Snippets: Decade Flasback: QPR's Last Game....Matt Pickens' Future...Pat Kanyuka Looks Forward...Bob Malcolm Has No Regrets

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A Decade ago toda: May 3, 1998: QPR's last game of the season at home....Against Bury

Ray Harford's team vs Bury which - thanks to a Pollock own goal had drawn to 2-2 at Manchester City the previous week to ensure avoiding relegation - faced Bury at Loftus Road. A crowd of just over 15,000 saw QPR end their run of six successive draws with a defeat
QPR's Team: Harper - Barraclough Ready Ruddock Bardsley - Jones Peacock Quashie Scully - Gallen Slade - Subs Heinola and Yates
- Match Report
- End of season Table


re Matt Pickens Chicago Tribune's Luis Arroyave's Soccer Blog Responds to Readers Queries
Since Matt Pickens' contract with QPR was for the remainder of the season, what are the chances of Slim returning to the Fire when his deal is up in June? - Guillermo
"I asked Matt if he might return to the Fire after the QPR season is over and he responded, "I don't think so." He said he hopes he can re-sign with QPR because he likes where the club is going (the new owners are investing a lot more money into the club). I'll have more on Pickens in the Tribune next week." Chicago Tribune Blog


Pat Kanyuka Reflects and Looks Forward

Swindon Advertiser/Andy Cryer - Late show for unlucky Pat?
INJURY-plagued Pat Kanyuka is desperate to give Town fans something to remember him by this summer - as he prepares for the biggest season of his career to date.
The former Queens Park Rangers defender has hardly featured since arriving at the County Ground in January but has targeted the next campaign as his breakthrough year in senior football.
The 20-year-old Congolese international has only made 15 professional appearances since making his league debut for QPR back in April 2005 due to injury and knows he needs to start proving his reputation.
The composed centre-back has played just three times for Town, after head and groin injuries, and with just 17 minutes under his belt at the County Ground he knows he is still something of a mystery man.
Town entertain Millwall in their season finale on Saturday and, after helping Town's reserves to a 1-1 draw with Yeovil on Monday, Kanyuka will again be involved for the reserves in tonight's Wiltshire Premier Shield final at Salisbury.
He then hopes for a one last hurrah against the Lions.
He said: "Because I have heard Jerel is injured, hopefully I can nick in there and get on the bench against Millwall.
"Hopefully the gaffer might bring me on in the last 10 minutes because I have not really played at home and the last game is always the best with a sell-out crowd.
"I don't even remember those few minutes I played against Leeds at home because it was so short.
"I really want to play longer at home."
A serious knee injury disrupted Kanyuka's stay at Loftus Road and after an injury-ravaged first few years in the game, he is expecting some hard work ahead.
"It is massive for me next season," he said. "I need a new deal - that is how big it is for me.
"I just need to get playing. I have not really played much in my career because of the injuries.
"It would be nice to get a few games running. My target is 30-odd games. "There is going to be some hard work over the summer to get fit but that has to happen.
"In fact it has already started as I look to really get my Town career started."
While the former QPR man looks forward to the future, a few of his Town team mates could be pulling on the red shirt for the last time.
The likes of Andy Nicholas, Kaid Mohamed and Sofi Zaaboub have all been told their futures lie elsewhere and Kanyuka admits he knows how they feel.
He said: "It happens at every club. It happened to me and I know how they feel.
"But it is football and you have to expect that.
"At the next club they are going to take someone else's place, so I think you just accept it and get on with proving people wrong." Swindon Advertiser


Setanta/Gordon Pope - Malcolm Looks Back "Malcolm has no regrets
Motherwell defender Bob Malcolm has claimed he has no regrets over leaving Rangers.
Defender Malcolm rose through the ranks at Ibrox and featured regularly in the 2005/2006 season, but fell out of favour under Paul Le Guen and opted to move on.
Spells at Derby and QPR failed to work out for Malcolm who headed back to Scotland this term.
He will come face to face with his former club, live on Setanta Sports, on Saturday and despite Rangers chasing a Quadruple he has no regrets over his career choices.
“If I had the chance again, I would have done the same thing,” Malcolm Setanta Sports’ Inside the SPL.
“A new manager came in to Rangers and he had different views but I’d still definitely take the same move if I had the chance again.”
Malcolm is determined to rebuild his career at Fir Park and feels he has a lot more to offer.
He said: “I came and I hadn’t trained for six weeks, I did my own training but I hadn’t kicked a ball so it’s been beneficial for the gaffer to have a look at me and see what my fitness was like, and for me to have a look at the club, as well.
“I spoke to the manager after the first couple of games and he put me on a programme which would get me back to fitness within a couple of weeks. It has definitely done the job and I feel as if I’m not 100 percent but I’m getting close.” Setanta