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- QPR Set to Sign Spurs Youngster
- Ex-QPR Chairman Ishan Saksena (to whom QPR Fans owe a big debt): Where He is Now
- Decade Flashback: Club-Fan Meeting Report
- Glen Roeder Turns 56
- "QPR's!" (Spurs') Kyle Walker Wins BBC London Young Player of the Year
- Four Years: RIP Jim Langley
- Lee Cook on Orient...Kaspr Gorkss on Reading
Courtesy of Ron Phillips to "Gramps"
THE NIGHT BRIAN CLOUGH'S CHEEKS WENT CRIMSON - By Ron Phillips
We were playing Derby County at home on a dark evening. About 10 minutes after the game started, Derby County took the lead with a single goal. 5 minutes after that, all the floodlights went outk. I tried not to panic and phoned through to ask if Charlie Howard, the electrician, was on the job. They said "Yes", so I asked the P.A. announcer to put out a soothing announcement. He did so. Another 15 minutes went past and we were still in pitch darkness.
Poor Charlie Howard was sweating over our 19th Century lights and just couldn't get them on. A steward dashed into my office yelling "The Derby Manager wants to see you!" The Derby Manager was Brian Clough. I decided that I didn't want to see him, so I told the steward to advise Mr Clough that I couldn't get away from my office and the electrician would soon have the lights back on. I must have been insane.
5 minutes later, the steward was back in the office with a message from Mr. Clough to the effect that, if I didn't get down to his dressing room immediately, he would come up to my office and drag me down by the scruff of my neck. I decided to visit Mr. Clough in his dressing room.
He had no idea who I was but, when I went into the Derby County dressing room, he must have guessed. He was sitting with a bunch of their players but, when he saw me, he stood up and came straight at me, eventually bodily pushing me out into the corridor. Then he started yelling at me, his nose practically touching mine, shouting insults in that strange voice of his.
It was a particularly unpleasant attack because he was suffering from that acne rosacea which disfigured his face so much that he later had to give up football. His face was flushed dark crimson and his eyes were practically popping out of his head. He screamed at me so loudly that I could hardly make out what he was saying. I gathered it was something to the effect that he knew exactly what game I was playing; I had sabotaged the floodlights because Derby County were ahead. He had seen other clubs try this on and he had dealt with the Secretaries to make sure they never worked again. Unless I got the floodlights back on immediately, I was going to regret it for the rest of my life. Etc., etc., etc.
This went on for a solid 5 minutes and he had me backed against a wall, so that I was totally unable to escape. I can still remember that enormous crimson face, and inch away from mine, screaming and screaming at me. Heaven alone knows what would have happened if Charlie had not achieved a miracle: the lights came back on. Brian Clough turned away from me as if absolutely nothing had happened and called his team out lof the dressing room and onto the pitch.
He never spoke another word to me. Until the night I drove Stan Bowles up to Nottingham Forest for his transfer. Then Brian Clough, now the Nottingham Forest Manager, greeted me like an old friend and spent the evening chatting to me and plying me with drinks in the Board Room, while he completely ignored Stan Bowles standing in the corner.
I'm convinced the reason he didn't recognise me was that, all the time he was shouting at me, he must have been blind with rage.
At one time, JIm Gregory was toying with the idea of asking Brian Clough to take over Rangers. Thank heaven the idea never went ahead. Memory
World Football Insider - Philip Beard to Talk Financial Fair Play at Soccerex European Forum 2012
December 13, 2011 Soccerex are delighted to announce that Philip Beard, Chief Executive Officer of Queens Park Rangers Football Club (QPR), is confirmed to speak at the Soccerex European Forum, 28-29 March 2012, Manchester.
Beard will join a session looking at club ownership and the impact financial fair play will have on the opportunities and potential benefits for owners going forward.
With the initial phases of financial fair play implementation underway, the Soccerex European Forum will host a number of sessions looking at various areas affected by UEFA’s new policy, such as club ownership, stadia, sponsorship and player development.
In his role as CEO of QPR, a club which has had a series of high profile owners and investors in recent times, Beard is perfectly placed to speak on the subject and will give a unique insight into the plans of the club under new Owner and Chairman, Tony Fernandes.
Prior to joining QPR Beard worked for US music and sports giant, AEG where he spent two years as Chief Executive of the O2 Arena, leading the transformation of the venue from the Millennium Dome into one of the world’s most popular music and sports venues. Before Joining AEG Beard was one of the Directors of the London successful Olympic and Paralympics Bid.
Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie commented: ‘Financial Fair Play is the buzz word of European Football at present but it is still not clear what implications it is going to have. Phil’s role at QPR coupled with his vast experience in the industry makes him the perfect person to give opinion on the matter.’
In addition to Financial Fair Play, the European Forum Conference Programme will also address the latest developments relating to UEFA, Betting, Emerging Markets, Clubs, Stadia Safety and the Future of League Structures. World Football Insider
- See 2012 Manchester Soccerex Brochure
THE FOUR YEAR PLAN - ON SALE SATURDAY!
Posted on: Tue 13 Dec 2011
The Four Year Plan - a fly-on-the-wall documentary following the highs and lows of Queens Park Rangers Football Club over four seasons - will be available exclusively to buy in the QPR Superstore this weekend.
That's right, you can snap up the perfect Christmas gift for your QPR supporting loved-ones this year - for just £9.99!
The limited edition DVD will be on sale in the Superstore from midday on Saturday, and then online from Monday.*
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The Four Year Plan follows the incredible highs and lows of the Club after being rescued from bankruptcy in 2007 by billionaire backers Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone, Lakshmi Mittal and Amit Bhatia.
Witness one of modern football's extraordinary stories with access from inside the boardroom, changing room and sidelines.
The camera records meetings, telephone conversations, matches and private chats that reveals the turbulent and dramatic developments in four seasons at Loftus Road.
The Four Year Plan culminates in an extraordinary, nail-biting finale and goes where no film about football has gone before.
Only 5,000 copies of this DVD will be released in the QPR Superstore before the DVD goes on general release next year, so make sure you're one of the lucky ones!
*We would advise supporters who want to purchase this product as a Christmas present that they do so by purchasing from the Superstore. Supporters who order the DVD online will not receive the product in time for Christmas. QPR
QPR Official Site R'S STARS SPREAD FESTIVE CHEERPosted on: Tue 13 Dec 2011
Members of the QPR First Team squad brought some festive cheer to a group of youngsters from Jack Tizard School today.
Flanked by CEO Philip Beard, a dozen members of the QPR squad visited the local school - located next to Loftus Road, hence the School End - to hand out presents to the 70 disabled children that are educated at the school.
The school - which is which is one of the country's leading centres for disabled children - educates pupils aged 2-19 years with a range of severe learning difficulties, including profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Through the Big Splash Trust, it raises money to provide new opportunities for local disabled children, including by extending use of its state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool to special local community groups and parents with disabled children during school holidays.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, R's midfielder Shaun Derry said: "For me personally, this is one of the great plusses of being a footballer - being able to come to a place like this and give the kids some great gifts for Christmas.
"It's a truly humbling experience.
"When you see the teachers and the carers and the work they do - they're the real heroes.
"It's heart-warming, it really is and I wish them all a merry Christmas."
Jamie Mackie echoed his team-mates comments, adding: "The kids looked so happy to see us all and it makes you realise just how lucky you are.
"The facilities at the school are wonderful and the carers do an incredible job.
"It's inspiring coming here and I'm sure we'll look to do a lot of work with the school in the future."
Head Teacher Cathy Welsh said: "The growing partnership with QPR has brought huge rewards to the school.
"The generosity of both the players and the Club helps us enrich the learning and life opportunities of all our pupils.
"The children, staff and parents were very excited about the visit this morning - what a great start to the festive season!"
To learn more about the Big Splash Trust or to make a donation, click here http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10373~2546384,00.html