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Monday, February 23, 2009

QPR Snippets...Cook Condemns Boos...Ex-QPR Goalie Makes 400th Appearance

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London Informer/Paul Warburton - QPR boos blasted by Lee Cook
-Lee Cook has hit back at fans that booed QPR midfielder Gavin Mahon on Saturday.
Rangers were beaten 3-1 by Ipswich in front of their own supporters and a live TV audience – but Cookie was less than pleased by second-half chants that had Mahon as the butt of their frustration.
That’s disappointing – all the boys could hear it," said Cook. "It’s sad when our own fans are booing their own players – that’s a desperate situation.
"But Gavin’s a strong character. Was already talking about Wednesday straight after the game. He knows what it’s all about and he can take it."
Rangers are away to Cardiff on Wednesday night, but the winger reckons he and the rest of his team are going to have to play a whole heap better than they did against the Tractor Boys.
Cook added: "Where we didn’t win the game against Ipswich was the first half.
"We beat Derby and Blackpool away recently and we’ve got to use that as the incentive for the next two games." London Informer


BBC - Roberts reaches Daggers milestone
- Dagenham & Redbridge goalkeeper Tony Roberts said he was "very proud" to reach his 400th Daggers appearance.
Roberts, 39, marked his landmark game by saving a penalty in the 0-0 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.
Following the game, he told BBC Essex it was a moment he would treasure for a long time to come.
"I came here nine years ago and I remember my first game was Leigh RMI away, and now I've got my 400th and am very proud of what I've done," he said.
The former QPR and Wales keeper joined the then non-league Essex club as a semi-professional in 2000, after a finger injury had forced him to retire from the professional game.
Following the Daggers' promotion to League Two in 2007 he was forced to re-sign as a professional but still spends four days a week coaching with the youth side at Arsenal.
He told BBC Essex he had enjoyed every moment of Dagenham's rise up the football ladder.
"I've seen the club grow from training twice a week to full time, and we've had all the cup runs and the play-offs," he said.
"So I've seen the club go from strength to strength and luckily I've been a part of it."
And Roberts explained the reason he had been able to prolong his career was a specially designed glove, which has "splints" in it to protect his damaged finger.
"I wouldn't train or play without it because I was told otherwise I would lose my finger," he said.
"I'd rather keep all of my fingers for the rest of my life than worry about looking a bit funny." BBC


SPORTING LIFE - CLASSIC LEAGUE CUP FINALS
"...1967: QPR 3 West Brom 2
- Although the tournament began in the 1960-61 season, this was the first time it culminated in a one-off Wembley showpiece, previous finals having been held over two legs.
- It was a fitting match for the venue which had hosted the World Cup final a year earlier. The match was seemingly over at half-time with Third Division QPR 2-0 down to top-flight West Brom. But three goals in 20 second-half minutes, including a wonderful solo effort from Rodney Marsh, ensured the underdogs roared back to become the first Third Division side to win a major trophy." Sporting Life



Daily Mail/Graham Otway - QPR 1 Ipswich 3: Walters puts on a show for Fabio Capello
By Graham Otway Last updated at 3:39 AM on 23rd February 2009
Comments (0) Add to My Stories As a youth, if Jon Walters had followed his Liverpudlian father's heritage instead of his mother's Dublin roots then he would surely have made a lasting impression on Fabio Capello, who was a visitor to Loftus Road on Saturday.
Despite suffering the after-effects of a virus, the Republic of Ireland B forward appeared as a substitute to score the spectacular third goal to clinch the victory that took Ipswich to within two points of the play-off zone.
Walters, however, was unaware of Capello's presence after the England boss had dashed down the M40 to join his friend Flavio Briatore in the director's box after watching Chelsea earlier in the day at Villa Park.
And he was more interested in the potential spin-offs from Ipswich's stylish victory than the effects his goal might have on his international future.
'I am not surprised Mr Capello was here,' said Walters.
'Because there are a lot of good players in this league. But I have no regrets about playing for Ireland - I have got a lot of family in Dublin.
Small talk: QPR boss Paolo Sousa has bizarrely played down the club's play-off hopes for this season
'But, if we can reproduce this sort of form over the next couple of months, we will be in with a shout for promotion. The performance has set a benchmark for the rest of the season.'
Furthermore, Walters believes that such an impressive win will persuade Ipswich fans, who organised a protest at Portman Road at the beginning of the week, to lay off manager Jim Magilton.
'Managers come and go far too easily these days,' said Walters.
'But we are all behind Jim. The protests? He was up for manager of the month in January so it's baffling me. But that performance was the best way to shut people up.'
Magilton was not a happy man as full back Ben Thatcher failed to stop Wayne Routledge laying on a goal for Rangers' Sam Di Carmine in the third minute but, from the 14th minute when Jon Stead poached an equaliser from close range, Ipswich never looked threatened again.
Feeling good: Magilton is defying his Ipswich critics
They led after 62 minutes when Pablo Counago dispossessed the hapless Gavin Mahon to score with a delightfully placed left-foot shot and then came Walters's moment of glory as he needed only one touch to control Alan Quinn's long ball before beating Lee Camp.
Rangers followers, including Bernie Ecclestone, who left the ground long before the final whistle, will not have been encouraged by two statements from their club's manager Paolo Sousa.
First he leapt to the defence of Mahon, who had a shocker in his defensive midfield position, saying: 'It was not a good day for Gavin, but we need him in that role.'
Then he talked down their play-off ambitions, although they are only five points off the top six, saying: 'Our target this season is to build the base of a good side then make a challenge for the Premier League next season - Daily Mail


Three Ex-QPR Birthdays: Ian Dawes, Andy Gray and Juergen Sommer
Birthdays yesterday for ex-QPRs:Ian Dawes (46), Andy Gray (45) and Juergen Sommer (45) [Edit: According to Wikipedia, Sommer's birthday is February 27.

Ex-QPR fullback, Ian Dawes Turns 46: Born February 22, 1963
Former QPR Youth player, Dawes Given his debut by Terry Venables in 1981-1982, he was an ever-present in QPR's promotion season - and for the next 3 seasons as well (making up a defense of Hucker: Neil Wicks Fenwick Dawes. (1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86). Altogether he played just under 250 games for QPR. He was transferred to Millwall in 1988, wher he played 250+ games. See Dawes/QPR Stats (See Dawes' Millwall Career:
Where is he now? In October, 2005, Dawes was appointed manager of non-league Redhill. A year later, in October 2006, Dawes was sacked by Redhill. See Also: Wikipedia: Ian Dawes


Andy Gray - February 22, 1964. Signed by Trevor Francis...Sold by Trevor Francis a few months later. See Wikipedia/Andy Gray


Juergen Sommer: February 22, 1964 [or maybe February 27, 1969]-Our American goalie, signed by Ray Wilkins for 600,000 pounds from Luton in our relegation season. Wikipedia/Sommer


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