News today that the footballer/manager/author Terry Venables has died. He was the captain and star of the first QPR team I ever followed, then the manager of my beloved team before he was poached by Spanish giants Barcelona. Known for his wit as well as his sporting intelligence, he led the R's to heights they'd not previously reached (an FA Cup Final!). Thank you for all the great memories.
Learn more about his life here.
Venables features, kind of, in a story about my sister's first time at Loftus Road. One of the visiting players on the field had been hit by the ball in a delicate part of his anatomy. The crowd started to chant, "In the balls, in the balls, in the balls!" The young and innocent child looked up at her father with her big blue eyes and asked, "Daddy, what are they saying?" He replied promptly, "they are singing the name of the manager!"
