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D`Urso Refs R`s Sky Clash

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Andy D`Urso from Billericay will referee Saturday`s match live on Sky against Birmingham City.

My D`Urso began his way up the refereeing ladder in 1994, where he managed to progress to the Premier League in relatively quick fashion, before gaining FIFA status in 2004.

In a career that has been littered with incident and incompetency, D`Urso was marched around Old Trafford by Roy Keane after handing Middlesbrough a penalty – at Old Trafford, is he mad?

The incident with regards to the Barry Ferguson is one that saw him given a ban from refereeing, which his top flight career failed to recover. He handed a second yellow card to Ferguson but failed to produce a red, even after consultation with fourth official Keith Hill Mr. D`Urso didn`t act. In his post-match report, he omitted the incident and was subsequently suspended for 28 days.

In 1997/98 he refereed the R`s twice – a home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but that was followed by a thumping 5-0 home win over Middlesbrough, in which he sent off ITV pundit Andy Townsend.

The following season, D`Urso took charge of Rangers twice more; the League Cup win over Walsall – with Danny Maddix and Steve Slade winning the game in extra time – however Maddix got his marching orders as D`Urso sent him off in a 2-1 defeat at home to Watford.

Forward then to 2001 and the R`s relegation from Division 1 – Mr. D`Urso oversaw one game that particular season, a 1-1 home draw with Watford once more. Michel Ngonge the solitary R`s goal scorer from the spot against his former club.

With Rangers in Division 2, they conducted a ‘Kids for a Quid` day at home to Cambridge United, explaining the 18,071 in attendance. But lacklustre Rangers could only muster a 0-0 draw under the watchful eyes of Mr. D`Urso.

He presided over a home draw in the R`s promotion season, as Luton held the R`s to a 1-1 draw. Enoch Showunmi equalised Paul Furlong`s earlier effort.

In 2005, Mr. D`Urso opted to send off Paul Furlong for a foul on Guy Butters – a decision that baffled the home crowd, and left Butters himself pretty amused at the decision, with D`Urso the only person who witnessed an elbow – The game ended in a goalless draw. As the season drew to its close the R`s picked up an away win against Ipswich Town courtesy of a couple of traditional Kelvin Davis blunders.

Firslty kicking the ball into the back of Paul Furlong`s head from a goal kick, allowing the forward to slot with ease – then coming out flapping as Danny Shittu put the R`s two up from a set-piece.

Marco Reich put the R`s to the sword live on Sky as Crystal Palace beat the R`s 3-1. Later that season Rangers drew 1-1 away to Sheffield Wednesday, before Mr. D`Urso gave Marc Nygaard his marching orders in the R`s unfortunate 2-1 defeat at home to Watford.

There were two games in quick succession for Mr. D`Urso and QPR when he took charge of Rangers away win over Southampton, with another Kelvin Davis blunder meaning Ray Jones took the points. The Jimmy Smith and Dexter Blackstock helped the R`s to a vital 3-2 win over forlorn Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.

Last season Mr. D`Urso saw the best and worst of Rangers – overseeing the sacking of John Gregory as Rangers once again faltered live on Sky. The 5-1 defeat away at West Bromwich Albion was the straw that broke the camel`s back in a string of poor displays from the R`s.

However he refereed the R`s in the same season under a wave of optimism as the club was transformed under Gigi De Canio. Two crackerjack`s from Mikele Leigertwood put the R`s two in front against Stoke City before Andy Griffin was given a ludicrous sending off, all played out in front of the Sky cameras. Akos Buzsaky finished the Potters off in style.

In Mr. D`Urso the R`s have an official with plenty of experience, but is prone to rash decision making and incompetent blunders which has seen his demise from a FIFA rated official, as he works his way back down the ladder.

In eight games this season Mr. D`Urso has handed out 11 yellow cards and no reds.

Mr. D`Urso & Queens Park Rangers

QPR 0-2 Wolves – 12th August 1997
Goals: Steve Froggatt 13, Mixu Paatelainen 86.
Booked: Simon Barker; Keith Curle.

QPR 5-0 Middlesbrough – 4th March 1998
Goals: Steve Vickers 32og, Paul Bruce 37, Kevin Gallen 38, Mike Sheron 45, 53.
Booked: Kevin Gallen, Steve Yates; Andy Townsend.
Sent Off: Andy Townsend.

QPR 3-1 Walsall – 26th August 1998
Goals: Mike Sheron 68, Danny Maddix 99, Steve Slade 114; Andy Rammell 80.
Booked: Karl Ready, Tony Scully; Andy Rammell.

QPR 1-2 Watford – 20th February 1999
Goals: Gavin Peacock 45; Nick Wright 16, Tommy Smith 70.
Booked: Tim Breaker, Danny Maddix, Matthew Rose, Peter Kennedy, Rob Page, Allan Smart.

QPR 1-1 Watford – 7th March 2001
Goals: Michel Ngonge 51pen; Allan Neilsen 66.
Booked: Iain Baraclough, Karl Ready; Tommy Mooney, Paul Robinson, Nordin Wooter.

QPR 0-0 Cambridge United – 2nd February 2002
Goals: None
Booked: Marcus Bignot, Richard Pacquette.

QPR 1-1 Luton Town – 27th March 2004
Goals: Paul Furlong 46; Enoch Showunmi 76.
Booked: Kevin McLeod, Martin Rowlands

QPR 0-0 Brighton – 1st January 2005
Goals: None
Booked: Georges Santos
Sent Off: Paul Furlong.

Ipswich Town 0-2 QPR – 26th February 2005
Goals: Paul Furlong 4, Danny Shittu 75.
Booked: Jason De Vos, Jamie Scowcroft; Richard Edghill.

QPR 1-3 Crystal Palace – 3rd October 2005
Goals: Gareth Ainsworth 19, Marco Reich 14, 17, Tom Soares 89.
Booked: Marcus Bignot, Marc Bircham, Paul Furlong, Danny Shittu; Emmerson Boyce, Gabor Kiraly, Ben Watson.

Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 QPR – 11th March 2006
Goals: Deon Burton 13; Marc Bircham 43.
Booked: Mikkel Bischoff, Deon Burton.

QPR 1-2 Watford – 22nd April 2006
Goals: Marc Nygaard 39pen; Ashley Young 42, Georges Santos 78og
Booked: Marc Nygaard; Jay DeMerit, Darius Henderson.
Sent Off: Marc Nygaard.

Southampton 1-2 QPR – 30th September 2006
Goals: Jermaine Wright 3; Dexter Blackstock 34, Ray Jones 40.
Booked: Mario Licka; Zesh Rehman.

Luton Town 2-3 QPR – 11th November 2006
Goals: Adam Boyd 45, Ahmet Brkovic 45; Jimmy Smith 33, Markus Heikkinen 51og, Dexter Blackstock 54.
Booked: Dexter Blackstock

West Bromwich Albion 5-1 QPR – 30th September 2007
Goals: Kevin Phillips 17, 39, Ismael Miller 18, Robert Koren 57, Jonathan Greening 66; Gareth Ainsworth 24.
Booked: John Curtis, Martin Rowlands.

QPR 3-0 Stoke City – 2nd March 2008
Goals: Mikele Leigertwood 12, 21, Akos Buzsaky 56.
Booked: Michael Mancienne; Richard Cresswell
Sent Off: Andrew Griffin.

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