1. Chris Day

Chris Day signed for Rangers from Watford in the summer of 2001 on a free transfer. Day is a former England under 21 keeper and was highly rated when he was at Spurs but never quite made it at White Hart Lane. Day had a spell at Palace before moving to Watford and despite some excellent performances he have never been able to make the number one shirt his own.

So far he has looked an excellent keeper for QPR. In pre season he made some stunning saves against Celtic and Chelsea and already looks a bargain signing by Ian Holloway.

Chris was proving to be a very popular player when disaster struck in October and a broken leg in injury time against Oldham means he is know out of action for the rest of the season

Day returned from injury and went on loan to Aylesbury to get some first team football. The loan spell did him some good and he was back in the QPR team in March 2003. His first game back was at Huddersfield where he produced an excellent performance.

Day brought confidence into his defence and didn't concede a goal in his first three games back in the team as Rangers went on the run which got us in the playoffs.

In the playoffs Day proved what a quality keeper he is. In the last minute of the game against Oldham we were getting ready to celebrate when Fitz Hall whit a deflected shot and Day got down brilliantly to turn it away when the ball looked to have gone behind him. It was a superb save, one of the best I have ever seen and got Rangers into the playoff final.

In the final itself he made another brilliant save to further enhance his reputation but couldn't stop us losing the game.

Day set out his intentions to stay at the club when he signed a new two year contract after the playoff final defeat. He was also voted as first choice goalkeeper in the Best QPR Team of the 2000's for a virtual best of QPR tournament on this website.

The 2003/04 season saw him start as number one keeper again and produce some excellent performances. Backing up a solid defence he only conceded three goals in his first thirteen league games at Loftus Road which played a huge part in us staying unbeaten in the league at Loftus Road.

Day made one of the saves of the season in a tight win at Wrexham. It was Gordon Banks like in it's brilliance. A cross from the right saw the defence ball watching and Hector Sam was totally unmarked and as it seemed a certain goal Chris Day ran across and produced a truly magnificent save to tip it over the bar when it looked impossible for him to keep it out.

His performances in goal were as good as any from a QPR keeper since Premiership days as he commanded his area and produced save after magnificent save. The last ten minutes against Plymouth saw Day make five brilliant saves to make sure we kept a clean sheet.

Day was just getting better and better before his first real poor run of form since joining the club hit and we were on the end of two four goal defeats in a matter of weeks. Day lost his place and then picked up a shin injury which saw him have an abscess on his shin and ruled him out for six weeks. By the time he was fit again Rangers had signed Lee Camp on loan and Day couldn't get back in the first team.

It was a shame for Day but he had done more than enough for the team all season and he fully deserved to pick up his runners up medal which he had worked so hard to win.

Day was back in the number shirt for the start of the season and despite a poor start by the team his own form was reasonably good. With no real competition for his place some fans began to question if Day was in a comfort zone but as the team went on a seven match winning run those thoughts were soon banished with Day looking one of the better goalkeepers in the division.

As results began to turn for the worse questions began being asked of Day. He appeared to be showing weakness in his communication with the defence and in coming for crosses which was causing a few murmurs of discontent.

After a poor performance by everyone at home to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup Ian Holloway moved to bring Simon Royce in on loan. Day was now out of the side again due to a loan signing and his career at Loftus Road looked over.

His time at QPR looked dead when he moved to Preston on a months loan. Day did well for the playoff chasing side and looked set to join them on a free transfer before QPR recalled him deciding he was still needed this season.

After Simon Royce returned to Charlton, Chris Day was back in the first team against Leeds United and made his 100th appearance for QPR in the defeat at Burnley.

Day is a quality goalkeeper but was released by QPR on a free transfer at the end of the 2004/05 season. He’ll always be remembered as a quality goalkeeper who has made some breathtaking saves whilst playing a huge part in getting the club to a playoff final and eventually to promotion.

You can read a triburte to Chris Day at the Unofficial Watford Website http://www.bsad.org

 

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