Season 20/21: The Official QPR v Swansea City Match Thread

[swansnews]

Queens Park Rangers v Swansea City
The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, White City, London
Saturday December 26 2020, 3.00pm Kick Off

The Swans next match is away at Queens Park Rangers on Boxing Day where Steve Cooper will be hoping that his side can build on the victory over Barnsley that saw him celebrate Christmas with his side 3rd in the table.

The game is at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium - formerly known as Loftus Road - named now after a charity set up in the name of their former youth player who was stabbed to death in 2006, aged just 15.

The Swans have the rare luxury of a week off after a hectic period of games that saw us play nine times in four weeks following the last international break. Despite that run of games, the Swans took a satisfactory 17 points from the 27 available during that period and with three games in a week coming up again a good return will see us head into 2021 (and the halfway point of the season) very much a serious promotion contender.

As ever on Planet Swans we have for you some of the most comprehensive pre-match coverage in our matchday thread that will bring you all you need to know over the next few days ahead of the game on Saturday although it is of course a very different Boxing Day fixture list this time without fans able to attend most games.

Feel free to share your thoughts as we build up to the game - would you make changes ahead of the game or how will we fare on a ground where we have won big and lost equally as big in recent years.

The match will be broadcast live on Swans TV.

View attachment Swans TV 2.jpg

 

[swansnews]

YOUR VITAL STATISTICS

Last 6 meetings
View attachment Last 6.jpg

Last 6 meetings at QPR
View attachment Last 6 at Loftus Road.jpg

Per Match Stats
View attachment Per Match Stats.jpg

Goals Record
View attachment Goals.jpg

Disciplinary Records
View attachment Discipline.jpg

Team Characteristics
View attachment Characteristics.jpg

Top Scorer Comparison
View attachment Scorer comparison.jpg

 

[swansnews]

LAST TIME OUT AT THE KIYAN PRINCE FOUNDATION STADIUM
Queens Park Rangers 5 Swansea City 1
FA Cup Third Round
5th January 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNnpKB7GGc8

 

[swansnews]

LAST TIME OUT AT THE LIBERTY STADIUM
Swansea City 0 Queens Park Rangers 0
EFL Championship
11th February 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfXRuIjaEq4

 

[swansnews]

LAST LEAGUE MEETING AT THE KIYAN PRINCE FOUNDATION STADIUM
Queens Park Rangers 1 Swansea City 3
EFL Championship
21st August 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xc7LjNVQAI

 

[swansnews]

QPR'S LAST MATCH
Wycombe Wanderers 1 Queens Park Rangers 1
Saturday December 19 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nBQX32GrlI

 

[swansnews]

SWANSEA'S LAST MATCH
Swansea City 2 Barnsley 0
Saturday December 19 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC438ia12R8&t=464s

 

[swansnews]

Who was Kiyan Prince?

(From Wikipedia) Kiyan Prince was a 15-year-old British boy who attended the London Academy in Edgware. He was fatally stabbed on 18 May 2006, receiving a single lethal knife wound, while intervening to prevent the bullying of another boy. Described as "an outstanding and upstanding boy", Prince was a prodigious footballing talent, and represented the Queens Park Rangers youth football team.

Spurred by this personal tragedy, Prince's father, former boxer (and ex-International IBF and WBO Champion) Mark Prince, founded the Kiyan Prince Foundation (KPF) in early 2007. It is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to using Kiyan's legacy to combat knife crime and other forms of youth violence. Its mission is to:

work with young people to increase awareness and address the consequences of gun and knife crime through education. It aims to empower young people by promoting a sense of belonging, self-worth and purpose that can be found outside of gang culture and offending behaviour through providing access to diversionary and preventative activities.

On 7 June 2019, following nominations and a fan vote from a shortlist, it was announced that the Loftus Road stadium would be renamed the 'Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium'

In 2007, Hannad Hassan was given a life sentence for the murder and told that he had to serve at least 13 years of that sentence. Earlier this year, as news of a potential appeal surfaced, Kiyan's father said that no appeal should take place until he had the chance to meet face to face with the man who took his son's life.

I don’t believe that Hannad should be able to apply for parole before I am able to speak with him one on one.

I had arranged to visit him last year but through no fault of anyone it was cancelled at the last minute.

I believe it is my right to speak to the man who killed my son, who pushed a knife into his body.

Knife crime is like losing two lives – one person dies and another is locked up.
Mark Prince - May 2020

EA Sports FIFA raises awareness for Kiyan Prince Foundation
Source: EFL official website

As part of a new activation by EA Sports, EFL fans will be able to celebrate the memory of former QPR youth player Kiyan Prince within FIFA Ultimate Team.

Through the EFL’s partnership with EA Sports, QPR and the Kiyan Prince Foundation will raise awareness through the activation, which will enable fans to select a number of in-game custom vanity items such as kits, Tifos and stadium dressing.

The Tifo design that will be available for fans within the game was inspired by a photo of Kiyan at QPR, while the kit is a replication of the 2005/6 kit that Kiyan wore in his last season and features the KPF logo on the front. All players names on the back of the shirts will also be set to ‘Prince’ in his honour. This is the first time that an EFL Clubs has featured in game with so many customisable items.

The Kiyan Prince Tifo and kit was available for players to obtain until 6pm on 17 July (2020)

https://twitter.com/90min_Football/status/1280182745000484867

In 2019, Kiyan's father, Mark Prince, was awarded the OBE for his work in tacking knife and gang crime in London.

Upon the award, he said “My son lost his life, and this is what I can give back on behalf of my son. This is not about going around saying ‘oh, I’ve got an OBE,’ because that doesn’t really do anything for me when I go to the cemetery to visit my son."

He added his award demonstrated “that people like us from our community can do great things and be recognised for the great things that we are trying to do for others”.

https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1108037549891747840

YOU CAN DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE KIYAN PRINCE FOUNDATION BY CLICKING HERE

 

[Ringwood Jack]

QPR has always been a funny fixture... either wipe the floor with them or get taken to the cleaners !

 

[swansnews]

BLAST FROM THE PAST
Queens Park Rangers 0 Swansea City 5
The Barclays Premier League
Loftus Road Stadium, White City, London
18 August 2012

The day the Swans lit up the first competitive match of the Michael Laudrup on a blistering hot day in West London. It was the first time we had scored more than four goals away from home in the top flight and set the scene for some of the best days the club had ever seen under one of the world's best footballers.

Match Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fwKDMqysW0

The Planet Swans Match Report

It was a five star display from the Swans as the Michael Laudrup era opened with a comprehensive hammering of QPR at Loftus Road

Two goals each from Nathan Dyer and £2m signing Miguel Michu and a late finish from substitute Scott Sinclair gave Swansea their first-ever win at Loftus Road in 20 attempts.

Swansea hadn't won on the first day of the season since 2005 but Laudrup's new-look side produced a stunning performance on the hottest day of the year in West London.

Laudrup had left want-away winger Sinclair out of his starting XI following the 23-year-old's decision not to sign a new contract but supporters have a new hero to worship in new signing Michu.

He gave Swansea the lead on eight minutes, lashing the ball past former England international Rob Green from the edge of the area.

View attachment Michu QPR.jpg

It was the first goal scored in the 2012/13 Premier League season for a player who hit 15 for Rayo Vallecano in La Liga last season.

QPR responded well and almost drew level three minutes later but Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm produced a brilliant save to deny Jamie Mackie from close range.

New Rangers signings Junior Hoilett and Fabio de Silva went close for the home side and Vorm again saved the Swans on 30 minutes, this time from Adel Taarabt.

Swansea's £2m summer capture Chico Flores hit the crossbar with a header from a Jonathan de Guzman corner five minutes before half time.

Then on the stroke of the half-time whistle Michu hit the bar with a left foot shot when another de Guzman corner fell to him six yards out.

QPR started brightly after the break but Swansea doubled their advantage on 53 minutes.

Wayne Routledge showed some great pace on the counter attack before finding Michu inside the QPR box and the Spaniard placed his first-time shot into the top corner.

With Rangers pushing forward Swansea took advantage and grabbed a third on 63 minutes when Nathan Dyer latched on to Routledge's through ball to calmly slot past Green.

Dyer then sent the away support into raptures with 20 minutes remaining, bringing down a superb ball from substitute Kemy Agustien and finishing past Green.

Mark Hughes' side were all over the place at the back and Sinclair, booed by the away support when he came on, grabbed the fifth and final goal with a brilliant left foot finish past Green.



New Swansea Manager Michael Laudrup:

Winning the first game in my debut - and also the team’s first in their second season in the Premier – away and 5-0. I don’t think anyone could’ve dreamed about that.

Of course, the most important thing is the team and I am very happy for the players.

Last season I think it took until January to win the first away game and it is very important that you know you can win an away game as it gives you a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.

If you know or think you will always lose or maybe only draw, you have to win all your home games.

It has given us a lot, a lot of confidence, which we can bring to Swansea for the next two games to try win at home.

QPR Manager Mark Hughes

A number of individuals did OK but the team performance was nowhere near where it needed to be," added the Welshman.

You can make all the excuses you want, but it doesn't wash with me.

It's unacceptable and highlights there are players who are not where they need to be.

We chased the game when we didn't have to. We became ragged and made bad decisions. We're desperately disappointed with that.

In the end we didn't deserve anything from the game so we have to improve remarkably.

View attachment Mark Hughes.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUbJjFQDHqk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2apLcmEXVI

 

[Blackpooljack]

Before we play qpr i always like to go on youtube and replay that infamous betting site preview of our game in 2012, always good for a giggle

 

[PSumbler]

Before we play qpr i always like to go on youtube and replay that infamous betting site preview of our game in 2012, always good for a giggle

I've just added that to the Blast from the past part of the preview above (good shout!) - https://www.planetswans.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2496&p=32167#p32167

 

[AceJack]

Always take a point at loftus road. I've seen us take a shelling there too many times.

 

[thefranchise]

That second Michu goal is still my favourite Swans goal. It was perfect.

 

[swansnews]

Meet the Ref

View attachment Stephen Martin Referee.jpg

Saturday's Referee is Stephen Martin

Referee Stephen Martin will take charge of the Swans for the third time this season, and the 8th time overall on Saturday as we face Queens Park Rangers. Martin was the man with the whistle for both our hone win over Millwall in October and our game at Brentford at the start of November. It was in that Brentford game that Martin disallowed what we had hoped was a last minute winner for the Swans from Andre Ayew but the offside flag ruled it out. (You can read Jonathan Yeoman's Ref's Watch for that game here)

He also took charge of our game earlier this year at the Kyan Prince Foundation Stadium when we crashed in the FA Cup by a 5-1 scoreline. Add to that two more games in 2020 (a home win over Sheffield Wednesday and that unforgettable night at Reading in July) and the defeat at QPR in January is the only game that we have been beaten in with Martin in charge.

Overall his Championship record this season has seen him hand out 16 yellow cards in 12 appearances with no reds forthcoming.

Toon fans confuse him with Steve Martin the actor

Swans fans will do well to remember not to mix Stephen Martin the referee with Steve Martin the actor which was something that Newcastle fans failed to do when Martin sent off Jonjo Shelvey and Paul Dummett in a Championship match. The toon fans took to Twitter to berate the referee for his performance but, not being the brightest, many of them were Tweeting the Hollywood actor who responded in true comedic style

Evidently, there's someone who's a bad referee with my name, and now there are thousands of English who won't go see my films anymore.

- Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) December 2, 2016

Some of the jibes aimed at the wrong account had been

• @SteveMartinToGo should never referee at this level again

• @SteveMartinToGo absolute shocker of a performance Steve. Reffing in the championship is not for you

• I'm expecting that Henri Lansbury and @SteveMartinToGo will both be punished for bringing the game into disrepute tonight, cheating cant pay