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This is Plymouth ARGYLE MAKE RECORD BID 05 January 2007
Plymouth Argyle could be about to break their club record transfer fee.Manager Ian Holloway has confirmed the Championship outfit have made substantial offers for two players with the opening of the January transfer window.
One is for a striker, although Holloway would not comment on whether that was for Oldham Athletic's 17-goal top scorer Chris Porter.
The second offer is for a 'utility player', believed to be Cheltenham Town's versatile full-back or midfielder Brian Wilson.
Wilson has rejected a new deal with the Robins and, as his current contract ends in June, he has been put on the transfer list with immediate effect.
He will be 24 in May and that means he could leave Cheltenham in the summer for no fee.
Wilson, who was signed from Stoke City for £50,000 in March 2004, can play both full-back positions and on either side of midfield.
Holloway saw Cheltenham draw 1-1 with Crewe Alexandra at Whaddon Road on Tuesday.
The Pilgrims' boss has also been linked with Crewe's talented 19-year-old defender or midfielder Billy Jones, who is also on the transfer list.
Like Wilson, he has snubbed the offer of a new deal and can leave his club in the summer.
Holloway revealed one of Argyle's bids had been rejected, but he confirmed they had not lost interest in that player.
And when he was asked if the two offers the Pilgrims had made were substantial ones, he was unequivocal in his response.
Holloway said: "They blow the spots off anything I have ever spent on anybody before so, yes, I would say they are substantial.
"Whether they will be accepted or not who knows, but I couldn't be happier really because I believe I'm at a place where I'm going to be supported (by the board of directors).
"They like how calculated I am and the fact that I don't panic and I take my time and try to get people right.
"They also know I can enthuse with the best of them."
Argyle's record transfer fee is £300,000, which they paid to Port Vale for defender Peter Swan in 1994.
Holloway said: "We have put written offers in for two people but I can't tell you who they are or what they are.
"It's a very stressful time for managers because you don't know what you have got and whether you can get it.
"All of a sudden, you get a few injuries and the picture might change again.
"We (Argyle) have had some problems in the past, geographically, about people wanting to come here, so that's another added worry for me.
"But the minute I can speak to certain people, I don't think it will be a worry."
He added: "One of the offers has been knocked back, and we might be revisiting it. The other one I'm waiting on. In the meantime, I'm still gathering some information.
"I know it sounds a bit cloak and dagger, but it's not really. I'm trying to bring some new players in. A striker, I believe, is a priority."
Holloway has enjoyed considerable success in the past at taking forwards from the lower leagues and selling them for massive transfer fees, such as Nathan Ellington and Barry Hayles, now playing for Argyle.
But he would not be drawn on whether he wanted to add 23-year-old Porter to his squad.
Holloway said: "I wouldn't tell you if I had because I don't give the names out of the people I'm going for.
"You can speculate all you like, but when Ian Holloway says he has done something he has normally done it.
"The last thing I'm going to do is tell anybody out there who I think is a good player, particularly a centre-forward, because normally I get them right. I'm not being arrogant. It's a fact."
Holloway has already signed three strikers for Argyle - Hayles, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Cherno Samba.
He added: "I think our fans could tell me where the problems are because they are not stupid.
"What I have got to try to do, with my set-up, is make sure we don't make any mistakes because you are only ever judged on who you sign.
"And if you get desperate you can make mistakes."
Meanwhile, with the opening of the transfer window, two trialists have been training with Argyle this week.
One of them is 21-year-old defender Kamil Zayatte from French top division club Racing Club de Lens.
The 6ft 1in centre-back comes from Guinea and has made only one appearance for Lens this season, as a late substitute in a 3-1 win away to Paris St Germain on November 5.
The other is a Hungarian midfielder, but Holloway would not confirm his identity.
"I would rather not at the moment, because he was very impressive," said the Pilgrims' boss.
"I have got to decide by Monday what I'm doing, but I have got lots of irons in different fires."
Holloway has planned for more trialists to spend some time at Home Park during the transfer window.
He said: "We have got a whole stream of them. Penny (Argyle chief scout Gary Penrice) has been working hard and I need to see them. That will be ongoing." This is Plymouth
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Friday, January 05, 2007
Ray Jones Extends His QPR Stay Signing 3 1/2 Year Contract
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QPR OFFICIAL SITE - THE REAL DEAL
QPR hot-shot Ray Jones has ended speculation about his future by signing a three and a half year contract with the R's.
The teenage front-man - who has notched six goals so far this season - today (Friday) put pen to paper on his first professional contract with the club.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk moments after the ink dried on a deal which ties him to the club until the summer of 2010, the 18 year-old said: "I've always stated that my intentions were to stay at QPR, so I couldn't be more delighted.
"I'm just glad it's all sorted and I can get back to doing what I love more than anything else - playing and scoring goals for Queens Park Rangers.''
Jones continued: "John Gregory has played a big part in my decision to stay here and now it's up to me to repay both him and the board for the faith they've shown in me.
"I'm here to score goals and hopefully that will go hand in hand with helping QPR progress in the Championship.''
Gaffer John Gregory also revealed his delight at the news, adding: "I'm delighted that this long term saga has finally ended on a positive note.
"The board and myself have worked tirelessly to keep Ray at Loftus Road.
"He could have moved elsewhere for more money, but he's made the choice to remain at QPR which I think is a massive compliment to everybody at this football club.
"It's a three and a half year deal and I think we'll see the best of him over the next few years. There's still a long way to go, but I believe it was crucial in his development as a player to remain at QPR.''
Chairman Gianni Paladini told www.qpr.co.uk: "It's been hard work, but it's a great day for Queens Park Rangers Football Club.
"We've given him a three and a half year contract and it signals our intentions in terms of the squad we're trying to build here.
"We've got Ray, Blackstock, Cook and Rowlands all on long term deals and the future of this football club is very bright.''
Jones joined QPR in February 2005 at the age of 16 after he was spotted playing local Sunday football in East London.
He made an immediate impact on his arrival, scoring seven goals in 15 appearances for Joe Gallen's Under-18 side and in the same year, made three appearances for the Reserves, finding the back of the net once.
His impressive displays led to a first team call-up at the end of the 2005/06 campaign, where he featured in the R's final two games of the Championship season against local rivals Watford and Champions Reading. QPR
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - THE REAL DEAL
QPR hot-shot Ray Jones has ended speculation about his future by signing a three and a half year contract with the R's.
The teenage front-man - who has notched six goals so far this season - today (Friday) put pen to paper on his first professional contract with the club.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk moments after the ink dried on a deal which ties him to the club until the summer of 2010, the 18 year-old said: "I've always stated that my intentions were to stay at QPR, so I couldn't be more delighted.
"I'm just glad it's all sorted and I can get back to doing what I love more than anything else - playing and scoring goals for Queens Park Rangers.''
Jones continued: "John Gregory has played a big part in my decision to stay here and now it's up to me to repay both him and the board for the faith they've shown in me.
"I'm here to score goals and hopefully that will go hand in hand with helping QPR progress in the Championship.''
Gaffer John Gregory also revealed his delight at the news, adding: "I'm delighted that this long term saga has finally ended on a positive note.
"The board and myself have worked tirelessly to keep Ray at Loftus Road.
"He could have moved elsewhere for more money, but he's made the choice to remain at QPR which I think is a massive compliment to everybody at this football club.
"It's a three and a half year deal and I think we'll see the best of him over the next few years. There's still a long way to go, but I believe it was crucial in his development as a player to remain at QPR.''
Chairman Gianni Paladini told www.qpr.co.uk: "It's been hard work, but it's a great day for Queens Park Rangers Football Club.
"We've given him a three and a half year contract and it signals our intentions in terms of the squad we're trying to build here.
"We've got Ray, Blackstock, Cook and Rowlands all on long term deals and the future of this football club is very bright.''
Jones joined QPR in February 2005 at the age of 16 after he was spotted playing local Sunday football in East London.
He made an immediate impact on his arrival, scoring seven goals in 15 appearances for Joe Gallen's Under-18 side and in the same year, made three appearances for the Reserves, finding the back of the net once.
His impressive displays led to a first team call-up at the end of the 2005/06 campaign, where he featured in the R's final two games of the Championship season against local rivals Watford and Champions Reading. QPR
Ex-QPR News: Santos, Padula, King Moving On
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[At Oxford, Santos will of course link up with ex-QPR Manager, Jim Smith...]
Brighton Official Site - Santos Off To Oxford By Tim Dudding
Georges Santos has joined Oxford United on loan until the end of the season.
The French central defender will link up with the Conference side this morning, and will be available for the home match with Morecambe at the weekend.
Santos has found first team appearances increasingly difficult to come by, with his last start at Yeovil at the end of October. The 36-year-old's departure to the Kassam Stadium also comes a day after Albion signed Arsenal defender Joe O'Cearuill on a month's loan.
Albion number two Dean White told seagulls.co.uk, "George wanted to play games, and at his age he needs to play.
"He's had a few injuries and has found it difficult to get games with us, so this is an opportunity for him to go and play regular football." Brighton
NOTTINGHAM FOREST OFFICIAL SITE - Padula Departs
Gino Padula's Nottingham Forest contract has today been terminated by mutual consent, making the Argentinean a free agent.
The 30 year old left back struggled to make an impact at The City Ground after arriving on a free transfer in the summer of 2005.
The former Walsall and QPR man made just five appearances for The Reds. Nottingham Forest
GRAYS ATHLETICS OFFICIAL SITE ANDY KING LEAVES- January 05, 2007
Late yesterday evening (4th Jan 07) Grays thletic Manager, Andy King, tendered his resignation due to personal reasons, Chairman, Mick Woodward, said “I was quite surprised when Andy called me last night with his resignation, he was bought in on a temporary basis to steady the club which he has done, I would like to thank him for all his efforts during his spell at he Rec and wish him well for the future”
With immediate effect Justin Edinburgh has been appointed as First Team Manager on a permanent basis GRAYS
[At Oxford, Santos will of course link up with ex-QPR Manager, Jim Smith...]
Brighton Official Site - Santos Off To Oxford By Tim Dudding
Georges Santos has joined Oxford United on loan until the end of the season.
The French central defender will link up with the Conference side this morning, and will be available for the home match with Morecambe at the weekend.
Santos has found first team appearances increasingly difficult to come by, with his last start at Yeovil at the end of October. The 36-year-old's departure to the Kassam Stadium also comes a day after Albion signed Arsenal defender Joe O'Cearuill on a month's loan.
Albion number two Dean White told seagulls.co.uk, "George wanted to play games, and at his age he needs to play.
"He's had a few injuries and has found it difficult to get games with us, so this is an opportunity for him to go and play regular football." Brighton
NOTTINGHAM FOREST OFFICIAL SITE - Padula Departs
Gino Padula's Nottingham Forest contract has today been terminated by mutual consent, making the Argentinean a free agent.
The 30 year old left back struggled to make an impact at The City Ground after arriving on a free transfer in the summer of 2005.
The former Walsall and QPR man made just five appearances for The Reds. Nottingham Forest
GRAYS ATHLETICS OFFICIAL SITE ANDY KING LEAVES- January 05, 2007
Late yesterday evening (4th Jan 07) Grays thletic Manager, Andy King, tendered his resignation due to personal reasons, Chairman, Mick Woodward, said “I was quite surprised when Andy called me last night with his resignation, he was bought in on a temporary basis to steady the club which he has done, I would like to thank him for all his efforts during his spell at he Rec and wish him well for the future”
With immediate effect Justin Edinburgh has been appointed as First Team Manager on a permanent basis GRAYS
Ian Evatt Joins Blackpool
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Blackpool Official Site
The Seasiders today completed the signing of Queens Park Rangers defender Ian Evatt.
The 25-year-old has signed an 18 month deal with the club with an option for a further year.
The former Chesterfield man joined the Seasiders on a six month loan in August and has become a rock in the heart of the Pool defence.
The no-nonsense defender put pen to paper after he reached an agreement with the London club to terminate his contract.
We will have more reaction to this story online later today...Blackpool
Blackpool Official Site
The Seasiders today completed the signing of Queens Park Rangers defender Ian Evatt.
The 25-year-old has signed an 18 month deal with the club with an option for a further year.
The former Chesterfield man joined the Seasiders on a six month loan in August and has become a rock in the heart of the Pool defence.
The no-nonsense defender put pen to paper after he reached an agreement with the London club to terminate his contract.
We will have more reaction to this story online later today...Blackpool
The Club's Official Site
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Earlier this week, QPR's on loan defender, Michael Mancienne was named to the "Championship Team of the Week." Mancienne Award Unfortunately the Official Site has yet to make any mention of this fact. It's not, unfortunately, as though this an every-week occurrence for QPR players. Other clubs highlight the fact when they players make the Championship team of the week. And QPR itself has done so on several previous occasions this season. (Although as noted previously on this blog: On another occasion, the club's site again failed to make any reference)
Meanwhile: on The Site's Squad page - SQuad Page: A couple of players are listed as being on loan, when they are apparently still at the club (having returned from loan). And it's not as though as this section has not been updated, since Ian Evatt's name has been removed and new Finnish signing, Samsoa Timoska - Timoska has been added (although his playing statistics provided here, seem rather at variance with other statistics given elsewhere on the web - including Timoska's former club]
Forget the fact that staff changes appear on the site - new names added; old names disappear (and sometimes reappear)- without any explanation.
Forget the fact that certain milestones - such as Kevin Gallen's 400th QPR Appearance received no mention on the site.
Forget various other things..
Earlier this week, QPR's on loan defender, Michael Mancienne was named to the "Championship Team of the Week." Mancienne Award Unfortunately the Official Site has yet to make any mention of this fact. It's not, unfortunately, as though this an every-week occurrence for QPR players. Other clubs highlight the fact when they players make the Championship team of the week. And QPR itself has done so on several previous occasions this season. (Although as noted previously on this blog: On another occasion, the club's site again failed to make any reference)
Meanwhile: on The Site's Squad page - SQuad Page: A couple of players are listed as being on loan, when they are apparently still at the club (having returned from loan). And it's not as though as this section has not been updated, since Ian Evatt's name has been removed and new Finnish signing, Samsoa Timoska - Timoska has been added (although his playing statistics provided here, seem rather at variance with other statistics given elsewhere on the web - including Timoska's former club]
Forget the fact that staff changes appear on the site - new names added; old names disappear (and sometimes reappear)- without any explanation.
Forget the fact that certain milestones - such as Kevin Gallen's 400th QPR Appearance received no mention on the site.
Forget various other things..
Evatt Set for Blackpool...QPR Reportedly Reject £2M for Cook
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Blackpool Today - Evatt for keeps!
The Seasiders will today sign Ian Evatt – and it looks as though they will get the defender for keeps.
The 25-year-old's loan spell officially ended yesterday, but Pool have spent the last 48 hours talking with QPR about keeping Evatt for longer – and it appears their efforts have paid off.
There were two options: a loan extension or a permanent deal.
The latter option seemed the less likely but with QPR reportedly keen to get Evatt off their wage bill – plus the fact that the London club have signed two defenders since the transfer window reopened – The Gazette understands that Pool have managed to strike a deal.
That will delight the fans and will back up the claims made by chairman Karl Oyston in yesterday's Gazette that the club is prepared to take the odd gamble or two in a bid to secure promotion to the Championship.
Evatt was on a generous wage at QPR and should the signing go ahead today as planned, he will almost certainly become the Seasiders top earner.
"We want Ian to come and that's what we have been working towards in the last few days," boss Simon Grayson said.
"....Blackpool Today
MIRROR - MARC BIRCHAM
+ QPR have turned down £2m bids from Spurs and Man City for winger Lee Cook. Striker Marc Bircham has pledged to sign a new deal at Rangers +
Blackpool Today - Evatt for keeps!
The Seasiders will today sign Ian Evatt – and it looks as though they will get the defender for keeps.
The 25-year-old's loan spell officially ended yesterday, but Pool have spent the last 48 hours talking with QPR about keeping Evatt for longer – and it appears their efforts have paid off.
There were two options: a loan extension or a permanent deal.
The latter option seemed the less likely but with QPR reportedly keen to get Evatt off their wage bill – plus the fact that the London club have signed two defenders since the transfer window reopened – The Gazette understands that Pool have managed to strike a deal.
That will delight the fans and will back up the claims made by chairman Karl Oyston in yesterday's Gazette that the club is prepared to take the odd gamble or two in a bid to secure promotion to the Championship.
Evatt was on a generous wage at QPR and should the signing go ahead today as planned, he will almost certainly become the Seasiders top earner.
"We want Ian to come and that's what we have been working towards in the last few days," boss Simon Grayson said.
"....Blackpool Today
MIRROR - MARC BIRCHAM
+ QPR have turned down £2m bids from Spurs and Man City for winger Lee Cook. Striker Marc Bircham has pledged to sign a new deal at Rangers +
Birthdays for Two Former QPR Assistant Managers!
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Kenny Jacket & Vinny Jones Celebrate Birthdays
QPR Fans have rather different feelings about these two men!
UPDATE: It's also the birthday of former QPR striker, Dean Neal, who turns 46 (born January 5, 1961). Neal was behind Clive Allen and Paul Goddard in Tommy Docherty's team of 1979 and 1980. When they left, Neal came in and scored a number of goals. Neal made his debut against Bristol Rovers in August 1979. Went to the USA, Tulsda Roughnecks in June 1981. Then moved on to Millwall.
Happy Birthday to Ex-QPR Assistant Manager, Kenny Jackett. Born January 5, 1952
He played for Watford and never for QPR, but QPR Fans have a very warm feeling about the man who helped bring back QPR. Jackett
It's also the birthday of Ex-QPR Assistant Manager and Player, Vinny Jones - January 5, 1965. Played a few games for QPR. Was Ray Harford's Assistant Manger. When Harford left, Jones did not get the managerial job. First Ian Dowie was caretaker manager. Then Gerry Francis came in. Jones left. Jones
Kenny Jacket & Vinny Jones Celebrate Birthdays
QPR Fans have rather different feelings about these two men!
UPDATE: It's also the birthday of former QPR striker, Dean Neal, who turns 46 (born January 5, 1961). Neal was behind Clive Allen and Paul Goddard in Tommy Docherty's team of 1979 and 1980. When they left, Neal came in and scored a number of goals. Neal made his debut against Bristol Rovers in August 1979. Went to the USA, Tulsda Roughnecks in June 1981. Then moved on to Millwall.
Happy Birthday to Ex-QPR Assistant Manager, Kenny Jackett. Born January 5, 1952
He played for Watford and never for QPR, but QPR Fans have a very warm feeling about the man who helped bring back QPR. Jackett
It's also the birthday of Ex-QPR Assistant Manager and Player, Vinny Jones - January 5, 1965. Played a few games for QPR. Was Ray Harford's Assistant Manger. When Harford left, Jones did not get the managerial job. First Ian Dowie was caretaker manager. Then Gerry Francis came in. Jones left. Jones
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Ray Jones' Agent Terry McGill Speaks About Further QPR Talks
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For what it's worth. Bottom line: Either he signs or he doesn't sign. And all the talk and spin won't affect that.
SKY SPORTS
Queens Park Rangers starlet Ray Jones is set for further talks with the club as he tries to resolve his future.
The 18-year-old's future has been the subject of intense speculation with Jones so far failing to agree a new deal at Loftus Road.
Jones' current deal expires in the summer and Rangers fear he could leave the club.
The Championship club have already turned down a bid from Fulham and a number of other clubs are thought to be trailing the exciting teenager.
Jones' agent Tony McGill revealed talks are ongoing regarding the player's contract and that the forward is happy to stay at Loftus Road.
"I am due to meet QPR soon to discuss Ray's situation," McGill told skysports.com.
"Talks are ongoing and QPR have made an offer to extend his contract.
"Neither myself or Ray have said that he wants to leave QPR as has been suggested.
"Ray is happy at the club and hopefully something can be done regarding his contract.
"For Ray his first choice is to stay at QPR if the deal is suitable to him."
McGill admitted that there has been a great deal of interest in Jones from home and abroad after a string of impressive performances this season.
"There has been an awful a lot of interest in Ray from several sides, including clubs from abroad," added McGill. "He is an excellent prospect and he has shown he has a promising future ahead of him." Sky Sports
Past article about agent, Terry McGill from The Scotsman - The Scotsman
For what it's worth. Bottom line: Either he signs or he doesn't sign. And all the talk and spin won't affect that.
SKY SPORTS
Queens Park Rangers starlet Ray Jones is set for further talks with the club as he tries to resolve his future.
The 18-year-old's future has been the subject of intense speculation with Jones so far failing to agree a new deal at Loftus Road.
Jones' current deal expires in the summer and Rangers fear he could leave the club.
The Championship club have already turned down a bid from Fulham and a number of other clubs are thought to be trailing the exciting teenager.
Jones' agent Tony McGill revealed talks are ongoing regarding the player's contract and that the forward is happy to stay at Loftus Road.
"I am due to meet QPR soon to discuss Ray's situation," McGill told skysports.com.
"Talks are ongoing and QPR have made an offer to extend his contract.
"Neither myself or Ray have said that he wants to leave QPR as has been suggested.
"Ray is happy at the club and hopefully something can be done regarding his contract.
"For Ray his first choice is to stay at QPR if the deal is suitable to him."
McGill admitted that there has been a great deal of interest in Jones from home and abroad after a string of impressive performances this season.
"There has been an awful a lot of interest in Ray from several sides, including clubs from abroad," added McGill. "He is an excellent prospect and he has shown he has a promising future ahead of him." Sky Sports
Past article about agent, Terry McGill from The Scotsman - The Scotsman
Ex-QPR Goalie Lee Harper Joins Wimbledon (MK Dons)
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MK Dons Official Site -BUTLER AND HARPER SIGN
Milton Keynes Dons are delighted to confirm the signings of goalkeeper Lee Harper and defender Paul Butler until the end of the season.
Both players have enjoyed successful loan spells prior to the new year and have helped the club to a record six consecutive league wins.
Manager Martin Allen has struck deals with both Harper, 35, and Butler, 34, to keep them in Milton Keynes and make use of their considerable experience in the club's push for promotion.
Harper has been released from his contract with Northampton Town while Butler has been released by Leeds United. MK Dons
MK Dons Official Site - HARPER SETS HIS SIGHTS
Dons 'keeper Lee Harper has targeted automatic promotion after signing a deal to keep him in Milton Keynes until the end of the season.
Harper has been in outstanding form for the Dons during a three-month loan period from Northampton Town and has kept seven clean sheets since arriving in October.
And the former Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers stopper says the setup at the club convinced him to accept manager Martin Allen's offer.
He said: "I'm really pleased to be joining permanently. I had a lot of friends at Northampton and I enjoyed my time there but the gaffer here has given me the chance to come down here and play some football. He has a great bunch of lads here and we have done well recently.
"The way the gaffer does things here is top quality. Travelling to away games, the training ground facilities, what we eat, preparation for the games, everything is just top drawer. Obviously playing was very important to me but, with the gaffer, everything is done properly and that was a big thing as well.
"From my first game against Walsall I could see we were more than capable of beating teams in this division. We had a blip against Darlington but even then we had plenty of chances in that game. We went on a good run and then I thought on Monday we battered Swindon for 90 minutes, but you are going to get those games in football. We'll probably win a lot of games this season without playing that well so you just have to take those."
But in spite of the defeat, Harper insists the players Allen has at his disposal means there can only be one target for the club this season.
"The priority for us has to be promotion and, with the squad the gaffer is assembling, I don't see any reason why we cannot achieve that," Harper added.
"We have signed Paul Butler in defence so with the likes of Keith Andrews in midfield and Izale McLeod up front we have a very solid core to the side. I will try to continue to add my experience to the team and keep a few more clean sheets.
"We haven't achieved anything yet but I will be doing my part to ensure we can get to where we want to be. It is going to take an awful lot of hard work but I am sure we can achieve it." MK Dons
Lee Harper joined QPR from Arsenal in August 1997. Signed by Stuart Houston, Harper played almost 120 games before being released on a free after QPR's Relegation in July 2001, when he joined Walsall. Harper
MK Dons Official Site -BUTLER AND HARPER SIGN
Milton Keynes Dons are delighted to confirm the signings of goalkeeper Lee Harper and defender Paul Butler until the end of the season.
Both players have enjoyed successful loan spells prior to the new year and have helped the club to a record six consecutive league wins.
Manager Martin Allen has struck deals with both Harper, 35, and Butler, 34, to keep them in Milton Keynes and make use of their considerable experience in the club's push for promotion.
Harper has been released from his contract with Northampton Town while Butler has been released by Leeds United. MK Dons
MK Dons Official Site - HARPER SETS HIS SIGHTS
Dons 'keeper Lee Harper has targeted automatic promotion after signing a deal to keep him in Milton Keynes until the end of the season.
Harper has been in outstanding form for the Dons during a three-month loan period from Northampton Town and has kept seven clean sheets since arriving in October.
And the former Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers stopper says the setup at the club convinced him to accept manager Martin Allen's offer.
He said: "I'm really pleased to be joining permanently. I had a lot of friends at Northampton and I enjoyed my time there but the gaffer here has given me the chance to come down here and play some football. He has a great bunch of lads here and we have done well recently.
"The way the gaffer does things here is top quality. Travelling to away games, the training ground facilities, what we eat, preparation for the games, everything is just top drawer. Obviously playing was very important to me but, with the gaffer, everything is done properly and that was a big thing as well.
"From my first game against Walsall I could see we were more than capable of beating teams in this division. We had a blip against Darlington but even then we had plenty of chances in that game. We went on a good run and then I thought on Monday we battered Swindon for 90 minutes, but you are going to get those games in football. We'll probably win a lot of games this season without playing that well so you just have to take those."
But in spite of the defeat, Harper insists the players Allen has at his disposal means there can only be one target for the club this season.
"The priority for us has to be promotion and, with the squad the gaffer is assembling, I don't see any reason why we cannot achieve that," Harper added.
"We have signed Paul Butler in defence so with the likes of Keith Andrews in midfield and Izale McLeod up front we have a very solid core to the side. I will try to continue to add my experience to the team and keep a few more clean sheets.
"We haven't achieved anything yet but I will be doing my part to ensure we can get to where we want to be. It is going to take an awful lot of hard work but I am sure we can achieve it." MK Dons
Lee Harper joined QPR from Arsenal in August 1997. Signed by Stuart Houston, Harper played almost 120 games before being released on a free after QPR's Relegation in July 2001, when he joined Walsall. Harper
John Gregory on the "Thriving" QPR-Chelsea Relationship..." shown us tremendous respect"
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Clubcall - Gregory hail Chelsea union
John Gregory is hopeful Queens Park Rangers can maintain their union with Premiership champions Chelsea after picking up Jimmy Smith and Michael Mancienne.
The on-loan Blues pair have shone for Rangers this term despite an inconsistent season and Gregory has constantly sung the pair's praises.
And the R's boss is hopeful the arrival of the pair is the first step of a developing relationship.
"The relationship we have with Chelsea is a thriving one," said Gregory.
"They conduct themselves particularly well with us and have shown us tremendous respect.
"Chelsea have a representative watching Jimmy and Michael at every one of our games.
"Jimmy and Michael play with so much passion for Rangers. They are not even our players, which proves that they are fantastic professionals." Clubcall
Also TEAMTALK on this QPR-Chelsea Relationship
Clubcall - Gregory hail Chelsea union
John Gregory is hopeful Queens Park Rangers can maintain their union with Premiership champions Chelsea after picking up Jimmy Smith and Michael Mancienne.
The on-loan Blues pair have shone for Rangers this term despite an inconsistent season and Gregory has constantly sung the pair's praises.
And the R's boss is hopeful the arrival of the pair is the first step of a developing relationship.
"The relationship we have with Chelsea is a thriving one," said Gregory.
"They conduct themselves particularly well with us and have shown us tremendous respect.
"Chelsea have a representative watching Jimmy and Michael at every one of our games.
"Jimmy and Michael play with so much passion for Rangers. They are not even our players, which proves that they are fantastic professionals." Clubcall
Also TEAMTALK on this QPR-Chelsea Relationship
Ian Evatt Leaves QPR
-
QPR Official Site - Evatt Departs
QPR have parted company with defender Ian Evatt by mutual consent.
The 25 year-old - who has spent the last five months with League One outfit Blackpool - joined QPR from Chesterfield on a three year deal in the summer of 2005.
The no-nonsense defender put pen to paper in Majorca, after Bill Power and Gianni Paladini flew out to meet up with their man.
An undisclosed fee was agreed with the Spireites and Evatt signed a contract with the R's until 2008.
However, after falling out of favour with former boss Ian Holloway, Evatt fell down the pecking order in W12 and after being placed on the transfer list by Holloway's replacement, Gary Waddock, he eventually joined Blackpool on loan.QPR
June 2005 - BBC on Evatt Signing BBC
Quotes by and about Evatt when he signed in June 2005 - Daves's QPR
See The Cost of Ian Evatt - Evatt
QPR Official Site - Evatt Departs
QPR have parted company with defender Ian Evatt by mutual consent.
The 25 year-old - who has spent the last five months with League One outfit Blackpool - joined QPR from Chesterfield on a three year deal in the summer of 2005.
The no-nonsense defender put pen to paper in Majorca, after Bill Power and Gianni Paladini flew out to meet up with their man.
An undisclosed fee was agreed with the Spireites and Evatt signed a contract with the R's until 2008.
However, after falling out of favour with former boss Ian Holloway, Evatt fell down the pecking order in W12 and after being placed on the transfer list by Holloway's replacement, Gary Waddock, he eventually joined Blackpool on loan.QPR
June 2005 - BBC on Evatt Signing BBC
Quotes by and about Evatt when he signed in June 2005 - Daves's QPR
See The Cost of Ian Evatt - Evatt
Year Ago: Ukah Going as QPR Prepare for Blackburn....36 Years Ago Gordon Jago Succeeds Les Allen
-
BBC - January 4, 2006
Ukah going as Holloway wields axe
An attempted clear-out is imminent at Loftus Road
Defender Ugo Ukah has been told he can leave Queens Park Rangers.
The Nigerian has made just two first-team appearances since being brought to the club by chairman Gianni Paladini last summer.
Manager Ian Holloway is set to tell at least four other players they are not in his plans and should move on.
"Some lads haven't done it for me. I've told Ugo that he can go and I'll be telling others the same. We need to move forward," said Holloway.
"I want to add to the squad. If I can't buy anyone I'll at least look to bring people in on loan. BBC
A YEAR GO; PREPARING FOR BLACKBURN IN THE FA CUP
January 7 - QPR Lost 3-0 at Blackburn. The teams:
ROVERS: Friedel, Neill, Khizanishvili, Todd (c), Matteo, Thompson, Tugay, Savage (sub Pedersen 78 mins), Peter, Dickov (sub Kuqi 78 mins), Bellamy. Subs not used: Enckelman, Nelsen, Emerton.
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Milanese, Shittu (c), Rose, Rowlands, Santos (sub Ainsworth 55 mins), Cook (sub Donnelly 75 mins), Baidoo, Furlong (sub Moore 75 mins), Langley. Subs not used: Evatt, Cole.
Booked: Matteo, Neill (Rovers), Milanese (Queens Park Rangers) Reports
A QPR World "Documentary" Preparing for the Blackburn game, including documentary can be viewed HERE
36 Years Ago...Gordon Jago Replaces Les Allen as Manager-
GORDON JAGO
Thirty-six Years ago, January 6, 1971, QPR coach, Gordon Jago took over from Les Allen as QPR Manager, initially as caretaker manger after a series of poor results culminated in an FA Cup 3rd Round defeat! (at home to Swindon on a icy day which had QPR players slipping). Jago's performance soon led to the appointment being made "permanent." Jago had for the prior few months been coach under Allen. Had previously coached in the United State: At the time, this "foreign" connection which was then extremely rare, gave QPR a certain panache.
Manager for about 3 1/2 years. Jago led the team to safety that season; finish 5th the following season which saw Rodney Marsh sold. Led them to promotion the following season (which saw Bowles, Givens and Thomas signed). And the following season, saw them establish themselves in the First Division as Top London Club. Jago left the club after a not-so-great start the following season. (Being replaced by Dave Sexton). Basically the team that "won" the First Division Championship - with a couple of exceptions (Masson & Hollins) was the team that Jago built.
Not only did Jago do a great job. He also had the team playing great football. (with the help of his coach Bobby Campbell - subsequently "stolen" by Arsenal - and Terry Venables as player and a defacto coach.)
Jago took over at Millwall and then Tampa Bay Rowdies (teaming up again with Rodney Marsh)
A decade later, in the summer of 1974 Jim Gregory appointed Jago as General Manager to replace Terry Venables when he went to Barcelona. The idea was that there would be a team manager - maybe David Pleat under Jago. When Gregory couldn't get someone to serve under Jago, Jago was fired just over a week later.
Jago remains in the United States involved with football - for the past twenty years with indoor soccer in Dallas.
See: Jago in US
See Interview with Jago - Interview
BBC - January 4, 2006
Ukah going as Holloway wields axe
An attempted clear-out is imminent at Loftus Road
Defender Ugo Ukah has been told he can leave Queens Park Rangers.
The Nigerian has made just two first-team appearances since being brought to the club by chairman Gianni Paladini last summer.
Manager Ian Holloway is set to tell at least four other players they are not in his plans and should move on.
"Some lads haven't done it for me. I've told Ugo that he can go and I'll be telling others the same. We need to move forward," said Holloway.
"I want to add to the squad. If I can't buy anyone I'll at least look to bring people in on loan. BBC
A YEAR GO; PREPARING FOR BLACKBURN IN THE FA CUP
January 7 - QPR Lost 3-0 at Blackburn. The teams:
ROVERS: Friedel, Neill, Khizanishvili, Todd (c), Matteo, Thompson, Tugay, Savage (sub Pedersen 78 mins), Peter, Dickov (sub Kuqi 78 mins), Bellamy. Subs not used: Enckelman, Nelsen, Emerton.
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Milanese, Shittu (c), Rose, Rowlands, Santos (sub Ainsworth 55 mins), Cook (sub Donnelly 75 mins), Baidoo, Furlong (sub Moore 75 mins), Langley. Subs not used: Evatt, Cole.
Booked: Matteo, Neill (Rovers), Milanese (Queens Park Rangers) Reports
A QPR World "Documentary" Preparing for the Blackburn game, including documentary can be viewed HERE
36 Years Ago...Gordon Jago Replaces Les Allen as Manager-
GORDON JAGO
Thirty-six Years ago, January 6, 1971, QPR coach, Gordon Jago took over from Les Allen as QPR Manager, initially as caretaker manger after a series of poor results culminated in an FA Cup 3rd Round defeat! (at home to Swindon on a icy day which had QPR players slipping). Jago's performance soon led to the appointment being made "permanent." Jago had for the prior few months been coach under Allen. Had previously coached in the United State: At the time, this "foreign" connection which was then extremely rare, gave QPR a certain panache.
Manager for about 3 1/2 years. Jago led the team to safety that season; finish 5th the following season which saw Rodney Marsh sold. Led them to promotion the following season (which saw Bowles, Givens and Thomas signed). And the following season, saw them establish themselves in the First Division as Top London Club. Jago left the club after a not-so-great start the following season. (Being replaced by Dave Sexton). Basically the team that "won" the First Division Championship - with a couple of exceptions (Masson & Hollins) was the team that Jago built.
Not only did Jago do a great job. He also had the team playing great football. (with the help of his coach Bobby Campbell - subsequently "stolen" by Arsenal - and Terry Venables as player and a defacto coach.)
Jago took over at Millwall and then Tampa Bay Rowdies (teaming up again with Rodney Marsh)
A decade later, in the summer of 1974 Jim Gregory appointed Jago as General Manager to replace Terry Venables when he went to Barcelona. The idea was that there would be a team manager - maybe David Pleat under Jago. When Gregory couldn't get someone to serve under Jago, Jago was fired just over a week later.
Jago remains in the United States involved with football - for the past twenty years with indoor soccer in Dallas.
See: Jago in US
See Interview with Jago - Interview
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
QPR Lose to Chelsea (Reserves Friendly) - Teams & Reports
-
QPR Official Site
QPR Reserves succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday afternoon.
New signing Sampsa Timoska featured at the heart of the Hoops defence, but he was powerless to prevent Chelsea from scoring three late goals at Cobham.
Dominic Shimmin also featured for the R's, in a match which saw both sides field a host of trialists.
QPR Reserves: Cole (Jones), Hislop (Goode), Timoska, Trialist, Rehman, Donnelly (Shimmin), Bailey, Trialist, Oliseh (Ukah), Baidoo, Rose (Watanabe). Official
CHELSEA OFFICIAL SITE Wed, 3rd Jan 2007
John Terry did not play in the reserve team training ground friendly today, but continued his rehabilitation, working with rehabilitation physio Thierry Laurent.
The reserves and youth team players had Christmas and New Year off, and returned to training yesterday. The friendly game against QPR was set up some time ago to get legs and hearts working again.
Terry was mooted as playing in some of today's newspapers, but was never scheduled to.
Instead he watched with brother Paul who had called in to Cobham once John's work was finished. He also chatted to QPR manager John Gregory.
Chelsea's starting line-up was: Hamann; Triallist, Worley, Morais, Bertrand; Triallist, Cork (c), Younghusband; Simmonds, Sahar, Hurrell. The score was 0-0 at half-time.
The basic second-half team was: Hamann; Cummings, Hutchinson, Bridcutt, Elmer; Woods, Triallist, Triallist; F Ferreira, Nielsen, Sinclair.
Woods opened the scoring after good work by Nielsen getting round the back of QPR's defence. Woods then stole the ball in Rangers' half to set up Sinclair on the edge of the area. And when Ferreira's cross was handled, referee Dermot Gallacher awarded a penalty which Sinclair converted.
Chelsea thus won 3-0.
Amongst the spectators at different times in the game were Arjen Robben, another player in for rehabilitation, and Bournemouth manager Kevin Bond who had Cork and Bertrand on loan earlier in the season.
Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini were also in for treatment today, but the rest of the side had the day off. Khalid Boulahrouz will have a scan tomorrow. Joe Cole had his foot operation on Monday and is at home recovering.
The youth team is at home to Crystal Palace this Saturday and away to Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup the following Saturday. The reserves are away to Tottenham the Monday after that.
Chelsea
QPR Official Site
QPR Reserves succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday afternoon.
New signing Sampsa Timoska featured at the heart of the Hoops defence, but he was powerless to prevent Chelsea from scoring three late goals at Cobham.
Dominic Shimmin also featured for the R's, in a match which saw both sides field a host of trialists.
QPR Reserves: Cole (Jones), Hislop (Goode), Timoska, Trialist, Rehman, Donnelly (Shimmin), Bailey, Trialist, Oliseh (Ukah), Baidoo, Rose (Watanabe). Official
CHELSEA OFFICIAL SITE Wed, 3rd Jan 2007
John Terry did not play in the reserve team training ground friendly today, but continued his rehabilitation, working with rehabilitation physio Thierry Laurent.
The reserves and youth team players had Christmas and New Year off, and returned to training yesterday. The friendly game against QPR was set up some time ago to get legs and hearts working again.
Terry was mooted as playing in some of today's newspapers, but was never scheduled to.
Instead he watched with brother Paul who had called in to Cobham once John's work was finished. He also chatted to QPR manager John Gregory.
Chelsea's starting line-up was: Hamann; Triallist, Worley, Morais, Bertrand; Triallist, Cork (c), Younghusband; Simmonds, Sahar, Hurrell. The score was 0-0 at half-time.
The basic second-half team was: Hamann; Cummings, Hutchinson, Bridcutt, Elmer; Woods, Triallist, Triallist; F Ferreira, Nielsen, Sinclair.
Woods opened the scoring after good work by Nielsen getting round the back of QPR's defence. Woods then stole the ball in Rangers' half to set up Sinclair on the edge of the area. And when Ferreira's cross was handled, referee Dermot Gallacher awarded a penalty which Sinclair converted.
Chelsea thus won 3-0.
Amongst the spectators at different times in the game were Arjen Robben, another player in for rehabilitation, and Bournemouth manager Kevin Bond who had Cork and Bertrand on loan earlier in the season.
Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini were also in for treatment today, but the rest of the side had the day off. Khalid Boulahrouz will have a scan tomorrow. Joe Cole had his foot operation on Monday and is at home recovering.
The youth team is at home to Crystal Palace this Saturday and away to Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup the following Saturday. The reserves are away to Tottenham the Monday after that.
Chelsea
Henry Kissinger on QPR!
-
Henry Kissinger Talking about QPR!... part of a great article in BBC's News Magazine by New York Bureau Chief Kevin Bishop on the importance of football as a "facilitating" tool in Bishop's international career.
BBC "The News Magazine" Issue 10 - Nov Dec 2006
Travels with my football
Many tools of the journalist’s trade are acquired through experience or with a
charge code. But an interview with Henry Kissinger prompted New York Bureau
Chief Kevin Bishop to look back at how one particular area of knowledge has
helped him over the years.
Driving north through the Bronx on my way to Connecticut I was worried. I was going to set up an interview with Henry Kissinger for Sunday AM and my concern was simple: what if I had to make small talk? The solution came when I spotted the New York Yankees baseball stadium. The week before I’d been watching a film about the rise of the New York Cosmos soccer team in the late 70s. The team, which attracted stars such as Pele and Beckenbauer, had a brief period in the spotlight when it filled the stadium with 70,000-plus fans. One of them was Henry Kissinger.
So, sitting by the fireplace in the Kissinger security house, all wired up and ready to go, we waited while London prepared the studio. I took my chance and nonchalantly asked if he was still interested in football (which I still maintain the sport is called). The floodgates opened. He’d just finished watching Sheffield United lose at home to Manchester United (what did I think of Sheffield’s
chances of staying up, he asked). He then reeled off the rest of that day’s scores and we discussed whether I should drop Essien from my fantasyteam. I couldn’t by this stage resist bringing my team, QPR, into the conversation and we spent a good while reminiscing about Stan Bowles andRodney Marsh. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and architect of rapprochement with China agrees with me that our true home is the premiership and that John Gregory has got off to a solid start. I ought to get him down the British Queen one Saturday this season.
After a while someone in London with the name of Andrew Marr interrupted our chat and wanted to ask a few questions about Iraq or something, but my day was made.
Football has been, I think, the most useful tool of the trade I’ve had. Money, cigarettes, officialstamps and flirting can often get you what you
want, but come up with an explanation as to why Man City got rid of Keegan and you’re onto a winner.
I’ve had some memorable moments with football over the years: the school teacher on the Kenyan coast who truly believed the four best footballsides ever were – in this order – Brazil, WestGermany, Darlington and England; Hamid, the
young orphaned refugee from Kosovo, who would guard our live position in Kukes wearing a QPR hat; the time when an excited group of children in
Marseilles had been promised that local hero and
ex-Olympique player Chris Waddle was to visit their school and, due to an unfortunate
miscommunication, got me instead.
I know it’s a cliché, but football really is the international language. Arriving at Rio de Janeiro airport in 1998 with cameraman Nik Millard, a pile
of camera gear and insufficient paperwork, we
were about to be put back on a flight home when
I mentioned almost as an afterthought that we
were due to interview 1970 World Cup winning
captain Carlos Alberto the next day. If I remember
correctly, the customs officer not only hurried us
through with no need of any kind of stamp but he also hailed us a taxi.
In Liberia a year earlier with Glenn Middleton,
we’d been held up by Nigerian peacekeepers for
filming somewhere a bit dodgy. The colonel – a
big round man with a thick neck and no sense of
humour – was getting angry with us and our
attempts to bribe our way out of trouble were
proving fruitless. I then spotted something on his
desk, which seemed out of place. A Littlewoods
pools coupon. He caught my glance and held it
up in front of me. “What is this?” he asked. I
explained to him the principles of score draws, no
score draws and the pools panel. We filled in the
column for that Saturday’s fixtures and, in return
for letting us go, I agreed to sub him a couple of
quid and send in the form. I posted the coupon
from Jo’burg a few days later but never heard if
he won or not. In any case Spurs were never
going to draw at Man U.
In Tajikistan shortly after 9/11, the Russian
defence ministry controlled the border with
Afghanistan. To get in, you had to pass through a
large army base. Our contacts had promised us
that the commanding officer was expecting us.
We arrived and knocked on the gate. Obviously
nobody had the slightest idea we were coming
and any thought that we could talk to the CO, let
alone go through the base, was just nonsense.
Until they started to look through our gear. We’d
brought a Sky dish with us as a sweetener and I
explained we planned to set it up in the officer’s
mess. Within the hour I was sitting in the officers’
sauna being force-fed pig fat and vodka and
trying to make out shadowy images on an ancient
Soviet TV, which I think, showed the Nationwide
Conference league table. Or was it the Kazakh
cup draw? The next day we were in Afghanistan.
Albania has had its share of hairy moments for
me. During the month the country went loopy with
guns in 1997, I was sitting on a hillock in
Gjirokaster outside a shed containing a huge
arms cache. Two boys, who looked about 12 but
probably weren’t even that old, had apparently
been put in charge of guarding the place. We
were keen to film but they wanted to wait for
higher authority. So I set about distracting the kids
with a vocal game of Anglo-Albanian Snap – Gary
Lineker! Besnik Hasi! Paul Gascoigne! Edwin
Murati! It did the trick – we got the shots and sloped off.
The other hairy moment for me in Albania was on
the day of the last match of the 98-99 season – a
crucial relegation encounter with Crystal Palace at
Loftus Road. I got a call in on a crackly sat phone
from Vlore. The well-meaning Australian on the
desk raised my blood pressure to dangerous
levels by saying that the score was six-nil but she
wasn’t sure who had won.
It never ceases to amaze me how football
permeates into the most remote of places. In a
yurt in the Tian Shan Mountains in Kazakhstan I
came across a kid who had a complete set of
Shoot! league ladders from the mid seventies.
Early in 1997 I was in living in South Africa to
escape from the pain of relegation the previous
season. In KwaZulu Natal I was filming a story
about access to water. We followed a woman from
a small village the three miles she had to walk to
collect water. Her husband was not happy with us
filming but she insisted. As she carried two
buckets and balanced a jug on her head, he kept
trying to get in the way. I started talking about
football to try to distract him. We clicked
immediately and before long he had managed to
give me a perfect rendition of Trevor Sinclair’s
wonderful overhead scissors kick goal in the cup
against Barnsley. I hadn’t seen the goal myself but
when I did, I have to admit he was spot on.
Sitting in Connecticut listening to Henry Kissinger talk about the fall of Saigon it crossed my mind that at about the same time as those Americans were airlifted from the roof of the Embassy, I was playing “1-2-3 and in” on a muddy playground in
Cornwall. ...In 1976, as he coped with resigning from international diplomacy, I had to deal with losing the first division title by one point to Liverpool. Still, it gave us something to talk about."
Henry Kissinger Talking about QPR!... part of a great article in BBC's News Magazine by New York Bureau Chief Kevin Bishop on the importance of football as a "facilitating" tool in Bishop's international career.
BBC "The News Magazine" Issue 10 - Nov Dec 2006
Travels with my football
Many tools of the journalist’s trade are acquired through experience or with a
charge code. But an interview with Henry Kissinger prompted New York Bureau
Chief Kevin Bishop to look back at how one particular area of knowledge has
helped him over the years.
Driving north through the Bronx on my way to Connecticut I was worried. I was going to set up an interview with Henry Kissinger for Sunday AM and my concern was simple: what if I had to make small talk? The solution came when I spotted the New York Yankees baseball stadium. The week before I’d been watching a film about the rise of the New York Cosmos soccer team in the late 70s. The team, which attracted stars such as Pele and Beckenbauer, had a brief period in the spotlight when it filled the stadium with 70,000-plus fans. One of them was Henry Kissinger.
So, sitting by the fireplace in the Kissinger security house, all wired up and ready to go, we waited while London prepared the studio. I took my chance and nonchalantly asked if he was still interested in football (which I still maintain the sport is called). The floodgates opened. He’d just finished watching Sheffield United lose at home to Manchester United (what did I think of Sheffield’s
chances of staying up, he asked). He then reeled off the rest of that day’s scores and we discussed whether I should drop Essien from my fantasyteam. I couldn’t by this stage resist bringing my team, QPR, into the conversation and we spent a good while reminiscing about Stan Bowles andRodney Marsh. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and architect of rapprochement with China agrees with me that our true home is the premiership and that John Gregory has got off to a solid start. I ought to get him down the British Queen one Saturday this season.
After a while someone in London with the name of Andrew Marr interrupted our chat and wanted to ask a few questions about Iraq or something, but my day was made.
Football has been, I think, the most useful tool of the trade I’ve had. Money, cigarettes, officialstamps and flirting can often get you what you
want, but come up with an explanation as to why Man City got rid of Keegan and you’re onto a winner.
I’ve had some memorable moments with football over the years: the school teacher on the Kenyan coast who truly believed the four best footballsides ever were – in this order – Brazil, WestGermany, Darlington and England; Hamid, the
young orphaned refugee from Kosovo, who would guard our live position in Kukes wearing a QPR hat; the time when an excited group of children in
Marseilles had been promised that local hero and
ex-Olympique player Chris Waddle was to visit their school and, due to an unfortunate
miscommunication, got me instead.
I know it’s a cliché, but football really is the international language. Arriving at Rio de Janeiro airport in 1998 with cameraman Nik Millard, a pile
of camera gear and insufficient paperwork, we
were about to be put back on a flight home when
I mentioned almost as an afterthought that we
were due to interview 1970 World Cup winning
captain Carlos Alberto the next day. If I remember
correctly, the customs officer not only hurried us
through with no need of any kind of stamp but he also hailed us a taxi.
In Liberia a year earlier with Glenn Middleton,
we’d been held up by Nigerian peacekeepers for
filming somewhere a bit dodgy. The colonel – a
big round man with a thick neck and no sense of
humour – was getting angry with us and our
attempts to bribe our way out of trouble were
proving fruitless. I then spotted something on his
desk, which seemed out of place. A Littlewoods
pools coupon. He caught my glance and held it
up in front of me. “What is this?” he asked. I
explained to him the principles of score draws, no
score draws and the pools panel. We filled in the
column for that Saturday’s fixtures and, in return
for letting us go, I agreed to sub him a couple of
quid and send in the form. I posted the coupon
from Jo’burg a few days later but never heard if
he won or not. In any case Spurs were never
going to draw at Man U.
In Tajikistan shortly after 9/11, the Russian
defence ministry controlled the border with
Afghanistan. To get in, you had to pass through a
large army base. Our contacts had promised us
that the commanding officer was expecting us.
We arrived and knocked on the gate. Obviously
nobody had the slightest idea we were coming
and any thought that we could talk to the CO, let
alone go through the base, was just nonsense.
Until they started to look through our gear. We’d
brought a Sky dish with us as a sweetener and I
explained we planned to set it up in the officer’s
mess. Within the hour I was sitting in the officers’
sauna being force-fed pig fat and vodka and
trying to make out shadowy images on an ancient
Soviet TV, which I think, showed the Nationwide
Conference league table. Or was it the Kazakh
cup draw? The next day we were in Afghanistan.
Albania has had its share of hairy moments for
me. During the month the country went loopy with
guns in 1997, I was sitting on a hillock in
Gjirokaster outside a shed containing a huge
arms cache. Two boys, who looked about 12 but
probably weren’t even that old, had apparently
been put in charge of guarding the place. We
were keen to film but they wanted to wait for
higher authority. So I set about distracting the kids
with a vocal game of Anglo-Albanian Snap – Gary
Lineker! Besnik Hasi! Paul Gascoigne! Edwin
Murati! It did the trick – we got the shots and sloped off.
The other hairy moment for me in Albania was on
the day of the last match of the 98-99 season – a
crucial relegation encounter with Crystal Palace at
Loftus Road. I got a call in on a crackly sat phone
from Vlore. The well-meaning Australian on the
desk raised my blood pressure to dangerous
levels by saying that the score was six-nil but she
wasn’t sure who had won.
It never ceases to amaze me how football
permeates into the most remote of places. In a
yurt in the Tian Shan Mountains in Kazakhstan I
came across a kid who had a complete set of
Shoot! league ladders from the mid seventies.
Early in 1997 I was in living in South Africa to
escape from the pain of relegation the previous
season. In KwaZulu Natal I was filming a story
about access to water. We followed a woman from
a small village the three miles she had to walk to
collect water. Her husband was not happy with us
filming but she insisted. As she carried two
buckets and balanced a jug on her head, he kept
trying to get in the way. I started talking about
football to try to distract him. We clicked
immediately and before long he had managed to
give me a perfect rendition of Trevor Sinclair’s
wonderful overhead scissors kick goal in the cup
against Barnsley. I hadn’t seen the goal myself but
when I did, I have to admit he was spot on.
Sitting in Connecticut listening to Henry Kissinger talk about the fall of Saigon it crossed my mind that at about the same time as those Americans were airlifted from the roof of the Embassy, I was playing “1-2-3 and in” on a muddy playground in
Cornwall. ...In 1976, as he coped with resigning from international diplomacy, I had to deal with losing the first division title by one point to Liverpool. Still, it gave us something to talk about."
Gregory Completes His First Signing - Sampsa Timoska
-
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - FIN SIGNS
QPR have completed the free transfer signing of MyPa utility-man Sampsa Timoska.
The 27 year-old Finland international has put pen to paper on an 18 month contract with the Club.
Rated highly in his homeland having accrued a wealth of experience in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and Finnish Veikkausliiga, Timoska is set to go straight into the R's squad for the FA Cup third round tie against Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, subject to receiving international clearance.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, gaffer John Gregory revealed his delight at securing the services of the versatile international: "He's a neat and tidy footballer, who is very versatile and can play across the back four, or in midfield.
"He will enhance our squad and gives us a bit of improvement in those areas. He's a good athlete as well.''
A centre half by trade, Timoska - who has built a healthy reputation with his performances in the Finnish Veikkausliiga over the past few years - is also capable of playing at full-back and midfield.
Timoska will wear the number 27 shirt vacated by Adam Czerkas.
Stay tuned to www.qpr.co.uk for all the latest, breaking transfer news - and remember, as soon as it's one hundred per-cent official, you'll hear it here first! QPR
Further details about Timoska - Timoska
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - FIN SIGNS
QPR have completed the free transfer signing of MyPa utility-man Sampsa Timoska.
The 27 year-old Finland international has put pen to paper on an 18 month contract with the Club.
Rated highly in his homeland having accrued a wealth of experience in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and Finnish Veikkausliiga, Timoska is set to go straight into the R's squad for the FA Cup third round tie against Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, subject to receiving international clearance.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, gaffer John Gregory revealed his delight at securing the services of the versatile international: "He's a neat and tidy footballer, who is very versatile and can play across the back four, or in midfield.
"He will enhance our squad and gives us a bit of improvement in those areas. He's a good athlete as well.''
A centre half by trade, Timoska - who has built a healthy reputation with his performances in the Finnish Veikkausliiga over the past few years - is also capable of playing at full-back and midfield.
Timoska will wear the number 27 shirt vacated by Adam Czerkas.
Stay tuned to www.qpr.co.uk for all the latest, breaking transfer news - and remember, as soon as it's one hundred per-cent official, you'll hear it here first! QPR
Further details about Timoska - Timoska
Birthday - Ex-QPR Andy McCulloch
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Andy McCulloch Turns 57. Born January 3, 1950.
Signed by Les Allen from non-league Walton and Hersham in October 1970. Made his QPR debut that same month - in the (recorded) televized game at home to Birmingham, which QPR won 5-2. McCulloch got the fifth goal. Rodney Marsh got a hattrick.
Team that day:
Parkes
Clement Hazell Watson Gillard
Ferguson Hunt Venables Morgan
Marsh McCulloch
Altogether played 42 games for QPR, scoring 10 goals. Was sold to Cardiff in October 1972 for 45,000 pounds (which was pretty good fee considering we'd just bough Stan Bowles the previous month for 110,000 pounds (and Don Givens in the summer for 35,000 pounds)
Became a fairly prolific goalscorer with Cardiff, Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford.
Andy McCulloch Turns 57. Born January 3, 1950.
Signed by Les Allen from non-league Walton and Hersham in October 1970. Made his QPR debut that same month - in the (recorded) televized game at home to Birmingham, which QPR won 5-2. McCulloch got the fifth goal. Rodney Marsh got a hattrick.
Team that day:
Parkes
Clement Hazell Watson Gillard
Ferguson Hunt Venables Morgan
Marsh McCulloch
Altogether played 42 games for QPR, scoring 10 goals. Was sold to Cardiff in October 1972 for 45,000 pounds (which was pretty good fee considering we'd just bough Stan Bowles the previous month for 110,000 pounds (and Don Givens in the summer for 35,000 pounds)
Became a fairly prolific goalscorer with Cardiff, Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Michael Mancienne in Championship "Team of the Week"
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Championship Team of The Week
Goalkeeper Dean Kiely Luton
Defender Lewis Hunt Southend
Defender Michael Johnson Derby
Defender Michael Mancienne QPR
Defender Mohammed Camara Derby
Midfielder Jonathon Douglas Leeds
Midfielder Lilian Nalis Argyle
Midfielder Jamal Campbell-Ryce Southend
Midfielder Stuart Green Palace
Striker Steve Howard Derby
Striker Nick Barmby Hull
Championship Team of the Week
Championship Team of The Week
Goalkeeper Dean Kiely Luton
Defender Lewis Hunt Southend
Defender Michael Johnson Derby
Defender Michael Mancienne QPR
Defender Mohammed Camara Derby
Midfielder Jonathon Douglas Leeds
Midfielder Lilian Nalis Argyle
Midfielder Jamal Campbell-Ryce Southend
Midfielder Stuart Green Palace
Striker Steve Howard Derby
Striker Nick Barmby Hull
Championship Team of the Week
Transfers & Loans
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On the opening day of the transfer window, a number of loans or signings are up in the air/have yet to be officially confirmed. The one item officially confirmed thus far is Tommy Doherty's return to Wycombe for the rest of the season. Meanwhile BBC, Skysports, etc are taking Ray Jones statement on the Official site to mean that he will be staying. Many QPR supporters remain skeptical this will actually occur.
Tommy Doherty returns to Wycombe for the rest of the season.
Wycombe Official Site - Wanderers have extended the stay of Tommy Doherty on a long term loan deal at Adams Park, wwfc.com can confirm.
The midfielder had returned to QPR from his original spell in December but with Paul Lambert still desperate to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window, Doherty has been snapped up for the remainder of the season.
Following his dismissal in his last appearance at MK Dons the 27 year old has served a three match suspension and is in contention for a place in the Blues' eleven for the visit of Rochdale on Saturday, if he overcomes illness.
"Tommy has had a flu virus but we're hoping he'll be ok," said Lambert.
"It's good to have him back because he did great for us when he was here before."
Doherty, who has appeared fifteen times for the club so far, becomes the third loan player to be re-signed by Lambert following the extension of deals with Ricardo Batista and Stephen O'Halloran. Wycombe
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - Doc Deal
QPR have extended the loan deal of Tommy Doherty to Wycombe Wanderers until the end of the season.
The midfield terrier will remain a Chairboy until May 5, but will still have a year to run on his initial three year deal with QPR.
Doherty has made 11 starts since joining Wycombe in September, but also amassed two red cards. The deal means that Doherty will be available for Saturday's game against Rochdale. QPR
SkySports on Possible Sean Thomas to Bristol City Loan
Bristol City are looking into signing Queens Park Rangers keeper Sean Thomas on loan.
Thomas has emerged as an option for the League One club as City boss Gary Johnson aims to ensure he has adequate cover at Ashton Gate.
Though Chris Weale is fit again to provide the back-up to Adriano Basso, Johnson is wary about being left short in the keeping department.
"If you lose one of your goalkeepers, then it leaves you exposed and with very few options," said Johnson.
"We want to be sure we have enough cover in the squad and he (Thomas) is something we have been looking at."
Thomas has yet to make his first-team debut for QPR and may be allowed to move out on loan to gain experience. Sky
On the opening day of the transfer window, a number of loans or signings are up in the air/have yet to be officially confirmed. The one item officially confirmed thus far is Tommy Doherty's return to Wycombe for the rest of the season. Meanwhile BBC, Skysports, etc are taking Ray Jones statement on the Official site to mean that he will be staying. Many QPR supporters remain skeptical this will actually occur.
Tommy Doherty returns to Wycombe for the rest of the season.
Wycombe Official Site - Wanderers have extended the stay of Tommy Doherty on a long term loan deal at Adams Park, wwfc.com can confirm.
The midfielder had returned to QPR from his original spell in December but with Paul Lambert still desperate to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window, Doherty has been snapped up for the remainder of the season.
Following his dismissal in his last appearance at MK Dons the 27 year old has served a three match suspension and is in contention for a place in the Blues' eleven for the visit of Rochdale on Saturday, if he overcomes illness.
"Tommy has had a flu virus but we're hoping he'll be ok," said Lambert.
"It's good to have him back because he did great for us when he was here before."
Doherty, who has appeared fifteen times for the club so far, becomes the third loan player to be re-signed by Lambert following the extension of deals with Ricardo Batista and Stephen O'Halloran. Wycombe
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - Doc Deal
QPR have extended the loan deal of Tommy Doherty to Wycombe Wanderers until the end of the season.
The midfield terrier will remain a Chairboy until May 5, but will still have a year to run on his initial three year deal with QPR.
Doherty has made 11 starts since joining Wycombe in September, but also amassed two red cards. The deal means that Doherty will be available for Saturday's game against Rochdale. QPR
SkySports on Possible Sean Thomas to Bristol City Loan
Bristol City are looking into signing Queens Park Rangers keeper Sean Thomas on loan.
Thomas has emerged as an option for the League One club as City boss Gary Johnson aims to ensure he has adequate cover at Ashton Gate.
Though Chris Weale is fit again to provide the back-up to Adriano Basso, Johnson is wary about being left short in the keeping department.
"If you lose one of your goalkeepers, then it leaves you exposed and with very few options," said Johnson.
"We want to be sure we have enough cover in the squad and he (Thomas) is something we have been looking at."
Thomas has yet to make his first-team debut for QPR and may be allowed to move out on loan to gain experience. Sky
Deja Vu: QPR Transfer Talk...A Year Ago
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As the January transfer window opens, there is a certain feeling of deja vu of a year ago. There are a couple of obvious differences: In January, 2006, the manager was Ian Holloway; today, it's John Gregory. A year ago, we were challenging for a playoff spot; now we're righting relegation.
What was being said a year ago - January 2006 - about transfers: window
BBC - [Ugo] Ukah going as Holloway wields axe
Defender Ugo Ukah has been told he can leave Queens Park Rangers. The Nigerian has made just two first-team appearances since being brought to the club by chairman Gianni Paladini last summer.
Manager Ian Holloway is set to tell at least four other players they are not in his plans and should move on.
"Some lads haven't done it for me. I've told Ugo that he can go and I'll be telling others the same. We need to move forward," said Holloway.
"I want to add to the squad. If I can't buy anyone I'll at least look to bring people in on loan BBC
OLLY: WE CAN'T AFFORD MARCUS
Bristol Evening Post 05 January 2006
Ian Holloway today ruled out a move for Bristol City striker Marcus Stewart. Queens Park Rangers boss Holloway expressed an interest in taking the striker to Loftus Road prior to November's deadline for loan signings. And the former Bristol Rovers manager is now looking to recruit a new forward, possibly on loan, during the January transfer window . But although Stewart is unhappy at being left out of the City side and might now consider a move in search of first-team football, his wages are a stumbling block. Holloway revealed: "I did make an enquiry about Stewart a couple of months ago, but we couldn't afford the money."There was no way we could afford to bring him here pemanently, but I did consider a loan."That will not be possible unless the money situation changes. As far as I know, that is the same, so it doesn't look like a deal will be possible."
QPR and fellow Championship club Plymouth Argyle have expressed an interest in Stewart, who is keen to retain his family base on the outskirts of Bristol.
Holloway added: "He's a magnificent player and there's no doubt about that." But my chairman seems to prefer me looking for younger players and I've lots of other options to consider. I've drawn up a list of targets that I want to show him and Stewart is not on it at present...." Bristol
Holloway on New Signings & Promotion Push - TEAMTALK
QPR manager Ian Holloway has admitted he is looking to strengthen his squad as he tries to improve his side's position in the Championship.Rangers are now six points adrift of the play-off positions, but Holloway remains upbeat and insists if he can get his hands on the right reinforcements, promotion is still a possibility.
Holloway said: "I'm looking overall towards the rest of the season now and I'm confident I can make a few signings soon. Maybe not in time for Saturday's game but after that perhaps."
I'm sure once we do that we can make up the points on the play-off positions. It's all over the park, I'm looking, but it's defence in particular. We need some more defenders at this club." Teamtalk
Holloway on Selling Evatt & Bean...Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - January 11, 2006
Ian Evatt has been placed on the transfer list as QPR begin clearing the decks to make room for new signings.The big centre-half, signed for £150,000 from Chesterfield only last summer, is one of five Rangers players to be told they can leave the club.Midfielders Marcus Bean and Adam Miller are also surplus to requirements, while Aaron Brown has signed for Swindon following a loan spell with the League One strugglers.Another of the Rs' summer signings, Nigerian defender Ugo Ukah, has also been made available for transfer after making just two appearances for the club.
By contrast, Evatt has pulled on a hooped shirt 18 times - but manager Ian Holloway decided he had seen enough after last month's back-to-back defeats by Coventry and Brighton."Ian Evatt was captain at his old club, so he's not a nugget - but he knows how I feel about what he's been giving me so far," Holloway told the Times."You need to have a lot of pace and be confident in your pace. I've put him in the reserves and it's up to him how he responds to that."He had a lot of clubs after him in the summer and, if I do manage to bring in other defenders during the window, he'll be further down the pecking order."
Bean, who spent two months on loan at promotion-chasing Swansea earlier this season, entered discussions about a new contract following his return to Loftus Road. But the QPR boss was less than impressed by Bean's displays against Coventry and Brighton and insisted: "I think everyone needs to know where they stand."With everyone else I've got in midfield and Scott Donnelly coming through as well, I don't think Marcus will be patient enough."
He came back and had a little chance to get back in the first team, but the fact is I chose Evatt and Beanie and we lost a couple of games, then I left them out and we started winning again."Holloway has so far made little progress in his attempts to add to the squad - with the need to find a new striker increased by Kevin Gallen's ongoing injury problems.Gallen and Marc Nygaard, who has a calf strain, will both be absent again when Rangers take on Southampton at Loftus Road on Saturday."I don't know what's happening with Kevin Gallen," Holloway added. "He's had scan after scan and we're still no closer to working out what's wrong with him."I thought I'd managed to get a striker in on loan a couple of days ago, but then his club changed their mind. The problem is that, with this stupid window, everyone's chasing the same players."I don't think I'm going to have any money to buy, but I'm trying to get some loans, preferably young players."Midfielder Steve Lomas, who also played for the Rs' reserves in Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Wycombe, could return to the first-team squad this weekend.The former Northern Ireland skipper has been out for nearly three months with a hamstring problem. Kilburn Times
Official Site - I'M SATISFIED
"....With the January transfer window now open, Holloway also revealed he is due to discuss his long list of targets with Gianni Paladini on Tuesday morning."The transfer window will be used to look at moving the club forward and I'm due to sit down with Gianni and Antonio tomorrow to speak about the targets."I've got 6-8 targets in three different brackets. Some are buys, some expensive and some are in the loan category. We'll see what comes of it, but I've made a few calls and I'm quite optimistic.''Holloway reserved a final thought for two of the club's young guns, Shabazz Baidoo and home debutant Scott Donnelly."Shabazz and Scott are the type of characters I'm looking for at this club and will both do very well.'' QPR
Clubcall - Q.P.R - Holloway -"I need to sell"
Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway has admitted he needs to sell some of his players in order to strengthen his squad in January.
Following the 1-1 home draw against Burnley, the Hoops boss will be looking to make moves in the transfer window.
"I've got to get rid of people in my squad to make room. I am due to talk to the players who have not been doing it for me," revealed Holloway.
"They can move on in this window and hopefully we can move on."
Holloway also pinpointed the need to bring a striker to Loftus Road : "At the moment we haven't got a striker in the higher echelons of the scoring charts" Clubcall
As the January transfer window opens, there is a certain feeling of deja vu of a year ago. There are a couple of obvious differences: In January, 2006, the manager was Ian Holloway; today, it's John Gregory. A year ago, we were challenging for a playoff spot; now we're righting relegation.
What was being said a year ago - January 2006 - about transfers: window
BBC - [Ugo] Ukah going as Holloway wields axe
Defender Ugo Ukah has been told he can leave Queens Park Rangers. The Nigerian has made just two first-team appearances since being brought to the club by chairman Gianni Paladini last summer.
Manager Ian Holloway is set to tell at least four other players they are not in his plans and should move on.
"Some lads haven't done it for me. I've told Ugo that he can go and I'll be telling others the same. We need to move forward," said Holloway.
"I want to add to the squad. If I can't buy anyone I'll at least look to bring people in on loan BBC
OLLY: WE CAN'T AFFORD MARCUS
Bristol Evening Post 05 January 2006
Ian Holloway today ruled out a move for Bristol City striker Marcus Stewart. Queens Park Rangers boss Holloway expressed an interest in taking the striker to Loftus Road prior to November's deadline for loan signings. And the former Bristol Rovers manager is now looking to recruit a new forward, possibly on loan, during the January transfer window . But although Stewart is unhappy at being left out of the City side and might now consider a move in search of first-team football, his wages are a stumbling block. Holloway revealed: "I did make an enquiry about Stewart a couple of months ago, but we couldn't afford the money."There was no way we could afford to bring him here pemanently, but I did consider a loan."That will not be possible unless the money situation changes. As far as I know, that is the same, so it doesn't look like a deal will be possible."
QPR and fellow Championship club Plymouth Argyle have expressed an interest in Stewart, who is keen to retain his family base on the outskirts of Bristol.
Holloway added: "He's a magnificent player and there's no doubt about that." But my chairman seems to prefer me looking for younger players and I've lots of other options to consider. I've drawn up a list of targets that I want to show him and Stewart is not on it at present...." Bristol
Holloway on New Signings & Promotion Push - TEAMTALK
QPR manager Ian Holloway has admitted he is looking to strengthen his squad as he tries to improve his side's position in the Championship.Rangers are now six points adrift of the play-off positions, but Holloway remains upbeat and insists if he can get his hands on the right reinforcements, promotion is still a possibility.
Holloway said: "I'm looking overall towards the rest of the season now and I'm confident I can make a few signings soon. Maybe not in time for Saturday's game but after that perhaps."
I'm sure once we do that we can make up the points on the play-off positions. It's all over the park, I'm looking, but it's defence in particular. We need some more defenders at this club." Teamtalk
Holloway on Selling Evatt & Bean...Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - January 11, 2006
Ian Evatt has been placed on the transfer list as QPR begin clearing the decks to make room for new signings.The big centre-half, signed for £150,000 from Chesterfield only last summer, is one of five Rangers players to be told they can leave the club.Midfielders Marcus Bean and Adam Miller are also surplus to requirements, while Aaron Brown has signed for Swindon following a loan spell with the League One strugglers.Another of the Rs' summer signings, Nigerian defender Ugo Ukah, has also been made available for transfer after making just two appearances for the club.
By contrast, Evatt has pulled on a hooped shirt 18 times - but manager Ian Holloway decided he had seen enough after last month's back-to-back defeats by Coventry and Brighton."Ian Evatt was captain at his old club, so he's not a nugget - but he knows how I feel about what he's been giving me so far," Holloway told the Times."You need to have a lot of pace and be confident in your pace. I've put him in the reserves and it's up to him how he responds to that."He had a lot of clubs after him in the summer and, if I do manage to bring in other defenders during the window, he'll be further down the pecking order."
Bean, who spent two months on loan at promotion-chasing Swansea earlier this season, entered discussions about a new contract following his return to Loftus Road. But the QPR boss was less than impressed by Bean's displays against Coventry and Brighton and insisted: "I think everyone needs to know where they stand."With everyone else I've got in midfield and Scott Donnelly coming through as well, I don't think Marcus will be patient enough."
He came back and had a little chance to get back in the first team, but the fact is I chose Evatt and Beanie and we lost a couple of games, then I left them out and we started winning again."Holloway has so far made little progress in his attempts to add to the squad - with the need to find a new striker increased by Kevin Gallen's ongoing injury problems.Gallen and Marc Nygaard, who has a calf strain, will both be absent again when Rangers take on Southampton at Loftus Road on Saturday."I don't know what's happening with Kevin Gallen," Holloway added. "He's had scan after scan and we're still no closer to working out what's wrong with him."I thought I'd managed to get a striker in on loan a couple of days ago, but then his club changed their mind. The problem is that, with this stupid window, everyone's chasing the same players."I don't think I'm going to have any money to buy, but I'm trying to get some loans, preferably young players."Midfielder Steve Lomas, who also played for the Rs' reserves in Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Wycombe, could return to the first-team squad this weekend.The former Northern Ireland skipper has been out for nearly three months with a hamstring problem. Kilburn Times
Official Site - I'M SATISFIED
"....With the January transfer window now open, Holloway also revealed he is due to discuss his long list of targets with Gianni Paladini on Tuesday morning."The transfer window will be used to look at moving the club forward and I'm due to sit down with Gianni and Antonio tomorrow to speak about the targets."I've got 6-8 targets in three different brackets. Some are buys, some expensive and some are in the loan category. We'll see what comes of it, but I've made a few calls and I'm quite optimistic.''Holloway reserved a final thought for two of the club's young guns, Shabazz Baidoo and home debutant Scott Donnelly."Shabazz and Scott are the type of characters I'm looking for at this club and will both do very well.'' QPR
Clubcall - Q.P.R - Holloway -"I need to sell"
Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway has admitted he needs to sell some of his players in order to strengthen his squad in January.
Following the 1-1 home draw against Burnley, the Hoops boss will be looking to make moves in the transfer window.
"I've got to get rid of people in my squad to make room. I am due to talk to the players who have not been doing it for me," revealed Holloway.
"They can move on in this window and hopefully we can move on."
Holloway also pinpointed the need to bring a striker to Loftus Road : "At the moment we haven't got a striker in the higher echelons of the scoring charts" Clubcall
QPR "Shande" Of The Year
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Shande (also spelt Shande, Shanda or Shandah)* Of the Year:
*- A Yiddish word meaning "A shame;" "an outrage;" "disgrace;"
As the expression aptly goes, "Sh*t happens." And in football, as elsewhere, tough, and often very unpopular or controversial decisions have to be taken. Certainly as the saying, the one thing in certain in football, is that sooner or later the manager is going to get sacked. But there's more than one way of doing things.
So my 2006 "Shanda" of the Year:
1) The placing of Manager Ian Holloway (along with coaches Tim Breacker and Gary Penrice) on "Gardening Leave" - AFTER having given Holloway permission to talk to Leicester about the managerial position. This with Holloway being QPR's longest serving manager in almost 40 years (since Alec Stock in the 1960s)
See Chairman Paladini Comments here and here
SHANDA RUNNERS UP
2) Legal Action Threatened against AKUTRs
The original QPR Response & the "Apology Statement"
3) The accusations by Chairman Paladini against unamed QPR Fans and the Evening Standard of having a certain anti-club agenda Statement Also Sunday Mirror Interview
4) The curt wording of the announcement that Garry Waddock was leaving QPR (a month after John Gregory's appointment had been accompanied by strong statements by Paladini and Gregory about Waddock's new role as Assistant Manager) "Queens Park Rangers Football Club have parted company with Gary Waddock" QPR Statement
5) The wording of the September announcement that Assistant Manager Alan McDonald was leaving QPR. "...Alan McDonald has been given notice to terminate his employment at Queens Park Rangers Football Club." Statement
* And a special award to the Ugo Ukah issue. The club announced his departure in May. The player's return/non-departure from QPR was never announced. His name just suddenly turned up on a reserve team line up and as #40 in the squad, in November. (For more, see Ukah
See Also:
QPR Report's Year's "Highlights" Highlights of 2006
QPR Reports Quotes of the Year Quotes of the Year
And for some more common, "colloquial" Yiddish words! - Yiddish Words
Shande (also spelt Shande, Shanda or Shandah)* Of the Year:
*- A Yiddish word meaning "A shame;" "an outrage;" "disgrace;"
As the expression aptly goes, "Sh*t happens." And in football, as elsewhere, tough, and often very unpopular or controversial decisions have to be taken. Certainly as the saying, the one thing in certain in football, is that sooner or later the manager is going to get sacked. But there's more than one way of doing things.
So my 2006 "Shanda" of the Year:
1) The placing of Manager Ian Holloway (along with coaches Tim Breacker and Gary Penrice) on "Gardening Leave" - AFTER having given Holloway permission to talk to Leicester about the managerial position. This with Holloway being QPR's longest serving manager in almost 40 years (since Alec Stock in the 1960s)
See Chairman Paladini Comments here and here
SHANDA RUNNERS UP
2) Legal Action Threatened against AKUTRs
The original QPR Response & the "Apology Statement"
3) The accusations by Chairman Paladini against unamed QPR Fans and the Evening Standard of having a certain anti-club agenda Statement Also Sunday Mirror Interview
4) The curt wording of the announcement that Garry Waddock was leaving QPR (a month after John Gregory's appointment had been accompanied by strong statements by Paladini and Gregory about Waddock's new role as Assistant Manager) "Queens Park Rangers Football Club have parted company with Gary Waddock" QPR Statement
5) The wording of the September announcement that Assistant Manager Alan McDonald was leaving QPR. "...Alan McDonald has been given notice to terminate his employment at Queens Park Rangers Football Club." Statement
* And a special award to the Ugo Ukah issue. The club announced his departure in May. The player's return/non-departure from QPR was never announced. His name just suddenly turned up on a reserve team line up and as #40 in the squad, in November. (For more, see Ukah
See Also:
QPR Report's Year's "Highlights" Highlights of 2006
QPR Reports Quotes of the Year Quotes of the Year
And for some more common, "colloquial" Yiddish words! - Yiddish Words
Monday, January 01, 2007
QPR's Victory Over Colchester 0 & Ray Jones Likely Exit - Further Reports & Gregory Comments
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Update: On the Official Site today "Ray of Light"
Ray Jones tells www.qpr.co.uk that he 'wants to stay' with the R's - despite constant speculation linking him with a move elsewhere.
Speaking after notching the only goal of the game against Colchester United on New Years Day, the 18 year-old hot-shot revealed he's hoping to put pen to paper on a new contract in the foreseeable future.
"I want to stay here and hopefully that will all be sorted in the next few weeks,'' Jones told www.qpr.co.uk.
"I'm playing first team football for QPR and gaining experience all the time. I didn't think I'd be involved this early on in my career, but I think I've adapted quite well to life in the Championship. "Why would I want to sit on the bench at a Premiership club?''
Jones also took time out to reflect on his fifth league goal of the campaign, commenting: "Cooky turned the defender, got his cross in and as the ball took a slight deflection, it allowed me to steal a march on my marker and flick it into the corner of the net.''
*Stay tuned to QPR World today, where John Gregory reveals his thoughts on the future of sought-after pair Ray Jones and Lee Cook. OFFICIAL
The Telegraph - QPR (1) 1 Colchester United (0) 0
There were at least 10 scouts in attendance here and they made no secret of who they were watching. Almost all of them left to beat the traffic after 19-year-old striker Ray Jones was substituted. As yet Fulham are the only club to have a made a bid for Jones but others are sure to follow.
Jones, who has turned down three contract offers from QPR, will have enhanced his chances of getting a move to the Premiership by scoring the winning goal, a great leap and guided header from a Lee Cook cross.
John Gregory is resigned to losing the striker but fears that the player's career is being jeopardised for short-term financial gain. "I think he's being poorly advised," he said. "I don't think he should go to a Premiership club just to sit on their bench for two years and end up disappearing off the face of the earth."
Cook looked like he was going to tear Colchester to pieces with his bursts of dribbling but the visitors' highly-rated right back Greg Halford gradually got to grips with the clever winger, showing why he too has been attracting interest from the top flight. Sheffield United are eager to bring him to Bramall Lane.
Rangers should have made lighter work of this. Despite coming into the game on a run of seven defeats in eight games, they imposed their game on a below-par Colchester and if Dexter Blackstock had converted when clean through early in the second half, Gregory's team would have been spared the belated Colchester rally. Telegraph
Daily Mirror - GREGORY TIPS RAY TO BE ON HIS WAY
QPR 1 Colchester 0 By James Nursey
JOHN GREGORY last night admitted match-winner Ray Jones may have played his last game for QPR.
Liverpool and Fulham have both targeted Jones, 18, who bagged his sixth goal of the season against play-off chasing Colchester.
But Rangers boss Gregory fears the cash-strapped club will be forced to sell the striker who has turned down three new deals and is out of contract in the summer.
"We had a derisory offer from Fulham for Ray which we batted off," revealed Gregory, whose side stay 20th in the Championship despite yesterday's win.
"But I am resigned to losing him this month because if we let him run his contract down in the summer we might not get as much for him at a tribunal. I hope he hasn't played his last game but he might have and that is a shame.
"I think Ray would be much better staying here and developing his career. I don't think he would be better off going to a bigger club and sitting on the bench.
"But he has been ill-advised by his agent who is just concerned with money and the month of January could well see him nicked off us."
Colchester almost took the lead in the ninth minute when Richard Garcia was inches away from connecting with Chris Barker's cross.
Rangers responded in the 17th minute when star man Lee Cook, also linked with a big-money move to the Premiership, tricked his way past full-back Greg Halford and fired in a low shot which was saved by U's keeper Dean Gerken.
The home side's Australian midfielder Nick Ward then tested Gerken again four minutes later with a low shot.
Garcia flashed a low shot wide for Colchester before QPR took the lead in the 36th minute when Jones headed in Cook's cross from the left.
Geraint Williams' side tried to hit back swiftly as 13-goal hitman Jamie Cureton had a right-foot volley blocked.
And the Essex side were desperately unlucky to trail at the break after both Cureton and Garcia narrowly failed to get on the end of Kevin McLeod's inswinging leftwing cross.
Dexter Blackstock should have scored when he sprinted clear in the 53rd minute but the impressive Gerken blocked the striker's shot.
Colchester finished strongly as Halford headed Kevin Watson's corner over, Cureton had an effort blocked in the box and sub Johnnie Jackson went close.
"I didn't think we deserved anything out of the game and we are disappointed with the performance," said Williams.
"That's probably as poor as we have looked this season. We had no penetration, we didn't create any chances and it was hard work. A lot of the players looked very tired." Mirror
The SUN - VIKKI ORVICE at Loftus Road January 02, 2007
RAY JONES clinched a vital three points for Rangers and showed why boss John Gregory is desperate to hold on to him.
Striker Jones, 19, who was spotted by QPR playing Sunday football, has been offered three contracts but is refusing to sign a new deal and claims his advisors are encouraging him to leave.
He dumped in-form Colchester with a first-half header.
But Gregory, who has already turned down one “derisory” offer for the player from Fulham admitted: “That could be his last game for us.
Ray was a late developer and that was only his 15th start. He is out of contract in the summer and, personally, I think he is being ill-advised.
“I think he would be better staying with us and developing his career rather than going to a bigger club and sitting on the bench. But I’m resigned to losing him.”
Gregory’s team had lost seven of their previous eight league games and were just three points above the drop zone.
Colchester, the surprise package of the Championship this term, had beaten Wolves at the weekend to go sixth, the highest position in the club’s history.
But they failed to sparkle or repeat their success over Rangers at Layer Road in September, when they won 2-1.
That let in the home for their winner after 25 minutes. Winger Lee Cook, who scored a superb goal against Birmingham on Boxing Day, crossed into the area and the unmarked Jones headed home past Dean Gerken.
Gregory said: “It’s a good start to 2007. Last year was one to forget for English sport — particularly QPR — but we’ve started off on the right foot.”
Buoyant Rangers played brightest after the interval, too. Skipper Kevin Gallen’s right-foot effort went inches wide with Dexter Blackstock fluffling a superb chance with only Gerken to beat.
And in the 53rd minute Cook supplied Blackstock only for his shot to go straight to the keeper.
Three minutes later Cook was in the thick of it again, providing Jones with a great chance to net his second, only for the youngster to head wide.
Jamie Cureton had one of the U’s best chances but could not tap the ball in from a Kevin Mcleod cross. Kemal Izzett’s 55th-minute shot lacked power and was easily saved by Simon Royce at the other end.
And Chris Iwelumo could only head over Royce’s bar when Kevin Watson swung a corner into the box which was flicked on by Wayne Brown.
Manager Geraint Williams said: “We didn’t deserve anything. It was as poor as we’ve looked all season. We had no penetration, didn’t create chances and didn’t get going at all.
“The players looked tired and we didn’t even have a go, which is not like us.”
SUN STAR MAN - LEE COOK (QPR). Dangerous throughout. The Sun
SEE: Other Reports & Comments re Colchester Game & Likely move of Ray Jones & maybe Lee Cook
QPR 1 Colchester 0
By Tom Collomosse, PA Sport
Struggling QPR began the new year with a crucial victory thanks to Ray Jones' first-half header.
Rangers had lost seven of their previous eight matches in the Coca-Cola Championship and began the day only three points above the relegation zone, but Jones' 36th-minute effort was enough to sink play-off chasing Colchester.
Kevin Gallen hit the post for Rangers and Dexter Blackstock and Jones wasted clear chances, while the visitors enjoyed spells of pressure but rarely tested Rangers goalkeeper Simon Royce.
The teams were playing their fourth match in 10 days, and the fatigue showed in the early stages, with neither team capable of finding rhythm or fluency.
Fans had to wait until the 17th minute for the first shot on target, when Lee Cook breezed past Colchester's highly-rated right-back Greg Halford before firing straight at Dean Gerken from 15 yards.
Rangers came close again in the 21st minute when Gallen found the recalled Nick Ward on the right and the Australian cut inside before unleashing a left-footed drive which Gerken gathered at the second attempt.
Colchester were showing little of the form that had lifted them to sixth in the Championship this season, and Rangers moved ahead nine minutes before the break when Cook's left-wing cross was deflected into the path of Jones, who rose at the near post and guided his header into Gerken's left corner.
Rangers should have wrapped up the game early in the second half, but they hit the post and wasted two simple chances to do so.
Only 13 seconds after the re-start, Gallen's angled volley was pushed against the frame of the goal by Gerken, before both Blackstock and Jones produced remarkable misses.
Pat Baldwin's clearance against Blackstock rebounded favourably for the striker, who charged into the area but delayed his shot for too long, allowing Gerken to stop his six-yard effort.
And in the 57th minute, the unmarked Jones somehow managed to head Cook's perfect left-wing cross high and wide at the far post.
Having survived those three scares, Colchester came back into the match. In the 65th minute, Halford escaped his marker at the near post but could only head Kevin Watson's right-wing corner into the United fans behind the goal.
Six minutes later, Pat Kanyuka did well to block Jamie Cureton's close-range effort after Kem Izzet's mis-directed strike had found its way to the former QPR striker.
Geraint Williams' men went close again when Johnnie Jackson headed fellow substitute Hogan Ephraim's cross wide, but Rangers held on for an important win. Sporting Life
COLCHESTER OFFICIAL SITE REPORT - ones Does The Damage For R's
Colchester United began the year with a defeat at Loftus Road as Queens Park Rangers won this New Year's Day match 1-0.
The U's came in at half time 1-0 down as Ray Jones put the hosts ahead on thirty-six minutes with a neat header from a left wing cross.
Rangers had chances to increase the lead in the second half but still had to withstand a late U's onslaught to get all three points
According to the team sheets, there was due to be one change in the U's starting line-up as skipper Karl Duguid returned to replace Richard Garcia on the right of midfield.
When the teams came out though, it was Garcia who took to the field and started the game and Hogan Ephaim was summoned from the stands to unexpectedly take his place on the bench.
It later emerged that Duguid, who had picked up a blow to the ribs against Wolves at the weekend, had pulled up in the warm-up having suffered slight breathing difficulties as a result of bruising in that area. He was therefore not risked.
Wayne Brown and Chris Iwelumo both played with minor knocks against Wolves on Saturday and were fit to start against John Gregory's hoops, who themselves made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 at Norwich.
Rangers came into this New Years Day fixture fifth from bottom in the Championship with twenty seven points from their twenty six games, sixteen points less than the U's.
The initial target for the U's was fifty-two points and they went into this match at Loftus Road looking for the first of the three wins that would take them up to that total.
The stormy weather that had battered the capital over the last two days had subsided and West London was dry and relatively mild for early January as the teams ran out.
The U's supporters were housed in the upper tier, behind the goal that Dean Gerken was defending in the first half.
It was those U's fans that had a good view of the first real efforts at goal when, after a slow start, Lee Cook troubled the U's defence twice in the space of a minute.
First, on seventeen minutes, the diminutive winger went past Greg Halford on the Hoops' left wing before shooting straight at Dean Gerken.
Seconds later, Cook popped up on the right wing and whipped in a cross that just needed the slightest touch from a Rangers' forward. No-one got that touch and Gerken was relieved to see the ball go all the way across his six-yard box and out for a goal kick.
On twenty-one minutes, the U's were thankful for their young shot stopper when he smartly saved a Nick Ward shot. Ward had picked up the ball on the left hand side and after cutting in, hit a sharp left footed shot towards Gerken's near post that was well gathered.
The home side were having the best of the early possession but the U's had limited their hosts to long range shots.
There was a slight scare on half hour as Wayne Brown's header back to Gerken looped up in the air but Gerken was strong to take the ball above the leap of Dextor Blackstock.
At the other end seconds later, Richard Garcia went close with a twenty yard drive. Kevin McLeod cut in from the left but found his route to goal blocked by a Rangers' defender.
He rolled the ball square across the area to the Aussie, who hit his shot narrowly wide of Simon Royce's right hand post.
At a time when the U's looked like they were forcing their way back into the match, the hosts went ahead with thirty six minutes on the clock.
The ball was crossed in superbly by Lee Cook from the left wing and Ray Jones won the header at the near post and guided it goalwards.Gerken made a gallant effort to reach it but failed to prevent it finding the top corner of his goal.
Jones then put Pat Baldwin under intense pressure as the ball bounced but despite home fans ' shouts for a free kick as Baldwin tangled with Jones, the referee allowed play to continue.
The U's cleared the danger and immediately won a throw-in down the right hand side. Halford's throw found Brown and from his flick-on, Jamie Cureton had his first chance of the game.
The ball looped to the joint top scorer and he caught it perfectly on the volley, only to see it blocked by a home defender.
As the clock ticked on to forty-five minutes, the U's had their best chance of the half when Cureton and Garcia just failed to make contact with a low cross.
Barker and McLeod combined on the left but McLeod's cross couldn't be put in and the U's went in at half time 1-0 down.
It was probably a fair result given the possession that the home team had and Geraint Williams had to work his half time magic.
That half time team talk nearly had to be changed moments into the second half but Gerken stopped Rangers doubling their lead after less than thirty seconds of the second half.
Blackstock won a header and from the edge of the box, Ward let fly with a shot destined for the top corner. Gerken wasn't beaten this time though, and his fingertips diverted the ball onto the woodwork and away to safety.
Gerken was the busiest keeper in th eearly part of the half and his next save came as Dextor Blackstock threatened the U's goal.
Pat Baldwin was first to a loose ball but the former Southampton forward blocked his weak clearance.
Gerken was quickly out to smother the shot from close range to keep the score at 1-0. Jones then had a header saved by the highly rated Jones minutes later.
And as the hosts continued to press, it was Jones again that got on the end of a Cook cross, heading over with just Gerken to beat.
Just after the hour mark, Williams made his first change, with Johnnie Jackson replacing Kevin McLeod on the left of midfield.
The substitution coincided with the U's having their best spell with Halford heading a Kevin Watson corner over at the near post and then Kem Izzet miskicked his shot with Cureton having the follow up shot blocked.
Hogan Epraim was then introduced by Williams, coming on for Izzet with eighteen minutes remaining.
Jackson made his first real contribution on seventy-six minutes but his far post header cleared the crossbar following good work from Halford and Epraim on the right wing.
The U's were sensing a nervousness in the Rangers side and were pushing for the equaliser that seemed very unlikely after ten minutes of the second half.
Chris Iwelumo, who was being well marshalled by Kanyuka and Mancienne had his first effort on goal with seven minutes remaining, heading over from another Watson corner.
Jamie Guy was then introduced, replacing centre half Pat Baldwin as Williams made his intentions clear-he wanted a late equaliser. It wasn't to be though and the U's started 2007 with a defeat but with a healthy forty-three points on the board, nearing that original target of fifty-two.
Colchester
Update: On the Official Site today "Ray of Light"
Ray Jones tells www.qpr.co.uk that he 'wants to stay' with the R's - despite constant speculation linking him with a move elsewhere.
Speaking after notching the only goal of the game against Colchester United on New Years Day, the 18 year-old hot-shot revealed he's hoping to put pen to paper on a new contract in the foreseeable future.
"I want to stay here and hopefully that will all be sorted in the next few weeks,'' Jones told www.qpr.co.uk.
"I'm playing first team football for QPR and gaining experience all the time. I didn't think I'd be involved this early on in my career, but I think I've adapted quite well to life in the Championship. "Why would I want to sit on the bench at a Premiership club?''
Jones also took time out to reflect on his fifth league goal of the campaign, commenting: "Cooky turned the defender, got his cross in and as the ball took a slight deflection, it allowed me to steal a march on my marker and flick it into the corner of the net.''
*Stay tuned to QPR World today, where John Gregory reveals his thoughts on the future of sought-after pair Ray Jones and Lee Cook. OFFICIAL
The Telegraph - QPR (1) 1 Colchester United (0) 0
There were at least 10 scouts in attendance here and they made no secret of who they were watching. Almost all of them left to beat the traffic after 19-year-old striker Ray Jones was substituted. As yet Fulham are the only club to have a made a bid for Jones but others are sure to follow.
Jones, who has turned down three contract offers from QPR, will have enhanced his chances of getting a move to the Premiership by scoring the winning goal, a great leap and guided header from a Lee Cook cross.
John Gregory is resigned to losing the striker but fears that the player's career is being jeopardised for short-term financial gain. "I think he's being poorly advised," he said. "I don't think he should go to a Premiership club just to sit on their bench for two years and end up disappearing off the face of the earth."
Cook looked like he was going to tear Colchester to pieces with his bursts of dribbling but the visitors' highly-rated right back Greg Halford gradually got to grips with the clever winger, showing why he too has been attracting interest from the top flight. Sheffield United are eager to bring him to Bramall Lane.
Rangers should have made lighter work of this. Despite coming into the game on a run of seven defeats in eight games, they imposed their game on a below-par Colchester and if Dexter Blackstock had converted when clean through early in the second half, Gregory's team would have been spared the belated Colchester rally. Telegraph
Daily Mirror - GREGORY TIPS RAY TO BE ON HIS WAY
QPR 1 Colchester 0 By James Nursey
JOHN GREGORY last night admitted match-winner Ray Jones may have played his last game for QPR.
Liverpool and Fulham have both targeted Jones, 18, who bagged his sixth goal of the season against play-off chasing Colchester.
But Rangers boss Gregory fears the cash-strapped club will be forced to sell the striker who has turned down three new deals and is out of contract in the summer.
"We had a derisory offer from Fulham for Ray which we batted off," revealed Gregory, whose side stay 20th in the Championship despite yesterday's win.
"But I am resigned to losing him this month because if we let him run his contract down in the summer we might not get as much for him at a tribunal. I hope he hasn't played his last game but he might have and that is a shame.
"I think Ray would be much better staying here and developing his career. I don't think he would be better off going to a bigger club and sitting on the bench.
"But he has been ill-advised by his agent who is just concerned with money and the month of January could well see him nicked off us."
Colchester almost took the lead in the ninth minute when Richard Garcia was inches away from connecting with Chris Barker's cross.
Rangers responded in the 17th minute when star man Lee Cook, also linked with a big-money move to the Premiership, tricked his way past full-back Greg Halford and fired in a low shot which was saved by U's keeper Dean Gerken.
The home side's Australian midfielder Nick Ward then tested Gerken again four minutes later with a low shot.
Garcia flashed a low shot wide for Colchester before QPR took the lead in the 36th minute when Jones headed in Cook's cross from the left.
Geraint Williams' side tried to hit back swiftly as 13-goal hitman Jamie Cureton had a right-foot volley blocked.
And the Essex side were desperately unlucky to trail at the break after both Cureton and Garcia narrowly failed to get on the end of Kevin McLeod's inswinging leftwing cross.
Dexter Blackstock should have scored when he sprinted clear in the 53rd minute but the impressive Gerken blocked the striker's shot.
Colchester finished strongly as Halford headed Kevin Watson's corner over, Cureton had an effort blocked in the box and sub Johnnie Jackson went close.
"I didn't think we deserved anything out of the game and we are disappointed with the performance," said Williams.
"That's probably as poor as we have looked this season. We had no penetration, we didn't create any chances and it was hard work. A lot of the players looked very tired." Mirror
The SUN - VIKKI ORVICE at Loftus Road January 02, 2007
RAY JONES clinched a vital three points for Rangers and showed why boss John Gregory is desperate to hold on to him.
Striker Jones, 19, who was spotted by QPR playing Sunday football, has been offered three contracts but is refusing to sign a new deal and claims his advisors are encouraging him to leave.
He dumped in-form Colchester with a first-half header.
But Gregory, who has already turned down one “derisory” offer for the player from Fulham admitted: “That could be his last game for us.
Ray was a late developer and that was only his 15th start. He is out of contract in the summer and, personally, I think he is being ill-advised.
“I think he would be better staying with us and developing his career rather than going to a bigger club and sitting on the bench. But I’m resigned to losing him.”
Gregory’s team had lost seven of their previous eight league games and were just three points above the drop zone.
Colchester, the surprise package of the Championship this term, had beaten Wolves at the weekend to go sixth, the highest position in the club’s history.
But they failed to sparkle or repeat their success over Rangers at Layer Road in September, when they won 2-1.
That let in the home for their winner after 25 minutes. Winger Lee Cook, who scored a superb goal against Birmingham on Boxing Day, crossed into the area and the unmarked Jones headed home past Dean Gerken.
Gregory said: “It’s a good start to 2007. Last year was one to forget for English sport — particularly QPR — but we’ve started off on the right foot.”
Buoyant Rangers played brightest after the interval, too. Skipper Kevin Gallen’s right-foot effort went inches wide with Dexter Blackstock fluffling a superb chance with only Gerken to beat.
And in the 53rd minute Cook supplied Blackstock only for his shot to go straight to the keeper.
Three minutes later Cook was in the thick of it again, providing Jones with a great chance to net his second, only for the youngster to head wide.
Jamie Cureton had one of the U’s best chances but could not tap the ball in from a Kevin Mcleod cross. Kemal Izzett’s 55th-minute shot lacked power and was easily saved by Simon Royce at the other end.
And Chris Iwelumo could only head over Royce’s bar when Kevin Watson swung a corner into the box which was flicked on by Wayne Brown.
Manager Geraint Williams said: “We didn’t deserve anything. It was as poor as we’ve looked all season. We had no penetration, didn’t create chances and didn’t get going at all.
“The players looked tired and we didn’t even have a go, which is not like us.”
SUN STAR MAN - LEE COOK (QPR). Dangerous throughout. The Sun
SEE: Other Reports & Comments re Colchester Game & Likely move of Ray Jones & maybe Lee Cook
QPR 1 Colchester 0
By Tom Collomosse, PA Sport
Struggling QPR began the new year with a crucial victory thanks to Ray Jones' first-half header.
Rangers had lost seven of their previous eight matches in the Coca-Cola Championship and began the day only three points above the relegation zone, but Jones' 36th-minute effort was enough to sink play-off chasing Colchester.
Kevin Gallen hit the post for Rangers and Dexter Blackstock and Jones wasted clear chances, while the visitors enjoyed spells of pressure but rarely tested Rangers goalkeeper Simon Royce.
The teams were playing their fourth match in 10 days, and the fatigue showed in the early stages, with neither team capable of finding rhythm or fluency.
Fans had to wait until the 17th minute for the first shot on target, when Lee Cook breezed past Colchester's highly-rated right-back Greg Halford before firing straight at Dean Gerken from 15 yards.
Rangers came close again in the 21st minute when Gallen found the recalled Nick Ward on the right and the Australian cut inside before unleashing a left-footed drive which Gerken gathered at the second attempt.
Colchester were showing little of the form that had lifted them to sixth in the Championship this season, and Rangers moved ahead nine minutes before the break when Cook's left-wing cross was deflected into the path of Jones, who rose at the near post and guided his header into Gerken's left corner.
Rangers should have wrapped up the game early in the second half, but they hit the post and wasted two simple chances to do so.
Only 13 seconds after the re-start, Gallen's angled volley was pushed against the frame of the goal by Gerken, before both Blackstock and Jones produced remarkable misses.
Pat Baldwin's clearance against Blackstock rebounded favourably for the striker, who charged into the area but delayed his shot for too long, allowing Gerken to stop his six-yard effort.
And in the 57th minute, the unmarked Jones somehow managed to head Cook's perfect left-wing cross high and wide at the far post.
Having survived those three scares, Colchester came back into the match. In the 65th minute, Halford escaped his marker at the near post but could only head Kevin Watson's right-wing corner into the United fans behind the goal.
Six minutes later, Pat Kanyuka did well to block Jamie Cureton's close-range effort after Kem Izzet's mis-directed strike had found its way to the former QPR striker.
Geraint Williams' men went close again when Johnnie Jackson headed fellow substitute Hogan Ephraim's cross wide, but Rangers held on for an important win. Sporting Life
COLCHESTER OFFICIAL SITE REPORT - ones Does The Damage For R's
Colchester United began the year with a defeat at Loftus Road as Queens Park Rangers won this New Year's Day match 1-0.
The U's came in at half time 1-0 down as Ray Jones put the hosts ahead on thirty-six minutes with a neat header from a left wing cross.
Rangers had chances to increase the lead in the second half but still had to withstand a late U's onslaught to get all three points
According to the team sheets, there was due to be one change in the U's starting line-up as skipper Karl Duguid returned to replace Richard Garcia on the right of midfield.
When the teams came out though, it was Garcia who took to the field and started the game and Hogan Ephaim was summoned from the stands to unexpectedly take his place on the bench.
It later emerged that Duguid, who had picked up a blow to the ribs against Wolves at the weekend, had pulled up in the warm-up having suffered slight breathing difficulties as a result of bruising in that area. He was therefore not risked.
Wayne Brown and Chris Iwelumo both played with minor knocks against Wolves on Saturday and were fit to start against John Gregory's hoops, who themselves made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 at Norwich.
Rangers came into this New Years Day fixture fifth from bottom in the Championship with twenty seven points from their twenty six games, sixteen points less than the U's.
The initial target for the U's was fifty-two points and they went into this match at Loftus Road looking for the first of the three wins that would take them up to that total.
The stormy weather that had battered the capital over the last two days had subsided and West London was dry and relatively mild for early January as the teams ran out.
The U's supporters were housed in the upper tier, behind the goal that Dean Gerken was defending in the first half.
It was those U's fans that had a good view of the first real efforts at goal when, after a slow start, Lee Cook troubled the U's defence twice in the space of a minute.
First, on seventeen minutes, the diminutive winger went past Greg Halford on the Hoops' left wing before shooting straight at Dean Gerken.
Seconds later, Cook popped up on the right wing and whipped in a cross that just needed the slightest touch from a Rangers' forward. No-one got that touch and Gerken was relieved to see the ball go all the way across his six-yard box and out for a goal kick.
On twenty-one minutes, the U's were thankful for their young shot stopper when he smartly saved a Nick Ward shot. Ward had picked up the ball on the left hand side and after cutting in, hit a sharp left footed shot towards Gerken's near post that was well gathered.
The home side were having the best of the early possession but the U's had limited their hosts to long range shots.
There was a slight scare on half hour as Wayne Brown's header back to Gerken looped up in the air but Gerken was strong to take the ball above the leap of Dextor Blackstock.
At the other end seconds later, Richard Garcia went close with a twenty yard drive. Kevin McLeod cut in from the left but found his route to goal blocked by a Rangers' defender.
He rolled the ball square across the area to the Aussie, who hit his shot narrowly wide of Simon Royce's right hand post.
At a time when the U's looked like they were forcing their way back into the match, the hosts went ahead with thirty six minutes on the clock.
The ball was crossed in superbly by Lee Cook from the left wing and Ray Jones won the header at the near post and guided it goalwards.Gerken made a gallant effort to reach it but failed to prevent it finding the top corner of his goal.
Jones then put Pat Baldwin under intense pressure as the ball bounced but despite home fans ' shouts for a free kick as Baldwin tangled with Jones, the referee allowed play to continue.
The U's cleared the danger and immediately won a throw-in down the right hand side. Halford's throw found Brown and from his flick-on, Jamie Cureton had his first chance of the game.
The ball looped to the joint top scorer and he caught it perfectly on the volley, only to see it blocked by a home defender.
As the clock ticked on to forty-five minutes, the U's had their best chance of the half when Cureton and Garcia just failed to make contact with a low cross.
Barker and McLeod combined on the left but McLeod's cross couldn't be put in and the U's went in at half time 1-0 down.
It was probably a fair result given the possession that the home team had and Geraint Williams had to work his half time magic.
That half time team talk nearly had to be changed moments into the second half but Gerken stopped Rangers doubling their lead after less than thirty seconds of the second half.
Blackstock won a header and from the edge of the box, Ward let fly with a shot destined for the top corner. Gerken wasn't beaten this time though, and his fingertips diverted the ball onto the woodwork and away to safety.
Gerken was the busiest keeper in th eearly part of the half and his next save came as Dextor Blackstock threatened the U's goal.
Pat Baldwin was first to a loose ball but the former Southampton forward blocked his weak clearance.
Gerken was quickly out to smother the shot from close range to keep the score at 1-0. Jones then had a header saved by the highly rated Jones minutes later.
And as the hosts continued to press, it was Jones again that got on the end of a Cook cross, heading over with just Gerken to beat.
Just after the hour mark, Williams made his first change, with Johnnie Jackson replacing Kevin McLeod on the left of midfield.
The substitution coincided with the U's having their best spell with Halford heading a Kevin Watson corner over at the near post and then Kem Izzet miskicked his shot with Cureton having the follow up shot blocked.
Hogan Epraim was then introduced by Williams, coming on for Izzet with eighteen minutes remaining.
Jackson made his first real contribution on seventy-six minutes but his far post header cleared the crossbar following good work from Halford and Epraim on the right wing.
The U's were sensing a nervousness in the Rangers side and were pushing for the equaliser that seemed very unlikely after ten minutes of the second half.
Chris Iwelumo, who was being well marshalled by Kanyuka and Mancienne had his first effort on goal with seven minutes remaining, heading over from another Watson corner.
Jamie Guy was then introduced, replacing centre half Pat Baldwin as Williams made his intentions clear-he wanted a late equaliser. It wasn't to be though and the U's started 2007 with a defeat but with a healthy forty-three points on the board, nearing that original target of fifty-two.
Colchester
Gregory Expecting Ray Jones Exit and Other Post-Match Comments
-
BBC - QPR manager John Gregory:
"2006 was a year to forget for QPR, and we need to do better this year.
"The Christmas period is tough for the players, and I am grateful for the effort they put in against a very good Colchester side."
Gregory conceded he could lose teenage goalscorer Jones, saying: "Am I resigned to losing him? Frankly, yes."
Colchester manager Geraint Williams:
"We did not deserve anything from the game. That was as poor as we have looked in attack all season.
"I felt we were a bit negative, and we could not break down their back four."
BBC
JONES IS ON HIS WAY, ADMITS QPR BOSS Tom Collomosse, PA Sport
QPR boss John Gregory admitted contract rebel Ray Jones could have played his final game for the club following the teenage striker's winner against Colchester.
Jones headed the only goal to earn Rangers three vital points in their fight for survival in the Coca-Cola Championship - but the 18-year-old is out of contract at the end of the campaign and refuses to sign a new deal.
Rangers have already rejected a "derisory" offer from Fulham for Jones, and know they could receive a higher transfer fee for the forward if they cash in now than if the fee is decided at a tribunal in the summer.
"Am I resigned to losing him? Quite frankly, yes," Gregory said. "I hope today's was not his last game for us.
"Ray is out of contract in the summer, and his agent refuses to give him the opportunity to sign a new deal with us. Ray has been ill-advised.
"January could see certain clubs try to nick him. Ray would be much better off staying here and developing his career.
It should not be about money for players of Ray's age. You hear about players who are stars at his age, but never go any further.
"If he stayed here a little longer, he could be in a position where he is ready to go into Arsenal's or Manchester United's first team at the age of 23."Gregory also accepts that winger Lee Cook, Rangers' most creative player, could leave if the club receive a high enough offer.
Cook has been linked with a number of Barclays Premiership clubs, and scouts from Everton and Newcastle watched the game on Monday.
The win keeps Rangers three points above the relegation zone, and Gregory continued: "2006 was a year to forget for QPR, and we need to do better this year.
"The Christmas period is tough for the players, and I am grateful for the effort they put in today against a very good Colchester side."
Colchester' form this season means they are chasing a play-off place, but they showed little of the attacking verve which has made them surprise promotion contenders this term.
Manager Geraint Williams conceded: "We did not deserve anything from the game. That was as poor as we have looked in attack all season.
"I felt we were a bit negative, and we could not break down their back four."
Karl Duguid was withdrawn from the Us starting line-up after complaining of breathing problems during the warm-up, but Williams insisted there was "nothing to worry about.
"We will have Karl checked out further, and there will be x-rays, but the doctor said there was nothing to worry about. "There are a number of viruses going around at this time of year." Sporting Life
QPR Official
John Gregory believes the R's have taken a 'big step in the right direction' with victory against Colchester United.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Gregory said: "It was a little bit better and obviously we've gained a little more confidence with keeping another clean sheet.
"It's been a long, long time since we've registered back to back home wins so that's another big step in the right direction for us.
"We always knew it was going to be tough, but there was a fantastic resilience about us today.
"Damion Stewart and Michael Mancienne were superb and there was a real win-at-all-costs attitude throughout the side.
"We deserved the three points and should have won by at least four goals. It was nailbiting stuff late on, but we got the result we were craving.''
Gregory added: "When you consider the programme we've had in the last few weeks, it's a great result.
"We've got six points from 12 over the festive period and when you look at our displays against Birmingham and Norwich, it could quite easily have been eight.''
QPR
BBC - QPR manager John Gregory:
"2006 was a year to forget for QPR, and we need to do better this year.
"The Christmas period is tough for the players, and I am grateful for the effort they put in against a very good Colchester side."
Gregory conceded he could lose teenage goalscorer Jones, saying: "Am I resigned to losing him? Frankly, yes."
Colchester manager Geraint Williams:
"We did not deserve anything from the game. That was as poor as we have looked in attack all season.
"I felt we were a bit negative, and we could not break down their back four."
BBC
JONES IS ON HIS WAY, ADMITS QPR BOSS Tom Collomosse, PA Sport
QPR boss John Gregory admitted contract rebel Ray Jones could have played his final game for the club following the teenage striker's winner against Colchester.
Jones headed the only goal to earn Rangers three vital points in their fight for survival in the Coca-Cola Championship - but the 18-year-old is out of contract at the end of the campaign and refuses to sign a new deal.
Rangers have already rejected a "derisory" offer from Fulham for Jones, and know they could receive a higher transfer fee for the forward if they cash in now than if the fee is decided at a tribunal in the summer.
"Am I resigned to losing him? Quite frankly, yes," Gregory said. "I hope today's was not his last game for us.
"Ray is out of contract in the summer, and his agent refuses to give him the opportunity to sign a new deal with us. Ray has been ill-advised.
"January could see certain clubs try to nick him. Ray would be much better off staying here and developing his career.
It should not be about money for players of Ray's age. You hear about players who are stars at his age, but never go any further.
"If he stayed here a little longer, he could be in a position where he is ready to go into Arsenal's or Manchester United's first team at the age of 23."Gregory also accepts that winger Lee Cook, Rangers' most creative player, could leave if the club receive a high enough offer.
Cook has been linked with a number of Barclays Premiership clubs, and scouts from Everton and Newcastle watched the game on Monday.
The win keeps Rangers three points above the relegation zone, and Gregory continued: "2006 was a year to forget for QPR, and we need to do better this year.
"The Christmas period is tough for the players, and I am grateful for the effort they put in today against a very good Colchester side."
Colchester' form this season means they are chasing a play-off place, but they showed little of the attacking verve which has made them surprise promotion contenders this term.
Manager Geraint Williams conceded: "We did not deserve anything from the game. That was as poor as we have looked in attack all season.
"I felt we were a bit negative, and we could not break down their back four."
Karl Duguid was withdrawn from the Us starting line-up after complaining of breathing problems during the warm-up, but Williams insisted there was "nothing to worry about.
"We will have Karl checked out further, and there will be x-rays, but the doctor said there was nothing to worry about. "There are a number of viruses going around at this time of year." Sporting Life
QPR Official
John Gregory believes the R's have taken a 'big step in the right direction' with victory against Colchester United.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Gregory said: "It was a little bit better and obviously we've gained a little more confidence with keeping another clean sheet.
"It's been a long, long time since we've registered back to back home wins so that's another big step in the right direction for us.
"We always knew it was going to be tough, but there was a fantastic resilience about us today.
"Damion Stewart and Michael Mancienne were superb and there was a real win-at-all-costs attitude throughout the side.
"We deserved the three points and should have won by at least four goals. It was nailbiting stuff late on, but we got the result we were craving.''
Gregory added: "When you consider the programme we've had in the last few weeks, it's a great result.
"We've got six points from 12 over the festive period and when you look at our displays against Birmingham and Norwich, it could quite easily have been eight.''
QPR
QPR Crush Colchester (1-0)
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QPR vs Colchester
11,000+ saw QPR defeat Colchester 1-0 with Ray Jones scoring QPR's only goal in the 36th minute.
League Table - Table
Starting Lineups
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Ward, Gallen, Lomas, Cook, Kanyuka, Stewart, Jones, Blackstock, Mancienne. Subs: Cole, Rehman, Baidoo, Bailey, Furlong.
(In the second half Baidoo came on for Ward; Furlong came on for Jones)
Colchester: Gerken, Halford, Brown, Watson, Duguid, Cureton, Izzet, Iwelumo, Baldwin, Barker, McLeod.
Subs: Davison, Jackson, Garcia, Guy, Richards.
QPR Official Site - Match Report
Ray Jones proved his undoubted class with the match-winner against high-flying Colchester United.
The teenage striker bagged his fifth league goal of the season, as the R's ground out back-to-back victories at Loftus Road.
In truth, the final scoreline flattered the visitors, who played second fiddle to John Gregory's men throughout the 90 minutes.
Rangers hit the woodwork and has numerous shots saved by U's custodian Dean Gerken, in what was an encouraging start to 2007 for the R's.
The Hoops led 1-0 at the break courtesy of Jones' towering header.
Arriving on to Lee Cook's inviting cross, the teenage striker directed a superb glancing header into the top right hand corner of the net.
Jamie Cureton - playing against his former club - twice went close at the end of the first half, but it was Rangers who came out all guns blazing at the start of the second period.
Nick Ward, Dexter Blackstock and Jones all went close in the opening ten minutes of the half and although the second goal failed to materialise, gaffer John Gregory would have been thoroughly satisfied with both the result, and the performance.
Gregory made three changes to the side which succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at Carrow Road two days earlier.
Pat Kanyuka, Ward and Blackstock were all recalled to the starting XI, as Mauro Milanese, Martin Rowlands (injured) and Paul Furlong made way.
Colchester boss Geraint Williams named an unchanged side and it was the U's who created the first chance of the match on eight minutes, when former Hoop Kevin McLeod got free down the left flank.
Thankfully for the R's, his out-swinging left foot cross came to nothing, despite Simon Royce puching at thin air as the ball flew across the six-yard box.
Steve Lomas talked his way into the referee's notebook on the quarter hour, after Mr Walton had harshly adjudged his tackle on Kemal Izzet to be a foul.
Moments later, Cook teased the sought-after Greg Halford one way and then the other before firing straight at Gerken from the edge of the 18-yard box.
Cook was proving a constant threat and when Ward fed him the ball, this time on the right flank, Jones and Blackstock were just inches away from adding the all-important killer touch at the back post.
The R's were enjoying the lion's share of possession by now and when Kevin Gallen threaded a neat pass into Ward's path, the Aussie took one touch to set before forcing Gerken into a fine smothering save at his near post.
Colchester became more of an attacking threat as the clock ticked towards the half hour mark and after being gifted time and space on the edge of the box, Richard Garcia shaved the outside of Royce's right hand post with a piercing right foot drive.
Kanyuka was enjoying a productive return to the side and when he soared above a static Colchester rearguard on 33 minutes to meet Cook's corner, only a poor connection cost him.
Undeterred, Rangers were soon back on the front foot and in some style too.
Cook again provided the catalyst, delivering an inch-perfect cross into the path of Jones, who glanced a delicate header beyond Gerken and into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the campaign.
Cureton was keen to prove a point against one of his former club's and when he unleashed a fearsome 15-yard volley on the stroke of half-time, only a stunning block from Kanyuka prevented him from adding to his impressive goals tally.
There was still time for Colchester to create another chance as the clock ticked down, but after Chris Barker teased an inviting cross across the face of the six-yard box, Cureton and then Garcia failed to connect.
The second half was just ten seconds old when Ward smashed a thunderous volley on to the frame of the goal.
Capitalising on Colchester's failure to clear their lines, the Australian midfielder thumped a stunning effort on target, only for Gerken to fling himself full length to his right to tip the ball onto the crossbar.
Rangers were firing on all cylinders at the start of the second half and when Cook left Halford for dead yet again moments later, Gerken flapped at the cross, only for Blackstock to head over from little more than a yard.
The chances were arriving thick and fast for the hosts and when Blackstock raced through one-on-one after chasing down Wayne Brown's clearance, a moments hesitancy cost the former Southampton striker, whose shot was well saved by the onrushing Gerken.
Jones and Cook were proving a real handful and when the latter rose like a salmon to meet the former's free-kick on 52 minutes, Gerken was perfectly placed to smother the striker's header at his feet.
The Jones and Cook show continued three minutes later, when from a carbon copy move, the R's goalscorer headed high and wide at the back post.
As the chances continued to fall the hosts way, Gallen scuffed the ball wide after breaking from midfield, before Gregory introduced Shabazz Baidoo at the expense of Ward.
Fans favourite Paul Furlong entered the fray with 17 minutes remaining, but it was another substitute - Colchester's Johnnie Jackson - who had the next effort on goal, heading wide after a neat exchange between Halford and Garcia down the right flank.
Furlong and Blackstock combined effectively at the other end minutes later, with the latter forcing Gerken to smother at the second attempt from fully 25-yards.
The evergreen striker went close again in the dying moments, firing into the side-netting from Blackstock's near post flick-on.
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Ward (Baidoo 59), Gallen, Lomas, Cook, Kanyuka, Stewart, Jones (Furlong 76), Blackstock, Mancienne.
Subs: Cole, Rehman, Bailey.
Goals: Jones 36
Bookings: Lomas 15 Attendance: 11, 319 QPR
QPR vs Colchester
11,000+ saw QPR defeat Colchester 1-0 with Ray Jones scoring QPR's only goal in the 36th minute.
League Table - Table
Starting Lineups
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Ward, Gallen, Lomas, Cook, Kanyuka, Stewart, Jones, Blackstock, Mancienne. Subs: Cole, Rehman, Baidoo, Bailey, Furlong.
(In the second half Baidoo came on for Ward; Furlong came on for Jones)
Colchester: Gerken, Halford, Brown, Watson, Duguid, Cureton, Izzet, Iwelumo, Baldwin, Barker, McLeod.
Subs: Davison, Jackson, Garcia, Guy, Richards.
QPR Official Site - Match Report
Ray Jones proved his undoubted class with the match-winner against high-flying Colchester United.
The teenage striker bagged his fifth league goal of the season, as the R's ground out back-to-back victories at Loftus Road.
In truth, the final scoreline flattered the visitors, who played second fiddle to John Gregory's men throughout the 90 minutes.
Rangers hit the woodwork and has numerous shots saved by U's custodian Dean Gerken, in what was an encouraging start to 2007 for the R's.
The Hoops led 1-0 at the break courtesy of Jones' towering header.
Arriving on to Lee Cook's inviting cross, the teenage striker directed a superb glancing header into the top right hand corner of the net.
Jamie Cureton - playing against his former club - twice went close at the end of the first half, but it was Rangers who came out all guns blazing at the start of the second period.
Nick Ward, Dexter Blackstock and Jones all went close in the opening ten minutes of the half and although the second goal failed to materialise, gaffer John Gregory would have been thoroughly satisfied with both the result, and the performance.
Gregory made three changes to the side which succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at Carrow Road two days earlier.
Pat Kanyuka, Ward and Blackstock were all recalled to the starting XI, as Mauro Milanese, Martin Rowlands (injured) and Paul Furlong made way.
Colchester boss Geraint Williams named an unchanged side and it was the U's who created the first chance of the match on eight minutes, when former Hoop Kevin McLeod got free down the left flank.
Thankfully for the R's, his out-swinging left foot cross came to nothing, despite Simon Royce puching at thin air as the ball flew across the six-yard box.
Steve Lomas talked his way into the referee's notebook on the quarter hour, after Mr Walton had harshly adjudged his tackle on Kemal Izzet to be a foul.
Moments later, Cook teased the sought-after Greg Halford one way and then the other before firing straight at Gerken from the edge of the 18-yard box.
Cook was proving a constant threat and when Ward fed him the ball, this time on the right flank, Jones and Blackstock were just inches away from adding the all-important killer touch at the back post.
The R's were enjoying the lion's share of possession by now and when Kevin Gallen threaded a neat pass into Ward's path, the Aussie took one touch to set before forcing Gerken into a fine smothering save at his near post.
Colchester became more of an attacking threat as the clock ticked towards the half hour mark and after being gifted time and space on the edge of the box, Richard Garcia shaved the outside of Royce's right hand post with a piercing right foot drive.
Kanyuka was enjoying a productive return to the side and when he soared above a static Colchester rearguard on 33 minutes to meet Cook's corner, only a poor connection cost him.
Undeterred, Rangers were soon back on the front foot and in some style too.
Cook again provided the catalyst, delivering an inch-perfect cross into the path of Jones, who glanced a delicate header beyond Gerken and into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the campaign.
Cureton was keen to prove a point against one of his former club's and when he unleashed a fearsome 15-yard volley on the stroke of half-time, only a stunning block from Kanyuka prevented him from adding to his impressive goals tally.
There was still time for Colchester to create another chance as the clock ticked down, but after Chris Barker teased an inviting cross across the face of the six-yard box, Cureton and then Garcia failed to connect.
The second half was just ten seconds old when Ward smashed a thunderous volley on to the frame of the goal.
Capitalising on Colchester's failure to clear their lines, the Australian midfielder thumped a stunning effort on target, only for Gerken to fling himself full length to his right to tip the ball onto the crossbar.
Rangers were firing on all cylinders at the start of the second half and when Cook left Halford for dead yet again moments later, Gerken flapped at the cross, only for Blackstock to head over from little more than a yard.
The chances were arriving thick and fast for the hosts and when Blackstock raced through one-on-one after chasing down Wayne Brown's clearance, a moments hesitancy cost the former Southampton striker, whose shot was well saved by the onrushing Gerken.
Jones and Cook were proving a real handful and when the latter rose like a salmon to meet the former's free-kick on 52 minutes, Gerken was perfectly placed to smother the striker's header at his feet.
The Jones and Cook show continued three minutes later, when from a carbon copy move, the R's goalscorer headed high and wide at the back post.
As the chances continued to fall the hosts way, Gallen scuffed the ball wide after breaking from midfield, before Gregory introduced Shabazz Baidoo at the expense of Ward.
Fans favourite Paul Furlong entered the fray with 17 minutes remaining, but it was another substitute - Colchester's Johnnie Jackson - who had the next effort on goal, heading wide after a neat exchange between Halford and Garcia down the right flank.
Furlong and Blackstock combined effectively at the other end minutes later, with the latter forcing Gerken to smother at the second attempt from fully 25-yards.
The evergreen striker went close again in the dying moments, firing into the side-netting from Blackstock's near post flick-on.
QPR: Royce, Bignot, Ward (Baidoo 59), Gallen, Lomas, Cook, Kanyuka, Stewart, Jones (Furlong 76), Blackstock, Mancienne.
Subs: Cole, Rehman, Bailey.
Goals: Jones 36
Bookings: Lomas 15 Attendance: 11, 319 QPR
QPR Players In and Out
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{With Sampsa Timoska and Avery John reportedly officially signing once the Transfer window opens...
SEAN THOMAS - This is BristolGARY'S AFTER A COUPLE OF GEMS January 2007 Bristol City boss Gary Johnson.....The Robins' chief will sign 20-year-old Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Sean Thomas on loan for the rest of the season as cover for Adriano Basso and Chris Weale...- Bristol
The Times - January 1:“The transfer window could be beneficial for us, but we are already paying 35 professionals — our squad must be bigger than Inter Milan’s,” John Gregory, the manager, said. Rumours persist that Lee Cook, the winger, and Ray Jones, the 18-year-old striker, could leave in the next month.
“Jones is a YTS boy,” Gregory said. “We’ve offered him three contracts and they have all been turned down by his agent.” - The Times
LEE COOK & RAY JONES Skysports -John Gregory insists Ray Jones and Lee Cook will only leave Loftus Road in the transfer window, if Queens Park Rangers are offered 'serious money'.
Jones' future is a source of debate after the teenage striker rejected multiple offers of a new contract.
Fulham have already failed with a £50,000 bid for Jones, whose present deal expires at the end of the season.
Other Premiership clubs have been linked with the youngster, while winger Cook has also attracted interest from the top flight.
But QPR boss Gregory is adamant the club will not be forced into selling the duo in January, unless big bids are received.
"There's been a lot of speculation about Cook and Jones," said Gregory.
"But we won't be parting with them unless someone comes in and offers us serious money.
"Jones is out of contract in the summer and one or two clubs are already chasing him, so we aren't exactly on the front foot with him at the moment.
"The only good thing if a couple of the players go is we might have a bit of money to spend. We need to bring in new players Skysports
THE MIRROR
"...It was a seventh defeat in eight games for struggling Rangers....
More worryingly for John Gregory's side is that they barely mustered a menacing shot on target and the manager will struggle to hold on to £3m-rated winger Lee Cook and striker Ray Jones, valued at £1m, in the transfer window.
Gregory, who ironically once signed Dublin for £5.75m when manager at Aston Villa, admitted: "There's been a lot of speculation about Cook and Jones. But we won't be parting with them unless someone comes in and offers us serious money.
"Jones is out of contract in the summer and one or two clubs are already chasing him so we aren't exactly on the front foot with him at the moment.
"The only good thing if a couple of the players go is we might have a bit of money to spend. We need to bring in new players." Mirror
IAN EVATT Clubcall December 29 Grayson reveals Evatt progress
Blackpool boss Simon Grayson says he has spoken to Queens Park Rangers counterpart John Gregory about a deal to keep defender Ian Evatt until summer at least.
Evatt has been on fine form since joining the Seasiders on loan, and he has indicated he would like to move to Bloomfield Road on a permanent basis.
Grayson has not revealed whther he is trying to negotiate a permanent transfer or simply a loan extension, but he admits some progress has been made:
"Yes, I've spoken to John Gregory and Ian, and we are trying to get things done.
"When we get the Chesterfield game out of the way, we'll try to crack on, and as soon as we make significant progress we'll let everybody know." Clubcall
{With Sampsa Timoska and Avery John reportedly officially signing once the Transfer window opens...
SEAN THOMAS - This is BristolGARY'S AFTER A COUPLE OF GEMS January 2007 Bristol City boss Gary Johnson.....The Robins' chief will sign 20-year-old Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Sean Thomas on loan for the rest of the season as cover for Adriano Basso and Chris Weale...- Bristol
The Times - January 1:“The transfer window could be beneficial for us, but we are already paying 35 professionals — our squad must be bigger than Inter Milan’s,” John Gregory, the manager, said. Rumours persist that Lee Cook, the winger, and Ray Jones, the 18-year-old striker, could leave in the next month.
“Jones is a YTS boy,” Gregory said. “We’ve offered him three contracts and they have all been turned down by his agent.” - The Times
LEE COOK & RAY JONES Skysports -John Gregory insists Ray Jones and Lee Cook will only leave Loftus Road in the transfer window, if Queens Park Rangers are offered 'serious money'.
Jones' future is a source of debate after the teenage striker rejected multiple offers of a new contract.
Fulham have already failed with a £50,000 bid for Jones, whose present deal expires at the end of the season.
Other Premiership clubs have been linked with the youngster, while winger Cook has also attracted interest from the top flight.
But QPR boss Gregory is adamant the club will not be forced into selling the duo in January, unless big bids are received.
"There's been a lot of speculation about Cook and Jones," said Gregory.
"But we won't be parting with them unless someone comes in and offers us serious money.
"Jones is out of contract in the summer and one or two clubs are already chasing him, so we aren't exactly on the front foot with him at the moment.
"The only good thing if a couple of the players go is we might have a bit of money to spend. We need to bring in new players Skysports
THE MIRROR
"...It was a seventh defeat in eight games for struggling Rangers....
More worryingly for John Gregory's side is that they barely mustered a menacing shot on target and the manager will struggle to hold on to £3m-rated winger Lee Cook and striker Ray Jones, valued at £1m, in the transfer window.
Gregory, who ironically once signed Dublin for £5.75m when manager at Aston Villa, admitted: "There's been a lot of speculation about Cook and Jones. But we won't be parting with them unless someone comes in and offers us serious money.
"Jones is out of contract in the summer and one or two clubs are already chasing him so we aren't exactly on the front foot with him at the moment.
"The only good thing if a couple of the players go is we might have a bit of money to spend. We need to bring in new players." Mirror
IAN EVATT Clubcall December 29 Grayson reveals Evatt progress
Blackpool boss Simon Grayson says he has spoken to Queens Park Rangers counterpart John Gregory about a deal to keep defender Ian Evatt until summer at least.
Evatt has been on fine form since joining the Seasiders on loan, and he has indicated he would like to move to Bloomfield Road on a permanent basis.
Grayson has not revealed whther he is trying to negotiate a permanent transfer or simply a loan extension, but he admits some progress has been made:
"Yes, I've spoken to John Gregory and Ian, and we are trying to get things done.
"When we get the Chesterfield game out of the way, we'll try to crack on, and as soon as we make significant progress we'll let everybody know." Clubcall
How QPR Started 2006: Board Statement Denying... & Burnley Draw
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QPR Statement - January 2, 2006Following the weekend's media reports, the Board of Directors have issued a statement.
Numerous stories alleged that QPR were on the brink of selling some of their most valuable players, most notably Dan Shittu, but the Board would like to state there is no such truth in the rumours.
The statement reads:
"The board unanimously condemns recent allegations from some badly informed newspapers with regards to the sale of some of our players for ridiculous amounts of money and also the replacement of our manager.
"We would like to clarify that there is absolutely no need to sell players in order to settle monies due to the Inland Revenue as we are fully up to date with our repayments.
"Furthermore, stories claiming that Jim Smith is to become the Director of Football at Loftus Road are completely unfounded." QPR
And in the Championship, Ian Holloway's QPR drew 1-1 at home to Burnley before a crowd of 12,500. Ainsworth equalizing. QPR's Team - QPR: Royce, Bignot, Milanese, Shittu, Rose, Ainsworth, Rowlands, Cook, Baidoo, Nygaard, Langley. Subs: Cole, Santos, Moore, Donnelly, Furlong.
Match Report - Report
[MEMORY: January 1, 1972: QPR also played Burnley winning 3-1
14,600 saw the two promotion chasing teams (neither of which made it that year - both of which made it the following season: Burnley as Champions; QPR as runners up; with Dave Thomas switching sides!) And a couple months after this game, Marsh had moved on. QPR eventually won the game 3-1 with 2 from Mick Leach; 1 from Rodney Marsh . But really it was a question of the score not truly reflecting the game as Phil Parkes saving QPR with a bunch of brilliant saves. The game was also notable because when it was shown later on Match of The Day, on the TV it was almost impossible to watch/extremely fuzzy - such was the quality of our floodlights at the time. The QPR Team on that Day:
Parkes
Clement Hunt Mancini Hazell
Francis Saul Venables
Leach Marsh O'Rourke
QPR Statement - January 2, 2006Following the weekend's media reports, the Board of Directors have issued a statement.
Numerous stories alleged that QPR were on the brink of selling some of their most valuable players, most notably Dan Shittu, but the Board would like to state there is no such truth in the rumours.
The statement reads:
"The board unanimously condemns recent allegations from some badly informed newspapers with regards to the sale of some of our players for ridiculous amounts of money and also the replacement of our manager.
"We would like to clarify that there is absolutely no need to sell players in order to settle monies due to the Inland Revenue as we are fully up to date with our repayments.
"Furthermore, stories claiming that Jim Smith is to become the Director of Football at Loftus Road are completely unfounded." QPR
And in the Championship, Ian Holloway's QPR drew 1-1 at home to Burnley before a crowd of 12,500. Ainsworth equalizing. QPR's Team - QPR: Royce, Bignot, Milanese, Shittu, Rose, Ainsworth, Rowlands, Cook, Baidoo, Nygaard, Langley. Subs: Cole, Santos, Moore, Donnelly, Furlong.
Match Report - Report
[MEMORY: January 1, 1972: QPR also played Burnley winning 3-1
14,600 saw the two promotion chasing teams (neither of which made it that year - both of which made it the following season: Burnley as Champions; QPR as runners up; with Dave Thomas switching sides!) And a couple months after this game, Marsh had moved on. QPR eventually won the game 3-1 with 2 from Mick Leach; 1 from Rodney Marsh . But really it was a question of the score not truly reflecting the game as Phil Parkes saving QPR with a bunch of brilliant saves. The game was also notable because when it was shown later on Match of The Day, on the TV it was almost impossible to watch/extremely fuzzy - such was the quality of our floodlights at the time. The QPR Team on that Day:
Parkes
Clement Hunt Mancini Hazell
Francis Saul Venables
Leach Marsh O'Rourke
QPR Take on Colchester
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QPR 20th (27 points) vs Colchester 6th (43 points). Colchester are good away and brilliant at home (qq wins & 2 draws). Away, Colchester have won 2 and drawn 4 and lost 7. Scored 11. Let in 18. QPR at home: 4 Wins, 3 draws, 6 defeats. Scored 18. Let in 19. Current League Table - Table
Colchester have two of the top scorers in the Division: Jamies Cureton AND Chris Iwelumo have each scored 13 league goals this season. Colchester also have the former QPR winger, Kevin McLeod.
QPR's game at Colchester in September was Gary Waddock's last Championship game in charge of QPR (he also mananged QPR for the subsequent "League Cup" loss at Port Vale). QPR Lost 2-1. QPR's team that day: Cole, Rose, Stewart, Rehman, Milanese, Baidoo (Donnelly 79), Ward, Bircham, Cook, Nygaard, Ray Jones (Czerkas 45). Subs: Bignot, Bailey, Kanyuka. Goal: Brown (76 og). Match Report
QPR last played Colchester at Loftus Road just over three years ago (December 28, 2003) in our Promotion season: QPR won 2-0.
Colchester Squad - Squad
Season's Results - REsults
QPR Official Site Preview Colchester Game
It would probably be fair to say that for most Colchester United fans, the mid-season report for their team would read: Keep up the good work.
The feeling of excitement after winning promotion to the highest level of football in the club's history was quickly replaced by disappointment at Layer Road, following the messy departure of highly respected manager Phil Parkinson to Hull City.
Parkinson's assistant, Geraint Williams, was eventually appointed as the U's new boss and the former Wales international has done an impressive job in his stab at full management.
After a disastrous start, when they lost their opening four Coca-Cola Championship matches and an early exit from the Carling Cup at the hands of MK Dons, Colchester embarked on an unbeaten run of six matches, earning Williams the manager-of-the-month award for September.
Since then, their form has been impressive, particularly at home. They have unofficially renamed their charismatic ground 'Fortress Layer Road,' with reference to the reception visiting teams have become accustomed to facing in this season's Championship.
One of the main plus points for Colchester so far this season has been their potency in front of goal.
The U's head into the new year as one of the country's leading overall goalscorers, with front pair Jamie Cureton and Chris Iwelumo having netted more than 20 goals between them before the end of the year.
Colchester have also been solid in defence, with central defensive duo Wayne Brown and Pat Baldwin forming an effective partnership, while full-backs Greg Halford and Chris Barker have both been consistent.
Add to that the experience in midfield of Kevin Watson and captain Karl Duguid and Colchester can rightly feel confident of improving their flourishing reputation under Williams yet further, in 2007...
Last league game: Colchester United 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
Coca Cola Championship. December 30th 2006.
Colchester: Gerken, Halford, Baldwin, Brown, Barker, Garcia, Watson, Izzet, McLeod (Duguid 70), Cureton, Iwelumo (Guy 61). Subs Not Used: Davison, Jackson, Elokobi....
Superhoopsbet.co.uk match odds:
QPR 13/10
Colchester 7/4
Draw 9/4
Key player: Jamie CURETON
Despite only playing ten games in his loan spell last season, the former Reading goal-getter was the spark that kick-started the road to promotion for the U's.
His signing in the summer added experience, as well as a hatful of goals to the U's front-line.
A class act in and around the box, Cureton has struck up a stunning partnership with Chris Iwelumo.
Head to head:
QPR wins: 15
Colchester wins: 11
Draws: 7
Last meeting:
Colchester United 2 (Iwelumo, Garcia), Queens Park Rangers 1 (Brown og).
Football League Championship.
September 16th 2006.
Latest News: Barker seals loan extension
Colchester have been successful in their bid to extend Cardiff defender Chris Barker's loan deal until the end of the season.
The 26-year-old was due to play his last game for the club against QPR on New Year's Day, but will now finish the season at Layer Road.
Barker insists he would have preferred a permanent move but was pleased to find out his contract had been extended....QPR Profile
See Also: Clive Whittingham/QPR Rivals Match Preview - Preview
Colchester Rivals Match Preview of QPR Game - Preview
QPR 20th (27 points) vs Colchester 6th (43 points). Colchester are good away and brilliant at home (qq wins & 2 draws). Away, Colchester have won 2 and drawn 4 and lost 7. Scored 11. Let in 18. QPR at home: 4 Wins, 3 draws, 6 defeats. Scored 18. Let in 19. Current League Table - Table
Colchester have two of the top scorers in the Division: Jamies Cureton AND Chris Iwelumo have each scored 13 league goals this season. Colchester also have the former QPR winger, Kevin McLeod.
QPR's game at Colchester in September was Gary Waddock's last Championship game in charge of QPR (he also mananged QPR for the subsequent "League Cup" loss at Port Vale). QPR Lost 2-1. QPR's team that day: Cole, Rose, Stewart, Rehman, Milanese, Baidoo (Donnelly 79), Ward, Bircham, Cook, Nygaard, Ray Jones (Czerkas 45). Subs: Bignot, Bailey, Kanyuka. Goal: Brown (76 og). Match Report
QPR last played Colchester at Loftus Road just over three years ago (December 28, 2003) in our Promotion season: QPR won 2-0.
Colchester Squad - Squad
Season's Results - REsults
QPR Official Site Preview Colchester Game
It would probably be fair to say that for most Colchester United fans, the mid-season report for their team would read: Keep up the good work.
The feeling of excitement after winning promotion to the highest level of football in the club's history was quickly replaced by disappointment at Layer Road, following the messy departure of highly respected manager Phil Parkinson to Hull City.
Parkinson's assistant, Geraint Williams, was eventually appointed as the U's new boss and the former Wales international has done an impressive job in his stab at full management.
After a disastrous start, when they lost their opening four Coca-Cola Championship matches and an early exit from the Carling Cup at the hands of MK Dons, Colchester embarked on an unbeaten run of six matches, earning Williams the manager-of-the-month award for September.
Since then, their form has been impressive, particularly at home. They have unofficially renamed their charismatic ground 'Fortress Layer Road,' with reference to the reception visiting teams have become accustomed to facing in this season's Championship.
One of the main plus points for Colchester so far this season has been their potency in front of goal.
The U's head into the new year as one of the country's leading overall goalscorers, with front pair Jamie Cureton and Chris Iwelumo having netted more than 20 goals between them before the end of the year.
Colchester have also been solid in defence, with central defensive duo Wayne Brown and Pat Baldwin forming an effective partnership, while full-backs Greg Halford and Chris Barker have both been consistent.
Add to that the experience in midfield of Kevin Watson and captain Karl Duguid and Colchester can rightly feel confident of improving their flourishing reputation under Williams yet further, in 2007...
Last league game: Colchester United 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
Coca Cola Championship. December 30th 2006.
Colchester: Gerken, Halford, Baldwin, Brown, Barker, Garcia, Watson, Izzet, McLeod (Duguid 70), Cureton, Iwelumo (Guy 61). Subs Not Used: Davison, Jackson, Elokobi....
Superhoopsbet.co.uk match odds:
QPR 13/10
Colchester 7/4
Draw 9/4
Key player: Jamie CURETON
Despite only playing ten games in his loan spell last season, the former Reading goal-getter was the spark that kick-started the road to promotion for the U's.
His signing in the summer added experience, as well as a hatful of goals to the U's front-line.
A class act in and around the box, Cureton has struck up a stunning partnership with Chris Iwelumo.
Head to head:
QPR wins: 15
Colchester wins: 11
Draws: 7
Last meeting:
Colchester United 2 (Iwelumo, Garcia), Queens Park Rangers 1 (Brown og).
Football League Championship.
September 16th 2006.
Latest News: Barker seals loan extension
Colchester have been successful in their bid to extend Cardiff defender Chris Barker's loan deal until the end of the season.
The 26-year-old was due to play his last game for the club against QPR on New Year's Day, but will now finish the season at Layer Road.
Barker insists he would have preferred a permanent move but was pleased to find out his contract had been extended....QPR Profile
See Also: Clive Whittingham/QPR Rivals Match Preview - Preview
Colchester Rivals Match Preview of QPR Game - Preview
Ex-QPR's Tony Currie Turns 57
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JANUARY 1, 2007
Tony Currie Turns 57: Born January 1, 1950.
Brilliant England midfielder. Signed by Tommy Docherty in the summer of 1979 for a club record 400,000 pounds, as part of the QPR rebuilding effort after the club's relegation. In his four seasons at QPR, he had a number of injuries, but played around 80 games for the club - including captaining the club in the FA Cup Final replay (where unfortunately he gave a penalty.
QPR career - Games
Daves QPR Site profile of Currie - Currie
Wikipedia Profile of Currie - Currie
Another QPR January 1 Birthday: Brian Law, Born January 1, 1970.
Injuries sort of wrecked the career of QPR's Welsh center half, Brian Law.
Was at QPR from 1987 to 1994 coming through the youth team. Went on to play also for Wolves and then Millwall. Birthday
JANUARY 1, 2007
Tony Currie Turns 57: Born January 1, 1950.
Brilliant England midfielder. Signed by Tommy Docherty in the summer of 1979 for a club record 400,000 pounds, as part of the QPR rebuilding effort after the club's relegation. In his four seasons at QPR, he had a number of injuries, but played around 80 games for the club - including captaining the club in the FA Cup Final replay (where unfortunately he gave a penalty.
QPR career - Games
Daves QPR Site profile of Currie - Currie
Wikipedia Profile of Currie - Currie
Another QPR January 1 Birthday: Brian Law, Born January 1, 1970.
Injuries sort of wrecked the career of QPR's Welsh center half, Brian Law.
Was at QPR from 1987 to 1994 coming through the youth team. Went on to play also for Wolves and then Millwall. Birthday
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