Briatore Talking About QPR..."On This Day" Flashbacks: Ray Wilkins Departs...Assistant Manager Departure Confirmed..."QPR line up Argentinian Manager"

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Marking one year since the takeover, QPR Chairman Flavio Briatore was the guest last night on BBC Radio London. It was an interesting interview in which Briatore came across very "grounded" and that QPR wouldn't be repeating some of the financial mistakes it made in years past; but certainly not one in which QPR sounded like it was "The Richest Club in the World" or would be spending big any time soon. Presumably the interview can be heard (soon) on the Radio London/QPR portion soon.


One Year Ago...The Telegraph reported the club's confirmation of Assistant Manager Richard Hill for his role in "The China Brawl" (Where is Hill now?)
"..QPR have also confirmed the departure of former assistant manager Richard Hill following his part in the brawl that erupted during a friendly match against the Chinese Olympic team earlier this year.
Rangers dismissed Hill during the summer but have only just stated it publicly, a club spokesman saying: "Richard Hill's contract was terminated in mid-July." Hill was found guilty of violent conduct by the FA, who banned him from football for three months. He has appealed against the verdict.
QPR were fined £40,000 for their involvement in the incident, £20,000 of which has suspended until May 31, 2008.
The China team were seven days into a two-week visit to England when the brawl, which was alleged to have erupted when China's striker Gao Lin aimed a punch at defender Patrick Kanyuka, took place at QPR's training ground in West Drayton.
Both the police and the London ambulance service had to be called to the scene. Defender Zheng Tao suffered a broken jaw in the melée which involved about 30 players, including QPR first-team regulars. Telegraph


Flashback Four Years ago today:... - "QPR line up Argentinian Manager" - Ramon Diaz-
The Guardian/Jon Brodkin - September 4, 2004 "QPR line up Argentinian manager"
Queens Park Rangers are ready to make an extraordinary managerial appointment, replacing Ian Holloway with Ramón Díaz, a former Argentina striker who has coached River Plate to several trophies in his homeland.
The struggling Football League Championship club are preparing to dismiss Holloway and turn to Díaz, who played with Diego Maradona, Ossie Ardiles and others in the 1982 World Cup, scoring during the team's defeat by Brazil.
Holloway could be sacked as early as next week, although QPR - 20th in the table - may wait for another defeat or two before removing their popular manager.
Díaz has connections with a Monaco-based consortium, Barnaby Holdings, which recently acquired a stake in QPR. The consortium, headed by the former Brazil captain Dunga, has bought 10% of the club's shares and plans to purchase another 19.9% in the near future.
Díaz has an impressive CV as both player and coach. He turned out for Napoli, Internazionale, Fiorentina and Monaco among other teams before moving into coaching. The 45-year-old has had more than one spell in charge of River Plate, winning the Libertadores Cup in 1996 and several domestic championships.
He has not worked for two years after falling out with River over his salary and, after spending time with his family, has been looking for work outside Argentina. Having failed to secure employment in France, Spain or Italy he has happily accepted the overtures of QPR.
He watched the team two weeks ago at Loftus Road against Derby County and is understood to have spoken to Gino Padula, the club's left-back who was born in Argentina and played under him at River in the mid-90s.
QPR said last night that "at no stage have negotiations taken place between the club and Mr Díaz regarding managerial or coaching positions at QPR".
They stated that the club "wants nothing more than success for both Ian and the team". However, time seems to be running out for Holloway, who led QPR to promotion last season. Guardian


Twelve Years ago today, the departure of QPR manager Ray Wilkins was announced. QPR never looked back! Ray Wilkins Talking to QPRnet about his time at QPR, including re his departure
Wilkins talking to QPRnet: "....Things behind the scenes were extremely difficult, we’d started the season strongly,.... If I’m honest I think we would have bounced straight back up, Kevin of course had injured his knee at Portsmouth and we would have missed him immensely but we had enough players to get ourselves back in there. I’ve got to say that when that day came about I was absolutely devastated.
QPRnet.com: Do you think it was just down to the new owner wanting his own man in?
Wilkins "I don’t think it was entirely down to Chris, I think there were people behind him who probably wanted someone different in."

Then QPR Director and subsequent Chairman Nigel Blackburn had a different perspective - AKUTRs/Dave Thomas Interview
"... It’s a complete myth that he was sacked. He resigned. What happened was, we asked Ray to come to the board meeting. We were nearly all new directors, and we asked him to set out how he worked, how many scouts he had, was he watching games, did he prefer playing, how could he play and keep himself fit and watch players, all this kind of thing. It was fine.
At the end of the meeting, when Ray had gone, Clive Berlin said, “I don’t think Ray will make a manager”. We all said, “Look, come on, let’s give him a chance.” Next morning, Ray rang up and resigned. He’d booked a flight that day to go and see a midfield player in Scotland called Dave Bowman, who played for Dundee United. But Ray cancelled the flight and resigned. We think one of the directors rang him up and told him about those comments. I know for certain it wasn’t one of the new directors. We were new to it. We didn’t really know the inside of football that well and however much you think you know about it, nothing really prepares you for it. When Ray resigned, he then went out and told people he had been sacked. Frank Sibley said he would go with him, Billy Bonds went too because they all believed that he had been sacked and they all said they wanted to remain loyal to him.
"Why would he say that he had been sacked?
Blackburn: "I don’t know. I’ve never known that. I’ve seen Ray since and we have not discussed it. But he was not sacked." AKUTRs/Dave Thomas Interview

So Wilkins left and instead appointed Stuart Houston and Bruce Rioch (instead of Venables, George Graham or Alan Curbishly who were three names that were strongly touted.) And over the next year, Houston spent lavishly )approaching 8 million pounds + high wages) on John Spencer, Gavin Peacock, Steve Morrow, Lee Harper, Matt Rose, and finally....Mike Sheron. After Houston came Harford followed by Francis followed by Holloway...Waddock...Gregory...Di Canio...and Iain Dowie.

The Independent/Mark Burton - September 9, 1996 - Rangers searching for their Mr Right
It would be harsh to be too critical of this young QPR side, but much of their running was more in hoops than expectation.
What they desperately needed was an experienced mentor in their midst, perhaps a former international who has honed his game over years of playing at the highest level, who knows how and when to change the pace and angle of approach, and when to put his foot on the ball.
Where was Ray Wilkins? Gone west to Wycombe, gone from Ranger to Wanderer, but how Wilkins the stroller was missed in this tetchy battle at Loftus Road. Chris Wright, the club's new owner, and his board do not like to see their manager on the field, so, apparently, faced with confining himself to the part of his job he liked least, Wilkins went.
Rangers have lost a lot, and injuries have deprived them of Gallen, Bardsley, Impey and Barker. Consequently, their midfield on Saturday included an 18-year-old, two 20-year-olds and a 23-year-old (the club's prized possession, Trevor Sinclair). He bore the brunt of creating opportunities for a strike force who number only 41 years between them. Once Paul Peschisolido had cut through the more established ranks of QPR's defence with alarming ease after only nine minutes, a second successive home defeat was almost inevitable.
Not to belittle the ability of Wilkins' temporary replacement, Frank Sibley, but a clever tactician like Alan Buckley was just the man to exploit the situation, especially after his side had been stung by Colchester in the Coca-Cola Cup. Having said in the match programme there was no rush to appoint a new manager, after the defeat Mr Wright was explaining the need to find Mr Right quickly.
There is no shortage of possibilities - Steve Coppell, Alan Curbishley, Bruce Rioch, Joe Kinnear, Ray Harford, Terry Venables etc - but the etc does not, according to Wright, include George Graham or Chris Waddle. Goals: Peschisolido (9) 0-1; Taylor (88) 0-2. Queen's Park Rangers (4-4-2): Sommer; Jackson, McDonald (Maddix, 68), Yates, Brevett; Sinclair, Quashie, Murray (Charles, 68), Challis; Slade, Dichio. Substitute not used: Roberts (gk). West Bromwich Albion (3-5-2): Spink; Mardon, Burgess (Smith, 59), Raven; Holmes, Hamilton, Sneekes, Groves, Nicholson; Peschisolido (Taylor, 80), Hunt. Substitute not used: Donovan. Referee: S Baines (Chesterfield). Bookings: Queen's Park Rangers: Brevett, Challis, Quashie, Dichio; West Bromwich Albion: Raven, Mardon. Man of the match: Raven. Attendance: 12,886. Independent


Flashback "Venables rules out a return to QPR
"Queen's Park Rangers must continue their search for a new manager, after Terry Venables pledged his future to Ports- mouth to end speculation that he could make a dramatic return to Loftus Road.
Venables had been touted as a possible successor to Ray Wilkins, but admitted he is happy with his new post as director of football at Fratton Park. The former England coach, who took QPR to an FA Cup final in 1982 and the Second Division title the following season, said: "You won't be seeing me turn up at Loftus Road in the next couple of days. As far as I am concerned, it is business as normal - and business as usual for me is Portsmouth Football Club.
Venables in the frame at QPR "I am happy doing what I am doing with them. It's a nice club, a nice area and there are a lot of nice people." Portsmouth's chairman, Martin Gregory, who asked Venables to take on an advisory role to assist the Portsmouth manager, Terry Fenwick, last month, is the son of the former QPR chairman Jim Gregory - who appointed Venables as manager at Loftus Road in 1980. Venables' decision leaves the QPR owner, Chris Wright, still searching for the right man to try and take the London club back into the Premiership at the first time of asking. Wright said: "We have seen one or two people, but the current managerial merry-go-round has changed the picture. Someone we thought might be available isn't and someone we thought wasn't available is. I'd like to have someone in place before the weekend, but I don't think we'll get there. We are working as swiftly as we possibly can, but we've got to make sure we get the right person." With Venables counting himself out of the running and Ray Harford continuing to fight for his job at Blackburn, the QPR spotlight has fallen on Charlton's manager, Alan Curbishley. However, QPR's London First Division rivals warned that it will prove expensive if they try to recruit Curbishley. Charlton's executive director Jonathan Fuller said yesterday: "We have had no approach from QPR and would not welcome one. Alan has three years left on his contract with us and we also have him still registered as a player. So if he went, we would demand a considerable fee as compensation." But Fuller admitted: "We wouldn't stand in his way if he made it clear he wanted to go, but that has not happened and, hopefully, it won't." Charlton's vice-chairman and managing director, Richard Murray, who has held the financial power at The Valley since Roger Alwen stepped down as chairman, said: "I have heard the speculation that Alan is on QPR's short-list, but if they approached us for him I would strenuously resist it." Murray refused to put a price on Curbishley's services but the figure could be as much as pounds 1m and he confirmed: "If QPR want him and he wants to go it will cost a considerable amount." Curbishley, the former West Ham and Birmingham midfielder, is not commenting on the possibility of a move to Loftus Road. After taking Charlton off the bottom of the table with a 2-0 win at home to Southend on Tuesday night, he said: "It is not a fair question to put to me, although I have been flattered to be linked in the newspapers with the vacancies at both QPR and Manchester City." Meanwhile, coaches Frank Sibley and John Hollins, the former Chelsea manager, remained in caretaker-charge of Rangers for last night's game at Norwich. "