Post by QPR Report on Dec 9, 2009 17:10:17 GMT
An Alleged Dressing-Room Altercation, and The Great TV Licence Fee Swindle
John Ashdown and Paul Doyle
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 9 December 2009 16.53 GMT
A Fiver Lawyer gears up to tackle today's edition. Photograph: Public domain
"WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T MENTION OR EVEN HINT AT THE [SNIP! - FIVER LAWYERS]"If the Fiver had £10* to stick on a Championship manager from the Emerald Isle losing the run of himself with a member of his playing staff, we'd have gone for the mobile phone-hating journalist despiser that is the current boss of Ipswich Town.
But no, it's jolly Jim Magilton who is said to have been tipped over the edge by his players' fecklessness. The QPR manager, who has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing, was suspended by the club today following allegations that he was involved in an alleged dressing-room altercation after his team's alleged [You don't really need that one - Fiver Lawyers] defeat at Watford on Thursday, allegedly involving Hoops midfielder Akos Buzsaky ... allegedly [That should do it - Fiver Lawyers]. Claims that Magilton also [Snip! - Fiver Lawyers] Buzsaky with his [Snip! - Fiver Lawyers] and then [Snip! - Fiver Lawyers] his [Snip! Snip! Snippety-snip! - Fiver Lawyers] are unconfirmed.
QPR are a club for whom crisis and controversy are familiar friends, the sort who pop round occasionally, drunkenly pass out on the settee and then drink all the milk in the morning. Of late, Flavio Briatore's attempts to turn Rangers into a 'boutique club' - artichoke blinis replacing meat pies, taffeta neck wraps instead of scarfs ... that sort of thing - alienated fans and his notoriously hands-on approach to first-team affairs has been a greater source of irritation than Itching Powder Ketchup for a succession of managers. This latest incident, then, is hardly out of keeping with recent events in west London.
"The club can confirm that the manager Jim Magilton has been suspended with immediate effect pending an internal investigation," wiffled QPR in a statement. "The suspension relates to an incident which occurred at Monday's Championship fixture against Watford at Vicarage Road. The club will be making no further comment at this stage." Buzsaky had been rumoured to have handed in a transfer request, though his comment today - "It is not true at all" - suggests that may not be the case.
"This is an unfortunate situation and I look forward to resuming my responsibilities shortly," said Magilton today, as QPR stalwarts Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham prepared to step into his Size 11s for the time being. But the Northern Irishman might be missing a trick. Magilton v Buzsaky, coupled with Pulis v Beattie at the weekend, proves alleged managerial rucks are often far more interesting than the football itself. Perhaps ManagerSlam 2010 could provide a televisual rival to next summer's World Cup. Pulis v Magilton, the combatants naked and still dripping from the showers ... is the Fiver alone in preferring that prospect to Honduras v Switzerland? Eh? Oh.
*The Fiver does not have £10
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/09/the-fiver-football-liverpool-champions-league
John Ashdown and Paul Doyle
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 9 December 2009 16.53 GMT
A Fiver Lawyer gears up to tackle today's edition. Photograph: Public domain
"WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T MENTION OR EVEN HINT AT THE [SNIP! - FIVER LAWYERS]"If the Fiver had £10* to stick on a Championship manager from the Emerald Isle losing the run of himself with a member of his playing staff, we'd have gone for the mobile phone-hating journalist despiser that is the current boss of Ipswich Town.
But no, it's jolly Jim Magilton who is said to have been tipped over the edge by his players' fecklessness. The QPR manager, who has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing, was suspended by the club today following allegations that he was involved in an alleged dressing-room altercation after his team's alleged [You don't really need that one - Fiver Lawyers] defeat at Watford on Thursday, allegedly involving Hoops midfielder Akos Buzsaky ... allegedly [That should do it - Fiver Lawyers]. Claims that Magilton also [Snip! - Fiver Lawyers] Buzsaky with his [Snip! - Fiver Lawyers] and then [Snip! - Fiver Lawyers] his [Snip! Snip! Snippety-snip! - Fiver Lawyers] are unconfirmed.
QPR are a club for whom crisis and controversy are familiar friends, the sort who pop round occasionally, drunkenly pass out on the settee and then drink all the milk in the morning. Of late, Flavio Briatore's attempts to turn Rangers into a 'boutique club' - artichoke blinis replacing meat pies, taffeta neck wraps instead of scarfs ... that sort of thing - alienated fans and his notoriously hands-on approach to first-team affairs has been a greater source of irritation than Itching Powder Ketchup for a succession of managers. This latest incident, then, is hardly out of keeping with recent events in west London.
"The club can confirm that the manager Jim Magilton has been suspended with immediate effect pending an internal investigation," wiffled QPR in a statement. "The suspension relates to an incident which occurred at Monday's Championship fixture against Watford at Vicarage Road. The club will be making no further comment at this stage." Buzsaky had been rumoured to have handed in a transfer request, though his comment today - "It is not true at all" - suggests that may not be the case.
"This is an unfortunate situation and I look forward to resuming my responsibilities shortly," said Magilton today, as QPR stalwarts Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham prepared to step into his Size 11s for the time being. But the Northern Irishman might be missing a trick. Magilton v Buzsaky, coupled with Pulis v Beattie at the weekend, proves alleged managerial rucks are often far more interesting than the football itself. Perhaps ManagerSlam 2010 could provide a televisual rival to next summer's World Cup. Pulis v Magilton, the combatants naked and still dripping from the showers ... is the Fiver alone in preferring that prospect to Honduras v Switzerland? Eh? Oh.
*The Fiver does not have £10
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/09/the-fiver-football-liverpool-champions-league