| Overrated QPR Hero's 14:26 - Sep 17 with 11023 views | 2Thomas2Bowles |
Kevin Gallen, Average strike with I in 4 for Rangers. stupid song, only one goal against the scum. [Post edited 17 Sep 2018 14:29]
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| Overrated QPR Hero's on 15:04 - Sep 18 with 1643 views | Rs_Holy |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 08:45 - Sep 18 by NW5Hoop |
There's a germ of truth in the OP. I interviewed Gerry Francis about this, years and years ago. His view was that Gallen scored all the goals in the youth team because physically he was streets ahead of other teenagers — he had reached his maximum speed and strength a couple of years earlier than the kids he was playing against (and remember his physique when he got into the first team, which was not that of a slight kid; he was built like a man). However, when he started playing senior football, he found that opponents were often stronger and often quicker, and he didn't actually have the technique to outplay them (he'd never needed technique as a youth player). Francis didn't think the injury had much to do with him never matching his youth team record at senior level. [Post edited 18 Sep 2018 8:47]
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Interesting! Although I get the impression Gerry never rated Kev even when he was managing us in the Championship? The first time Gallen left I remember him saying that he was not first choice and wanted to play regular footy. Shame as he had an absolute blinder at Pompey for the final game of that particular season. The following season Gerry’s first choice (Rob Steiner) didn’t play because of (ironically), a career ending knee injury... and we got relegated!
When Kev returned to us in League 1 the team was on a bit of a bad run and we didn’t have much up front (apart from Andy Thomson... it was all a bit DouDou really). I remember King Kev’s return in 4-0 home win against Swindon... He immediately looked a quality player compared with what had gone before him that season! The next few seasons were fabulous, and the partnership with Furs was quality…. He is a legend in my eyes and not just because of the blurb above! |  | | |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 16:51 - Sep 18 with 1526 views | CiderwithRsie |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 16:13 - Sep 17 by Juzzie |
2T2B: What's the acceptable criteria for a player to be deemed a hero?
I would imagine everyone has their own. |
1. Ability to beat them, just for one day
2. Ability to steal time, just for one day
3. Notwithstanding the fact that nothing, nothing can keep us together: the ability to beat them for ever and ever
Ability to swim, like dolphins can swim is optional. |  | | |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 21:55 - Sep 18 with 1387 views | Padulas_Shampoo |
Kev was great. Such a stable team player for year after year.
Agree about the song though - stupid. We should have done better. |  | | |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 22:39 - Sep 18 with 1343 views | Benny_the_Ball |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 08:45 - Sep 18 by NW5Hoop |
There's a germ of truth in the OP. I interviewed Gerry Francis about this, years and years ago. His view was that Gallen scored all the goals in the youth team because physically he was streets ahead of other teenagers — he had reached his maximum speed and strength a couple of years earlier than the kids he was playing against (and remember his physique when he got into the first team, which was not that of a slight kid; he was built like a man). However, when he started playing senior football, he found that opponents were often stronger and often quicker, and he didn't actually have the technique to outplay them (he'd never needed technique as a youth player). Francis didn't think the injury had much to do with him never matching his youth team record at senior level. [Post edited 18 Sep 2018 8:47]
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Having attended the same school as Kevin I have to agree with Gerry. At 13/14 Kevin was already well built and considerably stronger than his peers. That gave him a significant advantage in youth games as he was able to bully opponents. However as he got older the playing field levelled out and he lost his competitive advantage. The idea that he lost this edge because of the injury sustained at Portsmouth is a rather convenient urban myth.
That said, I think it's a bit rich to include Kevin in a list of overrated QPR heroes. Yes he wasn't the most technically gifted or prolific of players but his standing with supporters goes beyond simple statistics. An Acton boy whose family are QPR through and through, he lived the dream by playing for his boyhood team during a period that is remembered affectionately by supporters. Put simply, he's one of our own. [Post edited 18 Sep 2018 23:18]
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| Overrated QPR Hero's on 23:09 - Sep 18 with 1333 views | ozexile |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 22:39 - Sep 18 by Benny_the_Ball |
Having attended the same school as Kevin I have to agree with Gerry. At 13/14 Kevin was already well built and considerably stronger than his peers. That gave him a significant advantage in youth games as he was able to bully opponents. However as he got older the playing field levelled out and he lost his competitive advantage. The idea that he lost this edge because of the injury sustained at Portsmouth is a rather convenient urban myth.
That said, I think it's a bit rich to include Kevin in a list of overrated QPR heroes. Yes he wasn't the most technically gifted or prolific of players but his standing with supporters goes beyond simple statistics. An Acton boy whose family are QPR through and through, he lived the dream by playing for his boyhood team during a period that is remembered affectionately by supporters. Put simply, he's one of our own. [Post edited 18 Sep 2018 23:18]
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This is a Bizarre thread. Now Gerry didn't really rate him?
You don't get premiership debuts at 18 years old unless you're quality. End of thread. | | | |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 23:24 - Sep 18 with 1317 views | CliveWilsonSaid |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 22:39 - Sep 18 by Benny_the_Ball |
Having attended the same school as Kevin I have to agree with Gerry. At 13/14 Kevin was already well built and considerably stronger than his peers. That gave him a significant advantage in youth games as he was able to bully opponents. However as he got older the playing field levelled out and he lost his competitive advantage. The idea that he lost this edge because of the injury sustained at Portsmouth is a rather convenient urban myth.
That said, I think it's a bit rich to include Kevin in a list of overrated QPR heroes. Yes he wasn't the most technically gifted or prolific of players but his standing with supporters goes beyond simple statistics. An Acton boy whose family are QPR through and through, he lived the dream by playing for his boyhood team during a period that is remembered affectionately by supporters. Put simply, he's one of our own. [Post edited 18 Sep 2018 23:18]
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Put even more simply. He's one of us. |  |
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| Overrated QPR Hero's on 08:28 - Sep 19 with 1225 views | Rs_Holy |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 23:09 - Sep 18 by ozexile |
This is a Bizarre thread. Now Gerry didn't really rate him?
You don't get premiership debuts at 18 years old unless you're quality. End of thread. |
Apologies if my memory is playing tricks with me but I can remember an interview with Gallen at the end of the season when he first left us.
He said that he'd spoken to Gerry and he had told him that he would in all honesty only be a squad player. Kev did say that he had no hard feelings towards Francis or the club but decided it was best for everyone if he moved on. Gerry may have come to his conclusions during those first couple of seasons when he was adapting to first team footy??? There is no doubt that in that particular season he was behind Steiner and Kiwomya in the pecking order and Gerry even dabbled in the loan market for Beck and Gareth Taylor and even seemed to be favouring Sammy Koejoe over Kev towards the end of the season. (Btw - Some of those selections may have been down to a number of players being injured???). | | | |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 16:20 - Sep 19 with 1140 views | PeterHucker |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 08:28 - Sep 19 by Rs_Holy |
Apologies if my memory is playing tricks with me but I can remember an interview with Gallen at the end of the season when he first left us.
He said that he'd spoken to Gerry and he had told him that he would in all honesty only be a squad player. Kev did say that he had no hard feelings towards Francis or the club but decided it was best for everyone if he moved on. Gerry may have come to his conclusions during those first couple of seasons when he was adapting to first team footy??? There is no doubt that in that particular season he was behind Steiner and Kiwomya in the pecking order and Gerry even dabbled in the loan market for Beck and Gareth Taylor and even seemed to be favouring Sammy Koejoe over Kev towards the end of the season. (Btw - Some of those selections may have been down to a number of players being injured???). |
You're right about when Gallen left the first time. He wasn't getting in the team much. Pretty sure that at one point Gerry said in a post match interview that he thought Gallen needed to work a bit harder on his fitness to get back on the teamsheet??
Gallen always speaks very highly of Gerry Francis to this day though so I think it's a bit daft for us to jump to conclusions about any kind of falling out.
I've heard him speak on the podcast a few times about leaving and he is always very practical about it, saying that's how football is. I've never heard him blame Gerry or anyone else for the situation.
I remember his last game at Portsmouth in 2000, it was a boiling hot day on the last day of the season. Langley scored a cracking goal down the far end in the first half. Pretty sure Gallen didn't start the match. Seem to remember him coming on as a sub and looking determined to score (maybe he knew he was leaving? maybe he just wanted to exorcise the demon of his injury there?)
He received the ball just outside the box, knocked it to the side of the defender and buried it in the corner. Great goal.
Would love to see that goal and the Langley one again but just been looking on Youtube, can't seem to find it.
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| Overrated QPR Hero's on 16:44 - Sep 19 with 1114 views | oldmisery |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 14:56 - Sep 17 by Rs_Holy |
"Gallen signed a professional contract for Queens Park Rangers on his 17th birthday after setting phenomenal scoring records whilst in the youth team, breaking Jimmy Greaves' long-standing record at that level" (pinched from Wiki btw).
I think that knee injury almost ended his career? At the very least he had to adapt his game and become a different sort of attacker. Less pace but more of a holding and bringing others into the game kind of player. |
Being old I can't remember where I was when I heard the Hammersmith Horse claim credit for Magic Hat's South East Counties League etc scoring feats - but he said something along the lines of, 'I made nearly all of Kevin's goals in those days'. Who knows, maybe he did. Was Mr Smegma watching back in the day? | | | |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 16:53 - Sep 19 with 1110 views | Esox_Lucius |
I used to watch a lot more than the first team back then and Danny was influential in creating a lot of chances for Kev so I wouldn't completely dismiss his claim. As a balance, I would have said that Paul Goddard was of importance to Clive Allen despite Clive being one of the most natural goalscorers I have ever seen play for us. |  |
| The grass is always greener. |
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| Overrated QPR Hero's on 17:53 - Sep 19 with 1056 views | Match82 |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 21:55 - Sep 18 by Padulas_Shampoo |
Kev was great. Such a stable team player for year after year.
Agree about the song though - stupid. We should have done better. |
Kevin Gallen's decent
He doesn't wear a hat
He plays for Queens Park Rangers
I haven't met him personally but he seems like he's probably a lovely chap
He scores with his left foot sometimes
He scores with his right
And when we play the Chelsea
He rarely scores but when he does it's a great night |  | | |
| Overrated QPR Hero's on 00:10 - Sep 20 with 947 views | connell10 |
Did you start this thread because you have some personal axe to grind with Kevin gallen if you did it’s pathetic and crass! |  |
| AND WHEN I DREAM , I DREAM ABOUT YOU AND WHEN I SCREAM I SCREAM ABOUT YOU!!!!! | | Poll: | best number 10 ever? |
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