Queens Park Rangers vs Reading

HOOPS
|| MEMORY LANE||
AS A SPORTS JOURNALIST WITH THE EALING GAZETTE,
MIKE DONOVAN WAS A MAINSTAY OF THE LOFTUS ROAD
PRESS BOX IN THE 1970S AND 1980S. IN EACH MATCHDAY
PROGRAMME, HE LOOKS BACK ON THOSE UNFORGETTABLE
DAYS OF COVERING QUEENS PARK RANGERS…
AS Mike Myers said, in the
guise of the amateur cable
TV presenter in the comedy
film Wayne’s World, I’m feeling
saucy (in the cheeky sense).
It’s midwinter, mid-season.
When warmth is traditionally
gained in a cold draughty
press box with about five
layers, gloves and a thermal
beanie hat.
But my mischievous sense
of timing thought it might
be fun to feature the time
I completed a pre-season
training session with Queens
Park Rangers when the
summer sun was blazing
down. At best, it would
remind us of the time of year
associated more with T-shirts
than over-overcoats.
It was August 1983 and
Terry Venables’ Rangers had
just been promoted to the
top flight (something Mark
Warburton’s current troops
are hoping to emulate this
term, of course).
I recall being mistaken for a
member of the playing staff
by a reporter – who should
have gone to Specsavers –
asking Venables the identity
of his new signing in reference
to this correspondent.
And the players goodnaturedly
taking the rise out
of me and my lame efforts
to join in a session taken
by assistant manager Allan
Harris – who sadly passed
away in November 2017 –
aided by reserve
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