But now the Toon boss says he is happy the former England international moved on.
Pardew is Mike Ashley's puppet ... we all know that ... but wouldn't it have been refreshing for him to tell the truth for once and admit he was gutted when QPR got their man?
Or is that too much to ask?
Alan Pardew: "I don't think relief is the right word. It was perhaps the right time that we all shook hands and moved on because otherwise it was just going to hang around.
"The board were never going to give Joey a contract after he turned down their offer in January and therefore it was probably best that we all parted company.
"Joey is a controlled animal now on the football pitch. He's an aggressive player, but he has brought that under control.
"He's a very, very good player and somebody we need to make sure doesn't influence the game as much as he did for us.
"He hasn't got anything to prove to me or the staff here because the players all know how good he is.
"Obviously, there was a falling-out with the board that wasn't going to be rectified, so Joey has moved on.
"He's got himself a contract that he has earned through not just his ability, but the way he has conducted himself in the last couple of years especially, and we wish him well."