HE'LL NEED ALL THE LUCK OF THE IRISH!

Gulf Air-sponsored Queens Park Rangers has hired Jim Magilton for its seventh managerial change since flamboyant Flavio Briatore took over as chairman less than two years ago, writes STAN SZECOWKA.

The former Northern Ireland striker signed a two-year contract to succeed Gareth Ainsworth, who was in his second spell as temporary manager.

Magilton follows Ainsworth, Paulo Sousa, Iain Dowie, Luigi De Canio, Mick Harford and John Gregory in taking the post under Briatore, who is keen to get the small west London club into the Premier League.

"The board are highly ambitious, but they are very realistic at the same time," Magilton said. "I have huge ambitions to achieve as a manager though, and our aim is to keep progressing, year after year."

The amiable Irishman was shown the door with just two games of the regular season remaining after giving 10 years service to Ipswich Town as player and then manager.

It came just three days after the side had delivered to their supporters the very sweetest of victories over their archrivals Norwich City.

Most Town fans had come to accept that the amiable Irishman would not be in charge next season. Ipswich owner Marcus Evans is said to be hugely ambitious as well as incredibly wealthy. Flirting with the Championship play-offs while failing to take matters any further may not be his idea of a good time.

Magilton will find the expectations of QPR's owners no less demanding although they say they are convinced that they now have the right man for the job.

Many sceptical Hoops fans wish him every success but have suggested he will need 'all the luck of the Irish' to survive in the capital.

Lakshmi Mittal, the wealthiest person in Britain, also has a stake in the club, along with F1 head Bernie Ecclestone and Briatore.

"We had an incredibly high number of applicants, but Jim was the standout candidate for the role," said Briatore, who is also managing director of the Renault Formula One team.

"We sat down with him on four separate occasions over the last month to discuss our goals and ambitions and he has really impressed myself, Mr Ecclestone, Mr Mittal and Mr Bhatia with his knowledge, understanding and passion for football. He did a very good job at Ipswich Town playing some fine, attacking football and he has ambition to achieve in this next chapter of his career. We are all really looking forward to working with him."

QPR finished 11th in the second-tier League Championship, two places below Ipswich, a month after firing Sousa for revealing that the club had loaned leading scorer Dexter Blackstock to rivals Nottingham Forest without telling him.

The club will be playing in a new look home jersey next season which retains the traditional hoops in reflex blue and white, but this year, the Lotto Sport Italia logo is positioned at the top of the centre of the jersey, with the QPR club crest situated half an inch below. The Gulf Air logo is now placed within the blue hoops, matching the signage around the club's Loftus Road stadium.

QPR were hoping to play the Bahrain national team in an end-of-season friendly fixture but it was postponed because the tour date clashed with the Asian Football Confederation's congress.

GulfWeekly teamed up with the club and Gulf Air recently to give away five free shirts in an easy-to-enter competition. Hundreds of readers entered and the lucky winners were Simon Hart, Robert Lewis, Karen Wardle, Sophia Sari and Hasan Dailami.