Queens Park Rangers v Bristol City

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…
TWO guys stood in reception
at the Ealing Gazette offices.
With apologies to today’s
guests Bristol City, this was
all about west London rather
than anything linked to the
west country.
One of the pair was Ian Stewart
who had dazzled on the wing
as he helped Queens Park
Rangers into the top flight in
1982/83 (and might have a few
pointers for Mark Warburton’s
present Prem wannabes if
asked). Ian was an affable,
friendly guy who I’d got to
know through covering the R’s
and sharing a mutual passion
for music. Alongside him was
Paul Cook. Paul flipping Cook!
The famed drummer of the
Sex Pistols himself.
Cook and Pistols guitarist Steve
Jones had formed a band called
The Strand while at school
at Christopher Wren (now
Phoenix High) on the White
City Estate across the road
from Loftus Road; one which
morphed into the legendary
punk band with QPR supporter
Glen Matlock on bass (pre-Sid
Vicious) and, of course, Johnny
Rotten on vocals.
Northern Ireland international
Stewart instigated the two
getting together by asking to
meet Cook, an enthusiastic
amateur footballer and sports
fan, who agreed to see him.
Stewart thought I might be
interested in the fact ‘Cookie’
and he had become mates and
started to use a new snooker
club called the Starlite in
Allendale Road, Greenford.
Stewart, in the middle of
helping Terry Venables’
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