In a Shock Move, QPR Announce the Appointment of Paul Hart and Mick Harford

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Evening Standard Hart makes quick return
- Paul Hart has been named the new manager of QPR.
- The 56-year-old is back in management less than a month after being axed by Portsmouth and replaces Jim Magilton, whose controversial departure by "mutual consent" was confirmed late Wednesday night.
Former Luton boss Mick Harford, who had a spell in caretaker charge of Rangers in 2007, will be Hart's assistant.
- Their first game in charge will be against Sheffield United at Loftus Road on Saturday.
Magilton was suspended by the club over a dressing-room bust-up with midfielder Akos Buzsaky following the televised 3-1 defeat at Watford on December 7.
The 40-year-old strongly denied allegations of a head-butt, but after Buzsaky issued an 'either he goes or I go' ultimatum to chairman Flavio Briatore, Magilton's time was up after six months in charge.
- Hart's appointment sees the Rangers managerial reins change hands for an incredible ninth time in just over two years since Briatore arrived at the club.
Permanent bosses John Gregory, Luigi De Canio, Iain Dowie, Paulo Sousa and Magilton have departed while Harford, Gareth Ainsworth (twice) and, in the last week, youth coaches Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham, have had spells as caretaker bosses.
- Magilton was in charge for 23 games, Sousa lasted 26 and Dowie managed just 15.
Hart inherits a team lying 12th in the Coca-Cola Championship, just three points from the play-off places, following a 2-2 draw at West Brom on Monday. Hungary international Buzsaky, 27, did not feature at the Hawthorns, apparently due to a knee injury, and his future at the club remains unclear. Standard


QPR Official Site - HART AND HARFORD ARRIVE
The Club is pleased to confirm the arrival of Paul Hart as First Team Manager.
Following discussions late last night after Jim Magilton's and John Gorman's departures, the appointment was concluded this morning.
Hart will be joined at the Club by new Assistant Manager Mick Harford in a deal which runs until the end of the 2009/10 season.
The Club would like to place on record its thanks to Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham for their efforts while in Caretaker charge.
The Club will be making no further comment at this stage


QPR Official Site - IN PROFILE: PAUL HART
Posted on: Thu 17 Dec 2009
After a successful playing career that included stints at Blackpool, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday to name but a few, Paul Hart's first job in management arrived at Chesterfield Town in 1988.

He enjoyed a successful spell at the Club, reaching the play-offs, only to be sacked after three years at the helm.

Hart then moved into youth coaching, firstly at Forest, then subsequently at Leeds United, where he took charge of their fledgling academy.

Hart's protégés won the FA Youth Cup in 1993 and 1997 and formed the backbone of the Leeds side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2000/01.

He then returned to Forest in 2001 to lead the Academy at The City Ground, and later took the top job, guiding the Reds to First Division play-off semi final in his first season in charge.

However, his second season was less successful and he left the Club in 2004.

Spells at Barnsley and Rushden & Diamonds followed, before he was appointed Director of Youth Operations at Portsmouth in March 2007.

Hart took over as Caretaker Manager after Tony Adams' sacking in 2009 and steered Pompey seven points clear of relegation following a decent end to the campaign.

This performance led him to be offered a two year permanent contract at the Club over the summer, only for the 56 year-old to leave the cash-strapped Club in late November. QPR


QPR Official Site - IN PROFILE: MICK HARFORD
Posted on: Thu 17 Dec 2009
After a successful 21 year spell as a player, Mick Harford learned his managerial trade at former Club Wimbledon.

It was there that he developed his skills, before following his old boss Joe Kinnear back to Luton Town after the Hatters' relegation to Division Three.

Harford helped master-mind the successful promotion season of 2001/02, as Luton stormed back to the Second Division.

However, a takeover at the Bedfordshire-based outfit eventually saw him replaced, although he soon returned as Director of Football, as well as being First Team Coach, working alongside Mike Newell.

Harford helped Newell's Luton side to a tenth place finish and with his profile rising, swapped a League One title quest with the Hatters, for a Championship dog-fight at Nottingham Forest, working as assistant to Kinnear.

Kinnear was to last only a few more weeks at the Club, before Forest's poor form forced him to leave the City Ground.

Harford was then appointed Caretaker Manager, and he performed admirably despite the problems at the Club. Gary Megson was then named Manager full-time in January 2005, and Harford left.

Out of work for only a little while, Harford teamed up with Andy King at Swindon Town in a deal that would run until the end of the 2004/05 season.

However, Harford never made it until the end of the season with Swindon, as in April 2005, he was named Manager of Rotherham United, who were relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2004/05 campaign. Harford had an impressive start to his managerial career but was replaced by Alan Knill.

Harford finished that season at Millwall, coaching the strikers at the Club before their relegation from the Championship at the end of the 2005/06 season.

Harford then joined his former Derby County team-mate Geraint Williams at Colchester United in the summer of 2006, becoming the Club's Assistant Manager.

Harford left the U's a year later to join QPR as First Team Coach and in October 2007 was named Caretaker Manager following John Gregory's departure.

At the helm for five fixtures, winning two and losing only once, Harford left the R's following Luigi De Canio's appointment as Manager

In January 2008, Harford was unveiled as the new Manager of struggling and cash-strapped Luton until the end of the season. He committed to stay at Luton despite the Club being docked 30 points before the start of the 2008/09 campaign.

Harford led the Hatters to victory in the Football League Trophy in 2009, but the heavy points deduction proved insurmountable and the Kenilworth Road side were relegated to the Football Conference at the end of the season.

Two months ago, Harford parted company with Luton by mutual consent.





A Decade of QPR Managerial Arrival and Departure Statements: From Stuart Houston to Jim Magilton

- QPR Managers Since Premiership Relegation (and since Paladini and then Briatore took over

- Incoming Manager Paul Hart's Managerial Record (and some Past Hart Statements)