QPR REPORT

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- For up-to-date QPR and football news....For serious discussions where QOR (and only QPR) matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions are welcomed just without the ad-hominems. Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. If you see stories on this blog that you want to comment on, just post your views on the QPR Report Messageboard! Posted today:
- One-time-close-to-joining-QPR Avery John now in the MLS
- University Finals Held at Loftus Road
- Brief Video Snippets of QPR with Don Givens and Stan Bowles in 1972/73.

- Groundsmen of the Year Awards Announced


London Informer - QPR to lose Blackstock due to Forest offer

- QPR HAVE refused to match the near £3,000-a-week pay-rise Dexter Blackstock will get if he signs for Nottingham Forest permanently - and have resigned themselves to losing their leading striker.
- Hoops' last hope of enticing Blackstock back to Loftus Road disappeared when Forest secured their Championship status on Monday night after Norwich's defeat to Reading.
- Rangers had wanted the 22-year-old's return after they were forced to loan out a player not able to get into sacked boss Paulo Sousa's team.
- But once the Portuguese manager departed three weeks ago, moves were afoot to reclaim the striker they paid Southampton £750,000 for three seasons ago.
- Blackstock is believed to be on something like £9k-a-week in west London - but once he let it be known he wanted to stay with Forest, Rs slapped a £2million price tag on the Oxford-born player.
- Blackstock said: "I am enjoying it (at Forest) and everything about the club is great. The fan base, ground, training ground and the management staff. It is a massive club. If QPR accept a fee for me it's up to me to leave.'
- Blackstock carried on his goalscoring exploits with the Reds' and netted twice in his five appearances, including last Saturday's 1-1 draw at Blackpool.
- Forest's chief executive is also expected to write out a second cheque for wantaway keeper Lee Camp, who was also on loan at the City Ground earlier in the season. London Informer


London Informer - Adebola deal hanging in the balance
- QPR will not agree a two-year deal with Dele Adebola and have thrown the striker's arrival at the club next season into doubt.
- Rangers want the much-travelled player to fill the gap that's about to be left by Dexter Blackstock, who's on his way to Nottingham Forest. But the man who will be 34 in June wants a two-year contract - and not the one year offered by the Hoops.
- An Rs insider said: "Discussions could continue, but paying excellent wages to someone who will be 36 by time the contract he wants, ends, is not going to be easy to agree."
- Adebola has already refused a one-year deal at current club Bristol City and is available on a free under the Bosman ruling.

- The season-long loan for midfielder Adel Taarabt next year, may be off as well, after he returned to Tottenham with a knee injury requiring surgery. The 19-year-old
- Morocco international suffered the blow in training on Friday, forcing him to miss Saturday's goalless draw with Plymouth. Rangers will review a move to bring Taarabt back for 2009/10 after a scan has shown a cartilage tear that's brought a premature end to his season.
- Taarabt made seven appearances for Rangers and scored one goal in the 2-1 win over Bristol City last month.

- QPR were also counting the cost of their cancelled end-of-season tour to Bahrain this week.
- The tour, which was to have netted the club about £100,000, was called off when most of the Bahranian FA decided to support one of their member's candidacy to the FIFA executive committee, in a meeting in Kuala Lumpur at the same time. London Informer


This is London/Raoul Simons Dishing the dirt on Mutu's shirt
- An own goal was scored by organisers of an auction at Queens Park Rangers' end-of-season dinner on Saturday night. Host Rodney Marsh was asked to invite bids for Adrian Mutu's Fiorentina shirt — donated by a sponsor — and not surprisingly none were forthcoming.
- One of those attending the £70-per-head event told Talk: “What Rangers fan would want a Mutu shirt? Not only was he banned for cocaine but he played for Chelsea — our biggest rivals!” This is London

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For up-to-date QPR and football news....For serious discussions where QOR (and only QPR) matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions are welcomed just without the ad-hominems. Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. If you see stories on this blog that you want to comment on, just post your views on the QPR Report Messageboard!
- Posted today: One-time-close-to-joining-QPR Avery John now in the MLS..... University Finals Held at Loftus Road...Brief Video Snippets of QPR with Don Givens and Stan Bowles in 1972/73...Flashback: Considering a Premier Division Two


This is London/Raoul Simons Dishing the dirt on Mutu's shirt
- An own goal was scored by organisers of an auction at Queens Park Rangers' end-of-season dinner on Saturday night. Host Rodney Marsh was asked to invite bids for Adrian Mutu's Fiorentina shirt — donated by a sponsor — and not surprisingly none were forthcoming.
- One of those attending the £70-per-head event told Talk: “What Rangers fan would want a Mutu shirt? Not only was he banned for cocaine but he played for Chelsea — our biggest rivals!” This is London


Posted on the Official Site a couple of weeks ago. Not clear (to me at least) if any other changes coming

QPR Official Site - SEASON TICKET PRICES REDUCED
Posted on: Fri 10 Apr 2009
- The Club is pleased to announce a reduction of the previously advertised Season Ticket prices for the 2009/10 season, as well as an extension to the Early Bird offer by a further month.
- After careful consideration of the current economic climate, coupled with feedback from our supporters, the new Early Bird prices will show a five per-cent reduction in all areas.
- Supporters will now have until Sunday 17th May 2009 to renew their Season Tickets at the new five per-cent reduction price.- Under-8's will again be FREE in certain areas of the stadium, as we look to encourage fans of the future to Loftus Road.
- Those supporters who have already renewed their existing Season Tickets will, of course, receive a refund.
- The Club appreciates the commitment thousands of fans who have already renewed have shown and percentage refunds will be sent out from the Box Office in due course.
- As of Monday 18th May 2009, subsequent prices will be available at a 2.5 per-cent reduction on current 2008/09 Season Ticket prices, which reflects the VAT reduction this year.
- QPR Holdings Ltd Chairman, Flavio Briatore, explained the rationale behind the decision to reduce the prices, commenting: "This price reduction reflects the current economic downturn in the country, as well as the drop in VAT.
- "We believe we are not only being realistic with this new offer, but are also providing supporters with an affordable price in these uncertain economic times.
- "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I'd like to thank you for your continued support and I look forward to welcoming you back to Loftus Road next season."
- QPR Holdings Ltd Vice-Chairman, Amit Bhatia, added: "We have taken this decision following detailed discussions with fan groups and feedback from our supporters.
- "The QPR fan-base plays an integral role in the decision-making process and we were wary that the initial deadline only took into account supporters receiving one pay packet during the initial time period.
- "Therefore, we have extended the deadline by an additional month to include April's wages, and hopefully the five per-cent price reduction will make it financially easier for fans to renew their ticket ahead of the new season."
- To view a new and updated pricing matrix, click 2009-10 PRICING MATRIX QPR

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For up-to-date QPR and football news....For serious discussions where QOR (and only QPR) matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions are welcomed just without the ad-hominems. Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. If you see stories on this blog that you want to comment on, just post your views on the QPR Report Messageboard!
- Recent Articles Posted: Parents Need to Teach Kids Local Football Loyalties ...AFC Wimbledon's Success Profiled. And various topics of Discussion. Feel free to participate.


- Nottingham Forest/Blackstock "BBC Gossip "Nottingham Forest are set top open talks with QPR over a £1.5m deal for Loftus Road striker Dexter Blackstock." (Various)"


- University Finals at Loftus Road today


Virgin Media -Club needs stability - Rowlands
- Martin Rowlands believes QPR must resolve their managerial situation if they are to be successful next season.
- Gareth Ainsworth is currently acting as caretaker manager for the second time this season after Paulo Sousa was sacked earlier this month.
- And the midfielder believes QPR need to appoint a full-time boss as soon as possible.
- "Obviously the club needs stability," he told the club's official website.
- "It has not had stability because there have been a lot of managerial changes in recent years but that is not for us to talk about.
- "But obviously the club does need some stability having a manager in charge and hopefully he will pick the right system and the right players to get us to where we all want to be" Virgin Media


Virgin Media- Rowlands highlights progress
- Martin Rowlands insists QPR have made significant progress this year despite missing out on the play-offs.
- Co-owner Flavio Briatore had set the club the target of a play-off place this season but, marooned in mid-table, QPR are destined to fall short.
- However, Rowlands believes they have the potential to emulate Champions Wolves next season.
- "We have made more progress," he told the club's website. "We have finished higher in the league than we have in previous years.
- "Everyone is disappointed. Everyone wants to make the play-offs or automatic promotion.
- "Next season is going to be a big year with players coming and going - as they do at every club - and hopefully we can push on and achieve something like Wolves have achieved this year. Virgin Media



QPR Official Site - BLAST FROM THE PAST - Mark Falco
- A string of explosive volleys into the roof of the net illuminated Mark Falco's spell at Queens Park Rangers. Quite simply, he had the knack of scoring in breathtaking fashion.
- Falco notched an impressive ratio of 33 goals in 81 starts for the R's. But looking back, he is keen to play down the impact he made.
- "When the opportunities came along, I just chanced my arm really," said Falco. "I had a good technique and so I would try the spectacular shots. They seemed to come off quite a bit for me and I was happy when they went in. But I think a few flew over the crossbar as well!
- "My favourite goal for QPR was at home to Chelsea in December 1989 when we beat them 4-2. It was a left footed volley from 30 yards, which was quite pleasing. Graham Roberts was supposed to be marking me but he wasn't there. Funnily enough, I bumped into Graham the other day and so I took the opportunity to rib him about it 20 years on!
- "Apart from the goals, my job was to hold the ball up as centre-forward, fend the defender off and try to bring other people into the play. I did that fairly well throughout my career and I was always happy to carry out the donkey work for my team-mates. It was part and parcel of my game as a striker back in those days."
- During that period of the late 80's and early 90's, Rangers performed consistently well in the top-flight of English football. Indeed, Falco recalls that we gave all the big Clubs a real run for their money.
- He said: "There were some very good players at Loftus Road. The whole R's team were mainly internationals - from Dave Seaman in goal, right the way through to Roy Wegerle up front. We had some really experienced men like Ray Wilkins, Peter Reid and Trevor Francis.
- "Everyone in the squad was very close to each other and there was excellent camaraderie. We all enjoyed each other's company so that helped out on the pitch as well.
- "The fans at QPR really appreciate good football. And we played some quality passing stuff at times. We had marvellous results against many of the leading teams and it was a lovely period to be involved with the Super Hoops."
- Falco is now 48 years-old and lives in Essex. He enjoys a varied lifestyle and still keeps an eye on events here at the 'Bush.'
- "I work for a friend of mine. We've got a company that does asbestos removal and ventilation hygiene. I go out to meet and greet as I try to sell our wares.
- "I also help out with the coaching at a local semi-professional Club in Colchester called Stanway Rovers. They play in the Ridgeons Eastern Counties League. I just keep my hand in there and I enjoy it. I have also coached kids' teams and I worked at the Spurs Academy for a while.
- "I still get out on the golf course too. I bump into several people and spot some old faces, which is nice. And I continue to try to play veterans' football, although that's more of a social event." QPR

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Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. For news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. See something on this blog you want to comment on? Just post it at the QPR Report Messageboard!


- The Annual London Times "Rich List" - Richest in England: Lakshmi Mittal, Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore all listed - Also: Richest Footballers List.


Dave McIntyre/Kilburn Times - Dele deal hits a snag
- QPR's attempt to sign veteran striker Dele Adebola has run into trouble.
- Adebola is expected to leave Bristol City when his contract expires this summer, and Rangers are keen to capture him on a Bosman free transfer.
- But negotiations have stalled over the experienced striker's demands and Rangers are considering their next move.
- Adebola, who turns 34 next month, has been offered a one-year contract by City but is keen to land a two-year deal.
- Rangers are offering a one-year contract with the option of a second year should the Nigerian-born player make a certain number of appearances.
- Adebola has netted 10 goals this season for his current club, having joined the Robins from Coventry 18 months ago.
- City boss Gary Johnson admitted earlier this week he was resigned to losing Adebola, who has also had previous spells with Crystal Palace, Birmingham City and Crewe." Kilburn Times


Dexter Blackstock Makes Football League's Championship Team of The Week
- Congratulations to Dexter Blackstock Championship Team of the Week


- Profile of & Q&A With Bahrain Football President

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Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. For news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. See something on this blog you want to comment on? Just post it at the QPR Report Messageboard! - Also Posted: Flashbacks On This Date: - Two Years Ago: QPR and Witney United - Marking Five Years Since Gianni Paladini Bought into QPR - A Decade Ago: QPR Statement on Brentford Groundshare - Thirty Years ago, Clive Allen's Debut Hatrick. See also re QPR Report Messageboard">Further reports on Player of the Year Dinner and Fans Loyalty Meeting and various other items Also: Profile of & Q&A With Bahrain Football President


Goal.com - Malaga Coach Tapia: Europe Is A Reward, Not An Obligation
The over-achieving coach has once again stressed that his side will not be too disappointed if they fail to book a ticket to Europe for next term.

Malaga proved once again that their impressive achievement in the Primera Division this season is no fluke as they earned a valuable 1-1 draw against their direct rivals for Europe, Deportivo La Coruna, at the weekend.

The draw left the humble Andalucian outfit seventh in the standings, just a solitary point away from the Europa League zone, but coach Antonio Tapia has moved quickly to quell any pressure or over-expectations fans and pundits may have on his players for the remainder of the campaign.

“We have a squad that is demonstrating a lot of maturity and showing a high level of commitment, but we cannot become anxious as it will harm us,” he was quoted as saying by AS.

“I am content with where we are now. Qualifying for Europe is a reward, not an obligation. In the end, Malaga will finish where we deserve to finish. What I can say is that I am almost certain we will finish in the top eight, which is a great achievement.”

Questions were also raised about Tapia's future, as a strong finish to the campaign will see a number of bigger clubs clamouring for his signature.

“I don’t like using the media to create controversy or put pressure [on the club]. The first person who will know about my future will be [president] Fernando Sanz,” he replied.

“In November, I could have joined Queens Park Rangers but I did not sign anything. There were also rumours that I had agreed to join Real Betis, but as it turned out, they now have a new coach who could stay on if he guides them to safety.

“I will see how things go and I will speak with the president whenever he deems it appropriate.”

In addition to being just one point off the top six, Malaga are a massive nine points ahead of Real Mallorca in ninth.

KS Leong, Goal.com


Goal.com

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Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. For news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. See something on this blog you want to comment on? Just post it at the QPR Report Messageboard!
- Also Posted: Flashbacks On This Date:
- Two Years Ago: QPR and Witney United
- Marking Five Years Since Gianni Paladini Bought into QPR
- A Decade Ago: QPR Statement on Brentford Groundshare
- Thirty Years ago, Clive Allen's Debut Hatrick.
See also re QPR Report Messageboard">Further reports on Player of the Year Dinner and Fans Loyalty Meeting and various other items


Mirror - DELE IN RANGE FOR A SWITCH
- Dele Adebola is close to finalising a free transfer to QPR.
- Adebola, 33, has decided to quit Bristol City on a Bosman this summer after scoring 10 goals this term.
- The striker hopes to sign a lucrative twoyear deal with Championship side Rangers. Mirror See also: Adebloa Scoring Stats

[As noted yesterday: Bristol City Manager Johnson "He plays his cards close to his chest but we offered a year and he said he could get somewhere else for two," boss Gary Johnson told BBC Radio Bristol. ..." BBC


Dexter Blackstock speaking...about Nottingham Forest: "....He added: "I am enjoying it and everything about the club is great – the fan base, ground, training ground and the management staff. It is a massive club." Nottingham Evening Post


- So come view or post on theQPR Report Messageboard. !

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Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. For news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. See something on this blog you want to comment on? Just post it at the QPR Report Messageboard!


QPR Official Site - April 20, 2009 *R'S HEADING FOR BAHRAIN- Queens Park Rangers Football Club is pleased to announce details of an end of season training camp in Bahrain.
- The five day tour - which will run from Tuesday 5th May to Saturday 9th May 2009 - will see QPR lock horns with the Bahrain national side on Thursday 7th May, as well as showcasing the Club's community initiatives and business partnerships through our association with Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier and Queens Park Ranger's official shirt sponsors.
- QPR Holdings Ltd Chairman, Flavio Briatore, welcomed the news, commenting: "This is a fantastic opportunity for the Club to broaden its horizons in the Middle East.
- "Our relationship with Gulf Air has thrived since day one of our partnership and this tour will help build further bridges with them and at the same time, allow the local population up close and personal to both the players and the action."
- Gulf Air CEO, Bjorn Näf said: "As the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain and proud sponsor of the Super Hoops, we are delighted to be associated with QPR's visit.
- "It has been a long hard season for QPR, but with the recent win against Sheffield Wednesday it's clear that the foundations for success have been built and that next season looks set to be a historic one in the Club's proud history.
- "We are looking forward to having them as our guests and to introducing them to their Bahraini fans.
- "Football is extremely popular in the Kingdom and we are delighted to once again offer the youngsters of Bahrain the opportunity to receive coaching from QPR.
- "The previous camps we ran proved a great success and we can now build on that and further contribute to bringing on local talent.
- "I am particularly looking forward to the game against the Bahrain national team.
- "They are on a fine run of form after the fantastic win against Qatar, so it promises to be a great game.
"No matter who wins the game, the real winners will be the football loving people of Bahrain," concluded Mr. Näf QPR


April 27, 2009 QPR Official Site - BAHRAIN TOUR CANCELLED
- It is with great regret that the Club has been forced to cancel our proposed end of season tour to Bahrain.
- The R's First Team squad were due to travel to the Kingdom early next week, ahead of a friendly against the Bahrain national side on Thursday 7th May.
- However, it has recently become evident that a sizeable number of the Bahrain Football Associations' Administration, as well as Executive members, will be travelling to Kuala Lumpar to support their president, H.E Shaikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa in the days leading up to the May 8th election at the AFC Congress. Shaikh Salman is a candidate for the position of AFC Representative to the FIFA Executive Committee.
- Vice President of the Bahrain Football Association, Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, said: "It is with deep regret that we have been forced into making this decision.
- "We were all really looking forward to welcoming Queens Park Rangers Football Club to our Kingdom, but the FIFA meeting is of paramount importance to us and so we were left with no option."
- He added: "We are committed to playing this fixture again in the future and we will be working closely with the Club and Gulf Air, their shirt sponsors, to ensure we can fulfill this match in the future."
- QPR's Deputy Managing Director, Ali Russell, added: "It's a great shame for us all, but we understand the reasons behind it.
- "However, the Club is committed to developing our relationship with the Bahrain Football Association, and we will be doing everything in our powers to get this fixture played in the future."
- The BFA and QPR would like to apologise to any fans who have already booked flights and hotels and are willing to discuss compensation.
Supporters are encouraged to e-mail laressak@qpr.co.uk to discuss this further. QPR

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- Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. For news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. See something on this blog you want to comment on? Just post it at the QPR Report Messageboard!
- Posted Today: Peterborough United and Darren Ferguson Philsopophy ....Money (Some) Clubs Make From Overseasas Games...Burton Make Football League, while Southampton a Week Away from Folding


The PFA Team of the Year (voted by Players: None from QPR)
- Championship Teams of the Year – Voted by the Players - Championship PFA Team of the Year 2008/09 - By Dave Smith April 26, 2009

Keiren Westwood – Coventry City
It’s not been the best of seasons for Coventry, but it could have been a whole lot worse but for the impressive form of a keeper who has been attracting a lot of interest from Premier League clubs this season. That form earned him a call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad in February.

Kyle Naughton – Sheffield United
Kyle established himself as first choice right back at Bramall Lane but has also played in central midfield at times and impressed on each occasion. Kevin Blackwell reckons the England Under 21 international has a ‘massive future’ and he has been a key player in United’s push for promotion this season.

Daniel Fox – Coventry
Highly-rated left back Daniel has won many admirers this season, not least Newcastle United who expressed an interest during the January transfer window. Fox, who has said recently that he would like to commit himself to Coventry, has been knocking on the door of the England Under 21 squad, although he is also eligible for Scotland.

Roger Johnson – Cardiff City
Ever-present Roger has made more league appearances for Cardiff than any other City player this season and has carried on the excellent form that earned him the club’s Player of the Year award last term. His consistent performances have led to interest from other clubs but promotion-chasing Cardiiff see him as a future captain.

Richard Stearman – Wolves
Former Leicester defender Richard has impressed at club and international level alike this season, his performances for promotion-chasing Wolves catching the eye of England Under 21 boss Stuart Pearce. His debut against the Czech Republic last November earned him glowing praise from Pearce who has earmarked the Wolves man for the Euro finals.

Michael Kightly – Wolves
Having sadly been ruled out for the rest of the season with a metatarsal injury sustained earlier in the month, Michael can take some comfort from the fact he has been named in the PFA Team of the Year – and that he will probably be playing Premier League football with Wolves next season, although he will also miss out on the Under 21 Euro finals.

Stephen Hunt – Reading
Everton, Middlesbrough and Wigan were all reported to be showing an interest in Republic of Ireland international Stephen in the January transfer window, but the Reading fans’ favourite delighted those who admire him for his ability and total commitment by putting pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him a Royal until 2012.

Joe Ledley – Cardiff City
The Cardiff playmaker is recognised as one of the most naturally gifted midfield players in the Championship – and Joe has certainly impressed Welsh boss John Toshack on the international stage too. Toshack also believes the City skipper would be a hit in the Premier League too and is backing him to get there with his hometown club.

Jordi Gomez – Swansea City
The 23-year-old Spaniard has enjoyed a fine debut season for the Swans since moving on-loan from Espanyol, and manager Roberto Martinez is keen to extend his spell at the Liberty Stadium beyond the end of the season – although a move to Celtic, if rumours are true, might prove tempting for Gomez who is one of the players who make this slick Swansea side tick.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake – Wolves
With well over 20 goals to his name already this season, Sylvan has played a huge part in Wolves’ push for promotion. Having begun his career at Manchester United, the big striker who initially made his name with Plymouth, is keen to get back to Premier League level. Since joining Wolves midway through last season he has averaged more than a goal every two games.

Jason Scotland – Swansea
Whilst Ebanks-Blake has been leading the goals race in the Championship, Jason has never been far behind and he too has broken the 20 goal barrier this season – many of them spectacular, sole efforts too. Like Ebanks-Blake, the Trinidad and Tobago striker also boasts an English league ratio of over one goal in every two games. PFA


PFA - League One
The PFA present the League One team of 2008/09 season…
Joe Murphy – Sc***horpe United
Neal Eardley – Oldham Athletic
Jack Hobbs – Leicester City
Sean O’Hanlon – MK Dons
Dean Lewington – MK Dons
Fabian Delph – Leeds United
Matt Oakley – Leicester City
Chris Taylor – Oldham Athletic
George Boyd – Peterborough United
Rickie Lambert – Bristol Rovers
Matty Fryatt – Leicester City
PFA


League Two Teams of the Year – Voted by the Players
League Two PFA Team of the Year 2008/09 - The PFA present the League Two team of 2008/09 season…
Scott Shearer – Wycombe Wanderers
Neil Austin - Darlington
Simon King – Gillingham
David McCracken – Wycombe Wanderers
Thomas Kennedy – Rochdale
Omar Daley – Bradford City
Dany N’Guessan – Lincoln City
Ben Davies – Shrewsbury Town
Tommy Doherty – Wycombe Wanderers
Doherty is treading on familiar ground after being named in the 2006-07 League Two divisional team of the year. The feisty midfielder has been sent off twice this year but his tigerish performances have given Wycombe a real chance of lifting the League Two title.
Andy Bishop – Bury
Grant Holt – Shrewsbury Town PFA


QPR - "Richer Than Chelsea"
- "QPR are Richer Than Chelsea" is a chant no longer heard - even as some clubs and press still characterize QPR as "moneybags QPR". And of course, it was never-ever valid in real terms: It's the owners' money, not the clubs!

Sunday Times - Sunday Times Rich List: Bonfire of the billionaires wipes out £155bn fortune
- "....The unprecedented collapse, revealed in the 2009 Sunday Times Rich List, published today, is the biggest annual fall since it was first compiled 21 years ago....
"...The Rich List’s biggest loser, Lakshmi Mittal, has seen £16.9 billion evaporate from the collapse of the world steel market this year. Now worth £10.8 billion, Mittal remains the richest person in Britain.
- He has sustained losses of more than three times the level of Roman Abramovich, his nearest rival in the downshifting stakes, who was down £4.7 billion. The Russian’s surviving £7 billion makes him the second richest person in the UK...". The Times


BBC - "...Meanwhile, Formula 1 motor racing chief Bernie Ecclestone lost £934m, leaving him at £1.46bn, the list reported. ..."

RICH LIST TOP 10
1. Lakshmi Mittal and family, steel (£10.88bn)
2. Roman Abramovich, oil and industry (£7bn)
3. The Duke of Westminster, property (£6.5bn)
4. Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli, pharmaceuticals (£5bn)
5. Hans Rausing and family, packaging (£4bn)
6. Sir Philip and Lady Green, retailing (£3.83bn)
7. Charlene and Michel de Carvalho, inheritance, brewing and banking (£2.96bn)
8. Sammy and Eyal Ofer, shipping and property(£2.68bn)
9 = John Fredriksen, shipping (£2.5bn)
9 = David and Simon Reuben, property (£2.5bn)
9 = Kirsten and Jorn Rausing, inheritance and investment(£2.5bn)
9 = Joe Lewis, foreign exchange and investment(£2.5bn) BBC


News re Ex-QPR Pat Kanyuka
Swindon Advertiser/Anthony Marshall - Crocked Kanyuka set for lengthy spell on sidelines
- PATRICK Kanyuka’s Town career could be over as the defender looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The 21-year-old was taken off after just 13 minutes of Saturday’s victory over Bristol Rovers with suspected damage to the cartilage in his knee, following an innocuous looking fall.
And it is the latest in a long line of injuries which have blighted Kanyuka’s time at Swindon.
The former QPR man was making his first start since the end of February following groin and calf knocks, and is out of contract at Town in the summer.
Boss Danny Wilson refused to be drawn on Kanyuka’s future, but admitted his injury record is a concern.
“We think it’s his cartilage, but we’re not sure,” revealed Wilson.
“It was nothing really – he’s just gone for a header, landed on his knee and twisted a little bit.
“We’re hoping it’s not as serious as we first think, but there’s a likelihood that it is.
“He’s out of contract but at this moment in time I wouldn’t like to comment on it. We’ll have to see the extent of it first.
“He’s had a few injuries this season and it’s disappointing from his point of view.
“I quite like the lad and think he can play, but he’s had a lot of injuries so we’ll have to take all that into consideration.” Swindon Advertiser

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- Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. For news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. See something on this blog you want to comment on? Just post it at the QPR Report Messageboard! Posted Today:
- Lookback at the De Canio "Era" at QPR
- Curbishley Profiled- Flahback: Players Released and (then)Chairman Paladini Talking About the Playoffs.


Sunday People/Tom Hopkinson - QPR'S 2-DAY WEEK CHEEK
- Queens Park Rangers can expect another angry backlash from fans after it emerged that their players are being asked to train only twice a week.
- People Sport understands the club decided to cut their weekly sessions over the last couple of weeks after both promotion and relegation were ruled out.
- And although they expect to up their training again this week, the news is sure to infuriate supporters, who are still paying top prices to watch players who are only working part-time.
- And they will be once again spitting feathers as their managerless outfit lurches from one problem to another.
- There is also unrest among the Rangers playing staff over plans for an end-ofseason tour to Bahrain which will cut into their summer breaks. Rangers are sponsored by Gulf Air, the Kingdom's flag carrier."
People


From The Sunday Times 2009 Sunday Times Rich List
- "...The Rich List’s biggest loser, Lakshmi Mittal, has seen £16.9 billion evaporate from the collapse of the world steel market this year. Now worth £10.8 billion, Mittal remains the richest person in Britain.
- He has sustained losses of more than three times the level of Roman Abramovich, his nearest rival in the downshifting stakes, who was down £4.7 billion. The Russian’s surviving £7 billion makes him the second richest person in the UK. .." Sunday Times


And a Match Report:Sunday People/Alistair Grant - QPR cobbled together a shocking
- Qpr cobbled together a shocking finish to their home campaign.
- Managerless Rangers, who were tipped for promotion but will finish in mid-table, were easily second-best as Paul Sturrock's Argyle stashed a point in their survival kitty.
- The Pilgrims dominated the chances, leaving QPR co-owners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone desperately searching for a replacement for sacked Paulo Sousa to deliver the success their millions demand.
- Plymouth were on top from the start, with Paul Gallagher shooting straight at Radek Cerny and chesting down to volley another shot over.
- Karl Duguid almost bagged the opener on 17 minutes - but Jamie Mackie's superb cross bobbled and Duguid skewed wide from four yards.
- Cerny gifted Argyle another chance when he spilled a centre, but Ashley Barnes shot into the stand.
- Rangers woke up and Patrick Agyemang suddenly looked dangerous up front on his return from three months out with a thigh injury.
- Hoops' Mikele Leigertwood danced past three defenders before tumbling as his shot was deflected into Romain Larrieu's grasp.
- After the break, Gallagher snatched at a volley and fired wide and, late on, Mackie twice shot too close to Cerny from decent chances.
Qpr: Cerny 6 - Leigertwood 5, Stewart 6, Gorkss 5, Connolly 6 - Routledge 5, Mahon 5, *MILLER 8 (Ramage, 62mins, 5), Cook 6 (Balanta, 57mins, 6) - Agyemang 6 (German, 66mins, 5), Helguson 5.
Plymouth: Larrieu 7 - Gray 6, Seip 7, Barker 5, Sawyer 7 - Judge 5, Fletcher 6, Duguid 5, Gallagher 7 - Barnes 6 (Fallon, 84mins), *MACKIE 7.
Referee: N Miller 7. Sunday People

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QPR Official Site - STEW-PEAS SCOOPS TOP AWARDS
- R's defender Damion Stewart reigned supreme at the Club's annual Player of the Year Awards tonight (Saturday).
- The 28 year-old pipped fellow defender Kaspars Gorkss and goalkeeper Radek Cerny to both the Supporters' Player of the Year and the Ray Jones Players' Player of the Year award.
- Over 500 Rangers supporters were in attendance, on a night when England Under-21 international defender Matthew Connolly scooped the Daphne Biggs Supporters' Young Player of the Year award.
- R's Club Captain Martin Rowlands picked up the Kiyan Prince Goal of the Season award for his stunning strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers in December, while Gareth Ainsworth was rewarded for his excellent work in the community by scooping the Community Commitment award.
- R's fan Fred Perry received the Supporter of the Year accolade.

Roll of Honour:
Supporters' Player of the Year - Damion Stewart

Daphne Biggs Supporters' Young Player of the Year - Matthew Connolly

Ray Jones Players' Player of the Year - Damion Stewart

Kiyan Prince Goal of the Season - Martin Rowlands

Community Commitment Award - Gareth Ainsworth

Supporter of the Year - Fred Perry

*Images from the event will be available later this week.

QPR

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- A crowd of just under 15,000 at Loftus Road today saw 0-0 Draw.

- Photos From Loftus Road

- QPR Bottom of the Scoring Charts (with 41 goals) - Updated Championship League Table


QPR OFFICIAL SITE - MANAGERIAL COMMENT - AINSWORTH ON PLYMOUTH
- Gareth Ainsworth pulled no punches when describing the 0-0 draw with Plymouth Argyle.
- Speaking to www.qpr.co.uk, the R's Caretaker boss remarked, "It was hardly a classic was it! It was a typical end of season game.
- "I think they came for a point, slowing the game down a lot in the second half.
- "Fair play to them - they have every right to do that when their divisional status is at stake."
- Ainsworth added: "Neither keeper has had a difficult save to make really. Radek's kept us in it with a stop or two but neither side really dominated.
- "We didn't create too much but then it was Plymouth who needed the points more than us and we frustrated them."
- Ainsworth praised the support of the R's faithful, who turned out in their numbers to give the players a send off in Rangers' final home match of the season.
- "They were great, as they have been all season long.
- "The reception they gave the players during the lap of honour was excellent." QPR


Plymouth Official Site
- ARGYLE failed to end their season in their penultimate game, although they gave their all in pursuit of Championship safety.
- If Norwich City beat Reading on Monday night, then the Pilgrims will go into next Sunday's Home Park game against Barnsley - also not free from the drop - with their league status still uncertain.
- However, a point would be enough to make them safe, and, in the final analysis, they might not need that, depending on final-day results elsewhere.

The Pilgrims created chance after chance at Loftus Road, especially in the first half, and, although none of them were easy to convert, on another day, they would have been two or three goals to the good at half-time.

Argyle manager Paul Sturrock sent out an identical starting 11 for the fourth successive game, ostensibly the same side that had beaten Blackpool and Coventry, drawn at Birmingham, and lost at home to Doncaster seven days earlier.

However, there are those who witnessed the 3-0 home capitulation against the Yorkshiremen who would swear blind they were watching a totally different line-up to the previous three matches, even though the names remained the same.

It was a chance for the favoured to gain redemption, and they seized it eagerly.

Rangers, safe from the threat of relegation and way off the play-offs - given their backing, a season arguably poorer than the Pilgrims' - made three changes to the team that had begun the previous weekend's 1-0 defeat at Wolves: defender Mikele Leigertwood, midfielder Liam Miller and Patrick Agyemang returning at the expense of Peter Ramage, Jordi López and Rowan Vine.

The Hoops came into the game on the back of an impressive five-match unbeaten home run (victories over Sheffield Wednesday, Bristol City and Swansea; draws with Crystal Palace and Sheffield United) but had failed to win any of the five games at Loftus Road prior to that.

Argyle so nearly got the start they, and their nervous supporters on the upper tier of the School End stand, needed.

Within two minutes, Jamie Mackie's persistence in chasing a channel-ball from Carl Fletcher saw the ball break nicely for Paul Gallagher on the edge of the penalty area. Gallagher's shot was saved by goalkeeper Radek Cerny, who spilled the ball, but not quite far enough in front of him for the lurking Ashley Barnes to profit.

Argyle buzzed through the early stages, and individuals that, a week earlier, had looked as stale as Christmas cake were performing as brightly as the West London sunshine.

A second chance came their way as Rangers' defence failed to deal with another incursion down the right and the ball sat up nicely for Gallagher, whose deft dipping volley was a couple of feet too high.

An even better opportunity was spurned in the 17th minute, when Gallagher unpicked the QPR defence with a logarithmically precise pass that allowed Mackie to fire an equally measured pass across Cerny.

The ball found its way to the far post, where Karl Duguid had read the play exactly to arrive at the right time, but at the wrong angle, and the skipper could not quite force the ball in with a necessary first-time shot from a tight position.

Rangers looked like a side already mentally attending their post-match end-of-season player-of-the-year awards night, and Argyle took advantage at will without making their superiority tell in the only way that really counts.

Still, the Pilgrims occasionally had to be wary of the Londoners, especially given Argyle's woeful record when conceding first, and a right-wing cross from Wayne Routledge was inches away from finding Agyemang's head in front of goal.

A fourth decent scoring chance came Argyle's way after Cerny injudiciously elected to come for a cross by Alan Judge and flapped the ball into the path of Barnes, who, through a combination of surprise and the ball arriving at the wrong height, could not wrap his foot around it.

For all their admirable endeavour, the Pilgrims remained vulnerable at 0-0, and the fragility of their position was demonstrated shortly before the break when Leigertwood skipped merrily through the midfield to the Argyle penalty area, all the time looking to shift the ball on to his trusty right foot, before being squeezed out by a combination of Marcel Seip and David Gray.

The Pilgrims needed to start the second half as they had played most of the first - a failure to do just that in their previous away game had cost them two points - and the Green Army did their best to keep the tempo torrid.

However, Rangers' patient football dominated the opening stages of the second period, often taking them within range of the Argyle goal, but never with too much menace.

Argyle, on the other hand, carved out another glorious half-chance, Barnes nodding on a Gray throw-in for Gallagher to hook a volley just wide of Cerny's right-hand post.

The game settled into a midfield duel which occupied the Pilgrims' playmakers so much that they were unable to exert the same influence that had served them so well in the opening half.

With Barnsley winning, Forest having played, and Norwich unoccupied, the Pilgrims were very much on their own, and it felt like it.

Chances became fewer at either end, although Rangers, who quickly brought on all three substitutes for a run-out, worked themselves into decent positions.

A fallow period for Argyle ended with Gallagher firing a free-kick narrowly over, the ball's drift away somehow a metaphor for the Pilgrims' own falling away.

They rebounded to nearly secure their safety when Mackie fired off a shot that Cerny spilt but Barnes was denied from sweeping in the loose by the toe of Rangers' defender Kaspars Gorkss.

That spurred a little revival which saw Gallagher curl a shot over the crossbar after being sublimely played in by Fletcher.

In injury-time, a break by Mackie saw the ball end up at the feet of Gallagher, who again fired over.

Right at the death, Mackie broke through again, but wasted himself so much in the run that he could not fire a shot off that could trouble Cerny.

Come on you Royals. Plymouth

QPR Official Site
- The last match of the season at Loftus Road ended in a 0-0 stalemate as QPR made Plymouth Argyle wait until the final fixture of the season for survival.
- In a match of few clear cut chances, it was the visitor's who largely created the better opportunities, Paul Gallagher going close on a number of occasions, whilst in the second half, Ashley Barnes was only denied a goal by a superb tackle from
-For Rangers, Heidar Helguson, Mikele Leigertwood and Matt Connolly all had chances, Angleo Balanta gave an impressive cameo from the bench, whilst Patrick Agyemang returned from injury to play around an hour.
- But it stayed all square, despite a later Mackie sitter, and both sides earned a point.
- Gareth Ainsworth decided a change was in order after last week's loss at Wolves. They say three is the magic number, and with Agyemang returning, and Leigertwood operating at right back, and Liam Miller bolstering the midfield, Ainsworth was hoping it would be.
- With Peter Ramage on the bench, the back four looked like this: Leigertwood, Gorkss, Damion Stewart and Connolly, with Radek Cerny in goal as the last line of defence.
- In midfield, Miller joined skipper Gavin Mahon and wingers Lee Cook and Wayne Routledge, whilst Heidar Helguson partnered Agyemang in attack.
- Joining Ramage on the subs bench, strikers Angelo Balanta and Antonio German rubbed shoulders with defenders Damien Delaney and Fitz Hall.
- As the sun beat down on the Loftus Road pitch, it was the visitors who started the more positive. Danger-man Gallagher tried his luck twice - first with a venomous shot that was well saved by Cerny - and again with a dipping volley that flew narrowly over the Czech's cross-bar, as the R's failed to deal with a long throw.
- Argyle threatened again minutes later, as Jamie Mackie squared a good-looking cross into the path of Karl Duguid, but - with Cerny nowhere - the former Colchester United man could only skew his effort wide.
- With the men in bright orange enjoying the possession and the chances, Leigertwood felt obliged to open up from range after weaving his way this way and that through the luminous shirts. His left-foot effort however, flew harmlessly wide.
- Carl Fletcher increased Argyle's shots statistic by following suit seconds later, but his fierce drive took a deflection and found its way into Cerny's grateful arms at a trickle.
- Leigertwood it seemed had decided right-back wasn't for him, and he again went gallivanting off in a bid to notch the opening goal.
- Combining with Routledge, he again jinxed his way through, played a neat one-two, before attempting a left foot sot. A combination of Chris Barker and the ball not falling for him as he would've liked led to his effort bouncing away for a corner.
- Inspired, Cook tried an audacious chip over Plymouth keeper Romain Larrieu, following an exquisite pass from Routledge. The French stopper, however, read it well and was in the right place at the right time to claim.
- It was Leigertwood who was turning in arguably Ranger's best performance of the match, and when he sent Routledge off down the right, the former Aston Villa man fed Agyemang, who in turn crossed brilliantly for Helguson.
- The Icelander's header lacked enough power to bother Larrieu however.
- The second half saw Rangers pick up where they left off, passing well but lacking the final pass that would present a clear cut opportunity.
- In a bid to increase their attacking potential, Cook made way for Balanta.
- Change number two followed some minutes later, with injury forcing Ainsworth's hand. Miller limped off with what looked like an ankle injury, with Ramage taking his place.
- The third and final change saw German replace Agyemang, who had done very well on his return from injury.
- With chances at a premium, Connolly almost handed Plymouth the lead. A first-time cross from the left from Gallagher nearly caught out the young full-back, who's attempt at control with his chest evaded Cerny and - luckily - the post.
- Then, from the resultant corner, Alan Judge blazed high and wide as Rangers failed to properly clear their lines.
- Rangers, now driven by Balanta down the left-hand side, hit back. The Columbian's short corner found Routledge, he picked out Connolly, and Connolly picked out a fan sitting behind the goal with a rasping drive.
- After a driving run through the heart of the Plymouth midfield, Helguson followed suit, eager to snatch victory for his side. But once again, the effort flew wide and the score remained goal-less.
- And then, the closest either side came to scoring. Mackie went close when he found space just inside the area, and when his effort was palmed back into danger by Cerny, in stormed Ashley Barnes to try and tap in the loose ball.
- He was denied by a superb recovery tackle from Gorkss, who somehow flicked the ball away for a corner.
- Plymouth continued to press, Gallagher curling an effort high and wide as the clock ticked towards the 90.
- But despite a glorious chance at the death for Mackie, who shot straight at Cerny when clean through, it remained all square and a point apiece.
- QPR: Cerny, Stewart, Mahon, Leigertwood, Routledge, Agyemang (German 66), Gorkss, Connolly, Cook (Balanta 56), Miller (Ramage 62), Helguson. Subs: Delaney, Hall.
- Plymouth Argyle: Larrieu, Duguid, Gallagher, Barker, Sawyer, Seip, Judge, Barnes (Fallon 84), Mackie, Fletcher, Gray. Subs: Saxton, Timar, Clark, Douala Bookings: Judge (90), Fletcher (90) Referee: Mr N S Miller
Attendance: 14,779 QPR


QPR Official Site - TAARABT TO UNDERGO SURGERY
- R's loanee Adel Taarabt will undergo surgery on Monday.
- The Spurs midfielder picked up the injury in training on Friday and subsequent scans revealed a cartilage tear in his left knee.
- Since joining the Hoops on loan in March, the 19 year-old made seven appearances, scoring one goal.
- The Club would like to place on the record its thanks to Adel for his contribution during his loan period, and wish him all the best for a successful rehabilitation." QPR

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Teams: QPR vs Plymouth

QPR v ARGYLE - TEAM NEWS
QPR: Cerny, Stewart, Mahon, Leigertwood, Routledge, Agyemang, Gorkss, Connolly, Cook, Miller, Helguson. Subs: Delaney, Hall, Ramage, Balanta, German.

Plymouth Argyle: Larrieu, Duguid, Gallagher, Barker, Sawyer, Seip, Judge, Barnes, Mackie, Fletcher, Gray. Subs: Saxton, Timar, Clark, Fallon, Douala

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[Among the articles posted today:
- "Owners should be happy for the football men to run their clubs" and
- Fan Power Succeeds at Exeter- Flashback "Cristal and Caviar at QPR"


See also:(Posted Yesterday): How QPR Should Operate: Looking at how others succeeded and QPR have not: Dave McIntyre "Watch and Learn"


- Tomorrow Marks Two years Since QPR's Last Fan Forum
[From the December 13, 2007 minutes of the Fan/Club Consultative Committee Meeting of December 2007 (published on QPR's Official Site):
3a - Are the club planning on holding a Fans' forum in the future?
[Q{R's Managing Director] Alejandro Agag:
- in response, Agag said: "Yes. Sure, we can do that."
- agreed and suggested that a minimum of 2 Fans' Forums should be held per season.- the suggested timeline for these to take place were February/March and September/October
- A third Fans' Forum could be held during the season in "extraordinary" cases if necessary
- Stressed that the Fans' Forums should be for football talk and team matters and not to discuss finances or the ABC loan...."


Lincolnshire Echo - Chris Arthur blows chance of Lincoln City move
- Lincoln City boss Peter Jackson admits Chris Arthur has blown his chances of a summer switch to Sincil Bank after casting doubts over the winger's attitude.
- The Imps chief was disappointed with the speedy wideman, who has been on trial at the club pending his release from Championship club, QPR this summer.
- Jackson identified the winger as a possible target after being impressed by his performance against the Imps while playing for Kettering in the FA Cup earlier this season.
- Having shone for the reserves at the start of the month, Jackson gave the player a one-week trial.
- But the Imps chief was unimpressed by his commitment during training and revealed how he sent the left-sided player home early.
- "There was a winger called Chris Arthur, who played against us for Kettering in the FA Cup earlier in the season" said Jackson.
- "He did well and, having watched him, I gave him the chance to show us what he could do.
- "Chris then joined us for a week's training, but I sent him back early because he simply didn't have the desire and passion that I need." Lincolnshire Echo


The Times/Tom Dart - April 25, 2009 - Gavin Peacock Profiled
Pew to a thrill: Peacock has been seeking a more intimate understanding of - the word of God in Canada after a long and successful playing career
A block from Main Street, the Canmore Mountain Baptist Church lives in a hall attached to an Anglican chapel. Colourful tapestries, tropical plants and walls of sunbeam yellow contrast warmly with the snow outside. A flock of about 30 have gathered for Pastor Trevor Sato’s Sunday evening service. Wearing a blue checked shirt with rolled-up sleeves, he gives a practical sermon on reading the Bible, then grabs a guitar to strum a couple of hymns, his sons on keyboard and bass.
- Early on Sato throws the service open to the floor. A young woman at the back of the room breaks down, tearfully explaining that her husband has suffered a bad fall and she is struggling to care for him and their young family. Quickly, half a dozen worshippers surround her, support her. One kneels in front, Bible in hand, and reads out Psalm 146. “The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.” His voice is calm, clear and certain. This is Gavin Peacoc k; this is his new life.
- You will remember Peacock as one of the most astute English attacking midfield players of the 1990s in his time with Newcastle United, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers. He retired in 2002 to become that rare species, a pundit of eloquence and insight. Last summer, after covering Euro 2008 for the BBC, he did an extraordinary thing. He gave up his comfortable life in Kent and his male-fantasy job and emigrated to Canada with his wife, two children and two dogs to study divinity in preparation for a life in the church.

Home is now a chalet in Canmore, a prosperous little place in the Rockies, an hour’s drive west of Calgary and 15 minutes from Banff. Coyote and elk roam the icy golf course that backs on to the rear of the swish modern property the PeaC***s bought as a holiday retreat in 2007. Pine trees peek out from the snow swaddling the mountains that surround the town and make the 4x4s that hurry along the Trans-Canada Highway seem as mighty as dots of dust.
- Canmore is a physical waypoint on Peacoc k’s spiritual journey. A couple of times a week he drives to Calgary’s western fringe for classes at Ambrose University College, an evangelical seminary where he is at the end of the first year of a three-year masters degree in divinity. Last summer he pondered whether Spain’s 4-5-1 formation was more cunning than Germany’s 4-2-3-1. At the moment he is studying Incomplete Synonymous Hebrew Parallelism and the Syntactic Display of Greek Text.

Among his lessons are two Hebrew and two Greek classes a week, deconstructing Bible passages in their ancient form for a more intimate understanding of the word of God. Peacoc k also spent a year in Cambridge on an Old and New Testament foundation course.

Sport borrows terms and concepts easily and lazily from religion, but some parallels flow naturally: the community, the glory and the suffering, the places of worship; the saviours. After all, Peacoc k’s former Match of the Day team-mate, Alan Shearer, recently rose from the studio sofa to become Newcastle’s latest Geordie Messiah. Peacoc k understands how sport can be essential yet trivial, spiritual and secular, because his life has entwined religion and football since his teenage years.

Now 41, he became a Christian aged 19. “I walked into a youth group as a young professional footballer with money in his pocket, a nice car, promising career,” he says. “The world would say I’ve got everything. And these young people were just sitting around talking about Christ as if they knew him personally. I thought, ‘There’s something real here and something missing in my life.’

“Up until then football was my God. Suddenly, everything fell into its proper place. I realised who Jesus was and what He had done on the cross by dying for my sin.”

Peacoc k still plays — for Canmore United, the local amateur team, who train indoors each week during the long winters and treat him like one of the lads. He discusses football with enthusiasm but he talks about God with zeal. “When you score a goal you never feel more alive,” he says. “But that’s just a momentary high, it’s not reality. It’s not the truth, it’s just a glimpse of something. In the big picture my reality is my walk with God and it’s eternal and everlasting.”

Two and a half years ago the walk became a sprint. “I was at a bit of a plateau spiritually and I was drifting, I didn’t feel I was moving on in my Christian life,” Peacoc k says. “I just didn’t have that fire, that real urge and desire. And really it was a case of out of the blue, I felt a weight of conviction and I just knew I was to pursue this trajectory in life.

“I remember sitting in my study reading the Bible and suddenly the words were leaping off the page and coming alive. Just this weight of conviction, like, ‘Yeah, I want to do this but also I’ve got to do this.’ ”

The immediacy of the memory pushes him into the present tense. “Now I’m wanting to read scripture and wanting to pray and wanting to proclaim the word of God, and now I’m thinking I’ve got to give up the media and pursue this full time,” he says. “There’s a fire in me that was flickering before, but now it’s stoked.”

The plan is to return to Britain after the course, become a pastor and possibly do short-term missionary work in the Third World. “It was right to break away from it all, I get time to come away, throw myself into studies, reflect on things and go back in,” he says. “I see myself being attached to a church as a pastor, preaching and teaching, with a freedom one or two days a week to spend time going out into the country preaching Christianity through sport.

“I feel that I could go into an inner-city area and speak to kids or adults belonging to a football club and feel connected. And say, ‘Your hope is in football, but there’s something that can give us hope and joy beyond that.’ I want to say to young kids, in a country that says success is fame and having ambition and money and cars and beautiful women and sex, ‘That’s not it, you hit the ceiling and there’s something else instead.’ ”

When Sato leaves on sabbatical this summer, Peacoc k will take charge for three months and preach his evangelical, conservative Christian vision. His intensity may jolt those who remember him as the genial guy with the pencil-thin beard and sharp shirts sharing banter with Lee Dixon and Adrian Chiles on the Match of the Day 2 sofa.

“Are we radically living for Christ or are we living in a lukewarm, plastic kind of Christianity?” he asks when we speak at his house after the service. “I don’t think people are radical enough, I don’t think they really are on fire and have it in their hearts.

We’re preaching a man-centred, therapeutic gospel now. It’s a make-you-feel-good gospel and it’s a small gospel. I see a lack of respect for the authority of scripture. We need to see who He really is and we need to live in response to that.”

Outside, the light fades and unseen in the distance skiers and hikers make their way down from the mountains. Tomorrow the sun will burn off the morning fog and wash the Bow Valley with a brilliant clear blue. “People worship the beauty, but they don’t worship the creator of the beauty,” Peacoc k says. “It’s not to be found in the mountains themselves but in the creator of those rivers, valleys and wildlife. They’re just an echo, a display.”

Highlights from a match flicker distractingly on the living-room television. Arsenal destroy Newcastle and, in despair, the club turn to Shearer. Can he save them? Do you believe? “What we’re searching for in football, this coming together on Saturdays — it’s just a shadow of something else that’s in us,” Peacoc k says.

“Fans join together and experience it just for a moment with the player who’s scored or with the team’s victory. We want to partake in something of beauty, of glory, to take us out and up. Our souls were made for the majesty of Christ,” he says, not watching the screen. Voice calm, clear and certain, eyes ablaze.

Oh come all ye faithful: five famous sporting Christian converts

Jason Robinson

The former England rugby union star discovered Christianity with the help of a team-mate when his previous life in rugby league was spiralling out of control because of drinking and personal crises.

Corey Pavin

The golfer and United States captain for the 2010 Ryder Cup switched from Judaism to Christianity shortly before the 1991 US Open and credited God when he won the tournament four years later.

Linvoy Primus

The Portsmouth defender converted to Christianity aged 27 and credits his faith with improving his performances on the pitch. He is also a Christian charity worker, whose autobiography is called Transformed.

George Foreman

Had a near-death, out-of-body experience in his dressing-room after losing a bout in 1977, gave up boxing for a decade and became the ordained minister of a church in Texas.

Jonathan Edwards

The British former Olympic triple-jump champion became devout after attending a Christian youth camp and presented Songs of Praise but dramatically lost his faith after retiring from athletics - The Times

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Dave McIntyre - BBC 606 - Watch and learn
-Wolves’ promotion party, which Rangers had the misfortune to be caught up in on Saturday, was well deserved and their reward for being the kind of club QPR need to become.
- After a season of seeing Rangers’ attacking shortcomings exposed, it’s easy to look at Wolves - with Ebanks-Blake and their other strikers - and feel that more spending by Briatore and co is required.
- It was the same story a year ago, when QPR fans looked on enviously as West Brom celebrated winning the title at Loftus Road.
- But like QPR, Wolves are where they are not because of how much they spent, but how they spent it.
- Both clubs are where they are because of the way they’re run. Sadly, that’s just about the only thing they have in common.
- Off the pitch, the support manager Mick McCarthy has received and the general way Wolves operate couldn’t be more different to the way Rangers have been run since 2005. On the pitch, they have built a good team while QPR have wasted money and opportunities.
- The £1.5m paid for Ebanks-Blake, Wolves’ flagship signing, is small in comparison to the total transfer fees and wages Rangers have shelled out for since 2007.
- And like many other clubs, Wolves did the groundwork and made the important judgement calls to bring in the kind of players that could have been picked up by QPR - even without the extra millions Briatore brought to the party.
- Andy Keogh was watched carefully before being signed from Scunthorpe. He is still only 22.
- Michael Kightly, 23, has been a revelation since being signed from non-League Grays.
- David Edwards, Matt Jarvis and Kevin Foley - all 23 or under - were signed from the lower leagues.
- The highly-rated Richard Stearman, who is only 21, was snapped up from Leicester and Stephen Ward, 23, was initially taken on trial from Irish club Bohemians before being signed.
- Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessy came through the ranks at Wolves, whereas promising keeper Liam O'Brien didn't even have a full-time coach before leaving QPR for Portsmouth last year.
- David Jones was signed on a free transfer while, in fairness to Rangers, they made Karl Henry a good offer to join them from Stoke before he opted for Molineux.
- These aren’t extravagant transfer dealings by any means, yet many will still tell you the key to promotion is for Rangers’ owners to write even more cheques.
- This despite not only the example set by Wolves, but also Reading - who have not spent big to sign the likes of Kevin Doyle and Noel Hunt – as well as Burnley, Preston, Swansea and Bristol City to name a few.
- Lower down, the likes of Coventry and even Doncaster have made their money go further for them than Rangers have.
- Many seem convinced Rangers need to spend big on a striker this summer. But Doyle, Jason Scotland and Ross McCormack, who have all scored 18 goals or more this season, were signed for modest fees.
- This isn't new. It’s six years since Crewe – a club with nowhere near Rangers’ resources – celebrated promotion at Loftus Road and sent QPR into the play-offs.
- The following year, Plymouth sealed promotion against Rangers and won the title ahead of them at a canter despite having a significantly smaller budget.
- Several seasons and numerous diabolical signings later, Rangers are still being shown the way forward by better-run clubs.
- Last season was a similar story, with Stoke winning the title and Bristol City reaching the play-off final despite their limited resources.
- Shrewd business like Stoke’s capture of Ryan Shawcross and City’s signing of Marvin Elliott proved to be crucial.
- Stoke manager Tony Pulis is clear that the main reason for his success last season was his careful scouting of players.
- Rangers have done their homework and used good judgement to bring in players like Akos Buzsaky and Matt Connolly, but all too often their transfer dealings have been shoddy.
- Players are often targeted only after they’ve started to pop up on television and in the papers, or simply because so-and-so says they’re good or they’ve played for such-and-such team, so they apparently must be good.
- As Pulis put it last summer: "The biggest thing for a manager is knowing the product. And the product in football is players.
- "You don't find out about players sat around the television. You have to be out and about, on the road, watching games. It takes a lot of time to analyse what is out there."
- Several clubs, including Wolves, have worked along similar lines.
- Their signing of Sam Vokes, still just 19, spoke volumes and is a good example of the huge difference between Wolves and QPR.
- A number of clubs watched Vokes very closely at Bournemouth and felt he would make a good signing for a Championship side with time to let him develop, perhaps in the reserves initially and then as a substitute.
- That led to one or two clubs looking elsewhere while Wolves took the plunge and have eased Vokes along as only a stable, well-run club can.
- QPR’s shortcomings mean not only are they less likely to pick up this kind of player, but someone like Vokes would be handled very differently at Rangers – as the cases of Nick Ward and Emmanuel Ledesma showed.- Imagine a player like Vokes - or Keogh for that matter - at QPR.
- Rather than play down the hype surrounding him in order to limit the pressure on his shoulders, Rangers would have announced the signing with a huge fanfare, unveiling him as one of the best prospects around.
- This would partly be a self-indulgent swipe at their critics by the powers-that-be, as would the inevitable bragging about beating off competition from other clubs to get their man.
- And whereas a promising start would be played down by any sane club for obvious reasons, QPR would be beside themselves with excitement hyping up their new star. A Ledesma T-shirt, anyone?
- Then the inevitable dip in form would follow and the player is cast aside as *attention switches to the next transfer window. It's no way to run a football club.
- After all the hype, Rangers are struggling to finish in the top 10 this season despite a huge turnover of players, and it's not because they've not spent enough.
- Mercifully, soundbites from the club about emulating Wolves’ achievements have been relatively thin on the ground this week compared to after West Brom’s day in the sun in W12 a year ago.
- That’s just as well, because while QPR’s defeat on Saturday was a narrow one, the two clubs are streets apart.
- And if Rangers are ever to stand a chance of following in Wolves’ footsteps, they first need to stop walking in the opposite direction. BBC606

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- A Chairman Calls on Championship Clubs to Slash Ticket Prices to increase attendances

- Video: QPR's Comeback Goals vs Sheffield Wednesday --- Also "flashback"- Video Promoting The New Loftus Road


John Giles (Herald/Ireland) on Roy Keane at Ipswich Notes re QPR
" ...There was a lot of talk about Keane taking over at QPR and they have plenty of wealthy benefactors at Loftus Road as well. But I couldn't see any way that Keane could cope with the egos at play there and I have little doubt that it would have been a disaster if he had chosen QPR." - Herald/Ireland


Plymouth Herald - Rangers' early promise has failed to materialise
- QUEENS Park Rangers started the season as one of the favourites for promotion but will finish it among the also-rans.
There were high expectations for Rangers, whose chairman and co-owner is Formula One tycoon Flavio Briatore.
Instead, the west London club have struggled for consistency – on and off the pitch.
QPR have rarely threatened to mount a play-off push, let alone a challenge for automatic promotion.
And this season has also seen the arrival and departure of two bosses – Iain Dowie and Paulo Sousa.
- Dowie was appointed by Briatore last May but he only lasted until October.
QPR player-coach Gareth Ainsworth had a three-match stint as caretaker boss before Sousa, the former Portugal and Juventus midfielder, took over in November.
- But Sousa had his contract terminated a fortnight ago, allegedly for divulging sensitive information.
- It followed his admission that he had not been told about the departure of top scorer Dexter Blackstock in a loan move to Nottingham Forest.
Ainsworth was reappointed as caretaker boss and, since then, Rangers have won once and lost twice.
- They are 11th in the Championship, 12 points outside a play-off position, going into their final home game of the season against Argyle tomorrow.
- There is a suspicion that QPR are already looking beyond the end of the current campaign.
For example, Rangers will be wearing their 2009/10 home kit for the first time against Argyle.
And the club have also announced they will be making a trip to the Middle East next month.
- Rangers, whose shirt sponsors are Gulf Air, will play the Bahrain national team in a friendly on May 7.
- That will be four days after they end the Championship season with an away game against Preston North End.
Blackstock, the former Argyle loan signing, had grabbed 11 goals for QPR this season before moving to Forest at the end of March.
His departure was compensated for by the return of striker Rowan Vine from a long-term injury.
Vine, who has always flourished against Argyle, did not make his first appearance of the season until the start of April following a badly broken leg.
He has made four appearances, starting twice, and scored in the 3-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Loftus Road on Easter Monday.
Former Argyle fans' favourite Akos Buzsaky has not played for QPR since November.
The Hungary international suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury when QPR lost 1-0 away to Manchester United in a Carling Cup tie.
It is hoped the talented 26-year-old midfielder will be fit for the start of next season.
QPR are also currently without midfielder Martin Rowlands (knee) and striker Patrick Agyemang (thigh). Plymouth Herald


Plymouth Herald - Sturrock keen to finish season with a flourish
- ARGYLE can ensure Championship football for another season by beating Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road tomorrow.
Otherwise, the wait to find out whether the Pilgrims will win their battle against relegation will continue until at least Monday.
That is when Norwich City, who are 22nd in the Championship table, are at home to Reading in a Sky-televised clash.
Bottom-of-the-table Charlton Athletic have already been demoted to League One.
And the fate of Southampton was sealed yesterday when the Football League announced they would be deducting them 10 points (see page 36).
- But the one remaining relegation position could still be filled by any of seven clubs.
Should Argyle beat QPR in their penultimate match of the season they will definitely be safe, regardless of other results.
If the 19th-placed Pilgrims draw tomorrow, Norwich must win their last two matches to stand any chance of finishing above them.
But an Argyle defeat at Loftus Road could see them overtaken by Nottingham Forest and Barnsley, and put them firmly in the sights of Norwich.
Then the Pilgrims would face a pressure-filled encounter against Barnsley at Home Park next Sunday.
Not surprisingly, Argyle manager Paul Sturrock is hoping to avoid that last scenario.
He said: "As long as we mirror-image Norwich in terms of results this weekend, then it's happy days.
"But I don't want to limp over the line. I would like us to do our business to get over the line.
"It would leave a nice taste in our mouths for next season if we were to win the last two games."
Argyle have won seven times on their travels this season, including a 1-0 success over promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers.
They are also unbeaten in their last two away games, after defeating Blackpool 1-0 and drawing 1-1 at Birmingham City.
But QPR, who are 11th in the Championship, have an impressive record at Loftus Road this term, with 12 wins and only four defeats.
And their players know they must continue to put in decent performances while the club search for a new manager after the recent dismissal of Paulo Sousa.
Sturrock said: "It's a difficult place to go because QPR have got good home form.
"If their players want to stay there they have got to impress their owners."
Striker Rowan Vine, who has recently returned from a broken leg, is someone that Sturrock has a particularly healthy respect for.
"The boy Vine has missed most of the season so he should be flying," said the Pilgrims' boss.
"It's a difficult place to go, but no more difficult than going to Birmingham (on Easter Monday) when they needed the points to stay in the top two, or when we went to Wolves."
Argyle will have to improve considerably on their display in the 3-0 defeat by Doncaster Rovers at Home Park last Saturday.
Sturrock said: "That game isn't forgotten. I will make sure it's not forgotten. I think I have got to use it as a tool.
"We have got to appreciate we are an attitude and workrate team. That's the kind of team we are.
"And when you are that kind of team, you have to have that cutting edge all the time, as far as attitude and workrate is concerned.
"We thought it was just going to happen for us last Saturday, and the team that had played against Blackpool, Coventry and Birmingham didn't turn up.
"Their bodies were there, but the mental side of it wasn't there."
Before Argyle play QPR, Blackpool will take on Forest in a 12.30pm kick-off at Bloomfield Road.
One point would see 18th-placed Blackpool to safety.
Sturrock said: "I would probably like a Blackpool win because it keeps a team (Forest) below us with one game left." Plymouth Herald

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- Video of Briatore Talking and QPR Stadium "Promotional" Behind the scenes...and the Sheffield Wednesday Comeback Goals


- London Informer/Paul Warburton - Well-travelled Warnock comes at quite a price for QPR
- QPR ARE torn over whether to cough up a whopping £2million to bring Neil Warnock to the club as their new manager - or go for a much cheaper option.
- The Crystal Palace boss has jumped to the head of the queue after Rangers cooled over moves to reunite Luigi Di Canio with caretaker boss Gareth Ainsworth.
- Fans' favourite Ainsworth will be retained in some coaching capacity, but Rs have dropped interest in their former Italian manager, who left the club last summer.- However, Warnock openly praised the set-up he found at Rangers when he visited for the 0-0 draw between Hoops and Palace at the beginning of the month.
- He has friends on the Rs board - but the fly in the ointment is around £1m in compensation the Eagles will ask for the much-travelled coach as well as Warnock's own wage demands.
- Your favourite local paper has learned owner Flavio Briatore is warming to the idea of the 60-year-old taking over, even though he knows he will get a larger than life character that regularly hits the headlines for better or worse.
- The QPR chairman is in no hurry to appoint, however, while he mulls over 20-plus applications from a host of top names. Luiz Felipe Scolari, Sven Goran-Eriksson and Roy Keane are three of the latest to be linked with the job - none are likely to be interviewed.
- * QPR WILL make around £100,000 from a five-day tour to Bahrain at the end of the season as part of their sponsored tie-in with Gulf Air.
- The Hoops fly out just two days after their final game of the season at Preston, with one or two grumbling over cancelled private holiday arrangements. However, even the walking wounded will be the club's ambassadors on the tour that sees them take on the Bahrain national team on May 7. London Informer


Dazzling Taarabt top of QPR's wish list - Apr 23 2009 London Informer
- QPR WANT Adel Taarabt for the entirety of next season after the Spurs youngster's impressive performances over the last five matches.
- The 19-year-old Moroccan has dazzled the faithful with a blend of audacious dribbling skills and enthusiasm for the Rs cause that resulted in the winning goal in the 2-1 triumph over Bristol City last month.
- Tottenham are unwilling to sell Taarabt to Rangers, but will view a longer loan campaign in the Championship as a learning curve in the midfielder's development. However, the jury's still out over whether to offer Spanish midfielder Jordi Lopez a new deal when his current contract runs out in July.
- The former Real Mallorca player scored a stunning free-kick in the same Bristol match as Taarabt - but injury curtailed a perfect run in March and earlier this month. And doubts over the 28-year-old's fitness scuppered his move to Birmingham in December. An Rs insider said: "It will depend on how the new manager sees things, as well as Jordi's wage demands." London Informer


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Luton Today/Mark Wood - Gallens left in the tank
- Frontman keen to help Hatters regain league status
- Veteran striker Kevin Gallen has admitted that he could be swayed to stay at Kenilworth Road next season if the Hatters can keep the nucleus of their squad together.
- The former Milton Keynes Dons and QPR forward, who signed on at Kenilworth Road until the end of the season, revealed that he would love to be part of a promotion-winning team next term.
- He said: "I really do like it at Luton. I've had a great six months even though we've been relegated. I've enjoyed training. Mick is a very good manager and I like the way he wants to play football. There's a great team spirit.
- "We will see what happens in the summer. If they want me to sign we will have to sit down and see what happens. If I was offered something I would have to think about it very carefully.
-"There's nothing better than being part of a winning team and a team getting promoted. It's a great feeling and I've been a part if it a couple of times."
- Gallen has often helped glue the Hatters together this season and he thinks he still has plenty to offer.
- The 33-year-old said: "I think when I'm in there I can make a difference and make an impact. Not being big-headed, I know I can control the ball and pass it. It's nothing extraordinary.
- "The best way to play football is simple. There are quite a lot of young lads and I think they benefit when I'm out there because I speak to them.
- Communication is a big part of football. You can help people."
- And he believes Jack Wood's first inclusion on Town's bench in the 1-0 home defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night will have done the young full-back no end of good.
- Gallen said: "It's good for him. The gaffer said before the game that if someone does well in the reserves they will get their chance.
- "I think if we were winning tonight he would have come on.
- "It's maybe not fair to bring him on when we are chasing the game. The crowd doesn't look at the age."
- But Gallen was disappointed with the way the Hatters lost out to negative Wycombe.
- He added: "From the start it was 10 men behind the ball. They looked like they came for a draw and nicked a goal. We were really disappointed for obvious reasons.
- "Obviously they think we are good team. They were third in the league and supposed to be one of the best teams in the league. You wouldn't know which team is near the top and which is relegated.
- "We try and pass the ball as well as we can. We try and play a passing game and every time they got the ball they hit it long for their front man to chase it."
- Luton Today

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PFA's Give Me Football - Jim goes the way of 36 others Ipswich part company with Magilton
....Remarkably, Magilton is the 37th manager to leave his post since the start of the season – here is a list of the other casualties.
Kevin Bond – Bournemouth
Alan Curbishley – West Ham
Kevin Keegan – Newcastle
Keith Downing – Cheltenham
Alan Buckley – Grimsby
Geraint Williams – Colchester
Lee Sinnott – Port Vale
Iain Dowie – QPR
Juande Ramos – Spurs

Harry Redknapp – Portsmouth
John Ward – Carlisle
Aidy Boothroyd – Watford
Stan Ternent – Huddersfield
Simon Davies – Chester
Maurice Malpas – Swindon
Steve Holland - Crewe
Alan Pardew – Charlton
Roy Keane – Sunderland
Danny Wilson – Hartlepool
Paul Ince – Blackburn
Gary McAllister –Leeds

Simon Grayson – Blackpool
Colin Calderwood – Nottingham Forest
Paul Fairclough – Barnet
Paul Jewell – Derby
Jimmy Quinn – Bournemouth
Jimmy Mullen – Walsall
Glen Roeder – Norwich
Martin Ling – Leyton Orient
Jan Pootvliet – Southampton
Tony Adams – Portsmouth
Luiz Felipe Scolari – Chelsea
Russell Slade – Yeovil
Micky Adams – Brighton
John Sheridan – Oldham

Paolo Sousa – QPR
Jim Magilton – Ipswich
Give Me Football


From Bristol City's Official Site
- Gary Johnson will move into the top ten of the country's longest serving managers in May.
- Graham Turner today announced his intentions to step down as boss of Hereford United at the end of the season, bringing to an end his 14-year stint in charge of the Bulls.
- Turner was second in the League Managers Association list of longest serving managers in England's top four divisions, only behind Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been as Manchester United for 23 seasons.
- Gary was previously eleventh longest serving, but will move into the top ten when Turner leaves in May.
- The City boss has been at Ashton Gate since September 2005, ...
- The others in the top ten are: Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, Accrington's John Coleman, Everton's David Moyes, Reading's Steve Coppell, Southend's Steve Tilson, Dagenham's John Still, Liverpool's Rafael Benitez and Dave Jones of Cardiff City. Bristol City Official Site

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- Rodney Marsh Remembers
- Flashback: "[Steve] Slade Looks Ahead"

Compilation of Photos and Videos

From Justin Brown's Queens Park Rangers (just click on site, and then at any link)

- Of special note: QPR's Victory Parade from five years ago


Plymouth Argyle v QPR (26/12/2007)

Leicester v QPR (15/09/2007)

QPR v Celtic [pre-season friendly] (15/07/2007)

Wolves v QPR (28/04/2007)

Leicester v QPR (17/03/2007)

Southampton v QPR (30/09/2006)

Colchester Utd v QPR (16/09/2006)

Plymouth Argyle v QPR (09/09/2006)

Gillingham v QPR pre-season friendly (22/07/2006)

QPR v Crewe (01/04/2006)

Trinidad & Tobago v Iceland - Friendly at Loftus Road (28/02/2006)

Leicester City v QPR (24/10/2005)

Southampton v QPR (10/09/2005)

Coventry v QPR (20/08/2005)

Kevin Gallen's Testimonial (30/07/2005)

QPR v Iran (23/07/2005)

QPR Division 2 Promotion Parade (19/05/2004)

QPR v Cardiff, Division 2 Play-Off Final (25/05/2003)


Click on Links at Justin Brown's Queens Park Rangers FC Site

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- Rodney Marsh Remembers
- Flashback: "[Steve] Slade Looks Ahead"
- Being Owned by Billionaires: The Case of Manchester City


Dave McIntyre/Kilburn Times - Bisch switch off
- QPR have scrapped plans to sign midfield playmaker Amaury Bischoff from Arsenal.
- Bischoff, whose long-term future at the Emirates is unclear, had been pencilled in to play during QPR's end-of-season visit to Bahrain ahead of a possible move to the club.
-However, talks with the Gunners have reached a dead end and the French-born 22-year-old, who has represented Portugal at under-21 level, now looks unlikely to sign for Rangers.
- Bischoff has been a peripheral figure since his surprise move to Arsenal from Werder Bremen last summer and has made just three susbstitute appearances for the first-team, all in cup competitions.
- But the Rs will soon make their decision on whether to sign Chelsea teenager Jordan Tabor, who has been on trial at Loftus Road.
- The 18-year-old left-back has been closely assessed since his arrival and recently played for Rangers' reserves before featuring for the youth team during a trip to Sardinia.
- With his opportunities at Chelsea limited, the player is hoping to secure a move to W12 ahead of next season.
- Tabor said: "I'm still with Chelsea but obviously if QPR offer me a contract, it would be something to think about.
-"I think QPR are an emerging club with a lot of ambition and joining them would be a good opportunity for me. We'll have to see what happens."
- Rangers - who confirmed this week that they will play a friendly against the Bahrain national team on Thursday May 7, as part of their sponsorship deal with Gulf Air - are keen to sign a left-back this summer to provide competition for Damien Delaney.
- The club are also hoping to sign Bristol City's veteran target man Dele Adebola on a Bosman free transfer and have shown some interest in Swindon's 28-goal forward Simon Cox.
- And the Rs have also made initial enquiries about Swansea City midfielder Darren Pratley.
- The former Fulham man, who had two loan spells at Brentford, has played a significant role in Swansea's challenge for a play-off place this season. Kilburn Times


Crystal Palace Supporters Fan Site focuses on four ex-Palace Players, who coincidentally, all played also for QPR - Where are they now? No.7

John Burridge, Mark Lazarus, Clive Allen and Barry Silkman - where are they now?

John Burridge (1978-80)
....Lucky to be alive after recovering from a serious 1999 road accident in Oman while cycling back from the gym, he works as a pundit for the English Premier League shows in Jordan and Singapore, where he also writes a newspaper column.

Mark Lazarus (1967-69)
.... He is now a successful businessman, running a removals firm and a health centre in East London.

Clive Allen (1980-81)
....He worked as a pundit for ITV and Sky and currently manages the Tottenham reserve team.

Barry Silkman (1976-78)
".... He then coached at Southend, Crewe and Leyton Orient and a became a full-time greyhound trainer, before establishing himself as a high-profile players' agent." - Crystal Palace FC Supporters Site

See Also: The Crystal Palace Fan Site "Where Are They Now" for information about several other ex-QPR/Ex-Crystal Palace players (Andy McCulloch, Mark Dennis, Rachid Harkouk, Don Rogers, Tony Hazell - Some information from several years ago

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- Rodney Marsh Remembers

- Flashback: "[Steve] Slade Looks Ahead"

- Being Owned by Billionaires: The Case of Manchester City


Richard Langley Looks Back - Kilburn Times
THIS week I'm going to do my best to answer a few more of your questions:
..... Which coaches or managers have been the most influential in your career?
I'd have to start with Gerry Francis because he gave me my opportunity and showed me a lot of faith. You need soemone to have that belief in you when you're young and Gerry stuck with me and gave me the confidence to believe I could have a good career.
Then Ian Holloway came along and he reinforced that. I was injured when he came in and he was great in helping me get back to fitness, always saying 'Richard needs time, he'll be a great player'.
Ollie and Kenny Jackett were a great team - they did so much to bring that family spirit into the club.
I enjoyed working under Lennie Lawrence at Cardiff as well. Ollie was more defensive minded, really, whereas Lennie was all about getting on the ball and creating chances.

Which was the greater thrill - your debut for your club or your country?
The minute your professional career starts is incredible. One of the players phoned up and told me it was on Teletext that I was starting against Barnsley.
Most of my family managed to get down to Loftus Road in time to see the game and see me score too, which was an unbelievable feeling.
My international debut was at Loftus Road as well, against Nigeria in 2002, and that was a great feeling too, but nothing beats your first match as a professional footballer. Kilburn Times


Gorkss Perspective - Kilburn Times/Ben Kosky - "Gokss: hungry Wolves will be our yardstick
- KASPARS Gorkss believes QPR must match Wolves' endeavour if they are to follow in their footsteps and earn promotion next year.
- Rangers were again cast in the role of awkward party guests on Saturday as a 1-0 defeat ensured promotion to the Premier League for Mick McCarthy's men.
- The Rs defender, who completed the game with a thick bandage to protect the stitches in a head wound, reflected: "Fair play to Wolves - I thought they played with a lot of enthusiasm and congratulations to them.
- "I think the one thing that stands out about Wolves is the 100 per cent effort in every game. They chase every ball, they work really hard, harder than others and that's what we need to do next year.
- "Maybe then the other things will come. Obviously our goal this season was to go up, but hopefully next year at this time we are the ones who go up and our fans will be the ones celebrating."
- The result at Molineux meant QPR dropped to 11th in the Championship and cannot now finish higher than ninth place, even if they win their last two games against Plymouth and Preston.
- Nevertheless, Gorkss insists the Rs will not be treating those fixtures lightly as they aim to set down some kind of marker for the following season.
- "Hopefully we can get two wins to finish the season on a high," he added. "I think winning is a habit and you can't ever say 'this game doesn't matter, but the next one does'.
- "The next one against Plymouth is our last home game, so it matters for us to say thank you for the season to our fans and end on a good note at Loftus Road. Kilburn Times


Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - Wolves 1 QPR 0
- "IT'S a shame Flavio Briatore wasn't at Molineux on Saturday - he would have had the perfect opportunity to learn from a well-run football club.
- A club where the board have backed their manager, allowing him to build a promotion-winning team over three years, developing shrewd buys from the lower leagues alongside the occasional big-money signing of a proven goalscorer like Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
- A club where players seem completely committed to the cause and where loyal supporters have been drawn closer to their team rather than feeling alienated by rebranding and ticket price increases.
- Welcome to Wolverhampton Wander-ers - everything QPR are not and, under Briatore's regime, probably never will be.
- In fairness, the vast majority of the Rangers side did their best to delay Wolves' celebrations, but were deservedly defeated by Ebanks-Blake's strike just after half-time....Kilburn Times

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- Posted Earlier on QPR Report Blog "Roy Keane?...QPR's Performance Manager Motivates...QPR's Relegation Anniversary ...De Canio and QPR...Camp to Nottingham ?...Mike Keen's Funeral

Among the articles recently posted on the QPR Report Messageboard: -
- Mike Keen's Funeral Service Was held Yesterday: A Couple of accounts of the service - Among those attending from 1967: Mark Lazarus, Tony Hazell and Rodney Marsh --- On This Day, Eight Years ago: That terrible, terrible day when QPR's Relegation back to "Division III" was confirmed --- Two Years Ago Today: Win Keeps John Gregory's QPR Up
--- One Year Ago Today: Leaked - QPR's New Crest--- Where Are They Now? Tim Flowers Scouting for England U-21s --- Ex-QPR Colin Clarke Update: Coaching Puerto Rico--- Life of a Loan Player "Loneliness of the Lower League Loan Star"
--- Al Fayed's Perspective --- Football Clubs: "Financial Doping" --- The Shame of Racism in Italian Football


Grimsby Official Site
Town Fight Back To Lift Trophy - Puma Youth Alliance League Cup Final
At Loftus Road
QPR Youth 1 (Parker) Grimsby Town Youth 2 (Thompson, Freeman)
DESPITE an early set-back Grimsby Town Youth fought back for a deserved victory to lift the Puma Youth Alliance League Cup at QPR tonight.
Town showed flare and enthusiasm going forward and defended manfully throughout the game.
Kiel Thompson and Danny Freeman made sure that Neil Woods' side lifted the trophy for the first time.
Town got off to the worst possible start when they fell behind after just 6 minutes. Josh Parker's solo effort was tucked away nicely from an acute angle.

The Mariners almost pulled level on 19 minutes. Steel's free-kick found it's way to Mark Gray and his shot went just wide.

On 40 minutes Town were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box after a hand ball.. Kiel Thompson's brilliant effort was save by Putnins, who also saved the Town follow up.
Seconds later a lovely sweeping move from the Mariners ended with Kiel Thompson hammering the ball home to give Town a deserved equaliser.
Town took the lead on 56 minutes. Fuller burst past 3 players before finding Freeman to bang in his 22nd goal of the season with his right foot.
On 65 minutes QPR player Luke Ollie was sent off for a professional foul after hauling down Nathan Dixon.
Town Youth: Overton, Woods, Parker, Bird, Gray, Steel, Fuller, Thompson, Davis, Dixon, Freeman. Subs: Corner, Brittle, Moore, Deane, Peet.
QPR Youth: Putnins, Wright, Waters, Davenport, Harris, Olley, Ehmer, Smith, German, Sutherland, Parker. Subs: Bailey, Bulmer, Perring, Cox, Nanetti.
- Follow Live


QPR Official Site QPR U-18 1, GRIMSBY U-18 2
- QPR Under-18's succumbed to a 2-1 defeat in the Puma Youth Alliance League Cup Final, in front of a 1,000-plus strong crowd at Loftus Road.
Josh Parker gave Rangers a dream start with a fine sixth minute strike, but the Mariners responded with goals from Kiel Thompson (42) and Danny Freeman (57) to clinch a deserved victory.
To make matters worse for the hosts, Luke Olley saw red, as the R's finished with ten men.
After an even opening, it was the R's who took a sixth minute lead.
Livewire Parker, playing on the left of the R's three pronged attack, broke free down the left flank and after leaving two defenders trailing in his wake, fired the ball underneath Leigh Overton from an acute angle.
To their credit, Grimsby responded positively, enjoying their fair share of possession as the clock approached the quarter hour mark.
But it was the hosts who continued to pose the greater attacking threat, with Parker's pace and power causing constant problems for Mariners right back Sam Woods.
At the other end, Matthew Bird's 15-yard volley flew inches wide, before Kiel Thompson brought best out of Elvijs Putnins and from the resultant rebound, Danny Davenport's last ditch tackle averted the danger.
Grimsby were enjoying their most productive spell of the half and Putnins has to be at his agile best to make two saves in as many seconds; the first from distance and the second from close range, as the Mariners upped the ante.
Undeterred, it was Rangers who crafted the next opportunity, with Max Ehmer prodding the ball wide from 12-yards after Antonio German pulled the ball back from the right by-line.
But it was Grimsby who finished the half in the ascendancy, with Josh Fuller firing high and wide from 10-yards out three minutes before the break.
Rangers didn't heed the warning though and from their next attack, the Mariners drew level.
It was going to take an effort of some note to beat the inspired Putnins and that's what exactly what occurred. After a neat build-up, the ball found its way to Thompson and he duly let fly, smashing an unstoppable arcing half-volley beyond Putnins and into the roof of the net.

Buoyed by their goal, the Mariners grabbed a second at the start of the second half.
With the clock showing 54 minutes, the excellent Fuller broke free down the right and played the ball inside to Freeman, who made no mistake, firing home unmarked from the edge of the six-yard box.
Rangers introduced Elliott Cox soon after and whilst the diminutive wide-man had little impact by way of early touches, his presence seemed to breathe new life in to the R's.
Indeed, it was the R's who created the next opportunity of note, with Ehmer's back post cross finding German, who poked the ball wide.
But disaster struck for the hosts moments later, when Olley was given his marching orders for a professional foul, as Freeman broke through on goal.
Rangers appeared to have a couple of players covering, but referee Mr Muge had no hesitation in brandishing a straight red card.
The numerical disadvantage proved costly, as the R's - for all their efforts - failed to break down a resilient Grimsby rearguard, as the Mariners celebrated a narrow 2-1 victory at full-time.
QPR Under-18s: Putnins, Wright, Waters, Davenport, Harris, Olley, Ehmer, Smith (Bailey 87), German, Sutherland (Cox 60), Parker.
Subs: Bulmer, Perring, Nanetti. QPR

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- The QPR Report Messageboard. Visit the completely-independent, free-thinking site for news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. QPR Report Messageboard : Post if you want; or just read, if you prefer. ALL perspectives encouraged!

- Posted Earlier on QPR Report Blog "Roy Keane?...QPR's Performance Manager Motivates...QPR's Relegation Anniversary ...De Canio and QPR...Camp to Nottingham ?...Mike Keen's Funeral

Among the articles recently posted on the QPR Report Messageboard: -
- Mike Keen's Funeral Service Was held Yesterday: A Couple of accounts of the service - Among those attending from 1967: Mark Lazarus, Tony Hazell and Rodney Marsh --- On This Day, Eight Years ago: That terrible, terrible day when QPR's Relegation back to "Division III" was confirmed --- Two Years Ago Today: Win Keeps John Gregory's QPR Up
--- One Year Ago Today: Leaked - QPR's New Crest--- Where Are They Now? Tim Flowers Scouting for England U-21s --- Ex-QPR Colin Clarke Update: Coaching Puerto Rico--- Life of a Loan Player "Loneliness of the Lower League Loan Star"
--- Al Fayed's Perspective --- Football Clubs: "Financial Doping" --- The Shame of Racism in Italian Football


- Evening Herald (Ireland) Paul Hyland- Keane is linked to QPR hotseat
- Just as Mick McCarthy earns another shot at Premier League, his old foe Roy could land Championship job

- THERE'S a certain synchronicity in the fact that Roy Keane's name is back on the mat at exactly the time Mick McCarthy lifts Wolves up by the bootstraps to a promotion that nobody would have predicted nine months ago.
- Keane and McCarthy seem fated to pass like lifts in a tall building -- as one heads for the sky, the other drops to a more modest level.
- McCarthy is still cantankerous and hungry enough to want to prove everyone wrong after all he's been through and he has done a mighty job with Wolves.
- Last summer, there were strong indications that McCarthy would be looking for a new club and that Wolves would cycle through a few more managers before they would find a way back to the Premier League.
- Once again it seemed McCarthy's club ambitions would be stymied by life on the margins where loaves and fishes make up the transfer budget.
Lash
- He's won himself another shot at the big time through clever work in the transfer market and his ability to motivate a squad. While he's in the Premier League mixing with the toffs, it looks like Keane is ready for another lash but once again, with a golden spoon attached.
- The word around Cork and London for the last few days is that Keane is now odds on to sign up for a job that will make Sunderland look like a picnic, even if Loftus Road is nearer the range of fleshpots and high class shopping so beloved of the modern day professional footballer.
- Up until a couple of years ago, QPR was a small time club graced by the occasional star turn and its history is written around names rather than trophies. Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles and Gerry Francis all made plenty of headlines but not by winning anything in blue and white hoops.
- But when Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone took over, 10,000 or so hard core fans began to believe that something wonderful might be in the air.
- That belief was strengthened when Lakshmi Mittal, steel magnate and billionaire -- Britain's richest man or at least he was until the banks came tumbling down -- spent £200k of his £28 billion to buy into QPR, apparently for his son-in-law (a fan).
- The next member of the billionaire club to sign up was Vijay Mallya, co-owner of the Force India F1 team and one of the wealthiest men on the planet.
- Mallya's Kingfisher brand has been a big backer of Indian sport and he sponsors two football clubs, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and owns the Royal Challengers Bangalore cricket team in the Indian Premier League. Horse racing is another passion.
- For any manager weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of a particular job, the presence of three billionaires and the owner of Benetton in the house offer possibilities that are both heady and dangerous.
-
Aura
- These are all men who expect lesser mortals to listen when they speak and haven't become impossibly wealthy by trusting their money to strangers without strict oversight.
- Keane was lucky that his first job involved a bunch of Irishmen, rich Irishmen who were all fans of his and ready to buy into his aura.
- For him, the right environment neither existed or could exist at the Stadium of Light so he quit but that doesn't mean he has lost his belief that he can go a long way as a manager without a 10 year CV hard won in the lower divisions, fighting for the knowledge that makes managers great, if he can find men to fund his ambition.
- Niall Quinn and Drumaville made certain that he never wanted for cash and he wasted a great deal of it. When Ellis Short asked a few questions, Keane made a ruthless decision and legged it.
- The difficulty with this approach is the fact that a rich man's plans will often conflict with the normal rhythms of football -- especially if he fancies a hands on role.
- There are many rich men hovering around Loftus Road and all of them have plans. Briatore himself is hands on type of guy and likes to do training.
- The first 18 months of the new ownership don't make good reading for a martinet like Keane.
- Since the takeover, QPR have been ripping through managers at a great rate. John Gregory, Mick Harford, Luigi De Canio, Ian Dowie and Paulo Sousa have come and gone since October 2007 and the current incumbent, Gareth Ainsworth, is having his second stint as a caretaker.
- In the last few days, Briatore responded angrily to suggestions that he interfered in Sousa's team selections but admitted that the QPR board was disappointed with some aspects of his work.
Formation
- "When we beat Preston North End before Christmas, Paulo made six changes for the next match and we only drew at Charlton, who were bottom of the league. And against Ipswich, he stuck to a 4-5-1 formation when we were at home.
- "But I would like to repeat, I never once told Paulo, or any other coach for that matter, which team to pick."
- There's a yarn doing the rounds among hacks in London telling how Ainsworth left his mobile phone in the dressingroom in recent weeks and when he returned at half-time, found 62 missed calls.
- These tales tend to gather detail and volume as they travel around the press boxes but even if there was one missed call, it wouldn't augur well for an easy relationship with the next man, especially at a club which changes managers as often as a race car needs tires.
- That's why it's hard to figure why Keane would be interested -- if indeed he is. Some in London believe that an agreement is already in place with a new manager who will be named in June but can't decide whether it's Dennis Wise or the Corkman.
- It looks like a job that could rapidly descend into conflict even if it does carry the promise of a bankroll to invest in serious talent and while Keane is big enough and man enough to fight his corner, the last thing he needs on his next step in management is a short and acrimonious spell working under powerful men with egos as big as his own. - Paul Hyland - Evening Herald (Ireland)

-
- The QPR Report Messageboard. Visit the completely-independent, free-thinking site for news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. QPR Report Messageboard : Post if you want; or just read, if you prefer. ALL perspectives encouraged! Among the articles recently posted: -

- Mike Keen's Funeral Service Was held Yesterday: A Couple of accounts of the service - Among those attending from 1967: Mark Lazarus, Tony Hazell and Rodney Marsh

- On This Day, Eight Years ago: That terrible, terrible day when QPR's Relegation back to "Division III" was confirmed

- Two Years Ago Today: Win Keeps John Gregory's QPR Up

- One Year Ago Today: Leaked - QPR's New Crest

- Where Are They Now? Tim Flowers Scouting for England U-21s

- Ex-QPR Colin Clarke Update: Coaching Puerto Rico

- Life of a Loan Player "Loneliness of the Lower League Loan Star"

- Al Fayed's Perspective

- Football Clubs: "Financial Doping"


Roy Keane to QPR?
"QPR are interested in trying to tempt former Sunderland manager Roy Keane back into football but it is understood he is reluctant to join the club at this stage of the season. (Daily Mail) - BBC Gossip

Daily Mail - Roy Keane not too keen on replacing Paulo Sousa at QPR
- Queens Park Rangers are interested in tempting Roy Keane back into football but it is understood the former Sunderland manager is reluctant to join the Loftus Road club at this stage.
- The 37-year-old Manchester United legend (right) has had several offers since leaving the Stadium of Light in December but may wait until the summer before returning to management.
- Peterborough's Darren Ferguson, former Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari and Brazil legend Romario are among the names linked to the post since Paulo Sousa was sacked earlier this month. Daily Mail


Football League - QPR's Performance Manager: JohN Harbin - ONE MORE ROUND, LADS!
- Queens Park Rangers Performance Manager John Harbin knows how to fire up the team - by showing them the words of American boxing legend James J Corbett.
- A poem, One More Round, written by Corbett, sits in Harbin's office at the QPR training ground in Harlington.
- Harbin said: "There's a saying that I have taken to every club I have been to which really comes into play when the odds are stacked against you.
- "It's simple but it's effective. 'One more round.'
- "I've used the saying for the past 20 years. It means that no matter what your situation - be it in sport or life - there's always one more round to fight."
- Queenslander Harbin, a former rugby league coach, has preached the words of Corbett at Oldham Athletic, Crystal Palace and Coventry City.
- He said: "I received a text recently from Zesh Rehman, who is doing very well on loan at Bradford. It said 'One more round.'
- "An hour later, I got a phone call from Jake Cole, who's with Barnet right now, and putting in some impressive displays. The first thing he said to me was, 'One more round, John.'
- "It's a saying that you're never being beaten. It doesn't just apply to sport, it goes much further than that." Football League


Huw Turberville The Telegraph - Reading need home help while Luigi De Canio linked with QPR return
- ".....We have had a few ends of [some very short] eras at Queen's Park Rangers this season.
- I have no desire to become embroiled in the circumstances behind Paulo Sousa's exit from Loftus Road.
But it goes without saying 26 games is no real time to make an impact as manager.
[b]Luigi De Canio did not stay at the club much longer, and I thought he was great.
But wait for it, there have been reports that De Canio could come back next season to work in tandem with Gareth Ainsworth.
Whoever ends up in the hotseat - Luiz Felipe Scolari, Roy Keane or Uncle Tom Cobley - a plea to chairman Flavio Briatore, 'please give him time!'..Telegraph


FOREST LIGHT UP CAMP FIRE- Billy Davies will make a £800,000 bid for QPR keeper Lee Camp this summer.
- Nottingham Forest boss Davies worked with Camp at Derby.
- He failed twice with bids in January but will meet Flavio Briatore's asking price at the end of the season. Mirror

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- The QPR Report Messageboard. Visit the completely-independent, free-thinking site for news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. QPR Report Messageboard : Post if you want; or just read, if you prefer. ALL perspectives encouraged! -
See also:
- Mike Keen's Funeral Held Today
- U-18s Crushed by Millwall
- Video: Ledesma Scoring over the weekend
- Chesea, Manchester United, Liverpool accused of "Financial Doping"


- Video Excerpts of Wolves vs QPR

-
- The QPR Report Messageboard. Visit the completely-independent, free-thinking site for news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. QPR Report Messageboard : Post if you want; or just read, if you prefer. ALL perspectives encouraged!

- QPR to Bahrein:
Weeks after it was leaked, now official Confirmation: QPR off to Bahrain at the beginning of May:
*R'S HEADING FOR BAHRAIN
- Queens Park Rangers Football Club is pleased to announce details of an end of season training camp in Bahrain.
- The five day tour - which will run from Tuesday 5th May to Saturday 9th May 2009 - will see QPR lock horns with the Bahrain national side on Thursday 7th May, as well as showcasing the Club's community initiatives and business partnerships through our association with Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier and Queens Park Ranger's official shirt sponsors.
- QPR Holdings Ltd Chairman, Flavio Briatore, welcomed the news, commenting: "This is a fantastic opportunity for the Club to broaden its horizons in the Middle East.
- "Our relationship with Gulf Air has thrived since day one of our partnership and this tour will help build further bridges with them and at the same time, allow the local population up close and personal to both the players and the action."
- Gulf Air CEO, Bjorn Näf said: "As the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain and proud sponsor of the Super Hoops, we are delighted to be associated with QPR's visit.
- "It has been a long hard season for QPR, but with the recent win against Sheffield Wednesday it's clear that the foundations for success have been built and that next season looks set to be a historic one in the Club's proud history.
- "We are looking forward to having them as our guests and to introducing them to their Bahraini fans.
- "Football is extremely popular in the Kingdom and we are delighted to once again offer the youngsters of Bahrain the opportunity to receive coaching from QPR.
- "The previous camps we ran proved a great success and we can now build on that and further contribute to bringing on local talent.
- "I am particularly looking forward to the game against the Bahrain national team.
- "They are on a fine run of form after the fantastic win against Qatar, so it promises to be a great game.
"No matter who wins the game, the real winners will be the football loving people of Bahrain," concluded Mr. Näf
. QPR to Bahrein


- "In Case You Missed It:" - Some postings From The Weekend

Routledge Praising Sousa (Goals on Sunday, as reported by Sky Sport)
"...- Routledge admits to being more than impressed with Sousa but refused to let his departure dampen his desire to get his career back on track.
- "The whole situation was strange but we're players: my job is to play football," he told Goals on Sunday.
- "That's what we're there for and nothing will change from that perspective. I want to play and enjoy myself and hopefully win as many game as I can with QPR.
- "I want to get back into the Premier League as soon as possible. I felt we could do that speaking to the manager we had at the time, Paulo.
- "With his thoughts and how he wanted to the game to be played I thought QPR was the right place to be.
- "He was amazing. Everybody will tell you he won back-to-back Champions Leagues but in terms of my time in football I don't think I've ever met anyone with his knowledge of football. It's just not possible to catch him out.
- "I remember when I started there and I first talked to him; we must have been talking for two hours without even wondering about the time.
- "He'll be back - very soon from what I'm hearing..." Sky Sport


Darren Ferguson: No QPR Contact - "...Peterborough Evening Telegraph
'... Neither I nor the club have had any contact with QPR and I will not be going there, it’s as simple as that.” Peterborough Today

- "Flavio of The Month" "...Maybe then Briatore can turn his attention to football because, if you really want to see what a lack of credibility is, just look at the way he has turned Queens Park Rangers into the laughing stock of English football."
...and another Snippet/Comment re Chairman Briatore

- QPR's Wolves' loss: Match Reports and Managerial Comments

- STATS: With just three away wins, QPR rank 20th among Championship teams for their away record. QPR rank 23rd in goals scored.

- Approaching Seven hundred and Fifty Days Since Last QPR Fan Forum

- Sunday People Snippet re QPR/Scolari With First Choice, Darren Ferguson

- Jake Cole Back at QPR

- Forty Years Ago Today: QPR Concluded their disastrous (18 points) season in Division One with a loss at Chelsea

- Sunday Mirror claims Plan for Two Premiership Leagues

- Most Recent Blog Posts of Blackstock, Cook, Borrowdale and Watson

- An earlier QPR Approach to Season Ticket Prices (Announcement from Two Years Ago)

- When QPR last played Wolves (and Sousa was G-d!)

- Wise Supposedly Waiting till get paid

- Ex-QPR Marcus Brevett apparently involved re Southampton

- Interesting article about football Stats-

- Parliamentary Group Backs Football "Quotas"
- Gareth Southgate's Perspective

- Three Key Wolves Players (All of whom could well have been QPR Players)

- PFA Calls For Urgent Action Against Crowd Abuse

- Shittu to Birmingham?

- Fulham and West Ham Finances Update

- Footballers and the Football

- The Rules/Conditions to be Elected Real Madrid President (Alejandro Agag was listed some weeks ago as being interested)

- The European Football Supporters’ Award 2009 went to the the British National Association of Disabled Supporters

See Also: Loft for Word's Clive Whittingham on the 'Other 72': "You’re getting sacked in the morning: Queen’s Park Rangers under Flavio Briatore

-
- The QPR Report Messageboard. Visit the completely-independent, free-thinking site for news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. QPR Report Messageboard : Post if you want; or just read, if you prefer. ALL perspectives encouraged! See Also

- QPR's Wolves' loss: Match Reports and Managerial Comments
- "Flavio of The Month" "...Maybe then Briatore can turn his attention to football because, if you really want to see what a lack of credibility is, just look at the way he has turned Queens Park Rangers into the laughing stock of English football."
...and another Snippet/Comment re Chairman Briatore
- Stats: With just three away wins, QPR rank 20th among Championship teams for their away record. QPR rank 23rd in goals scored.
- Sunday People Snippet re QPR/Scolari With First Choice, Darren Ferguson
- Forty Years Ago Today: QPR Concluded their disastrous (18 points) season in Division One with a loss at Chelsea
- Approaching Seven hundred and Fifty Days Since Last QPR Fan Forum
- Sunday Mirror claims Plan for Two Premiership Leagues
- An earlier QPR Approach to Season Ticket Prices (Announcement from Two Years Ago)


Peterborough Evening Telegraph
'...Ferguson has again been forced to distance himself from press reports linking him with the vacant managerial job at Championship side QPR, this time in the little-known London Informer.
An article on the outlet’s website suggested that Ferguson had priced himself out of the job by demanding a £20,000 per week salary and a lengthy contract.
Ferguson will consult his lawyers over the article. He said: “It’s totally laughable. Neither I nor the club have had any contact with QPR and I will not be going there, it’s as simple as that.” Peterborough Today


Sky Sports - Routledge unruffled - Wayne's world turned upside down, but he stays focussed
- Wayne Routledge is refusing to let recent unrest at Queens Park Rangers get to him.
- The winger dropped in on Goals on Sunday towards the close of a turbulent season which has seen him forced out of the first-team reckoning at Aston Villa, join Cardiff City on loan before finally signing for the moneybags West Londoners.
- And then, no sooner had he settled in at Loftus Road than it was all change again, with Paulo Sousa getting the sack and Gareth Ainsworth taking temporary charge.
- Routledge admits to being more than impressed with Sousa but refused to let his departure dampen his desire to get his career back on track.
- "The whole situation was strange but we're players: my job is to play football," he told Goals on Sunday.
- "That's what we're there for and nothing will change from that perspective. I want to play and enjoy myself and hopefully win as many game as I can with QPR.
- "I want to get back into the Premier League as soon as possible. I felt we could do that speaking to the manager we had at the time, Paulo.
- "With his thoughts and how he wanted to the game to be played I thought QPR was the right place to be.
- "He was amazing. Everybody will tell you he won back-to-back Champions Leagues but in terms of my time in football I don't think I've ever met anyone with his knowledge of football. It's just not possible to catch him out.
- "I remember when I started there and I first talked to him; we must have been talking for two hours without even wondering about the time.
- "He'll be back - very soon from what I'm hearing.
- To make matters worse, Routledge and his QPR team-mates ended up unwelcome guests at Wolves' promotion party on Saturday.
- A goal from Sylvain Ebanks-Blake finally took Mick McCarthy's men back into the Premier League, but not without the odd frayed nerve here and there.

"We got there and there was tension around," said Routledge. "You could hear people singing 'we're going up, we're going up', but there was still that nail-biting tension.

"When we made chances there were big 'oohs', then when they made chances and didn't take them it got worse and worse.

"I thought 'if we score this place is going to be dead' but they scored and that was it... eruption. They didn't stop singing until the end of the game.

"I've been there, I got promoted with Crystal Palace and it's a great feeling. Obviously Wolves will be up there next season and good luck to them." Sky Sports

-
- The QPR Report Messageboard. Visit the completely-independent, free-thinking site for news and discussion about QPR and football-in-general....For a site, where only football matters are discussed...For a site where, differing opinions about QPR and football are welcomed without the ad-hominems and the shibboleths. QPR Report Messageboard : Post if you want; or just read, if you prefer. ALL perspectives encouraged!

- "Flavio of The Month" "...Maybe then Briatore can turn his attention to football because, if you really want to see what a lack of credibility is, just look at the way he has turned Queens Park Rangers into the laughing stock of English football."
...and another Snippet/Comment re Chairman Briatore

- Stats: With just three away wins, QPR rank 20th among Championship teams for their away record. QPR rank 23rd in goals scored.

- Sunday People Snippet re QPR/Scolari With First Choice, Darren Ferguson

- Forty Years Ago Today: QPR Concluded their disastrous (18 points) season in Division One with a loss at Chelsea

- Approaching Seven hundred and Fifty Days Since Last QPR Fan Forum

- Sunday Mirror claims Plan for Two Premiership Leagues

- An earlier QPR Approach to Season Ticket Prices (Announcement from Two Years Ago)


QPR Official - GAZ: IT WHETS THE APPETITE

Gareth Ainsworth remained optimistic after watching his QPR side beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers in a match that saw the hosts collect the final three points they needed to achieve promotion to the Premiership.

Speaking to www.qpr.co.uk, the R's coach revealed how watching the jubilant scenes at full time amongst the Wolves fans had whet his appetite to experience the same with his beloved Rangers. "I don't want to take anything away from Wolves today, this is their day, and they've deserved it after what they've done this season.

But today was one of their tougher games because I think our lads did very well, especially in the second half. We could've put a dampener on the afternoon with an equaliser.

But we'll be going again next season and what we've seen today is what we want as well."

Speaking about the goal - which was gifted to Wanderers after a rare error from Damion Stewart - Ainsworth could not criticize his central defender. "It's unfortunate that it's been an uncharacteristic mistake from Damion that's let them in, and he's devastated.

"He's been fantastic all season, and the only time he's made a real error, it's cost us the win." QPR


QPR Official Site - Match Report

Failing in their quest to postpone Wolverhampton Wanderer's promotion party, QPR succumbed to a 1-0 defeat in the sunshine at Molineux.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake scored the goal that takes Wolves to the Premiership, after an uncharacteristic mistake from Damion Stewart, but the R's battled well and could've snatched an equaliser had Heidar Helguson picked his spot a little more carefully.

Rowan Vine also hit the woodwork with a deflected 20-yard effort, as did Matt Jarvis direct from a corner, whilst Marlon Harewood almost punished an off-colour Stewart with a glorious chance late on.

But one goal was enough to settle the issue of whether the home side would be playing Premiership football next season, as the R's saw first-hand what was needed for themselves to feel the elation reverberating around the stadium at the final whistle.

For the trip to the Midlands, Caretaker gaffer Gareth Ainsworth made one change. Rowan Vine, the man who kick-started the R's revival against Sheffield Wednesday a week ago partnered Heidar Helguson in attack at the expense of Adel Taarabt who dropped to the bench.

That meant that the midfield four remained the same, with Jordi Lòpez and skipper Gavin Mahon in the middle, flanked by Wayne Routledge and Lee Cook.

The back five as well, looked all to familiar, as Peter Ramage, Kaspars Gorkss, Damion Stewart and Matthew Connolly made up the defence, and Radek Cerny took the keeper's jersey.

Mikele Leigertwood, Liam Miller, Damien Delaney and Hogan Ephraim completed the squad by taking their seats on the bench.

Wolves handed starts to strikers Andy Keogh and Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, with Jody Craddock partnering Christophe Berra at the back.

Almost inevitably it was the home side who started the brighter. David Edwards connected sweetly with a Stephen Ward centre from the left, and Cerny had to be at full stretch to palm his header behind for a corner.

The waves of gold shirts were coming thick and fast. Matt Jarvis cut inside on the left and tested Cerny with a well struck shot from 20 yards. The R's keeper was equal to it and got down low to save comfortably.

Rangers were weathering the storm, and very nearly snatched the lead against the run of play. Vine and Routledge combined for the latter to cross for Cook - who probably didn't expect the ball to reach him through a crowd of people - to steer wide from close range.

Back came Wolves, and Ebanks-Blake was proving a handful for centre backs Gorkss and Stewart. His determination allowed Jarvis an effort on goal, but he flashed a drive well over.

The Molineux men continued to pose the greater attacking threat, and when Rangers only half cleared their lines from a corner, Edwards returned the ball with interest bringing the best out of Cerny with a dipping 25-yard strike.

Cerny was the hero again seconds later, when he dived full stretch to cut out a dangerous Keogh cross, after the Irishman had tricked his way behind the R's defence.

Keogh was at it again in the very next Wolves attack, playing in Ebanks-Blake who once again found the fans in Row Z with a long range drive.

They were however, getting closer. When Keogh won a corner off of Ramage, many expected Jarvis to clip a ball into the box. The winger had other ideas, however, and curled his set-piece onto the cross bar as Cerny back-tracked in vain.

The second half was barely 60 seconds old, when Wolves took the lead.

Stewart's attempt to usher the ball out back-fired and when Keogh nicked in to square for Ebanks-Blake, the Championship's top scorer tapped in to an empty net to hand the home side the advantage.

In true Ainsworth spirit, Rangers fought back, looking for the break that would allow them an eqauliser. They nearly had it when Routledge escaped down the right and cut a brilliant ball back into the path of Vine.

The former Birmingham City striker took one touch before blasting a deflected strike that looked like it was going to sail over Wayne Hennessy's head and into the net. But agonizingly, it arched up and dipped not quite low enough and smacked the cross-bar.

Following up, Lòpez couldn't make adequate contact with the rebound, and the ball was cleared.

Rangers should've been level on the hour, when Helguson missed the best chance of the match.

A clever through ball from Vine unlocked the Wolves defence, and there was the Iceland striker in the clear, with only Hennessey to beat. Helguson however, fluffed his lines with a tame effort easily saved by the Welsh keeper.

In a bid to keep up the pressure, Ainsworth used his bench for the first time in the afternoon. It was a double change, Taarabt and Ephraim for Vine and Cook.

But the change very nearly had the opposite effect, as Wolves almost doubled their advantage in similar fashion to how they gained it.

Stewart was once again caught in possession, this time by Edwards, who picked his pass excellently to Marlon Harewood, who somehow conspired to shoot straight at Cerny.

As the momentum swung this way and that, Keogh and Connolly traded long range strikes, the latter drawing a fine, flying save from Hennessy as the R's left-back looked to bring the R's level single-handedly.

But it was Wolves who were enjoying the better of the match and Edwards tested Cerny with a free-kick from 20 yards.

But one goal was enough, and the R's watched in envy at the jubilant scenes at the final whistle as Wolves' promotion to the Premiership was assured. QPR


SPORTING LIFE - MANAGERIAL COMMENTS
McCARTHY: WOLVES NEED SPORTING CHANCE Drew Williams, PA Sport

Mick McCarthy admitted he still has unfinished business in the Premier League after Wolves saw off QPR 1-0 at Molineux to clinch promotion to the top flight.

A proud McCarthy struggled to put Wolves' success into words and insisted their promotion had still not sunk in - while they are also within touching distance of the Championship title.

But having failed to save Sunderland from a bottom-of-the-table finishes in 2003 and 2006, he stressed he does have a point to prove among the big boys.

"Of course I do, given a sporting chance," said the Wolves boss.

"If I'm given £6million to spend like I was last time, which included transfer fees, wages, signing on fees and agents fees then we'll all be in trouble.

"But of course that won't be the case.

"Last time I think I had a bit of naivety, I also think I had the usual 'well, if that's what I've got then I'll do it' arrogance to think I could.

"We didn't get bashed up, we didn't get a lot of points, but I didn't really get a chance."

The script was written for Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to grab the goal that settled matters on an afternoon full of emotion - his 25th of the season, one more than the tally that won him the Championship's golden boot award last term.

The industrious Andy Keogh, who has emerged from zero to hero in eyes of the club's fans, harried and hassled Damion Stewart in the penalty area as he looked to shepherd the ball to safety just a minute after the restart.

And when he nicked in to grab the ball by the byline, Ebanks-Blake was in plenty of space 12 yards out to fire home and send the Molineux crowd wild.

"I'm not sure I can articulate well enough how I'm feeling," added McCarthy.

"I'm knackered, I'm beaming on the inside, I'm absolutely thrilled by our achievements. "I'm very proud of the players, they've been brilliant all season long.

"It doesn't register, it doesn't sink in. It's not something you can really savour, you just enjoy the high of it for the moment and savour it when I wake up tomorrow."

Overwhelmed chairman Steve Morgan, a born and bred Liverpool fan, admitted the triumph means more to him than Liverpool's dramatic 2005 Champions League victory over AC Milan in Istanbul.

And he jokingly targeted six points from Rafael Benitez's men next season.

"I'm almost speechless, it was fabulous today, the culmination of a really hard season," he added.

"Big tribute to Mick, the background team, everyone behind the scenes, (chief executive) Jez (Moxey) and the players - the players have been fabulous all throughout the season.

"I'm so proud of Wolves and for the city."

QPR caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth, who only took the reins from Paulo Sousa last week, was gracious after his side's defeat ended any faint mathematical hopes they had of making the play-offs.

Rangers put up a brave fight throughout, restricting the hosts to a limited number of clear-cut chances.

And they could have spoilt the promotion party in the second half had Rowan Vine's deflected effort not come back off the crossbar or Heidar Helguson taken his chance when put clean through.

"I don't want to take anything away from Wolves, it's their day," said Ainsworth in a brief post-match appearance.

"I've got a lot of respect for Mick McCarthy.

"It would be nice to be in the same situation next season"

He added: "I think this was one of their tougher games.

"We could have put a dampner on the situation had we taken one of our chances in the second half."
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/liv....Nightlea d.html


PA Sport Wolves 1 QPR 0 - By Drew Williams, PA Sport

Wolves ended their five-year wait for a return to the Barclays Premier League by seeing off QPR at Molineux and all but sealing the Coca-Cola Championship title in the process.

It is nothing less than Mick McCarthy's side deserve having perched themselves at the summit of England's second tier since October, and occupying one of the two automatic promotion places since the third game of the season.

Their success has, for the main part, been down to the sheer number of goals they have scored, with the youthful Black Country outfit finding the net more than any other side in the division both at home and away.

And fittingly it was leading scorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake - on his return from injury - who settled the game in front of a sell-out crowd one minute after the restart.

Wanderers last played top-flight football back in 2004 but a lack of investment saw the club finish rock bottom after just one year in the Premier League.

But the powers that be at Molineux have already stressed that lessons have been learned from that fateful campaign and money will be spent this summer in a bid to beat the drop.

Wolves' victory puts them within touching distance of the league title - six points and a considerable goal difference clear of second-placed Birmingham with two games remaining, while QPR's outside hopes of reaching the play-offs were ended.

McCarthy, who has remained level-headed throughout the club's promotion charge, warned before the encounter that "QPR will be coming here to spoil the party".

But a quick flick through the history books meant the writing was already on the wall for the R's - with their last victory at Molineux coming way back in 1998 when Steve Bull and an 18-year-old Robbie Keane were leading the line for the home side.

The hosts were hustling Rangers at every opportunity from the off yet clear-cut openings were few and far between in the first quarter of the encounter - Dave Edwards coming the closest with a header that forced a smart stop from Radek Cerny.

Edwards tried his luck from 30 yards in the 26th minute as the hosts rallied in an attempt to find the crucial breakthrough.

But it failed to materialise in the latter part of the first half, with Matt Jarvis seeing his inswinging corner rebound off the crossbar.

Within a minute of the restart all the tension was released and the home support finally started to believe.

Stewart looked to shepherd Stephen Ward's hopeful ball to safety just inside the penalty area, but Andy Keogh hounded the Rangers defender and managed to nick in and square the ball across for Ebanks-Blake to fire home.

But QPR reminded the hosts of their threat in the 53rd minute as Rowan Vine's effort deflected off Christophe Berra before striking the crossbar, much to the relief of a stranded Wayne Hennessey.

The Wolves keeper then had to come to the rescue just after the hour mark, saving well from Heidar Helguson when the R's striker found himself clean through.

Substitute Marlon Harewood wasted a golden opportunity to put the game, and promotion, beyond doubt shortly after when he fired straight at Cerny from 12 yards.

Nevertheless, Wolves held on for victory to end the memories of this time last year when they finished just outside the play-off places by the virtue of goal difference.
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/tra....CER_Wolves.html


Telegraph - Sylvain Ebanks-Blake seals Premier League promotion for Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers (0) 1 Queens Park Rangers (0) 0
By Sandy Macaskill at Molineux

Champagne has never tasted so sweet. The inevitable hangovers will never have felt so insignificant. And no longer will the club’s fans say their side does not have the stomach to close out a season at the top. For only the second time in 25 years, Wolverhampton Wanderers are in the Premier League. How apt that it should be Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, the man with the golden boots, figuratively at least, that should send them there.

All season, the 23-year-old striker has been magnificent. In truth, his coordinates were off on Saturday, disrupted by a three-game absence with a hamstring niggle, but when it mattered most, when Andy Keogh found him in the box and when the excellent Radek Cerny was at last out of position, Ebanks-Blake rose to the challenge. His 25th goal of the season was not the most beautiful finish, but it is probably the most beautiful his manager has seen.

“I’m not sure I can articulate how I am feeling,” Mick McCarthy said. “I’m very proud.” Awash on Friday, Wolverhampton basked in the sun here. Picking up on the auspicious portents, chanting to each other from their cars as traffic snaked its way through town, horns hooting, the Wolves fans were in carnival mood. Molineux shook to the core.

In their last two games, Wolves had scored in the first 10 minutes; similar stuff was expected and when Stephen Ward dinked a ball into the box, and Dave Edwards met it with a diving header, the crowd were already celebrating. But Cerny proved a party-pooper, palming out for a corner.

Wolves would not take no for an answer. Jody Craddock sliced a volley high and wide, then Keogh forced Cerny – now wearing the resigned look of a keeper who knows it is only a matter of time – into an impressive save. Still no breakthrough.

McCarthy took his team into the break with the half-time announcer’s warning to fans that a pitch invasion in celebration of promotion at the end of the match would not be appreciated ringing in his ears.

Considering he had spent the last few days pouring cold water on any hype, such a premature pronouncement must have had McCarthy fuming. The boisterous boos which greeted the directive suggested the fans were similarly unimpressed, albeit for different reasons.

But if the home side had felt under any additional pressure as they sat through their team-talk, it did not show on the resumption. With less than a minute gone, Damion Stewart was caught dallying in defence. Keogh nipped in and stole the ball. Ebanks-Blake did the rest. Cue bedlam. Fans were restrained enough to stay near their seats – just.

But as McCarthy had warned, “nothing is ever easy”. He has admitted to a few heart flutters in his time, and they can’t have been far off as Rowan Vine’s shot took a deflection and thundered into the crossbar. Yet try as QPR might, there was no room for a riposte. This was Wolves’ day. Here was that announcer again, imploring spectators to stay in the stands.

Fat chance. The fans needed to touch the turf, prove it was real. McCarthy only made it 10 yards before he disappeared in the golden tide.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footbal....for-Wolves.html


Observer Ebanks-Blake returns Wolves to the top flight - Stuart James at Molineux

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake celebrates after scoring the goal that promoted Wolves to the Premier League. Photograph: Peter Ford/Action Images

Nothing was going to stop Wolverhampton Wanderers in the end. Queens Park Rangers tried and failed and so did the stewards, rendered helpless in their attempts to prevent a pitch invasion at the final whistle. Blissfully ignoring the stadium announcer's requests, a sea of gold shirts flooded the playing surface to join Mick McCarthy and his players in raucously celebrating Wolves' return to the Premier League for the first time in five years.

In many ways it was written in the stars. Fifty years ago to the day, Stan ­Cullis had led the great Wolves side of the 1950s to their third First Division title. Wolves needed more than omens on their side, however, and it was not until the 46th minute, just after half-time, when Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, back in the side after injury, converted his 25th goal of the season, that the home supporters began to breath more easily. There were still nervous moments for all present to endure, but pandemonium broke out at the end.

No one was happier than Steve ­Morgan. The Wolves chairman took over from Sir Jack Hayward after handing over a £10 note and promising a £30m investment in exchange. Eighteen months later and he has a Premier League club on his hands. "I have never spent a better tenner than that one," said Morgan, a lifelong Liverpool fan who had previously been frustrated in his attempts to take control at Anfield. "It will cost Jack more than a tenner to buy it back now!"

"I am almost speechless," he added. "It was just fabulous. It's the culmination of a really hard season, lots of ups and downs, high points and low points, but what a fabulous end to it. I am so proud for Wolves and the city. I can't explain how exciting it is to be in the Premier League. I was born and bred a Liverpool fan, but that's a divorce well and truly out of the way. I never thought I would beat the sensation of Istanbul [in 2005] but being involved in this really means so much more."

The season had been a slog at times, particularly between the end of December and the start of March, when Wolves managed only one win in 11 matches and were in danger of imploding. Questions were being asked of McCarthy and his callow side at that point, but a strong ­finish to the season, which culminated in seven victories in the past nine matches, has pushed Wolves over the line with two games to spare. Another point and the Championship title will also be in the bag.

McCarthy knows, however, there are greater challenges ahead. Wolves were relegated after just one season following their promotion in 2003, and the Yorkshireman, who revealed that he prepared for the QPR match by varnishing his garage at 6am, admitted that he also had "unfinished business" after his chastening experience with Sunderland in 2005/06. With no money to spend, McCarthy endured the ignominy of ­relegation with 15 points.

"If I am given £6m to spend like I was last time, which included transfer fees, wages, signing-on fees and agents' fees, we'll all be f***ed," said the Wolves ­manager in typically forthright fashion. "I had a bit of naivety and arrogance then, and I also had the usual take it on the chin [attitude] that if 'that's what I've got, I'll do it'. We didn't get a lot of points and I never really had a chance. I just want to be given a sporting chance."

Whether that happens remains to be seen, but this was not the day to spend too much time speculating on the future. The precious breakthrough arrived when Andy Keogh capitalised on a mistake by Damion Stewart and crossed for Ebanks-Blake to tap home. Rowan Vine later hit the bar for QPR and ­Heidar Helguson squandered a one-on-one, but there was a sense that this was going to be Wolves' day. "I'm knackered, but beaming inside," McCarthy added.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/....onship-football


Sunday People/Tom Evans
Sylvan strike sends McCarthy's heroes back into Premier League
Mick McCARTHY provided the varnish and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake the finish as jubilant Wolves jumped back into the big-time.

The Wolves boss could not sleep yesterday morning and got the paintbrush out.

And Ebanks-Blake, the Championship's leading scorer, provided the gloss with his winner two minutes after the interval that ended the club's five-year absence from the top-flight.

It was a nervy old day at Molineux in a game that was ultimately decided by Damion Stewart's howler, gifting Ebanks-Blake his 25th goal of the season to get the famous old stadium rocking.

McCarthy said: "My feelings? A bit of everything. I'm not sure I can articulate how I'm feeling. I'm beaming on the inside. I'm absolutely thrilled by our achievement. Proud of the players.

We have been top since October.

"So, it's a lovely day. Promotion hasn't registered. I've just sat in the bath - and it's not sunk in.

"All that on the pitch, that's fabulous. but the reality is that we want to share it with our wives and kids. It's rah-rahrah at the moment. It's not something you can really savour. You just enjoy the high.

"But savouring it? That will be whenever I wake up tomorrow morning.

"If that's anything like the last few days, I'll be varnishing the garage again. That's where I was at 6am anyway. I sanded it down earlier in the week and I got up this morning to finish it off."

Thumped


The first half had been mostly Wolves but apart from one super stop by Radek Cerny from Dave Edwards' header and a Matt Jarvis corner that thumped off the crossbar, the hosts failed to offer too much of a threat.

The increasingly-agitated home punters did not have to wait long for the all-important goal. It arrived within two minutes of the restart.

A ball down the inside-left channel should have been gobbled up by Stewart.

But Keogh has not forged a reputation for himself as one of the hardest-working forwards in football for nothing.

He has not always been a Molineux favourite, but the Ireland international is not afraid to put in a shift.

And he harried Stewart into stumbling over his feet, losing control of the ball.

Keogh was there to take advantage. It was a simple pass to Ebanks-Blake who had the majority of the goal to aim at as Cerny was stranded at his near-post.

And the forward with 24 goals to his credit was not about to pass up the opportunity to claim his 25th.

He side-footed into the net with the minimum of fuss to send the sell-out crowd into a frenzy. As is often the case though, after a team concedes they are at their most vulnerable - and that was the case here.

Three minutes after the goal, Heidar Helguson's deflected shot from 25 yards crashed against the bar with keeper Wayne Hennessey well beaten.

After failing to pose much of a threat, the visitors should have drawn level 10 minutes later when Gavin Mahon sent Helguson clear through the middle.

He had the option of rounding Hennessey but decided to take the shot first-time and the keeper saved.

Ebanks-Blake was pulled out of the firing line after an hour and his replacement Marlon Harewood should have made it 2-0 but mis-hit his shot when it looked easier to score. Rangers'caretaker-boss Gareth Ainsworth said: "We made a mistake at the back that let them in. We had the chance to spoil it but didn't take it.

"What Wolves have been involved in today whets my appetite and should do for everyone involved with our club."

Delirium

The final blast of referee John Moss's whistle sparked the scenes of delirium.

McCarthy will be hoping that owner Steve Morgan puts his hand into his pocket. The last time the big Yorkshireman pulled off promotion to the Premier League, the cash dried up at Sunderland. But he claims that won't be the case this time.

"If I'm given £6million to spend like I was last time for transfer fees, signingon on fees, wages and agents' fees, then we are all stuffed," he said.


"But that won't be the case. Given a sporting chance, you will always have a chance."

The last time Wolves made it to the Premier League, they did so via the play-offs. And those leaving the ground were not about to waste an old gold opportunity to enjoy their day in the sun.

Wolves: Hennessey 6 - Foley 6, Craddock 6, Berra 6, Ward 6 (Stearman, 79mins) - *EDWARDS 8, Henry 7, Jones 5, (Vokes, 66mins, 5) Jarvis 7 - Ebanks-Blake 7, (Harewood, 61mins, 6) Keogh 6.

Qpr: Cerny 7 - Ramage 6, Stewart 5, Gorkss 6, Connolly 6 - Routledge 6, *MAHON 7, Lopez 6, (Leigertwood, 86mins) Cook 5 (Ephraim, 64mins, 5) - Vine 4, (Taraabt, 64mins, 6) Helguson 5.

Referee: J Moss 8
http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/t....n ame_page.html

-
The QPR Report Messageboard. Visit and see for yourself the completely-independent, free-thinking QPR Report Messageboard. For "cutting-edge" timeliness re news articles re QPR and selected football-in-general. For a site, where the only subject discussed is football. For a site whee, differing opinions about QPR and football are both encouraged and welcome - Just without the ad-hominems and personal attacks on fellow posters. Please visit. Post if you want. Simply read, if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed and encouraged! - Recently Posted, sometimes eclectic, articles of interest:

- When QPR last played Wolves (and Sousa was G-d!)
- Wise Supposedly Waiting till get paid - Ex-QPR Marcus Brevett apparently involved re Southampton
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- Most Recent Blog Posts of Blackstock, Cook, Borrowdale and Watson
- Parliamentary Group Backs Football "Quotas"
- Gareth Southgate's Perspective


- Just a factoid: The last QPR Fan Forum was held almost two years ago: April 26, 2007. April 2007 Fan Forum Report with John Gregory and Gianni Paladini and Marcus Bignot -- The forum before that was September 2006

From The Fans Consultative Committee Meeting - Date: 13/12/2007 at 18:00
3a
- Are the club planning on holding a Fans' forum in the future?
Alejandro Agag:
- in response, Agag said: "Yes. Sure, we can do that."
- agreed and suggested that a minimum of 2 Fans' Forums should be held per season.
- the suggested timeline for these to take place were February/March and September/October.
- a third Fans' Forum could be held during the season in "extraordinary" cases if necessary.
- stressed that the Fans' Forums should be for football talk and team matters and not to discuss finances or the ABC loan.
- the EGM would be where discussions would take place about finances and the ABC loan, which is its purpose.
- Stephen Dedridge told how he felt this wouldn't be a problem so long as this was properly communicated to the fan base. QPR

Not have a list of past QPR Forums: But besides the two listed above: There was one in Fan Forum with Ross Jones & Ian Holloway - November 2004

-
- Sample the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. For "cutting-edge" timeliness re news articles re QPR and selected football-in-general. For a site, where the only subject discussed is football. For a site whee, differing opinions about QPR and football are both encouraged and welcome - Just without the ad-hominems and personal attacks on fellow posters. Please visit. Post if you want. Simply read, if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed and encouraged! Recently Posted, sometimes eclectic, articles of interest:
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- The Rules/Conditions to be Elected Real Madrid President (Alejandro Agag was listed some weeks ago as being interested)
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See Also: Loft for Word's Clive Whittingham on the 'Other 72': "You’re getting sacked in the morning: Queen’s Park Rangers under Flavio Briatore


- Romario in frame for QPR boss By SHAUN CUSTIS - The Sun - The Brazilian has been sounded out about an amazing move to Loftus Road.
- Romario, 43, quit playing last year and had a brief spell in charge of Vasco Da Gama.
- He has just become director of football at Club America, who are in talks with an English team about forging a partnership agreement.
- QPR owner Flavio Briatore wants them to become a feeder club to give the R’s the best boys from Brazil.
- A source close to Romario said: “Briatore wants a man who will put QPR on the football map.”
- Alan Pardew could be another contender as he is free to return to football after negotiating a pay-off with former club Charlton. The Sun


Daily Mirror - Alan Pardew interested in QPR job
- Alan Pardew, the former Charlton and West Ham boss, is keen on the QPR job after last week's axing of Paulo Sousa. Mirror

-
- For "cutting-edge" news articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions about QPR and football are encouraged without the ad-hominems: Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed! Recently Posted:
- More Mike Keen Recollections
- Stuart Wardley Update
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London Informer/Paul Warburton - Di Canio set for return
- QPR ARE ready to astound their fans by having TWO bosses in charge next season.
- And, just as amazing as the sacking of Paulo Sousa last week, predicted by your favourite local paper, Rs will invite back the man who was in the hot seat this time last year to partner Gareth Ainsworth.
- It's understood Luigi Di Canio left at the end of the 2007/08 campaign in a bid to save his marriage back home in Italy.
- But now Di Canio is ready to return Lazarus-like and link up with Ainsworth again, now in his second spell as Rangers caretaker boss.
- The Hoops think they will have the best of both worlds with the new double act, as well as save themselves a packet on bringing in a different team from outside.
- The Rangers board has cooled on the idea of having Darren Ferguson as their eighth manager in more than two years after the Peterborough boss let it be known he wants a massive salary spread over a three-year contract.
- The son of Manchester United's Sir Alex was worried any future in W12 might be as short-lived as the last two incumbents - and wanted TWICE the salary of Sousa - around £20,000 a week before bonuses. Ferguson also wants his own team to come with him from promotion-chasing Posh in League One - and Rs chairman Flavio Briatore dismissed the demands as a pay cheque too far.
- Rangers have also binned any notion of asking either Dennis Wise or Paul Ince to step into the hot seat, but want Ainsworth to show what he can do, again, starting at leaders Wolves on Saturday.
- The 35-year-old had a remarkable success to start his second stint in the Rs dugout on Monday when his team turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday. A decent showing at Molineux, as well as results against Plymouth and Preston, will put him in joint pole position for next season.
- An Rs insider said: "Di Canio is only with his current club Lecce until the end of the season - and it was a shame he left when he did.
- "Gareth's popularity together with Di Canio's know-how could work out very well."
- London Informer


Daily Mail - Loftus ambitions: Ex-Chelsea boss Scolari in the frame for QPR job
- Luiz Felipe Scolari has emerged as a shock contender to take the hot seat at Queens Park Rangers.
- The Brazilian has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in February and both he and his wife Olga are said to be keen to stay in London.
Peterbrough boss Darren Ferguson is QPR's No 1 choice to succeed Paulo Sousa - Scolari's former assistant with Portugal - who was sacked last week.
- But Rangers are aware that it could be difficult to persuade an English manager to work at Loftus Road under colourful chairman and part-owner Flavio Briatore, who is also the Renault Formula One team boss.
- Joining a Championship club, albeit an ambitious one, would be a step down for a coach who has won the World Cup with Brazil, was idolised with Portugal, and claimed countless domestic titles in his homeland.
But the 60-year-old says he has plenty of offers and will study them before returning to work in the summer
- 'My agent has received a number of offers, some of them from clubs at a very high level and some longer-term projects,' he said. 'I will study everything very calmly and make my decision at the end of May or the beginning of June.
'But I have decided to keep on working in Europe - I've already forgotten about what happened with Chelsea, even though it was a hugely important experience in my life.'
Scolari said recently he would like to finish his career with his Porto Alegre hometown club Gremio, but fancies another shot at making it in Europe before going back to Brazil.
- Gremio sacked their boss Celso Roth earlier this month, but they are looking at other targets after Scolari made his position clear. Mail

-
- For "cutting-edge" news articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions about QPR and football are encouraged without the ad-hominems: Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed! -
- Recently Posted:
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Richard Langley/Kilburn Times
- LAST week Paulo Sousa became the sixth manager in 18 months to leave the doors of Loftus Road. With all the expectation that surrounded his arrival it's a shame to see him depart, without being given a chance for us all to see how his football philosophies have rubbed off on the boys and their way of playing.
- With the end of the season only weeks away and all hopes of the play-offs evaporated, you might expect a typical end of season fixture, resulting in a lack of focus and commitment from players who will have their minds on the holidays that await them - so when I saw QPR fall behind 2-0 to Sheffield Wednesday I thought my theory was on the way to being proved correct.
- QPR fought back to win this fixture with goals from Gavin Mahon, Damion Stewart and, most notably, Rowan Vine - his first goal after such a long time out. Rowan's timely return went some way towards distracting us from the fact that Dexter Blackstock is out on loan with Nottingham Forest.
- I hope Rowan has a part to play in the push for the Premier League next year, but when key players like Dexter are being sent out on loan, you would imagine that the board have plans for another influx of players at the start of the season.
- I really do believe that the comeback was a reflection of the man at the helm right now. Caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth has a never say die attitude - when you are training or playing with him, as I did, you find it infectious.
- He wouldn't let you get away with giving less than 100 per cent. Even when things are looking bleak he's always pushing and encouraging everyone around him.
- A genuine, selfless character who wants the best for all those he comes into contact with, I am sure Gareth will finish the season without allowing standards to drop.
- When it comes to taking QPR to the next level, or securing a top six finish, I believe we need someone with more experience than Gareth, but there is no doubt that you need someone like him around the place to get the most out of the team.
- If QPR are to progress in the future, faith and patience will be a necessity when they eventually agree on finding the right man for the job. Kilburn Times


QPR Official Site - Gareth Ainsworth - JUST EXPRESS YOURSELVES
- Gareth Ainsworth will send his charges to table-topping Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend with a simple message - 'Just express yourselves.'
- Victory for the Molineux men will guarantee their promotion back to the top-flight, but Ainsworth insists Rangers will be going there to spoil the party.
- "We want to finish as high as we can and go out there and enjoy our football, playing some entertaining stuff in the process," he told www.qpr.co.uk.
- "I'll let the players go out there and express themselves, because that's why we all love this game. That's what football is all about."
- However, Ainsworth believes Wolves' current position reflects their fine form this season and is under no illusions as to the size of the task facing his side.
- "A couple of teams have been up there and got decent results this season, but I'm under no illusions and we're expecting a very difficult game," he said.
- "They're top of the league for many reasons. They're a strong, powerful, excellent footballing side, who have goals all over the park, but we'll go up there and give our all to get a victory." QPR

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- Recently Posted: - Jake Cole Returned to QPR....A 'reread' from April Last Year: A Fanzine Perspective of QPR.... Warnock Backed for QPR Job .....QPR "Doing it For Down's Syndrome" ....Eight (Naked) Photo Thread!.... Five QPR Years With Gianni Paladini


When Saturday Comes (WSC)- April 14, 2009 - No successful formula at QPR

With Charlton contemplating fixtures at Exeter and Wycombe next season and Crystal Palace lurching, QPR are going to finish as the top London club in the Championship. If they put a spurt on, they might yet end up one place below the play-off places. Even if they remain in their current position of tenth, this would be the club's best season since 1996-97. But neither Rangers’ fans not their board are remotely satisfied. The board, headed by Grand Prix magnate Flavio Briatore, are angrily perplexed at the team's failure to win promotion, while the fans despair at the series of glaring blunders made by the fools on the board. No satire written on the recent adoption of football as a plaything by the international jetset could match what is happening for real at Loftus Road.

Rangers are now looking for their seventh manager since Briatore and his racing chum Bernie Ecclestone took over 18 months ago. The departure of the most recent incumbent, Paulo Sousa, was inevitable after he complained publicly that the board had sanctioned the loan of striker Dexter Blackstock to Forest without his knowledge. Previous managers were said to have received team selection advice, if not demands, from Briatore who is not known to have been a football fan prior to his fetching up in west London. He obviously thought that it was going to be easy, as he showed off his purchase to the succession of super-models who watched matches from the Rangers directors’ box alongside beaming board members in their pristine blue-and-white scarves.

Evidence suggests that, like many wealthy men dabbling in a new interest, Briatore doesn't seem to have prepared to listen to expert advice – or else he didn't ask the right people. If the QPR chairman began with zero knowledge of football personnel and tactics 18 months ago, then it's reasonable to assume that what little he has picked up since has come from discussions with agents, whether they are lobbying for their players to be picked in the team each week or touting their clients as possible signings. And plenty of agents must have been getting their calls returned over the last two seasons, during which QPR have had two European managers and a plethora of players from overseas.

Then there is the question of what the QPR owners hope to achieve. Even if the club got promoted it's highly unlikely that they could become a significantly bigger outfit than they are currently. At a time when Chelsea and Fulham are enjoying the most successful periods in their history there is no new fanbase in west London, or further west of the capital, for QPR to tap into – and certainly no cause for them to think they would need a significantly bigger new stadium, as has been mooted.

The latest rumour is that Briatore wants Darren Ferguson to take over. But if Sir Alex's son continues on his upwards trajectory with Peterborough he will surely get much more enticing offers. In fact, for a manager to accept the QPR job at the moment would be a sign of a lack of ambition, of someone happy to turn up for a big pay packet for a year or so before being summarily dismissed by the Grand Prix pillocks. When Saturday Comes

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For "cutting-edge" news articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions about QPR and football are encouraged without the ad-hominems: Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed! -
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[Note/Correction: I originally posted the author as MARK Dennis. Profound apologies. I should have written MICK Dennis.]

Mick Dennis/Daily Express - April 14, 2009 - CHELSEA SHOW WAY TO BE PRAWN-AGAIN
- LIVERPOOL fans should look at the swanky Stamford Bridge boxes tonight, where Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and others will be scoffing before the match and boozing at half-time.
- Those in expensive seats who eat posh nosh at football are despised by "real" fans but, with all our Champions League clubs in action today and tomorrow, this is a good moment to explain some economics - and to rehabilitate the prawn sandwich.
- That seafood snack gets fresh abuse in the film The Damned United, which portrays Brian Clough chastising Derby directors for wallowing in luxury suites with "prawn sandwiches".
- That fictitious rant is inspired by Roy Keane, of course.
- He blamed the lack of atmosphere at Old Trafford on the "prawn sandwich brigade". That was back in 2000, and the blameless item of refreshment has been sneered at ever since by football folk who loathe the freeloaders in corporate boxes.
- But, as with his wilder tackles, Keane's criticism was unthinking and unreasonable.
- Only the cheapest executive boxes serve anything so modest as sandwiches and the food and drink in those boxes certainly is not free. Someone always pays, and in doing so subsidises those "real" fans.
- Chelsea raked in £74.5 million last season from executive patrons.
- Without that sum, the club's deficit would have doubled.
- Over at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, they've taken corporate entertaining to another level - the level of seating half-way up the side of the stands. There are 7,000 of those "premium" seats with access to expensive restaurants.
- And, boy, the punters pay a premium. Last season they generated £94.6m - more than £13,500 from each seat.
- Even that is peanuts compared with Old Trafford, where they don't actually serve anything as naff as peanuts and where, after Keane's comment, they avoid prawn sandwiches.
- There are 9,000 premium seats at United. They generate £3m a game.
- Liverpool are the worst of our Champions League contenders at courting the corporates. Anfield has only 2,800 posh seats. They make an insignificant contribution to receipts which only total about £1.78m every game.
- So there are three uncomfortable truths. Firstly, until Anfield, with a paltry capacity of 46,000, is replaced, Liverpool will always be scrabbling for financial crumbs while the other clubs in the 'big four' feast.
- Secondly, without executive boxes and premium seats, the rest of us would all be paying more.
- And finally, I know we've got more important issues on our plate at the moment, but it is time to stop picking on the prawn sandwich.

...But QPR Get it wrong
-Anyone looking from the outside can see how asinine the board of Queens Park Rangers have been - getting through four managers in a year and a half, telling experienced football men who to pick, letting good men go out on loan, making zero impact on the Championship and alienating loyal fans with big ticket-price rises
But you have to go to Loftus Road to see the extent of the self-indulgence of the fabulously wealthy chaps who own the club. The corporate area of the club has been tarted up extravagantly. That's not a bad thing. But nothing has been spent on the stands used by ordinary mug fans. QPR fans don't like me. Fair enough. But they deserve better to be treated with disdain." Express

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- Marking Five Years Since First Report of Gianni Paladini Investing in QPR


- Also: Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times "String of statements don't fool anyone, Flavio"


James Gill/The London Paper - QPR in controversy as search for new manager continues
- THE fear factor has hit Loftus Road with QPR’s fans torn over co-owner Flavio Briatore.
- The flamboyant Formula One supremo saved the club from financial ruin when he took over in 2007.
- Yet, under the Italian, the manager’s job has become an increasingly impossible job. Iain Dowie got the bullet last October amid rumours of boardroom interference. And Paulo Sousa was fired last week, with further allegations of upstairs meddling.
- "People are scared because [Briatore] has money and has put money in to try to improve the club," said Mark Dunbar, of the QPR Loyal Supporters’ Association.
- "People don’t want him to go as they’re frightened we’ll go back to how we were before he came."
- Dennis Wise has been linked with the manager’s job, but there are fears another relatively high-profile appointment would drain finances further.
- "It would get a mixed reaction," said Dunbar. "Personally, I don’t think it would be too bad. However, unless things change and unless the board give the manager the autonomy to do the job and succeed or fail on his own, it doesn’t matter who they bring in. They are just going to be a puppet."
- Gareth Ainsworth, caretaker until the end of the season, would certainly be a cheaper alternative and could be more inclined to accept the demands of the current regime.
- "I wouldn’t see the point in wasting money elsewhere," said Dunbar. "One good thing with Ainsworth is that he’s well respected by fans and players. If you want someone to steady the ship, he’s the best choice. "
- Sousa had claimed he knew little about top-scorer Dexter Blackstock’s loan to Nottingham Forest. The striker said: "I think everyone can see what is happening.
- "The manager and players didn’t want me to go." - The London Paper


- From BBC Sports Quotes of the Week !
"I wouldn't utter a word against Paulo Sousa. Then again, in three years with Rangers I think he was the seventh man in charge - or was it the eighth?"
Nottingham Forest's on-loan striker Dexter Blackstock after Sousa, his boss at QPR, was sacked. BBC Sport Quotes of the Weeks" BBC


[b]Barnet Official Site - COLE RETURNS TO THE BUSH [/b]
- Jake Cole, the 6ft 3ins tall goalkeeper, who has played the last 10 games on loan with Barnet, has returned to Queen's Park Rangers after a month at Underhill ... with a ringing endorsement from Ian Hendon for his role in keeping the Bees in League 2 next season.
- Hendon said:"I am more than grateful for the role he has played in ensuring our safety ... I have spoken to him and am hopeful that we can sign him permanently".
- The 23-year-old Cole, who has managed three clean sheets in his 10 games, said when he arrived that he just wanted to play League football and not sit on a bench. He has played just eight first team games at Rangers in five years.
- He told Hendon he has "loved his time here". Cole, who took over the No 1 squad shirt from Rob Beckwith, has proved a big hit with Barnet supporters.
- Cole's departure leaves Hendon with a goalkeeping choice between Ran Kadoch and 37-year-old Lee Harrison for the remaining three matches.
Dennis Signy Barnet


QPR Reserves Play Brighton This Afternoon
- QPR Official SIte IN RESERVE: BRIGHTON NEXT UP
- QPR's second string take on Brighton & Hove Albion at our Harlington training ground this afternoon, kick off 2pm.
- Youth Team Coach Steve Gallen will be taking charge of the Reserves for this Totesport.com Combination League fixture following Gareth Ainsworth's appointment as Caretaker.
Admission is FREE, so why not come along and lend your support? Our training ground is on Sipson Lane, Harlington, UB3 5AQ.
QPR Reserves (from): Putnins, Cox, Waters, Davenport, Oastler, Harris, Rose, Ehmer, German, Balanta, Parker, Wright, Tabor, Bailey, Smith, Nanetti.
QPR

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- For "cutting-edge" news articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions about QPR and football are encouraged without the ad-hominems: Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!

- Marking Five Years Since First Report of Gianni Paladini Investing in QPR


QPR OFFICIAL SITE - EXCLUSIVE: FLAVIO BRIATORE INTERVIEW
- Flavio Briatore has spoken exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk to set the record straight regarding the media frenzy surrounding Paulo Sousa's departure from QPR.
The QPR Holdings Ltd Chairman sets the record straight on a number of issues, including team selection and the recently reduced Season Ticket prices.

- Flavio, there's been a lot written and discussed regarding Paulo Sousa's departure - can you set the record straight?

- Firstly, despite what has been reported in the press, Paulo wasn't sacked by QPR. Paulo's contract was terminated, after he - without authority - divulged highly confidential and sensitive information. The Club, with legal advice, responded in this way to protect its position.
- Furthermore, despite what's been written this weekend, we didn't sack Mick Harford, we didn't sack Luigi De Canio and, as I said, we didn't sack Paulo.
- Mick was offered improved terms to stay on the backroom team but chose to move on. He was aware that we had lined up a new Coach and he was only a temporary option, but we were happy for him to stay on as Assistant, on improved terms. He chose to decline that role. Mick has already stated that this is the truth.
Luigi had to return to Italy for personal reasons, and he has also confirmed that is correct. It was very unexpected for me and I was disappointed about it, because I wanted him to stay on.
- For the press to say we've sacked all these people is totally inaccurate and our lawyers are dealing with this.
- We terminated the employment of John Gregory who was already at the Club before we arrived. We had De Canio lined up, but there were complications to get him for the first few weeks.
- But it is true, Iain Dowie was sacked.

The media have reported you told Paulo Sousa which team to pick - is that correct?
- That is incorrect. Paulo picked the team all the time.
- As a Board, we spoke about wanting to see QPR play a more attacking, aggressive brand of football, in a 4-4-2 formation, and he promised us he would do that.
There were two incidents which disappointed us. When we beat Preston North End before Christmas, Paulo made six changes for the next match and we only drew at Charlton Athletic, who were bottom of the league.
- And against Ipswich Town, he stuck to a 4-5-1 formation, when we were at home, and that is when we became very disappointed.
- I was very surprised to see Damion Stewart on the bench and Radek Cerny not involved for that match.
- But I'd like to repeat, I never once told Paulo, or any other Coach for that matter, which team to pick.

- It has also been suggested that it was solely your decision to loan Dexter Blackstock. Is it right that Paulo Sousa knew nothing about the striker leaving to join Nottingham Forest?
- Dexter's agent, Eric Walters, has spoken about this. That statement tells the facts.
- He said: 'Dexter was unhappy at QPR for some time, as he had only started six of a possible 21 fixtures.
- 'He wasn't even on the bench for QPR's home fixture against Bristol City and seeing as he was the Club's top goalscorer, Dexter was unhappy about this situation.
'A few Clubs approached me for Dexter, including Nottingham Forest. I spoke with Gianni Paladini and he advised me that we needed to clear this with Paulo Sousa.
'Paulo came back from Portugal on March 26th at lunchtime. Dexter discussed the situation with Paulo, and he didn't say anything to Dexter about the possibility of him staying with QPR.
'At 4.00pm on March 26th 2009, Dexter signed the paperwork to complete his loan transfer to Nottingham Forest.'

- Moving on, when you arrived at QPR, you spoke quite openly about a four-year project to reach the Premier League. Are you happy with the progress so far?
- We're progressing very well.
- On the pitch, we're already up to the 60 point mark this season, which hasn't been achieved by QPR in many years at this level.
- People seem to have very short memories here. Just this season alone, we have taken points off all the top eight with the exception of Burnley.
- We beat Wolverhampton at home; we drew with Sheffield United; we beat Birmingham City at home; we've drawn twice with Reading; we beat Cardiff City at home; and - we've beaten both Preston North End and Swansea City at Loftus Road too.
- That can't be forgotten and anyone that was at Loftus Road on Easter Monday could see that we not only have a great team spirit, but we can also play some very exciting, entertaining football in a 4-4-2 formation.
Off the pitch, the infrastructure is improving all the time. We have invested over £34 million in to the Club.
- We have signed 17 players - Delaney, Mahon, Hall, Leigertwood, Routledge, Vine, Buzsaky, Agyemang, Gorkss, Ramage, Connolly, Cook, Alberti, Cerny, Ephraim, Helguson and Borrowdale.
- Plus, we have a very strong Youth team, who have just returned from a very successful tour in Sardinia, where we won the Fair Play Cup.
- We have dropped our Season Ticket prices by five per-cent for the renewal period in response to feedback from our supporters.
- We have taken this decision following detailed discussions with fan groups and supporters in general.
- The QPR fan-base plays an integral role in the decision-making process and we were wary that the initial deadline only took into account supporters receiving one pay packet during the initial time period.
- We want to attract fans to Loftus Road and we believe our new prices offer an affordable option to them. Children under the age of eight can come to watch for free - and that is important, because we are always working towards a long-term future, and fans, of all ages, are hugely significant to that.
- Furthermore, we are constantly striving to improve the facilities we have at both the main ground and the training complex, with the re-laying of the Loftus Road pitch over the summer months integral to our plans going forward next season.
- On the commercial side, we are in lucrative partnerships with some major worldwide brands, including Santander, Chronotech, Gulf Air and Lotto Sport Italia. Financially, these deals are amongst the best in English football, let alone the Championship.
- We are looking for a 360 degree improvement in all areas and whilst we admit it will take time, with the support of the whole QPR family, we are progressing well and as a Board, we are confident we will reach our goals.

Speaking of Loftus Road, can you confirm what the current situation is?
- We have sorted the ABC issue, which was crippling the Club, at a 12 per-cent interest rate.
- They would have taken the ground had we not met the deadline, so the fans can be rest assured, that we now own the stadium, which is a great assurance for the future of this Club.
- We would love to see the ground full every week and we are hoping that by introducing the new five per-cent Early Bird reduction, that supporters will follow us in greater numbers, both home and away, next season.

- Speaking of supporters, what are your thoughts on the fans who booed the Board of Directors on Monday?
- It was only a small minority of supporters who booed, but naturally it disappoints me.
- The fact is though; we saved the Club when it was within minutes of going under. If it wasn't for us, this Club would not be here. That is a fact.
- Furthermore, when we arrived here, we had nobody behind us, but now we are only looking towards the top.
- It is similar to at Renault. When we arrived we were last on the grid, and we progressed to the very top. That is what we want to happen at QPR.
- No-one likes being booed, but we know we are doing the right things for the long-term future of this Club and we, the Board of Directors, are unanimous on that.
- This is a very expensive hobby for us and we have already invested significant sums in to the Club.
- But we enjoy the moments when the supporters are behind us in the adventure. That is why we are involved, to bring joy to the fans.
- If we were fighting against relegation, I could understand the booing. But we are making positive strides in our four year programme. This was the first full year and we are a comfortable top half side and have a very strong squad, which is improving all the time, ahead of next season.
- If the supporters don't support us, the project won't work, so all I can ask is you come out and show your support.
- When the stadium is full, there is no better place to watch football. With your support - both home and away - we believe we can keep progressing and one day reach the Premier League.
- If we see that support, we will, of course, do our part by investing more in the future.

Finally, when do you hope to appoint a new First Team Coach?
- Gareth Ainsworth is in charge until the end of the season and we will assess the situation once the campaign finishes.
- In the meantime, I want us to enjoy the last three matches and show the same passion and skill we showed against Sheffield Wednesday on Monday. QPR Chairman Briatore Speaks

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- Marking Five Years Since First Report of Gianni Paladini Investing in QPR


Virgin Media - Blackstock in the dark over future
- Dexter Blackstock does not know whether he has a long-term future at QPR following the decision to loan him out to Nottingham Forest.
- The 22-year-old, Rangers' leading goalscorer, revealed he faces an uncertain future after making his third appearance for Forest at Sheffield United on Monday. Both former QPR manager Paulo Sousa and team-mate Rowan Vine have spoken publicly of their shock at the club's decision to let him go.
- Blackstock said: "The manager at QPR has said he had no input in the decision but I wasn't aware of that at the time because the deal was done through agents.
-"I didn't know who had given clearance for the deal to go through until I had actually signed. Managers should make decisions like that, but it doesn't always work that way.
- "I wouldn't say it's over for me at QPR. As it stands at the moment I'm here on a six-match loan and then I go back to QPR. They are my club. I've got a year left down there and I've got to go back.
- "Whether there's a future for me there I don't know - that's another story. I think from the outside looking in everyone can see what is happening. I was by far and away the top goalscorer there this season on 12 - I think my closest challenger has five - and the manager and players didn't want me to go." Virgin Media


Nott Forest Official Site - The Loan Ranger
Tue 14 Apr 2009
- Dexter Blackstock's move to The City Ground offered yet another reminder that football has not lost any of its capacity to surprise.
- The striker joined our Championship survival effort last month as he checked-in on a six-match loan from Queens Park Rangers.
- Blackstock is top of QPR's goal-scoring charts and both boss Paulo Sousa and team-mate Rowan Vine have publicly expressed their shock at the club's decision to let him head through the Loftus Road exit door.
- Sousa insists the 22 year old was loaned to us without his knowledge and the player himself reveals: "I was surprised to get the opportunity to come to Forest.
- "The manager at QPR has said he had no input in the decision but I wasn't aware of that at the time because the deal was done through agents - I didn't know who had given clearance for the deal to go through until I had actually signed.
- "Managers should make decisions like that but it doesn't always work that way.
- "I wouldn't say it's over for me at QPR. As it stands at the moment I'm here on a six-match loan and then I go back to QPR.
- "They are my club, I've got a year left down there and I've got to go back.
- "Whether there's a future for me there I don't know - that's another story.
- "I think from the outside looking in everyone can see what is happening. I was by far and away the top goal-scorer there this season on 12 - I think my closest challenger has five - and the manager and players didn't want me to go.
- "That's football. I just want to get some games and to come to a club like Forest is marvellous."
- The former England Under 21 international scored more than 30 goals for QPR following a move Southampton in August 2006.
- Billy Davies is hoping he can reproduce that kind of form on Trentside as we look to navigate a path to Championship safety.
- Blackstock insists: "People have said that I've come to Forest to prove myself but I don't have to do that to anyone.
- "I've been at QPR for three years and if I finish top goal-scorer this season, which looks likely, I will have earned that accolade twice.
- "I've scored goals consistently for QPR at this level and have managed to nick goals wherever I've been.
- "So it's not a case of me having to prove I can play in this league - I have no doubts about that.
- "Whether or not I'm wanted at QPR is up to them. If they don't want me it's not a problem because I'm sure I'll be able to find another club at a decent level.
- "I'm happy to be at Forest. There are other teams I could have gone to in the Championship when the opportunity to go out on loan became available but I just liked the feel of this club.
- "I liked the way Forest is run; the manager has been very successful at this level; the squad is very young and talented and the fan-base is impressive - everything about Forest appealed to me.
- "It was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.
- "I could have stayed at QPR and seen out the season, maybe started a few games, but that's not me.
- "For all I've done for QPR this season it's not like I felt I was really wanted at the club, otherwise I wouldn't be a Forest player now."
- Blackstock made his first appearance in our colours at Barnsley last Saturday and although his strike partner Robert Earnshaw scored our equaliser, the new boy had reason to be satisfied with his debut display.
- He adds: "I gather that 'Earnie' was playing up front on his own before I arrived and we all know that doesn't really suit him.
- "He's a goal-scorer and it's my job to help him by holding the ball up to allow him to get into space.
- "We complement each other and hopefully I'll get a few goals myself - I think it will work and we're going to have to make it work quickly because we haven't got much time."

- (Blackstock talked to the Forest programme editor before the Easter break)
Question Time

Any reasons for your current squad number?
It was the lowest number available when I arrived at the club.

Who is your roommate and has he any bad habits?
I haven't roomed with anyone at Forest yet as we travelled up to Barnsley on the day of the game. I've roomed with loads of people at QPR - guys like Rowan Vine and Fitz Hall and they were fine to share with.

How do you normally spend your days off?
I've got a one-year-old son, Ramirez, so it usually involves doing something with him.

What other sports are you good at and terrible at?
I'm really competitive at every sport I have a go at but I just can't get my head around golf. I've had lessons but I'm terrible. I know the lads at Forest are really in to table-tennis but I haven't had a go myself yet.

Who is the most annoying person to sit near on the team coach?
Gareth McClearly drove me mad on the trip to Barnsley with his poor banter.

Favourite TV programme?
'Grand Designs' - I'm into a bit of property development and that programme is decent.

Best practical joke witnessed in the dressing room?
One day at QPR one of the lads, Zesh Rehman, came in for training wearing the worst top anyone had ever seen. Unbeknown to him, the assistant manager got all the other lads to sign it and then hung it back on his peg.

Nickname at school?
I've always been known as 'Dex'.

If you could have free tickets to any event what would it be?
The Super Bowl. I'm not a particularly big fan of American Football but it seems like a massive event and at least I could say I've been to it.

Which four people (living or dead) would you invite to a dinner party?
Jay-Z, Michael Jordan, Pele and Muhammad Ali.

Funniest player played with?
It's difficult to pick out the funniest because I've played with a few clowns!

Toughest player played against?
It may sound like I'm stating the obvious but coming up against Rio Ferdinand was difficult to say the very least.

Who do you listen to on the radio?
I don't really listen to the radio much but on occasions when I do I opt for 1xtra.

Worst haircut at the club?
Arron Davies, who is taking it back to the '60s.

If you weren't a footballer what would you like to be?
I'd like to be a singer or rapper like Jay-Z. I can't sing and I can't rap but I'd love to be like him because he's the best

Nottingham Forest Official Site

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Dave Mcintyre BBC 606 And the next one please...

With the circumstances of Paulo Sousa’s departure now a legal issue that’s best avoided for the time being, here’s a look at the current contenders to help QPR make next season's pay-offs.

Sorry, I mean play-offs.

Darren Ferguson
In the frame after his achievements at Peterborough and well placed to take advantage of a possible sea-change at QPR, where the board desperately need to get it right this time to avoid presiding over a total farce.

Beware of any manager with a decent budget and supportive chairman, although back-to-back promotions would still be a fine achievement and would justify Ferguson’s billing as one of the best young managers around.

It’s now trendy to portray QPR as a circus that no manager worth his salt will go near. That’s not untrue, but it was actually more the case when Flavio Briatore was usually portrayed in a good light and Rangers, a complete shambles of a club, were mentioned as promotion candidates.

Iain Dowie for example was seen as an uninspiring choice for a club that had hit the jackpot with billionaire owners and were going places. He was an easy target when expectations and results didn't match up. But that era's finished. The perception of QPR is now completely different - and much more accurate.

That means taking over at QPR is possibly now a more attractive prospect. Success would bring great kudos, whereas failure would probably result in the finger of blame being pointed elsewhere now some of the problems facing a manager/coach of the club are finally well documented.

The pressure's on the board now, not the man coming in. And the son of Sir Alex with two promotions behind him, if Peterborough were to go up, would have a lot more credibility than QPR at the moment.

Now it’s Briatore more than the next Rangers manager who’s in danger of falling flat on his face and having his reputation tarnished.
But there are still obstacles to any British manager taking the QPR job. It’s possibly less unattractive now - relatively speaking – but that’s not saying much.

It may not be quite the job from hell it’s often been since Gary Waddock found himself in the (extremely) hot seat. But it could be purgatory for any British manager who knows his onions and doesn’t want non-football people in the dressing room or at the training ground, let alone meddling in team affairs.

And for an owner who wants to be part of the action rather than a mere spectator from the director’s box, hearing good things about a single-minded young British manager is one thing – actually going through with it and appointing him is another.

Dennis Wise
Definitely not the man most Rangers fans would like to see take over. But Wise – a boyhood QPR fanatic although very much a Chelsea man now - is a contender who arguably has the experience and personality to handle Briatore.

Respected as a coach and having achieved some success as a manager, Wise is known in the game for his contacts and scouting ability which is why he landed a senior position at Newcastle. For that reason, Gianni Paladini’s role as sporting director would almost certainly be affected by the appointment of Wise, who incidentally worked with Paladini’s former QPR boardroom enemies Bill Power and Mark Devlin at Swindon.

I’ve heard several Rangers fans say they don’t want Wise not only because of his Chelsea connection, but because they don’t want QPR associated with the kind of controversy Wise has been linked to.

As these people have obviously been in a coma for the last four years, it’s probably best not to upset them. They’ll discover the awful truth about what's been going on at Rangers soon enough.

Luigi De Canio
A return to Loftus Road is a definite possibility for De Canio, whose brief tenure was cut short when he returned to Italy at the end of last season.

Rangers played nice football and had some good results under him, meaning his appointment would please many fans. It would also massively strengthen the position of Paladini, who played a particularly big role when De Canio was at the club and would be expected to do so again if he returned given the coach’s lack of knowledge of English football. So expect De Canio to be very strongly touted for the job by Paladini’s supporters in the wake of Sousa’s sacking.

He isn’t the runaway frontrunner by any means, but De Canio is a leading contender and could well be on his way back – especially if Lecce, his current employers, are relegated from Italy’s Serie A. If De Canio keeps them up he is likely to be offered a lucrative contract that would make it more tempting for him to stay put.

De Canio was more open than Sousa and Dowie to his superiors' ideas on tactics as well as signings, so his appointment would wipe out the kind of internal acrimony that has plagued the club since his departure.

His return would also allow Briatore to answer his critics by claiming he was bringing back his choice as coach and someone he never wanted to leave.

De Canio is a top coach who could probably do a job in the Premier League, but all was not well during his time at Rangers. If he were a boxer, his QPR record would probably be described as a padded one. He benefitted more than anyone from the post-takeover honeymoon and spending on players. This, along with his sudden departure following some good results, helped boost his reputation and the perception of him among many fans.

He actually struggled very badly and his position was already under review before the likes of Akos Buzsaky and Rowan Vine were signed for him. Injuries to those key players then severely hampered Sousa and Dowie who, unlike De Canio, managed to address longstanding defensive frailties despite having relatively little money to spend.

Circumstances were kind to De Canio. Not least when ex-Juventus scout Franco Ceravolo, who was brought to QPR following the Briatore-led takeover, left after three unproductive months and Paladini, having initially been sidelined, persuaded the board to sanction the signings of English-based players that were already on the club’s radar prior to John Gregory’s sacking. It was those players who helped cement De Canio’s position and his legacy.

It’s easy to get misty-eyed about De Canio’s time at QPR, but the pretty football and initial impact of several new players masked many problems that may well have become more obvious had he hung around longer. The set-up at Rangers was dismal and improvements Dowie made behind the scenes during his short spell at the club were much needed.

But in terms of coaching ability, De Canio is outstanding. And this time around, his return could, crucially, coincide with the arrival of a British chief scout; a summer appointment the club have been considering for some time and one that would have added importance if De Canio or any other foreign coach is installed.

Sven-Goran Eriksson
An experienced foreign coach whose arrival would have a showbiz element to it. A big name in England and, just as importantly, in Italy. A man who happily accepted a number of overseas signings brought in while he was at Manchester City. A London club with more money than sense. Can you see what it is yet?

Gareth Ainsworth
A genuine contender for the job when installed as caretaker coach earlier in the season, despite more exotic names being linked.

At a place plagued by internal wrangling and controversy over Briatore’s involvement, Ainsworth is well liked at all levels of the club, is happy to have "discussions" about team selection and for many typifies the kind of spirit and integrity Rangers seem to be losing. In a nutshell, he's the unity candidate.

He has also played an increasing role in co-ordinating the club's small scouting network to provide team reports on future opponents. It's an aspect of the club Dowie improved and Ainsworth then took overall control of - initially to provide Sousa with information after he was appointed - and has since made some progress with.

Ainsworth was the board’s choice to succeed Dowie before a home defeat to Burnley triggered a search for a new coach, which led to Sousa coming in. Now back in temporary ‘charge’, his chances of keeping the job are probably much slimmer than a few months ago. But if Rangers end the season well, De Canio stays in Italy and other contenders fall by the wayside, Ainsworth could yet remain into next season. And if De Canio does head to west London this summer it will by himself this time, with Ainsworth playing a very prominent role alongside him.

Ian Holloway
Would walk over broken glass to work for Rangers again and will at least have a conversation with the powers-that-be in the next few weeks. Unlikely to get the job though unless it’s felt the move would be welcomed by fans and help the board restore some credibility. De Canio will probably tick that box.

Giovanni Trappatoni
A non-starter unless he took the role in addition to his job as Republic of Ireland boss, which is very unlikely. But if that were an option you can be sure Briatore would consider it.

Trappatoni is respected enough to already carry some weight at Loftus Road. Liam Miller was signed on his recommendation and Rangers also tried to sign fellow Irish international Caleb Folan. It would be worth Trappatoni at least talking to Rangers this summer – if nothing else to see if they fancy giving more of his fringe players some first-team football.

Antonio Tapia
Coach of Spanish side Malaga who says he was previously approached by QPR.

Paul Ince
Linked with QPR before and since Sousa’s departure, but not a strong candidate for the job at this stage.

Kevin Blackwell, Gary Johnson, Roberto Martinez and possibly Alan Irvine
All likely to be targeted if their teams miss out on promotion, De Canio doesn't return, Wise and Ferguson don’t get or don’t want the job and a suitable foreign coach can’t be found. BBC606

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- QPR Youth Success in Sardinia Tournament


SKY SPORT - Sousa has English options
Ex-Rangers boss could stay in England after dismissal
- Former Queens Park Rangers manager Paulo Sousa has revealed he may still be working in England next season.
- Sousa's time at Loftus Road was cut short last week after he was sacked less than six months into a two-and-a-half year contract with the Championship outfit.
- The 38-year-old was dismissed for what QPR described as the divulging of 'highly confidential and sensitive information' with regards Dexter Blackstock's loan move to Nottingham Forest.
- English options
Despite Sousa's perceived failure regarding his stint with the ambitious West London club, the former Portugal international says he has options to continue working in England.
- "Like I've always said I'm a positive person and manager," he told Sky Sports News. "It's always important in life to take one day at a time.
- "I think next season I'll be a manager not a coach. I've got a lot of possibilities to remain in England." Skysport


- Lee Cook on QPR Post-Sousa
- The London Paper/James Andrews- QPR News: Midfielder Lee Cook says Gareth Ainsworth is doing a great job at Loftus Road
- Lee Cook does not expect Gareth Ainsworth (pictured) to get the QPR job full-time QPR midfielder, Lee Cook praised Gareth Ainsworth following QPR’s comeback against Sheffield Wednesday – but does not expect him to get the manager’s job full time.
- Rangers were 2-0 down on 55minutes. But goals from Rowan Vine, Gavin Mahon and Damion Stewart capped a brilliant comeback for the west Londoners.
- Ainsworth took the manager’s job on a temporary basis for the second time this season after Paulo Sousa was sacked last week.
- And Cook said: "Gareth is a top man and all the players have a lot of respect for him. But I don’t think he will get the job – I am pretty sure of that.
- "Nothing has been said about who will be the next manager, all we have been told is Gareth is in charge for the rest of the season and to play our hearts out for the club. I think the aim is to get a new manager before pre-season starts. I’m sure everything will be settled by then.
-"The club has changed two managers in quick succession, but if the results aren’t good then the next guy might not last long. It is a results business." The London Paper


EVENING STANDARD/ Standard/Jon West - Lee Cook reckons only promotion will do
- QPR winger Lee Cook reckons Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone will continue to hire and fire managers until they reach the Premier League
- The motor racing moguls have seen the back of John Gregory, Luigi de Canio, Iain Dowie and Paulo Sousa in just 18 months - and with Dennis Wise now tipped for the hot-seat Cook reckons only promotion will do.
- He said: "The club has changed two managers in quick succession but if he's not getting results he might not last long either."
- Gareth Ainsworth was in temporary charge as Rangers come back from 2-0 down to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 yesterday. Standard


MIKE KEEN - RIP

See Also QPR Report Eulogy/Video/Photos

- From Rodney Marsh's blog "Mike Keen , QPR captain is brown bread. Sad ! Hope to get to his funeral to pay my respects..." http://www.rodneysblog.net/


PFA Professional Footballers Association Former Spurs and QPR stars sadly passed away this week PFA pays tribute to Jimmy Neighbour and Mike Keen By Ian Nannestad April 14, 2009

"Flying winger Jimmy was a popular figure at Norwich too. (©PAphotos) Gordon TaylorThe PFA send their condolences to the family, friends and former colleagues of both Jimmy and Mike at this sad time Two of the stars of football in the 1960s and 1970s, Jimmy Neighbour and Mike Keen, passed away over the Easter period....

Mike Keen was born in High Wycombe on 19 March 1940, signing professional forms for Queen’s Park Rangers shortly after reaching the age of 18. He made his senior debut at York in September 1959 and by the end of the season he had firmly established himself at right half in the Rangers’ line-up.

Tall and stylish, he was a model of consistency and did not miss a first-team game between March 1962 and September 1968, a remarkable run of 286 competitive matches. After being appointed club captain he led the club to the Third Division title in 1966-67, Rangers finishing 12 points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough, and one of the great shocks of modern times, when they defeated West Bromwich Albion 3-2 to win the first-ever Football League Cup final to be played at Wembley.
The following season he took Rangers into the First Division for the first time in their history, but in January 1969 he moved on to Luton, linking once more with his former manager Alec Stock. He gained further success at Kenilworth Road, assisting the Hatters to promotion to the old Second Division in 1969-70 and then had a spell at Watford where he was also manager from June 1973 to April 1977.

Mike later had a spell as manager of Northampton Town from 1978 to 1979. His son Kevin also enjoyed a successful career in the game and is on the coaching staff at West Ham.

Mike passed away on the evening of Saturday 11 April after a short illness. PFA


Luton Official Site - Mike Keen
Everyone at Kenilworth Road has been saddened to learn of the recent death of former skipper Mike Keen at the age of 69 after a short illness.
Born in High Wycombe, Mike joined QPR from school and had made over 400 first team appearances in midfield for the West London side before following his old manager Alec Stock to Kenilworth Road in January 1969 for £18,500.

After a patchy start, Mike went on to become ever present for three seasons during one of the brighter periods in the Town's history and, although not always appreciated by the Kenilworth Road faithful, it can now be seen that he possessed a sharp football brain and was always a couple of moves ahead of his team mates. After skippering the Hatters to the old Division Two in 1970, Mike came into his own amongst better players and was a provider of many of Malcolm Macdonald's goals, with astute forward passes meat and drink for the burly striker.

Mike later played for and managed Watford before taking over the hot seat at Northampton, Wycombe and Marlow Town. After retiring from the game, Mike concentrated his efforts on his successful sports shop in Wycombe.

Mike was a welcome guest of the club in 2005 for the Kenilworth Road centenary celebrations"


BUCKS FREE PRESS/James Nadal - Former Wanderers boss Mike Keen,69, dies

FORMER Wanderers' boss Mike Keen has died aged 69 after a short illness.

Born and bred High Wycombe man Mike, who managed the club from 1980 to 1984, led the blues to an Isthmian League title and an appearance in the semi-finals of the F.A. Trophy.

He gave a debut to the youngest every Wycombe player - his own son Kevin - who became the when he played against Hendon at the age of 15.

He went on to play for Stoke City and West Ham United, where he now coaches.

During his playing career, Mike captained Q.P.R to their 1971 League Cup triumph and the old Third Division title in the mid-1960's, going on to play for Watford and Luton.

After hanging up his boots he made a return to his home town to set up a successful sports shop in Wycombe, before later becoming Wanderers manager.

Wanderers head of media Alan Parry told the club's website: “Mike will always have a special place in the history of our great club and although he didn't get down to Adams Park very often, he always followed our results.

“He would have loved to have seen us get promoted this season so let's make sure that we do it for him.”

Leave your tributes below. Bucks Free Press

- For "cutting-edge" news articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions about QPR and football are encouraged without the ad-hominems: Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed! -

- Additional Mike Keen Eulogies. Brief Rodney Marsh Comment

- A Naked QPR Fan Celebrates! (Warning Nudity!)- If the Fan Wishes to Step Forward...!


- QPR Youth Success in Sardinia Tournament


QPR Official Site - GORKSS GETS GREEN LIGHT
- Kaspars Gorkss has been given the green light to resume full training, following the facial injury he sustained in the R's Easter Monday victory against Sheffield Wednesday.
- The Latvian defender suffered a heavy blow to the face late on in Rangers' 3-2 win, and although he soldiered on with a Terry Butcher style head bandage, he was sent to Charing Cross Hospital for assessment last night.
- Following a meeting with the specialists, he had 16 internal stitches and a further 14 external stitches to fix the two and a half inch laceration, as Head Physio, Paul Hunter, explained.
- "The cut was down to the very bone," he told www.qpr.co.uk.
"The gash itself was about two and a half inches deep, so he'll be quite sore this morning.
- "But the specialists have given him the go-ahead to resume full training on Thursday with the rest of the lads and assuming he has no setbacks between now and then, he'll be in contention for the trip to Wolves at the weekend." QPR


QPR Championship Finishes
As noted on the other thread, but worthy of highlighting:

- With three games remaining, QPR have now reached 60 points for the first time in the English Championship since Ian Holloway was manager. (In 2004/05, Holloway's QPR (with of course, far fewer resources, got 62 points).

- Last seaason, 2007/08 (Gregory/Harford/De Canio) QPR finished with 58 points.

- 2006-07 (Waddock/Gregory), QPR finished with 53 points.

- 2005-06 (Holloway/Waddock) QPR reached 50 points

- 2005/05 (Holloway) QPR got 62 points

The previous three seasons were in the Third Division ( a rose by any other name!)


- [Previous "Championship" Finishes

- 2000/2001 (Francis/Holloway), QPR relegated with 40 points.

- 1999-2000 (Francis), QPR reached 66 points.

- 1998/1999 (Francis replaces Harford)QPR got 47 points.

- 1997/1998: (Houston-Harford)QPR got 49 points.

- 1996-1997, QPR's first post-relegation season (Wilkins/Houston)QPR 66 points.

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- For "cutting-edge" news articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions about QPR and football are encouraged without the ad-hominems: Visit the free-thinking and completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed! -

- A Naked QPR Fan Celebrates! (Warning Nudity!)- If the Fan Wishes to Step Forward...!

-A great QPR footballing day as QPR, under acting-Manager (Acting Head Coach), Gareth Ainsworth, came from 0-2 to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 with a late goal. (Match reports below). With this win, QPR moved up to 60 points, with three games remaining.
-[Note: This is the first time QPR reached the 60 point mark Ian Holloway's 62 points in 2004/05. Of course Holloway had far fewer resources to work with). Last seaason, QPR finished with 58 points. In 2006-07, QPR finished with 53 points. And in 2005-06, concluded with 50 points.
- [Previous "Championship" Finishes: 2000/2001, QPR's relegation season (Francis/Holloway), QPR relegated with 40 points. The previous season, 1999-2000, QPR reached 66points. In 1998/1999 (Francis replaces Harford)QPR got 47 points. In1997/1998: (Houston-Harford)QPR got 49 points. Finally, 1996-1997, QPR's first post-relegation season (Wilkins/Houston)QPR finished with 66 points.]

On the occasion of QPR's first game since the departure of Head Coach Sousa, three additional things beyond the actual great result: One prior to the game; one during the game; and one after:

- Prior to the game: As was noted in reports on every QPR Messageboard, the statement that was posted on the Official Site, shortly prior to the game (see below), was actually read over the speakers at Loftus Road. (If this has ever previously occurred, certainly not aware of it. The contents of the statement, which certainly was not the usual QPR-type statement, speaks for itself)

QPR Official Site - THE Club STATEMENT (Reposted)
- Contrary to reports in today's press suggesting Luigi De Canio was sacked from his position as First Team Coach at QPR in May 2008, the current Lecce boss has made the following statement.
- De Canio, the then Genoa Manager, had principally agreed to join the R's in the wake of Flavio Briatore's successful takeover of the Club, before eventually joining in October 2007.
- De Canio said: "It's not true that I was sacked by Queens Park Rangers Football Club, in fact, it was the very opposite.
- "I was offered a substantially improved deal to stay in West London, but my personal circumstances at the time led to me leaving.
- "I don't want to divulge the circumstances surrounding my departure, because it is personal. But I left with a very heavy heart."
- Furthermore, the Club can also confirm that Mick Harford - who filled the void left by former boss John Gregory on a temporary basis - was offered a deal to stay on at the Club, and was not sacked, as has been stated in some newspapers this weekend.
- Harford said: "It is true that I was offered an improved deal to stay at the Club.
- "In addition, I was always of the understanding that I was only a temporary option and I was well aware that the Club were in talks to replace me with a new First Team Coach."
- Finally, the Club would like to reiterate that Paulo De Sousa's employment with the Club was terminated after it came to the Club's attention that Mr De Sousa had, without authority, divulged highly confidential and sensitive information. The Club, with legal advice, responded in this way to protect its position.
- De Sousa, who won only seven of his 26 matches in charge, left the Club on Thursday.
- Following reports today, the Club can also confirm that legal action will be taken in the coming days. QPR


- During the Game: QPR defender Kaspars Gorkss was Injured - (and certain messageboard postings were suggesting the injury was more serious than originally believed. (That remains to be seen)

- QPR Official Site - GORKSS TO SEE SPECIALIST- Kaspars Gorkss has been taken to Charing Cross Hospital for assessment on the facial injury he suffered following Akpo Sodje's second half challenge in the R's 3-2 victory against Sheffield Wednesday.
- Gorkss suffered a heavy blow to the face late on, and although he soldiered on with a Terry Butcher style head bandage, Head Physio, Paul Hunter, revealed the Latvian defender will see a specialist this evening.
- "Kaspars suffered a deep laceration on his forehead and due to the nature of the cut he will require special stitches to close the wound," he told www.qpr.co.uk. "We're confident he should be fit and available for our trip to Wolves." http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10373~1626252,00.html


- And after the game: In a post-match interview, according to SkySports - "Ainsworth refused to comment on speculation that co-owner Flavio Briatore picked the team for the match."

- As for the Match!:

SKY SPORT - Ainsworth never lost faith Laws blasts Wednesday's mentality
- Ainsworth: Delighted with team
QPR caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth says that he never lost faith in his players, despite having to come from two goals down to beat Sheffield Wednesday.
- The 35-year-old has been put in temporary charge of the team after Paulo Sousa was controversially sacked last week.
- Although they were on top in the first-half, the Hoops went into the break behind against the run of play, but Ainsworth revealed that the dressing room were still in high spirits at the interval.
- "It was down to a fantastic bunch of lads in the dressing room," he said.
- "We dominated the first half and could have been three or four up. All the raised voices at half-time came from Sheffield Wednesday's dressing room.
- "We kept calm, knew we were doing the right things and, although I had a little flutter at 2-0 down, I still had faith."
- Ainsworth refused to comment on speculation that co-owner Flavio Briatore picked the team for the match.
Disappointing
Goals from Rowan Vine, Gavin Mahon and Damion Stewart turned the match around after the break as the Owls surrendered a comfortable lead.
- Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws lambasted his team, accusing them of acting unprofessionally and promised some stern treatment for absent-minded players.- He said: "We were fortunate to be two goals up. We started nervously and defended like a pub team.
- "There were poor performances and they never stopped. Defensively that was the worst I've seen. It was like the Keystone Kops.
- "If you do go 2-0 up you should never let it go like that. You could see the writing on the wall and it bitterly disappoints me.
- "I'm not going to accept that. If they have switched their minds to holiday mode then they will regret it.
- "QPR had more desire to be on the end of balls than we did and it showed with their last two goals. Too many people thought the job had already been done." SkySport


- QPR Official Site - AINSWORTH: WE ALWAYS BELIEVED
- Gareth Ainsworth hailed a magnificent comeback from his reinvigorated charges, as the R's fought back from the brink of defeat to beat Sheffield Wednesday.
- On the day the Club remembered one of their true greats, Mike Keen, who sadly passed away this weekend, the R's showed a similiar battling spirit to that great day in 1967, to come back from two goals down to record a memorable victory.
- "The boys deserve all the plaudits tonight," Ainsworth told www.qpr.co.uk.
- "We always believed, even at 2-0 down, and to come back in the manner we did says everything about the spirit that exists in that dressing room.
- "It's never quiet here, there's rarely a dull moment - it's just the way we do things!
- "It's a great feeling for me to see how the players responded."
- Despite dominating the first period, Rangers trailed 1-0 at half-time and went a further goal down when Marcus Tudgay fired home from the spot early in the second period.
- Undeterred, Ainsworth's men responded in style, with Rowan Vine, Gavin Mahon and Damion Stewart completing the comeback in style.
- "We had a really good work ethic today and that was replicated in the stands, where the fans were first class.
- "We had nothing to lose at half-time. It was never-say-die stuff after that and when we got one, I had a feeling something special was about to happen.
- "We knew we were doing the right things and the lads deserve all the positive things that will be said about them in the coming days."
- Ainsworth added: "It's the way we love to do things at this Club.
- "The football we played was the way we, as a Club, want to play. It was a magnificent performance." QPR


Sheffield Wednesday Official Site - Managerial Comments Laws left livid at QPR
- Sheffield Wednesday manager, Brian Laws, was left angered by his team's performance at Queens Park Rangers after seeing his side lose 3-2 having been 2-0 ahead at the hour-mark.
- Sloppy defending throughout the game allowed Rangers back into the game but the home side could have been clear before Wednesday opened the scoring.
- "We prepare our players as well as we possibly can and I take pride in the way I do my job so to see the players out there not showing the pride that we expect was very difficult to take," Laws fumed.
- "Our defending was like pub football and QPR could have been ahead in the first half because they hit the post twice but once we were in front we should never have given the game away so easily.
- "The last two goals we gave away were pretty much identical because they were headers from corners where our players thought they had done their defensive jobs properly but they obviously hadn't.
- "I am very angry at that performance and our supporters should not expect to have to watch something like that. The players certainly know how I feel and I don't know why they put in a performance like that but I certainly don't accept what I saw today." Sheffield Wednesday -


QPR Official Site - Match Report
- QPR produced a spirited, determined display, coupled with some sensational attacking football to come back from two goals down to record an astonishing 3-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
- After first Gavin Mahon had put the ball past his own keeper, and Marcus Tudgay added a penalty early in the second half, it seemed like all the hard work had been for nothing.
- But Rowan Vine tapped home from close range to spark a remarkable comeback from the R's as Mahon atoned for his earlier mistake with the leveller with a brave diving header, and Damion Stewart blew the roof off Loftus Road with a late, late winner, nodding in a Lee Cook cross.
- It could've been half as exciting as it was had Heidar Helguson buried two good chances early in the first half, but as always, Rangers had to do it the hard way, and the final whistle was greeted to a huge cheer from the relieved R's faithful.
- Two fixtures in three days meant changes, five in all. Stewart, Mahon, Jordi López, Cook and Helguson all returned to the starting line-up, whilst Liam Miller returned to the substitute's bench.
With Radek Cerny in goal, the back four saw Stewart partner Kaspars Gorkss in the middle, with Matt Connolly and Peter Ramage given full-back responsibilities.
- Helguson positioned himself as the lone striker up front, behind him the midfield five of skipper Mahon, Spaniard López, Tottenham loanee Adel Taarabt, the returning Cook and on the right, Wayne Routledge.
Joining Miller on the bench were forwards Vine and Hogan Ephraim, defender Damien Delaney and Mikele Leigertwood.
Sheffield Wednesday included former Rangers striker Leon Clarke partnering loan man Luke Varney in attack.
Within the opening minutes and the visitors threatened Cerny in the Rangers goal for the first time. Etienne Esajas crossed from the left, the ball evaded everyone especially a well placed Varney, and the Czech keeper showed great awareness to block a feint touch from Clarke that looked dangerous.
- But Rangers were enjoying their fair share of possession and Taarabt came within a whisker of opening the scoring for the home side.
A quick throw-in from Cook to the Moroccan began a neat interchange of play involving the duo and Helguson who, after Taarabt had released him down the left and burst into the box, played a first time pass into the path of the lunging African.
Taarabt however, could only poke it over the bar.
Buoyed by that well made chance, Rangers threatened again a minute later. Neat passes found López in space in front of the Owls defence, and when he spied Helguson lurking with intent just inside the box on the right, a neat flick over the Wednesday backline set the Iceland striker away.
Taking one touch to set up the chance, Helguson drove his shot frustratingly wide of the left-hand upright.
- The home side were well into their stride, and went even closer minutes later. One again, the build-up was neat and quick, and Taarabt it was who played a cute pass that cut the two centre-backs out the game.
It was Routledge who had made the run and as Lee Grant sprinted from his line, he waited until the precise moment to dink his shot pass the Owls keeper. Loftus Road watched aghast however, as the ball looked to be heading in, it bounced back off the post and was cleared for a corner.
- The resultant set-piece as well nearly brought an R's goal, as Stewart rose highest to send a looping header flying towards the top corner. Varney, however, was on hand to head it clear.
- The Super Hoops were well and truly in control, and López, after Helguson's fine through ball, agonizingly rolled an effort wide with only Grant to beat.
It didn't stop there. After bamboozling Richard Wood with another of his tricks, Taarabt strode forward and unleashed a drive that was always going wide. It was, however, breathtaking stuff from rejuvenated Rangers.
But, as is often the case when you miss a host of chances, the opposition scored. A fizzing Esajas cross caught out Cerny and Mahon both trying to clear the danger, and the latter beat the former to hand the Owls the lead.
Not to take this set-back lying down, the R's struck back. Unbelievable skills from Taarabt allowed him to slip another fantastic pass into the path of Helguson who, with Grant to beat at a tight angle, smashed the outside of the post with a great effort.
- Still in the mood for fine, fee-flowing football, another dazzling move presented a glorious opportunity for López.
Routledge broke quickly after picking possession in his own half. Spying Cook free on the left, he found him with a cross field pass. Cook took one touch and freed Taarabt breaking free ahead of him. The Moroccan held it up, and picked his pass to the Spaniard.
The former Real Mallorca man's first touch took him clear of a Wednesday defender, and his second drew and brilliant save out of Owls keeper Grant.
Apart from an Esajas snap-shot that whizzed narrowly wide of Cerny's goal, the half was uneventful, and the somehow Rangers went into the break 1-0 down.
- Such was the ferocity of the blue and white tide in the first half, Owls Manager Brian Laws replaced Richard Wood with the giant Mark Beevers, hoping the youngster would steady a nervy Wednesday backline.
- It seemed to boost the visiting side as eight minutes into the second period, they doubled their lead. Clarke got the wrong side of Stewart and Gorkss in the box, and as the two tried to clear the danger they inadvertently bundled the ex-Rangers man to the ground.
Up stepped Tudgay to send the resultant penalty straight down the middle.
In response to the change, Caretaker Manager Ainsworth made his first change. Off came Taarabt and on came fan's favourite Vine.
And what a change it was. Six minutes after he stepped over the white line, he had the ball in the net.
- He had Routledge to thank in fairness. A lung-busting run from the diminutive wide-man as he skinned Tommy Spurr and Richard Hinds in the same turn of pace. In space, he lashed a shot that was well saved by Grant, but only into the path of Vine who calmly tapped into an empty net.
Celebrating at both sides of the ground, the delight on the striker's face was brilliant to see, and it was clear to see how much the goal meant to him after missing so much football this year.
In a bid to keep the fortune in Rangers' favour, Ainsworth introduced Ephraim for the impressive López.
But it was Cerny who was the busier keeper minutes later, keeping out an Esajas shot.
- However, it was Rangers who threatened again, and completed the comeback in the 73rd minute. A Cook corner was headed away into the path of Ephraim who gave Cook another bite of the cherry.
- Delivering a better cross this time, the R's winger sent a delightful cross to the back post where who else but Mahon was on hand to atone for his earlier own goal with a diving header beyond Grant.
Mahon's bravery cost him further involvement in the match as he succumbed to a foot problem and was replaced by Leigertwood.
- Rangers poured forward in a bid to complete the comeback and were handed a golden opportunity as the final ten minutes ticked slowly by.
When Beevers clipped the darting Vine, the R's were awarded a freekick right on the edge of the box. Cook's effort, however, clipped the wall and was cleared.
- It seemed almost inevitable, but the third duly arrived two minutes before full time.
After Beevers conceded a corner, Cook once again needed two attempts to deliver a fine cross to the back post and there was Stewart to climb high and nod home at the far post to send Loftus Road into chaos.
Wednesday pushed forward in search of a leveler, Tudgay heading inches over late on, but Rangers held on for a fantastic victory.
- QPR: Cerny, Stewart, Mahon (Leigertwood 76), Routledge, Gorkss, Ramage, Connolly, Cook, López (Ephraim 68), Helguson, Taarabt (Vine 56) .
Subs: Delaney, Miller. Goals: Vine (62), Mahon (73), Stewart (88)
Bookings: Taarabt (45), Cook (70) Red Cards:
Sheffield Wednesday: Grant, Spurr, Hinds, Tudgay, Potter, Esajas, Varney, Wood (Beevers 46), O'Connor (Johnson 78), Clarke (Sodje 78), Buxton.
Subs: McAllister, Jeffers. Goals: Mahon OG (35), Tudgay pen (53) Bookings: Varney (36), Beevers (81) Referee: Mr D Deadman
Attendance: 13,742 QPR


Mirror - RANGERS WORTH IT 14/04/2009
- Rangers Worth It Gareth Ainsworth inspired a remarkable turnaround for QPR.
- Caretaker Rangers boss Ainsworth, who took over from Paulo Sousa on Thursday, admitted: "I was a little flustered when we went 2-0 down - but the lads really deserved that win." First Gavin Mahon headed Etienne Esajas's corner into his own goal.
- Then Damion Stewart felled Leon Clarke in the box for Marcus Tudgay to convert the spot-kick.
- But Rowan Vine and Mahon levelled, before Stewart's bullet header wrapped it up late on.
- Qpr 3 Sheff W 2 Mirror


Daily Mail/Ian Gibb - Ainsworth guides Rangers to dramatic win
- While QPR owner Flavio Briatore keeps going through managers like Alan Sugar firing TV apprentices, the solution may well be right under his nose in caretaker Gareth Ainsworth.
- The player-coach guided Rangers to their most exciting win of the season at Loftus Road.
- Though the modest Ainsworth refused to confirm anything beyond taking charge for the rest of the season he did say pointedly: 'I did enjoy it and I'm a very proud man.
'This result was down to the fantastic work of the lads.
- 'Though we did go 2-0 down and were losing at half time there were no problems in our dressing room - while there were raised voices from Wednesday's.'
- Ainsworth would surely be a better bet than Dennis Wise, who has no exceptional track record as a league boss and Paul Ince, sacked by Blackburn, who has never managed at Championship level.
- Rangers did it the hard way, missing six exceptional chances in the first half that included shots against the post by Wayne Routledge and Heidar Helguson.
- But they found themselves a goal down on 35 minutes when Gavin Mahon got the last touch for an own goal after Etienne Esajas had whipped the ball in from the right.
Wednesday were 2-0 up on 52 minutes after Damion Stewart tripped Leon Clarke and Marcus Tudgay converted the spot kick for his 14th goal of the season.
But Rowan Vine slid in the first Rangers' reply in the 62nd minute, seven minutes after appearing from the bench and they levelled on 73 minutes when Mahon this time scored at the right end from a Lee Cook centre.
- And it was a similar move that produced the winner from another villain turned hero in Stewart as he headed in from Cook's centre on 87 minutes.
Wednesday boss Brian Law had no sympathy for his team, snapping: 'If my players are turning their heads towards holiday mode - they'll regret that.
- 'We defended like a pub team and I'm not going to accept that.' Daily Mail


The Star (Sheffield)- Fuming Wednesday boss cancels players' break
- WEDNESDAY were ordered in for extra training today after Brian Laws reacted angrily to the 3-2 defeat at QPR.
- The players would normally have a day off after a weekday match and the Owls manager had planned to give them a two-day break after two games in the space of three days.
- But now they will be at the training ground every day until Saturday's home match against Southampton.
- Laws slammed the performance at Loftus Road as unacceptable and was particularly upset with the team's defending.
- He felt that even the fact that the Owls led 2-0 at one stage did not mask shortcomings and the team were lucky to have such a lead before being hit by QPR fightback.
- "What brought this on, I have no idea; our recent away form has been exceptionally good," said a grim-faced Laws.
- "We couldn't do the basics right. If they have switched their minds to holiday mode then they will regret it.
- "We prepare the players as best we can We study the opposition and give them information. All they have to do is to put their boots on and play." The Star

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TEAMS
QPR: Cerny, Stewart, Mahon, Routledge, Gorkss, Ramage, Connolly, Cook, López, Helguson, Taarabt. Subs: Delaney, Leigertwood, Vine, Miller, Ephraim.

Sheffield Wednesday: Grant, Spurr, Hinds, Tudgay, Potter, Esajas, Varney, Wood, O'Connor, Clarke, Buxton. Subs: McAllister, Jeffers, Beevers, Johnson, Sodje.

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- For an array of "cutting-edge" news articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!


QPR Official Site - CLUB STATEMENT
- Contrary to reports in today's press suggesting Luigi De Canio was sacked from his position as First Team Coach at QPR in May 2008, the current Lecce boss has made the following statement.
- De Canio, the then Genoa Manager, had principally agreed to join the R's in the wake of Flavio Briatore's successful takeover of the Club, before eventually joining in October 2007.
- De Canio said: "It's not true that I was sacked by Queens Park Rangers Football Club, in fact, it was the very opposite.
- "I was offered a substantially improved deal to stay in West London, but my personal circumstances at the time led to me leaving.
- "I don't want to divulge the circumstances surrounding my departure, because it is personal. But I left with a very heavy heart."

- Furthermore, the Club can also confirm that Mick Harford - who filled the void left by former boss John Gregory on a temporary basis - was offered a deal to stay on at the Club, and was not sacked, as has been stated in some newspapers this weekend.- Harford said: "It is true that I was offered an improved deal to stay at the Club.
- "In addition, I was always of the understanding that I was only a temporary option and I was well aware that the Club were in talks to replace me with a new First Team Coach."

- Finally, the Club would like to reiterate that Paulo De Sousa's employment with the Club was terminated after it came to the Club's attention that Mr De Sousa had, without authority, divulged highly confidential and sensitive information. The Club, with legal advice, responded in this way to protect its position.
De Sousa, who won only seven of his 26 matches in charge, left the Club on Thursday.
Following reports today, the Club can also confirm that legal action will be taken in the coming days. QPR

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- For an array of "cutting-edge" news articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!

- Some of the "Highlights" (or lowlights) of a not very good QPR weekend - which completes a very sad, unsettling week for QPR fans


- Mike Keen RIP - Photos and Video of the 1967 Final, Holding The Trophy and running around Wembley

- Additional Statements on The Death of Mike Keen

- Dennis Wise Supposedly Set for QPR

- Earlier: Dennis Wise or Paul Ince as QPR Manager

- Another QPR Managerial Name Touted: Antonio Tapia and Lakshmi Mittal Makes "World's Richest Football (Soccer) Owners List

- Sousa Speaks and Others Lauging at QPR

- "Flavio Briatore is turning Queens Park Rangers job into mission Impossible"

- Burnley 1 QPR 0 Match Reports

- Additional Match Reports of QPR's Burnley Loss

- Thirteen Years ago today, QPR's 1-0 loss at Coventry assures Ray Wilkins' QPR of relegation

- Shabbaz Baidoo Turns 21 (or 22!)

- Dexter Blackstock Talking Like a Nottingham Forest Man!

- A Helguson Compilation: A compilation of what was "reported" (ie copy/pasted) on QPR Report, from October to January regarding Helguson joining (or not joining) QPR


- Comment on any of these items; or offer your memories of Mike Keen on the QPR Report Messageboard.

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!


Martin Samuels Daily Mail - Flavio Briatore is turning Queens Park Rangers job into mission Impossible
- When Steve McClaren left Manchester United he had a choice of jobs and asked Sir Alex Ferguson for advice.
- Don't pick a club, Ferguson told him, pick a chairman. McClaren went to Middlesbrough to work with the dependable Steve Gibson.
- The biggest laugh of the week, therefore, concerns the rumours emanating from Queens Park Rangers that chairman Flavio Briatore wishes his seventh victim (sorry, manager) to be Sir Alex's talented son, Darren.
- If Ferguson senior was so protective of a humble assistant in McClaren, why would he let a cherished family member fall into the clutches of this idiot?
Briatore's brief yet chaotic time at Loftus Road has made Rupert Lowe's spells at Southampton look like masterpieces of consistent vision.
Briatore has employed six managers, including caretakers, in little more than 18 months, and the most recent one, Paulo Sousa, lasted 26 games.
- Even the unemployed should beware Briatore. Paul Ince is in the frame, but while he might be keen to work in football again, he is not that desperate, surely?
- The same goes for Dennis Wise. Having just left a nuthouse at Newcastle United, this career move would qualify him for a straitjacket more than a tracksuit.
- Many in football claim Wise was doing a creditable job at Newcastle's academy before being overtaken by events. Why would he check into another asylum?
You must be joking? Even Dennis Wise would be mad to join another madhouse after leaving Newcastle
- If even half the stories circulating about Briatore's stewardship at QPR are true then any credible manager would run a mile. It has been suggested Briatore has phoned in from Malaysia to insist on half-time substitutions and summoned a manager from the field where he was warming up the players to tell him what the starting XI should be.
- So many sources paint a similar picture that it is hard to believe they are all fantasists, even if Briatore denies picking the team.
His protests, however, are increasingly hollow.
- 'If the results are good, nobody puts their nose in,' he says. 'I have an opinion on things because we have invested a lot of money.'
That is the point, though. Briatore and friends have not invested a lot of money. Not by the standards of modern football, not compared to, say, Roman Abramovich or even Mike Ashley, not compared to what is about to happen at Manchester City.
- Briatore has helped clear the debts and provided adequate investment for ordinary Championship players; which is why QPR remain an ordinary Championship team.
- The total commitment of Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone to QPR is estimated in the region of £20million, although some of Briatore's share has already been palmed off to Lakshmi Mittal, said to be the fifth richest man in the world.
- Indeed, there are some very wealthy citizens at QPR; not that you would know it from anything bar the boardroom egos.
- And one imagines Darren's dad knows exactly how to deal with them
- With Briatore in charge, that should have qualified him for some form of long-service carriage clock.
- His predecessor, Iain Dowie, took charge of 15 games, John Gregory and Mick Harford got five games each, while Luigi De Canio made it to 35 games, almost a whole season, before he got the bullet. This is the equivalent of five or six seasons at another club because one match at QPR equates, much like dog years, to seven with a rational man in charge.
- The conceit of Briatore is such that leaks from QPR now put promising young managers in the frame for the vacancy, as if anyone of substance would chance his career working for the regime at Loftus Road.
- What could Darren Ferguson gain from association with Briatore, apart from a pay-off?
- He would be better off seeing the job through at Peterborough United, biding his time for the opportunity to work at a bigger club with a sensible owner. Daily Mail

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!


Jeremy Cross/Daily Star - WISE TO SNAP UP QPR JOB- DENNIS Wise is poised for a swift return to football by becoming the new manager of QPR this week.
- Wise has held talks with co-owner Flavio Briatore and chairman Gianni Paladini and is expected to be installed at Loftus Road within the next 48 hours.
- The Championship club have acted quickly to find a replacement for the sacked Paulo Sousa.
- Former Millwall and Leeds manager Wise left his controversial role as a football director at Newcastle United following the appointment of Alan Shearer last week.
- Wise was born within touching distance of the ground and grew up a massive QPR fan - Daily Star


Daily Express/Gareth Bebb - QPR LOOK AT WISE MOVE FOR DENNIS
- DENNIS WISE is poised for a swift return to football by becoming the new manager of QPR.
- Wise has held talks with co-owner Flavio Briatore and chairman Gianni Paladini and is expected to be installed in the next 24 hours after the dismissal of Paulo Sousa.
- Former Millwall and Leeds manager Wise was born near Loftus Road and grew up a big QPR fan. His appointment comes too late to prevent their season dribbling away towards mid-table mediocrity – not helped by displays such as this.
- But if he watches a tape of this match for homework, he will see a Burnley showing that should convince any doubters they can be the real deal at the business end of the season." Daily Express

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!

- See also: Memories and Video of Mike Keen


Watford Official Statement - RIP MIKE KEEN
- WATFORD FC was saddened to hear of the death of former player and manager Mike Keen.
- Keen joined Watford from Luton Town and went on to manage the Hornets, aged just 33 from 1973 to 1977.
- He died aged 69 on Saturday evening following a short illness.
- The thoughts of the club are with his friends and family at this difficult time.
- Keen had joined Watford a year before taking over as manager following a free transfer from Luton Town.
- He had made his name at QPR as a midfielder. He was club skipper as the R's completed a double in 1967 as they won the League Cup at Wembley and the Third
- Keen's son Kevin was also a professional footballer and is First Team Coach at West Ham United. Watford


Wycombe Official Site BLUES MOURN TRAGIC LOSS
- Wycombe fans are mourning the death of Mike Keen, one of the club's most popular former managers, who has passed away at the age of 69 following a short illness.
- Mike was born and bred in High Wycombe and never severed his links with the town despite a playing career that took him to Queens Park Rangers, Watford and Luton.
- He captained the Q.P.R. team that won the League Cup and the old Third Division title in the mid-1960's and became player-manager of Watford a few years later.
- When his playing career ended, Mike opened a successful sports shop in Wycombe's town centre and in January 1980 he was appointed successor to former England amateur international Andy Williams as manager of his hometown club.
- Mike stayed in charge for the next four years and enjoyed considerable success including an Isthmian League title and an appearance in the semi-finals of the F.A. Trophy.
- He gave a debut to his own son Kevin who became the youngest ever Wycombe player when he played against Hendon at the age of 15. Kevin went on to forge a highly successful playing career with West Ham where he is now a respected member of the coaching staff.
- Wanderers head of media Alan Parry told wwfc.com: 'I had the privilege of knowing Mike Keen for over 25 years and I can honestly say he was one of the nicest guys I've ever met in football - or any other walk of life.
- 'Quiet, modest, courteous, always smiling and always ready to lend a helping hand, he was a gentle giant and a true gentleman. Mike will always have a special place in the history of our great club and although he didn't get down to Adams Park very often, he always followed our results. He would have loved to have seen us get promoted this season so let's make sure that we do it for him.' Wycombe

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!

RIP Mike Keen



Midfielder and captain, Mike Keen has died. Mike Keen was with QPR from 1959-1969 before moving on to team up again with Alec Stock at Luton, where he again won promotion. When Rodney Marsh made his QPR debut, Mike Keen captained the team. When QPR made their First Division debut against Leicester, once again, Mike Keen captained the team. And when QPR finally won their first game in the First Division, against Ipswich in October: Once again, Mike Keen captained the team. RIP - See Profile

- Video: Watch Mike Keen's Greatest Moment: The 1967 League Cup Final - Including Keen's Coin Toss and Collecting the Trophy


QPR Official Site - MIKE KEEN
- The Club is saddened to hear of the death of former R's captain Mike Keen.
- Keen, who skippered Rangers to our 1967 League Cup Final victory against West Bromwich Albion, died on Saturday evening following a short illness.
- Keen, who was 69 years-old, made 393 appearances for the R's, scoring 39 goals.
- The thoughts of the Club are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
- As a mark of respect, QPR players will wear black armbands at tomorrow's home fixture against Sheffield Wednesday.
- More to follow..." QPR





As posted here last month on his 69th Birthday

1967 Hero and Captain, Mike Keen, turns 69
Born March 19, 1940. 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." QPR Report


Front row, sitting next to Chairman, Jim Gregory)




- If you have memories of Mike Keen you'd like to share and post

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For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!

- See Also: Lakshmi Mittal on World's Richest Football Owners List ....Dennis Wise Set for Brighton! ...Happy Birthday to QPR's Chairman!


Sky Sports - Sousa breaks Hoops silence
Sacked tactician insists he acted with integrity
- Paulo Sousa has broken his silence on his Queens Park Rangers sacking and asked for his integrity and honesty not be questioned.
- The Portuguese tactician was dismissed on Thursday for what the Championship club described as the divulging of 'highly confidential and sensitive information' with regards Dexter Blackstock's loan move to Nottingham Forest.
- Sousa claimed that the deal had been done without his knowledge or consent; an assessment that was dealt with swiftly by the club's board and led to his exit.
- Blackstock's agent has since claimed that Sousa was aware of the situation with regards his client's move away from Loftus Road.
- Sousa, who has previously remained silent on his departure, has thanked joint-owner Flavio Briatore for giving him his first chance in English football, while at the same time refuting suggestions he has in some way acted unprofessionally.
- "I believe that Mr Briatore, like me, has always had the club's best interests at heart and I would like to thank him for giving me my first opportunity to manage in England," said Sousa.
- "I hope that my integrity and honesty are not brought into question as I have always sought to act with both throughout my career." SkySports


Sunday Mirror/Michael Calvin - Why the joke's now on Queens Park Rangers
- The billionaires and their Playboy bunnies have a new toy.
- Somehow, it used to be one of our most endearing football clubs - even when someone pulled a gun on the chairman in the boardroom.
- We used to laugh with Queens Park Rangers.
- But now we laugh at them." Sunday Mirror

-
- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!

- Also: Lakshmi Mittal on World's Richest Football Owners List ....Dennis Wise Set for Brighton! ...Happy Birthday to QPR's Chairman!


[Joining Wise and Ince and the previously-mentioned Ferguson- as people supposedly wanted by QPR as their next Manager/Head Coach]

The latest name: Antonia Tapia
BBC Gossip from The Sunday Express: "Queens Park Rangers will again try to persuade Malaga boss Antonia Tapia to take over as their manager following the exit of Paulo Sousa." (Sunday Express) BBC Gossip


- Note: As noted in QPR Report last Month "Claim QPR Sounded Out Taglia as Manager"
- Sunday Sun/Neil Farrington March 16, 2009 -
"... Malaga’s Antonio Tapia ....[W]ith his contract due to expire in June, Tapia’s agents — Bahia Internacional — are understood to have been sounded out by representatives of QPR and Newcastle about a possible move to England. And Tapia admitted: “I rejected an offer during the (January) transfer window, although I am a lover of English football. I am a professional and my commitment was to Malaga. I don’t regret the decision...."

-
- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!

- Also: Lakshmi Mittal on World's Richest Football Owners List ....Dennis Wise Set for Brighton! ...Happy Birthday to QPR's Chairman!

- [See Earlier: Burnley-QPR Match Reports and Managerial Comments]

Sunday Times/Peter Oliver - Queens Park Rangers humbled by Burnley
- HOW Queens Park Rangers must envy Burnley’s stability, not to mention their league position as they all but secured a place in the play-offs with a fifth win in seven games.
- While Rangers look for a fifth manager in 18 months after the dismissal of Paulo Sousa, Burnley are on only their third in 11 years. The incumbent, Owen Coyle, is ready to commit himself to 2012 by agreeing a new contract.
- Having nurtured a side recognised already for its cup football this season, Coyle has also proved he can produce a team capable of prospering over the longer distance. Since losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup just over a month ago, Burnley are unbeaten in six games and have won four of them.
- A top-six place that once eluded them by goal difference is now theirs for the taking, even if their next two games against Cardiff and Sheffield United will be a serious test.
- Yesterday Burnley were down to 18 fit players, including a goalkeeper who had five stitches inserted in an eye wound sustained in training on Friday. At full strength they only have 19 senior players.
- In such circumstances Chris Eagles might appear a luxury but the former Manchester United winger has bought into the work ethic. “I think there is even more to come from him,” said Coyle. “I don’t think I’ve got to the bottom of him yet and I am working every day in training with him to get there.”
- Radek Cerny saved superbly from Graham Alexander in the first half and after the break Clarke Carlisle headed home from a corner, hit the post with a header and had an effort cleared off the line.
- Gareth Ainsworth, again the caretaker at Loftus Road, insists he will not let Rangers’ season die around them but apart from a Rowan Vine effort that was well saved by Brian Jensen, they offered little and look to be drifting like the rudderless ship they are.
Star man: Chris Eagles (Burnley) Yellow card: Burnley: Kalvenes Referee: M Haywood Attendance: 15,058
BURNLEY: Jensen 7, Williams 7, Carlisle 7, Caldwell 7, Kalvenes 7, Elliott 8, Alexander 7, McCann 7, Eagles 8 (McDonald 90min), Rodriguez 7 (Paterson 86min), Blake 7 (Gudjonsson 79min)
QPR: Cerny 7, Ramage 5, Connolly 6, Gorkss 5, Delaney 5, Leigertwood 5, Ephraim 5 (Lopez 72min), Routledge 6, Vine 6 (Alberti 84min), Taarabt 5, Di Carmine 4 (Cook 54min)
Sunday Times


Sunday Mirror - Carlisle keeps Clarets on track
- BURNLEY 1 QPR 0 Carlisle 49
- Clarke Carlisle's bullet header gave Burnley three vital points as Owen Coyle's side consolidated their place in the play-off zone.
- Carlisle headed home a Robbie Blake corner at the beginning of the second half as the Clarets moved seven points clear of the pack chasing the top six.
- Rangers had their moments in an entertaining match but ended a hectic week which saw manager Paulo Sousa axed after just 26 games marooned in mid-table.
- Burnley started brightly with Wade Elliott having a shot after just seven seconds.
- Jay Rodriguez then headed a Blake free-kick over in a highpaced start before Chris Eagles looked to have a decent penalty shout turned away after he was impeded in the area.
- Coyle's side were in control but a quick break by the visitors almost led to the opening goal. Hogan Ephraim carried the ball forward before playing it out to Wayne Routledge on the right. His cross evaded the entire Clarets defence and Rowan Vine looked certain to score but the imposing figure of goalkeeper Brian Jensen blocked the striker's volley.
- The Clarets came within inches of taking the lead just 45 seconds into the second half. Blake was again the supplier of a superb delivery from a right-wing corner and Carlisle sent a powabove erful header past Cerny which rattled the post.
- But in the 49th minute the hosts were ahead from an identical set-piece. Blake floated the corner to the exact same spot and Carlisle again rose his marker to thump a header past Cerny.
- Coyle hailed his side's character, and said: "We just have to look after ourselves and we did that today. To give that level of performance at this stage of the season spoke volumes of the side's character." QPR caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth refused to discuss the departure last week of Sousa but promised that his side would play out the rest of the season with pride.
- He said: "I'm proud of the lads, they battled hard. I've had one crack at being manager before and I am very proud to be involved and will continue to lead the side out for as long as I'm asked to." Sunday Mirror


- Additional Gareth Ainsworth quote from BBC
- "Burnley is a tough place to come and I have a lot of respect for Owen Coyle and what he has achieved here. "We want to pick up points and we can still have a say in promotion and relegation this season. We don't want the season to die now but I want the players to enjoy it." BBC


SUNDAY PEOPLE/Steve Bott - BURNLEY 1-0 QPR
- Owen Coyle hailed his battling Burnley side despite being accused of a "sneaky" victory.
- Clarke Carlisle and Chris Eagles are both claiming the goal that moved the Clarets seven points clear in the final play-off place.
- Carlisle's bullet header just after halftime was touched in by Eagles with stand-in QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth insisting it was handled over the line.
- "It was a sneaky handball and they have got away with it," said Ainsworth.
- "Our goalkeeper ran 30 yards to protest about it and he wouldn't have done that if he didn't think there was anything wrong with the goal. He is saying Eagles handballed it." After Blackpool's victory at Preston earlier in the day, this was a massive result for Coyle's men and the boss was quick to salute his players.
- "We just have to look after ourselves and we did that today," the Scot said.
"The last 10 minutes were nervy but we had a lot of chances and should have had more than a one-goal lead going into that period.
"The lads thought that Clarke's second header, which was cleared, was over the line but I couldn't tell from the sidelines.
"To give that level of performance at this stage of the season spoke volumes of the side's character.
"There were so many positives to take from the game, most of all three points and now we have another tough game at Cardiff on Easter Monday." Coyle will need Carlisle at his commanding best against the Bluebirds.
He's the biggest player in the Burnley squad, but against Rangers he added to a solid defensive display by providing the breakthrough on 49 minutes before the controversy raged over how and who scored.
Carlisle went close to a second goal on 70 minutes, but his header was cleared off the line by Hogan Ephraim.
Burnley dominated from the off and produced a string of fine crosses in the first 30 minutes. But with just one man up front in Jay Rodriguez - making his first full appearance for the team - there just wasn't enough bodies in the box to convert the chances.
Rodriguez saw a header saved by Radek Cerny in the 34th minute.
A minute later Burnley midfield man Graham Alexander powered in a great shot from 16 yards out that brought another fine save from the Rangers keeper.
Poor
Ainsworth refused to talk about the sacking of manager Paulo Sousa in midweek, but whoever is handed the full-time job at Loftus Road has got a difficult task if this display is anything to go by.
The visitors were desperately poor in attack and an offside effort from Rowan Vine which struck the post in the fourth minute was as good as it got.
Their defence, with Kaspars Gorkss the only one to really shine, was adequate. The same can be said for the five-man midfield.
- Ainsworth is clearly just filling a gap and may not last until the end of the season. If he does, Rangers will have to produce something a lot better than this if the new man is going to have anything at all to work on next season.
- "We have our values and we want a say in one or two things that are going to happen," Ainsworth said. "I want us to play with smiles on our faces.
- "I thought the lads played really well.
- Burnley is a tough place to come. I have a lot of respect for Owen Coyle.
- "We want to pick up points and we can still have a say in promotion and relegation this season."
Burnley: Jensen 6 - Williams 7, *CARLISLE 8, Caldwell 7, Kalvenes 6 - Eagles 7 (McDonald, 89mins), Alexander 6, Elliott 7, McCann 6, Blake 7 (Gudjonsson, 79mins) - Rodriguez 6 (Paterson, 86mins).

Qpr: Cerny 6 - Ramage 5, *GORKSS 7, Connolly 6, Delaney 5 - Routledge 5, Vine 5 (Alberti, 84mins), Ephraim 6, Leigertwood 5, Taarabt 5 - Di Carmine 4 (Cook, 54mins 5). Referee: M Haywood 7. Sunday People


- Comment on the Burnley result or the actions of this past week which culminated in Sousa's Axing

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!


Mail- QPR weigh up Wise move
- Dennis Wise has emerged as a surprise candidate for the Queens Park Rangers manager's job following the sacking of Paulo Sousa.
- The ex-Millwall boss left his £1.5million-a-year role as a football director at Newcastle following the appointment of Alan Shearer and is believed to be on the Rangers shortlist being drawn up by co-owner Flavio Briatore and chairman Gianni Paladini.- Other names linked with the job include Paul Ince and Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson. Mail


News of The World/Aidan Magee - PAUL INCE IN QPR FRAME
Rangers looking for fifth boss in 18 months
- PAUL INCE is set to be offered the QPR job this summer.
- The Championship club parted company with Portuguese boss Paolo Sousa this week after claiming he gave away confidential information about players to fans.
- Chairman Flavio Briatore is happy to leave caretaker Gareth Ainsworth in charge until the end of the season.
- But he is ready to appoint Ince in time for next season.
- The former Blackburn boss left Ewood Park before Christmas but is the preferred choice of the majority of players and fans to take over at Loftus Road.
- Ince is keen to work in London for the first time since leaving West Ham 20 years ago and wants to guide Rangers into the Premier League next term.
- Former boss Luigi de Canio has been linked with a surprise return while long-term candidates Gary Johnson and Darren Ferguson were also considered.
- Rangers are now searching for their fifth permanent manager since Briatore bought into the club just 18 months ago. News of The World

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- Among today's posted articles: FIve QPR Managers in 11 Months...QPR's 34 Managers in 40 Years ....[QPR Youth Lose opener in Sardinia]


QPR Official Site - PROUD IN DEFEAT
- After once again taking over as Caretaker Manager, it was Gareth Ainsworth who was in a reflective mood as QPR succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Burnley at Turf Moor.
- Clarke Carlisle, the former Rangers defender, snatched the winner minutes into the second half but Ainsworth was proud of his players despite the loss. Speaking to www.qpr.co.uk, Ainsworth said. "With these close games, sometimes you win them, sometimes you don't but I can't fault the effort put in by the players.
- "Burnley's always a tough place to come but the lads battled away to the final second. I have a lot of respect for Owen Coyle and what he's trying to do here, they are a well organised side and I'm very proud of the boys."
- As referee Mr Haywood awarded the goal, he was confronted by R's keeper Radek Cerny who claimed Carlisle's header had struck the arm of Clarets midfielder Chris Eagles. Ainsworth remained philosophical, saying, "Sometimes you get away with it but today we didn't and the luck went Burnley's way.
- "On another day, the linesman spots it and we come away with a point. But Radek's ran 30 yards out of his goal to protest and he's a very honest lad is Radek so that says everything to me. He claims it was Eagles who touched it just in front of him. I think they've got away with it today."
- Looking ahead, and with perhaps thoughts of a late charge into the playoffs all but gone, Ainsworth was quick to highlight that there was still something to play for in the final five fixtures of the season. "I told the lads that we have to see out the final few weeks of the season in the right manner.
- "We can still affect things at both ends of the table. We have Wolves, Preston and Plymouth who are all scrapping for points at both ends of the table. But more importantly I want them to play with smiles on their faces and show what they're made of."
- Once again at the helm of QPR, the R's legend is delighted to be in charge for a second time this season. "I'm very privileged to be associated with this Club. The fans, the players, I enjoy being around this Club and if they want me to lead them then that's a bonus."
http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/TheGaffer/0,,10373~1624360,00.html


SKYSPORT - Ainsworth proud to be in charge
Coyle not worrying about rivals' results
- Gareth Ainsworth is 'proud' to be back in charge of Queens Park Rangers as Owen Coyle hopes Burnley can clinch a play-off spot.
- Following Paulo Sousa's sacking as QPR boss on Thursday, Ainsworth has been placed in caretaker charge for the second time this season.
- His first match back at the helm ended in a 1-0 defeat as former QPR defender Clarke Carlisle headed home the only goal of the game early in the second half.
- Ainsworth is honoured to be given another chance by Flavio Briatore and hopes the club's season does not fizzle out.
- Very proud
He said: "I'm proud of the lads, they battled hard and we have been undone by a sneaky handball.
- "Radek Cerny ran 30 yards out of his goal and that says it all to me but he is adamant that Eagles handled it as it went in.
- "Burnley is a tough place to come and I have a lot of respect for Owen Coyle and what he has achieved here.
- "We want to pick up points and we can still have a say in promotion and relegation this season.
- "We don't want the season to die now but I want the players to enjoy it.
= "I've had one crack at being manager before and I am very proud to be involved and will continue to lead the side out for as long as I'm asked to."

- Coyle was pleased with his team's performance, with sixth-placed Burnley now seven points clear of closest rivals Swansea and Preston.
- Nervy
"We just have to look after ourselves and we did that today," said Coyle.
- "The last 10 minutes were nervy but we had a lot of chances and should have had more than a one-goal lead going into that period.
- "The lads thought that Clarke's second header which was cleared was over the line but I couldn't tell from the sidelines.
- "To give that level of performance at this stage of the season spoke volumes of the side's character.
- "There were so many positives to take from the game, most of all three points and now we have another tough game at Cardiff on Monday."
- Coyle added: "We were obviously aware of the Preston result as it was announced just before we kicked off and what it meant was that we had an opportunity to create a seven-point gap and we have done that.
- "But nothing is decided yet.
- "Our intent from kick-off was there for everyone to see and we are in a great position.
- "There have been twists and turns all season so we are well aware of the threats we are still to face.
- "We will have to be at our best to get a result at Cardiff but we are capable of doing that." Skysport


Burnley Official Site - Coyle: Plenty To Shout About- wen Coyle admitted that Preston's lunchtime home defeat to Blackpool give his team a pre-match shot in the arm.
- But the gaffer was proud of the way his players grabbed the opportunity with both hands against QPR to open up a crucial seven point gap over seventh placed North End.
- Coyle said: "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we heard about Preston's result.
- "That meant we had an opportunity to widen the gap, but we still had to deliver.
- "We had to take care of our own results and we did that.
- "The last 10 minutes were a bit nervy as we were holding on to a one goal lead, but at this stage of the season there will always be nerves when you are playing for something.
- "There's no doubt we should have been out of sight by then given the amount of chances we had.
- "All in all we were well worth the three points and it would be nit picking to suggest we should have had a few more goals.
- "To go and give that level of performance, I thought, spoke volumes."
- Coyle, who revealed that striker Steven Thompson will definitely not be fit for Monday's game at former club Cardiff, added: "There will be twists and turns though and we have to remain focused.
- "Brian Jensen had five stitches in an eye wound on Friday following training and Martin Paterson pulled out of training with his tight hamstring.
- "But young Jay Rodriguez came in for his full debut and looked as if he has been there all his days.
- "There were so many positives, but the biggest is the three points."
- The Clarets earned victory thanks to Chris Eagles contentious 48th minute goal.
- The ex-Manchester United wide man deflected the ball home from close range after Clarke Carlisle headed a Robbie Blake corner into the mix.
- Eagles said: "It was so quick I just threw my body at it and the ball went it.
- "It doesn't matter where it hit, it's still a goal and that's all that matters to me." Burnley


Final Score: Burnley 1 QPR 0

Burnley Official Site:
Chris Eagles' second half finish meant that Burnley closed in on a top six finish."

The Clarets took a giant leap towards the play offs with a hard fought, but thoroughly deserved, 1-0 win over managerless Queens Park Rangers at Turf Moor.

Chris Eagles' close range effort was enough to give the Clarets all three points despite a spirited effort by the West London visitors.

Burnley showed their attacking intent right from the off and Wade Elliott struck wide just second after kick off.

QPR struck the post through Vine after a neat one-two on the edge of the box but the linesman's flag on the far side rightly adjudged the front man to be offside.

Jay Rodriguez, making his full debut for the Clarets, headed just wide from a Robbie Blake free kick after five minutes.

Brian Jensen had to be alert to make a superb save at his near post on 13 minutes after Vine got behind full back Rhys Williams and fired a good shot goal wards.

Rodriguez had another header on 21 minutes but he couldn't guide Eagles' cross towards goal under pressure from Kaspars Gorkss.

He went closer with a yet another header on 34 minutes, this time forcing Radek Cerny in the Rangers goal to dive to his right.

Graham Alexander then capitalised on some sloppy defending a few seconds later and forced Cerny into another good save.

Blake had a free kick well saved by Cerny five minutes before the break as the Clarets looked to get the all important first goal.

Alexander had a speculative shot saved by the QPR keeper on 42 minutes but unfortunately the rebound wouldn't fall kindly for Eagles and the visitors' defence was able to clear.

That was the last real chance of a slightly nervous first half in which Burnley dominated and, had it not been for the performance of Cerny in the Rangers goal, should have gone in leading.

The Clarets started the second half brightly, Rodriguez having a deflected shot wide and then Carlisle striking the post with a head from the resulting corner.

Burnley were deservedly ahead on 49 minutes when Eagles turned the ball over the line from close range after Carlisle headed towards goal from Blake's corner to send Turf Moor into raptures.

The Clarets should have had a second on 53 minutes but neither Eagles nor Elliott could fire the ball home after good work down the left by the latter.

The visitors did continue to press and showed flashes of why they are highly thought of as an attacking force in the Coca-Cola Championship this term.

Eagles had a cross-cum-shot turned over by Cerny on 69 minutes and Carlisle had a bullet header off the line from the resulting corner. The Burnley substitutes, warming up on the far side felt the ball had crossed the line but replays looked to show the linesman on that side made the right decision.

Carlisle then deflected a ball towards his own goal on 73 minutes but thankfully it spun behind for a corner.

Substitute Lee Cook flashed a shot wide for the visitors on 83 minutes after finding himself free following a slip by Steve Caldwell in the box.

It was a nervous last few minutes but despite some nice spells, Rangers never really threatened the Burnley goal and the final whistle was greeted by a huge cheer by the majority of the 15,000 inside Turf Moor.

Burnley: Jensen, Williams, Carlisle, Caldwell, Kalvenes, Elliott, Alexander, McCann, Eagles (McDonald 89), Blake (Gudjonsson 78), Rodriguez (Paterson 85).
Subs: Penny, Duff.
Booked: Kalvenes (foul, 32)

QPR: Cerny, Ramage, Gorkss, Connolly, Delaney, Routledge, Taarabt, Leigertwood, Ephraim (Lopez 72), Di Carmine (Cook 54), Vine (Alberti 84).
Subs: Mahon, Stewart. Attendance: 15,058 Burnley


QPR Official Site

Part Four this season of Queens Park Rangers versus Burnley ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat for the Super Hoops as a towering header from R's old boy Clarke Carlisle condemned Gareth Ainsworth to defeat in his first match back at the helm.

It could have been worse for the R's had Chris McCann's header crept inside the post instead of striking it, and Hogan Ephraim not been in the right place in the right time to block another Carlisle header.

Rangers had chances, the returning Rowan Vine going close early on, connecting with a deep Wayne Routledge cross, and then guiding a header narrowly wide.

But that final touch was missing and Rangers succumbed to their first defeat in four matches.

Placed in charge for the trip to Turf Moor, Caretaker Manager Gareth Ainsworth made a single change to the side that drew with Crystal Palace a week ago.

Rowan Vine started a game for the first time in more than a year, replacing the missing Liam Miller.

Partnering him in attack was the young Italian Samuel Di Carmine, whilst behind them - in a four-man midfield - Wayne Routledge took up residence on the right, Adel Taarabt the left, with Hogan Ephraim partnering skipper Mikele Leigertwood in the middle.

The back five lined up as they did against the Eagles. Radek Cerny donned his goalkeeping gloves once more, looking to extend his run of 18 clean sheets this season, with Peter Ramage and Damien Delaney his full-backs and Matt Connolly, alongside Kaspars Gorkss, his central defensive duo.

The bench saw Jordi Lopez return to the squad, where he was joined by midfield colleagues Lee Cook, Gavin Mahon and Matteo Alberti, with Damion Stewart taking the last substitute berth.

Burnley lined up with a familiar face at centre half. Former Hoops defender Clarke Carlisle kept Michael Duff benched, whilst talisman Robbie Blake was preferred to Irish hit-man Martin Paterson who joined his countryman on the subs bench.

Straight from the kick-off and Burnley nearly caught the R's out in the opening seconds. Neat passing found Wade Elliott who did not hesitate to send a drive towards Cerny's goal. The Czech keeper watched as it swerved away at the last moment and went wide.

Clearly relishing his return to the starting line-up, Vine went close to opening the scoring minutes later. Bursting down the left, he tucked a pass inside to Ephraim who clipped the ball up and played in the striker with an audacious back heel.

It was brilliant, but two things conspired to rob Vine a comeback goal - the post and ultimately the offside flag.

Burnley fought back to regain the upper hand, but Jay Rodriguez and Carlisle both wasted headed chances.

But Vine was unperturbed and once again nearly scored that goal he craved. Ephraim's burst through the middle and subsequent pass to Routledge out wide to the right allowed the latter to swing a beautiful cross to the back post where a lunging Vine was only denied by the giant form of Brian Jensen.

As the momentum swung back and forth, a dazzling bit of individual brilliance from Chris Eagles nearly unlocked the Rangers defence.

Chasing a loose ball that was heading for the sideline, Eagles somehow flicked it through his legs to keep it in play. Faced with Delaney, the same trick left the Irishman for dead but the Clarets winger's eventual shot fizzed narrowly wide of Cerny's left-hand upright.

Involved in the Clarets' next threat, Eagles played a neat ball to Rhys Williams who whipped in a cross from the right. Rodriguez rose well, but could only head at Cerny.

Seconds later and Graham Alexander broke through the middle before lashing a left-foot shot that needed a strong diving save from Cerny to tip it around the post.

Burnley skipper Steven Caldwell then nodded a corner over the bar as the home side continued to edge the first half. For all their attacking threat, the Rangers defence proved equal to the task, with Gorkss and Delaney in particular enjoying fine afternoons so far.

Cerny as well, was keeping Burnley at bay, and when Blake tried to catch him out with a whipped free-kick around the wall from the right, the former Tottenham keeper dived to his left to punch it clear. Another Alexander effort, seconds later, was once again well-saved by the in-form custodian.

Burnley threatened again two minutes before half time when Elliott broke through the middle before releasing Rodriguez on the left. As the lanky striker bore down on goal, the ball was expertly taken from by a sliding Connolly, eager to emulate his impressive defensive team-mates.

It proved the last moment of note in the first half, and both teams retired to the dressing rooms for a well-earned break.

Mere seconds after the restart and Burnley had hit the woodwork, Chris McCann climbing highest to head a Blake corner onto the left-hand post.

Sensing the chance was there for the taking, Burnley took the lead with their next corner. Blake fired in a deep set-piece from the right, and Rangers old boy Carlisle rose highest to head through a crowd and beyond Cerny. Cries of handball from the R's players fell on deaf ears as the goal was awarded.

Reacting to the goal, Ainsworth made his first change, Cook replacing Di Carmine.

It proved an astute change, with Cook immediately involving himself in Rangers attacks. Just past the hour, he combined well with Taarabt and Vine, with the ball eventually finding its way to Delaney on the edge of the area.

The left-back took it on the half-volley and blasted his shot wide of the far post.

But it was the home side who posed the greater threat to the scoreline. Eagles nearly caught out Cerny with a right-wing cross that needed dealing with before it crept underneath the crossbar.

Seconds later and Ephraim blocked another goal-bound Carlisle header on the line as Burnley pushed in search of that killer goal.

A second change was made by the R's stand-in gaffer and Lopez rose from the bench to replace Ephraim.

But Rangers refused to quit, and Vine came within a whisker of levelling. A Cook cross from the right was met by a thumping header from Vine attacking the near post. But it flew wide and an equaliser evaded the R's once more.

And so it stayed 1-0, and the R's returned to London without reward for their hard work.
BURNLEY: Jensen, Alexander, Kalvenes, Carlisle, Caldwell, Elliott, McCann, Rodriguez (Paterson 86), Blake (Gudjonsson 79), Williams, Eagles (McDonald 90).
Subs: Penny, Duff. Goals: Carlisle (49)

QPR: Cerny, Delaney, Leigertwood, Routledge, Vine (Alberti 85), Gorkss, Ramage, Connolly, Di Carmine (Cook 54), Ephraim (Lopez 72), Taarabt.
Subs: Stewart, Mahon.

QPR

-- Updated Table
Minute-BY-Minute

- Discuss today's game or the Sousa axing on the QPR Report Messagebard

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- Among today's posted articles: FIve QPR Managers in 11 Months...QPR's 34 Managers in 40 Years ....[QPR Youth Lose opener in Sardinia]


TEAMS: BURNLEY VS QPR

- Jay Rodriguez makes his full Burnley debut, with Martin Paterson named on the bench.

Burnley: Jensen, Alexander, Kalvenes, Carlisle, Caldwell, Elliott, McCann, Rodriguez, Blake, Williams, Eagles. Subs: Penny, Duff, McDonald, Gudjonsson, Paterson.

QPR: Cerny, Leigertwood, Gorkss, Routledge, Vine, Delaney, Ephraim, Ramage, Taarabt, Connolly, Di Carmine. Subs: Mahon, Lopez, Stewart, Alberti, Cook.

Ref: M Haywood

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- Among today's posted articles: QPR's 34 Managers in 40 Years .... Person Changes His Name to..."Queens Park Rangers" .... What Chairman Briatore was Saying, One Year Ago....Ref Says Chelsea Approached him before Liverpool game about not booking players!.... The History of Match-Fixing in English Football


The Mirror/James Nursey - Queens Park Rangers close in on Darren Ferguson
-Queens Park Rangers hope to exploit a bargain buy-out clause in Darren Ferguson's contract as Peterborough manager.
-Gareth Ainsworth has been made caretaker boss until the end of the season following Paulo Sousa's sacking.
-But QPR supremo Flavio Briatore has identified Ferguson, 37, as his No.1 choice. Sir Alex Ferguson's son guided Posh to promotion from League Two in his first full season at the helm. They are currently second in League One.
-Ferguson, appointed in January 2007, is believed to have a buy-out clause of less than £100,000.
-Should Posh fail to go up, Ferguson may well be tempted to move to Championship club Rangers in the summer..- The Mirror


Swindon Advertiser/Anthony Marshall - QPR to make summer move for Cox
- CHAMPIONSHIP rich boys QPR are set to test Town’s resolve with a big money bid for Simon Cox in the summer.
- Rangers have joined West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City in expressing an interest in Swindon’s top scorer, while Derby County have also been regular admirers of the 27-goal front man, pictured, during a prolific season.
- The Hoops are owned by Formula One tycoons and multi-millionaires Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, but despite their significant wealth have struggled to make any impression at the right end of the Championship and sacked head coach Paulo Sousa on Thursday night.
- Sources close to the west London club have told the Advertiser that QPR chiefs see Cox as the man to fire them into the Premier League next year, and the 21-year-old has made no secret of his desire to play at a higher level.
- Town chairman Andrew Fitton has always admitted he will not stand in the way of Cox leaving to further his career, if any potential deal can net Swindon a healthy profit on the £200,000 they recruited the front man for in January 2008.
- Cox has already struck three hat-tricks this season and will be hoping to move closer to a 30-goal tally this afternoon at Brighton. And that feat, in a team struggling to avoid relegation, has caught the eye of scouts and managers across the country.
- Reports claim QPR will put in a bid of £1.5million for the former Reading striker, however the Advertiser understands an offer around £1million is more likely to come from Loftus Road. Swindon Advertiser


Wayne Fereday Looks Back: Daily Echo/Neil Perrett - Rubbish... but not the worst
- WAYNE Fereday knows he was rubbish when he played for Cherries – he’s just glad Jeff Stelling didn’t rub it in.
- Now 45 and still living locally, Fereday made 30 mostly forgettable appearances during a brief spell at Dean Court in the early 1990s.
- But when Sky Sports anchorman Stelling published his book ‘England’s Worst Footballers’ in 2004, Fereday missed out on the inglorious title of being crowned Cherries’ worst.
- Before joining Cherries, Fereday had endured an equally unhappy stay at Newcastle – and also thought he might be in line to appear in their hall of shame.
- “When the book came out, I expected to be Newcastle and Bournemouth’s worst player,” admitted Fereday, who now works as a delivery driver for Cookes Furniture in Christchurch.
- “I always thought I had half-a-chance of seeing my name in lights but it didn’t happen. George Lawrence beat me to it at Bournemouth and Marcelino got the vote at Newcastle.
- “I thought I might get one, if not both, and was very surprised to get neither. I was quite happy about it though!”
- Despite failing to cover himself in glory at St James’ Park and Dean Court, Fereday enjoyed a promising start to his career at QPR.
- As a 17-year-old, he scored twice on his debut before going on to play more than 200 games for the West London club – and six seasons in the top flight.
- Still talked about as the fastest winger to play for QPR, he also won international honours alongside luminaries such as David Seaman and Tony Adams for England under-21s.
- But after leaving the bright lights of London following a £400,000 move to the North East, Fereday found he had walked into a living hell.
- “It was the biggest mistake I ever made,” he admits. “I’ve got fond memories of my time at QPR but things went downhill rapidly after I left.
- “I’d been at QPR for 10 years and there was never any real pressure there.
- “If they had a good run in the cup and finished mid-table, that was a good season.
- “Although Newcastle were in the league below, the expectations were enormous. And although I started okay, I then had a couple of indifferent games and the crowd got on my back.
- “I was a confidence player and needed the crowd with me. At Newcastle, they would eat you alive if you didn’t produce the goods and I didn’t.”
- If Fereday thought his problems were over when he arrived at Dean Court in November 1990, he was very much mistaken. Harry Redknapp signed him in a deal that saw Gavin PeaC*** move in the opposite direction.
- “It was exactly the same at Bournemouth,” said Fereday. “I hadn’t got Newcastle out of my system and probably thought it was going to be easier than it was.
- “The lower down the leagues you go, the less time you get on the ball. It was a shame I didn’t show more for myself or the fans and, rightly so, they gave me grief at Bournemouth as well.”
- Fereday is currently a match co-ordinator for the Press Association and covers most Portsmouth games. His wife Theresa works in the media department at Fratton Park and they live in Christchurch.
- His three children – Samantha Jane, 23, Simon, 21, and TJ, 18 – and grandsons, James, five, and five-month-old Louie, all live in Broadstone and Canford Heath.
- With Cherries and Newcastle battling to avoid the drop, West Brom, another of his former clubs, are also in relegation trouble this season.
- “I don’t want to see any of them go down,” said Fereday, whose career was cut short by injury while at Cardiff in 1995.....” Daily Echo
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- Among today's posted articles: QPR's 34 Managers in 40 Years ....Person Changes His Name to..."Queens Park Rangers" .... What Chairman Briatore was Saying, One Year Ago....Ref Says Chelsea Approached him before Liverpool game about not booking players!.... The History of Match-Fixing in English Football


- The Sun/Geoff Sweet
- Only person who’d take QPR job is somebody hoping for pay-off in six months
- WANTED: A football manager who fancies getting sacked after six months.
You will, though, walk away with an undisclosed pay-off!
- Applicants should apply immediately to QPR supremo Flavio Briatore.
- The Loftus Road chief saw off his fourth boss in 18 months yesterday after Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa was dumped — just 26 games into the job.
- Sousa’s not alone. His predecessor Iain Dowie lasted 15 games — in fact the average shelf-life of a QPR boss under Briatore works out at just 17 games.
- The QPR hotseat is now so hot, that, according to a club insider, it’s only suitable for “an old guy looking for a quick pay-off — or a youngster happy to be told exactly what to do”.
- Because F1 chief Briatore runs QPR with an iron grip.
- Our source close to the players told how Briatore: Sent Sousa a letter to underline how he was only a coach and NOT a manager and that the instruction from the board was to play 4-4-2 for the remainder of the season.
- Last Saturday phoned in from Malaysia to demand Sousa replace Liam Miller with Lee Cook at half-time in the goalless draw with Crystal Palace, which he did. Demanding substitutions was a regular occurrence.
- Regularly visited the dressing room and interrupted Sousa’s pre-match team talks.
- Our source added: “QPR under Briatore is a complete shambles — an amateur club could be run better.
- “Paulo, like Dowie before him, was actually a strong person but that’s the last sort of coach the chairman wants.”
- Sousa, 38, was dumped on Thursday night, with the Championship club claiming he divulged sensitive information and that they acted after taking legal advice to “protect their position”.
- Fans’ favourite Gareth Ainsworth was immediately put in charge as caretaker (for the second time) until the end of the season after Sousa’s No 2 Bruno Oliveira had his contract terminated on Monday.
- It was first thought Sousa’s downfall was revealing he knew nothing about the decision to loan out top-scorer Dexter Blackstock to Nottingham Forest.
- But last night it emerged Sousa had allegedly spoken out of turn to a fan about fitness and contract details of some first-team squad members and that this information appeared on websites.
- The source added: “Briatore thinks that because he pays good wages the players are behind him. But the truth is they are afraid to say boo to a goose and most of them think he hasn’t got a clue.
- “There is a post-season trip to Bahrain but hardly anyone wants to go and instead they’ve instructed their agents to find new teams.”
- Briatore bought the club with a group of friends, including Grand Prix chum Bernie Ecclestone, in September 2007.
- Other Briatore casualties include John Gregory and Luigi de Canio, plus Mick Harford, who lost his job as a caretaker boss. The Sun


Des Kelly/The Mail - Ruthless Ranger All change: Briatore the axeman
- When I interviewed Flavio Briatore for the BBC, the perma-tanned head honcho had just been installed at Queens Park Rangers and was promising a directors’ box full of beautiful people and a ‘boutique’ club.
- After going through five managers in 18 months, Briatore’s project at Loftus Road is looking more like Woolworths.
- Rumours abound that the Formula One boss tries to select the team, despite his patent lack of knowledge.
- Meanwhile, the dismissal of Paulo Sousa after just 26 matches was explained with the preposterous excuse that he leaked ‘highly confidential and sensitive information’ when he admitted the club’s top scorer had been loaned out without his prior knowledge.
- It wasn’t confidential information. But it was obviously sensitive — to someone, at least. The Mail


The Mail - Media blackout: QPR ban players from discussing Sousa sacking
- QPR have banned their players from speaking out over the sacking of manager Paolo Sousa.
- The club are keen to draw a line under the Portuguese's departure but are wary his exit has caused anger and unrest among the players with whom he was extremely popular.
- Sousa was allegedly sacked over a report which appeared on a fans website claiming to be quoting the manager and his views on how the club was being run.
- Sousa refutes the allegatons and claims to have never discussed club matters with any fan.
- Several players have expressed concern at the clubs actions and wanted to speak out but now realise doing so may jeopardise their own future" The Mail

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QPR Official Site - STATEMENT - RE DEXTER BLACKSTOCK

Statement from Eric Walters, the agent of Dexter Blackstock
- This statement is to clarify the situation regarding Dexter Blackstock and QPR.
- Dexter was unhappy at QPR for some time, as he had only started six of a possible 21 fixtures.
- He wasn't even on the bench for QPR's home fixture against Bristol City and seeing as he was the Club's top goalscorer, Dexter was unhappy about this situation.
- A few Clubs approached me for Dexter, including Nottingham Forest. I spoke with Gianni Paladini and he advised me that we needed to clear this with Paulo Sousa.
- Paulo came back from Portugal on March 26th at lunchtime. Dexter discussed the situation with Paulo, and he didn't say anything to Dexter about the possibility of him staying with QPR.
- At 4.00pm on March 26th 2009, Dexter signed the paperwork to complete his loan transfer to Nottingham Forest. - Eric Walters - QPR


Flashback: What Sousa Actually Said re Blackstock Departure

- The News of The World
"A baffled Sousa said: "The players had two days off and the board told me that Blackstock wasgoing to Forest on loan."

- Sunday Times
- “After our match against Bristol City two weeks ago, Dexter came to see me, said he wanted to go and [sporting director] Mr [Gianni] Paladini told me there was an agreement for him to leave. It is disappointing and frustrating but I just have to accept it.”

- PA Sport/Sporting Life
Sousa was informed only by sporting director Gianni Paladini that Blackstock was joining their Coca-Cola Championship rivals last week - a decision apparently made by owner Flavio Briatore.
...- "I gave the players two days off after the Bristol City game and when I came back Mr Paladini told me he had an agreement (for Blackstock) to go on loan," said Sousa.
- "It is a decision for the board and only they can answer it. I'm not frustrated, I said from the first day I have to adapt and try to do my best with the players I have."-

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- What on Earth is Happening at QPR

- Villain of the Day: Flavio Briatore

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- QPR1st and Ron Norris/QPR Net

- Les Ferdinand's First QPR Hatrick: Sixteen Years Ago Today

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Mirror/Alan Nixon - QPR sack manager Paulo Sousa for leaking information
- Paulo Sousa is ready to fight QPR for a pay-off - after being sacked last night following a row over leaks about the club's affairs.
- The Portuguese coach was axed in a letter to his home yesterday following weeks of speculation about his future.
- Sousa was questioned by club bosses about claims he had told supporters about trouble behindthe-scenes in the past few weeks.
- The former Juventus and Borussia Dortmund star strenuously denied those allegations and was stunned by the sacking - although he was aware Rangers were going to bring in a new man above him for next season.
- A sources close to Sousa said: "Paulo is a very dignified man and a professional. He would not go round telling tales about club affairs to fans." Rangers will promote Gareth Ainsworth to the role of boss for now.. Daily Mirror


Daily Mail/"HatchetMan" Perspective - Same old storyline at QPR as Sousa becomes the latest to star in a brief encounter
- So Paulo Sousa has been axed by QPR after just 26 games. No-one saw that coming did they?
- The fact that it came about after alleged leaks gives the departure an unexpected twist but the manager's job at the club remains a short-term deal under the current ownership.
- The club have now gone through five managers since Flavio Briatore and co took the reins. Who would want to take that job now?
- The qualifications for the role seem to be as much to do with putting up with the alleged meddling of the owners and having a good lawyer to ensure a lucrative exit when it inevitably comes before the contract expires as anything to do with the sport.
- Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal, the key QPR investors, have become the Axemen of the Championship and Loftus Road is set to remain a bloody and painful place for some time.
- It will probably stay like that until they move on, in fact, and when big money moves out of a club after such disjointed management, the sequel of the current production could well be Apocalypse Now. Daily Mail


Betting Zone - WISE THE 5/1 CHOICE
- Wise - heads the early betting for QPR post.
Bookies Victor Chandler have opened their book on the next QPR manager and they make Dennis Wise the tentative 5/1 favourite.
- The firm readily admit that due the circumstances surrounding the club at the moment it has been very difficult to price up.
- "QPR seems a pretty complex club at the moment, and it is difficult to see who'll want to take up the position," said VC spokesman Dave Jenkins.
- "They have the financial clout to get a top name in, but that would mean another big ego in the mix, and that would be unlikely to work.
- "It's a tremendous club, which should appeal to a large number of managers, but there seems to be too much going on behind the scenes. At this stage it really is a very difficult appointment to call."
- Paul Ince is the second favourite at 7/1, with the current caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth in at 10/1 Betting Zone


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- Note: This is an updated version of a post from October. It will be updated and reposted as warranted!

- QPR managerial arrival and departures have become a not-infrequent occurrence at Loftus Road. For at touch of nostalgia, a look back at a decade of QPR Official statements announcing their latest managerial appointments and departures: Paulo Sousa Gareth Ainsworth...Iain Dowie...Luigi De Canio...John Gregory...Gary Waddock...Iain Holloway...Gerry Francis...Ray Harford...Stuart Houston!.


PAULO SOUSA

QPR Statement - April 9, 2008
- Queens Park Rangers Football Club has today (Thursday) had to terminate Paulo De Sousa's employment with the Club with immediate effect.
- It came to the Club's attention that Mr De Sousa had, without authority, divulged highly confidential and sensitive information. The Club, with legal advice, responded in this way to protect its position.
- Player / Coach Gareth Ainsworth will take Caretaker charge on a temporary basis, from now until the end of the season.


QPR Official Site - November 19, 2008 - EXCLUSIVE: R'S APPOINT SOUSA- Queens Park Rangers Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Paulo Sousa as First Team Coach.
- The 38 year-old, who won 51 caps for Portugal during an illustrious playing career and spent five years as assistant to Luis Felipe Scolari with the Portuguese national team, has penned a two-and-a-half year contract until the summer of 2011.
- Sousa, who will retain the services of temporary Caretaker Manager Gareth Ainsworth within his backroom staff, will take charge of the R's Coca Cola Championship fixture against Watford on Saturday.
- Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Sousa said: "It is an honour to be part of this project. I have always wanted to work for a big Club and I am very excited about the opportunity to work for Queens Park Rangers.
- "I have great belief in my ideas and my coaching ability and I firmly believe I can achieve the objectives set by the management."
- Sousa added: "I believe in playing positive, attacking football. To achieve positive results you have to maintain a focused outlook and my team will aim to do this, both for ourselves and for the fans.
- "I am looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead."
- Flavio Briatore, QPR Holdings Limited Chairman, added: "Paulo is a very good appointment for this Football Club.
- "I have been keeping track of his work for the last few months and he is the right man for our project.
- "He has great experience after working with the Portuguese national team and he is part of the new generation of coach. He has worked with some of the World's best players and we are excited about having him.
- "His football career was highly impressive and he has great knowledge of the game. After five years with Portugal, he is ready for a new challenge and I am delighted he has agreed to join us."
- Briatore added: "I would like to thank Gareth Ainsworth for his contribution as Caretaker Manager and confirm that he still has a very important role to play at this Club. He is QPR through and through and will work very closely with Paulo as we build for a successful future."
- The Club will be making no further comment at this stage.


IAIN DOWIE

Iain Dowie's Departure
QPR CLUB STATEMENT - 24 Oct 2008 - Dowie
The Board of Queens Park Rangers Football Club has given notice to terminate the contract of Manager Iain Dowie with immediate effect.
Dowie, who took over the reins at Loftus Road in the summer, oversaw 15 matches in charge in all competitions and leaves the R's in ninth place in the Coca Cola Championship.
Player / Coach Gareth Ainsworth has been appointed Caretaker Manager on a temporary basis and will take charge of First Team affairs until further notice.
The Club will be making no further comment at this stage - QPR


DOWIE APPOINTED- May 2008 QPR Official Site - EXCLUSIVE: DOWIE APPOINTED
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Iain Dowie as First Team Coach with immediate effect.
The 43 year-old, who spent three years in W12 during a distinguished playing career, has today (Wednesday 14th May 2008) put pen to paper on a two-year contract at Loftus Road.
Speaking about the appointment, QPR Sporting Director Gianni Paladini, said: "Iain Dowie has a proven track record in the Championship and we're delighted to have him on board."
Dowie, who enjoyed a brief stint as Caretaker Manager of the R's, before working under Gerry Francis in the role of Assistant Manager, also expressed his delight, commenting: "This is a very exciting long-term project.
"I'm very privileged to have been given the opportunity under the new ownership to return to the Club where I served my managerial apprenticeship.
"I've been thoroughly impressed by the new investors and their fresh, aggressive and innovative approach to all sporting matters, as well as the marketing and commercial aspect of this Football Club.
"QPR is a fantastic Club, with a steep and successful history and I'm going to relish the challenge that lies ahead." QPR

[Note: Scroll down for Iain Dowie's previous QPR Departure]


LUIGI DE CANIO


Farewell to De Canio QPR Official Site CLUB STATEMENT 8 May 2008
Queens Park Rangers Football Club have parted company with First Team Coach Luigi De Canio by mutual consent with immediate effect.
The Club would like to place on the record its thanks to Luigi for his contribution to QPR and wish him all the best for a successful future.
Mr De Canio also wanted to express his gratitude for the opportunity to manage Queens Park Rangers and also for the fantastic experience he had during his time in England.
The Club will be making no further comment at this stage.
An announcement on a successor will be made in due course.
May 2008 QPR


October 29 - QPR Official Site - EXCLUSIVE: DE CANIO APPOINTED
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Luigi De Canio as First Team Coach.
The contract period runs until the end of the 2009/10 season.
The 50 year-old has an extensive coaching pedigree having taken charge of Udinese, Napoli, Reggina, Genoa and most recently Siena in Serie A - who he helped keep in the top-flight for two consecutive seasons before leaving.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, De Canio said: "I am very excited at this fantastic opportunity to join Queens Park Rangers as their First Team Coach.
"For me, it will be an honour to work for Queens Park Rangers, a Club which is backed by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, two businessmen with an incredible track-record of success in sport and other fields.
"I would like to thank them and tell them I will not disappoint their expectations. I am fully committed to the project and I am looking forward to getting to work with the players in preparation for our forthcoming home fixture against Hull City on Saturday."
On behalf of the new management of QPR, Chairman Gianni Paladini expressed his delight at the capture of De Canio, commenting: "The Club is going through a phase of total restructuring and for us the appointment of Luigi De Canio is the first important step ahead in our long-term strategy.
"De Canio is a highly motivated professional, whose dynamic and aggressive approach fits perfectly with the image and philosophy of the new Management."
Paladini added: "De Canio is fully aware of the high standards and objectives that the new Management has set for the future of the Club, and he is ready and eager to take up the challenge"
Mick Harford, who has acted as Caretaker Manager since the departure of John Gregory in early October, has left the Club with immediate effect.
Paladini added: "We offered Mick a role within the new set-up and we're disappointed that he has turned this down. He has done a fantastic job since he arrived here in the summer and his contribution will never be forgotten.
"We all wish him the very best for the future."
*The Club will be making no further comment at this stage. QPR


JOHN GREGORY

October 1, 2007 - John Gregory's Departure QPR Official Site - CLUB STATEMENT
Queens Park Rangers Football Club have today terminated the employment of John Gregory as First Team Manager with immediate effect, following Sunday's 5-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion.
First Team Coach, Mick Harford, has been appointed Caretaker Manager to take the team to Wednesday's fixture against Colchester United.
QPR Chairman, Gianni Paladini, said: "The Club would like to thank John for everything he has done during a difficult period as Manager, in particular for saving us from relegation last season.
"However, the performances and results this season have not met with our expectations. The league table does not lie.
"The Club have decided to act swiftly in time to turn things around for the remainder of the season.
"Mick will be Caretaker Manager for Wednesday's away game at Colchester and a further announcement about the post will be made after that.
"Everyone at QPR wants to wish John good luck and success in the future. In the meantime, Mick and the entire team are focused on achieving the Club's first win of the season at Colchester."
The Club will be making no further comment at this stage. QPR


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."

GREGORY EXTENDED - Announcement of Gregory's Two Year Contract
April 23, 2007 - 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.''


GARY WADDOCK

October 19, 2006 - QPR OFFICIAL STATEMENT - WADDOCK DEPARTS
Queens Park Rangers Football Club have parted company with Gary Waddock.
Waddock was named as manager on June 28 after a spell as caretaker manager following the departure of Ian Holloway.
The former Rangers midfielder moved into a coaching role when John Gregory was then appointed at the end of last month.
QPR would like to thank Gary and wish him every success in the future.


WADDOCK DEMOTED
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."


June 28, 2006 - QPR OFFICIAL SITE - WADDOCK APPOINTED
QPR have announced Gary Waddock as first team manager following the appointment of Ian Holloway at Plymouth Argyle.
The new role for the former QPR boss means that Waddock, who was named as Caretaker Manager in February, will now be able to officially take up the title of QPR manager.
Ian Holloway was in charge at Loftus Road since February 2001 and oversaw 266 games in his time at QPR, experiencing relegation and then promotion.
When he was placed on gardening leave earlier this year, Waddock stepped up from his position as first team coach to oversee the managerial side and has since instilled a 'no nonsense' work ethic at Harlington.
Waddock first recruited Alan McDonald as a first team coach before restructuring the scouting network and transfer listing and releasing 14 players in a bid to freshen up the squad and bring in his own men.
The new QPR boss said: "I'm delighted that QPR have finally been able to officially announce my position as first team manager.
"Now I'll feel a lot more confident in my role and I'm looking forward to implementing further changes behind the scenes as well as on the pitch.
"I've got a great back room staff here and we've been planning the coming season all summer.
"The work ethic and training methods will be subjected to a complete overhaul and we're looking forward to seeing the results on the pitch."You can see Gary Waddock's first interview as QPR manager on QPR World tomorrow.


IAN HOLLOWAY

QPR Official Site - Feburary 2006 - HOLLOWAY ON GARDENING LEAVE
QPR OFFICIAL SITECLUB STATEMENT
QPR have announced that Ian Holloway has been placed on 'gardening leave.'Gary Waddock has been appointed as caretaker manager and will be taking first team training as of today.Waddock is currently being consulted about a potential caretaker assistant manager to join him in the next few days.The move follows speculation about Holloway joining Leicester City as their new manager.The club is keen to avoid any distraction to the playing side and to move forward with the rest of the season as speedily as possible.It has therefore put Ian Holloway and his managerial staff, Gary Penrice and Tim Breacker, on gardening leave with immediate effect.Gary Waddock started at work on Monday morning in training with the players and in preparation for next Saturday's derby game against Millwall.
Gianni Paladini said: "QPR has not sacked Ian, but we are concerned about recent performances and the effect the speculation about Ian joining Leicester City might have on the players."I hope we can sort something out with Ian as soon as possible. QPR will always be enormously grateful for the contribution he has made over the past five years, in particular gaining promotion for us in 2004."However, it is crucial the team are focussed and able to move forward, which is why we have appointed Gary as Caretaker Manager. I hope the fans will get behind Gary for the home derby against Millwall on Saturday."


HOLLOWAY Appointed

QPR Official Site - February 26, 2001 - HOLLOWAY CONFIRMED AS BOSS
IAN HOLLOWAY was this afternoon unveiled as the new manager of Queens Park Rangers at a press conference at Loftus Road.
The 37-year-old who managed Bristol Rovers for four and a half seasons left the Memeorial Ground earlier this season and returns to Loftus Road where he spent five years as a player. Further details and quotes from the new boss will appear here later.


QPR Official Site - February 26, 2001- HOLLOWAY - I AM MY OWN MAN
New Rangers boss Ian Holloway insists his return to Loftus Road is a challenge he is cannot wait to undertake.
Holloway, who spent five years as the club in the mid '90s takes over the reins at Loftus Road less than a month after leaving his post as boss of Bristol Rovers, and follows the path of Rangers' Director of Football Gerry Francis, who also swapped the West Country for a return to West London in 1991.
Subsequently Holloway's respect for Francis, who he served under as a player for ten years, is very high, but the 37-year-old insists that he is very much his own man.
The new boss has signed a contract until the end of the season with a view to another year and he is very glad to be back at Loftus Road.
"I was lucky enough to work with Gerry for over ten years at two different clubs and when I met him I thought I knew a lot about football," he said.
"After I met him I realised I knew nothing. What he doesn't know about the game you can write on the back of a postage stamp and the affect that he had on my overall career was so strong that I think without him I wouldn't be say here right now.
"However, I am my own person, I have my own ideas and I motivate players in a different way to Gerry and I want to rub off on these players here and if I need anybody watched or any guidance then I can talk to Gerry.
"I am one of life's optimists but my policy is to be honest and open with our fans. They are the ones who pay the money to come in. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a wholehearted, passionate person and I was brought here before to rub off on the other players.
"I am hoping I can do that here with the players at the club and I am desperately looking forward to meeting them tomorrow morning and getting down to work." "I am absolutely delighted to be taking this on this challenge and I believe that by all pulling in the right direction we can get out of the position we are in."
More comprehensive quotes and a closer look at the new Rangers boss will appear here this afternoon.


QPR Official Site, February 21, 2001 - DEPUTY CHAIRMAN (Nick Blackburn) ON HOLLOWAY APPOINTMENT
DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN Nick Blackburn believes the Rangers board have appointed the right man in Ian Holloway to take over as manager from Gerry Francis.
"We set a certain criteria in appointing a new manager; we wanted someone the ability to motivate, coach well, had experience of management but also someone who was on their way up in the game, someone to help re-structure the club in terms of the academy and the youth system and finally a man who knows players at a lower level in the game or people from Academy league clubs," he said.
"We also knew that Ian made a lot of money in the transfer market with Bristol Rovers which is something we have failed to do in recent years and also his ability to spot and develop players which he has done with the likes of Barry Hayles, Jason Roberts and Bobby Zamora in his time there.
"I know he brings a lot of passion in the way he works and has a lot of passion for this football club and after last Saturday's performance at Wimbledon, I hope some of that passion transmits to the players.
"Ian has signed a contract until the end of this season with another year with options and he is very heavily incentivised especially if he can keep us in the First Division this year which is absolutley crucial to the future of this club.
"He is also heavily incentivised in terms of league positions so I hope he is going to be here for another few years because if he is it will be because he has been able to bring success to the football club


IAIN DOWIE II

QPR Official Site - March 7, 2001: DOWIE LEAVES QPR
THREE ON THE MOVE AS OLLY MAKES HIS MARK - Mach 7. 2001
IAIN DOWIE has left QPR after having his contract paid up in full by the club. Dowie has worked very hard during his time at QPR and the club wishes him every success in the future.
New manager Ian Holloway is looking to bring in his own backroom staff. Holloway said: "When I got the job I talked about bringing in my own backroom staff which most people do in football. I've taken this decision now in order to give him the best chance of getting another job.
"Iain has worked very hard for the club and I'm sure he will do very well in the future. We wish him all the best."
Antti Heinola is also leaving Loftus Road and returning to his native Finland. The QPR defender, whose contract has been terminated by mutual consent, is going home to begin studying for an economics degree.
Another player to be leaving Loftus Road is Leon Jeanne after completing a period of notice issued by the club.


QPR OFFICIAL SITE - 2001 - IAIN - I'D LOVE TO BE BOSS
IN THE build-up to the Gillingham game, assistant boss Iain Dowie has been putting forward his case in the interviews for the manager's job at Rangers.
Iain said: "I've had my interview and I put my point to the board. I think continuity here is very important.
"We've got 18 players out of contract and it is important that the new manager does know the players.
"I also feel I've got something fresh to give. I think I am an innovative coach and I can get a response from the lads.
"I also feel I can step into the mantle of a manager. I've got some bright ideas and things I want to implement. Hopefully I'll get the opportunity.
"I consider this to be a very good club and one that I've really enjoyed my time at. Hopefully my hard work will have earned me the opportunity to be the next manager. If I don't get the job, it won't be through lack of hard work when I've been coaching.
"It's nice that a large percentage of the fans feel that I should get the opportunity. I understand that people have been putting my name forward on the internet, which is lovely. It's nice to know that I have that support and I'd like to get Rangers back to a position where we can challenge for honours."


GERRY FRANCIS

February 2001 CLUB STATEMENT 16 February 2001 - Francis StAnds Down
We have known that Gerry Francis was considering retirement at the end of this season when his contract expires and this week he confirmed to the QPR Board that this was the case.
Following discussions with Gerry it was mutually agreed that it was important to install a new manager now in order to plan for next season, particularly with regard to existing players' contracts and any incoming players. The new manager when appointed will immediately assume responsibility for the First team and will obviously focus on doing everything possible to ensure that QPR do not get relegated this season.
Gerry has been asked to remain with QPR until his contract expires and will work with the new manager on planning for next season, including such issues as our Academy situation and our Scouting network.
The Board would like to go on record as publicly thanking Gerry for the job he has performed over the last two years in very difficult circumstances, keeping QPR up in the first year and finishing tenth last season. His commitment to the club is second to none and we feel that he has made a major contribution in trying to turn the club around. He has been offered a place on the Club Board next year should he wish to take it up.
Discussions with candidates for the manager's job have already started and the Board hopes to be in a position to make an announcement as soon as possible. In the meantime, Gerry Francis will be in charge for the match against Barnsley and we hope he leaves the job with the win the club needs.


Febaury 2001 - GERRY SAYS GOODBYE
GERRY FRANCIS was emotional about the 2-0 win over Barnsley in what was probably his last home game in charge as manager.
Gerry said: "It was a very sad day and an emotional day for me. The fans were fantastic again on Saturday.
"Some supporters look deeply at the situation. They ask why did the man come back in the first place? He didn't have to and the club was going nowhere, bottom of the league and nine points adrift.
"He knew the situation, he didn't moan and groan because he didn't have any money, he didn't moan and groan about having to cut wages, he didn't moan and groan that he had no signing on fees. He brought a couple of kids through, he went to non-League. And he found a couple of players which are the club's future, like Peter Crouch and Clarke Carlisle.
"He had tragic injury problems this year with six broken legs, Rob Steiner retiring, Danny Maddix not playing all season and two cruciate ligaments. Any manager in the country - including Alex Ferguson - would have struggled with those injuries. I've never known anything like it in my life.
"So I just feel that supporters looking at football and managers can see beyond results sometimes. Obviously I am delighted that they can.
"This has been the hardest job I've had to do in my career, with some very difficult circumstances and problems along the way. I feel I've earned a rest now.
"It was a very, very nice gesture to offer me a place on the board here. But no one knows what the situation will be here in a couple of months. The club is still up for sale. A new owner might come in and not know who I am! So you just don't know what is around the corner."


October 16 1998 FRANCIS BACK HOME
QUEENS PARK RANGERS today announced that Gerry Francis has been appointed the club's new Director of Football. Chairman Chris Wright confirmed that Francis would take up the position immediately.
Francis who sent more than 17 years at Queens Park Rangers, both as manager and player, has been appointed on a three year contract and fills the gap left recently by Ray Harford who resigned on September 28th.
Francis, who has been out of football since leaving Spurs a year ago, said of his new appointment:"I'm delighted to be back at Loftus Road. I spent many happy and successful years here and it's great to be home again. Although there is a major job ahead, I believe the club has huge potential and I look forward to the challenge."
Welcoming Francis back to Loftus Road, Chris Wright said "It is great to have Gerry back. We chose him because of his proven track record and significantly, his achievements as a manager. This talent, coupled with his strong emotional commitment to the club, is a combination we beleive is impossible to find elsewhere."
Iain Dowie, who took over as caretaker manager following Harford's departure last month, has been appointed player/coach working alongside Francis.
Francis' will attend QPR's league fixture at Huddersfield tomorrow, but Dowie, who has been preparing the team for this tough game, will remain in charge in his role as caretaker manager.


QPR Official Site - October 16, 1998 FRANCIS BACK HOME
NEW RANGERS manager Gerry Francis has spoken about his decision to come back to Rangers and is prepared for the cahallenges ahead.
Francis, the fans top choice to succeed Ray Harford, was installed on Friday afternoon at Loftus Road and is pleased to be back again at the club that nurtured his prestigious career.
"I'm pleased to be back, but I know what a challenge it is and I've committed myself to the situation and now I have to see if I can pull QPR back to where I left it."
"There is no money to spend on players, but I knew this when I came on and you can't hide behind those things, I put my reputation on the line and it's up to me to sort it out."
"I've gone into this sort of situation before, Tottenham at ten months bristol Rovers was dire I had to lend them money to buy players. It's a difficiult situation but you've got to be positive."
In 11 months I've turned down 12 opportunites flat to go back into the game, it was only my love and concern for QPR that let me to talk to Chris Wright. I was shocked when I found out the bottom line, and I had several other meetings but I in the end I decided to take it - I know Chris will say I did that with hy heart rather than my head, and he's probably right but we'll have to see how things go. We've got to get up the league and build a team that can get us promotion to the premeir league, because that's where I want to be. I want to show my commitment to the club and I'm prepared to buy in on the share side of it and try and change things around.. What I'll be working for is to try and improve that and on the field as well. Certainly we can't carry on with the current financial situation, that has to be turned around. The likes of the Gallen's, Quashie's and Dichio's that I lef there when i left have to be brought through again because they are vital to the club because we have no money to buy players.



IAIN DOWIE I

QPR OFFICIAL SITE - October 12, 1998 - DOWIE IGNORES THE HYPE
CARETAKER boss Iain Dowie has returned to training at Rangers after a successful weekend away with Northern Ireland, and is ignoring all the media hype regarding the vacant manager's position.
Iain says: " Whatever the scenario is at QPR, I’m just taking it day by day and working very hard to get the lads prepared for Saturday. I can’t affect anything that goes on off the field. I had a chat with the directors at Rangers and they will make their decision.
Whatever that is, I’ll go along with it. I just want to see QPR do well. That’s the most important thing at the moment. It’s not about personalities. It’s about everyone fighting and pulling the same way for the benefit of the club."


RAY HARFORD


QPR OFFICIAL SITE - September 28, 1998 - HARFORD RESIGNS
RAY HARFORD STEPS DOWN - Queens Park Rangers FC announced on Monday morning the resignation of Manager Ray Harford following the team's 4-1 defeat at Oxford United on Saturday. Ray felt that at this difficult time it was in the Club's best interests he should step down.
- The Club has appointed player/coach Iain Dowie, who has also been managing the unbeaten Reserve Team, as Caretaker Manager. Dowie will be in charge of the team for tomorrow's game at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and for next Saturday's home match against Grimsby Town.
- The Board intend to advertise the position of manager and will be hoping to interview a short lisst of candidates over the next two weeks. An appointment will be made in due course.
- In the probability of the home game against Ipswich Town on 11th October being postponed due to International duties, the Board will endeavour to have a manager in place by the following game away to Huddersfield town (17th October).
- The Board gave careful consideration to appointing Player/Assistant Manager Vinnie Jones as Manager. The Board decided that it was in the best interests of the Club to formulate a short list of candidates for the position of Manager who will be interviewed in due course. Vinnie will be considered as part of this process.
- A further announcement will be made in due course.


QPR OFFICIAL SITE - December 1997 - RAY IS OUR MAN
QPR CHAIRMAN CHRIS WRIGHT tonight confirmed the widest known secret in football that Ray Harford was to be appointed the new manager at Loftus Road.
The QPR supremo revealed that negotiations for Harford's signature were almost complete and that he expected the former West Brom boss to be at the helm before the weekend.
" I can tell all Rangers fans that we have agreed the basic terms for Ray Harford to become the new manager of QPR."
" He has resigned from his position at WBA, who are refusing to accept he is out of contract. As far as we and our lawyers are concerned he is not in contract and we hope to conclude the agreement sometime tomorrow morning in time for him to take training."
The Chairman then indicated the reasons for Ray's selection and the role of John Hollins who has been acting as caretaker manager since the dismissal of Stewart Houston.
"We have asked Ray to take John Hollins as his assistant and at the moment John is considering all his options, but we very much hope the two of them will be managing the first team."
"Ray's record speaks for itself. He has managed at all levels, both in the lower divisions and in the Premier League. He was coach at Blackburn with Kenny Dalglish and then took over. He has done an excellent job at WBA, taking a team last season who were close to relegation and turning them into promotion candidates."
" He comes with more experience than virtually any manager in the country, he has an excellent record in the transfer market and is an expert at bringing players on. He lives in London and he is welcoming the chance to work at QPR believing we have the potential to get back into the Premier League."
" I believe Ray will prove to be an excellent choice to take QPR into the Premiership and stay there."
Chris Wright complimented John Hollins on the job he had done over the last few weeks and complimented him for restoring spirit at the club and with the fans.
" John has been brilliant. Spirit is excellent between the players and the fans think they have reclaimed their club."
"I'm looking forward to working with Ray and I am sure he will do an excellent job."


QPR Official Site - HARFORD FREE FOR RANGERS
RANGERS and West Brom reached an agreement over Ray Harford on Friday morning, leaving the way clear for the former Hawthornes boss to take over this afternoon at Loftus Road.
West Brom had tried to prevent Harford, who resigned from his Hawthorns post on Thursday morning, from taking up the Rangers post without them receiving any compensation and were believed to be seeking a sum in the region of £500,000 for the loss their boss.
Harford is now free to resume as manager and is expected to take over training this afternoon. A decision as to whether John Hollins will accept the appointment as assistant manager is expected in the near future.
Speaking after the agreement between the two clubs had reached its faviourable conclusion, Ray revealed his relief at the outcome.
" I'm very excited about the opportunity and can't wait to get my feet under the table."
" I think the next few games are vitally important as given the right results they could put us right in amongst the chasing pack."
Ray will not be in charge for Saturday's game against Sunderland, but will be watching from the stands. John Hollins will be in the dugout and will select the side.


STUART HOUSTON (AND BRUCE RIOCH)

QPR Official Site - November 10, 1997 - BOARD RELEASE HOUSTON AND RIOCH
BOSS Stewart Houston and Assistant Manager Bruce Rioch have parted company with Queens Park Rangers, after a board meeting at Loftus Road on Monday night.
A statement issued by the club read:
"Following a meeting of the Board of QPR, at which Stuart Houston was present, the club has reluctantly decided to release both Stuart Houston and Bruce Rioch.
A caretaker manager will be appointed in the interim period."
Chairman Chris Wright will issue a full statement following the AGM of Loftus Road plc tomorrow afternoon. The excusive interview will be available on this site from around 6pm GMT.


QPR Official Site - November 11, 1997 - THE WRIGHT WAY FORWARD
CHRIS WRIGHT revealed today that fan power had necessitated the removal of Stewart Houston and Bruce Rioch as the managerial team at Loftus Road
As John Hollins was installed as caretaker boss, the chairman insisted he would not be rushed into finding immediate replacements.
" I did feel it was important that Stewart carried the body of the fans with him, we had taken six points from 24 and the feeling was we were not moving in the right direction."
" I know that Stewart never really endeared himself to the fans, he didn't see that as part of his job and I felt Stewart was struggling to carry support with him."
" I wanted to give him until the end of the year, but I felt it was better to make a clean break."
Turning his attention to the fuure and the installation of the new man at the helm, Wright revealed.
" I don't want to lurch from one manager to another. I want to go into this feeling, this is the best man, rather than getting in someone tomorrow afternoon."
" It could be days, weeks, months or even the end of the season."
" Twelve months ago we felt we were a Premiership Club who would be promoted. We gave players contracts thinking we would be back in 12 months time. The reality is now we are a Division One club. To get out of this division is now a priority and we're looking for a manager capable of getting us well equipped to survive and then getting us out of the division."
" We want someone who knows about the Nationwide League and its players, who will bring the best ones to QPR to get us into the Premier League."
As the Rangers supremo laid out his plans, he apologised to Bruce Rioch over the way he had found out about his dismissal, on Ceefax rather than having been informed directly.
" Stewart was to inform Bruce. I don't know why Stewart took a little longer than we anticipated to contact him. I'm genuinely sorry Bruce found out the way he did."
Having aligned himself with popular opinion in making the managerial change, Chris made a personal plea to R's supporters to get back and stand full square behind John Hollins and the team saying.
" This is your club. It's up to you to get behind your team. You've been quiet at home, now show everybody how much you feel for the club. I know your opinions, we've acted on them, now get behind us again."


[JOHN HOLLINS]

QPR Official Site - November 18 - JOHN WANTS TOP JOB
CARETAKER boss John Hollins has expressed a keen interest in becoming the next manager of Queens Park Rangers.
John is in charge on a temporary basis, starting with Saturday's home game against Stoke. But he'd like the job permanently.
Hollins says:"It would be an honour and I'd be very pleased. First things first, though, and we've got one match on Saturday. Let's take each game as it comes and look for a Rangers victory."
"We have some great guys to work with. I want Rangers a happy place to play. Football is an enjoyable game and I enjoy working with the squad. I want these guys to have a smile on their faces, but with grit and determination in matches to make sure we win.

[Note: The Wilkins departure/Houston appointment announcement yet to be found!]]

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!


SkySport - Paladini in plea to fans - QPR standing by decision to dismiss Sousa
- Queens Park Rangers sporting director Gianni Paladini has urged supporters to 'stay behind' the club after the sacking of Paulo Sousa.
- Former Portugal international Sousa was dismissed by the Championship club on Thursday evening, just five months after taking on the job.
- Sousa was sacked by the Rs for 'divulging confidential and sensitive information' without authority following the recent board decision which saw Dexter Blackstock join Nottingham Forest on loan.
- Sky Sports News understands that Sousa 'strenuously denies' the allegations, but Paladini insists the club are standing by their decision.
- In a statement released to Sky Sports News, Paladini called on the fans to put their trust in the club's board.
- "Paulo Sousa has parted company with the club and the club is sticking with the decision made," said Paladini.
- "The people running the club want it to go forward.
- "Supporters must stay behind the club and those who are running it. I ask them to do that. Skysport


QPR 1st QPR1st annoucement
- QPR1st appreciate that the Club feels unable to comment further on the reasons for terminating Paulo de Sousa’s employment .Yet we are dismayed that yet again the Club has proved unable to retain a manager long enough for him to build the foundations for future success and yet again the Club has been plunged into a period of uncertainty and instability.
- Four managers and two caretakers in a year and a half is an appalling record and increasing evidence that managers are not being allowed the autonomy and support they require in order to carry out their role raises serious questions about the way this Club is being run. It is difficult to envisage that any managers or players would wish to work under such a regime.
- We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr de Sousa and wish him the best for the future. - www.qpr1st.com [Posted on LoftforWords


BBC - QPR axe Sousa after just 26 games
- Sousa leaves QPR nine points adrift of the play-offs
Queens Park Rangers have sacked Portuguese manager Paulo Sousa after just 26 games in charge claiming he divulged sensitive information.
- In a club statement, QPR said they took legal advice before acting to "protect its position".
- Sousa, 38, took charge in November, but won just seven games as the side have idled to 10th in the Championship.
- QPR chairman and co-owner Flavio Briatore has now had four managers and two caretakers in a year and a half.
- Sousa's departure comes after coach Bruno Oliveira had his contract at Loftus Road terminated on Monday.
- Player coach Garth Ainsworth will take charge of the side for the rest of the season, starting with a visit to Burnley on Saturday.
- Sousa revealed at the weekend that top-scorer Dexter Blackstock's loan move to Nottingham Forest had been agreed without his knowledge.
- "It is a decision for the board and only they can answer it. I'm not frustrated, I said from the first day I have to adapt and try to do my best with the players I have," he said after his side's goalless draw with Crystal Palace
- Sousa's predecessor Iain Dowie's 15-match spell with the west London side came to an end after he clashed with Briatore, who is also Renault's Formula 1 boss, over team selection.
- John Gregory and Luigi De Canio have had short-lived managerial stints during Briatore's 18 months at the helm after the Italian bought the club with a group of friends, including F1's billionaire supremo Bernie Ecclestone in September 2007.
- Ainsworth and Mick Harford have also failed to persuade the Italian to promote them to full-time roles whilst filling caretaker positions.
BBC


Ealing Gazette/Yann Tear - Sousa axed by Rangers
- Paulo Sousa has become the latest victim of QPR's managerial Tourette's - having been shown the door after just 26 games in charge at Loftus Road.
- Although the Portuguese coach took charge of training this morning (Thursday), he was later told his services would no longer be required and Gareth Ainsworth has been entrusted with first team affairs for the rest of the season.
- The increasing impatience of the owners to hit on a winning formula has now led them to show the door to John Gregory, Luigi Di Canio, Iain Dowie and Sousa in the two and a bit years they have been in control – not to mention caretaker bosses Mick Harford last season and Ainsworth five months ago when he had his first spell in charge as caretaker.
- Although Sousa recently brought an end to a winless streak of nine games with back-to-back home wins over Swansea City and Bristol City, the damage had been done to the team's play-off hopes. Hailed as a bright young prospect when he was first unveiled by chairman Flavio Briatore, he was no longer in favour.
- A run of one goal in six games along with home defeats by Ipswich Town in front of Sky cameras and then by Norwich City may have embarrassed Briatore into looking for a way out.
- And they found one when Sousa made it clear he had nothing to do with the departure of top scorer Dexter Blackstock to Nottingham Forest two weeks ago.
- By hinting he had been undermined, he would have infuriated the hands-on owner, who may also have picked up on internet message board claims that Sousa was allegedly indiscreet in telling a fan that the players at his disposal were not quite up to the task.
- But equally, his attempts at educating the players to formations alien to their English footballing habits may have made his task harder.
- This morning, sporting director Gianni Paladini was claiming he knew nothing of an imminent departure of the two-times European cup winner, but behind the scenes, the axe was ready to drop.
- Rangers planned to review Sousa’s position at the end of the season and decided that his right-hand man, Bruno Oliveira, should initially carry the can for the club’s failure to reach the play-offs.
- But having been given that stay of execution, Sousa was left to decide whether he wanted to carry on in light of Oliveira’s sacking.
- Sousa's reign was not helped by ill fortune on the injury front. Several key players have not been at his disposal at various times since his arrival in November last year. Akos Buzsaky, Rowan Vine, Martin Rowlands and Patrick Agyemang have all been sidelined.
- But in all probability, only reaching the play-offs would have spared him a similar fate to his predecessors. Ealing GAzette


Telegraph - Queen's Park Rangers sack Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa
- AMBITIOUS English Championship side Queen's Park Rangers sacked Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa today, the seventh manager to leave the London club in the last 18 months.
- A club statement said: "Queen's Park Rangers Football Club has today had to terminate Paulo Sousa's employment with the club with immediate effect.
- "It came to the club's attention that Mr Sousa had, without authority, divulged highly confidential and sensitive information. The club, with legal advice, responded in this way to protect its position."
- Sousa, who replaced Iain Dowie in November, won just seven of his 26 games in charge and his future with the club looked in doubt after top scorer Dexter Blackstock was loaned to rivals Nottingham Forest without his knowledge.
- Dowie lasted just 15 games before he was dismissed after clashing with club owner Flavio Briatore, the Renault Formula One team boss.
- The next manager will be the eighth man in charge since Briatore took over the club 18 months ago. Telegraph

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- See Also: From Ainsworth to Houston: How QPR announced the arrival and departure of their managers.

QPR Official Site CLUB STATEMENT
- Queens Park Rangers Football Club has today (Thursday) had to terminate Paulo De Sousa's employment with the Club with immediate effect.
It came to the Club's attention that Mr De Sousa had, without authority, divulged highly confidential and sensitive information. The Club, with legal advice, responded in this way to protect its position.
Player / Coach Gareth Ainsworth will take Caretaker charge on a temporary basis, from now until the end of the season.
The Club will be making no further comment. QPR


The Times - QPR sack manager Paulo Sousa
Queens Park Rangers have sacked Paulo Sousa after just five months in charge.
- Flavio Briatore, the club's ambitious millionaire chairman and co-owner insisted that Sousa had been dismissed for “divulging highly confidential information” rather than because the club are languishing in tenth place in the Coca-Cola Championship, with little chance of reaching the play-offs this season.
- A club statement read: “Queens Park Rangers Football Club has today had to terminate Paulo Sousa‘s employment with the club with immediate effect.
- “It came to the club‘s attention that Mr Sousa had, without authority, divulged highly confidential and sensitive information
- “The club, with legal advice, responded in this way to protect its position.”
- The former Portugal midfielder, 38, took over at Loftus Road in November after Iain Dowie was axed but won just seven of his 26 games at the helm.
- The writing appeared to be on the wall after Sousa revealed at the weekend that top-scorer Dexter Blackstock had been loaned to Championship rivals Nottingham Forest without his knowledge.
- His predecessor Dowie lasted just 15 games before he was dismissed after clashing with Briatore over team selection and the Italian owner of the Renault Formula One team is now looking for his seventh manager since taking over the club a year and a half ago.
- John Gregory, Luigi De Canio and caretakers Mick Harford and Gareth Ainsworth have also been dispensed with. Ainsworth, who has remained on the coaching staff, will be back in charge for the rest of the season, starting with Saturday’s trip to Burnley, while Paul Ince and Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson have been linked with the role. The Times

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!

- See Also: From Ainsworth to Houston: How QPR announced the arrival and departure of their managers.

But NOT an official QPR announcement

- The Daily Mail EXCLUSIVE: Portugal legend Sousa sent packing as QPR call time on their latest boss
By Sportsmail Reporter
Queens Park Rangers have sacked manager Paulo Sousa after just five months in charge.
The Championship club have appointed winger Gareth Ainsworth as caretaker for the rest of the season. Ainsworth had a previous spell as manager before the appointment of Sousa in November.
The former Juventus and Inter Milan midfielder, who arrived amid great fanfare but failed to mount a serious challenge for promotion, may now seek to take legal action against the club.
The club has been troubled by internal turmoil since the arrival of chairman Flavio Briatore in 2007. Top scorer Dexter Blackstock was sent on loan to Nottingham Forest last week in a move which Sousa said he had no say in.
Sousa's No 2 Bruno Oliverier a was sacked on Monday, since when Sousa's own departure has seemed inevitable. - The Daily Mail

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- For a slew of "cutting-edge" articles and links to articles re QPR and football-in-general...For a site where differing opinions are encouraged - as long as the subject is football - but without the ad-hominems: Visit the completely-independent QPR Report Messageboard. Post if you want. Or just read if you prefer. ALL perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- Happy Birthday to QPR's David Webb....Barnet Want to Extend Jake Cole Loan....FIFA Rankings

- See Also: From Ainsworth to Houston: How QPR announced the arrival and departure of their managers.


This is London/James Olley - Paulo Sousa’s facing the sack after crisis talks with Queens Park Rangers
- Paulo Sousa is set to be sacked as Queens Park Rangers manager over Easter.
- Chairman Flavio Briatore, sporting director Gianni Paladini and Sousa have held a series of crisis talks this week following the sudd