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Season Review 2005-06
Tuesday 23rd May 2006
by Ron Norris
 

 

SEASON REVIEW: AUGUST 2005

The second part of our season review takes us back to the formative months of the campaign as we look back to August, September and October.

August 2005

   
     
     

 

 

Ian Holloway began the month by confirming that he was shaking up his coaching staff, although as it turned out it was a more a gentle rock than a shake up .

Gary Waddock was pushed away from the first team in favour of Tim Breaker and Gary Penrice. Waddo would be in charge of developing our elite youngsters in the reserves.  

The squad rebuilding continued apace with the arrival of Mauro Milanese from Perugia on a one year deal, Mauro became Ian Holloway’s seventh singing of the season.

   

Rangers kicked off the campaign with a 0-0 draw at Hull City but it was the atrocious chants of the home fans that grabbed all the headlines. Hull quickly apologised and promised to ban anyone they could prove was guilty of the offence.

Lee Cook became the first of many players to get crocked this season when he managed to tear his knee ligaments during the opening game and was forced to sit out the next six weeks with the injury.

Kevin Gallen and Martin Rowlands scored Rangers’ first goals of the season as we beat Joe Royle’s Ipswich 2-1 at Loftus Road and we made it two wins from two at home when we saw off Sheffield United by the same scoreline thanks to strikes from Marc Bircham and Stefan Moore.

Neil Warnock was his usual gracious self after the match, "It was one of those games that you sit back and look at it after and wonder how you lost it” he said. Conceding one more than you scored probably didn’t help none Colin.

However things took a turn for the sinister when the behind the scenes shenanigans that we are all now only too aware of broke in the press. The club released a statement confirming the police investigation whilst Chairman Bill Power declared himself “completely bewildered”.

   

Rangers were the first ever visitors to the Ricoh Arena as Coventry opened their new ground for the first time, we played the role of polite guests by rolling over for a humping as the home side won 3-0.  

Rangers were knocked out of the League Cup in the first round, again, at Northampton Town, again! The Cobblers won 3-0 thanks in no small part to a typically woeful cup performance and a just as typically woeful Andy Hall refeering performance. Ian Evatt was sent off and former R Eric Sabin won and converted one of the most dubious penalties you will ever see. After the game Andy Hall literally ran away and hid from a furious Ian Holloway.

 
   

Supporters concerns regarding the state of the club off the field shot through the stratosphere when the news broke of Mark Devlin’s redundancy and Bill Power’s removal as Chairman. With the club in turmoil the Monaco consortiums had acted swiftly to take full control of the board, even flying in the lesser spotted Dunga to swing the votes in their favour.

Then just before you could say “spoon full of sugar” two new signings were announced. Richard Langley returned to Loftus Road from Cardiff whilst Steve Lomas also joined from West Ham. Langley was delighted to be back at the club saying “I just can't wait to pull on a shirt and start playing. I'd like to think I have improved as a player, I have the same attributes but I've added a few touches to my game.” Bad ones, as it turned out.

   

< CONTINUE TO SEPTEMBER 2005 >

 

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