As QPR prepare to induct Mark Lazarus into the Forever R’s club at Friday’s match with Brentford, LFW looks back at the career of the man who scored a winning League Cup final goal for the R’s.

Connections

Mark Lazarus >>> QPR 1960/61, 1962-64, 1966/67 >>> Brentford 1964-66

Mark Lazarus is back at Loftus Road on Friday night as the latest inductee into the Forever R’s club of former players. Apt, not only because he played for both QPR and Brentford, nor just because he scored at Wembley the day the club lifted its only major honour during one of three stints in Hoops, but also because it was his interview on the Open All R’s Podcast bemoaning the lack of attention QPR paid their former players several years back which sparked the club’s admirable recent drive culminating in the launch of this latest fine initiative.

I guess you could rely on Lazarus, an East End-born former boxer, to tell it like it is, or at least how it was at the time.

Born in Stepney in 1938, Lazarus was in the same Saturday side as Jimmy Greaves as a boy before he started playing non-league football with Barking where he was picked up by Leyton Orient, then managed by Alec Stock, in 1957. Lazarus, part of a large Jewish family, chose football over boxing despite some success in amateur bouts. One of his brothers, Lew, fought for the British title at welterweight and middleweight.

Stock left Brisbane Road for a brief stint in charge of Roma (imagine that) but when he returned to England with QPR he immediately signed Lazarus for the first time in September 1960. A year later he was off to Wolves for a club record fee of £27,500 in September 1961 only to return to Loftus Road in February 1962 after just nine games following a row with Molineux boss Stan Cullis.

In a recent interview with the Jewish Telegraph, Lazarus said: “I never, in my whole career, asked for a transfer and would have preferred to have stayed in London. Cullis was a sergeant major type who was never happy, even when we won. Nothing was good enough for him and we had a personality clash. Alec felt he had a responsibility to look after QPR financially too so I was seen as a saleable object."

He left for Brentford in April 1964 for £8,000 plus George McLeod but was back for a third, and most successful, stint in November 1965. He left for a third and final time, League Cup winner’s medal in pocket, to join Crystal Palace for £10,000 in November 1967 and just to really crown himself as the king of the comeback he finished up back at Orient again in 1969.

Lazarus was a fast, aggressive winger who scored 84 goals for the club in 235 appearances. The most important of those was the third Rangers goal at Wembley, crowning a comeback for the Third Division R’s from 2-0 down to defeat First Division West Brom 3-2. QPR were the first team from the third tier ever to compete for a major trophy at Wembley and any thought they may be overawed by going 2-0 down at half time were dispelled by goals from Roger Morgan, Rodney Marsh and finally Lazarus.

He said: "It was only a tap-in, it was not as though I beat three men and smashed the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the area. The lead-up to the final was tremendous, though. We had a great season. That final was the first game my mum and dad saw me play in. My dad had never been to a game in his life and he never went to any more after the final. My mum loved it though, and after that, she always came to see me play."

It was just rewards for the wide man, having scored three times in the earlier rounds of the competition that year including a 5-0 First Round win against Colchester where Marsh got the other four, the memorable Fourth Round home upset against top flight Leicester Citty when he got one in a 4-2 win with Les Allen and Roger Morgan bagging the other two, and finally one in a 4-1 home win against Birmingham in the first leg of the semi-final at Loftus Road. He also set up both goals in the 2-1 Fifth Round win against Carlisle.

Oddly, he’s probably equally well remembered for running down the wing at Loftus Road in just his y-fronts, shorts in hand, when the ball arrived at his feet at an inopportune moment during a kit change.

In retirement he worked in road haulage, and as a ‘minder’ for snooker players including Steve Davis.

By winning promotion from Division Three to Division Two with Orient in his final year as a professional it meant he’d finished his senior career with promotions in his last four seasons — two with QPR in 1967 and 1968, one from Second to the First with Palace in 1969 and then Orient in 1970 before he went back into the non-league game with Folkestone and later Wingate and Finchley.

Others >>> Jake Bidwell QPR 2016-present, Brentford 2011-2016 >>> DJ Campbell, QPR 2011-2013, Brentford 2005-2006 >>> Rowan Vine, Brentford (loan) 2010, (loan) 2002-2003, QPR 2007-2012 >>> Tommy Smith, Brentford 2014-2015, QPR 2010-2012 >>> Gavin Mahon, QPR 2008-2011, Brentford 1998-2002 >>> Martin Rowlands, QPR 2003-2012, Brentford 1998-2003 >>> Ian Holloway, QPR (manager) 2001-2006, 1991-1996, Brentford 1986-1987 >>> Ademola Bankole, Brentford 2005-2006, QPR 1998-2000 >>> Marcus Bean, Brentford 2008-2012, QPR 2002-2006 >>> Les Ferdinand, QPR 1987-1995, Brentford (loan) 1988 >>> Andy Sinton, QPR 1989-1993, Brentford 1985-1989 >>> Stan Bowles, QPR 1972-1979, Brentford 1981-1984 >>> Andy McCulloch Brentford 1976-1979, QPR 1970-1972 >>> George Goddard, Brentford 1933, QPR 1926-1933

Recent Meetings

Queens Park Rangers 3 Brentford 0, Saturday March 12, 2016, Championship

QPR snapped a 16-match run of London derbies without a victory, and avenged a defeat at Brentford earlier in the season, by comprehensively beating the Bees 3-0 at Loftus Road in March. Junior Hoilett got things underway with the club's Goal of the Season from 25 yards and although the visitors threatened from range before half time, nerves were settled after the break when Chery played in Polter for a simple second. Chery iced the cake himself, taking the ball on the run from Ale Faurlin and finishing into the far corner 20 minutes from time.

QPR: Smithies 6; Onuoha 7, Angella 6, Hill 7, Perch 7; Faurlin 6, Henry 8 (El Khayati 82, -); Phillips 6, Chery 8 (Luongo 74, 6), Hoilett 8; Polter 8 (Mackie 85, -)

Subs not used: Washington, Tozser, Ingram, Kpekawa

Goals: Hoilett 38 (unassisted), Polter 66 (assisted Chery), Chery 71 (assisted Faurlin)

Bookings: Polter 45 (repetitive fouling), Henry 48 (foul), Hoilett 49 (foul), Luongo 90+1 (foul)

Brentford: Button 5; Yennaris 5, Dean 5, Barbet 5, Bidwell 5; McCormack 4; Canos 6 (Vibe 64, 5) McEachran 5 (Kerschbaumer 76, 5), Woods 7, Swift 5 (Saunders 76, 5), Judge 6

Subs not used: Djuricin, Bonham, O’Connell, Clarke

Bookings: Canos 32 (foul), Woods 48 (retaliation)

Brentford 1 Queens Park Rangers 0, Friday October 30, 2015, Championship

Brentford beat QPR in a competitive fixture for the first time in 50 years when these sides met at Griffin Park towards the end of Chris Ramsey's unhappy spell as Rangers boss. Massimo Luongo led a one-man mission to prevent the loss in the first half, heading against the bar with one effort and then curling another against the inside of the far post. But the game was won when Alan Judge raced in behind Nedum Onuoha and crossed for Djuricin to slam in from close range.

Brentford: Button 6; Yennaris 6, Dean 7, Tarkowski 6, Bidwell 6; McCormack 6 (Vibe 82, -), Diagouraga 7; Woods 6, Swift 6, Judge 7 (Kerschbaumer 77, 6); Djuricin 7 (Hoffman 90, -)

Subs not used: Bonham, O’Connell, Gogia, Canos

Goals: Djuricin 56 (assisted Judge)

Bookings: McCormack 20 (ungentlemanly), Djuricin 86 (time wasting)

QPR: Green 6; Onuoha 5, Hall 7, Hill 6 (Perch 76, 6), Konchesky 5; Henry 6, Tozser 5; Phillips 5, Luongo 6 (Hoilett 67, 5), Chery 5 (Austin 63, 5), Emmanuel Thomas 4

Subs not used: Doughty, Faurlin, Smithies, Polter

Booked: Hill 20 (ungentlemanly), Tozser 24 (foul), Phillips 80 (foul)

Scores and Scorers

Head to Head >>> QPR wins 22 >>> Draws 23 >>> Brentford wins 22

2015/16 QPR 3 Brentford 0 (Hoilett, Chery, Polter)

2015/16 Brentford 1 QPR 0

2003/04 Brentford 1 QPR 1 (Furlong)

2003/04 QPR 1 Brentford 0 (Thorpe)

2002/03 Brentford 1 QPR 2 (Shittu, Bircham)

2002/03 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Bircham)

2001/02 Brentford 0 QPR 0

2001/02 QPR 0 Brentford 0

1965/66 QPR 1 Brentford 0 (R Morgan)

1965/66 Brentford 6 QPR 1 (R Morgan)

1964/65 Brentford 5 QPR 2 (I Morgan, Keen)

1964/65 QPR 1 Brentford 3 (Keen)

1963/64 QPR 2 Brentford 2 (Bedford 2)

1963/64 Brentford 2 QPR 2 (Bedford 2)

1961/62 Brentford 1 QPR 4 (Bedford 2, McCelland, Reeves og)

1961/62 QPR 3 Brentford 0 (Towers, Bedford, Evans)

1960/61 Brentford 2 QPR 0

1960/61 QPR 0 Brentford 0

1959/60 Brentford 1 QPR 1 (Golding)

1959/60 QPR 2 Brentford 4 (Bedford 2)

1958/59 Brentford 1 QPR 0

1958/59 QPR 1 Brentford 2 (Kerrins)

1957/58 Brentford 1 QPR 1 (Cameron)

1957/58 QPR 1 Brentford 0 (Petchey)

1956/57 QPR 2 Brentford 2 (Longbottom, Bargie og)

1956/57 Brentford 2 QPR 0

1955/56 Brentford 2 QPR 0

1955/56 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Cameron)

1954/55 Brentford 1 QPR 1 (Clark)

1954/55 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Clark)

1951/52 Brentford 0 QPR 0

1951/52 Brentford 3 QPR 1* (Shepherd)

1951/52 QPR 3 Brentford 1 (Gilberg, Shepherd, Smith)

1950/51 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Davies)

1950/51 Brentford 2 QPR 1 (Addinall)

1949/50 Brentford 0 QPR 2 (Hatton, Wardle)

1949/50 QPR 3 Brentford 3 (Pattison 2, Pointon)

1948/49 Brentford 0 QPR 3 (Hudson, Pointon, Duggan)

1948/49 QPR 2 Brentford 0 (Hartburn, Hudson)

1945/46 Brentford 0 QPR 0*

1945/46 QPR 1 Brentford 3* (Pattison)

1932/33 Brentford 2 QPR 0

1932/33 QPR 2 Brentford 3 (Goddard, Brown)

1931/32 QPR 1 Brentford 2 (Cribb)

1931/32 Brentford 1 QPR 0

1930/31 QPR 3 Brentford 1 (Goddard 2, Howe)

1930/31 Brentford 5 QPR 3 (Coward, Wiles, Nixon)

1929/30 Brentford 3 QPR 0

1929/30 QPR 2 Brentford 1 (Rounce, Goddard)

1928/29 QPR 2 Brentford 2 (Coward, Herod)

1928/29 Brentford 1 QPR 1 (Smith)

1927/28 Brentford 0 QPR 3 (Goddard 2, Burns)

1927/28 QPR 2 Brentford 3 (Lofthouse 2)

1926/27 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Hawley)

1926/27 Brentford 4 QPR 2 (Patterson, Goddard)

1925/26 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Burgess)

1925/26 Brentford 1 QPR 2 (Johnson, Birch)

1924/25 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Brown)

1924/25 Brentford 0 QPR 1 (Brown)

1923/24 Brentford 0 QPR 1 (Birch)

1923/24 QPR 1 Brentford 0 (Parker)

1922/23 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Marsden)

1922/23 Brentford 1 QPR 3 (Parker 2, Birch)

1921/22 QPR 1 Brentford 1 (Smith)

1921/22 Brentford 5 QPR 1 (Birch)

1920/21 QPR 1 Brentford 0 (Birch)

1920/21 Brentford 0 QPR 2 (Smith 2)

* - FA Cup

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Myke added 23:04 - Oct 26 Always amused by stats like 'First victory in 50 years'' when they hadn't played each other for 35 years between 65 and 2000. It reminds me of a comment by Ray Wilkins a 'few' years ago when someone pointed out to him that Rangers hadn't lost a home tie in the FA cup for 18 years. 'We obviously haven't been drawn at home very often' was the midfielld maestro's instant reply

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Roller added 07:29 - Oct 27 Gramps (RIP), author of "QPR The Old Days", was friends with Lazarus and did a Q&A with him a few years ago. This is Lazarus' recollection of the infamous short story: There are a few games that stand out in your memory bank and there was lot that was spoken about and written about that incident. It was against Carlisle in the fifth round of the League Cup and I split my shorts. My shirt was covering my embarrassment and I had to take my torn shorts off by the dugout. I threw my shorts to Alec Farmer (trainer) and he threw me a new pair. Before I could put them on the ball came my way. It was instinct. I was on the field of play and was not about to let the ball go to put on a pair of shorts so I just ran down the line with no pants on. I had a good game that day and laid on both goals for Rodney. I was tearing Carlisle apart at the time and, as was the case in those days I got a cheer every time I got hold of the ball but on this occasion there was a cheer and roars of laughter. That’s the be all and end all of it. The whole article is here for anyone interested: http://qprreport.proboards.com/thread/32221/mark-lazarus-chat-hero-legend

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TacticalR added 15:45 - Oct 28 Great stuff. Thanks!
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