The transfer deadline came and went and didn’t really deserve the excitement projected by certain TV companies.

There were people posted all around training grounds, even at 10-11 at night waiting for something to happen.

I suppose the real story of it came out the morning after when Harry Redknapp explained he had rung his chairman at 5.30am to tell him he wanted to resign as QPR manager.

I know Harry has had knee problems for quite a while but even he must agree that the timing of the announcement that he needed to have immediate surgery could be misconstrued by all and sundry.

Basically, QPR didn’t sign anyone in the transfer window and it looked as though that was the cause of Harry’s resignation.

Whatever the reason, QPR, starting today with the visit of Saints, have to get points in.

My memories of trips to Loftus Road go back many years and the Echo pointed out this week there have been four occasions when we have had good wins up there, the first of which was the 4-0 victory we achieved on the all-weather pitch in 1985.

Reading that this week brought back memories of not just that quite awful pitch but the goalscorers.

Two of them were senior players who had I brought in and two were youngsters who were on the conveyer belt, which now would be called an academy but was then a youth policy.

Old heads and young legs The seniors were Joe Jordan who, ironically, was at QPR until this week, and Dave Armstrong who at that time was the record signing of £600,000 but was famous for never missing a game and for scoring vital goals from a midfield position and giving us balance on the left.

The youngsters were Danny Wallace, one of three brothers signed from our centre in London, and Steven Moran, the local lad who I had discovered while watching my son playing on a Sunday morning.

Ironic, when we talk about the dodgy all-weather surface, that one of the problems was what the players should wear on their feet.

It reminds me of the cold morning I was watching Steve Moran playing in the Tyro League. In the first half he kept slipping over and I asked the coach what his problem was and, quite frankly, he said that he didn’t have any proper boots.

At half time I called him over and said ‘if you score a hat-trick in the second half I will buy you pair of boots.’ He left me, put his cup of whatever he was drinking down, picked the ball up, put it on the centre spot and waited for everyone else.

He proceeded to score the quickest hat-trick I have ever seen before or since and after every goal looked at me and I put my thumbs up.

The day after, I got a call from a chap called Arthur Toomer, who people may remember had a sports shop and provided kit for us.

He called and said ‘I have a lad in here saying he wants a pair of boots and he won’t leave until he’s got them.’ I asked him the name of the lad and, when he told me it was a certain Steve Moran, I said ‘give them to him.’ The rest is history.

Steve’s mother was a teacher and his father had also been a teacher before he passed away.

I wanted to sign Steve as an apprentice at 16, as was the normal practice, but his mother said his dad would have liked him to carry on at senior school level.

I agreed to do this, but it was most unusual because that 16-18-year-old period was when youngsters really worked hard and developed their game.

My gamble came off as he joined us at 18 with his education satisfying his mother and his football progress from then on was excellent.

The last time I saw Steve was when I accompanied the team a few years ago up to Hull where he was then living, and actually working for Hull City in one of the hospitality rooms on matchdays.

He asked me to meet some friends.

As I shook their hands, I said: “I suppose he’s been telling you about all the goals he scored.” He was standing there with a big grin.

I said: “Did he tell you he used to have Mick Channon on one side of him, Kevin Keegan on the other and Alan Ball behind him?” which everyone appreciated.

Let’s hope we get the same result at QPR today with a better surface.