QPR Transfers...The Selling of Players...Fulham Fans Still Hate QPR...QPR "On This Day" Flashbacks

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For genuinely cutting-edge, continually-updated, news about QPR (and football in general): Visit the combination messageboard and quasi-blog QPR Report Messageboard. QPR and football. And only QPR and football! All posters and all views welcome! Recent articles/items of interest:
- Ipswich Goalie Might Have Quit if Magilton Had Stayed
- Video Flashback: De Canio's QPR FA Cup Tie vs Chelsea
- Summer Transfers: A Club-by-Club List of Transfers Ins and Outs (thus far)
- Mark Yeates Joins Middlesbrough - Flashback Mark Yeates's QPR Loan Halted by Injury
- Flashback I: One Year Ago Today: Ledesma Joins QPR
- Flashback II: Two Years Ago Today: Nardiello Joins QPR
- Flashback III: Two Years Ago today: Warren Neil Signs up and Three Years ago today: Justin Skinner in as coach while Manager Waddock looks forward with new signings Paul Jones, Damion Stewart, Nick Ward and Armel Tchakounte
- The Selling of Michael Owen: The Complete Brochure
- Burnley Fans Refuse Cash Refunds
- Six Defunct Cup Competitions
- Ex-Derby CEO and Two Ex-Derby Directors Found Guilty...ABC!


- Fulham Fans Still Hate QPR
"....[b]In a survey of the capital's supporters conducted by Football Fans Census, Chelsea topped the list as the team London fans love to hate.
[b]FULHAM
1st - Chelsea 66 per cent
2nd - Manchester United 12 per cent
3rd - QPR 11 per cent[/b] Fulham Fans Still Hate QPR


Daily Mirror/Football Spy - RANGERS TEMPT 'RETIRED' TUGAY
- Queens Park Rangers are trying to talk veteran Turkish midfielder Tugay (above) out of retirement.
- Tugay, 38, hung up his boots at the end of his Blackburn career last month, but QPR are discussing a one-year deal.
- He is currently starting his coaching badges and has an offer to work with the Ewood backroom staff. Mirror


Borrowdale or Connolly to "Replace" Delaney?
From The London Informer/Paul Warburton "....A [QPR] source said: "It appears Magilton thinks he already has a good left-back in Matt Connolly. And although every one has forgotten him, Gary Borrowdale has never been given a chance of a first-team place - and he's still a QPR player? - Article/Discuss!

David McIntyre/606 - If Delaney doesn't go, who will?
- QPR's attempt to sell Damien Delaney is a test of how easy it will be for them to offload players.
- For some of us, the concern has been that signing unspectacular players on lucrative long-term contracts is a worrying development and a case of repeating a previous regime's mistakes.
- Rangers found in the late 90s that wanting to sell players is one thing, actually selling them is another.
- To do that you usually need to find a club that will match the player's current wages, and once again QPR are in a position where this will not be easy.
- A number of those signed during the Chris Wright era fell out of favour and stayed until their contracts expired, despite various attempts to offload them.
- The financial repercussions were well documented, and the danger of the same happening again is real.
- But a few factors are in Rangers' favour this time around. Selling certain players will be difficult, but not impossible.
- There are Championship clubs with money and it's no accident that three of them - Ipswich, Newcastle and Cardiff - are being enthusiastically mentioned by QPR sources with regard to various players.
- These are the clubs Rangers need to show an interest, because not many outside of the Premier League are going to be able to offer their players anything like the kind of deal they're on at Loftus Road.
- Just as importantly, the likes of Delaney, Fitz Hall and Mikele Leigertwood - players Rangers would sell for the right price - are not Keith Rowland, Steve Slade or Sammy Koejoe.
- The current crop are mostly proven performers in the Championship and of genuine interest to various managers who have money to spend.
- This interest might be vastly exaggerated by QPR, but it does exist.
- The question is whether such managers could convince these players to move.
- In Delaney's case, Ipswich and Roy Keane surely can.
- Delaney is a good pro - not the type to let his career stagnate for the sake of a few quid - and Ipswich is an attractive club at the moment.
So if Rangers cannot offload him, it won't bode well for the club as it looks to recoup some cash to then improve the squad.
- The word from Rangers is that they have accepted a bid from Ipswich for Delaney, but Ipswich haven't confirmed this.
- Reports that Delaney is moving are mostly based on what is coming out of QPR, where Cardiff - who have money to spend after agreeing the sale of Roger Johnson - are now being touted as another interested club. We shall see.
- Keane doesn't tend to comment on such matters and while I've always found Delaney good to talk to, I don't know the guy so don't know how close he is to moving.
- I do know that Keane is definitely interested in him and has money to spend on a left-back, and that Rangers are willing to sell for an initial £750,000 rising to around £1m if Ipswich are promoted.
- And aside from wages, without going into specifics it seems from talking to various parties yesterday that this deal may not be a straightforward one. There could be obstacles that need to be overcome before Delaney can move on.
- There's also the issue of a replacement.
- Paulo Sousa wasn't popular with some for ignoring Gary Borrowdale, who is more likely to play at least some part this season.
- But a number of other left-backs are also being considered and a signing is likely if Delaney goes. BBC606


East Anglia Daily Times/Elvin King - Keane agrees fee for Rangers star
- IPSWICH Town manager Roy Keane faces competition from Cardiff City in his attempt to bring left-back Damien Delaney to Portman Road.
- The Blues are believed to have agreed a fee of around £700,000 with Queens Park Rangers over the 27-year-old who was born in Keane's home town of Cork.
- Delaney appeared set to put pen to paper before the weekend, but it now looks as though it will be next week before Keane makes his first Town purchase.
- And then they will have to overcome interest from a Cardiff club bolstered financially by agreeing a £5million move for central defender Roger Johnson to Birmingham City.
- Keane's predecessor at Portman Road, Jim Magilton, was an admirer of Delaney and showed interest in bringing him to Suffolk last season.
- It is understood that the deal to bring the defender to Ipswich was well on the way to being buttoned up before Magilton took over as Rangers manager earlier this summer.
- Magilton would have liked to have kept Delaney, but after being placed on the transfer list last season the player's future has been set to be away from Loftus Road for some while now.
- The former Town boss is on a coaching course this week, and it may now be Monday before any further moves concerning Delaney are made.
- Ipswich will not comment, but it is known that Keane sees left back as a priority as he seeks four players to strengthen his squad for the start of the 2009/10 campaign....
- Delaney started his career at Cork City and had spells with Leicester, where he would have been known to current Town coach Tony Loughlan, and Hull before joining QPR.
- He won two Republic of Ireland caps last year with the player replying when asked about Ipswich interest: “It's one thing to be wanted, it's another for clubs to agree a transfer.” East Anglia Daily Times


London Informer/Paul Warburton - Delaney set for Ipswich after U-turn
- QPR have made an about turn as they agreed last night (Wednesday) to sell Damien Delaney to Ipswich.
- The fee could eventually rise to £1million.
- Hoops weren't originally going to play ball with the club that sacked new manager Jim Magilton in April - as well as one who could thwart their own ambitions.
- But once Ipswich boss Roy Keane pressed home his case to take the man born in the same Irish city as him, Rangers agreed to take the money and run all the way to the bank.
- Delaney's deal will see Hoops get £750,000 up front, with a further £250,000 should his new club make it to a final top six place during his time there.
- It marks the end of a 17-month stint at Loftus Road for the 27-year-old, who has yo-yoed between rave reviews after becoming a £1m signing from Hull in January 2008, to being dropped as left-back last season in favour of Matt Connolly.
- Despite the Irish connection, Delaney barely knows Keane, even though they both hail from Cork.
- Earlier, when your favourite local paper broke the news to the man capped twice by his country that Ipswich were interested, Delaney described Keane as 'a legend' - and the man on the cusp of a switch to Portman Road had lost favour in west London.
- A source said: "It appears Magilton thinks he already has a good left-back in Matt Connolly. And although every one has forgotten him, Gary Borrowdale has never been given a chance of a first-team place - and he's still a QPR player." London Informer


London Informer - Ainsworth linked with switch to Port Vale
- PORT VALE are eyeing Gareth Ainsworth as their new player-assistant boss.
- Vale manager Micky Adams is considering a move for the 36-year-old, who enjoyed the first big move of his career when he was bought by the League Two club for a record £500,000 12 years ago.
- Ainsworth (pictured) enjoyed two stints as caretaker boss at Rangers last season and admitted he's got a taste for life on the touchline.
- He said: "As far as I know, I'm wanted as a player next season if Rangers want to keep me. But I had a great 13 months at Vale.
- "And it's not for me to comment further - but of course I would like to be involved in coaching in the future."
- Ainsworth was put in charge at Rangers when Iain Dowie was sacked in November and again when successor Paulo Sousa was shown the door in April.
- The winger is not thought to be a part of new boss Jim Magilton's plans on the coaching staff - especially as the new manager has already brought in John Gorman as his number two.
- Ainsworth, who at one time fronted a rock band playing gigs around Hammersmith pubs, has a year to go on his playing contract with Hoops. But he fondly remembers his playing days with Vale - and in particular a testimonial match when he was substituted at the same time as Vale fan Robbie Williams and hundreds of screaming girls rushed over to mob them.
- Ainsworth joked: "This was when Robbie was at his height - but I've always figured the screams were really for me in anticipation of my career as the front man of my own band." London Informer


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