Alleged Routledge Cost....Weekend Snippets...Year Flashback: Routledge-to-QPR?.... "Battle of The Two Richest Clubs"...Three Ex-QPR Birthdays

-
Visit the QPR Report Messageboard for additional football postings (copy/pastes!) and perspectives. All views welcome! Today's video: From 1974

"In Case You Missed it"
- Routledge on 20K a Week & 200K Signing on Fee?
- Di Carmine Early Return to Italy?
- Parejo Injured/Out for a Month
- Top Fifty "Best Ever" Transfers


South Wales Echo/Terry Phillips - Wayne Routledge quids in after joining QPR
- QUEENS Park Rangers paid £600,000 for Wayne Routledge after stealing in to snatch the winger away from Cardiff City.
- That is twice what Cardiff offered for a player whose contract with Premier League Aston Villa was due to run out at the end of this season.
- Big-spending QPR also paid Routledge a £200,000 signing on fee – and he will earn £20,000-plus a week!
- That is more than he was on with Premier League Villa and City manager Dave Jones said: “For all the money QPR have £600,000 is still a lot of money to pay for Wayne Routledge when his contract is running down.
- “We could not compete with that. The chairman (Peter Ridsdale) gave our best offer for Wayne. Rangers were able to go even farther.
- “Wayne decided Cardiff City was not for him and opted for Rangers.
- “A lot of clubs at Premier League level would not be able to compete with the money QPR are throwing around.
- “We will simply get on with it. We are not in our position, fourth in the Coca-Cola Championship, because of Wayne Routledge or Michael Chopra. We are there because of the whole squad.
- “We were winning matches before they came to Cardiff City and we will win matches now they have gone.”
- London-born Routledge was also attracted by Rangers’ bid because he can live nearer his mother and family, but Bluebirds’ players were angry that the winger did not stop to say goodbye to anybody before driving off from the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel, which is 200 yards from City’s training headquarters, to join QPR.
- City’s offer for Routledge was £300,000, which Aston Villa agreed before QPR’s intervention, and they made him a pledge on personal terms which meant a pay rise from his wages at Aston Villa and would have made him the highest paid player at Ninian Park." South Wales Echo

Also:Simon Kendal-Williams, Western Mail - Dave Jones unconcerned as City’s loan players move on
WAYNE ROUTLEDGE may have chosen the bright lights west London ahead of Cardiff, but Dave Jones refuses to lose sleep over the winger’s departure.
The 23-year-old, who played a leading role in City’s eight-game unbeaten league run while on loan from Aston Villa, made a hasty switch to Championship rivals QPR last Friday, cutting his spell at Ninian Park short by a fortnight.
With Michael Chopra returning to Sunderland, Cardiff fought tooth and nail to sign Routledge on a permanent deal, and Jones accepts there was nothing more they could have done.
“Chops had to go back and Wayne decided here wasn’t for him, but QPR was,” said the City boss. “Both things were out of our control.
“We gave our best offer for Wayne, but it wasn’t good enough.
“I mean, the £600,000 QPR paid is still a lot of money for Wayne, plus what he’s earning, and we can’t compete with that.
“And with the money they’re throwing around, a lot of clubs in the Premier League won’t be able to compete, either.
“Do I mope about? No, we get on with it – we move on.
“Everyone’s going on about him, but we’ve won games before without him.
“We’re not just in this position because of Chops and Wayne.
“We’re here because the whole squad has done their job – they added to that.
“Of course we’ll miss them because they’re quality players.
“But we’ve gone and won a football match and scored two goals again, so it might not be as bad as some people are making out.”
Jones insists there are other players in their sights – but he acknowledges luring them to Ninian Park will not be straightforward.
He said: “We didn’t just put our hat on Wayne signing.
“The problem you’ve got is – will other clubs let players go?
“If you’re going to find players of Chops’ and Routledge’s ability, you’re more than likely going to go into the Premier League.
“And that means they’re going to be on Premier League wages..." South Wales Echo

[See Further down, for QPR-Routledge reports from a year ago]

Birthdays for Two Former QPR Assistant Managers and One Former Player: Kenny Jacket (57) and Vinny Jones (44) QPR Fans have rather different feelings about the two former Assistant managers! It's also former Striker Dean Neal's 48th Birthday.
- Ex-QPR Assistant Manager, Kenny Jackett. Born January 5, 1952
Jackett played for Watford and never for QPR, but QPR Fans have a very warm feeling about the man who helped bring back QPR. Jackett
- 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
- Former QPR striker, Dean Neal, who turns 48 (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.


Flashback One Year: The Battle of the "Two Richest Teams" - Chelsea 1 QPR 0
There was much, much hype in the days preceding this game. The hype ended/culminated in Chelsea's narrow cup victory.
QPR: Camp, Barker, Mahon, Stewart, Blackstock, Buzsaky (Lee 50), Ainsworth (Agyemang 46), Rowlands, Connolly, Ephraim (Balanta 66), Hall. Subs: Bolder, Walton.
Chelsea: Hilario, A Cole, Sidwell, Mikel, Pizarro (Ballack 72), Sinclair (Drogba 60), Ferreira, Kalou, Ben Haim, Wright-Phillips (J Cole 79), Alex.
Subs: Taylor, Belletti. Scorers: Camp o.g 29 - The two managers: Avram Grant and Luigi De Canio Match Reports and Wilkins Preview -- Match Reports I---Match Reports II


Also One Year Ago (And note the price being bandied about): Wayne Routledge for QPR? Supposed Other Incoming Transfers

- Mail - Rangers home in on Spurs winger Routledge
Queens Park Rangers are set to continue their remarkable spending spree by signing Wayne Routledge from Tottenham.
- The Championship club, now backed by multi-millionaires Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal, have been the most active club in the transfer window so far, having signed five players in the first week alone. Now Routledge is one of four targets who could join this week.
- Spurs, who paid £1.25 million for the player from Crystal Palace in July 2005, want £2m as a down payment and another £1m if, or when, Rangers are promoted from the Championship. Mail

News of the World/Wayne Lee Fix
QPR must hand over £3million if they want to prise winger wonder Wayne Routledge away from Tottenham.
- Rangers used their new-found wealth to make a £1.5m bid last week but were told to double their offer for the former Crystal Palace player.
- Routledge, who will be 23 tomorrow, has started just three games for Spurs in two and a half years and spent last season on loan at Fulham.
Rangers are prepared to pay him around £25,000 a week but will not be held over a barrel with the fee. They will decide this week whether to make Routledge their record signing.
- Chairman Gianni Paladini said: "Wayne would do well here but although we now have solid finances, nobody is going to pay silly money." News of The World QPR Report

And a few days later:

Sky - QPR deny Routledge bid - And future offer unlikely for Spurs winger
Queens Park Rangers have denied making a bid for Tottenham Hotspur winger Wayne Routledge.
Reports had claimed that the Championship club had offered £1.8million for the former Crystal Palace starlet.
But QPR have rejected the rumours, and also suggest they are unlikely to lodge an offer for the 23-year-old.
Routledge has struggled to have an impact at White Hart Lane after making just five Premier League appearances since joining from Palace in 2005.
He spent last season on loan at Fulham and finished the 2005/06 campaign on loan at top-flight rivals Portsmouth.
Midlands duo Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion have also been linked with January bids for the ex-England Under 21 international. SKYSPORTS

Sky Sports - Lewis Rutledge QPR make Routledge bid
Spurs receive £1.8million offer for winger
- Queens Park Rangers have made a bid for Tottenham winger Wayne Routledge.
Routledge has not been able to establish himself in the Spurs side since moving to White Hart Lane from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2005.
He has been loaned out to Portsmouth and Fulham, but has now been told he can leave on a permanent basis.
Birmingham and West Brom have both been linked with Routledge in recent weeks but QPR have now made the first move.
Luigi de Canio has been busy strengthening his squad since the start of January and has offered £1.8million to Tottenham for Routledge.
Spurs have yet to respond but Juande Ramos is believed to value the 23-year-old at closer to £3million. SkySports QPR Report