Reading v QPR Connections and Memories
Friday, 24th Oct 2008 16:14

Amidst all this madness there is a football match taking place tomorrow so while I'm re-writing the match preview for a third time allow Ash to take you down memory lane, with a hastily re-written intro of his own.

Well never a dull moment at Rangers eh? Just fifteen games into the new season and Iain Dowie has been given the boot by Flavio and the board. Now I can’t say I was over the moon with his appointment but you have to give the man some realistic time. Chopping and changing the manager every six months is just a recipe for disaster and now leaves Gareth Ainsworth in charge of what was already looking like a daunting task in tomorrow's live game at Reading live on Sky.

The Royals have been scoring for fun at home this season and have yet to drop a point, so it’s was already going to take an almighty effort from the R’s to get something out this game but now with this fallout and all sorts of rumours coming out the club I’m just hoping we don’t suffer another embarrassing defeat to a live TV audience.

Memorable Match
Reading 1-2 QPR
2ND September 1997
First Division
Going into this match at Elm Park (the last time the R’s would visit the ground) both sides had made disappointing starts to the season. Rangers had just been thumped by Nottingham Forest 4-0 and the Royals were propping up the table at the start of play on a pleasant Tuesday evening.

The hosts had former Rangers player Michael Meaker in their line up and he was booed from the kick-off by the travelling faithful. Not that it had much effect on the team because it was Reading who took the lead just ten minutes into the game. Carl Asaba’s shot came crashing off the bar and midfielder Lee Hodges headed in the rebound to give Reading a much needed 1-0 lead.

It stayed that way at half-time and Reading had further chances to go ahead but Asaba wasted several opportunities and it gave Rangers the confidence to finally take the game to the home side and they scored two goals in a minute. First a ball down the right side was crossed in for little John Spencer to equalise.

Then a minute later another dangerous cross into the Reading box caused mass confusion and was headed into his own net by Steve Swales. QPR had turned the game on its head and left Elm Park with three valuable points.

Reading: Mautone, Booty, Swales, Robins, McPherson, Primus, Bernal, Hodges, Asaba (Roach 76), Meaker, Lambert.

Rangers: Harper, Rose, Brevett, Quashie, Maddix, Morrow, Spencer, Peacock, Murray, Sheron, Sinclair.

Postcript:Reading’s luck didn’t change and they eventually finished bottom of the league and were relegated with Stoke and Manchester City. Rangers escaped relegation thanks to a famous Jamie Pollock own goal and finished 21st in the league.

Connections
Les Ferdinand
QPR 1986-1995
Reading 2005
If you were to talk about the top three Rangers players in our history, the name Les Ferdinand would easily be one of them, and for the more modern fans amongst us he’s probably the best we’ve ever had. Les started his career in non-league football with first Southall and then Hayes. His impressive strike rate at the level caught the attention of QPR and signed the striker for £15,000 in 1986. He was still a player with raw potential but Jim Smith could see a star in him and sent him on loan to Brentford and then Turkish side Besiktas to gain some first time experience. His time in Turkey was a successful one his 21 goals in a season helping the side to a league and cup double. One famous story is that on Les debut for Besiktas, the club sacrificed a sheep in his honour.

Back at Loftus Road Trevor Francis was now in charge and Les struggled to break into the team and was about to leave the club until Don Howe came in as gaffer. Under Howe he scored his first Rangers goals, in a 4-2 victory over Chelsea and over the next two seasons formed a profitable partnership with Roy Wegerle including memorable strikes against Luton and in the famous 3-1 win at Anfield.

Howe was soon replaced by Gerry Francis and under his wing Ferdinand emerged as a truly great front-man. Football moved into a new era in 1992-93, the first season of the Premier League and what a season it was for both Les and Queens Park Rangers. Who could forget the back-to-back hat-tricks over Easter weekend and the brilliant goal against Sheffield United? His goals led Rangers to their best top-flight finish since the 70’s in 5th place and as top London club. Les finished the season with 20 goals, just one behind the leagues top-scorer Teddy Sheringham and his efforts were rewarded with an England call-up, on which he scored on his international debut against San Marino- he would go on to earn 17 caps.

Over the next two seasons Ferdy would again top the R’s goal-scoring charts and become a true R’s legend, earning the nickname Sir Les. Unfortunately the big boys soon started circulating and in the summer of 1995 Newcastle fought off competition from Arsenal and Blackburn to sign Les for a club record sale of £6 million. That following campaign Rangers struggled without their talisman with the money received from his sale wasted by Ray Wilkins on the likes of Ned Zelic and Simon Osborn, and they were relegated. Les on the other hand flourished in the Newcastle side that finished second and won the PFA player of the year. After Newcastle Les joined Spurs but injuries we beginning to take their toll on him and never really found his best form again, but did score the 10,000th Premier League goal.

He spent six seasons at White Hart Lane before enjoying spells with West Ham, Leicester and Bolton, before ending his career with Reading where he scored once in twelve appearances. An absolute modern day legend and still the best header of a ball I’ve seen in front of goal. He’s now the only reason to watch Setanta TV on a Saturday evening.
Magic R’s Moment A 2-1 win at St James Park when a half-fit Sir Les destroyed the Magpies and probably convinced Keegan to sign him.

Michael Meaker
QPR 1990-95
Reading 1995-98
Although born in Greenford, Michael Meaker would go on to fulfil a footballing career as a Welsh U21 international and now currently plays in the Welsh leagues. Meaker came through the ranks at Rangers and made his debut as a 19 year-old in December 1990 in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City. He would then go on to play for Rangers for five of their most successful seasons in seasons. Although never really a first-teamer with the R’s Meaker was part of the squad that finished top London side in 1993, and two more top half finishes in the Premier League earning Welsh U21 and B international caps along way. In 1995 after never cementing a permanent place in the R’s first team he made the switch to Jimmy Quinn’s Reading. Again at Reading Meaker was never a first team player and as the team became marooned at the bottom of the First Division Jimmy Quinn was sacked and replaced by Terry Buillivant and Meaker found himself surplus to requirements at Elm Park. He later turned out for Bristol Rovers and Plymouth before entering non-league football with Northwich Victoria. Now plays in the Welsh Western Leagues with Bitton and runs a football academy at his local gym.
Magic R’s Moment: Erm… I guess his one and only goal against Leeds in the 1993-94 season.

Others:

Chris Woods QPR 1979-81, Reading (loan) 1995. Now Goalkeeping Coach at Everton
Paul Barron QPR 1985-88, Reading (loan) 1986. Now Goalkeeping Coach at Newcastle
Tony Witter QPR 1991-94, Reading 1994 (loan). Now unknown.
Simon Osborn Reading 1994-95, QPR 1995-96. Now manager of Bromley
Jamie Cureton Reading 2000-03, QPR 2004-05. Now at Norwich City
Tony Thorpe Reading (loan) 1998, QPR 2003-05. Now at Brackley Town

Fans’ Memories
Their promotion game singing "we think your party's shit" and "One branch, your family tree's one branch" to some very odd looking locals in the corner stand. God I hate their soulless Lego stadium in the middle of nowhere, much preferred Elm Park even though it was a hole.-zranger

Cureton's sending off actually makes me laugh now looking back, never seen a midget so cross.

Sad memories of this one for me. On the way to the John Spencer game at Elm Park we had breakfast in a Little Chef, after we'd eaten my grandad went off to the toilet and my dad and me went and brought the car round to the front. we were there for ages and grandad didn't come out so my Dad went in to look for him and found him sort of slumped and disorientated in the toilet. It was nothing unusual for my grandad to by slumped and disorientated at the football so we stuck him in the car and thought nothing more of it. Had a heart attack two days later and died.

He did think Stuart Houston was a good appointment as manager he told us shortly before passing, but then this is the man who shook Peter Johnson by the hand at Everton and told him he'd be a great success shortly before the Everton fans invaded the pitch and demanded his resignation. he was also the bloke that took a tenner off everybody in the Goldhawk one Saturday because he had a "sure thing" on a dog, got to the bookies and changed his mind - the dog he was going to back won by miles, the one he actually put everybody's money on cracked its head on the traps as it flew out and didn't make it all the way round. Terrific fella. -Northernr

Northern, I like the sound of the old fella, shame he's no longer with us. I can see it now, him strolling up to Dowie & saying that Ramage should be first choice & let Connolly rot on the bench! You in the background pulling out your remaining hair. My memory of Reading was their promo game with music at full blast to attempt to create an atmosphere, watching a young sub come on for us & saying that he looks like one for the future; a certain Ray Jones. -WestBerksR

Carl Leaburn beating Kurt Bakholt’s record. -ChrisPTenner

Their promo day in 2006. Me and my brother having to sit in the home end next to the Rangers contingent. They had blue and white cards that all the supporters held up for a big photo. If you look hard enough there are 2 gaps where me and my brother refused to do it and sat on our seats, arms folded. We equalised and me and my brother stood up and cheered, and got a few looks from the inbreds. God that day was so frustrating. Cureton sending off the year before was funny, watching him boot that bloke up the arse. -Drewster

"I'm the fucking Man" Spencer at Elm Park, and he was. Walking out of that game a pizza delivery moped guy slowed down because of the crowd and as he virtually stopped, one of you bastards opened his pizza box on the back of his moped and ran of with some poor bastards pizza LOL -Ted Hendrix

To add your memories you can e-mail us at loftforwords@yahoo.co.uk, use the commenting facility below or post on the message board thread.