his stake in Cardiff earlier this season, rose to prominence in the 1980s when he helped to create the FA Cup-winning 'Crazy Gang' at Wimbledon.
The Dons, of course, were homeless during much of Hammam's spell in charge, struggling to survive on woeful attendances at Selhurst Park and relegation from the Premiership followed soon after his departure.
Hammam then took over at Cardiff in 2001, overseeing their rise to the Championship by means of a play-off final defeat of QPR two years later, but has now handed over to former Leeds supremo Peter Ridsdale.
Noades - who was effectively Hammam's landlord during Wimbledon's groundshare at Selhurst Park - has previously shown an interest in taking over at QPR.
He was believed to have held discussions with former Rangers director Harold Winton some years ago, involving a groundshare arrangement with Brentford, then owned by Noades. Kilburn Times
Snippet re QPR's Tony Roberts & Jackie Bass...and re Richard Hill's Unlikely QPR Return
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[Dave McIntyre and The Times have both reported that QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini will not be reinstating Richard Hill.]
Daily Mail/Charles SaleSCREAM PARK RANGERS
THE Queen’s Park Rangers soap opera continued into the Football League awards night. Media manager Jackie Bass and partner Tony Roberts, the goalkeeping coach, in dispute over their departures from the club, were put on their own table, well away from current QPR personnel.
Ironically, Jackie was responsible for the QPR programme which was highly commended. Meanwhile, manager John Gregory’s assistant Richard Hill might have been cleared by police after the "China brawl", but findings from chairman Gianni Paladini’s own investigation will mean Hill is unlikely to return to Loftus Road.
Daily Mail
[Dave McIntyre and The Times have both reported that QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini will not be reinstating Richard Hill.]
Daily Mail/Charles SaleSCREAM PARK RANGERS
THE Queen’s Park Rangers soap opera continued into the Football League awards night. Media manager Jackie Bass and partner Tony Roberts, the goalkeeping coach, in dispute over their departures from the club, were put on their own table, well away from current QPR personnel.
Ironically, Jackie was responsible for the QPR programme which was highly commended. Meanwhile, manager John Gregory’s assistant Richard Hill might have been cleared by police after the "China brawl", but findings from chairman Gianni Paladini’s own investigation will mean Hill is unlikely to return to Loftus Road.
Daily Mail
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
One Year Ago: Club Statement on QPR's Finances and Inaccurate Reporting
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QPR Official Site - Club Statement - March 7, 2006</
QPR Official Site - Club Statement - March 7, 2006</