Ahead of Saturday’s trip to The Valley, LFW looks back at a meeting from 2007 when Adam Bolder’s goal looked like it might give caretaker manager Mick Harford a chance of being Flavio Briatore’s first permanent victim.
QPR won four consecutive games through January 2014 to lift them into the automatic promotion picture, but lost Charlie Austin to a shoulder injury at the end of the month. Harry Redknapp, in typical style, went out and added three more strikers to his already bloated squad by way of cover but with Will Keane and Mobido Maiga all over the place and Kevin Doyle hardly prolific the R’s quickly lost three on the spin. The worst of those was at struggling Charlton, where Johnnie Jackson scored in injury time to seal a 1-0 win for the home side. The away end atmosphere was toxic and the performance and tactical set up on the field shambolic.
Charlton: Y Thuram-Ulien 5; R Wiggins 6, D Dervite 6, M Morrison 6, L Wilson 6; D Poyet 6, D Green 6 (A Ajdarevic, 64, 6), J Jackson 6, J Cousins 6; R Ghoochanneijhad 5 (M Tudgay, 64, 6), S Church 6 (C Harriott, 89, -)
Subs not used: R Wood, M Sordell, B Hamer, M Fox
Goals: Jackson 90+3
Bookings: Jackson
QPR: R Green 6; C Hill 6, R Dunne 6, N Onuoha 5; A Hughes 5, J Jenas 3, T Carroll 5 (Y Benayoun, 81, -), A Traore 5, J Hoilett 5 (W Keane 59, 6); K Doyle 5 (M Maiga, 70, 5) R Morrison 6
Subs not used: K Henry, B Murphy, Yun Suk-Young, G O'Neil
QPR 1 Charlton 0, Saturday November 23, 2013, Championship
A spectacular, long-range strike from Charlie Austin in the first half of the first meeting between these sides that season was enough to settle the game in Rangers’ favour. Austin picked the ball up in front of a very deep Addicks defence and let rip with a 25 yard shot into the top corner of the net. It was the lone moment of quality in a desperately poor game which Charlton had clearly set up to try and take a 0-0 from, and then had few other ideas in once they’d fallen behind.
QPR: Green 6; Simpson 6, Dunne 6, Hill 6, Assou Ekotto 7; Barton 6, O’Neil 6; Phillips 6 (Johnson 77, 6), Jenas 5 (Henry 45, 6), Kranjcar 6 (Wright-Phillips 64, 6); Austin 7
Subs not used: Traore, Onyewu, Young, Murphy
Goals: Austin 40 (unassisted)
Bookings: Barton 85 (foul)
Charlton: Hamer 7; Wilson 6, Wiggins 6 , Morrison 6, Devite 6; Stewart 6 (Sordell 87, -), Jackson 5, Cousins 6, Pritchard 5 (Harriott 58, 6), Stephens 5; Church 5 (Kermorgant 58, 6)
Subs not used: Hughes, Evina, Alnwick, Wood
Bookings: Jackson 90+4 (foul)
Charlton 2 QPR 2, Friday December 26, 2008, Championship
Charlton hadn’t won in 14 matches and were rock bottom of the division when these sides met at The Valley on Boxing Day in 2008. Rangers, under Paulo Sousa’s management, seemed to be on an upward trajectory with a thrilling 3-2 pre-Christmas win against Preston under their belts. But Sousa made nine changes to his side for the trip to South London, including leaving out Heidar Helguson despite two goals and a man of the match performance against PNE. The result was a poor performance which twice saw Rangers blow a lead — Lee Cook’s free kick cancelled out by Nicky Bailey, then Dexter Blackstock’s goal equalised by Bailey for a second time. They still could have won mind, with a late goal by Emmanuel Ledesma chalked off for offside.
Charlton: Elliot 7, Cranie 5, Fortune 6, Hudson 4, McEveley 5, Sam 8, Semedo 7 (Holland 89, -), Bailey 8, Bouazza 6 (Basey 80, 6),Waghorn 4 (Burton 71, 4), Gray 4
Subs Not Used: Weaver, Shelvey
Booked: McEveley (foul), Cranie (foul), Semedo (off the ball incident)
Goals: Bailey 49 (assisted Sam), 79 (assisted Cranie)
QPR: Cerny 4, Ramage 5, Hall 6, Gorkss 7, Connolly 5, Leigertwood 6, Alberti 6 (Ephraim 60, 7), Cook 7 (Ledesma 67, 7), Rowlands 6, Blackstock 6, Di Carmine 4 (Helguson 81, 7)
Subs Not Used: Mahon, Agyemang
Booked: Alberti (foul), Cook (off the ball incident), Connolly (kicking the ball away)
Goals: Cook 18 (freekick), Blackstock 68 (assisted Leigertwood)
QPR 2 Charlton 1, Tuesday November 25, 2008, Championship
QPR won 2-1 against the struggling Addicks the when these sides met at Loftus Road on a midweek night in November 2008. It certainly was not a particularly good performance from Rangers in Paulo Sousa’s first match in charge but following on from the 3-0 defeat at Watford this was a welcome relief. Dexter Blackstock gave QPR a first half lead with a neat finish but Charlton swiftly drew level with a nicely worked goal of their own from Therry Racon. That looked to the end of it as the second half threatened to peter out but, really from nothing, Rangers won the game when a super cross from Hogan Ephraim found Blackstock at the back post and he planted a quite magnificent header beyond keeper Nicky Weaver for the winner.
QPR: Cerny 6, Ramage 6, Stewart 7, Gorkss 7, Delaney 5, Ephraim 6, Tommasi 5 (Mahon 62, 6) Leigertwood 6, Parejo 6 (Ledesma 73, 6), Di Carmine 5 (Agyemang 46, 7), Blackstock 7
Subs Not Used: Cole, Oastler
Booked: Leigertwood (foul), Delaney (foul), Ephraim (foul)
Goals: Blackstock 17 (assisted Tommasi), 80 (assisted Ephraim)
Charlton: Weaver 5, Cranie 5 (Sam 82, -), Primus 6, Hudson 6, Youga 5, Gillespie 6, Racon 7, Semedo 6, Bouazza 7, Waghorn 5 (Varney 62, 5), Gray 5
Subs Not Used: Elliot, Holland, Fortune
Booked: Hudson (foul)
Goals: Racon 30 (assisted Bouazza)
2013/14 Charlton 1 QPR 0
2013/14 QPR 1 Charlton 0 (Austin)
2008/09 Charlton 2 QPR 2 (Cook, Blackstock)
2008/09 QPR 2 Charlton 1 (Blackstock 2)
2007/08 QPR 1 Charlton 0 (Blackstock)
2007/08 Charlton 0 QPR 1 (Bolder)
1999/00 Charlton 2 QPR 1 (Taylor)
1999/00 Charlton 1 QPR 0*
1999/00 QPR 0 Charlton 0
1998/99 Charlton 1 QPR 0
1998/99 QPR 0 Charlton 2
1997/98 Charlton 1 QPR 1 (Peacock pen)
1997/98 QPR 2 Charlton 4 (Sheron 2)
1996/97 Charlton 2 QPR 1 (Dichio)
1996/97 QPR 1 Charlton 2 (Sinclair)
1989/90 Charlton 1 QPR 0
1989/90 QPR 0 Charlton 1
1988/89 QPR 1 Charlton 0 (Sinton)
1988/89 Charlton 1 QPR 1 (T Francis)
1988/89 QPR 2 Charlton 1** (T Francis 2)
1987/88 QPR 2 Charlton 0 (Falco, Byrne)
1987/88 Charlton 0 QPR 1 (Coney)
1986/87 Charlton 2 QPR 1 (Rosenior)
1986/87 QPR 0 Charlton 0
1986/87 Charlton 1 QPR 0**
1982/83 QPR 5 Charlton 1 (Sealy 2, Hazell, Gregory, Stainrod)
1982/83 Charlton 1 QPR 3 (Micklewhite 2, Sealy)
1981/82 QPR 4 Charlton 0 (C Allen 3, Fenwick)
1981/82 Charlton 1 QPR 2 (Stainrod, Allen)
1979/80 Charlton 2 QPR 2 (C Allen 2)
1979/80 QPR 4 Charlton 0 (C Allen 2, Roeder, Bowles)
1975/76 Charlton 0 QPR 3** (Thomas, Masson, Bowles)
1975/76 QPR 1 Charlton 1** (Bowles)
1971/72 QPR 2 Charlton 0 (Francis, Leach)
1971/72 Charlton 2 QPR 1 (Clement)
1970/71 Charlton 0 QPR 3 (McCulloch 2, Marsh)
1970/71 QPR 1 Charlton 4 (Leach)
1969/70 Charlton 1 QPR 1 (Watson)
1969/70 Charlton 2 QPR 3* (Marsh 2, Clarke)
1969/70 QPR 1 Charlton 1 (Methick)
1967/68 Charlton 3 QPR 3 (R Morgan 2, Marsh)
1967/68 QPR 2 Charlton 1 (I Morgan, L Allen)
1934/35 Charlton 3 QPR 1 (J Allen)
1934/35 QPR 0 Charlton 3
1933/34 Charlton 1 QPR 2 (Emmerson, Blackman)
1933/34 QPR 2 Charlton 1 (Blackman, Clarke)
1929/30 QPR 0 Charlton 3*
1929/30 Charlton 1 QPR 1* (Goddard)
1928/29 Charlton 2 QPR 2 (Coward, Rounce)
1928/29 QPR 2 Charlton 2 (Goddard 2)
1927/28 QPR 3 Charlton 3 (Goddard 2, Burns)
1927/28 Charlton 1 QPR 0
1926/27 QPR 2 Charlton 1 (Goddard 2)
1926/27 Charlton 2 QPR 0
1925/26 Charlton 1 QPR 1 (Burgess)
1925/26 QPR 2 Charlton 2 (Burgess, Brown)
1925/26 Charlton 1 QPR 0*
1925/26 QPR 1 Charlton 1* (Hirst)
1924/25 QPR 0 Charlton 0
1924/25 Charlton 2 QPR 0
1923/24 Charlton 3 QPR 0
1923/24 QPR 0 Charlton 0
1922/23 Charlton 1 QPR 1 (Birch)
1922/23 QPR 1 Charlton 2 (Birch)
1921/22 QPR 3 Charlton 1 (Chandler, Smith, O’Brien)
1921/22 Charlton 1 QPR 1 (Chandler)
* - FA Cup
** - League Cup
The R’s, on the brink of bankruptcy, started the season with John Gregory in charge. He’d done well to work the transfer market for the likes of Danny Cullip, Lee Camp and Adam Bolder the previous season and avoid relegation with a flurry of wins late in the campaign. But with the money almost gone the summer additions were of a lower calibre — Daniel Nardiello, John Curtis, Chris Barker heading an illustrious list.
A 2-2 draw at newly promoted Bristol City on day one, where Martin Rowlands was magnificent, gave false hope. QPR didn’t win any of their first nine matches, losing six, and had young striker Ray Jones killed in a traffic accident midway through that run.
But while all that was going on an unlikely takeover of the club by Falvio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal was being finalised. Gregory didn’t last long, sacked after a 5-1 set back at West Brom, leaving Mick Harford in caretaker charge while the search for Briatore’s first permanent managerial appointment took place. It was an unlikely combination: Briatore in his Billionaire clothing brand, arriving at matches with his Wonderbra model wife in his own personal helicopter; Harford who looks like he’s just stepped away from working a geezer over to offer you a price on a lurcher.
But with Briatore’s money allowing some much needed team improvements — Rowan Vine was added to the attack on loan from Birmingham, Mikele Leigertwood to the midfield from Sheffield United, Martin Cranie was a revelation on loan from Portsmouth — performances started to pick up. The first win of the season was sealed on Sky at Loftus Road against Norwich and draws with Preston and Ipswich followed. Harford was starting to stake a claim for the permanent job and his best performance and result so far came at The Valley.
Charlton, with Alan ‘Pards’ Pardew in charge, started the season as promotion favourites but, as we now know, their decline had barely even begun despite their recent relegation from the Premier League. They had the better of the first half in this game but made a crucial mistake at half time, removing defensive central midfielder Jose Semedo and adding one-time QPR loanee Jerome Thomas. The move, presumably intended to push the Addicks on to win the game, opened up a gap between the home midfield and defence which Vine dropped deep to exploit. You forget, with all his struggles post injury, just what a wonderful player Rowan Vine could be on his day and he was absolutely electrifying for 45 minutes here.
The only doubt was whether Rangers’ fragile confidence would force them to settle for another draw. Could they put the game to bed? When Marc Nygaard toed the ball wide at the back post from a yard out, and Mikele Leigertwood rounded Nicky Weaver only to shoot wide of the open goal, you started to doubt the breakthrough would come. That feeling only grew when another purposeful Vine run drew a penalty kick which the usually reliable Rowlands thumped firmly against the base of the post and back into play.
But luck was on the West London team’s side that day. Lee Probert, not a referee who’s ever been disposed to giving Rangers anything at all, allowed Nygaard to go up and challenge Weaver in the air under a deep cross from Chris Barker. The ball broke loose for Bolder to shin his first ever goal for the club into the empty net. The goal stood, Rangers had won 1-0.
Predictably, it wasn’t enough to get Harford the job permanently, although when the Briatore reign turned into a complete farce 18 months later he was brought back for a second, notably less successful, spell in charge. Luigi De Canio was named new boss a week later and the rest is messy history.
Charlton: Weaver 6; Mills 6, Basey 7, Sodje 7, Fortune 6; Sam 7 (Racon 85, -), Semedo 6 (J Thomas 46, 5), Zheng 7, Reid 7; Varney 6, Iwelumo 6 (McLeod 69, 5)
Subs not used: Randolph, Bougherra
Booked: Sam 81 (foul), Reid 87 (dissent)
QPR: Camp 7; Mancienne 7, Barker 7, Stewart 8, Cranie 8; Rowlands 7, Bolder 7, Leigertwood 8, Ephraim 7, Nygaard 8, Vine 8
Subs not used: Cole, Bignot, Ainsworth, Sahar, Moore.
Goals: Bolder 72 (assisted Nygaard)
Lagos-born Danny Shittu kick-started his own professional football career by constantly writing to managers, coaches and scouts, badgering teams across the South East of England for a trial. Norwich had a look at him but it was Charlton who offered him pro terms. Shittu has rarely had a good word to say about the long-serving and well-regarded Addicks boss of the time Alan Curbishley however, saying he rarely spoke to the younger players at the club.
During 2000/01 Charlton loaned Shittu first to Blackpool, then the following season to Ian Holloway’s Queens Park Rangers side in League One. Rangers were in administration, but putting a decent side together under Holloway’s supervision. Shittu was signed right on the deadline for a Tuesday night league game at Peterborough where he started at centre half, not knowing half of his team mates, and was sent off for two clumsy tackles in a 4-1 defeat.
An inauspicious start then, but Shittu’s enormous frame, deceptive pace and physical approach to marking opposition strikers quickly made him a fans’ favourite at Loftus Road. He was also a very lucrative first goalscorer bet — always listed at 33/1 and a prodigious threat when going up for attacking corners. He opened his QPR account with a typical header from one such set piece in a 3-2 win at Chesterfield.
Despite the administrators overseeing things at Loftus Road, Rangers were able to buy Shittu for £250,000 from Charlton thanks to generous funding from the Winton family — who also financed the acquisitions of DouDou and Marc Bircham around this time. The moves provoked anger among rivals clubs, with Brentford chairman Ron Noades — who’d made a cash offer for Shittu himself — a particularly outspoken critic. Clubs in administration have been laced under transfer embargoes by the league ever since.
But Shittu was signed and sealed at Loftus Road and formed a formidable centre half partnership with Clarke Carlisle in the third tier. He became a cult hero, and although his ruptured knee ligaments in a match at Bournemouth midway through the 2003/04 season threatened to derail QPR’s promotion push, the fact that he played on for 70 minutes of that match with a knee injury that reduces most players to a crumpled, screaming heap on the floor only added to his attraction. Surgeons grafted part of his hamstring into his knee to repair the damage — Holloway remarked that this was no problem as Shittu had more hamstring than the rest of the team put together — and by the time he returned to action the R’s were a division higher.
Shittu continued to impress in the new division. A whole new league of strikers, not used to his unconventional shape, underestimated him to their pain and suffering — Cardiff’s Alan Lee made the mistake of elbowing Shittu in his gentleman’s area as he climbed for a header and after 30 seconds on the floor to gather his breath Shittu left the field, pointing at his assailant, and shouting that he was coming back for him. The following hour was as brutal as you’ll ever see within the rules of the game and Lee was removed with 25 minutes still to play for his own safety.
As Rangers struggled for cash with Gary Waddock in charge and Gianni Paladini as chairman, Shittu was sold to Watford for £1.6m in August 2006. Aidy Boothroyd’s Hornets had just been promoted to the top flight but the Premier League proved beyond both Shittu and the rest of the team and they were relegated comfortably before the end of the season. Shittu remained, and Watford initially looked a good bet to return, before falling away into more financial trouble.
Shittu spent an unhappy two years back in the Premier League at Bolton where he made just 11 appearances, but reignited his career with a spell under his former QPR coach Kenny Jackett at Millwall in 2010/11. His form there on a short term contract brought QPR calling again in January 2011, looking for extra bodies to solidify their own push for the Premier League.
Shittu’s form was fairly wild during his second spell at Loftus Road — excellent in wins against Ipswich at home, Middlesbrough away and Watford away, absolutely dreadful in away defeats at Scunthorpe and Millwall. Bizarrely, he finished the season playing as an auxiliary striker on the final day of the season as the R’s lifted the Championship trophy with a home game against Leeds.
Panic set in that summer when Tony Fernandes’ perspective takeover of the club dragged on into August, and existing owner Falvio Briatore refused to finance new signings knowing he was leaving the club. The signatures of Wayne Routledge and others were missed as a result and Warnock renewed contracts for players like Peter Ramage and Shittu while knowing they weren’t good enough for the top flight — in fact, Warnock had decided Shittu wasn’t for him after his catastrophic performance and red card in that return to Millwall the previous season. Takeover complete and 25 man squad named without him involved, Shittu found himself out in the cold for a year.
He has since returned to Millwall as captain, and taken part in their run to an FA Cup semi-final.
A real character, and somebody who will always be remembered fondly at QPR.
Others >>> Luke Young, QPR 2011-2014, Charlton 2001-2007 >>> Jay Bothroyd, QPR 2011-2013, Charlton 2005-2006 >>> Hogan Ephraim, QPR 2008-present, Charlton (loan) 2011 >>> Rob Hulse, Charlton (loan) 2012-2013, QPR 2010-2013 >>> Leon Clarke, Charlton 2012-2013, QPR 2010-2011, (loan) 2006 >>> Marcus Bent, QPR (loan) 2010, Charlton 2006-2008 >>> Scott Sinclair, Charlton (loan) 2008, QPR (loan) 2007 >>> Gary Borrowdale, Charlton (loan) 2010, QPR 2008-2013 >>> Martin Cranie, Charlton (loan) 2008-2009, (loan) 2007 >>> Lee Cook, Charlton (loan) 2012, (loan) 2008, QPR 2008-2012, 2004-2007, (loan) 2002-2003 >>> Simon Walton, QPR 2007-2008, Charlton 2006-2007 >>> Simon Royce, QPR 2005-2007, Charlton 2003-2005, 1998-1999 >>> Jerome Thomas, Charlton 2004-2008, QPR (loan) 2002 >>> Carl Leaburn, QPR 2000-2001, Charlton 1987-1998 >>> Kevin Lisbie, Charlton 1996-2007, QPR (loan) 2000-2001 >>> Jermaine Darlington, QPR 1999-2001, Charlton 1992-1993 >>> Bradley Allen. QPR 1988-1995, Charlton 1995-1999 >>> Nicky Johns, QPR 1988-1989, Charlton 1979-1988 >>> Alan McDonald, QPR 1981-1997, Charlton (loan) 1983 >>> Mick Flanagan, Charlton 1983-1986, 1971-1979, QPR 1980-1982 >>> Andy Pape, QPR 1979-1980, Charlton 1980-1981 >>> Stuart Leary, QPR 1962-1966, Charlton 1950-1962 >>> Alec Stock, QPR (manager) 1959-1968, 1938-1939, Charlton 1935-1936
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Pictures — Action Images