Big Devon 'Bruno' White features in this week's Connections and Memories column and it is therefore the greatest thing you'll read all week.
After disposing of Southampton without even playing as well as we know we can at the weekend, Rangers head into the first midweek league of the season against Norwich City. We may be sitting quite handsomely in the top five of the Championship but after only taking a point from our first two away games, Wednesday’s match and the trip to Coventry on Saturday will give some indication to how well equipped this squad are this season. Norwich finally won their first game of the new campaign on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Plymouth and will be looking to build on that with a home success over the R’s. Discuss this story on the Message Board Click here and be the first user to comment on this story
Rangers first travelled to Norfolk for a league meeting in February 1921, suffering a 2-0 defeat. While last season’s encounter will be best remembered for the crazy antics of Lee Camp whose decision to go walkabouts in the middle of the Canaries defence contributed to a 3-0 loss and helped Norwich secure their Championship status in the process. But there’s plenty more memories in between, as we take a walk down the blue and white hooped path of a memory lane.
This is the first time the memories and connections column has covered a game for the second time and you can check out last season’s memories here.
Memorable Match
(From QPR Vital Football)
12th March 1994
Norwich City 3-4 QPR
Premier League
QPR came into the fixture off the back of a double against Manchester clubs in W12. United came and took three points in a narrow 3-2 win, whilst City claimed a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road. Rangers found more comfort on the road than at home, beating Coventry and drawing with Arsenal and Leeds United, forgetting the FA Cup exit to Stockport County. Norwich, under manager John Deehan following the departure of Mike Walker, were without a win in 1994, and it was perceived that this was Deehan`s chance to finally get off the blocks with a win following taking over in January .It was certainly going according to plan for the Canaries when Mark Bowen gave them a hard fought half time lead, despite Rangers continual pressure on the Norwich backline. However fortuitous it was Norwich who had the lead at the break.
It wasn`t long before they were blown away by Rangers, not even a brace from striker Efan Ekoku could prevent the Canaries from losing yet another fixture. Rangers came flying out the blocks with goals from Simon Barker and Gary Penrice, who performances alone commended their goals.
The Rangers fans who had populated the away weren’t to go home disappointed in a barnstorming second period as Darren Peacock grabbed a well deserved goal for his endeavours as he surprisingly enough had a number of chances.
Chants of "Bruno For England!" reverberated around the away and Devon White notched at Carrow Road, with fans paying homage to the understudy of Les Ferdinand who had really become a cult hero in W12 and captured the imagination of the crowd.
QPR: Stejskal, Bardsley, Wilson, Wilkins, Peacock, Yates, Meaker (Holloway), Barker, White, Penrice, Sinclair
Postscript: QPR finished ninth that season, whilst Norwich finished in the bottom half, completing the season in twelfth, only winning two further games that season, ultimately costing Deehan his job as manager.
Connections
Jamie Cureton
Norwich 1993-96, 2007-Present
QPR 2004-05
Although born a West Country boy of Bristol, Cureton actually started his footballing career over in the east county with Norwich City. He made is debut for the Canaries in their last Premier League season before relegation and scored an impressive eight goals in just 17 games for City. However Cureton struggled to get into the team the following season and despite becoming a cult-hero at Carrow Road for dying his hair green and yellow for a match against rivals Ipswich in 1996, Cureton moved onto Second Division Bristol Rovers under manager Ian Holloway. It was at The Memorial Stadium that Cureton really showed his goal-scoring prowess, twice scoring over twenty goals in one season to finish as Rovers top scorer.
A move to promotion hopefuls Reading followed and he continued his goal-scoring feats with the Royals and helped them gain promotion to the First Division in 2002. A year later though Cureton decided to try his luck abroad and signed for South Korean club Buscan I’cons. The gamble never really paid off for Jamie though and a year on with just four goals to his name in Asia, Cureton decided to come back to England. It look as though it would be with Peterborough until former gaffer Ian Holloway now in charge at QPR swooped with the help of Our QPR to bring him to Loftus Road in January 2004. Fans hailed the signing but he struggled to get into the side that won promotion back to the Championship that season with a last day win over Sheffield Wednesday.
The goals never quite came for him, much due to Holloway repeatedly playing him out of a position on the right-wing to accommodate Cureton along with Kevin Gallen and Paul Furlong. His only goals the following season strangely came against Coventry, with a memorable hat-trick that included a Van Basten like volley at Loftus Road and another at Highfield Road but he soon found himself surplus to requirement and was farmed out first on loan to Swindon then Colchester before landing a permanent moved to Layer Road in 2006. It was here he rediscovered his shooting boots winning the Championship Golden Boot and securing a move back to his first club Norwich City. The arrival of Arturo Luppoli and Antoine Sibierski may have seen him drop down the pecking order but Cureton will still be threat on Wednesday night.
Did you know? Cureton was so popular at Reading that the fans named a star after him!
Lee Camp
QPR 2004, 2007-present
Norwich 2006 (loan)
A huge fans favourite in West London, Lee Camp is quite possibly the best signing the R’s have made in recent years and our best goalkeeper since the early Premier League Days. Making his debut for hometown club Derby during 2002-03 season the young keeper was sent out on loan first to Burton Albion and then to QPR, where he became an instant hit with the R’s helping them to promotion back to the Championship in his three-month loan spell pulling off some memorable saves as Rangers finished second in the table. Back at Derby the following season Camp made his first start for the club against midlands rivals Leicester City and went on to win the club’s young player of the year award. He became Derby’s number one keeper for the next campaign but the arrival of Stephen Bywater saw Camp go out on loan to Norwich City. Camp didn’t see much action in the three months at Carrow Road either so re-joined the R’s now under John Gregory in February 2007 on an initial loan deal. Once again he proved popular with the Loftus Road crowed, helping the team battle successfully against relegation. That summer Derby were promoted to the Premier League and Rangers fans feared they’d seen Lee in a QPR shirt for the last time. But Camp’s need for first team action and new-found bond with R’s led to him joining the club on a permanent basis for £300,000. And last year Lee was an ever-present for Rangers and was voted runner-up as the clubs player of the year.
Did you know? Lee played in the first ever competitive game at the new Wembley, in England u21’s draw with Italy.
Others:
Peter Crouch QPR 2000-01, Norwich (loan) 2003. Now at Portsmouth.
John O’Neil QPR 1987, Norwich 1987-1990. Now owns a wine shop.
Paul Peschisolido QPR (loan) 2000, Norwich (loan) 2001. Now a free agent.
Dean Marney QPR (loan) 2004 Norwich (loan) 2005. Now at Hull.
Jimmy Smith QPR (loan) 2007, Norwich (loan) 2007. Now on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.
Jason Jarrett Norwich 2005-06, QPR (loan) 2007. Now at Oldham
Dean Coney QPR 1987-1989, Norwich 1989-91. Now assistant manager at Redbridge.
Mike Sheron Norwich 1994-1995, QPR 1997-1999. Now youth team manager at Bury.
Chris Woods QPR 1979-1981, Norwich 1981-86. Now Everton Goalkeeping Coach.
Fans’ Memories
The infamous 3-2 disaster was before my time so my main memory of Carrow Road is big Devon striding through to make it 4-3 in 1994. A proper let's all go mental together away end moment. -Northernr
To add your thoughts and memories either use the commenting facility below, e-mail us at loftforwords@yahoo.co.uk or post on the Message Board thread.