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Mirror - ON THE UP.. AND UP YET AGAIN -WEST BROM DEFENDER NEIL CLEMENT
Promotion hat-tricks in football are as rare as bus passengers with the correct change, but Neil Clement is on the brink of a unique treble. By tonight, West Bromwich Albion defender Clement could be celebrating his third elevation to the PremierLeague in five years with the same club under different managers....
In a nostalgic twist, Clement could clinch the Championship title in his 300th game for Albion next Sunday at Queens Park Rangers, where Clement's late father Dave is still a Hoops legend, with his five-year-old daughter Olivia as mascot.
Dry your eyes, settle down and pay attention. The Baggies are not there yet. But even chocoholic manager Tony Mowbray knows only the crumbliest, flakiest defence would blow it now. The only player who comes close to matching Clement's achievement is Malky Mackay, who went up to the Premier League three years running with Norwich, West Ham and Watford. But Clement's feat would be something special for a footballing family in which his brother, Paul, is academy coach at beaten FA Youth Cup finalists Chelsea.
Neil, 29, said: "This time promotion would mean more to me, simply because I've had to come through a serious injury and some difficulties off the pitch. I would love to seal the title at QPR because of the emotional aspect. I hope my little girl will come out on the pitch with me because I have pictures on the wall at home of me running out at Loftus Road when I was only three years old.
"It would be nice if we could make it three generations of the Clement dynasty who have kicked a ball on that pitch. If my dad's looking down onus, I hope the last two games of the season will make him proud. He's sorely missed by the whole family, but his name lives on.
"Even 25 years later, QPR fans come up to me and say: 'Your old man was a legend' - which is a great tribute to him in itself. But what makes it even more special is when people tell me what a nice fella he was.
"People say his QPR team of 1975-6, who were pipped to the title by Liverpool, were the best side never to be champions so I'm just proud to be following in those footsteps.... Mirror
Times- Neil Clement hoping to celebrate two promotions in one season
Peter Lansley
"...Talking of going back home, Clement can envisage clinching a first title medal next week away to Queens Park Rangers, for whom his father, Dave, played for 14 years before his career ended in tragic fashion. Having moved on to Wimbledon, he broke a leg and, believing that his career was over, fell into depression and committed suicide.
“Of course it would be nice to put the seal on it at QPR because of the emotional aspect,” Clement said. “I hope my little girl [Olivia, 5] will come out on the pitch with me because I have pictures on the wall at home of me running out at Loftus Road when I was only 3. It would be nice if we could make it three generations of the Clement dynasty who have kicked a ball on that pitch.
“If my dad's looking down on us, I hope the last two games of the season will make him proud. He's sorely missed by the whole family, but his name lives on. Even 25 years on, QPR fans come up to me and say ‘your old man was a legend' - which is a great tribute in itself - but what makes it even more special is when people tell me what a nice fellow he was.”
Clement is relishing playing for such high stakes again and he believes that another promotion would be all the sweeter for the period he spent out of the game. “It was a tough time,” he said. “Some days were gruelling and it was tough to stay mentally focused. I never thought I couldn't do it. The loan period at Hull really made it strong and good. I worked hard in the gym...The Times
Also yesterday's QPR Report re Neil Clement
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Saturday, April 26, 2008
More From Ex-QPR's Dave Clement Son on His Father, Daughter and QPR
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