| 1973/74 Season 08:06 - Nov 20 with 3895 views | daveB |
To take minds off the current shitshow has anyone got any memories of the 1973/74 season, the cup run, top London club, George Bests Last game, playing against Rodney Marsh etc
I'm doing a video on the season as got loads of footage from that season but don't want to leave anything out | | | |  |
| 1973/74 Season on 08:23 - Nov 20 with 2995 views | WokingR |
As a 4 year old, my first ever memory of seeing Qpr was watching them beat Newcastle away 3-2, and that team is the reason I supported them.
Bastards ! | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 10:51 - Nov 20 with 2870 views | ngbqpr |
I saw my first game.
Home vs Derby. March 31st.
0-0. Very 0-0. Sorry, but I suspect it's not one you'll have any footage of. | |
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| 1973/74 Season on 11:43 - Nov 20 with 2783 views | PlanetHonneywood |
George Best's last game was actually my first on 1 January 1974.
I'm not sure Rodney played, as I think he was plying his trade up at Maine Road by then. However, Stan certainly did and bagged a brace if memory serves in a 3-0 win.
All down hill from there really, and for Best too! | |
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| 1973/74 Season on 11:50 - Nov 20 with 2762 views | London_Pride |
I remember the season well - our first back in the 1st division under Gordon Jago.
Away at West Ham stands out. We had already played 6 or 7 games and played well but without winning including 0-0 at home to West Ham on a week night where we had 3 goals disallowed. After a Saturday 3-3 draw v Stoke we then went to Upton Park for the return fixture.
Remember in our only previous season in Division 1, we had never won away from home and never beaten a London club so a win at West Ham was huge. We tore them apart in the first half, Don Givens scoring two typically clinical goals , running through on the left side. In the second half they got a goal back but Rob Abbott , up from defence for a corner got the third . After that we were fairly comfortable despite a late 2nd goal for WHU.
As a teenager I can remember being impressed/surprised with the sound the QPR fans made throughout. A great night. | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 12:07 - Nov 20 with 2724 views | Marshy67 |
My abiding memory of that season was quite scary.
The 3rd round FA cup replay against Chelsea on the afternoon (yes afternoon, 2pm K.O. due to the power cuts) of 15th Jan.
Pay at the turnstile in those days so no segregation and inevitably I suppose the Loft got overrun with Chelsea.
My old man and I took up our positions just to the right of the Loft goal leaning against the children's wall.
Stan was getting lots of stick and when he scored the only goal of the game in the second half he gave it back.
At the final whistle Chelsea surged forward in numbers trying to get onto the pitch.
The children's wall cracked, gave way and people were tumbling all over each other.
Really frightening to say the least.
People were dazed and kids were crying.
I ended up on the pitch shoeless in the mud!
My old man ended up about 20 yards away from me.
He quickly came over, made sure I was OK and then we tried to find my shoes in amongst all the rubble.
All to no avail.
So I ended up walking down to the Bush market in my muddy socks to get a pair of plimsolls!
Funny thing was that a couple of weeks after this frightening incident our English class had to write individual essays with the subject being FEAR. | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 12:26 - Nov 20 with 2688 views | CheshireR |
My first season supporting the Rs
I can recall the bitter disappointment of being knocked out of the FA cup in the 6th round by Leicester City at Loftus Road. The matchday programme shows us as 4th in the league and we certainly went into the game as favourites.
An unknown Leicester youngster Joe Waters scored both goals to defeat us 0.2.
(Strangely enough he was the topic of a recent conversation in the Crown and Sceptre - although he was consistently referred to as Joe "Effing" Walters by all us older chaps who remembered him)
Leicester were a good team in those days with regular England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and future Internationals Frank Worthington, Keith Weller and Steve Whitworth in their ranks.
Leicester went on to lose in the semi final to Shankly's Liverpool team after a replay. The replay date clashed with the Portugal v England friendly in Lisbon (No international breaks then kids!) Consequently, with no Liverpool or Leicester players available for selection, Sir Alf Ramsey opted to give both Phil Parkes and Stan Bowles their England debuts. A small consolation for the 10 year old me.... [Post edited 20 Nov 12:29]
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| 1973/74 Season on 12:54 - Nov 20 with 2614 views | Boston |
It was a great season, particularly so as I had enough money to attend most fixtures. My first season for regular away games (previous years had been limited due to age / lack of resources),and as an another poster mentioned - scary! [Post edited 20 Nov 14:05]
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| 1973/74 Season on 13:13 - Nov 20 with 2538 views | stevec |
Remember that game well.
Our headmaster at morning assembly warned anyone who wasn’t on the afternoon register would be expelled, suspended minimum yet what seemed like half the school decamped at lunch time heading over the bridge on Du Cane Road and down to the ground.
Watched the game from the top floor of the flats behind the school end with predominantly Chelsea supporting school friends. Think that might have been the first time we beat Chelsea in our history.
Bloemfontein Road after wasn’t such a pleasant experience with scores of Doc Martin clad Chelsea skinheads coming in the opposite direction. | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 13:15 - Nov 20 with 2535 views | terryb |
My favourite season Dave & I have many! Without consulting Gordon Macey I will list a few, hopefully in chronological order!
1) At home to West Ham remains the best 0-0 draw that I've seen. We had three goals disallowed for offside & played them off the park. One of the broadsheets reported that (from memory) "whatever the legal niceties of not being awarded the goals, Queens Park Rangers gave a footballing lesson that will live long in the memory".
2) A few weeks later, a 3-2 win at West Ham on a Monday night, including a goal from Ron Abbott. We were stood on the terrace opposite the Chicken Run close to the halfway line & the performance was so good that I forgot to be quiet! Surprisingly, they accepted me cheering Rangers until I was calling out to all the players as they left the pitch. A tap on the shoulder & I was told I had 30 seconds to get out of the ground. I made it with time to spare & I remain grateful for the chance given to me to leave unscathed!
3) I drove from Chesham to Wolverhampton by myself & used all the back roads. I found a brilliant parking space that allowed me to get away very quickly after the match & sped along the M6, wanting to be home at 7ish. My Vauxhall Viva suddenly didn't like the constant 100mph (no 70 limit at the time) & the engine stopped while I was passing everyone. I cruised onto the hard shoulder & a car pulled up in front of me offering to tow me off the motorway. I gladly accepted as it cost a fortune for breakdown at that time. I came off near Rugby & the AA arranged for a local garage to collect the car. I then hitched to Rugby station & caught a train to Berkhamsted. I was too knackered to get to the pub that night!
The match? This was the superb 4-2 victory that all Rangers supporters of my age constantly mention!
4) The next away match was away to Derby with this the first match as Mackay as their manager. My memory begins the previous day with the funeral of my 23 year old cousin who had been diagnosed with cancer just weeks before.
Anyhow, Alan & myself were up early to catch a bus to Berko, train to Rugby & hitch to the garage to collect my car to which they had fitted a second hand engine. No lifts were offered & so we ended up walking/running, but still reached Derby in time for the game. That is until i stopped at a shop & the car wouldn't restart! Call the AA & they got it going. We arrived at the ground after kick off & were told at the entrance that we're losing 1-0. They were surprised when I cheered! Soon afterwards it was 2-0 to the R's.
Back to the car & it wouldn't start. AA to the rescue again! It turned out that the fan belt was loose, but the engine was also faulty & cost more money to rectify. However, I made the pub that night!
5) Slip forward to New Years Day & five of us travelled to The Bush, including one manure fan. I can't recall being searched as thoroughly as we were that day & Rob was found to have something solid in his pocket. The officer made the mistake of placing his hand in the pocket & immediately made disapproving noises! A packet of sticky boiled sweets was found (but not confiscated) & we were allowed to take our places to see us destroy United & Best disappear into the sunset.
6) I went to Stamford bridge for the cup game (and the 3-3 draw in the league), but the replay was being played at 1.30pm(?). This took some planning to attend. Strangely enough, I made myself sick while at work in the morning & was sent "home". I think it was only my boss who didn't know where I was going! Half way to the ground it was announced on the radio that the pitch was waterlogged. I didn't think I could repeat this manoeuvre the following week!
7) A 0-0 draw at home to Leicester with Shilton giving the best display of goalkeeping that I've seen. This did not bode well!
8) FA Cup replay 3-2 win over Coventry. I'm sure most of you would have seen Stan's last second winner from a free kick, but the pure joy that night has only been bettered by the Oldham play off game!
9) Bloody Joe Waters! There endeth the season!
I refused to include Plymouth Argyle! | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 13:18 - Nov 20 with 2526 views | charmr |
My dad used to lift me over the wall into the area at the front the loft. He wouldn’t take me to the Chelsea game,he was right. Leicester game remember being so deflated thinking this might be our year. Huge crowd and atmosphere as well. My dad drove us in his van and we took a few school mates reguay to games. Mick S being was one of them. Hello Sir.
Can also recall it very vividly being feet away from George Best, and Charlton, at one of their corners. I was just starting at him thinking that’s George Best. Had the same occurrence recently with Johnny Marr as I blagged a front row seat at a Johnny Marr/James gig recently in DC.
It was such a real life affirming time for me going to football back then. The ground, the crowd and the best football shirt in the world. | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 13:22 - Nov 20 with 2516 views | hantssi |
I don’t remember much but was in the Paddocks directly behind Stan when he scored THAT free kick! | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 13:45 - Nov 20 with 2458 views | NorthantsHoop |
For a tenth birthday treat in October 1973 my Dad took me to QPR v Arsenal at Loftus Road. In those early years I was an Arsenal fan, but Dad was QPR. I had never seen Arsenal at a live game but had previously been to QPR. If I remember QPR much the better team and beat Arsenal 2-0. After the game Dad took me to White City Stadium for a night of dog racing, great day out for a 10 year old. Supported Arsenal for a couple more years before transferring my allegiance to QPR in 1975. | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 14:14 - Nov 20 with 2417 views | Boston |
Some 'row' on the terrace that day. | |
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| 1973/74 Season on 15:00 - Nov 20 with 2338 views | daveB |
Thanks so much for these, a massive help to read some of the stories around these games to help bring them to life
I did wonder why the Chelsea game was a Monday game | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 16:52 - Nov 20 with 2245 views | M40R |
I can't post the link but there was a good thread on this starting on 20 April one year (site does not show year!) called "7374 Rewind" if anyone wants to search [Post edited 20 Nov 16:59]
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| 1973/74 Season on 17:12 - Nov 20 with 2177 views | Boston |
My question is, did Anthony Phillip David Terry Frank Stanley Donald Gerry Gordon Steven James Oatway grow up / continue to be a QPR fan? Entering this world at the end of the 73 / 74 season his mother, a Mrs. D Oatway from 81b Loftus Rd, had his picture published in the Rangers to Rangers column at the back of the Leeds Utd programme.
Are you here Tony, a solid 50 yrs old now? | |
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| 1973/74 Season on 17:19 - Nov 20 with 2168 views | Boston |
Did they get him on a free, really free? [Post edited 20 Nov 17:23]
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| 1973/74 Season on 21:42 - Nov 20 with 2017 views | daveB |
7374 Rewind by DannyPaddox 20 Apr 2020 13:02https://i.ibb.co/Y3MTmzM/F86-BDA53-0-AA4-44-C4-A1-BC-8-BD76-D636-F04.jpg
The Rs second season back in the top flight finishing as top London team for the first time in the club’s history. Was looking good for Europe too but ran out of steam towards the end. Nonetheless a magic season. One I’m particularly fond of as I made my debut - in the Shed. A six-goal ding-dong baptism of fire.
My Grandad was pushing Liverpool on me at the time, and he almost succeeded, but I defy you show any 8 year-old that team in that kit back then and they would end up Rangers for life. The tracksuit (above) was pretty special too.
I’ve trawled YouTube and found approximately a third of the season in various shapes and sizes. Will post below.
https://i.ibb.co/tBVtmXH/132-ACCFD-D8-F0-40-E7-AECA-3-BCA976-E43-C1.jpg
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| 1973/74 Season on 10:02 - Nov 21 with 1802 views | terryb |
I've just looked at the DannyPaddoxthread & I'm pleased to see that I've not made any contradictions! I do need to add the Leeds away game to my list though.
As it was stated in that thread, it was an early kick off due to the three day week & power cuts. There was also petrol rationing in place & so the only way I could get there was on the "football special". This was the only time I used national rail to watch Rangers until I qualified for Senior Rail Dicsount!
So it was the Met Line to Baker Street & then across to Kings Cross(?). Of course, the times of the train hadn't been changed to take into account a different kick off time & (from memory) you had to be on the first laid on buses to reach the ground to see the start.
I managed to enter the ground in the wrong entrance & ended up as (possibly) the only Rangers fan not behind the goal. The Leeds people around me were not the self entitled supporters of today & were very generous of their praise for Rangers. They even stated that we deserved a draw! I didn't make the mistake of pointing out to them that it was only a draw because of the s**t referee who disallowed our "winning" goal for offside while the linesman flagged for a goal.
We had to wait an hour for the buses back to the station & most Rangers used the time to walk there. As I was separated from them & had no idea of what direction to go, I waited for the buses. Arriving at the station I went in the main entrance (wrong!) & bought the Leeds Pink 'un. I then noticed many a person stairing & pointing at me. Time to find the entrance reserved for us quickly!
The journey back was fine until we were close to our destination & then came to a stop for a long time. Memory tells me it was close to an hour, but that is probably an exaggeration. Back to Chesham & straight to the pub. Nobody believed me that I'd been to Leeds, even when I showed them the programme, but they couldn't argue with the Leeds classified paper! | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 13:09 - Nov 21 with 1659 views | francisbowles |
Great memories from those days as 16 yr old. I was at the home and away cup matches and away in the league, the George Best farewell (for a while). Not mentioned so far the 8-2 in the league cup v Sheffield Wednesday. We were doing very well and were, for the first time, the highest placed London Team. I remember the club flying a flag, 'London's Top Team'.
Seems to remember an early kick off on Boxing Day away at Spurs 0-0. | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 13:20 - Nov 21 with 1627 views | flynnbo |
Junior Campbell, the pop star, had said on morning TV that he was off to Loftus Road to see us thrash Leicester City. I was convinced, as a young kid, that we were going to win too.
Also, I was ill and missed the 8-2 win against Wednesday. So, thinking that we'd absolutely annihilate Plymouth in the next round and possibly even surpassing the eight goals I was really looking forward to it but then it went all so typically Rangers. [Post edited 21 Nov 13:26]
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| 1973/74 Season on 19:02 - Nov 21 with 1449 views | Boston |
That Leicester defeat, which still rankles many...we played in our red with white trim second kit. I do not know why, as City also played in their away shirt, a mainly white affair. It's so long ago I either can't remember, or maybe never knew the reason - over to you terryb. [Post edited 21 Nov 19:03]
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| 1973/74 Season on 20:06 - Nov 21 with 1405 views | Walnut |
Back then, a kit clash in the FACUP would allow both teams to change kits rather than just the away side. | | | |
| 1973/74 Season on 20:19 - Nov 21 with 1379 views | ParkRoyalR |
Yes that's Charlie, still has family in the Bush, they're Rangers, so likely still holds his affinity even after a long pro career, including as Gus Poyet's no 2. | | | |
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