Flashback, One Year: John Gregory's Contract Extended and Planning For The Future

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From a year ago: April 24, 2007. What a year!

QPR Official Site -GAFFER STAYS ON
The Club are delighted to announce that John Gregory has agreed a two year extension to his current contract.
In the wake of the R's guaranteeing their Championship status with victory against Cardiff City on Saturday, Gregory has activated a clause within his existing contract that will see him remain at Loftus Road until the end of the 2008/09 campaign.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Gregory said: "I'm delighted to accept the offer made to me by Chairman Gianni Paladini.
"I feel very honoured to have been the Manager of QPR for the last seven months and to have been given the task of keeping us in the Championship. Now that has been secured, the rebuilding has to begin.
"We need to put some concrete in the foundations to make sure the Club does not sink to the appalling depths that it has done this season. That means making changes throughout the Club, which will not always be popular ones.
"I personally have never been happier. I look forward to working alongside Gianni, as we strive to build a better future for our loyal fans. All you need is love.''
Gregory joined the R's on September 20th 2006, replacing Gary Waddock, whose ten games in charge in all competitions at the start of the season heralded just two victories.
His impact was immediate, as the R's clinched back-to-back wins in his first two games, before four wins in five outings, culminating in Saturday's 1-0 win against the Bluebirds, confirmed the R's place in the second tier of English football.
Chairman Gianni Paladini expressed his delight at the news, commenting: "John Gregory has done a fantastic job in his short time in charge here and we are all delighted that he has agreed to be part of our future.
"The impact he has made since he arrived here in September has been quite staggering. The signings he has made have been inspirational and he's proven what a top Manager he is.
"He has our one hundred per-cent backing and he is most definitely the right man to lead us to what we hope will be a very bright future.'' QPR


April 24, 2007 - Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - Carry on John
JOHN Gregory has been given the green light to strengthen his squad for next season after QPR ensured their place in the Championship.
Gregory's relegation-haunted team finally clinched survival with a 1-0 win over Cardiff last weekend and the manager immediately signed a new two-year deal to stay at Loftus Road.
Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini told the Times: "It's up to John what players he wants to bring in. He knows the budget for next season and I will back him 100 per cent.
"It's not easy to find the right replacement when you change managers after five years and we believed Gary Waddock was the right one and gave him the chance to sign the players he wanted.
"Unfortunately it didn't work out, but we asked John to come in and I'm completely confident that QPR have a bright future with him as manager.
"If you look at our form in the last two months, that's what we're capable of doing. There will be a big clearout and, if we have the right players next season, we can be much higher up the table."
Gregory has already offloaded eight players permanently and sent six others out on loan since he succeeded Waddock as Rangers boss seven months ago.
And the manager vowed to make further changes in personnel when the season ends, saying: "There's a lot of hard work to be done in terms of who's going and who's staying.
"I had too many losers at the club and it took me a while to get them off our backs. There was too much laughing after we got beaten on the coach on the way home.
"Some of them forgot the score at 6pm on a Saturday night and they're not here any more. The ones that were hurting, they're still here.
"People who were employees at the club were glad to see us losing, but they've gone and if there's anyone like that here now, they'll be gone in the summer."
But Gregory paid tribute to the efforts of the players who hauled Rangers to safety with two games remaining, especially some of those who have arrived since the turn of the year.
He declared: "The day I signed Danny Cullip was the day this club started to move forward. Adam Bolder's been great for us, so has Lee Camp and [Sami] Timoska will get better as time goes on.
"It wasn't just the players I brought in, though, some of those I inherited have worked so hard too and what they've achieved this season has been incredible.
"The players have been under pressure from the first day and they've shown an unbelievable amount of courage, effort and enthusiasm on the training ground.
"The spirit in the dressing-room has got us out of trouble. I'm delighted for everyone connected with this club, now I'd like to celebrate and have a bloody good time."
Once the celebrations have died down, Gregory's task will be to keep his squad focused on their two remaining games, beginning with play-off hopefuls Wolves at Molineux on Saturday.
Meanwhile, QPR have announced a 10 per cent reduction on season ticket prices in a bid to raise attendances at Loftus Road next season.
Rangers have averaged crowds of less than 13,000 this season, compared to close on 16,000 before steep price rises were introduced two years ago.
Chairman Gianni Paladini hopes the new pricing scheme - which keeps the cost of a season ticket for under-16s at £70 and allows under-eights in for free - will help bring back the missing supporters.
Current season ticket holders have until May 31 to renew with a further reduction and Paladini stressed: "The 10 per cent discount is across the board, so there will still be a discount on the early bird rate.
"One of the main reasons we stayed up was because the fans turned out in force. Loftus Road must be a fortress next season and I want to see an extra two or three thousand people for each game.