Birthday for QPR's Ex-Captain, Ex-England Captain and Ex-QPR Manager (Twice) Gerry Francis...QPR Interest in Bruno Aguiar?

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- Visit the QPR Report Messageboard for additional football articles and for expression of views - Among articles posted today
A (partial/Work-in-progress) club-by-club Responses to the VAT Reduction......: Georges Santos (pre-QPR) role in Brawl remembered.....Could-have been QPR, Bobbie Zamora talks about his non-goalscoring(1 goal in 15 games).....Premiership Players Being Forced to Reduce Spending!


Updated:
Bruno Aguiar
BBC Gossip "QPR are preparing a bid for Hearts midfielder Bruno Aguiar in January, with the Edinburgh club keen to off-load some of their higher earners to save money. (The Sun) BBC Gossip


GERRY FRANCIS TURNS FIFTY-SEVEN

Born December 6, 1951. Captain of QPR...Captain of England...Twice Manager of QPR, Francis is currently a coach at Stoke City. Francis ranks in the very top tier of greatest players ever to turn out for QPR. And he has the unique distinction of being the only QPR player to have captained England as a QPR player. - Francis shares with Tommy Docherty as being the only two QPR managers who managed the club on two seperate occasions. (Not counting the longterm caretaker managerships of Frank Sibley or short term, Iain Dowie). Bascially, the 1970s was the Gerry Francis, the player, era at Loftus Road. The 1990s was the Gerry Francis, the QPR Manager era (twice) at QPR.

Francis made his QPR debut almost 40 years ago, coming on as sub against Liverpool at Loftus Road, in March 1969 (two weeks after QPR's humiliating 8-1 smashing at Manchester United!). QPR lost 2-1, Bridges scoring against Bill Shankley's Liverpool. QPR's team: Spratley - Harris Hunt Keetch Watson - Leach Hazell Wilks - Bridges Clarke Marsh - Sub: Gerry Francis (Where's the midfield?)

- Two of Francis' most famous goals while a QPR Player: The opening goal of the 1975/76 season with the "goal of the season" against Liverpool......and Francis' goals for England vs Scotland. (Watch it again! - Video of Francis 1975 Goal against Scotland
Some of his other great goals unfortunately were not recorded on tape.
And then the Gerry Francis/Stan Bowles Playing Relationship (1.20 into the video).


As QPR Manager, in charge for the club's famed Jan 1, 1992 4-1 win at Manchester United and on his return as manager, in charge of that season finale/staying up game: QPR 6 Crystal Palace 0


EARLY GERRY FRANCIS MEMORIES:

Was there to see Francis make his QPR debut as a sub against Liverpool at Loftus Road in March 1969....Remember him as a substitute warming up on the sidelines in the 1969/1970 season...Remember him being touted as the replacement for Barry Bridges when Bridges was sold...of himbeing a young goalscoring midfielder alongside Terry Venables and Martyn Busby...the free kicks: The run around the wall from a Venables or Bowles free kick to score...being "the other" Francis after Trevor Francis....Supposedly objecting to the possible return of Rodney Marsh as a player....Replacing Venables as captain of QPR..Playing for England...Captaining England...Almost joining Dave Sexton's Manchester United...Joining Crystal Palace after QPR's relegation...Terry Venables bringing Francis back to QPR as a player...Leaving for Coventry...Joining as Manager...Leaving for Spurs (after Thompson/Marsh issue)...Returning to Save QPR....Announcing Departing and then staying for while...Leaving.


SOME LINKS

- Francis I

- Francis II

- England

-PROFILES
- BBC in June 2000

- Francis Resigns as QPR Manager

- Dave's Unofficial Queens Park Rangers's Francis Profile

FA Gerry Francis England Profile

- Wikipedia/Gerry Francis