Dowie Named In QPR Role

Iain Dowie has today been announced as the first team coach of Queens Park Rangers after weeks of speculation finally came to fruition.

The striker, who ended his career at Rangers making 31 appearances and scoring 2 goals, has today been unveiled as the man who will carry Rangers forward into the promise land of the Premier League.

Dowie had his first taste of management at Loftus Road, when he took caretaker charge of relegation threatened Rangers after Gerry Francis` resignation. He was overlooked for the role as manager however as the R`s punted for another ex-player, Ian Holloway.

He went on to manage Oldham and worked wonders with the Latics, getting them to a playoff place and discovering a classy defender named Fitz Hall. They succumbed to playoff defeat at the hands of Paul Furlong`s late strike at Loftus Road, to send the R`s to the Millennium Stadium.

His exploits caught the eye of Simon Jordan at Crystal Palace, and they snapped him up, leaving Oldham behind who beat the R`s in their first game without Dowie, with Earnie Cooksey dampening promotion chasing Rangers title aspirations.

His time at Crystal Palace was nothing but a success taking a side from the bottom of the league and watching them soar through the division to comfortably attain a playoff place, giving rise to two new phrases, the ever popular Bouncebackability and Doing a Crystal Palace which Palace themselves have done again this season.

He was victorious at the Millennium Stadium courtesy of veteran striker Neil Shipperly, but Andy Johnson`s goals throughout the season were a big help to Dowie, who took his side into the Premier League. It lasted only one season as they were relegated on the final day to the Championship once more. Getting his side in the playoffs once more Dowie left Selhurst Park in somewhat acrimonious circumstances claiming he wanted to go back up north.

He did go up north and he ended up at Charlton, albeit not the Shetland Islands but nevertheless north. His tenure at Charlton was short and sweet with Charlton only allowing him two months of the season before giving him the boot, and bringing in Les Reed, then Alan Pardew. Dowie then ended up at Coventry where he helped to steady the ship at the West Midlands club, who, in similar circumstances to his time at Oldham, were in financial dire straits.

A new chairman held new ideas and Dowie was out the door at Coventry, the second sacking of his career. He was replaced by ex-Fulham boss Chris Coleman who led the Sky Blues to safety.

In his management career Dowie has a win percentage of 39%, with his best spells being in charge of Coventry and Crystal Palace, where he had a win percentage of 41% in both.

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