QPR Official Site - June 23 1998
BOSS CONFIRMS TEAM CHANGES FOLLOWING an important meeting at the club, Rangers have confirmed Vinnie Jones
as assistant manager and Iain Dowie as reserve team boss. Both men will continue to play. Boss Ray Harford says:"Vinnie wants to learn the managerial side of the game. He’ll be my assistant,
with duties to coach and play as well. He wants to get on the other side and it’s a good opportunity for him.
It’s a situation which suits Vinnie very well, and we can get good value out of him as a coach, assistant manager and a player."
"Iain Dowie is in a similar situation, as he wants to go on to the other side as well.
So he’s going to double up on taking the reserves and also playing.
"Vinnie and Iain are very mature, and they have been great acquisitions for us in so much that you need some mature men
around the place. They want to become managers and coaches in their own right, so it’s an ideal situation for everybody.
"Another big change here is the Academy for youth football. It’s great news for QPR that we have been granted a license.
Most of the Premier League clubs are launching these Academies, so I’m pleased that we are matching them."
And IAIN DOWIE
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - DOWIE RELISHING NEW ROLE IAIN DOWIE is pleased with his new job as player-coach at Rangers. It will enable the 33 year old to continue his striker's role in the first team squad, whilst expanding on his coaching duties.
Iain says:"I will be involved with the first team and I’ll also take the reserves when they’ve got a game. It’s nice because it’s important that I keep on playing for Rangers, but it will also be interesting to coach - especially in bringing on some of the younger lads.
"I want to be as professional in this as possible. I’ve studied a lot of textbooks on coaching, from abroad and from at home. Everyone has ideas that they want to bring to coaching and I’m no different.
"When I first signed for Rangers, Ray Harford hinted that he might want to get me involved on the coaching side. And it something I’ve always wanted to do. But I’ve certainly been keeping myself fit and I still want to play. I’m fully over my sinus operation, so I'm looking forward to getting back and getting involved. I want to help ensure that QPR's season is a lot more profitable than it was over the past year.
"We’re going to make it a tight and very well organised ship. Training will be enjoyable but it will also be hard. We will encourage the players here to play positive and fluid football when going forward, and be difficult to beat when we’re defending. That means a lot of hard work from the players
"But I believe we’ve got enough potential in this squad to score goals and do good things. It is important that we have that belief and for the coaching staff to instill it in the players," he says.
