QPR striker reveals his struggle to become a star By Paul Warburton Sep 6 2013 CHARLIE Austin has to stifle a laugh when his QPR team-mates moan about the lesser grounds they visit. In a week where millions yet again got shuffled from one football account to another, the 24-year-old is already a veteran of how the other half lives. In fact, he shudders at the memory of the Peter Henry Ground on the Isle of Wight. Never heard of it? Braydon Town, formerly of the Wessex Premier, play there, and so did young Austin hours after he downed hod and set off on a winterâs night via the ferry. Having been at work since 7.30am that morning, playing on a windswept open pitch with a stand that looks pushed to house half a dozen bikes, never mind spectators, the player reckons the grounding he got at footballâs coal face stood him in good stead. He said: âI only have to look back at where I came from and know that things could be worse. âWe go away and hear stuff like âthis is not the best stadiumâ. I think, youâve not seen nothing. âTheyâve not seen Braydon on a Tuesday night when youâve got to catch a ferry straight after work and then back home again.â Austin left school when he was 15 to work at his dadâs building firm, and had a full-time job as a brickie until he made the breakthrough at Swindon Town. One of his non-league clubs on the way was Hungerford Town, where he was born and raised â a place sadly associated with the 1987 mass shooting that left 17 of its own dead. Austin reckoned as bad as football banter gets, no one ever mentioned it when he was playing for his hometown club. He said: âThereâs banter, and then thereâs stepping over the mark. It was never brought up at school either. My dad owns a building company and they were in Reading at the time, and all trying to get hold of their wives to make sure everybody was safe. Luckily they were.â His move from Swindon to Burnley should have then seen him move again in the summer to the Premier League and Hull. However, the deal broke down when Austin failed a medical on an old knee injury. Despair quickly turned to elation when QPR came in for him, and the striker reckons he will soon be in the top flight â he might just have to wait a year or so. He added: âI had an operation on the knee when I was 15, but never had any trouble with it since at Swindon and Burnley. âAfter the Hull setback, I knew I had to do a pre-season, and although the players at Burnley gave me a bit of banter, everybody there was brilliant for me. âBut there is a big difference between Rangers and Burnley from the perspective of the past couple of years. âQPR have Premier League players and this weekâs additions shows the clubâs ambitions. âIâm not saying Burnley havenât got ambition, but QPR are a more attractive club. âI was lucky enough QPR came for me and hopefully I can make the Premier League with them instead.â Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-qpr/2013/09/06/82029-33812560/#ixzz2eBEKoiOI
Oh Dear, Oh Dear .................... He has'nt scored in a few games, he's all washed up, he's a failure.............................. Quick sell him to Barrats or Wimpeys or keep him on minimum wage to help build the new training ground, FF'S lighten up he will come good.
Yes he does and we are winning games without his goals can you imagine when he gets his scoring boots on we will be winning a great deal more.
Not been overly impressed with him thus far. Good work rate but his finishing hasn't been up to scratch. Still, we're winning and he's played practically every game so he's been a part of that.
He will hopefully start finding the net soon but he does seem to have a bit of a niggly style. Experienced defenders will take advantage of that.
What do you mean by that, AAGH? You mean like Mackie, IE running straight at people and being too predictable is it?
I think he'll come good, needs to get a couple on the board to relive the pressure then i'm sure he'll be ok
He'll soon be banging them in when the quality of Kranjčar, Matt Phillips, Tom Carroll, and Barton start threading the ball through to him.
Charlie's a good player and a resonable pro, but like all young men he has his moments. I've heard from a few swindon lads that his dad used to regularly sponsor stuff at swindon, matchday ball etc. He wasn't thumbing lifts up the M3 on the the way back from the IOW. Insignificant stuff? Well until burnley he'd probably been earning more as dads "brick layer" than most of his team mates were getting at swindon, put together. Arriving at QPR is going to be the first time he's been in a room with players most of whom are worth more, have done more, had more girl friends and possibly have bigger.........egos. He'll settle or he won't. For my money he looks really lively, has pace and strength and looks keen, triffic.
