I don't think many fans will forget where they were when they heard the tragic news that Ray Jones had died on Friday evening.

I was in a car on the way up to a wedding in Peterborough. We'd just listened to the new Queens Pod Rangers podcast, which even included a small piece about Ray Jones being left out of the squad due to injury. We then heard a newsflash on the radio with the words Queens Park Rangers and Ray Jones mentioned.

At first I thought what on earth has gone wrong now and then it became clear that Ray had died in a car accident. It didn't seem real somehow and my dad checked his phone to go on the BBC web site and read that it was true. It was such a shock to the system and the very last thing we expected to hear.

The match at Burnley, which Ray missed out on due to injury, was quite rightly called off, as none of the players, manager or fans would have been in the right frame of mind to play the game. It just didn't seem important.

It was almost impossible to get my head around what had happened and at the wedding later in the day I broke the news to some other QPR fans who were pretty much as stunned as I was.

Police later confirmed that Ray Jones was one of three people killed in a collision between a black Volkswagen Golf and a double-decker bus. Ray was driving the VW Golf having passed his driving test due two weeks ago. Ray's 16 year old brother was also in the car but escaped without any serious injuries.

Ray had only passed his driving test two weeks ago and was only in London on Friday due to a foot injury which ruled him out of the Burnley game.

Ray would have been nineteen on Tuesday QPR fans lay flowers and shirts at Loftus Road as a mark of respect and full credit must go to Burnley Football club who behaved magnificently.

They arranged an open training session for fans to watch instead of the game and had a collection to raise money for the charity of Queens Park Ranger's choice. They are doing the same at their Carling Cup game on Tuesday night, which is a fantastic gesture and should be applauded.

One not so fantastic gesture was made by the BBC who failed to mention Ray's death on Saturday nights Match of the Day and again on Sundays Match of the Day 2. I appreciate Ray wasn't a Premiership player but as a footballer and an England Under 19 international you'd have though it might warrant a mention on a football based programme.

On the other hand hats off to Sky for an emotional tribute made by Chris Kamara and Claire Tomlinson on Goals on Sunday.

It's impossible to know what to say or do at a time like this. Already fans have made suggestions as to how to honour and remember Ray Jones. One of the best suggestions has been to rename the clubs Centre of Excellence after Ray Jones as a lasting tribute.

The club have already moved to pay tribute to Ray Jones by retiring the number 31 shirt that Ray wore last season. The players also all wore Ray's name on their shirts for the game against Southampton.

All of our thoughts should with his family and friends. It's such a tragic lost and Ray Jones will certainly be missed but never forgotten.

The first time I saw Ray Jones, I knew there was something very special there. He was playing park football when myself and John O'Brien, who was the recruitment officer at QPR, came across him. I said to John: 'Just look at that kid. He's 15 years old, he's huge and plays like a 24-year-old. We've got to sign him.'

Ray had such natural ability, great touch and great strength. I knew it would take a while for a boy of that size to grow into his body but there was no doubt in my mind I was looking at a star in the making.

And I knew for sure that he could go right to the top when I met his mum. She was such a superb mother. She was so level-headed and so dedicated to Ray, and determined for him to do well. I thought at that point we had things sewn up at both ends. I'd look after him at QPR, and away from the club we'd have no worries because he was in great hands.

He played for us in an Under-18s game against Swindon. He was still only 15 then. He scored and was outstanding. We wouldn't usually have signed a player after just one game but we signed Ray after that. We'd seen more than enough. In the next game he scored two superb goals and I was thinking to myself we had one hell of a player on our hands. I got really close to Ray after that. We spent loads of time together and he was fantastic. He trained hard and would always be coming to me and saying 'Joe, let's do more training. Let's practise finishing.'

Gary Waddock gave Ray his first-team debut when he was still a second-year apprentice. When he scored his first senior goal, I said to Ray afterwards that it'd be the first of many. I was totally convinced it would be.

And when he made his international debut for the England Under-19s, when he was still just 17, I looked at him and felt I'd be seeing a lot more of him in an England shirt. I took his mum to that game. I was so proud of him and so proud of her.

Ray Jones died in a car crash last week I'll never forget that night. Everything was moving so fast for Ray. In a short space of time he'd gone from playing in the park to scoring goals for QPR and getting international recognition. Make no mistake about it, before he signed a pro contract last summer there were Premiership clubs interested in signing him.

More recently, he hadn't been playing so much. That was partly down to an injury. It also takes a while for young players with Ray's physique to grow into themselves, adapt and find their feet as a player. I was always convinced that once he got through the teenage years and into his early 20s, he'd be absolutely unstoppable. And I know others in football felt the same.

Compare Ray at 17 or 18 with Peter Crouch at 19. When Peter first came back to QPR from Tottenham he struggled a bit. Ray was stronger than Peter at a younger age, had a brilliant touch for such a big guy and was scoring goals at an even younger age for QPR than Peter did. I used to say to Ray he was better than Crouch was at his age. And look at Crouch now - playing for Liverpool and England. Ray was on the same career path. No doubt about it. He had the attitude and ability to reach the very top.

There was never any doubt in my mind that Ray was destined for the top. Not just the Premier League, but the international stage as well. That's how good he was. He was the most outstanding striker of his type out there. Show me another player of that age, of that size with the natural attributes of Ray's. Ray would have added his name to the list of great players QPR have had down the years, and he would have achieved many great things in his career.

That makes his death even more of a tragedy. I just can't believe it. I spoke to Ray about 10 days ago and I can't take in what's happened. And it comes after the tragic death of Kiyan Prince, who I also worked with. It's very difficult to accept. When I got the call on Saturday telling me what had happened to Ray, it was like the similar, terrible call I received about Kiyan last year.

It knocked me for six. Ray was a credit to himself and his family, and he will be sadly missed and fondly remembered. I was so, so proud of him.

Ray was a beautiful boy. He was a fantastic person, with a big, big heart. He was only 18 years of age and had his best footballing years in front of him. He was already a hero amongst QPR supporters and he had the potential to go on and become a legend. I remember he was the star of the show in my first few weeks here. He scored the first goal of my reign against Hull City and then notched a typical Ray Jones goal against Southampton a week later.

He really did have the footballing world at his feet and the fact he can't go on and fulfil the undoubted potential he had is a tragedy in itself. It's hit everyone at the Football Club really hard. The players are absolutely devastated.

Ray was one of the most popular figures in the dressing room. No-one ever had a bad word to say about him and that for me says everything you need to know about Ray Jones, the person and the footballer. It's a tragic loss and our sympathies and condolences go out to his family and friends at this awful time.

He was a great character, a very popular figure in the dressing room and he will be sadly missed. Words can't really express how we all feel at the moment, but our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this sad time. It is a tragedy that we are all struggling to come to terms with, but we will pick ourselves up and play our hearts out for Ray.

Every kick, every shot, every tackle will be for him. He was one of us and he will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace. Ray was one of us. A footballer with a passion to succeed for himself and for Queens Park Rangers Football Club. It goes without saying that Ray was the most gifted player at the Club. He had fantastic raw ability and was destined for a very bright future, both at Club and international level.

It's a terrible tragedy, he was a great kid and a wonderful talent. It's unbelievable. Unbelievable. All my love goes out to the family. It's heartbreaking. For me, there's no worse thing for a parent to have to bury your child. I am so sorry for them.

It is absolutely tragic news to lose someone so young with such a bright future. Ray was a fantastic lad and a player with great potential, he proved that last season with QPR and in earning his place in the England U19 squad. The coaches in our youth setup always enjoyed working with him - it's devastating news.

We are all shocked and saddened by the news. It's a huge loss for this Football Club. Ray had the world of football at his feet and he will be sorely missed by everyone connected to Queens Park Rangers. Our thoughts at this time are with his family and friends and we will be doing everything we can to help them through this terrible time.

It's a very, very sad day in football. He was a nice young man and budding young footballer who I am sure had a good career ahead of him. I spoke to John Gregory and Mick Harford this morning, we've liaised with Queens Park Rangers all along and they have our deepest sympathy. It was never a problem to call the game off. Sometimes football is put into perspective and whilst we were looking forward to the game, we were more than happy when we knew that QPR perhaps weren't in the right frame of mind.

This is just unbelievable news. I spent a lot of time with him and he had what it takes to go right to the top. He was a fantastic lad. He worked hard at his game and had a smile for everyone. My condolences and those of everyone at QPR go to his family. He will be terribly missed.