City Lead the Chase for Routledge

Several news reports are claiming that Newcastle have accepted City’s bid of £1.5M for winger Wayne Routledge…

The 26 year old wide man was considering a move to Cardiff or Swansea before City stepped in, and has already clocked up appearances for eight clubs, most recently for Newcastle and QPR.
He played in 19 games of QPR’s title winning season, scoring 5 goals and is considered to be a very effective player at Championship level.

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City Edged out at Loftus Road – or – Ish Miller We Will Not Let You Go.

Queens Park Rangers 1:0 Leicester City

City matched the league’s best side for 87 minutes on Saturday, before QPR sub Ishmael Miller struck a late winner to put QPR another stride towards the Premier League…

Sven Goran Eriksson made two changes to his side for this eagerly awaited clash with the league leaders, Mee replacing the injured Van Aanholt at left back and Oakley coming into the midfield in place of Gallagher.
Roared on by 3,200 visiting fans City enjoyed a bright start, Vassell setting up Yakubu in the box before the Nigerian was shoved over by Hall, who escaped punishment from the ref.
At the other end, Mee, Bamba and Burma looked solid dealing with the considerable threat of Taarabt. 
In a tight encounter the first good save came from Ricardo on 27 minutes when he blocked a fierce shot from Helgusson with his right foot.
Rangers went close again when a rare piece of slack marking allowed Hall an overhead kick, which sailed over the bar.
At the other end Yakubu broke down the left and attempted a lob over Kenny which the R’s keeper tipped over at full stretch. From the resulting corner the ball fell for Yakubu whose half volley flew a couple of inches over the bar.
Yakubu then chested a ball into King’s path but the youngster couldn’t summon his usual accuracy.
The 0-0 scoreline at half time reflected what had been an even contest between two of the league’s best sides.
Rangers had the best of the early stages of the first half with Ricardo doing well to parry a well struck Buzsaky shot at his near post, Helgusson heading over from a Taarabt free-kick; and Routledge firing into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Sven brought Waghorn on for Vassell on the hour and although he battled well to create two good chances for himself, he couldn’t get either on target.
The first saw him in a chase on goal with Connolly, who he robbed of possession before lifting his shot just over. 
King then hit the bar with a header from a Yakubu lob and Abe fired over from 25 yards.
As City’s fine spell contiinued Waghorn’s deft touch presented him with a chance from 8 yards before two defenders dived in to smother the opportunity.
Miller than came on for Taarabt with four minutes left and gave City an instant lesson in taking your chances…
Latching on to a through ball from Routledge, Miller’s fresh legs kept him ahead of Bamba and the West Brom loanee slotted the ball past the advancing Ricardo to win the game for the home side.
It was hard to accept that City had earned nothing from a very good display, and suddenly the task of reaching the play-off places looked that much harder.
Neil Warnock described it as: “A fabulous game between two cracking sides..” and for once it was hard to argue with him.
Sven looked a little down, saying: “It’s hard to lose a football match like that, but we’ll come back, still eleven to go.”

QPR: Kenny, Hill, Orr, Hall (Connolly 31), Shittu, Routledge, Derry, Buzsaky (Ephraim 89), Taarabt (Miller 86), Faurlin, Helguson. Subs Not Used: Smith, Cerny, Vaagen Moen, Hulse.   
Leicester: Ricardo, Bamba , Naughton, Mee, Bruma, King (Gallagher 79), Oakley, Abe, Wellens, Yakubu (Dyer 86), Vassell (Waghorn 65). Subs Not Used: Vitor, Weale, Berner, Moreno.

 Referee: R East (Wiltshire). Attendance:18,068.

A Kick Up the R’s

Leicester City 0:2 Queens Park Rangers

City suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to league leaders QPR yesterday afternoon, unable to cope with the visitors’ gamemanship or find a way through to goal…

Paulo Sousa changed Tuesday’s winning side, bringing Fryatt in for Howard, and City found themselves a goal down to the leaders after just 11 minutes. Taarabt lobbed a cross over from the right and an unmarked Mackie kept up his goal a game record launching a header beyond the reach of Ikeme.  
There was little other notable action in the first half with Rangers content to sit on their lead and City unable to convert possession into penetration. Waghorn sent a free-kick over the bar, and then, having inadvertently blocked a Fryatt shot, found the ball at his feet but was unable to beat keeper Kenny from close in. 
The second half was an ill-tempered affair with some familiar Warnock spoiling tactics and City never got close to the level of Tuesday night’s performance.
Fryatt fired a shot over and King sent a side-footer straight at Kenny when well-placed.
Gallagher and Howard came on for Dyer and Oakley, with City revereting to 442, but they still failed to make any impression on a tough QPR back line. Howard almost immediately received a forearm in the face, one of many incidents missed by the ref, and had to go back off to stem the flow of blood. There were two other good shouts for a penalty – for handball and for a bearhug on Howard, but the ref was giving City nothing.
Kenny then went down for a long period of treatment after landing awkwardly, and had to have his goalkicks taken for him which gave QPR more opportunties for time-wasting.
City never really looked like scoring and Rangers doubled their lead in the 86th minute.
Mackie took possession out on the left, waltzed round a pedestrian Morrison and then beat Ikeme with ease to claim the three points and delight the large away following.
Seven minutes of stoppage time couldn’t help City, who had been mugged by a highly professional Rangers side.
They weren’t good enough at the front or the back and Paulo Sousa has to go back to the drawing board.

Leicester: Ikeme, Berner, Hobbs, Neilson, Morrison, King, Dyer (Gallagher 58), Oakley (Howard 63), Wellens, Fryatt, Waghorn. Subs Not Used: Logan, Moreno, Moussa, Abe, Miguel Vítor.
QPR: Kenny, Hill, Connolly, Gorkss, Walker, Derry, Buzsaky, Ephraim, Taarabt ( Leigertwood 78), Mackie (Smith 89), Helguson (Agyemang 73). Subs Not Used: Rowlands, Cerny, German, Parker.

Referee: G D Scott. Attendance: 22,968.

FOX 171 – On Sale Today

FOX 171 – the September issue will be on sale before the QPR game this afternoon… 

from the usual selling points round the ground and CGS News on Burnmoor Street…

Waghorn Punishes QPR

Leicester City 4:0 Queens Park Rangers

Leicester returned to form and halted their losing streak with a 4-0 over QPR, a goalkeeping error tipping a finely balanced game in City’s favour…

Nigel Pearson made three changes to his starting line-up for this vital clash, with Neilson, Oakley and Dyer making way for Brown, Gallagher and Spearing.
City desperately needed an early goal instil some confidence after a run of four defeats and it duly arrived in the 5th minute. Wellens lobbed a ball into the penalty area and Howard rose to nod it down into the 6 yard box where King inched in front of his marker to prod the ball past Ikeme.
The rest of the half saw few chances in a tight encounter, but the tide turned in City’s favour just before the break.
Although Rangers had the ball in the net when Leigertwood’s long range effort deflected off Simpson, wrong-footing Weale, the lonesman’s flag was up for offside.
Soon after this the on-loan Wolves keeper handed control of the game to City on the stroke of half time. Ikeme made a dreadful hash of his clearance as he sprinted out to meet a long hoof forward from Brown. He didn’t connect properly and presented the ball to Waghorn who carefully guided it into the unguarded goal from 40 yards out.
Five minutes into the second half Waghorn struck again and this time it was one for the scrapbook. The youngster was fed down the right by Wellens and he cut inside before unleashing a terrific shot into the top left hand corner. 
QPR tried to come back, but the defence were in a mean mood. Simpson had a shot blocked by Weale on one of the few occasions they got through.   
Waghorn almost completed his hat trick with two near misses inside a minute. One effort crashed against the bar and another fine shot arrowed over the left hand angle.
At the other end Taarabt brushed the outside of the right hand post with a low shot on the turn, but it was City who would add to the scoreline. Morrison lobbed a high cross in from the right hand touchline and Howard nodded the ball past Ikeme, despite the close attentions of his marker.
With ten minutes remaining Waghorn was replaced by Vaughan and was given a standing ovation off the field. Sadly we might not be seeing much more of the Sunderland striker in a City shirt.
The rest of the game saw a Mexican Wave, much baiting of Neil Warnock, and a crowd now looking forward to an exciting run in… City had bounced back from a poor run in emphatic style, but results elsewhere meant it was ‘as you were’ with City, Swansea and Blackpool now contesting two play off places.
Nigel Pearson commented: “We needed a good response, there was no doubt about that. The result was always going to be more important than the performance, and that turned out to be the case.”

Leicester: Weale, Brown, Berner, Hobbs, Morrison, King, Wellens (Vaughan 80), Spearing, Gallagher, Howard, Waghorn (Adams 80). Subs Not Used: Logan, Oakley, N’Guessan, Kermorgant, Neilson.
QPR: Ikeme, Ramage, Stewart, Hill, Gorkss, Leigertwood, Ephraim, Taarabt, Faurlin, Cook (Buzsaky 55), Simpson (Balanta 77). Subs Not Used: Vine, Tosic, Cerny, Oastler, German.

Referee: Trevor Kettle (Berkshire). Attendance: 22,079.

City Triumph at Loftus Road

Queens Park Rangers 1:2 Leicester City

City produced a superb performance at Loftus Road on Friday night, coming from behind to win 2-1, Matty Fryatt netting both the goals…

Nigel Pearson made two changes for the visit to in-form QPR, with Berner replacing McGivern at left back and N’Guessan in for Gallagher. 
There was a sense of deja vu as City lined up against blue and white hooped opposition for the second time in five days, and an entertaining, open, attacking encounter unfolded right from the kick off.
Play swung from one end to the other… Borrowdale found the side-netting with a shot on the turn; then Waghorn was inches away from connecting with a Fryatt cross from the right. Routledge broke clear, but sent his shot wide, while Waghorn had a chance saved by Rangers’ keeper Cerny.
In the 14th minute Waghorn then found the net but the celebrations were halted by the linesman’s flag. 
The end to end stuff continued and Weale brilliantly tipped away a Faurlin free-kick at full stretch. 
The breakthrough came for the home side in the 32nd minute, Taarabt and Simpson unzipping City’s backline with a neat passing move that ended with the Moroccan striker slotting home from 15 yards.
Moments later Taarabt almost doubled Rangers’ lead but his shot went narrowly wide.
Instead it was City who bounced back… Waghorn and Wellens combined well down the left, N’Guessan delivered a perfect cross from the left, and Fryatt nipped between two defenders to nod home from inside the six yard box.
City looked the stronger side after the break – Waghorn was again a split-second too late to reach an N’Guessan cross, and N’Guessan narrowly failed to nod in a Wellens cross at the far post.  
At the other end Buzsaky went close with a long range effort, but it was City who were next to trouble the scorers.
R’s keeper Cerny presented City with an absolute gift in the 64th minute. His weak clearance intended for Ramage was intercepted by Fryatt who raced towards goal. This was his third one-on-one on the keeper in five days, but this time he made no mistake clipping the ball past Cerny  and into the net right under the noses of a delighted travelling support.
Weale made a fine save from Routledge as QPR went in search of an equaliser. He got a cut above the eye for his pains and the time it took to bandage him up accounted for much of the 5 minutes that were added on. City weathered the home side’s pressure well and there were no real dramas. A late free-kick for the home side went straight into the wall and City had completed a hugely impressive points haul of 6 from two tricky looking away fixtures.
Nigel Pearson commented: “I’m sure Matty will be delighted to get two goals, but the bigger picture is about results. I thought it was a thoroughly professional performance. We are where we are on merit – although we won’t be by Saturday evening. We can be satisfied with how the season has gone so far – and we are only a third of the way through.”

QPR: Cerny, Borrowdale, Ramage (Vine 67), Stewart (Hall 54), Gorkss, Leigertwood, Routledge, Buzsaky, Taarabt (Agyemang 86), Faurlin, Simpson. Subs Not Used: Ainsworth, Heaton, Alberti, Parker.
Leicester: Weale, Brown, Berner, Hobbs, Neilson, King, Oakley, Wellens, Fryatt (Gallagher 75), N’Guessan, Waghorn (McGivern 89). Subs Not Used: Dyer, Logan, Howard, Kermorgant, Morrison.

Referee: Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire). Attendance: 17.082.

The Best Trip to QPR – Joe Waters’ Debut

Whatever happens at Loftus Road tonight it is unlikely to top Saturday March 9th 1974…

Young Irishman Joe Waters woke up on Sunday morning to find photographers from the national newspapers beating a path to his door. The previous day the Limerick-born twenty year old had been thrown into City’s first team for the first time as a late replacement for the injured Alan Birchenall.
Not just for any old game, but the FA Cup Quater-final against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.
Joe took this opportunity by the scruff of its neck and scored both goals in a 2-0 win in front of the Match of the Day cameras and was made famous overnight.
The photographers took some unseemly photos of Joe, complete with seventies hairy chest rug, sitting up in bed tucking into a fried breakfast surrounded by the papers, with his name in every headline.

Having it Large

This 1969 issue of The Football League Review features Frank Large on the cover, wearing the shirts from each of his league clubs.
It was unusual for a player to turn out for so many teams back then, though these days it is pretty common with the loan system used to full effect (Trevor Benjamin has clocked up twice as many clubs).

Frank’s shirts are: Halifax Town, QPR, Northampton, Swindon, Carlisle, Oldham, Northampton, Leicester, Fulham, Northampton, and after this photo Frank moved to Chesterfield.
Frank was only at Filbert Street between November 1967 and June 1968 but he left a big impression with his bravery, his wholehearted performances and his goals, scoring 11 times in 32 appearances.  Especially memorable were his two goals in a dramatic 4-3 FA Cup victory over Manchester City at Filbert Street.
The big striker left City as part of the deal that brought Allan Clarke to Leicester and he was missed in a season that ended in relegation.
At the end of his much travelled career Frank retired to Ireland and sadly passed away in 2003 aged just 63.