It's 30 years, almost to the day, since QPR and Middlesbrough fought out a cliffhanger 3-3 draw at Loftus Road.
QPR 3 Middlesbrough 3, Saturday September 19, 1992, Premier League
The Premier League was just two months old when these sides met at Loftus Road back in September 1992. QPR, into a second year under the guidance of manager Gerry Francis, were looking strong with Les Ferdinand, succeeding Roy Wegerle as the team’s go-to striker, banging in the goals left right and centre. After a second half to the 1991/92 season where they’d beaten Man Utd 4-1, eventual champions Leeds 4-1 and Manchester City 4-0 (three of that year’s top five) the R’s had hit the ground running in the new campaign with one defeat from their first eight matches and four wins.
The only thing holding the R’s back from being among the early pace setters at the top of the league was drawing too many games — Ipswich had rode their luck and Arsenal had got away with several questionable penalty incidents in respective 0-0 draws at Loftus Road.
Middlesbrough came to town as one of the newly promoted teams. Beset by financial problems throughout the 1980s they’d actually been relegated to the Third Division in 1985 and come within ten minutes of liquidation before local businessman Steve Gibson brought together a consortium to save the club. Gibson has spectacularly bankrolled Boro ever since, seeing them move to the brand new Riverside Stadium and reach a UEFA Cup final in 2006. Led by inspirational captain Tony Mowbray and wily manager Lennie Lawrence they finished second in the 1991/92 Second Division and thereby won the right to be founder members of the Premier League.
Boro had started well at the higher level. Champions Leeds were thrashed 4-1 at Ayresome Park and they won four and drew one of their first seven matches prior to the visit to Loftus Road. Lawrence’s side won 1-0 at Man City the week before heading to W12 while QPR were winning 2-1 at Southampton which set up an intriguing encounter between two of the division’s better performing sides at the time.
Boro led at half time. Jimmy Phillips whipped a corner into the near post and the captain Alan Kernaghan headed down into the bottom corner. A goal of embarrassing simplicity from a Rangers point of view.
With Gerry Francis’ words ringing in their ears the Super Hoops came out and blitzed the second half. On the hour patient build up with Andy Impey and Justin Channing at the heart of things eventually crafted a crossing opportunity for Andy Sinton but he wasted that and Chris Morris was able to clear. The loose ball fell to Ray Wilkins and he calmly fed it back to Sinton who checked inside onto his right foot and composed himself for a better delivery that Les Ferdinand attacked ferociously in the air, flying in over the top of Derek Whyte to power a header into the roof of the net from 12 yards out. One of the best headers you’ll ever see as long as you watch the game.
Long serving LFW contributor and AKUTRs columnist Dave Barton has started adding some of his extensive QPR video collection to YouTube. Thanks to Dave for prioritising this match for today’s column, and you can see more classic matches, montages of our best players, and moments from QPR history by visiting his channel here.
In true QPR style though they then undid the hard work by conceding a second goal almost immediately. Whyte fed young striker Tommy Wright who played an untidy one two with Bernie Slaven down the left wing which was somehow enough to completely unlock the Rangers defence, present Wright with a one on one situation and see Boro retake the lead.
So QPR had to start again. There was certainly an element of hit and hope about Ian Holloway’s long punt down the field a short time later but the niggly, hard running style that Gary Penrice was known for — plus the former Bristol Rovers forward’s desperation to end a goal drought stretching back to the previous February — made something of the chance. First the barrel chested striker caught Whyte trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick and pinched it from him, then having hooked it along the byline he found Brian Horne the on-loan Middlesbrough goalkeeper flat footed and perhaps expecting a pull back so was able to squirm a fairly pathetic shot underneath him and into the Loft End goal for a second equaliser.
All set for a late QPR winner it seemed. Not so. With six minutes left on the watch the QPR defence contrived to implode once more and concede a third shambolic goal of the afternoon. Wright lofted a free kick to the back post and with markers caught under the ball and Stejskal rooted to his line a queue of unmarked Boro attackers formed and eventually Willie Falconer took responsibility to rise unchallenged and power home what seemed certain to be a winning goal.
Rangers were paper thin at the back, but remained spirited and threatening going forwards. Deep into stoppage time they salvaged a draw in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. Substitute Dennis Bailey was one of eight hooped men packed into the penalty box for a final throw of the dice with an Andy Sinton free kick. The initial delivery was cleared but Wilkins squared the loose ball to Holloway who sent in a searching cross to the back post and, with the Middlesbrough defenders this time caught under the ball and the QPR players lined up to take advantage, Impey steamed in with a blockbusting header that seemed a stone wall certainty to fly into the top corner of the net. Somehow, at point blank range, Horne thrust up an arm at the last second and tipped the ball onto the underside of the bar to preserve the visitors’ precarious lead. The QPR fans packed onto the Lower Loft terrace couldn’t believe it but their despair soon turned to loud penalty appeals as, amidst the carnage created by the ball rebounding back into play in a penalty box containing 18 players, Andy Sinton was hacked to the ground as he tried to gather possession and referee Gerald Ashby pointed to the penalty spot.
With the last kick of the game Sinton stepped up himself and rolled a nervous penalty past Horne and into the bottom corner. Three times behind, Rangers were level again and there was barely time to restart. Given QPR’s defence from the previous Middlesbrough kick offs, that was probably just as well.
Rangers ended up fifth that season, the top placed London club. Boro, however, collapsed. Having lost just two of their first nine and come mighty close to winning a fifth game in seven outings in West London they then drew nine and lost seven of the next 18 games plunging them into a relegation battle which they ultimately failed in. Les Ferdinand scored again in a 1-0 win at Ayresome Park later in the season, part of a run of 11 defeats in 15 games for Lawrence’s side, and they were demoted alongside Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.
QPR: Stejskal, Channing, Peacock (Holloway), McDonald, Wilson (Maddix), Impey, Barker, Holloway, Sinton, Ferdinand, Penrice
Sub not used: Roberts
Boro: Horne, Morris, Phillips, Kernaghan, Whyte, Peake, Slaven, Falconer, Wilkinson, Wright, Mustoe
Attendance: 12,272
LFW regular and AKUTR’s columnist Dave Barton has set up a QPR Memories YouTube channel, with a mixture of clips, classic games, and old highlights packages. His Middlesbrough packages are embedded below, give him a subscribe on YouTube or follow @QPR_Memories on Twitter.
QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2, Wednesday February 9, 2022, Championship
QPR’s play-off hopes were still well alive when Middlesbrough, one of the in-form chasers, came to town for a midweek match in February. Ilias Chair, fresh back from the African Cup of Nations, curled a brilliant opening goal around returning goalkeeper Joe Lumley midway through the first half to give Rangers the lead. But they couldn’t see that through to half time, with Jimmy Dunne’s error from a corner in stoppage time giving Boro a second bite at a delivery and Dael Fry equalised into the bottom corner. Lumley then treated his former club to a second goal straight after the restart when he dallied over a back pass long enough for Chris Willock to steal the ball and score. But amidst an onslaught from the visitors which really should have yielded an away win, Albert Adomah turned into his own net against his former club.
QPR: Marshall 8; Adomah 6, Dickie 6, Dunne 6, Barbet 6, Wallace 6 (Odubajo 78, 6); Field 7, Johansen 5 (Gray 68, 6), Chair 7 (Hendrick 60, 6); Willock 7, Dykes 7
Subs not used: Amos, Austin, Sanderson, Mahoney
Goals: Chair 29 (assisted Willock), Willock 46 (assisted Lumley)
Boro: Lumley 4; Jones 8, Dijksteel 6, Fry 8, McNair 6, Taylor 6; Crooks 7 (Payero 87, -), Tavernier 8, Howson 7; Sporar 6 (Connolly 81, -), Watmore 7 (Balogun 71, 6)
Subs not used: Peltier, Bamba, Daniels, McGree
Goals: Fry 45+2 (unassisted), Adomah og 60 (assisted Jones)
Bookings: Howson 84 (foul)
Middlesbrough 2 QPR 3, Wednesday August 18, 2021, Championship
Arguably QPR’s best performance of the whole 2021/22 season came in match three at the Riverside Stadium, with Rangers overcoming a one-man deficit for almost the entire second half to win 3-2 regardless. Boro flew out of the traps and subjected the visitors to an absolute barrage in the first quarter of an hour, with numerous near misses and sitters gone begging eventually made to pay with Uche Ikpeazu’s penalty after Lyndon Dykes was adjudged to have manhandled his opponent at the far post. But the pressure subsided and QPR worked their way back into the game, equalising straight after half time when Jonny Howson turned Lee Wallace’s low cross past his own goalkeeper. Any momentum that might have generated should have dissipated when Moses Odubajo then picked up a dumb second yellow to leave the R’s with ten men for the rest of the game, but Lyndon Dykes responded immediately with a second goal that Joe Lumley should have saved. Crowd stunned, Rangers might have been able to see that out had Dom Ball not dallied in possession having done the initial hardest part of the task — Matt Crooks smacked in an equaliser. Once again though the visitors stormed forward immediately, scoring a shock third through Willock, and almost adding an immediate fourth from the same source.
Boro: Lumley 4; Dijksteel 6, Hall 5, Fry 6, Bola 6; Howson 5, McNair 6; Spence 6 (Payero 86, -), Crooks 7, Jones 8; Ikpeazu 7 (Akpom 71, 5)
Subs not used: Morsy, Peltier, Bamba, Daniels. Coburn
Goals: Ikpeazu 7 (penalty, won Fry), Crooks 72 (assisted Jones)
Bookings: Jones 54 (foul), Payero 90+8 (foul)
QPR: Dieng 7; Odubajo 4, Dickie 7, De Wijs 7, Barbet 7, Wallace 7 (Dunne 86, 7*); Ball 6, Johansen 7, Chair 6 (Kakay 58, 7); Dykes 6 (Austin 68, 5), Willock 8
Subs not used: Archer, Thomas, Dozzell, Adomah
Goals: Howson og 48 (assisted Wallace), Dykes 56 (assisted Willock), Willock 76 (assisted Johansen)
Red Cards: Odubajo 50 (two yellows)
Bookings: Odubajo 38 (foul), Odubajo 50 (foul), Johansen 90+3 (time wasting)
Middlesbrough 1 QPR 2, Saturday April 15, 2021, Championship
QPR finished last season with a trio of away wins to surpass the previous season’s total of seven. One of those was at Middlesbrough where an initial blast stunned the home team, Rob Dickie scored from fully 30 yards, and Lee Wallace finished a flowing move with a back post header. A comfortable win became a nervous one when Bolasie pulled a goal back on the half hour and, having got away with a similar incident in the first half thanks to a great recovery save, Seny Dieng was sent off for chopping down an opponent outside the box. Joe Lumley’s cameo off the bench featured two outstanding saves as the R’s hung on to win 2-1.
Boro: Archer 6; Fisher 6 (Johnson 55, 6), Hall 6, McNair 6; Spence 5 (Coulson 63, 5), Saville 7, Howson 6, Bola 5; Kebano 6, Watmore 7, Bolasie 8 (Assombalonga 82, -)
Subs not used: Bettinelli, Akpom, Fletcher, Hackney, Coburn, Malley
Goals: Bolasie 28 (assisted Kebano)
QPR: Dieng 6; Kakay 5, Dickie 8, Barbet 6; Adomah 6 (Ball 74, 7), Thomas 6 (Lumley 60, 8), Johansen 6, Chair 6 (Duke-McKenna 86, -), Wallace 8; Willock 7 (Field 74, 6), Dykes 7
Subs not used: Kane, Bonne, Bettache, Hämäläinen, Kelman
Goals: Dickie 15 (assisted Dykes), Wallace 18 (assisted Dykes)
Red Cards: Dieng 58 (denying obvious goalscoring opp)
Yellow Cards: Kakay 31 (foul)
QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1, Saturday September 26, 2020, Championship
QPR and Middlesbrough fought out a 1-1 draw in a run-of-the-mill Championship fixture at Loftus Road back in September 2020. QPR’s set piece hangover from 2019/20 continued early on as Chuba Akpom stole in at the near post to head home a nineteenth minute corner, but Bright Osayi-Samuel was soon on hand to convert from close range after Bettinelli spilled a routine shot. Luke Amos and Britt Assombalonga both missed great chances to score and Tom Carroll’s shot somehow hit the inside of the post, rolled all the way along the line and eluded a host of would-be scorers to ensure the scores finished deadlocked.
QPR: Dieng 6; Kakay 7, Dickie 6, Barbet 5, Wallace 5; Cameron 5, Amos 6; Osayi-Samuel 7, Thomas 6 (Carroll 60, 6), Chair 6 (Smyth 73, 6); Dykes 6
Subs not used: Kane, Ball, Oteh, Masterson, Kelly
Goals: Osayi-Samuel 28 (assisted Amos)
Boro: Bettinelli 5; McNair 7, Hall 6 (Fry 55, 6), Dijksteel 5; Tavernier 5, Howson 6, Johnson 5, Saville 6, Spence 5 (Morsy 64, 6); Assombalonga 5, Akpom 6
Subs not used: Wing, Browne, Bola, Coulson, Pears
Goals: Akpom 19 (assisted McNair)
Bookings: Dijksteel 85 (foul)
Middlesbrough 0 QPR 1, Saturday July 7, 2020, Championship
QPR recovered from a rocky start to lockdown football with a 1-0 away win at Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough. Jordan Hugill scored a first half winner so spectacular it exploded his hamstring and it turned out to be his final touch for the club before a summer move to Norwich. Typically, it came just seconds after he’d butchered a far easier one on one chance with the goalkeeper. Middlesbrough threatened sporadically but this was a rare solid day at the office for the rickety QPR defence, and Joe Lumley played well on his recall to the side.
Boro: Stojanovic 6; Howson 6, Fry 5, Friend 5, Johnson 4 (Coulson 80, -); Moukoudi 5, Saville 5 (Wing 65, 5); Roberts 7 (Tavernier 80, -), Morrison 4 (McNair 66, 6), Fletcher 5 (Nmecha 66, 5); Assombalonga 5
Subs not used: Dijksteel, Shotton, Clayton, Pears
Bookings: Johnson 38 (foul), Saville 51 (foul), Assombalonga 89 (diving)
QPR: Lumley 7; Kakay 7, Cameron 6, Barbet 7; Kane 6, Manning 7; Amos 5, Ball 6, Eze 7 (Oteh 70, 5); Osayi-Samuel 7, Hugill 6 (Chair 35, 6)
Goals: Hugill 32 (assisted Manning)
QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2, Saturday November 9, 2019, Championship
QPR were very QPR indeed when they met an injury ravaged Middlesbrough for a banker home win at Loftus Road back in November. An early Britt Assombalonga goal was equalised by Nahki Wells quickly enough, and a Jonny Howson own goal off a corner before half time set things back according to the script. But a second half of procrastination left the score perilously close and when Wells inexplicably passed the ball straight to Assombalonga deep in the QPR penalty box the game was up and two points were lost.
QPR: Lumley 5; Hall 5, Cameron 4, Wallace 5; Kane 6, Manning 5; Ball 6, Amos 5 (Scowen 62, 5), Eze 6, Chair 6 (Hugill 62, 5); Wells 5
Subs not used: Smith, Pugh, Mlakar, Osayi-Samuel, Barnes
Goals: Wells 25 (assisted Chair), Howson og 44 (assisted Hall, pre-assist Eze)
Bookings: Wells 42 (unsporting), Hall 53 (foul), Ball 83 (foul), Cameron 89 (foul)
Middlesbrough: Randolph 5; Fry 6, Ayala 6, Friend 6; Howson 6 (Dijksteel 65, 6), Johnson 6; McNair 7, Wing 6, Tvaernier 6 (Clayton 77, 6); Fletcher 7, Assombalonga 7
Subs not used: Coulson, O’Neill, Walker, Liddle, Pears
Goals: Assombalonga 23 (assisted Howson), 65 (assisted Wells)
Bookings: Fry 90+2 (foul), Randolph 90+4 (time wasting)
Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0, Saturday February 23, 2019, Championship
QPR made it seven league games without a win with an abject display and thoroughly deserved 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough in February. They conceded with barely three minutes on the clock, in Boro’s first attack, by letting Jonny Howson run through unchecked to nudge a cross through Joe Lumley. The young keeper’s difficult afternoon got worse when Ashley Fletcher beat him far too easily at his near post for 2-0 on the half hour. He did save from Assombalonga shortly after that when Toni Leistner was caught dallying in possession, and again after half time as Boro went through the second half motions and won at a canter.
Boro: Randolph 6; Howson 7, Ayala 6, Shotton 6, Fry 7; Wing 6, Mikel 8, Besic 8 (Downing 59, 6), Saville 8; Assombalonga 6 (Hugill 78, 6), Fletcher 6 (Tavernier 73, 6)
Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Clayton, McNair, Van La Parra
Goals: Howson 3 (assisted Besic), Fletcher 31 (assisted Besic)
Bookings: Besic 14 (foul), Howson 63 (foul)
QPR: Lumley 3; Furlong 4, Leistner 5, Hall 5, Bidwell 5; Wszolek 5 (Wells 81, -), Luongo 5, Cousins 5, Manning 4 (Osayi-Samuel 46, 6); Eze 6; Hemed 4 (Smith 69, 5)
Subs not used: Ingram, Scowen, Kakay, Lynch
Bookings: Cousins 70 (foul)
QPR 2 Middlesbrough 1, Saturday December 15, 2018, Championship
QPR snapped a four match winless run with a good performance and 2-1 win against promotion chasing Boro at Loftus Road in December. The R’s started fast and took a third minute lead thanks to a close range finish from Pawel Wszolek. Boro bit back after half time with George Saville making the most of Darnell Furlong’s unfortunate slip to find the far corner. But that was their only shot on target across the 90 minutes and Rangers deserved the win supplied to them by Nahki Wells from Wszolek’s assist on the hour.
QPR: Lumley 6; Furlong 7, Leistner 8, Lynch 5 (Scowen 52, 6), Bidwell 6; Cousins 7, Luongo 8; Wszolek 8, Eze 7 (Smith 88, -), Freeman 8; Wells 8 (Oteh 90+3, -)
Subs not used: Ingram, Chair, Osayi-Samuel, Smyth
Goals: Wszolek 3 (assisted Bidwell), Wells 60 (assisted Wszolek)
Boro: Randolph 5; Shotton 6, Ayala 6, Flint 6, Friend 5; Howson 6 (Wing 64, 6), Clayton 6; Saville 7 (Fletcher 82, -), Downing 6 (Tavernier 64, 6), Assombalonga 5; Hugill 5
Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Batth, McNair, Fry
Goals: Saville 51 (unassisted)
Bookings: Saville 58 (foul), Flint 73 (persistent fuckwittery), Assombalonga 88 (foul)
QPR 0 Middlesbrough 3, Saturday January 20, 2018, Championship
QPR’s fluid formations, fast rotating team and wildly inconsistent form came a cropper against a well drilled and expensively assembled Tony Pulis side at Loftus Road in January. Although Jack Robinson wasn’t far wide with an early 30-yarder, Boro took the lead when Daniel Ayala was left unmarked to head home a corner and it was 2-0 before half time when George Friend was given all the time he needed to pick out the top corner from 25 yards. A pair of half time substitutions barely stemmed the bleeding and the game was finally put to bed five minutes from time by Adama Traore.
QPR: Smithies 6; Onuoha 5, Lynch 5, Robinson 5; Furlong 6, Bidwell 5 (Osayi-Samuel 46, 5); Scowen 5 (Eze 70, 6), Freeman 5, Luongo 5; Washington 5, Oteh 5 (Smith 46, 5)
Subs not used: Ingram, Manning, Baptiste, Wszolek
Boro: Randolph 6; Shotton 7, Ayala 7, Gibson 7, Friend 7; Bamford 6 (Clayton 72, 7), Leadbitter 7, Howson 7, Traore 8; Downing 7 (Christie 87, -); Asombalonga 6 (Gestede 69, 7)
Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Braithwaite, Fletcher, Johnson
Goals: Ayala 24 (assisted Traore), Friend 34 (unassisted), Traore 85 (assisted Gestede)
Middlesbrough 3 QPR 2, Saturday September 16, 2017, Championship
Injury-hit QPR’s makeshift defence suffered from a mad five minutes on the hour and ended up losing a game they could easily have won when these sides met back in September. Debutant David Wheeler slammed in Luke Freeman’s cross shot early on to give Rangers the lead and, although Chelsea loanee Lewis Baker equalised for Boro before the break, a typical Jamie Mackie goal early in the second half restored Rangers’ advantage. But missing Nedum Onouha, Grant Hall, Joel Lynch and James Perch, the defence finally imploded on the hour as Boro’s big money attack scored twice in quick succession through Ashley Fletcher and Britt Assombalonga to win 3-2.
Boro: Randolph 5; Christie 6, Fry 6, Gibson 6, Fabio 5; Leadbitter 6 (Howson 56, 6), Clayton 6 (Fletcher 46, 7); Baker 8, Downing 6 (Forshaw 78, 6), Johnson 8; Assombalonga 7
Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Friend, Shotton, Bamford
Goals: Baker 36 (assisted Johnson), Fletcher 55 (assisted Christie), Assombalonga 60 (assisted Johnson)
Yellows: Clayton 34 (foul), Leadbitter 39 (foul), Christie 66 (unsporting), Baker 66 (foul)
QPR: Smithies 7; Furlong 6, Baptiste 6, Robinson 6, Bidwell 6; Luongo 8, Freeman 7, Manning 7; Lua Lua 6 (Wszolek 45, 6), Smith 6 (Mackie 45, 6), Wheeler 6 (Sylla 68, 6)
Subs not used: Borysiuk, Ngbakoto, Lumley, Osayi-Samuel
Goals: Wheeler 2 (assisted Freeman), Mackie 50 (unassisted)
Yellows: Luongo 32 (foul), Wszolek 47 (foul), Smithies 52 (timewasting), Mackie 66 (unsporting)
QPR 2 Middlesbrough 3, Friday April 1, 2016, Championship
QPR’s defence played the April fools as Middlesbrough won 3-2 at Loftus Road when these sides met towards the end of 2015/16. Jordan Rhodes made the most of Grant Hall’s mistake to round Alex Smithies and give the visitors a seventeenth minute lead but Jamie Mackie’s powerful volley off the underside of the bar equalised on the say-so of the linesman. Ale Faurlin fouled Albert Adomah for an obvious penalty straight after half time but Smithies, typically, saved Leadbitter’s kick. From the resulting corner, however, was headed in by Ramirez and more slack marking at a corner allowed Gibson to make it three soon after. Tjaronn Chery’s spectacular late strike served as mere consolation after Seb Polter had a goal incorrectly disallowed.
QPR: Smithies 7; Onuoha 5, Angella 5, Hall 5, Perch 7; Faurlin 5 (Washington 79 6), Henry 7; Phillips 5 (Hoilett 62, 6), Chery 7, Mackie 7 (El Khayati 69 6); Polter 6
Subs not used: Ingram, Luongo, Petrasso, Robinson
Goals: Mackie 31 (Unassisted), Chery 86 (assisted Polter)
Bookings: Perch 77 (foul)
Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos 6; Nsue 7, Kalas 6, Gibson 6, Friend 7; Clayton 7, Leadbitter 7, Adomah 8, Ramirez 7 (Forshaw 67, 6), Downing 6 (Ayala 84, 6); Rhodes 6 (Nugent 78, 6)
Subs not used: de Laet, De Pena, de Sart, Agazzi
Goals: Rhodes 18 (Assisted Leadbitter), Ramirez 51 (Assisted Leadbitter), Gibson 57 (Assisted Leadbitter)
Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0, Friday November 20, 2015, Championship
Officially Neil Warnock was in temporary charge when QPR played at the Riverside Stadium that season, although family issues meant he didn’t attend the game and Kevin Blackwell was the man delivering instructions from the touchline. A horrifying image. QPR, as was their style at the time, started with no striker at all and should have been behind at half time when Konchesky got caught out of position by Adomah but his low cross was turned onto the inside of the post by David Nugent from a yard out. A rally at the start of the second half saw Matt Phillips miss an equally good chance for the visitors but the game looked to be drifting to a goalless draw until an injury time corner wasn’t dealt with and Leroy Fer deliberately handled the resulting shot on the line to prevent a goal. A red card, and successful Grand Leadbitter penalty, the inevitable outcome.
Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos 6; Nsue 6, Ayala 6, Gibson 6, Friend 6; Leadbitter 7, Clayton 7; Adomah 6 (Kike 78, 6), Fabbrini 7 (Stuani 63, 6), Downing 6; Nugent 5
Subs not used: de Pena, Meijas, Stephens, Zuculini, Woodgate
Goals: Leadbitter (penalty, handball Fer, 90)
Bookings: Leabitter (foul)
QPR: Green 6; Perch 5, Onuoha 7, Hall 7, Konchesky 5; Henry 6, Sandro 6 (Emmanuel-Thomas 81, -), Fer 5, Faurlin 6 (Tozser 75, 5), Phillips 6, Yun 6.
Subs not used: Smithies, Angella, Luongo, Petrasso, Blackwood
Red Cards: Fer 90 (deliberate handball preventing a goal)
Booked: Phillips (foul), Faurlin (repetitive fouling), Onuoha (foul)
Middlesbrough 1 QPR 3, Saturday March 22, 2014, Championship
Rangers secured a fourth straight victory against Boro when these sides met at the Riverside in 2014 — although the circumstances behind it were rather bizarre. Harry Redknapp's side had been in mediocre form for a couple of months, with Charlie Austin out injured and a rushed collection of loan signings failing to cover for the talismanic forward. Another defeat looked on the cards when George Friend put Boro in front from close range after Joey Barton bottled a tackle in his own penalty area, and even when Yossi Benayoun equalised before half time the home side still looked the more likely to win. And everybody thought they had, with a minute to go, when Friend met a loose ball flush on the volley from 20 yards out, beat Robert Green all ends up but somehow missed the target by half an inch. When it's not your day, it's not your day — second later keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos came out of his area to execute a routine clearance downfield only for the ball to hit a discarded drinks lid and hop over his foot. Bobby Zamora, scarcely believing his luck, walked the ball into the empty net for the winner. The score was given a very flattering look by a fabulous Ravel Morrison goal deep into injury time as Boro pushed forward for an equaliser.
Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos 5; Varga 6, Omeruo 5, Gibson 6, Friend 7; Whitehead 5, Chalobah 7; Butterfield 6 (Tomlin 63, 6), Kamara 6 (Ledesma 88, -), Adomah 6; Graham 4
Subs not used: Steele, Williams, Main, Morris, Atkinson
Goals: Friend 19 (unassisted)
Bookings: Chalobah 65 (foul), Friend 71 (foul), Kamara 75 (unsporting conduct)
QPR: Green 6; Hughes 5, Onuoha 6, Hill 6, Suk-Young 7; Carroll 6, Barton 5; Benayoun 5 (O’Neil 76, 6), Morrison 7, Kranjcar 6 (Hoilett 61, 6); Keane 5 (Zamora 64, 7)
Subs not used: Simpson, Murphy, Donaldson, Petrasso
Goals: Benayoun 44 (assisted Kranjcar), Zamora 90+2 (unassisted), Morrison 90+5 (assisted Zamora)
Bookings: Carroll 22 (foul), Kranjcar 31 (foul), Morrison 75 (unsporting conduct), Barton 75 (unsporting conduct), O’Neil 90+1 (foul)
QPR 2 Middlesbrough 0, Saturday September 28, 2013, Championship
QPR turned in one of their best performances of the season, hammering another nail into Tony Mowbray’s Middlesbrough coffin in the process, when these sides met for the first time that season in September. With Niko Kranjcar in scintillating form the R’s could have scored a hat full but eventually settled for the two they managed before half time. The home team took the lead after just four minutes thanks to a mixture of actually committing decent numbers into the penalty box for a change and some shambolic Middlesbrough defending. When the visitors failed to take several invitations to clear their lines Danny Simpson whipped in a low cross that goalkeeper Jason Steele punched out as far as Barton and his bobbling low shot bounced into the net via half a dozen deflections in a crowded goal mouth. Just after the half hour QPR flooded a chaotic penalty area with bodies, Charlie Austin drew a save from Steele and young centre back Ben Gibson handled a follow up shot from O’Neil playing against his former club. Austin took the kick himself, went the opposite side the one he’d picked for his match winner at Yeovil a week previous, and calmly collected his third goal in four appearances.
QPR: Green 7; Simpson 7, Dunne 8, Hill 7 (Ehmer 79, 7), Assou-Ekotto 7; Carroll 6, Faurlin 7 (Henry 79, 6), Barton 7, Kranjcar 8 (Hoilett 83, -), O’Neil 7; Austin 7
Subs not used: Murphy, Traore, Jenas, Chevanton
Goals: Barton 4 (assisted Simpson), Austin 35 (penalty, handball)
Bookings: O’Neil 6 (foul), Simpson 12 (foul)
Middlesbrough: Steele 6; Friend 6 Gibson 7, Woodgate 6 (Parnaby 46, 6), Richardson 6; Butterfield 6 (Smallwood 67, 6), Leadbitter 6, Varga 5 (Jutkiewicz 46, 6), Whitehead 5; Adomah 6, Kamara 6
Subs not used: Leutwiler, Hoyte, Halliday, Carayol
Bookings: Whitehead 32 (repetitive fouling), Gibson 34 (deliberate handball) Adomah 89 (foul)
QPR 3 Middlesbrough 0, Saturday September 10, 2010, Championship
Rangers ripped into Gordan Strachan’s team in the second half of their 2010 meeting to secure a fourth comfortable win of the season after just five league games played. Kept scoreless at the break, and almost falling behind when big-money Scottish target man Kris Boyd missed a gilt edged chance from the middle of the six yard box, Rangers were not in the mood for compromise after the break. Heidar Helguson rolled in a penalty, Hogan Ephraim stabbed home another after a fine pass from Taarabt and Jamie Mackie added a third from an Ephraim assist all within the first 14 minutes of the second stanza. Later in the game Bradley Orr left the field injured, and then his replacement Peter Ramage ruptured cruciate knee ligaments, but manager Neil Warnock quickly shipped in Kyle Walker on loan from Spurs who turned out to be an inspired signing and the week only got better with a 3-0 away win at Ipswich on the Tuesday quickly followed with a 2-0 success at Leicester. QPR would go on to be crowned champions.
QPR: Kenny 7, Orr 7 (Ramage 69, 6), Connolly 7, Gorkss 7, Hill 7, Derry 8, Faurlin 8, Mackie 8 (Smith 80, 6), Taarabt 8 (Buzsaky 70, 7), Ephraim 8, Helguson 8
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Leigertwood, Agyemang, Parker
Goals: Helguson 49 (penalty), Ephraim 53 (assisted Taarabt), Mackie 59 (assisted Ephraim)
Middlesbrough: Steele 7, Bates 5, McManus 5, Wheater 5, Robson 4, Tavares 6, O'Neil 5, Bailey 4 (Halliday 79, 6), Kink 6 (Hoyte 55, 6), Boyd 6 (Lita 65, 7), McDonald 6
Subs Not Used: Coyne, Miller, Arca, Smallwood
Booked: Robson (foul)
Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0, Saturday February 23, 2010, Championship
The two thumping 3-0 wins during the promotion season were in stark contrast to QPR’s abject failures against Boro the previous year. Strachan enjoyed his first win as Boro boss in emphatic fashion at Loftus Road — a 5-1 success sparking a meltdown in Jim Magilton’s reign as manager that subsequently saw him sacked after an alleged assault on Akos Buzsaky in the dressing room after a similarly dire defeat at Watford. By the time the R’s travelled north for the return fixture they’d worked their way through Paul Hart and were about to swap Mick Harford for Neil Warnock with relegation starting to loom large. Understandably they put up feable resistance in a dreadful encounter that was settled by two penalties to the home side just before half time. A rash tackle by Peter Ramage on Jeremie Alliadiere set the ball rolling five minutes before the break and that was quickly followed by an equally stupid lunge, this time from Kaspars Gorkss on Leroy Lita. Barry Robson comfortably outwitted loaned goalkeeper Carl Ikeme with both spot kicks. We had an excellent turkey and stuffing roll from a van behind the away end. They also did roast beef.
Middlesbrough: Coyne 7, Naughton 6, Wheater 7, McManus 6, Pogatetz 6 (Taylor 78, 6), Flood 6, O'Neil 6, Robson 8, Aliadiere 5 (Franks 66, 6), Lita 6 (Arca 83, -), Killen 6
Subs Not Used: Jones, Hoyte, Miller, Grounds
Booked: Killen (foul)
Goals: Robson 39 (penalty), 45 (penalty)
QPR: Ikeme 6, Ramage 4, Stewart 5, Gorkss 4, Hill 4 (Borrowdale 53, 4),Cook 6, Leigertwood 7, Faurlin 6 (Taarabt 69, 6), Buzsaky 7, Simpson 6, German 5 (Bent 54, 6)
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Vine, Balanta, Ephraim
Booked: Gorkss (foul)
Head to Head >>> QPR wins 21 >>> Draws 18 >>> Boro wins 18
2021/22 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2 (Chair, Willock)
2021/22 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 3 (Howson og, Dykes, Willock)
2020/21 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 2 (Dickie, Wallace)
2020/21 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Osayi-Samuel)
2019/20 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 1 (Hugill)
2019/20 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2 (Wells, Howson og)
2018/19 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0
2018/19 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 1 (Wszolek, Wells)
2017/18 QPR 0 Middlesbrough 3
2017/18 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 2 (Wheeler, Mackie)
2015/16 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 3 (Mackie, Chery)
2015/16 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0
2013/14 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 3 (Benayoun, Zamora, Morrison)
2013/14 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 0 (Barton, Austin)
2010/11 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 3 (Helguson 2, Taarabt (pen))
2010/11 QPR 3 Middlesbrough 0 (Helguson pen, Ephraim, Mackie)
2009/10 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0
2009/10 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 5 (Agyemang)
1997/98 QPR 5 Middlesbrough 0 (Sheron 2, Gallen, Bruce, Vickers og)
1997/98 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0 (FA Cup replay)
1997/98 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2 (FA Cup - Gallen, Spencer)
1997/98 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 0
1995/96 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (McDonald)
1995/96 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0
1992/93 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 1 (Ferdinand)
1992/93 QPR 3 Middlesbrough 3 (Ferdinand, Penrice, Sinton)
1988/89 QPR 0 Middlesbrough 0
1988/89 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0
1982/83 QPR 6 Middlesbrough 1 (Allen 3, Mickelwhite, Flanagan, Gregory)
1982/83 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 1 (Allen)
1981/82 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1** (Stainrod)
1981/82 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 3** (Stainrod 2, Neill)
1978/79 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Goddard)
1978/79 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 2 (Harkouk, Eastoe)
1977/78 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 0 (Busby)
1977/78 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 1 (Busby)
1976/77 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 2 (Masson, Abbott)
1976/77 QPR 3 Middlesbrough 0 (Givens (pen), Masson, Bowles)
1975/76 QPR 4 Middlesbrough 2 (Francis 2 (1pen), Givens, Bowles)
1975/76 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 0
1974/75 QPR 0 Middlesbrough 0
1974/75 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 3 (Bowles, Givens, Rogers)
1972/73 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 0
1972/73 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2 (Givens, O’Rourke)
1971/72 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 0 (Clement)
1971/72 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 2 (McCulloch, Marsh)
1970/71 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Francis)
1970/71 Middlesbrough 6 QPR 2 (Clement, Marsh)
1969/70 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0
1969/70 QPR 4 Middlesbrough 0 (Bridges 2, Clark, Clement)
1967/68 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 1 (L Allen)
1967/68 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Marsh)
1966/67 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 2 (Marsh, Lazarus)
1966/67 QPR 4 Middlesbrough 0 (Marsh 3, L Allen)
1946/47 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 1** (Boxshall)
1946/47 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1** (Pattison)
1912/13 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 2**
** - FA Cup
Don Masson >>> Boro 1964-1968 >>> QPR 1974-1977
Don Masson was born near Aberdeen and supported the Dons as a youngster but was moved from there to Middlesbrough at age 12 so his father could pursue a life-long dream of becoming a bus driver. Having initially been taught to play football as a young boy by his mum, Masson caught the eye of then Second Division Boro and made his debut there as an 18-year-old in a League Cup game at Charlton.
Masson played more than 50 games for Boro and scored six times as they were relegated from the Second Division, but then bounced straight back from the Third as runners up behind the all conquering QPR team led by Rodney Marsh which secured a historic Third Division title and League Cup double win that season. Masson was known as a fierce trainer who demanded similarly high standards of his team mates, and he pissed the rest of the Boro squad off to such an extent that a ‘round robin’ letter was circulated and signed by the team demanding he be sold.
Having impressed in a reserve game against Bradford Park Avenue earlier in the week, Masson felt sure that’s where he was heading when he was summoned to Ayresome Park for transfer talks. Instead, Notts County manager Billy Gray was waiting there to do a £7,000 double deal for Masson and Bob Worthington. County were two divisions lower, and winless in their first seven matches at that level, but Masson jumped at the chance to move and it proved to be the making of him.
Between his arrival in 1968 and departure in 1974, County enjoyed something of a golden era. Former Celtic charge Jimmy Sirrel replaced Gray in 1969 and made his fellow Scot Masson the club captain at age 22. The pair won the Fourth Division in 1971, remaining unbeaten at Meadow Lane all season, and then won promotion from the Third Division in 1972/73. Sirrel was poached by Sheff Utd, and Masson by QPR, but both returned to Meadow Lane to complete the job with a third promotion in 1981 taking the Magpies from the bottom division to the top inside a decade. Masson has since been voted Notts County’s greatest ever player by the club’s supporters. He is the only player in the club’s history to win its Player of the Year trophy outright on three separate occasions.
Masson was rated as the best player outside the top division in England, and finally got his chance at the highest level aged 29 when Dave Sexton took him to QPR in 1974 for £100,000. Widely said to be the ‘final piece in the puzzle’ of that brilliant QPR side, he claimed a runners up medal when the R’s finished second to Liverpool in 1975/76. His performances across 144 games for the R’s were enough to belatedly bring him his first international honours for Scotland aged 30, and although he is widely remembered for missing a crucial penalty kick against Peru in the 1978 World Cup, he also scored for Scotland against England in a 2-1 win in 1976 to clinch the first of two Home International Championships during his career.
He moved from Loftus Road first to Derby in exchange for Leighton James before a second successful stint at Notts County, had a spell with Minnesota in the fledgling MLS, and was player manager at Kettering Town for a time before retiring to run a guest house in Nottingham and then later in Elton — which he’s still doing to this day.
Others >>> Jordan Archer, QPR 2021-present, Boro 2021 >>> Joe Lumley, Boro 2021-present, QPR 2013-2021 >>> John Eustace, QPR (assistant) 2018-2022, Boro (loan) 2003 >>> Neil Warnock, Boro (manager) 2020-2021, QPR (manager) 2010-2012 >>> Albert Adomah, QPR 2020-present, Boro 2013-2016 >>> Grant Hall, Boro 2020-present, QPR 2015-2020 >>> Ravel Morrison, Boro (loan) 2020, QPR (loan) 2017, QPR (loan) 2014 >>> Jordan Hugill, QPR (loan) 2019-2020, Boro (loan) 2018-2019 >>> Alex Baptiste, QPR 2017-2019, Boro 2015-2017 >>> Steve McClaren, QPR (manager) 2018-2019, Boro (manager) 2001-2006 >>> Martin Cranie, Boro 2018, QPR (loan) 2007 >>> Fabio Da Silva, Boro 2016-2018, QPR (loan) 2012-2013 >>> Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, QPR (manager) 2015-2016, Boro 2004-2006 >>> Gary O’Neil, QPR 2013-2014, Boro 2007-2011 >>> Luke Young, QPR 2011-2014, Boro 2007-2008 >>> Emmanuel Ledesma, Boro 2012-2015, QPR 2008-2009 >>> Kieron Dyer, Boro 2013, QPR 2011-2013 >>> Ishmael Miller, Boro (loan) 2012-2013, QPR (loan) 2011 >>> Carl Ikeme, Boro (loan) 2011, QPR (loan) 2010 >>> Marcus Bent, QPR (loan) 2010, Boro 2009-2010 >>> Andrew Davies, Boro 2002-2008, QPR (loan) 2005 >>> Mikkel Beck QPR (loan) 2000, Boro 1996-1999 >>> Jamie Pollock, QPR 1998, Boro 1990-1996 >>> Bruce Rioch, QPR (assistant) 1996-1997, Boro (manager) 1986-1990 >>> Dave Thomas, Boro 1982, QPR 1972-1977 >>> John O’Rourke, QPR 1971-1974, Boro 1966-1968
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