Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
One year on, QPR prepare to remember Ray - QPR v Doncaster Rovers, full match preview
One year on, QPR prepare to remember Ray - QPR v Doncaster Rovers, full match preview
Friday, 22nd Aug 2008 09:40

QPR return to Loftus Road this Saturday to face newly promoted Doncaster Rovers on the back of a 3-0 mauling at Sheffield United and a year on from the death of striker Ray Jones.

Queens Park Rangers v Doncaster Rovers
Coca Cola Championship
Saturday August 23, Kick Off 3pm
Loftus Road, London, W12


While we all get hot under the collar about whether or not we should be expecting better from our QPR side, this weekend it will be worth pausing before the game on Saturday and realising just how trivial our mumbles and grumbles about the standard of QPR performances really is.

It seems like only yesterday that the three Northern R’s were stepping off a train in Leeds en route to Burnley for one of our opening Championship matches. At ten o’clock all that concerned us was an argument over whether we should have breakfast at Loch Fyne (Northern the Elder’s choice) or Wetherspoons (Northern the Younger’s choice) and yet ten minutes later the phone rung, the match was off, Ray was dead and we were dumbstruck. The heartbreaking thing is that but for a foot injury Ray would have been with the first team squad in a Burnley hotel that night preparing for the game instead of being back in London driving round the streets of the East End.

Ray Jones was a super young player with a great future, and one I’d dearly love to have seen play in the free flowing Luigi De Canio team last season and in our new look side this year. Arguably it’s a big physical presence up front that we’re lacking at the moment ,and have lacked since we lost Ray a year ago, but he was much more than just a big lanky target man.

Northern the Elder and I often recount the day we lost 3-0 at Crystal Palace – a game that saw Jones used in an unusual position wide on the left. By the luck of the ticket allocation we were sitting right down at the front of that God awful Arthur Wait stand and got a tremendous view of Ray close up. His first touch, ball control, awareness, power and pace was something to behold and the team would be a far better, more dangerous, more threatening outfit with him leading the line this weekend than it is in his absence. We miss you Ray, in more ways than one.

A week later and QPR returned to Loftus Road to face Southampton trying to give the sadly departed youngster some kind of a send of. The Saints were still a half decent side at that stage of the season with George Burley in charge and with QPR grief stricken, and not really very good in the first place it must be said, they were easily beaten 3-0. We all had visions of Dexter Blackstock knocking the winning goal in and pointing to the sky to remember his best friend but it wasn’t to be.

A year on and QPR get another chance to put on a bit of a show for Ray Jones. Many of the faces are new, but there is still a good number of his friends and former team mates at Loftus Road and with special programmes and big screen video montages looking back on Ray’s time with the club planned this game with Doncaster Rovers represents another chance for QPR to do what they couldn’t do against Southampton a year ago – win, win well, win for Ray.

Five minutes on Doncaster Rovers
That’s easier said than done. In Doncaster Rovers QPR come up against a team that plays football the right way with and without the ball under an astute manager. They’re already making waves at this level and defying the critics who said their relative lack of financial clout in the transfer market would make them the whipping boys of the Championship this season. That may yet turn out to be the case but they’ve done themselves proud so far and represent a big threat to Rangers this Saturday.

But let’s rewind, we almost missed a chance to laugh at Leeds United there. Doncaster Rovers went through a decline in the 1990s rarely seen before or since and at one stage the disease infesting the club looked terminal. In 1998 a team with only nine professional players, training at the local park and managed by the ever detestable Mark Weaver, who admitted himself to knowing little about the game, was relegated from the Football league with four wins to its name all season. You know things aren’t going well when your club chairman, Ken Richardson in Doncaster’s case, tries to burn down the main stand for the insurance money. Some of the crueller Scunthorpe fans remarked at the time that it might have made improvements to the hell hole of a stadium that Doncaster called home at the time.

Doncaster lost 8-0 to Leyton Orient that season, and to Nottingham Forest. Cardiff bagged seven against them, Exeter, Notts County, Peterborough and Darlington five each. The penultimate home match, a 2-1 defeat against Notts County, was watched by just two and a half thousand people, and the majority of those were from Nottingham. Just 739 watched them lose to Barnet that season, and Weaver, whose only previous experience in the game came running the Stockport County matchday lottery, picked David Smith in goal mainly because he was his neighbour and, well, you have to keep the neighbours happy don’t you? They were relegated to non-league with just 20 points to their name, and a startling goal difference of -83. They conceded 113 in total. Fans brought a coffin to the final game against Chester City to mark the occasion.

Fast forward a decade and Rovers were at the new Wembley for a League One play off final against Leeds United. Nobody gave them a chance of winning it but then Rovers have become used to that over time. A diving header from one time QPR target James Hayter was the only goal of the game, Doncaster had won promotion, Leeds had lost, the footballing public at large laughed and cheered in equal measure. Most of us are still laughing now – if Doncaster do nothing at all this season they’ll have produced the television spectacle of thousands of Leeds fans crying for us once again and any team that manages that is a friend of the people in this country. The cheers could be heard across the channel.

So why the sudden turn around in fortunes? Well after that relegation Richardson was ousted, and tried for fraud, and replaced by John Ryan – former council house tenant and Doncaster fan for 40 years who made his money marketing Melinda Messenger’s breasts to an eager British public among other things. Ryan is an instantly likeable guy, always smiling, always laughing, deeply in love with his football team and making a real success of his lifelong dream. He even got on the pitch for Rovers as a late substitute at Hereford as they made their way back up the league ladder.

Plans were immediately put in place for a new stadium across the lake from the old Belle Vue ground and that was completed 18 months ago. It’s a bit samey and soulless like all new stadiums but it’s a million miles from their old home which remains the worst place I’ve ever watched football in my entire life. Ian Snodin was put in charge of the team and rebuilding began, first with high profile signings like Neville Southall, and then with more workmanlike players. Eventually, with current Darlington boss Dave Penney at the helm, Rovers started to advance back from whence they came.

As well as the new ground and a return to the league Ryan promised when he took over to take them back to the second tier of English football, they arrived this summer after granting the nation’s wish against Leeds, and the only remaining target that he set back in 1998 when he bought the club for £50,000 is taking it to a major cup final. Only a penalty shoot out in the League Cup quarter final against Arsenal three seasons ago after victories against Man City and Aston Villa in previous rounds denied them a shot at it then.

They made it back into the league, rebuilt and rejuvenated, via the Conference play offs in 2003 and quickly worked their way through the bottom division into League One under the guidance of Penney. His removal after such success was seen as a strange move by many but Ryan did his homework, picked his man and went out and got him. Eyebrows were raised when Sean O’Driscoll, 20 years with Bournemouth as player, coach and manager, moved north to spearhead the continued revolution but what a shrewd appointment it’s turned out to be.

O’Driscoll has always got his teams to play good football, I remember watching his Bournemouth team with Wade Elliott pulling the strings at Scunthorpe as they passed their way to promotion from League Two a few years back and I was impressed then. Watching Doncaster beat Leeds (I wonder how many times I can mention that in this piece?) and then doing the same to Derby on day one it seems that the free flowing football is still in evidence and the way they took Southend apart in the play off semi final last season was something to behold. Ryan remembered O’Driscoll after watching Bournemouth beat Doncaster 5-0 several years before the appointment. He headed a shortlist of one for the job.

Everybody, including we have to admit this website, wrote Doncaster off pre-season. O’Driscoll, a quiet man who rarely cracks a smile or raises his voice, has bemoaned the massive spending power of the clubs Doncaster have to compete with but if the opening week of the season is anything to go by the football they play and the work ethic and team work they display will catch a few of the Bertie big timers out – Derby was a predictable first notch on the bed post for me, but I bet they won’t be the last. I expect Doncaster to struggle over a whole season with their small squad but QPR and everybody else they face this season will underestimate them at their peril.

Men to watch
Looking down the Doncaster squad few names stand out, and the two that do are both injured and unavailable for this weekend. There’s a real emphasis on team over individuals though and they play a lovely passing style – QPR might actually learn a thing or two this Saturday after our disorganised looking team showboated, nutmegged and injury feigned its way to a 3-0 defeat in Sheffield last week.

The two names you may know who aren’t playing are Darren Byfield and Jason Price. Byfield, of ‘knobbing Jamelia’ fame, was an Ian Holloway transfer target during his time with Aston Villa’s youth set up but went to Walsall instead, followed by spells in this league and the one below with Gillingham, Millwall, Rotherham, Sunderland and Bristol City. He often flatters to deceive really, never quite fulfilling the potential he once showed, and has under 100 league goals in well over 300 appearances to his name. Still Rovers see something in him and he’s the headline purchase of an otherwise quiet summer, arriving on a free from Bristol City. A hernia has kept him out so far.

You don’t miss Jason Price when he plays, built like a centre forward but more often spotted on the wing, QPR fans may remember him impressing against us for Swansea and Tranmere in our League One days. He also played a part in the Hull City revolution under Peter Taylor before moving to Doncaster on a free in 2006 – he scored eight goals in the promotion campaign last season.

Of those that are available QPR fans will no doubt remember Northern Ireland international Stuart Elliott. Hull City fans said he’d be one of the top wingers in the Premiership when he bagged 30 goals from wide midfield in their promotion campaign of 2004/05. In the end the Championship was all too much for him except for one painful afternoon in January 2007 when he scored twice in the final minute of the match to turn a 1-0 QPR lead into a 2-1 defeat at the KC Stadium. That hurt.

Striker James Hayter, scorer of the glorious Leeds defeating Wembley goal, has featured in all three games without scoring so far – he was another targeted by Ian Holloway during his time as QPR manager when Hayter was at Bournemouth but O’Driscoll eventually brought him north with him for £200,000, a fee more than made up for by that goal. Honestly I’ll never get tired of mentioning it. Paul Heffernen has a hat trick against QPR to his name from his Notts County days but hasn’t really impressed since for either Doncaster or Bristol City. The main goal threat comes instead from Lewis Guy who has both the Rovers goals scored so far this season – something of a surprise considering he only has 18 to his name in his whole Rovers career and only got eight last season. Watch for his late runs into the box nevertheless.

Further back another player familiar to R’s fans from our time downstairs is Richie Wellens – a tough tackling, no nonsense midfield player who was sent off on his last visit to Loftus Road, a 5-0 defeat for his club at that time Blackpool on the opening day of the 2003/04 season. Wide of him is former Newcastle trainee James Coppinger who excelled at Conference level with Exeter City and has since been carried up the leagues with Donny – he loves to cut in off the wing and try a shot and did so to great effect in the Southend play off semi final last season where Rovers won 5-1 and he scored three times.

At the back we all know former Wimbledon and Spurs keeper Neil Sullivan, he played a part in the defensive error leading to Cardiff’s equaliser last week, and he plays behind, among others, Matt Mills who is a promising young centre half signed for £300k this summer from Man City after a successful loan spell. Few star names, but a superbly organised and dedicated team unit.

Previous Meetings
Slim pickings for this section this week with Doncaster visiting Loftus Road for the first time since the 1966/67 season. QPR won the Third Division and League Cup that season and easily disposed of Rovers 6-0 in W12. Since then the R’s have been north to Belle Vue twice, the return fixture that season which we drew 1-1 and a typical FA Cup disaster in the mid 1980s where despite dominating for long periods Rangers were knocked out by a late strike from David Harle.

Head to Head:
QPR wins – 3
Draws – 1
Doncaster wins – 5

Previous QPR v Doncaster results
1984/85 Doncaster 1 QPR 0 (FA Cup)
1966/67 Doncaster 1 QPR 1
1966/67 QPR 6 Doncaster 0
1958/59 QPR 3 Doncaster 1
1958/59 Doncaster 2 QPR 0
1951/52 QPR 0 Doncaster 2
1951/52 Doncaster 4 QPR 0
1950/51 Doncaster 0 QPR 2
1950/51 QPR 1 Doncaster 2

QPR’s 6-0 victory against Doncaster at Loftus Road in a our promotion and League Cup winning double season is he featured match in our ‘Connection and Memories’ section this week. Click here for more details.

Team News
Iain Dowie is able to select Martin Rowlands for the first time this season after the captain completed his three match suspension last week. He will surely be the first name on the team sheet in the middle of midfield. That may well mean a five man midfield to accommodate Parejo because it’s hard to imagine the Real Madrid boy and Rowly being given responsibility for the middle of the field – we need a Leigertwood or Mahon in there to hold and it’s likely to be the latter this week I think. Up front none of the strikers have inspired so far, just as we thought would be the case, so take one or two from Blackstock, Balanta, Agyemang and Di Carmine. At the back Ramage is available at right back if they decide to replace Connolly, it remains to be seen whether Hall and Gorkss keep their places after last week’s aberration. That just leaves the goalkeeping spot which Cerny currently holds, or should that be flaps at, but Lee Camp must be pushing hard for a recall. Sources suggest that decision is still “50:50” as I write this on Thursday night.

Doncaster travel south with no new injury worries following an opening week that saw them take four league points from Derby and Cardiff but lose in the League Cup to bottom division side Notts County. Sean McDaid (dislocated knee) and Gordon Greer (hip) remain sidelined while two or their most threatening attackers Jason Price (foot) and summer signing Darren Byfield (hernia) are back in training but are unlikely to be risked. Jos Van Nieuwstadt (good luck on the public address system with that one Billy) has recovered from a knock and trained this week so could play. Brian Stock missed the Welsh game in the week with a back injury but is in the travelling party.
Injury List

Referee
Suffolk’s Mick Thorpe is a regular visitor to Loftus Road and he’s back in W12 for the first time this season on Saturday. This is his first Championship game of the season and he’s got a mixed history with QPR in recent years. Sad irony - he was the official for the Southampton home game this time last season in the immediate aftermath of Ray’s death.
Details

Elsewhere
The live televised game on Saturday lunch time features Charlton and Reading who have both recently crashed out of the Premiership. The Addicks failed to return at the first time of asking last season and have had to tighten their belts considerably this summer while Reading are attempting to avoid a similar fate. It just remains to be seen whether we can find a pub in the whole of London willing to put the bloody game on for us to watch. In the evening Plymouth welcome newly promoted Swansea to Home Park and I’d back the Welsh side to go there and win. Elsewhere Ipswich v Wolves at Portman Road looks like the game of the day to me but the Championship cameras will feature Forest v Watford at the City Ground as their main match on Sunday morning.
Tony’s Championship Preview

Form
QPR come into this game on the back of a very poor performance and comprehensive three goal thrashing by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last week. Prior to that though they’d notched up two wins and scored five goals in the process. The R’s were distinctly unimpressive and unconvincing against Barnsley at Loftus Road on the opening day but managed to scrape through 2-1 and then turned on the style in the League Cup at Swindon eventually winning 3-2 but deserving much more than that.

Doncaster have started life at their new level very soundly indeed. I wasn’t surprised to see them win 1-0 at Derby on day one although many hailed it as a shock, and they were unlucky not to repeat the scoreline against Cardiff in South Yorkshire last Saturday – only a late defensive calamity allowed the Welsh side to bag an equaliser. In between they were beaten 1-0 by League Two side Notts County in the first round of the cup after extra time. In pre-season a real mixed bag of results offer few clues of what to expect – Newcastle United lost 1-0 at the Keepmoat but a week later Bolton won there 5-0. Rovers won 2-0 at Port Vale but lost 1-0 at Morecambe and drew 1-1 with Scunthorpe United from the lower divisions.
Form Guide

Prediction
I’m expecting a very similar game to the Barnsley one here. Lots of QPR fans expecting the team to turn up and win very well and subsequently lots of moans and groans if we’re not two goals up inside ten minutes. Expect fans to be on the players’ backs, a lacklustre performance and hopefully a narrow win again but this isn’t a sustainable situation. Either the players have to improve or the fans have to lower their expectations otherwise home games are not going to be something to look forward to.
QPR 2 Doncaster Rovers 1

Don’t forget to register your prediction for Saturday’s match in our Prediction League which offers a QPR season ticket if one of us wins the overall network competition. There will also be spot prizes throughout the season.

Discuss this story on the Message Board

Click here and be the first user to comment on this article

 

Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.


You need to login in order to post your comments

Southampton Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© FansNetwork 2024