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Lucky Ref Wright In Charge At Wolves

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Kevin Wright from Cambridgeshire will referee the R`s clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend, an appointment that brings back positive memories for Rangers.

Kevin started refereeing in 1995 and was promoted to the national list of assistant referees in 2000.

The 38-year-old was subsequently promoted to the referees list in 2003 and has taken charge of six Rangers games since then.

In his first season as an official Mr Friend had his first taste of Rangers, as the R`s took on Tranmere Rovers at Loftus Road. The Division Two fixture pitted two of the previous season`s form teams against one another.

Formidable striker Simon Haworth handed the visitors the lead in the fifth minute, before Kevin Gallen equalised moments after half time.

The next season the R`s were playing Championship football following promotion as runners up, and Mr Friend saw them send another team down to the depths of League One. Nottingham Forest were the visitors to W12 with faint hope of staying in the Championship to play for.

Darryl Powell was given his marching orders by Mr Wright in the 32nd minute – an incident eloquantly described by Vital Forest editor Guinless:

He said: “That was without doubt, the worst team ever to put on a Forest shirt.

“I was at that game and the performance that day just about summed us up back then.

“My abiding memory of the day, (apart from the magnificent away support) is of the pathetic foul by Darryl Powell, that earned him a sending off. He even had the brass neck to argue with the ref!”


Suffice to say Forest were sent tumbling to League One with an own goal from soon to be Ranger John Curtis, added to by an exquisite strike by the now retired Marc Bircham. Young German Eugen Bopp bagged a consolation but results elsewhere didn`t go for the Tricky Trees who were relegated.

Rangers came through adversity at Derby County despite their numerical disadvantage at happy hunting ground Pride Park. The R`s had the lead courtesy of winger Gareth Ainsworth, but worse was to follow.

Paul Furlong eventually took the bate from Emerson Thome as he had a little flick out at the antagonising Brazilian and was given his marching orders on 34 minutes. It was backs against the wall stuff for Rangers.

Derby threw everything at QPR throughout the game, with Rangers only able to play on the counter attack. Substitute Stefan Moore managed to spurn two guilt-edge one on ones as it seemed a matter of time before the Rams would make the R`s pay for their wastefulness.

Against all the play and all the odds Kevin Gallen cut inside from the left and bent the ball into the far corner – cue ratpures in the away end.

Even a consolation goal from Derby loanee Dexter Blackstock wasn`t enough as Rangers were victorious at Pride Park under the watchful eye of Mr Wright.

Next up for the official and QPR was a New Years Eve thriller at Gresty Road as Rangers were victorious in a game that ebbed and flowed one way and another.

Eddie Johnson handed Dario Gradi`s men the lead on 15 minutes, before Lee Cook darted down the wing which the R`s fans populated to place home, the R`s then took the lead courtesy of a Shabazz Baidoo strike.

However Luke Varney and Steve Jones bagged the goals to put Alex in front at the break, with Ian Holloway`s men pondering a deficit going into the second period.

The R`s came out like a house on fire in the second period, and in a game which swung both ways the R`s started creating some meaningful chances. Martin Rowlands slammed the ball home from distance to equalise, before Richard Langley won the game and sent the R`s fans home in a happy ending to 2005.

There was a fairly non-descript 0-0 draw away at Cardiff City with dynamic Danish duo of Sammy Youssouf and Marc Nygaard unsurprisingly not breaking the deadlock at Ninian Park, with Richard Langley returning to play against his former club.

Finally Mr Wright oversaw another Derby demolition at Pride Park with new signing Wayne Routledge tearing the Rams to shreds. The recently signed winger bagged a goal after some sloppy defending before squaring for Mikele Leigertwood to double the scoreline before half time for Paulo Sousa’s men.

So far this season Mr Wright has officiated 29 games and handed out 68 yellow cards and five reds, giving him a card average of 2.34.

Mr Wright & Queens Park Rangers

QPR 1-1 Tranmere Rovers – 25-10-03
Goals: Kevin Gallen 47; Simon Haworth 5.
Yellow Cards: Terrell Forbes; Sean Connelly, Iain Hume.

QPR 2-1 Nottingham Forest – 30-04-05
Goals: John Curtis 45og, Marc Bircham 51; Eugen Bopp 77.
Yellow Cards: Kevin Gallen, Generoso Rossi; Darryl Powell
Red Cards: Darryl Powell.

Derby County 1-2 QPR – 29-10-05
Goals: Dexter Blackstock 84; Gareth Ainsworth 30, Gareth Ainsworth 80.
Yellow Cards: Paul Peschisolido
Red Cards: Paul Furlong.

Crewe Alexandra 3-4 QPR – 31-12-05
Goals: Eddie Johnson 15, Luke Varney 39, Steve Jones 45; Lee Cook 35, Shabazz Baidoo 37, Martin Rowlands 51, Richard Langley 88.
Yellow Cards: Billy Jones

Cardiff City 0-0 QPR – 25-03-06
Goals: NONE
Yellow Cards: Glen Loovens.

Derby County 0-2 QPR – 17-01-09
Goals: Wayne Routledge 22, Mikele Leigertwood 36.
Yellow Cards: Mo Camara, Andy Todd.

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