QPR's Most-capped Player, Alan McDonald RIP
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BBC - Former Northern Ireland captain Alan McDonald dies suddenly
Former Northern Ireland and Queen's Park Rangers captain Alan McDonald has died suddenly at the age of 48.
McDonald, who managed Glentoran when they won the Irish League championship in 2009, collapsed while playing golf on Saturday morning.
The Belfast-born centre-half famously played in the Northern Ireland team which drew 0-0 against England in 1985 to qualify for the World Cup finals.
Alan McDonald made 52 appearances for Northern Ireland
He won 52 international caps scoring one goal against Denmark in 1986.
The news of McDonald's death will come as a huge shock to the football community in Northern Ireland.
He owned a trophies business in Bangor, Co Down, which had previously been run by his Northern Ireland team-mate Billy Hamilton.
McDonald made more than 400 appearances for London club QPR and was in the team which reached the League Cup final in 1986, losing 3-0 to Oxford United.
He then had spells with Charlton, on loan, and Swindon Town.
After retiring from playing, he served for a time as assistant coach of the Northern Ireland Under-21 side.
When Northern Ireland reached the World Cup finals in 1986 under manager Billy Bingham, McDonald played in matches against Algeria, Spain and Brazil. BBC
_ Wikipedia Profile
Flashback QPR Report - Tuesday, May 29, 2007
For Glentoran's ex-QPR Alan McDonald an Eventful Year
It's been an eventful past fifteen month for ex-QPR Irish International Defender, Alan McDonald as he's gone from incoming QPR saviour to apparent incoming Glentoran saviour. QPR's most capped-international player with over 50 caps returned to QPR last February as Gary Waddock's assistant manager.
Then this past September, McDonald was fired along with Waddock. As the Official site opening sentence phrased it "Alan McDonald has been given notice to terminate his employment at Queens Park Rangers Football Club." Statement McDonald returned to Ireland, became coach at Glentoran. And now this.
Despite his time at QPR, McDonald proclaimed his continued affection for QPR "It hasn't changed my affection for QPR. That will never happen.
It was always the first result I looked for before I came back and will always be the first the result I look for." Interview
February 2006 - McDonald Returns to QPR
March 2006: McDonald Extends his QPR stay
Sept 2006: Terminated by QPR
October 2006: McDonald Interview - No hard feelings
January 2007: McDonald for Newry?
Feb 2007 McDonald appointed Coach Glentoran
May 2007 - McDonald Set to be Appointed Glentoran Manager
May 2007: McDonald at Glentoran
May 2007 - McDonald to stay under new manager as Coach
Wikipedia
SEE ALSO: RON NORRIS/QPRNet 2002 Interview with McDonald
Belfast Telegraph - Big Mac the man for Glens crisis
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 By Stuart McKinley
Alan McDonald will be unveiled as the new Glentoran manager at a press conference this lunchtime.
And straight away he will set about moving the club forward from the crisis that has surrounded the Oval for the last five days.
The east-Belfast outfit put themselves in the middle of a UEFA Licence problem when they named Roy Walker as successor to Paul Millar last Thursday.
In order to maintain that licence and play in Europe this summer the club has instead turned to McDonald, who is a fully qualified coach with the necessary badges, unlike Walker.
McDonald leaves Belfast with the Northern Ireland under-21 squad later today for Friday's European Championship clash in Moldova, but will put pen to paper on what is understood to be a two-year deal before he boards the plane.
He has been something of an innocent bystander while the managerial mess has been untangled by the club and on Friday he was asked if he wanted to take over the reigns.
Meanwhile, Walker held discussions with Glentoran officials yesterday but will not be making a statement until later this week.
The former Crusaders and Glenavon manager is "considering" his response. Belfast Telegraph
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