Magilton leaves QPR in wake of headbutt claims

December 17, 2009

Jim Magilton and his assistant John Gorman have left QPR “by mutual consent”, the Championship club announced Wednesday, a week after the manager was suspended for allegedly head-butting one of his players.

Magilton had denied the allegation that he had assaulted Hungarian midfielder Akos Buzsaky in the wake of a 3-1 defeat at Watford, and vowed to clear his name and return to work.

But any chance of that happening was extinguished on Wednesday as Magilton became the second Championship manager to lose his job in the space of a few hours.

Reading had earlier announced the departure of Brendan Rodgers, who had been in charge for only six months but paid the price for the Royals’ slow start to the season, which has left them one place and three points above the relegation zone.

Magilton was the fifth permanent manager to work under chairman Flavio Briatore in the two years since the Italian took over at QPR.

Former Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is the favourite to succeed Magilton and youth coaches Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham will continue to take charge of the first team pending the appointment of a new manager.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: allegation, appointment, boss, championship manager, flavio briatore, gallen, job, john gorman, london, marc bircham, relegation zone, six months, southgate, watford, youth coaches

QPR confirm three players hit by swine flu

October 29, 2009

Championship club Queen’s Park Rangers confirmed Thursday that three of their players have been hit by swine flu this season.

Goalkeeper Radek Cerny, defender Peter Ramage and, most recently, midfielder Mikele Leigertwood, have been affected by the virus although all are over it now.

“I’m afraid we have had three of the boys out with it,” assistant manager John Gorman told Sky Sports News.

“Mikele Liegertwood had it and he has just come back into the squad last week, Peter Ramage, and our goalkeeper right at the very beginning of the season was out with it as well. So the lads have done really well to recover and it’s back to business again.

“Even our physio had it, it’s one of those things that is going around and you just have to control it, let’s not make a big fuss of it.

“I think we have handled it well and the lads are back now.”

LONDON (AFP)