West Ham Scrape Home Against QPR

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West Ham defeated QPR 2-1 in a closed door friendly/training game.

West Ham Official Site
Zamora and Bellamy on target
Bobby Zamora and Craig Bellamy both scored in a behind closed doors contest at the Boleyn Ground
Bobby Zamora and Craig Bellamy were both on target for West Ham United on Monday in a specially arranged practice match against Queen's Park Rangers.
Zamora, after a knee injury, was getting his first run-out since 28 August and was a lively presence in the 2-1 victory alongside Bellamy, himself just coming back from an abdominal problem. The duo played for 60 and 65 minutes respectively. While Bellamy is nearer to full fitness having played a reserve-team game and then come on as a substitute at Wigan Athletic, Zamora has not figured since the League Cup game away to Bristol Rovers.
There were also starts for Julien Faubert and Nolberto Solano on the right wing and in central midfield respectively. Faubert has not featured in the last two first-team games because of a slight calf strain after making three substitute appearances previously but played the full 90 minutes. Solano also continued his comeback from a hamstring problem and, having got most of the second half at Wigan on Saturday, played the first half before making way.
QPR opened the scoring within a minute at an empty Boleyn Ground, with a spectacular long-range effort from Antonio German leaving Richard Wright with little chance to save. From that point on, West Ham United dominated proceedings - understandably enough given the inexperience of the opposition, who nevertheless were fully committed during an entertaining contest.
Bellamy showed his electric pace on a number of occasions - notably in combination with Faubert in the sixth minute, before the move ended with a fine Zamora header that Reece Crowther in the visitors' goal did well to save. Within two minutes, West Ham United had scored with Bellamy getting free on the right before pulling the ball back for Zamora to guide a side-footed volley neatly into the net from 12 yards.
Zamora then returned the favour on 12 minutes, nodding down well for Bellamy to shoot, but the Wales captain could not keep his shot on target. At the back, Jonathan Spector partnered Bondz N'Gala in central defence and the American stepped out well in the 19th minute before feeding Zamora. He in turn found Bellamy with a defence-splitting pass but the resulting shot was dragged wide under pressure from Crowther.
Zamora and Bellamy then both went close again as West Ham United continued to pressure, while Luis Boa Morte and Kyel Reid were also keeping the opponents guessing by interchanging on the left-hand side. The first half ended with Bellamy taking three players on before working a good opportunity to fire on goal, with the resulting shot being claimed well by Crowther.
Faubert was the first to show after the interval, having a good shot saved in the 47th minute after being picked out by Boa Morte. Faubert continued to link up well with Bellamy and Faubert before some good skill in the box by N'Gala teed up captain Tony Stokes for a close-range piledriver which was blocked. Bellamy then got the goal his persistent play deserved, following up his own shot after a good save by Crowther to tuck in from close range.
Bellamy was substituted immediately to be replaced by Zavon Hines before Zamora made way for Jack Jeffery five minutes later. Spector lasted 73 minutes before also going off for a well-earned rest. Wright then did brilliantly from close range to deny QPR with three quickfire stops from close-range, the first being the pick of the bunch as he got down low to a well-placed header.
Another long-range effort then had Wright on his toes but again he saved well as both sides made a number of changes in the closing stages. Jeffery had a chance to score from the spot three minutes from time after being fouled, but missed with Boa Morte just unable to steer the rebound on target having done well to be first to the ball. West Ham


QPR OFFICIAL SITE - BIG GUNS DOWN R'S
QPR Reserves lost 2-1 to an experienced West Ham United side in a behind closed doors friendly at Upton Park this afternoon (Monday).
Premiership hot-shots Bobby Zamora and Craig Bellamy were each on the scoresheet for the Hammers, against a Rangers side which featured just two First Team squad regulars, in the shape of Adam Bolder and Angelo Balanta.
Under-18 striker Antonio German gave the young R's a second minute lead, when he lashed in an unstoppable 30-yard effort that gave Hammers custodian Richard Wright absolutely no chance.
The lead lasted just a matter of minutes though, as Bellamy and Zamora combined for the latter to tap home unmarked from 12-yards.
West Ham, who also included summer signings Nolberto Solano and Julian Faubert, as well as First Team regulars Jonathan Spector and Luis Boa Morte, went in front on the hour, when Bellamy slotted home at the second attempt following a fine save by Reece Crowther.
Undeterred, Rangers continued to plug away and Wright did brilliantly to deny the visitors with three quick-fire saves from close range.
The Hammers had the opportunity to make it three late on, but Jack Jeffrey saw his penalty saved by Crowther, after Balanta was adjudged to have felled the spot-kick taker. QPR

Also: Knees Up Mother Brown Site - Hammers grab narrow win
Craig Bellamy and Bobby Zamora were both on target for a West Ham XI against QPR at The Boleyn Ground this afternoon.... Report

QPR Chairman Paladini Rubbishes De Canio Leaving Report

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This is London - Paladini: De Canio is staying
QPR chairman Gianni Paladini today quashed rumours manager Luigi De Canio could be sacked.
De Canio attended his father's funeral in Italy this morning after missing Saturday's 3-0 win over Bristol City but Paladini described reports the Italian had met with Napoli to discuss the manager's job as "absolute rubbish".
He said: "Luigi has a contract here and we are very happy with him. He is flying back to London tonight and will resume training tomorrow." Mail

QPR OFFICIAL SITE - DE CANIO UPDATE
R's First Team Coach Luigi De Canio is set to return to London tonight (Monday).
De Canio missed Saturday's 3-0 victory against Championship high-fliers Bristol City owing to a family bereavement, but he is flying back to England this evening and will take charge of training tomorrow morning QPR

Board Changes at Loftus Road

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QPR Official Site
EXCLUSIVE: BOARDROOM CHANGES
The Club are delighted to announce Mr Flavio Briatore as Chairman of QPR Holdings Limited.
Mr Briatore, who alongside Mr Bernie Ecclestone and Mr Lakshmi Mittal completed a takeover of Queens Park Rangers Football Club in November, was appointed following a Board meeting last week.
Mr Amit Bhatia, who is acting on behalf of Mr Mittal, has been appointed Vice Chairman of QPR Holdings Limited, while Mr Gianni Paladini remains Chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club.
The new senior staffing structure is as follows:
QPR Holdings Limited Chairman - Flavio Briatore
QPR Holdings Limited Vice-Chairman - Amit Bhatia
QPR FC Chairman - Gianni Paladini
Managing Director - Alejandro Agag
Deputy Managing Director - Ali Russell
Financial Controller - Gavin Taylor
*The Club will be making no further comment. QPR

BBC - Briatore is QPR Holdings chairman
Flavio Briatore has taken over as chairman of Queens Park Rangers' holding company, QPR Holdings Ltd.
The Italian replaces Alejandro Agag, whose title has been changed to managing director.
Briatore owns Rangers along with Bernie Ecclestone and steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, whose son-in-law, Amit Bhatia, is now QPR Holdings' vice-chairman.
Gianni Paladini remains as the club chairman and will continue to advise the board on football matters.
Ali Russell recently left Hearts to take up the role of deputy managing director at Loftus Road.
He will work under Agag and is responsible for off-the-pitch matters.
Formula One magnates Briatore and Ecclestone agreed a deal to buy QPR last September.
Mittal - the world's fifth richest man - later purchased a 20% stake in the west London club. BBC


Updated Staff Directory - Directory

Agyemang Makes Championship "Team of The Week"

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Official site beat QPR Report with the news! Congratulations to our new forward

QPR Official Site
PAT'LL DO NICELY!
R's front-man Patrick Agyemang has been named in the Football League's Championship Team of the Week.
The in-form striker took his goal tally to five in just four outings with a brace against high-flying Bristol City on Saturday.
The former Preston North End man - currently enjoying the richest goalscoring form of his career - opened the scoring in the 18th minute, before doubling his and the hosts' tally with a close range finish just after the half hour.
Produced by the Press Association, the Teams of the Week feature the eleven top performing players from each division from this weekend's matches. QPR

Also: Complete Championship Team of the Week

In League Two, Team of the Week, Ex-QPR Tommy Doherty made the team - as did the replacement for almost QPR-signing Ricketts, Bradford's loan goalie, Scott Roach. - Team

Update: De Canio Returning....Pickens?.....No QPR in "Player of Month"...West Ham.. ...Rose off on Work Experience

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QPR OFFICIAL SITE - DE CANIO UPDATE
R's First Team Coach Luigi De Canio is set to return to London tonight (Monday).
De Canio missed Saturday's 3-0 victory against Championship high-fliers Bristol City owing to a family bereavement, but he is flying back to England this evening and will take charge of training tomorrow morning QPR

BBC - QPR coach De Canio due to return
QPR coach Luigi De Canio is due to return to work on Monday afternoon following the death of his father.
De Canio flew back to his native Italy on Saturday and missed his side's 3-0 win over Bristol City.
Meanwhile, Rangers have turned their attention to American Matt Pickens, 25, in their search for a goalkeeper to act as back-up for Lee Camp.
Pickens's contract with Chicago Fire has expired and he has been offered the chance to move to Loftus Road. BBC

West Ham closed door friendly/practice match tonight - Report

No player of the Month Shortlist for any QPR - or ex-QPR - players

Football League - PLAYER OF THE MONTH NOMINATIONS
The Powerade Player of the Month nominations for January are as follows:
Championship
Zheng Zhi - Midfielder (Charlton Athletic)
Joe Ledley - Midfielder (Cardiff City)
Robbie Blake - Striker (Burnley)
Dion Dublin - Striker (Norwich City)

League 1
Guillem Bauza - Striker (Swansea City)
Edrissa Sonko - Midfielder (Walsall)
Steven Gillespie - Striker (Cheltenham Town)
Danny Coles - Defender (Bristol Rovers)

League 2
Anthony Elding - Striker (Stockport County)
Danny North - Striker (Grimsby Town)
Glenn Poole - Striker (Brentford)
Tommy Wright - Striker (Darlington)

The winners of the awards will be announced on Monday, 5th February at approximately 18:45 on the Big League Weekend 2 on Sky Sports 1. Football League


QPR Official Site - ROSE ON WORK EXPERIENCE
Under-18 hot-shot Romone Rose has joined AFC Wimbledon for a period of work experience
Rose, who has impressed at both Under-18 and Reserve team level this season, will still be available to feature for the R's second string as part of the arrangement with the Ryman Premier Division outfit.
"It will provide great experience for him," Youth Team Manager Steve Brown told www.qpr.co.uk.
"He has done very well playing for the Under-18's, but he needs to play at a higher level now, and this will enable him to do that.
"The Under-18's is too easy for him, and we've already seen that he can do well at Reserve level. Now we want to see how he copes playing in the Ryman Premier Division.
"Romone will still be available to play in Reserve matches for QPR but ultimately it will be more beneficial for him to stay at AFC Wimbledon when they have a mid-week fixture at the same time.
"Romone has got all the attributes needed to succeed as a professional footballer - what we want from him now is for him to really kick on and progress.
"It's a great opportunity for him. It will really help him to develop his game, and I'm sure he will cope with the step up." QPR

US Goalkeeper Supposedly Joins QPR

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QPR have supposedly signed 25 year old MLS US goalie, Matt Pickens. He was trialing with Norwich and Preston.

Chicago Tribune Blog - Pickens joins Queens Park Rangers
Matt Pickens has signed with Queens Park Rangers of the Championship, according to a source with the Fire. Pickens was out of contract with the Fire and spent the last few weeks in England on trial with different clubs.
With Pickens gone, the remaining goalkeepers on the Fire roster are Jon Busch and Nick Noble. The Fire recently drafted Tulsa goalkeeper Dominic Cervi with the No. 12 pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, though he has yet to sign with the team. Report

Chicago Fire Official Site - Matt Pickens Profile MLS Experience ....
International
Invited by former Fire head coach and U.S. MNT Interim Head Coach Bob Bradley to participate in his first national team training camp during January and February 2007 in advance of international friendlies against Denmark (Jan. 20) and Mexico (Feb. 7).... Complete Profile

Also: Wikipedia/Pickens Profile

Also: Recent Q&A with Matt Pickens

Rowan Vine On QPR, Briatore's Involvement and Playing in the Premiership

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INDEPENDENT/Amar Azam
Queen's Park Rangers 3 Bristol City 0: Briatore's hands-on role at QPR sets the standard for Gillett and Hick

Flavio Briatore, head of the Renault Formula One team, thrust his fists triumphantly into the air as the Queen's Park Rangers' midfielder Akos Buzsaky scored the last goal. At the final whistle and from his position in the directors' box, Briatore, a shareholder in the west London club, gave QPR's victorious players the "thumbs-up" as they came off the pitch below him after this confident and comprehensive win over high-flying Bristol City.
Two goals from Ghanaian striker Patrick Agyemang and a fine strike from the Hungarian Buzsaky, ensured victory for the team managed by the Italian Luigi de Canio.
With the Formula One season almost upon us, this is likely to be one of the last occasions we see Briatore at Loftus Road. But with nine signings in the January transfer window, funded by cash pumped into the club by himself, among others, the Italian is unlikely to be discussing discontent and unrest amongst supporters when he next meets fellow shareholders Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One ringmaster, and steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.
All seems well at the club dubbed "the richest in the world". Messrs Gillett and Hicks, take note.
"Flav is here quite a lot and makes the games," said the QPR striker Rowan Vine, who played a prominent role. "He is fairly hands-on and comes into the changing rooms to wish us luck before games. I am not sure if he is a massive football fan. But he came in after the game too, to say congratulations."
QPR's first goal came on 18 minutes. Vine controlled a lofted ball on his chest before playing a clever pass into the path of Agyemang, who raced through before scoring low under Adriano Basso. Agyemang added a second, a tap-in, on 33 minutes to rock Bristol City.
The half-time words of the manager, Gary Johnson, did little to stem the tide and it was Buzsaky who sealed the win in the second half with a stunning shot from outside the penalty area. It left Johnson, whose side dropped to third in the division, in reflective mood. "We come back from adversity so well at the club because it means so much to us," he said.
Given QPR's uneven start to the season, a burst for the Championship play-offs may seem a little too much to ask. Vine added: "We need to go on a big run if we want to get into the play-offs. This isn't like the Premier League where it is not really possible. But it is still a massive ask for us."
....Man of the match: Vine Independent

Mail/Arindam Rej - Heat is on us, says Bristol City's Basso
QPR 3 Bristol City 0
Bristol City are struggling to cope with the pressure of being in the hunt for automatic promotion, according to their goalkeeper Adriano Basso.
City dropped out of the top two after being deservedly thrashed by a QPR side still not out of relegation danger despite their exceptional resources.
"Of course we feel more pressure," said Brazilian Basso, who wants City to recover from this defeat in the way they did when Ipswich mauled them 6-0.
"Nothing changes in your team when you lose a game. If you lose 1-0 or 6-0, it is the same thing. The only thing that matters is your reaction after it.
"After the Ipswich game, when we lost badly, it made us stronger to face the challenge of the next games and we did very well and stayed at the top. We have our focus now too."
After the humiliation at Portman Road in November, City dug out draws at Hull and Plymouth and defeated Watford in their next three games on the road.
But since the Vicarage Road triumph on December 1, Gary Johnson's team have taken four points from five away games, while scoring three and conceding 10.
Things started going wrong here when Rowan Vine set up Patrick Agyemang with an incisive pass and the former Preston striker drove home the ball in the 18th minute.
After half an hour, there was a break in play because of an injury and Johnson was seen gathering his players round.
He pointed a finger at many of them while bellowing his thoughts.
That did not help, though, because City were further behind within three minutes.
Agyemang reacted first to Akos Buzsaky's blocked shot to grab his second of the game. Buzsaky completed the scoring after 63 minutes with a powerful, long-range effort.
Johnson said: "It does hurt and the coach is quiet on the way home after these sorts of defeats because it hurts the players as well. But I think that's why we've come back so well from adversity at our club because it does mean something to us.
"We mustn't dwell on it for too long. We have a big game against Southampton next week."
In-form Vine is already eyeing a return to the Barclays Premier League with QPR, which would be his third crack at the top flight. He said: "I've had a couple of knockbacks. When I was at Portsmouth I never had a chance to make an appearance and the same thing happened at Birmingham.
"Every time you get close to a chance and it doesn't happen then it makes you hungrier. But I think I'm at the right place now." Mail

The Times/Alyson Rudd - Patrick Agyemang double finishes City
Gary Johnson, the Bristol City manager, said that with 16 matches left, teams such as Queens Park Rangers posed a threat to clubs at the top of the table. QPR are eighteenth; was Johnson being polite? Hardly. His team were outplayed. The West London club may be 15 points behind City, but in this division that barely means a thing.
Rangers are a revamped side but performed as if every player had attended the same academy. Patrick Agyemang, signed from Preston North End last month, harassed the visiting team and scored twice. However, he failed to make it into the Ghana squad for the African Cup of Nations.
“They’ll probably be thinking they have made the wrong decision now because he’s on fire goalscoring-wise,” Rowan Vine, Agyemang’s strike partner, who set up his first goal, said. Akos Buzsaky’s volley sealed the win, leaving Johnson perplexed. “When they left the dressing-room they were like lions but in the game they were like little pussycats,” he said.
Possibly his players had examined the league standings and decided that they were superior. Certainly in their previous outing, away to Cardiff City, QPR had not resembled a team who could summon such composure. Joe Dunbar, who found out at noon that he was stand-in manager as Luigi De Canio, the first-team coach, received news of his father’s death, said that “anyone can beat anyone” - the trick now for QPR is to believe that they can avoid the pussycat role and beat more teams.
“They’ve virtually had a complete turnaround here,” Vine said. “And the boys here now know that we’ve got a squad that everyone’s happy with.” The Times

MIRROR/Ann Gripper Vine still has Lofty dreams - ROWAN WANTS SHOT AT BIG TIME
Rowan Vine still harbours Premier League ambitions - and he reckons QPR will be the right place to fulfil them.
After moving to Birmingham from Luton last January for £2.5million, Vine played a part in the Blues' successful promotion campaign but did not make a top flight start.
He was quickly loaned out to QPR and the move was made permanent last month for £1m after the cash injection from new Loftus Road owners Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore.
Rangers are a club on the up and the arrival of Patrick Agyemang from Preston has given them a real cutting edge. He boasts five goals in four games after a brace on Saturday, the first set up by striker Vine.
A stunning strike from Akos Buzsaky added the gloss to this rampant win over a badly off-colour City.

New striker Dele Adebola saw two shots come back off the woodwork in quick succession late on but otherwise they posed no danger to the home side.

At present it is the Robins who are better poised to break into the top flight, but former Portsmouth trainee Vine hopes Rangers can be the club to finally satisfy his hunger for the big time.

He said: "Birmingham was another knockback. I've had a couple. When I was at Portsmouth I never had a chance to make an appearance and the same happened at Birmingham.

"But I'm only 25 so it's not like my chances are fading, I still regard myself as young.

"Every time you get close to a chance and it doesn't happen then it makes you hungrier. But I think I'm at the right place now.

"I think we've got all the qualities to push for promotion but it takes a lot from the start of the season.

"I'm not saying we can't go on a run but from now on in it's the pressure of picking up points every week. We've seen Palace do it, and even Hull are right up there now - it just shows you what this league is like.

"It's not like the Premier League where you can't go from the bottom to the top.

"You don't need to talk about going on a run, you need to go out there and do it. We know it can happen. It's still a massive ask though."

City have been in the promotion shake-up all season but manager Gary Johnson is wary of his team being overhauled by a late run from the likes of Rangers, Southampton or Sheffield United.

And keeper Adriano Basso admits the Robins are feeling the pressure of being among the Championship pacesetters. He said: "Of course we feel more pressure.

"But nothing changes in your team when you lose a game, the only thing that matters is your reaction after it.

"After the Ipswich game, when we lost badly, it made us stronger to face the challenge of the next games and we did very well and stayed at the top. We must keep believing in ourselves."

Rangers are unsure when boss Luigi De Canio will return to Loftus Road following the death of his father.

De Canio dashed back to Italy to be with his family on Saturday morning and stand-in manager Joe Dunbar, said: "Luigi will take as long as it takes and as long as he needs.

"First and foremost our thoughts are with him and I was proud of the players, they put on a very professional performance.

"Luigi left at noon and he had already told me the starting XI he wanted to play. I wasn't QPR's manager today, I was just filling a gap and I had very little to do."

Mirror

QPR vs West Ham "Friendly"

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UPDATED DETAILS

Presumably just a closed-door training match.

West Ham Official Site
Bellamy back, duo to follow - Alan Curbishley is looking to give valuable playing time to Julien Faubert and Bobby Zamora on Monday
Alan Curbishley is looking to a specially arranged game on Monday to get vital minutes for Julien Faubert and Bobby Zamora.
With Bellamy getting a second-half appearance in the 1-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic on Saturday after three months out with an abdominal problem, the manager is also close to having Faubert and Zamora in contention. Faubert has missed the last two fixtures with a calf strain picked up after the exertions of coming back last month from a six-month lay-off while Zamora has not figured since 28 August because of a knee injury.
Curbishley said: "We have got an arranged friendly against QPR on Monday. We are hopeful we will get that out of the way and that we are much further forward."....
"I just want Bellamy and Faubert to get through this week and if Zamora can also do that, then he'll be that little bit nearer too," the manager continued, mindful that Birmingham City arrive at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday....
West Ham

Soccernet
"..."We've arranged a friendly on Monday (with QPR) in which we want him, (Bobby) Zamora and (Julien) Faubert to play," said [West Ham Manager Alan] Curbishley.
"So hopefully we'll get that out of the way and they'll be much further forward in their fitness.
"I keep playing players when they're not 100%, and the one chance he (Bellamy) had he might have taken if he had been 100%." Soccernet

Ex-QPR Snippets - Parrett, Baidoo, Gallen, Walton, Cook, Peacock and Others

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Dean Parrett (who left QPR a year ago) came on as a second half sub for England U-17s and scored England's third goal in their 3-0 win against Denmark in the Algarve Tournament.Report

Shabbaz Baidoo came on as sub for Dagenham (with Tony Roberts back in goal) who lost 0-1 a home to Stockport - Report

Kieron St Aimie came on for Barnet who lost 0-1 at home to Morecambe - Report

Marcus Bignot stayed on the Bench as Millwall lost 0-3 at home to Doncaster - Report

Kevin Gallen came on as sub and scored MK Dons' fifth goal at Bury - Report

Gillingham with Simon Royce and Miller starting; Dennis Oli coming on and Leroy Griffiths staying on the bench drew 0-0 vs Cheltenham - Report

Yeovil with Forbes, Rose and Bircham still managed to lose 0-2 at home to Huddersfield - Report

Pat Kanyuka was injured and missed Swindon's 1-1 draw at home to Northampton- Report

Simon Walton [currently on loan either for one month or for six months, depending on whether the QPR or Hull site is the more accurate, played the whole 90 minutes for Hull who won 1-0 at Plymouth - Report

No Lee Cook in the Charlton 16 against Scunthorpe - Report

Wycombe with Tommy Doherty won 2-0 at Acsrington, including goal from ex-loan, Leon Knight - Report

Ian Holloway's Leicester lost 2-1 at Ian Evatt's Blackpool - Report

Danny Nardiello played the first hour in Barnsley's 0-4 loss to Ian Dowie's Coventry. Report

Jamie Cureton came on as sub (didn't score) for Glen Roeder's Norwich who won 1-0 against Preston - Report

Mick Harford/Warren Neil/Paul Furlong's Luton lost 0-4 at Hartlepool - Report

Former QPR defender, Darren Peacock Turns 40 -
Born February 3, 1968. Signed by Don Howe/Bobby Gould from Hereford in December 1990 for 200,000 pounds. Sold to Newcastle by Gerry Francis (Richard Thompson!)in March 1994 for £2,700,000. Career

Almost-QPR Donovan Ricketts on the bench for Bradford, reacts well - Report

QPR's Bristol City Victory - Further Match Reports

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Sunday Times/Paul Rowan - QPR hit rich streak against Bristol City
Queens Park Rangers produced their most impressive display of the season in comfortably outplaying Bristol City, who never looked like taking their chance to go to the top of the Championship.
It was especially impressive as QPR manager Luigi De Canio was absent after learning of the death of his father. It was two of De Canio’s captures who got the goals. Patrick Agyemang scored twice in the first half before Akos Buzsaky put QPR out of sight with the third goal.
Lambasted for playing like a bunch of strangers during their 3-1 defeat to Cardiff City on Tuesday night, the nouveaux riches of West London clearly looked stung by the criticism and by half-time Bristol City’s aspirations of attaining their highest league position in 28 years looked in tatters.
“After such an abysmal performance on Tuesday it was very nice to come out here and be positive from the start,” said QPR’s performance manager, Joe Dunbar, who was standing in for De Canio. “It’s been a tough day for the club but I’m proud of the players. Once the whistle went they were very professional in the manner in which they went about their task.”
Agyemang, one of nine new signings in the January transfer window, had already scored three times for his new club going into the match and he had added two more inside the first 26 minutes. City appeared to have drawn the sting out of QPR’s early onslaught before a delightful piece of skill from Rowan Vine created the opener.
Vine, presented with an awkward ball that arrived on his chest, controlled the ball instantly with his back to goal and flicked a pass through to Agyemang, whose storming run into the penalty area took him free of the covering defence. He easily beat Adriano Basso with a firm low shot across goal.
Vine and Buzsaky were a constant threat with their inventiveness and every time QPR pressed forward they appeared capable of getting the better of City’s rattled defence. Unsurprisingly, QPR soon added a second. Agyemang played the ball out to Buzsaky on the right edge of the penalty area and his shot was deflected back into the path of Agyemang, who poked the ball home.
City’s spending in the January transfer window was more modest than their hosts – a point they weren’t slow to make in the run-up to this game – but they did give a debut to centre-for-ward Dele Adebola, a new signing from Coventry City. The rest of his teammates hadn’t seemed to have noticed him in the first half. Clearly given a stern talking to by Gary Johnson at the break, City began using Adebola as their target man and his size and strength caused some problems for Zesh Rehman in the QPR defence. However the classy right back Michael Mancienne, on loan from Chelsea, and Damion Stewart were able to mop up most of the loose ball.
City’s challenge was effectively ended by a spectacular goal from Buzsaky. Agyemang flicked the ball to the forward and before anybody could blink – Basso most importantly – he had thumped a spectacular shot into the corner of the net from 22 yards.
“We got what we deserved,” said Bristol City manager Johnson. “But we’ve recovered before and we will recover again.” QPR may yet join the pack trying to hunt them down. Star man: Akos Buzsaky (QPR) ..
Sunday Times

Sunday Mirror/Mike Allen - Football: PAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT, HOOPS
QPR 3 Agyemang 18, 33, Buzsaky 63 BRISTOL CITY 0
Patrick Agyemang stunned Bristol City with a first-half double that made a mockery of the visitors' Premier League ambitions.
Agyemang took his tally to five goals since his £350,000 arrival at QPR from Preston, and his team's climb up the table under Luigi De Canio was completed by a brilliantly executed Akos Buzsaky goal.
De Canio did not see his side's most convincing win of the season, having returned to Italy following the death of his father, but Performance Manager Joe Dunbar said: "After such an abysmal performance at Cardiff in midweek it was great to come back and set the record straight."
Dunbar only discovered he would be in charge at 12.45pm yesterday and added: "The preparation was virtually all done. I was just happy to sit back, watch the players - and then take the credit!"
City could have gone top with the right combination of results, but the prospect seemed to paralyse them and manager Gary Johnson admitted: "We started off poor and never got any better. The boys have recovered before and we will recover again."
City gave QPR far too much space and when Rowan Vine's beautiful touch sent Agyemang clear of the defence, he finished with confidence. Since arriving the striker has now scored in each of his four starts and he simply muscled the City defenders off the ball.
Vine shot just wide after once again taking advantage of City's hesitancy in defence, and it was no surprise when Rangers added a second.
Agyemang laid a ball square to Buzsaky and his optimistic shot through a crowded area was deflected into the path of Agyemang, who tapped home.
Bradley Orr, who had earlier hit his own bar with a clearance, shot just wide after a neat bit of skill, and City made their physical presence known to Rangers keeper Lee Camp when they won a couple of corners.
The match was finally put beyond their reach just after the hour by Buzsaky's spectacular 18-yard effort following Agyemang's lay-off.
Dele Adebola was desperately unlucky not to mark his City debut with a goal, but instead his shot hit the inside of the post and although it rebounded to him Camp recovered to save the follow-up with the legs. It was that sort of day for City.
HOW THEY RATED
QPR
Camp 7; Mancienne 7, Stewart 7, Rehman 7 (Connolly 6), Delaney 7; Buzsaky 8, Rowlands 7, Mahon 8, Ephraim 7 (Lee 6); Vine 8 (Leigertwood 6), AGYEMANG 8.
Manager Dunbar 8
BRISTOL CITY
Basso 5; Orr 5, McCombe 5, Vasko 5 (Fontaine 5), McAllister 5; Carle 5 (Sproule 5), McIndoe 5, Johnson 5 (Noble 5), Elliott 5; Byfield 5, Adebola 5.
Manager Johnson 5
Referee D Deadman 7
MAN OF THE MATCH - PATRICK AGYEMANG Strength and a cool head were a lethal combination. Sunday Mirror


SUNDAY PEOPLE/Ann Gripper Rangers on the up with Patrick
Patrick Agyemang made it five goals in four games with Rangers as upwardly-mobile QPR demolished high-flying Bristol City.
The Londoners were only three points above the drop zone at the start of the game, while City were denied top spot by goal difference - but on this performance you would have thought their positions were reversed.
Manager Luigi de Canio was absent after a family bereavement but the fans still sang his name, and Rangers' multi-millionaire owners could be playing with fire if they sack him for talking to Lazio.
Agyemang put Rangers in front on 18 minutes by coolly rolling the ball beyond the reach of Adriano Basso after Rowan Vine's set up.
City were being overrun and Gary Johnson took advantage of a break in play for treatment to Lee Camp to let rip at his players from the touchline.
It made little difference and Agyemang struck again after 33 minutes when Akos Buzsaky's shot was deflected into his path. Then a brilliant 62nd minute volley from the Hungarian sealed it.
Frustrated City boss Johnson said: "It was an appalling performance. We are where we are because we're a decent team, but today we didn't show that."
Rangers performance director Joe Dunbar, thrust into the hotseat at midday after de Canio heard of his father's death, said: "I was happy to watch the 3-0 win and take the credit."
QPr: Camp 7 - Mancienne 7, Stewart 7, Rehman 7 (Connolly, 74mins), Delaney 7 - Buzsaky 8, Rowlands 8, Mahon 7, Ephraim 7 (Lee, 74 mins) - *AGYEMANG 9, Vine 8 (Leigertwood, 88mins).
Bristol City: Basso 6 - Orr 5, Vasko 5 (Fontaine, 45mins, 6), McCombe 5, McAllister 4; *CARLE 6, Johnson 5 (Noble, 79mins), Elliott 5, McIndoe 6 - Byfield 5, Adebola 5. Ref: Darren Deadman 6 - Sunday People

Independent - Photo/Congratulations

Also: Earlier QPR vs Bristol City Match Reports and Comments "QPR Crush Bristol City"

"De Canio Faces QPR Boot" - Allegedly Held Talks With Italian Club

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The People says De Canio held talks with Napoli. A 'snippet' in the sister newspaper, The Sunday Mirror, says he held talks with Lazio.

UPDATE from the BBC
BBC - QPR unsure over De Canio return
It is not known when QPR coach Luigi De Canio will return to the club following the death of his father.
De Canio missed his side's 3-0 win over Bristol City to fly back to Italy, and was replaced in the dugout by performance manager Joe Dunbar.
"Luigi will take as long as it takes and as long as he needs," said Dunbar.
"First and foremost our thoughts are with him and I was proud of the players, they put on a very professional performance."
Dunbar added: "Luigi left at noon and he had already told me the starting XI he wanted to play. "I wasn't QPR's manager today, I was just filling a gap and I had very little to do." BBC



The People/Tom Hopkinson - DE CANIO FACES QPR BOOT
Qpr manager Luigi De Canio faces being sacked after club officials found out he held talks with Napoli about becoming their boss.
De Canio only took over at Loftus Road in October after John Gregory was sacked.
But reports suggest the Italian has struggled to adapt to life in England and that the language barrier is proving difficult. Now he has landed himself in hot water after Rangers chiefs found out he had spoken to the club in his homeland.
The Hoops were without a fixture last weekend and De Canio returned to Italy for a few days. During his trip, he spoke with Napoli, and QPR co-owners Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore blew their tops when they learned of the meeting.
De Canio then asked for permission to return to Italy during the week, but the club refused. De Canio was absent for yesterday's game against Bristol City after he returned to Italy for a family funeral." The People

Meanwhile in The People Match Report:
".......Manager Luigi de Canio was absent after a family bereavement but the fans still sang his name, and Rangers' multi-millionaire owners could be playing with fire if they sack him for talking to Lazio..." The People

QPR Crush Bristol City and Move to Nine Points of Playoff Spot - Reports and Comments

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League Table

Updated: Post-Match Comments

QPR OFFICIAL SITE

PROFESSIONAL DISPLAY
Posted on: Sat 02 Feb 2008

Performance Manager Joe Dunbar was full of praise for the players after witnessing them comfortably overcome high-flying Bristol City 3-0.

Dunbar took charge of First Team affairs after Luigi De Canio was forced to return to Italy following a family bereavement, and he told www.qpr.co.uk: "It has been a difficult day, and when something like this happens it shows you that there is more to life than football.
"Luigi has returned to Italy, and our thoughts are with him and his family, first and foremost.
"The team was already picked, he told me who he wanted to start and how he wanted them to play.
"We don't know how long he will be away for, it will be as long as he needs."
A brace from Patrick Agyemang and a stunning Akos Buzsaky strike sealed the triumph, and Dunbar added: "The way the players responded when that opening whistle went was fantastic. They got on with their jobs and did the Club proud.
"Performance-wise, we were quite pleased. We were strong from the off.
"The thing about this division is that anyone can beat anyone. We've shown that today.
"It was nice to see the lads start so positively after Tuesday's poor performance. This match gave us a quick opportunity to set the record straight, and we didn't waste it.
"I think we have turned a corner in recent weeks but, let's be blunt, we are in a fortunate position as we have had significant investment.
"Cardiff was poor, but we can't change what happened there. We're over that now, and I'd much rather look forward because there's an exciting future for this Football Club." QPR

SPORTING LIFE - QPR UNSURE OF DE CANIO'S RETURN
QPR are unsure when boss Luigi De Canio will return to Loftus Road following the death of his father.
De Canio dashed back to Italy to be with his family on the morning of Rangers' 3-0 victory over Bristol City and his stand-in, performance manager Joe Dunbar, said: "Luigi will take as long as it takes and as long as he needs.
"First and foremost our thoughts are with him and I was proud of the players, they put on a very professional performance.
"Luigi left at noon and he had already told me the starting XI he wanted to play. I wasn't QPR's manager today, I was just filling a gap and I had very little to do."
Patrick Agyemang continued his superb form since joining Rangers at the beginning of January, scoring twice in the first half to set up his side's impressive victory.
His first strike saw Rowan Vine split the Robins defence with an inch-perfect through ball and Agyemang coolly rolled his shot past Adriano Basso and into the bottom corner.
Akos Buszaky made number two, collecting the ball on the edge of the area and crossing for Agyemang to slot home from close range for his fifth in four Coca-Cola Championship games for the R's.
City only managed shots from Jamie McAllister and Nick Carle in response before Buszaky sealed the home side's victory with a ferocious volley.
New striker Dele Adebola saw two shots come back off the woodwork in quick succession as promotion-chasing City at last threatened a comeback but that was the nearest they came to a reply.
"We were all quite pleased with the performance," Dunbar added. "We played very well from the off.
"There were long periods when City didn't get the ball and I don't think we dropped our tempo even when we were 3-0 up.
"The thing about this division is anyone can beat anyone and we have showed that today. After such an abysmal performance in our defeat at Cardiff in midweek, it was nice to come here and be very positive from the start - hopefully we can go on a good run now."
City boss Gary Johnson was left to rue his side's woeful display and admitted: "It was a very poor performance.
"We started off poorly and got progressively worse. We were second best and that is why we got beaten so comprehensively.
"The boys tried hard but our quality was poor and we got what we deserved."
But City will remain among the pacesetters at the top of the Championship and Johnson is still confident about their promotion hopes.
He added: "There were not a lot of positives from the day but we must try to forget about it and move on.
"We have recovered from setbacks before and we will again. We mustn't dwell on it for too long, we have a big game against Southampton next week." Sporting Life

BRISTOL CITY OFFICIAL SITE - WE WERE SECOND BEST - GARY
Gary Johnson admitted his side had been very much second best as they slipped to a 3-0 defeat at QPR.
The City manager saw a first-half brace from Patrick Agyemang and a 63rd minute screamer from Akos Buzsaky comdemn his charges to another defeat on the road.
And afterwards he told Bristol City World: "Not a lot went right. We were definitely second best.
"We didn't turn up early enough, we didn't make our tackles and eleven individuals started very poorly.
"We never really got into the game because of individuals on the day playing badly. All we can hope is that they don't play that poorly again as a team of individuals.
"We were a little bit all over the place and if you start like that, it's likely to be a bad day. It began like that and didn't really get any better.
"That got in too many times and their movement up front left us with a mountain to climb really.
"It's a good day for the doom and gloom merchants and they'll come up with some things. We need to get back to the training ground and work on some things to come out stronger next time."
Lee Trundle was absent due to an abcess in his mouth, allowing Dele Adebola the chance to make his debut up front.
Gary added: "I've told Dele that we're not as bad as he's seen today.
"He hit the post and it was one of those days because even the rebound was saved.
"It wasn't a day where he was going to win it on his own. It was a new team for him and he needed his team-mates to perform."
City hope to have Louis Carey available again for their next match at home to Sheffield Wednesday. Bristol City


SPORTING LIFE - QPR 3 Bristol City 0
QPR cantered to a comfortable win over high-flying Bristol City as they took another step away from the Championship relegation zone.
Patrick Agyemang scored twice and Akos Buzsaky hammered home a stunning long-range effort as Rangers completely outplayed an off-colour City.
Robins boss Gary Johnson made just one change to the side that beat Blackpool 1-0 in midweek, with Dele Adebola coming in up front for a debut in place of Lee Trundle.
QPR, who had performance manager Joe Dunbar in charge with first-team coach Luigi De Canio absent due to a family bereavement, made three changes after the midweek loss to Cardiff, drafting in Zesh Rehman, Michael Mancienne and Hogan Ephraim.
The home side had the better of the opening stages and forced three corners in quick succession which were easily cleared by the City backline.
But it was not long before they had the lead as the attacking duo of Rowan Vine and Agyemang combined to score the opener after 18 minutes.
The two January signings exchanged passes to set Agyemang free and he slotted home from 12 yards to register his third goal since joining from Preston.
And he was to get his fourth 15 minutes later as Rangers enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure.
QPR had been all over City since taking the lead and when top scorer Buzsaky's shot was deflected into Agyemang's path he made no mistake from close range.
It was impossible to tell that it was Bristol City aiming for promotion and Rangers fighting relegation as the home side continued to dominate the closing stages of the half and Agyemang could have had a hat-trick but he put a shot wide from 12 yards.
City had a good chance to get themselves back into it early in the second half as January signing Nick Carle supplied a cross to the back post.
Jamie McCombe rose highest and should have scored but he could only put his header wide.
McCombe was then called into action at the other end as he blocked a shot from Vine before Adebola saw his first action of note as a City player as he was booked for a foul on Damien Delaney.
The second half had been a lacklustre affair but it was brought to life by something special from Buzsaky in the 63rd minute as the midfielder notched his seventh goal for Rangers in spectacular style.
The Hungarian moved down the right and played the ball to Agyemang who chested it back into his path for him to rifle a sweet shot home from 25 yards and end the match as a contest.
But City were not ready to give up yet and Lee Johnson saw an impressive free-kick from the edge of the box tipped over the bar by Lee Camp.
Ivan Sproule was brought on by Johnson to try to supply his side with an attacking edge and it nearly paid dividends as he hit the post with a shot from 20 yards, but it all proved too little, too late. Sporting Life

QPR Official Site - QPR 3 Bristol City 0
Rangers bounced back in emphatic fashion against high-flying Bristol City, as Patrick Agyemang's scintillating form continued with a deadly double.

The former Preston North End front-man - currently enjoying the richest goalscoring form of his career - bagged a first half brace, before Akos Buzsaky put the icing on the cake for the hosts with yet another stunning contender for goal of the season.

The 3-0 victory - Rangers' fourth win in a row at Loftus Road - put the ghost of the R's display at Ninian Park firmly to rest, as Championship front-runners Bristol City were out-classed and out-fought in every department.

The Rangers starting XI showed three changes to the side that lost 3-1 to Cardiff City four days earlier, with Michael Mancienne, Zesh Rehman and Hogan Ephraim all returning.

Fitz Hall missed out owing to a groin injury, while Matthew Connolly and Mikele Leigertwood dropped to the bench.

Visiting boss Gary Johnson handed new signing Dele Adebola his Robins debut following his transfer from Coventry City.

On a freezing afternoon in West London, Rangers started the brighter, with Martin Rowlands seeing his first minute effort deflected wide by the outstretched leg of Jamie McAllister.

Three corner kicks followed in quick succession for the R's, as Rowan Vine - playing in his favoured front role alongside free-scoring Agyemang- thrashed a fearsome strike across goal, which just evaded Damion Stewart.

Agyemang's pace and power was causing City all sorts of problems at the back and when the in-form front-man robbed McAllister and pulled the ball back for Buzsaky, Adriano Basso dived low to his right to easily save the midfielder's weak 12-yard effort.

At the other end, McAllister nearly atoned for his earlier error, thrashing a speculative 25-yard half-volley a yard over the crossbar.

But it was the R's who deservedly opened the scoring in the 18th minute, when Agyemang enhanced his ever-growing reputation with a sublime finish.

Strike-partner Vine provided the assist, threading a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of the prolific front-man, who took one touch to set himself before firing a precise right footed drive in off the far post.

Provider nearly turned goalscorer eight minutes later, as Vine played a fortuitous one-two off a City defender, before drilling a left foot strike inches wide from the edge of the penalty box.

City improved as the half wore on, with Nick Carle curling a right footed effort wide from 25-yards.

That rare foray into QPR territory seemed to reignite Rangers' efforts and Agyemang made it two 60 seconds later.

Buzsaky's cross-shot from an acute angle was only palmed out by Basso and the onrushing Agyemang made no mistake from close range, firing in his fifth goal in four outings.

Buoyed by their second goal, Rangers went in search of a third before the break, with Buzsaky going close with a 25-yard screamer that skimmed off the top of the crossbar in the 40th minute.

Alarmed by his side's second rate performance in the first half, Johnson introduced Liam Fontaine at the expense of Tamas Vasko at the break.

The change very nearly paid dividends three minutes later, only for Jamie McCombe to somehow plant his free header wide from a well-worked free-kick.

The miss proved critical, as Buzsaky made it three in the 64th minute, playing a neat one-two with Agyemang, before letting fly with an unstoppable left footed volley that flew past the startled Basso.

Camp had to be on red-alert 60 seconds later, diving full stretch to his right to tip Michael McIndoe's goal-bound free-kick to safety, before Adebola twice struck the foot of the post in a matter of seconds, as the Robins enjoyed their best spell of the match.

It was Rangers who finished in the ascendancy though, with Buzsaky and Vine each calling Basso into action as the clock ticked down.

QPR: Camp, Delaney, Mahon, Stewart, Mancienne, Buzsaky, Rowlands, Agyemang, Ephraim (Lee 75), Vine (Leigertwood 88), Rehman (Connolly 75).
Subs: Crowther, Blackstock.
Scorers: Agyemang 18 & 32, Buzsaky 63
Bookings: Rowlands 65, Vine 77
Bristol City: Basso, Orr, McAllister, McCombe, Carle (Sproule 66), McIndoe, Vasko (Fontaine 46), Elliott, Johnson (Noble 80), Byfield, Adebola.
Subs: Weale, Skuse.
Bookings: Adebola 57, Fontaine 62
Referee: Mr D Deadman Attendance: 16, 502 QPR


BRISTOL CITY OFFICIAL SITE - QPR 3-0 Bristol City
City suffered defeat at Loftus Road as January transfer window signings Patrick Agyemang and Akos Buzsaky earned QPR a 3-0 victory.
Agyemany, who joined from Preston, grabbed a first half brace and Buzsaky - who Rangers signed from Plymouth - completed the scoring with a stunning volley.

City had their chances, but a mix of luck and bad placement left them pointless for the second time on a trip to London in the space of three weeks.

City had to weather an early storm and in a bizarre third-minute moment Marvin Elliott's high looping clearance bounced behind off his own crossbar.

At the other end Michael McIndoe found the net on six minutes, but the assistant referee ruled him in an offside position from Elliott's precise inside pass.

Back on the attack, Agyemang robbed Jamie McAllister and teed up Rowan Vine on the edge of the box. However, the former Birmingham striker scuffed his effort, leaving Adriano Basso with an easy save to make.

McAllister flashed a shot wide at the other end before QPR broke away on a swift counter attack to claim an 18th minute lead.

Vine turned the ball inside to Agyemang, who went charging through the middle and finished coolly with a low shot beyond Basso.

Vine's presence on the right was proving troublesome and the livewire attacker almost doubled the home side's advantage on 27 minutes with a low, bouncing shot which skipped just past Basso's left-hand post.

An injury to QPR keeper Lee Camp, which required treatment, provided manager Gary Johnson with a chance to liven up the team in a pitchside teamtalk on the half-hour.

And City looked to have responded when Nick Carle fired a low shot that flashed beyond the far post moments later.

However, Agyemang soon had the home side two in front. Buzsaky was afforded too much space down the right and his cross was deflected into the path of the goalscorer by McAllister's outstretched leg. Agyemang was never going to miss from six yards and it handed City a major uphill struggle.

Vasko headed wide from a Lee Johnson corner kick before the break, when the Hungarian defender was replaced by Liam Fontaine.

City saw a glorious chance go begging six minutes after half-time when a well-worked free kick saw Carle cross for an unmarked Jamie McCombe at the back post. The defender nodded the ball back across goal and wide of the far post.

But with 63 minutes on the clock QPR well and truly killed off any chance of a City fightback. Buzsaky played a neat one-two with Agyemang, before stabbing a left-foot volley into the far corner.

City still had chances as Adebola steamed into the box and struck a low shot against the far post. As the ball bounced back towards him, Adebola fired in a rebound attempts towards the opposite corner where Camp saved well with his legs.

Johnson headed a cross from substitute Ivan Sproule straight at camp, and then Damion Stewart did brilliantly to block a McIndoe shot with time ticking away. Bristol City

QPR vs Bristol City: Today's Teams...DeCanio Away Due to Family Bereavement

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QPR: Camp, Delaney, Mahon, Stewart, Mancienne, Buzsaky, Rowlands, Agyemang, Ephraim, Vine, Rehman. Subs: Crowther, Blackstock, Connolly, Lee, Leigertwood.

Bristol City: Basso, Orr, McAllister, McCombe, Carle, McIndoe, Vasko, Elliott, Johnson, Byfield, Adebola. Subs: Weale, Fontaine, Noble, Skuse, Sproule.

Bristol City Official Site - DELE GIVEN DEBUT AT QPR
City hand a debut to transfer deadline day signing Dele Adebola at QPR.
The big striker replaces Lee Trundle in the starting eleven, who has been left out of the 16 after suffering with a mouth abcess.
It is the only change made by City boss Gary Johnson for the game at Loftus Road.
More than 3,000 City supporters will be in attendance as their side look to wrestle the top spot away from West Brom.
QPR go into the game under the guidance of performance manager Joe Dunbar after Luigi De Canio was called away after a family bereavement. Bristol City


QPR Official Site - CLUB STATEMENT
Owing to a family bereavement, First Team Coach Luigi De Canio will not be in charge of Queens Park Rangers Football Club for today's Championship fixture against Bristol City. In his absence, Performance Manager Joe Dunbar will be taking charge of First Team affairs. The Club expresses its deepest condolences to Mr De Canio and his family. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. QPR

Akos Buzsaky Speaks About QPR's Present and Future

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Ealing Gazette/Ed Gallois - Rangers' star Buzsaky admits Cardiff are the better team....for now

AKOS Buzsaky, the footballing wizard from Budapest who signed a two-and-a-half year contract with the club in January, has asked QPR fans to be patient with the team after the Rs were comprehensively outplayed at Cardiff on Tuesday.
Keeper Lee Camp was bombarded with shots in the first period, and had it not been for an outstanding display by the Derby-born glovesman, QPR could have gone in six or seven down at the break.
The final scoreline of 3-1 to Cardiff hugely flat-tered the visitors.
Speaking exclusively to the Gazette from his home in Ealing, Buzsaky - QPR's leading marksman with six league goals - tried to put his finger on what went wrong at Ninian Park:
"Obviously we made too many silly mistakes in the game, but italso just seemed to be one of those days where everything went wrong for us.
"The important thing is that we learn from this defeat," he said.
"Of course we are all disappointed with our performance, especially as we did so well in the previous game against Barnsley.
"But during my time here at QPR, Cardiff is one of only two teams that has been much better than us. "The other side was Chelsea." He continued: "I still believe the team is improving and the new players have fitted in well and quickly, but we do need a little more time. "
QPR will be rigourously tested again on Saturday when second-placed Bristol City visit Loftus Road.
Defeat for the Rs could see them tumbling back into the relegation zone as they now stand only two points off the drop-zone.
Buzsaky is confident, however, that QPR has a bright future.
"I'm feeling good about signing for QPR because this club is going places.
"We have some good players here and the owners are really committed to the club.
"My dream is to help take QPR back to the Premiership.
"Sure, it won't happen this year, but I definitely want us to be at least in the play-offs next season," he said.
It's this kind of never-say-die attitude, along with his technical and goalscoring prowess, that has so endeared the Hungarian midfielder to QPR fans and players alike.
Buzsaky's passion for the club was evident when he explained to the Gazette why De Canio had substituted him on Tuesday:
"The reason Gigi took me off is because my head wasn't right.
"I just hate losing and when you are 3-0 down and the opposition is playing better than you, it's hard. I was also on a yellow, so it was a good decision by him."
The Hungarian clearly has a lot of respect for his boss and thinks De Canio is coping well with the pressure that comes with QPR being the newlycrowned richest club in the world.
"Gigi is doing a great job I think. "It's not easy for an Italian man who doesnæt speak English to come and work in England.
"He also has to learn about the English game as well - plus we now have nine new players to bed in," he said.
Take him off the subject of football and Buzsaky is an eloquent ambassador for his adopted country.
"England is now my second home and I love living in London.
"Hungarian and British people are very different in some respects- people seem to be much more independent over here - but I like doing the same things as most British guys: surfing the net, chatting with my friends on Messenger, and spending too much time looking at football websites!"
While Akos Buzsaky has asked QPR fans to be patient with the team after the Rs were comprehensively outplayed at Cardiff on Tuesday., there is also some transfer news in the offing. * Dominic Shimmin had his QPR contract terminated on Monday by mutual consent...* Danish front-man Marc Nygaard has been let go by QPR. Ealing Gazette

Dean Parrett's Move to Spurs: One Year Later

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It's one year since QPR's 15 year old, England youth prospect, Dean Parrett was sold to Spurs. There were differing accounts about how this came about. Parrett is in the England U-17 squad playing this weekend in the "Algarve Tournament."

Dean Parrett's Sale -As Reported a Year Ago:-

QPR Official Site - QPR's teenage starlet Dean Parrett has joined Tottenham Hotspur.Dean, 15, will move into the Tottenham Academy on a student registration before joining full-time as a scholar in July 2008.
Parrett helped England Under-16s retain the Victory Shield against Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland in October last year.
A talented midfielder with bags of natural ability, Parrett made five starts and four sub appearances for the Under-18's this season, scoring one goal.
Tottenham's Sporting Director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our Club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity."
Academy Manager John McDermott added: "Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or Under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
"He's very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that's fantastic raw material to work with. Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We've four internationals in our Under-16 age group and he makes it five."
The deal has been extremely helpful for the club and QPR will benefit from a future move.
The club wishes Dean all the best for the future and thank him for all of his hard work during his time at QPR

SPURS OFFICIAL SITE ANNOUNCEMENT - PARRETT Joins
The Club is delighted to announce that it has reached agreement with QPR for the transfer of promising young player Dean Parrett.
Dean, 15, will come into our Academy on a student registration before joining us full-time as a scholar in July 2008. An attacking midfielder, he helped England Under-16s retain the Victory Shield against Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland in October last year.
Sporting Director Damien Comolli said: “Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our Club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
“He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity.”
Academy Manager John McDermott added: “Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or Under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
“He’s very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that’s fantastic raw material to work with. Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We’ve four internationals in our Under-16 age group and he makes it five.” Spurs

Independent/Sam Wallace - Tottenham beat Chelsea to signing young talent Parrett
Tottenham were last night celebrating victory in the battle to sign one of the most highly rated young players in English football after they beat Chelsea to the signature of Dean Parrett.
The 15-year-old midfielder, who has already represented England at Under-16 level, was signed from Queen's Park Rangers in a deal that could be worth more than £1m according to how he progresses at his new club. The player has been targeted by a host of Premiership clubs and has long interested Chelsea.
A Londoner, Parrett is an attacking midfielder in the mould of Steven Gerrard and has already played for QPR's Under-18s side. A good sprinter in schoolboy athletics, he still attends the Quintin Kynaston school in north-west London. He will become a full-time trainee at Tottenham only in the summer of 2008.
Competition for the top schoolboy footballers, especially English players, is fierce. Tottenham's sporting director, Damien Comolli, said last night: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team. He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity." Independent

Sporting Life/Mike McGrath - SPURS REACH AGREEMENT FOR PARRETT
Tottenham have reached an agreement with QPR to sign 15-year-old midfielder Dean Parrett.
The teenager will join the academy at Spurs before becoming a full-time player in 18 months.
Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club, a player who will be part of the next generation to come through to the first team.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity."
It had been reported Spurs may have to pay a compensation fee to QPR of up to £2million, which would make him one of the most expensive teenagers in British football.
Spurs academy manager John McDermott added on the club's website www.tottenhamhotspur.com: "Dean has played wide right, wide left and in central midfield and as a Year 10 or under-15 player, has done extremely well up against older boys.
"He's very level-headed, has potential, a desire to succeed and that's fantastic raw material to work with.
"Dean comes into a rich pool of talent able to stretch him, and he will stretch them. We've four internationals in our under-16 age group and he makes it five."
Sporting Life

BBC -Tottenham capture QPR youngster
Tottenham have agreed a deal with QPR to sign 15-year-old midfielder Dean Parrett, who will join the Premiership club on a student registration.
Parrett, an England under-16 international, will join as a full-time scholar in July 2008.
Spurs sporting Director Damien Comolli said: "Dean is exactly the kind of player we want to attract to our club.
"He is an extremely talented young player who has that rare combination of pace, aggression and creativity." BBC

The People -February 4 SPURS SMASH RECORD By Paul Smith
SPURS have smashed the transfer record for a youngster who is still not old enough to sign a professional contract by recruiting Dean Parrett from QPR.
Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal that the club's investment can rise to £3million if 15-year-old Parrett's career progresses at White Hart Lane. QPR staff are amazed at the deal the cash-strapped Championship side have sealed for the youngster. Spurs have put a £1m downpayment on the midfielder, who will join them as a full-time scholar in July 2008.But there are incentives in the deal, based on the youngster's progress through the ranks and future appearances, that can add a further £2m to the agreed price. Spurs will still see Parrett's recruitment as a massive coup - especially as they saw off a bid from Chelsea.
Parrett is widely seen as one of the brightest prospects in the country.
He's a regular in the junior England teams and is one of the quickest players at youth level. Sunday People

QPR Official Site -John Gregory on Parrett Sale - WIN-WIN SITUATION
Gaffer John Gregory believes it would have been wrong to deny Dean Parrett the opportunity to join Spurs.
The 15 year-old midfield prodigy - who helped England Under-16s retain the Sky Sports Victory Shield last year - yesterday finalised a deal that will see him join the Tottenham Academy on a student registration, before he eventually joins full-time as a scholar in July 2008.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Gregory said: "It's a win-win situation for all parties.
"It's been quite a long process in many respects. Loads of clubs have been chasing him - Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea to name a few.
"We've allowed the parents and Dean himself to make up their own minds on the situation.
"For us to turn down the chance for Dean to sign for Tottenham would have been wrong. His Dad is a huge Spurs fan, so in a way it's a dream move for them.''
Gregory continued: "We've been compensated financially for it, we don't deny that, but at the end of the day everyone comes out of the situation winning.
"We've won, Spurs have got their player and Dean has got a tremendous future at one of the greatest clubs in the country.
"Spurs believe in youth - they get thrown in very early and allow them to prosper. In that respect, it's a wise choice by the family to go to Tottenham.''
Gregory refused to rule out the chance of Parrett returning to QPR in the future though, adding: "There's still a chance that we'll see him back here. There's a chance that he might come back here on loan at some stage as part of his development, part of his growing up. We've not turned our back on seeing Dean in a Blue and White shirt at some stage.
"There's possibly more chance of Dean making his Championship debut, before he makes his Premiership bow. There's nothing written in stone, but there's a chance he could return to Loftus Road one day.
"We wish him all the best.''
*A full interview with John Gregory will be available on QPR World later today and Joe Gallen also gives his thoughts on the youngsters future. QPR

From QPR Official Site QPR FANS CONSULTATIVE MEETING - FEBRUARY 2007
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - CONSULTATIVE MEETING
QPR Fans Consultative Group Meeting
Tuesday 13th February 2007 - 6pm, The Chairman's Suite, Loftus Road
Minutes
In attendance: Gianni Paladini (GP) Chairman, QPR FC ~ Nick De Marco (NDM) QPR FC legal advisor, and Chair of initial meeting ~ Akin Yilmaz (AK) Club Financial Controller and Company Secretary ~ Pat Harrison (PH) Official Supporters Club ~ Karen Hampshire (KH) Official Supporters Club ~ Tracy Stent (TS) QPR 1st Supporters Trust ~ Stephen Dedridge (SD) QPR 1st Supporters Trust~ Victor Stephenson (VS) Friends of QPR ~ Spencer Schwartz (SS) Friends of QPR.
...2.4. Dean Parrett deal
GP said that the deal was worth £1m up front and with a 25% sell-on clause, plus we will have first refusal on him should Dean be sent out on loan in the future. When asked why there had been reports of the deal having been worth £2m plus, GP replied that the final amount that comes back to the club could amount to the sum that was quoted. When PH informed GP that she regularly goes to the training ground and got to know the family, hence her surprise when he left because as far as she knew, the youngster appeared happy at QPR, GP claimed that both himself and John Gregory were against selling him; that the family had made the decision; that he had been offered a schoolboy contract when he was 14 but he had not signed; and that John Gregory had done the same thing but still the player had not signed. He stated that he (GP) had never approached the family but had dealt with the Wintons who were representing Dean.

PH mentioned about a rumour that had appeared on one of the message boards in which it had been quoted by a school friend of Dean's that he didn't want to leave and again GP refuted this, saying he challenges anyone who says that the club forced him to go. He said that there had been talks with Chelsea but the family had turned this down and then Tottenham had come in for him.

TS then informed GP about a couple of calls she had taken from individuals who had claimed that both himself and John Gregory had forced Dean Parrett's and his family's hand regarding the move to Spurs and the reason why there were discrepancies about the amount/s of money received from the transfer was because they had received bungs via brown paper envelopes, thus taking money away that should have rightfully been the club's. When GP was asked to comment he replied that he had something to show her and left the room for a few minutes. When he returned he was carrying a piece of paper and which he showed to TS which was an invoice showing a transaction made during this month for an amount of £1m from Barclays bank which was transferred to HMCE (the inland revenue). GP claimed that not one penny from the £1m down payment went direct to the club and that it all went to the inland revenue to pay the recent tax bill. He said the bottom line was because of the finances we would have had to have sold a player (from the first team) the Spurs offer came in for Dean Parrett, stating again that neither himself nor John Gregory - who he said had had plans for him to make his first team debut as QPR's youngest ever player - had wanted him to go. GP denied there were any undisclosed payments and challenged anyone who claimed to have evidence of them, or of wrongdoing, to go to the police and/or the FA.

* After the meeting, TS spoke to Alex Winton asking him if he would clarify on a couple of points. Alex told her that he is not an agent; that he helped the family out as a family friend by helping with the negotiations with Spurs; that he received no money; and that so far as he were aware, Gianni Paladini or John Gregory had not wanted Dean to go to Spurs. QPR Official Site

Remembrance: Dave Clement Would Have Turned Sixty Today

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Today would have been Dave Clement's Sixtieth Birthday.
Born February 2, 1948, right back, Dave Clement tragically died in 1982.
After making his debut in April 1967 (a few weeks after the League Cup triumph), Clement made 400+ Appearances, scoring 20+ goals for QPR. After QPR's relegation in 1978/79, Clement was sold to Bolton, where he briefly played and moved on to Fulham and then Wimbledon. Played 5 times for England but not nearly as much as he should have.
Clement was an integral part of QPR's 1967/68 promotion team; QPR's 1972/73 promotion team and of course, QPR's 1975/76 "Championship" team, playing alongside his fellow "home grown" and England full back, Ian Gillard.

Photos: Photo I - Photo II - Photo III -

See: QPR Career See Also Wikipedia/Dave Clement Profile

Nice Profile/Memory of Dave Clement on Daves's Queens Park Rangers Site - Dave Clement Remembered

March 2006 Independent Profile/Interview with WBA's Neil Clement, son of Dave Clement & QPR includes Memories of Dave Clement
"...As more eye-catching individuals have fallen by the wayside, the 28-year-old utility player goes from strength to strength and will be involved at The Hawthorns this afternoon as Chelsea seek to honour the memory of Peter Osgood by tightening their grip on the Premiership title. These days, however, Clement is a West Bromwich Albion player. More importantly, given Albion's position just above the relegation zone, Clement is a survivor.
The wretched irony of such an epithet is that his father, the former Queen's Park Rangers and England defender Dave Clement, did not survive to see his son uphold the family honour. Depressed after a serious injury that he sustained as a fine career began fizzling out in the Fourth Division at Wimbledon, he took his life. Neil was three years old.
Too young to understand the enormity of what had happened, he and his brother Paul - who was then 10 and is now coaching Fulham's young players - grew up in the Midlands after his mother decided to move from London. "It wasn't particularly a football environment, so maybe it was in the blood," Clement recalls. "Like any kid, I loved the game. And there was always the incentive of following in my dad's footsteps."
In his mid-teens he was offered a scholarship at the FA's National School at Lilleshall in Shropshire. By the second year, his room-mate, Jody Morris, was already attached to Chelsea and told him the club wanted to sign him. "I'd always had a soft spot for QPR because of my dad, and it's an ambition of mine to play for them one day," he says. "But I went down to Stamford Bridge for a look around when I was 15, and of all the clubs that were interested, that was the one that really grabbed me."....
The odd physio, kit man and coach is still at the Bridge from Clement's five-year stint, but a single player remains, and not the one he and others envisaged as the future of Chelsea. "Jody [Morris] was the outstanding talent as a teenager. He has been unlucky in the way things happened to him off the pitch. The way Chelsea developed as a club didn't help him either. I thought he would kick on when he finally left, but it hasn't really happened for him."
The contemporary who stayed was, of course, John Terry, an occasional golf partner of Clement's. "John was a couple of years younger, though we played in the youth team together. He always loved defending even as a kid. We would be messing about in training and he would throw his body in the way of anything. Totally fearless. But he has taken it on to a different level, the way he reads the game and leads the side..."
Like father, like son A player in the image of his old man
"Strong and powerful, a good athlete and a very upright runner, like his dad," says Gerry Francis of Neil Clement. "You can see the resemblance, and not just in his looks. You can tell he's Dave Clement's son."
Francis played with the late Dave Clement for Queen's Park Rangers and England . Neil is left-footed whereas Dave was an overlapping right-back, but intriguingly, given the West Bromwich player's liking for centre-back, his father switched from central defence only after joining QPR in 1965.
Neil knew Dave won five caps, two in World Cup qualifiers against Italy, and that his 405-game sojourn at Rangers included a runners-up spot behind Liverpool in 1976. He had the word of Francis and others that Dave was an outstanding player, but he was too young to have seen him play.
"Dave Sexton, his old manager at QPR, asked John Motson if he could put something together from old video tapes," explains Neil. "I still watch it. But I also meet loads of people who remember him."
Francis, for one. "Dave was a bit older than me, but we both came through the youth team at QPR and played in the same side for 10 years or more. We roomed together, we went on international trips together. I knew his wife, Pat, well and, though I'd moved to Crystal Palace and he was at Wimbledon, they came down to a place I had in the South of France in the summer before his suicide. His death came as a major shock to all of us who were at QPR, and it's still hard to put into words how we felt. "
Francis is glad to see another Clement establish himself at the game's top level. In a strange way, says Neil Clement, he believes his father has, too. "I feel he is with me in spirit and sometimes think he is up there watching over me.
"What's happened has happened, and it's a shame he isn't around to see how me and my brother Paul [a coach at Fulham] have got on. But I'd like to think he would be proud of what I've achieved." Report

QPR vs Bristol City Preview: Bristol City Last Won at Loftus Road in 1977

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Time Out/London -Rangers v Bristol City
Sat Feb 2 Rangers Stadium, South Africa Rd, W12 7PA

Bristol City last won in W12 in 1977, the year Liverpool won the old First Division title and Spurs were relegated. More than 30 years later it's Brizzle who are the promotion candidates, though they're vulnerable – a 4-1 defeat at the Hawthorns and 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace have ruffled the Robins' feathers. And Rangers? Countless players have arrived while the manager has mastered enough English to wave when his name's sung by the fans ('GiGi De Canio, Bernie and Flavio'). With this new talent starting to blend with more established R's players like Dexter Blackstock and Martin Rowlands, league positions mean very little. It's only a matter of time before Rangers really click into gear and roar up the table with the force of one of Flavio's Renault engines. Noam Friedlander - Time Out/London

Buzsaky: Give QPR More Time

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Ealing Gazette/Alex Adams - Give QPR more time - Buzsaky
AKOS Buzsaky has asked QPR fans to be patient after the Rs were comprehensively outplayed in their 3-1 defeat at Cardiff on Tuesday.
Speaking exclusively from his Ealing home, Buzsaky tried to put his finger on what went wrong at Ninian Park.
He said: "Obviously we made too many silly mistakes in the game, but it also just seemed to be one of those games where everything went wrong for us.
"The important things is that we learn from this defeat."
For the full interview and story, see this week's Gazette. Ealing Gazette

Supposed Pressures on QPR: The Bristol Perspective

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Bristol Evening Post MORE MONEY, MORE PROBLEMS FOR QPR
In Football, money breeds expectation and with expectation comes pressure to perform - as Queens Park Rangers manager Luigi De Canio is finding to his cost.
The west London club may have flirted with relegation for much of the season, but the advent of millionaire owners Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshi Mittal has fundamentally altered perceptions around Loftus Road.
De Canio has splashed out millions of pounds on nine new signings during the January transfer window and he is now expected to work wonders overnight.
But having been charged with the task of making sure the disparate parts function as a whole, the Italian is finding out that money does not always buy success. Not immediately, at least.
QPR's directors were watching from the stands at Ninian Park on Tuesday and gave vent to their frustration as their expensively assembled team was brushed aside 3-1 by Cardiff City.
And Bristol City assistant manager Keith Millen, sent on a scouting mission ahead of tomorrow's Championship showdown at Loftus Road, experienced first hand the degree of pressure being brought to bear on De Canio and his players.
"I was sitting quite near their directors watching the game and you could tell they weren't happy," revealed Millen.
"That's inevitable when they've spent so much money. When you've made that kind of investment, you're going to want good results straight away.
"It puts extra pressure on the manager and the team, but that's the nature of the business. It will be interesting to see how they handle it if results are not good.
"To be honest, Cardiff were very good and could have won by a lot more than they did. It didn't go down at all well in the directors' box."
There is a feeling that City's visit to Loftus Road is timely. De Canio is still in the process of moulding a settled side and, at times on Tuesday night, Rangers resembled a bunch of strangers.
Injuries to defenders Fitz Hall and Matthew Connolly caused further disruption and Millen confirmed: "They were a little bit at sixes and sevens.
"There's no doubt they have very good individuals - but they are finding it difficult to gel as a team.
"They have some dangerous customers, but they're still getting to know one another's games. I'm sure they'll click eventually and do very well, I just hope it's not this weekend."
Conversely, City's players owe their startling success this season to a strong team ethic.
"Our strength is our togetherness, spirit and organisation," confirmed Millen. "Judging by what I saw the other night, I don't think QPR have that just yet."
Given the speed of change at Loftus Road, it was not surprising that the Rangers side which started at Ninian Park in midweek featured only three of those players who lined up against City at Ashton Gate on the opening day of the season.
Goalkeeper Lee Camp, defender Damion Stewart and winger Martin Rowlands have survived the transition and Millen added: "This is a very different team.
"There have been so many new signings, the side they put out on Saturday will bear very little resemblance to the one we faced back in August.
"Individually, the players they have now are better. They all have good skill and ability and, if they click, they will be a threat.
"The new players are still finding their feet and this could be a good time to play them. But then we might suffer a backlash after what happened to them at Ninian Park. I'll be very surprised if there isn't a response." Bristol Evening Post

Also QPR Official Site previews QPR vs Bristol City

Birthday for Two Former #10s...Two Ex-QPRs on The Move...Could Have Been at QPR Coaching Youth, Swindon's Dave Byrne

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No QPR arrivals or departures on transfer deadline day, despite various media (and messageboard) rumours. Steve Lomas was released by Gillingham and of course, Lee Cook went from Fulham to Charlton on Loan. Complete List of Deadline Transfers

Birthdays of two great (but not "the Greatest!") #10s of QPR: Simon Stainrod & John Byrne.
Simon Stainrod turns 49 - February 1, 1959. Signed by Terry Venables shortly after his arrival at Loftus Road. Profile. Also Wikipedia/Stainrod
John Byrne turns 47- February 1, 1961. Signed by Alan Mullery as a de-facto Stainrod replacement. -Profile Also Wikipedia/Byrne

Gillingham Official Site LOMAS, GRAHAM AND ARMSTRONG ALL DEPART
Gillingham trio Steve Lomas, Dave Graham and Craig Armstrong have all left KRBS Priestfield. The summer signings have had their contracts cancelled by mutual consent. All three have failed to impress manager Mark Stimson and now have the opportunity to continue their careers elsewhere.
Talking exclusively to the official website, manager Stimson said: "All three don't figure in my first-team plans here at Gillingham so it's best for all concerned that they move on and hopefully find themselves a new club. We have a good squad now and a great togetherness."
Gillingham Official Site


Swindon Advertiser/Andy Cryer - Dave's in dreamland
"... After more than a year of leading Town's youth revolution, [Dave] Byrne got promoted to assistant manager, under Maurice Malpas, and now eyes being the main man at the County Ground one day....
He said: "I had 17 years as a pro but I decided to go down a different route. I went down the coach education route and it took 10 years to get my coaching badges and my coach education badges.
"I went out and delivered all the coach education classes for the FA.
"It was always my ambition to get into full time coaching. But if it did not come about it would have made no difference to me because I enjoyed working with the FA and I enjoyed working with the counties.
"I was a League tutor for a couple of years and so doing the mentoring process for the coaches was something I enjoyed.
"I enjoyed working at Plymouth college as well, where I taught on the public services doing the fitness work for joining the army."
Byrne was handed his first chance back in the professional game when Paul Sturrock brought him to the County Ground as Head of Youth more than a year ago now and he insists he still feels he owes the club a lot.
He said: "My real ambition was to get back full time, in what capacity it never really crossed my mind. Primarily I would have said it was the youth job that really really appealed to me. I could have gone to QPR in the summer for a lot more money than I was on here. I could also probably go to Plymouth but for me loyalty is a big thing in football.
"Swindon gave me my chance and I have loved it here..." Swindon Advertiser