QPR On The Blue And White Horizon!!

QPR Badge
By James Maskell
August 5 2002

Chesterfield are one of the bookies favourites to go down this season – again! After a couple of poor performances in the pre-season friendlies, can the lads bring it all together on Saturday against QPR.

Chesterfield travel to QPR this weekend looking to impress after poor performances in the friendlies against Derby and Boro. Rushbury’s side will need to pull something out of the bag if it wants to take anything from Loftus Road. We cannot afford to start the season as we finished 2001/2002.


Much of the criticism for these performances has been aimed at Dave Rushbury and his assistant Lee Richardson. Especially after certain comments from Lee, such as ‘We hope we don’t get injuries’ and ‘the squad has improved because the players are fitter’. Hopefully their optimism will prove to be correct and we will get off to the season in style.

On the injury front, only Dave D’Auria and Keith Rowland seem to be worries for this Saturday, after both being subbed against Derby, and both missing the Boro game. Rowland went off with a slightly pulled hamstring, D’Auria picked up a knock early on and still may feature on the bench on Saturday.

Predicted team :- Muggleton, Payne, Howson, Dawson, Blatherwick, Edwards, Burt, Brandon, Ebdon, Allot, Hurst.

Queens Park Rangers

After a couple of troubled seasons going though financial difficulties, QPR finally exited administration two months ago. They will now be looking to build on last season’s position of 8th in Division 2, and start bouncing back to the big time.

Star Player: Kevin Gallen

Kevin signed for the club in 1992 when he was 17. He played just over 140 games for the R’s and scored 40 goals in his first 8 years at the Road. He left QPR in 2000, and joined Huddersfield on a Bosman. He played 30 games and scored 10 goals in his only year with Town. He then moved to Barnsley at the start of last season, playing 8 games and scoring 2 goals. Finally in the Autumn of 2001, Kevin came home. He finished last season with 7 goals for the R’s. People will be expecting more this season.

Last 5 Meetings:

(A) 09/03/02 0-0

(H) 15/12/01 2-3 Reeves, Howard

(A) 18/03/61 2-1 Mays, Havenhand

(H) 29/10/60 0-1

(A) 28/03/60 3-3 Frear, Lewis, Hutchinson

Prediction:

We have to get off to a good start. A point away a Loftus Road isn’t a bad start, 1-1, with Jamie Burt Scoring.