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[Steve Russell]

QPR (5) – Coventry City (1) – ‘Gould’s Side were Humiliated & it was too much for Gould to Bear’
FA Carling Premiership

Team: Stejskal, Bardsley, Peacock, McDonald, Wilson, Impey (Holloway), Wilkins, Barker, Sinclair,
Ferdinand, Allen (B)
Subs Not Used: Roberts, Yates

Attendance: 12,979

Rangers took on Coventry City at Loftus Road on 23rd October 1993. Roy Wegerle appeared for
the visitors and Tony Flood later wrote the following:

‘Manager Bobby Gould quit as Coventry City manager after this hiding. Gould took chairman
Brian Richardson into the Gents toilet to break the news – then informed the press:
“I’ve told the players and the chairman that I have resigned.”

Gould’s erratic side were humiliated – and it was too much for Gould to bear.

To rub salt into the wound, most of the damage was done by Les Ferdinand and Bradley Allen,
whom he had coached during his spell at Rangers as No.2 to Don Howe.

Ferdinand shot Rangers ahead before Allen made it two. Then, keeper Jonathan Gould,
Bobby’s son – collided with team mate Phil Babb, and the ball fell for Allen to thump another goal.

Andy Impey fired QPR’s fourth before Peter Ndlovu slotted in a consolation goal for Coventry.
Back came Rangers and Simon Barker hit the fifth.

And this short report appeared elsewhere: ‘Gerry Francis is a difficult man to please.

Fresh from a 5-1 victory over Coventry, which led to the resignation of his opposite number
Bobby Gould, the Queen’s Park Rangers manager expressed disappointment that his buoyant
team did not keep up their form in the second-half.

“We were a little slack with the passing in the second-half. It may be difficult when you’re 3-0 up,
but we let our standards slip,” Francis said.

Coventry were woeful, but Les Ferdinand – scorer of the first and instrumental in the third, fourth
and fifth Rangers goals – and Darren Peacock, a Gould signing when he was coaching at Loftus Road,
were the pick of the crop,’

Jim Hooley had this to say about Bobby Gould’s departure:

‘Bobby Gould has quit as Coventry’s manager – official. There will be no going back from the
spur-of-the-moment decision made at Loftus Road on Saturday, and relayed to his chairman in the
Gents toilet minutes after his team had been hammered 5-1 by QPR.

Gould laid low at home yesterday, but returns to London today to face a charge of bringing the
game into disrepute but is unrepentant after calling referee Peter Foakes and linesmen ‘pitiful’ at
Oldham in August.

Typical Gould, who has always bristled over inadequate amateurs deciding the fate of professionals,
and never been afraid to incur the FA’s wrath by saying so.

The football lesson from QPR was the straw that broke the camel’s back for 47-year-old Gould after
12 years carrying the burdens of management at unfashionable clubs of modest means.

Rangers suffered a 1-2 defeat at Old Trafford the following week.