With QPR at Selhurst Park on Saturday, LFW looks back to a meeting between the two in December 1989 when the ageing pair of Ray Wilkins and Peter Reid delivered a classic midfield masterclass.
Billed as the first chance for QPR fans to welcome former boss Neil Warnock back to Loftus Road following his harsh sacking two years before, the last meeting between these two sides turned into a bore draw between one side that had just lost its manager and another that was about to. Defeat to Southampton on Boxing Day moved Palace into the bottom three and saw Warnock fired — Keith Millen took caretaker charge. Palace started with Wilfried Zaha, Yannick Bolasia and Jason Puncheon as a pacy front three but posed little threat going forwards. QPR had only lost two, and won five, of their home games to this point but did likewise. During a hectic period of fixtures, it was an instantly forgettable, totally boring scoreless draw.
QPR: Green 6; Isla 7, Dunne 6, Caulker 7, Hill 6; Hoilett 5, Barton 6, Henry 6, Fer 5 (Vargas 66, 5); Zamora 5 (Phillips 75, 5), Austin 6
Subs not used: Ferdinand, McCarthy, Wright-Phillips, Onuoha, Mutch
Bookings: Hill 45 (foul), Barton 61 (foul)
Palace: Speroni 6; Mariappa 6, Dann 6, Delaney 7, Ward 6; Jedinak 7, McArthur 6, Ledley 6; Zaha 5 (Campbell 67, 5), Bolasie 7, Puncheon 6
Subs not used: Hangeland, Doyle, Hennessey, Thomas, Bannan, Kelly
Bookings: Puncheon 71 (foul)
QPR 2 Crystal Palace 1, Saturday March 12, 2011, Championship
QPR shrugged off seven FA charges relating to the Ale Faurlin transfer, levelled against them in the build up to the home game with Crystal Palace, to keep their title charge on track with a hard-fought 2-1 win. Heidar Helguson, as he had been at Selhurst Park in the corresponding fixture, was the difference between the sides, scoring twice. The Icelandic striker tapped in the first, his fifth goal in six appearances, from close range midway through the first half after decent approach work from Adel Taarabt. That goal was cancelled out just before half time, however, when James Vaughan seized Darren Ambrose's through ball and finished cooly past Paddy Kenny. The warning signs had been there — Vaughan had a goal disallowed for offside just 30 seconds before his legitimate equaliser. But the game swung back in favour of Neil Warnock's side when Patrick McCarthy grew weary of being tormented by Taarabt and hacked through the back of the Moroccan as he accelerated into the penalty box. McCarthy was sent off, Helguson converted the spot kick.
QPR: Kenny 7, Orr 7, Hall 7, Gorkss 7, Hill 7, Faurlin 8, Derry 8, Smith 7 (Ephraim 86, -), Taarabt 8 (Buzsaky 89, -), Routledge 7, Helguson 8
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Connolly, Hulse, Miller, Chimbonda
Booked: Taarabt (kicking ball away)
Goals: Helguson 20 (assisted Taarabt), 54 (penalty won Taarabt)
Crystal Palace: Speroni 7, Clyne 6, McCarthy 5, Gardner 7, Moxey 6, Ambrose 7, Wright 6 (Zaha 75, 6), Dikgacoi 6, Danns 7, Iversen 6 (Davis 55, 6), Vaughan 7 (Easter 62, 6)
Subs Not Used: Price, Scannell, Counago, Agustien
Sent Off: McCarthy 53 (denying obvious goal scoring opportunity)
Booked: Vaughan (foul), Danns (foul), Dikgacoi (foul)
Goals: Vaughan 40 (assisted Ambrose)
Crystal Palace 1 QPR 2, Saturday October 2, 2010, Championship
QPR secured a last, gasp winner at Selhurst Park on Neil Warnock’s second return to his former club in October that season. Rangers took the lead just after half time when Edgar Davids played a blind back pass straight to Jamie Mackie and after he’d rounded the onrushing Speroni in goal he unselfishly set up Adel Taarabt for a simple tap in from a yard out. Rangers were pretty mean defensively at this stage of the season and one looked like it was going to be enough until the final few minutes off the game when Palace sub Kieron Cadogan slammed in an equaliser for the lowly Eagles. And that looked to be that until injury time when Heidar Helguson powered in a header at the back post after Speroni had rushed out to claim the cross and missed it altogether. Palace claimed for a hand ball, or a foul, but referee Kevin Friend rightly allowed the goal to stand and the away support went home in jubilant mood.
Crystal Palace: Speroni 7, Clyne 7, Marrow 6, McCarthy 6, Bennett 7, Davids 5 (Gardner 56, 6), Garvan 7, Dorman 6 (Andrew 79, 7), Djilali 7, Zahar 8, Counago 5 (Cadogan 46, 7)
Subs Not Used: Price, Holness, N'Diaye, O'Keefe
Booked: Dorman (foul), Speroni (dissent)
Goals: Cadogan 89 (assisted Zahar)
QPR: Kenny 7, Walker 8, Connolly 7, Gorkss 8, Hill 7, Buzsaky 6 (Leigertwood 83, -), Derry 7, Mackie 8, Taarabt 7 (Smith 72, 7), Ephraim 8, Helguson 8
Subs Not Used: Rowlands, Agyemang, Cerny, Borrowdale, German
Booked: Ephraim (foul), Hill (kicking ball away)
Goals: Taarabt 49 (assisted Mackie), Helguson 90 (assisted Smith)
2014/15 QPR 0 Palace 0
2010/11 QPR 2 Palace 1 (Helguson 2)
2010/11 Palace 1 QPR 2 (Taarabt, Helguson)
2009/10 Palace 0 QPR 2 (Buzsaky, Gorkss)
2009/10 QPR 1 Palace 1 (Buzsaky pen)
2008/09 QPR 0 Palace 0
2008/09 Palace 0 QPR 0
2007/08 QPR 1 Palace 2 (Stewart)
2007/08 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Sinclair)
2006/07 Palace 3 QPR 0
2006/07 QPR 4 Palace 2 (Smith 2, Gallen, Lomas)
2005/06 Palace 2 QPR 1 (Furlong)
2005/06 QPR 1 Palace 3 (Ainsworth)
2000/01 QPR 1 Palace 1 (Crouch)
2000/01 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Carlisle)
1999/00 QPR 0 Palace 1
1999/00 Palace 3 QPR 0
1998/99 QPR 6 Palace 0 (Kiwomya 3, Kulscar, Scully, Breaker)
1998/99 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Steiner)
1996/97 QPR 0 Palace 1
1996/97 Palace 3 QPR 0
1994/95 QPR 0 Palace 1
1994/95 Palace 0 QPR 0
1992/93 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Allen)
1992/93 QPR 1 Palace 3 (Penrice)
1991/92 Palace 2 QPR 2 (Barker, Wegerle)
1991/92 QPR 2 Palace 3 (Wilkins, Bardsley)*
1991/92 QPR 1 Palace 0 (Humphreys og)
1990/91 Palace 0 QPR 0
1990/91 QPR 1 Palace 2 (Wegerle)
1989/90 Palace 0 QPR 3 (Sinton 2, Maddix)
1989/90 QPR 2 Palace 0 (Wright 2)
1982/83 Palace 0 QPR 3 (Allen 2, Hazell)
1982/83 QPR 0 Palace 0
1981/82 QPR 1 Palace 0** (Allen)
1981/82 Palace 0 QPR 0
1981/82 QPR 1 Palace 0 (Stainrod)
1967/68 QPR 2 Palace 1 (Wilks, Morgan)
1967/68 Palace 1 QPR 0
1963/64 Palace 1 QPR 0
1963/64 QPR 3 Palace 4 (Collins 2, Bedford)
1962/63 Palace 1 QPR 0
1962/63 QPR 4 Palace 1 (Bedford 2, Angell, Large)
1961/62 QPR 1 Palace 0 (Evans)
1961/62 QPR 5 Palace 2*** (Bedford 2, Francis 2, Angell)
1961/62 Palace 2 QPR 2 (Lazarus 2)
1957/58 QPR 4 Palace 2 (Kerrins, Longbottom, Locke, Cameron)
1957/58 Palace 2 QPR 3 (Kerrins, Longbottom, Locke)
1956/57 QPR 4 Palace 2 (Cameron 2, Kerrins 2)
1956/57 Palace 2 QPR 1 (Peacock)
1955/56 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Shepherd)
1955/56 QPR 0 Palace 3
1954/55 QPR 1 Palace 0 (Clark)
1954/55 Palace 2 QPR 1 (Clark)
1953/54 Palace 0 QPR 3 (Smith 2, Shepherd)
1953/54 QPR 1 Palace 1 (Shepherd)
1952/53 QPR 1 Palace 1 (Cameron)
1952/53 Palace 4 QPR 2 (Addinall, Ingham)
1947/48 Palace 0 QPR 1 (Hartburn)
1947/48 QPR 1 Palace 0 (Chapman)
1946/47 QPR 1 Palace 2 (Pattison)
1946/47 Palace 0 QPR 0
1945/46 QPR 1 Palace 0**
1945/46 QPR 0 Palace 0
1945/46 Palace 0 QPR 0
1938/39 Palace 0 QPR 1 (McEwan)
1938/39 QPR 3 Palace 0** (Cheetham 2, Bott)
1938/39 Palace 1 QPR 1** (Cheetham)
1938/39 QPR 1 Palace 2 (Fitzgerald)
1937/38 Palace 4 QPR 0
1937/38 QPR 1 Palace 0 (McMahon)
1936/37 QPR 1 Palace 3 (McMahon)
1936/37 Palace 0 QPR 0
1935/36 Palace 0 QPR 2 (Cheetham, Crawford)
1935/36 QPR 3 Palace 0 (Cheetham 3)
1934/35 Palace 2 QPR 3 (Hammond, Blackman, Reed)
1934/35 QPR 3 Palace 3 (Blake, Crawford, Blackman)
1933/34 Palace 4 QPR 1 (Blackman)
1933/34 QPR 2 Palace 1 (Blackman, Blake)
1932/33 Palace 0 QPR 1 (Rounce)
1932/33 QPR 2 Palace 1 (Wiles, Blackman)
1931/32 QPR 2 Palace 2 (Blackman, Rounce)
1931/32 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Goddard)
1930/31 Palace 4 QPR 0
1930/31 QPR 4 Palace 0 (Rounce 3, Coward)
1929/30 QPR 4 Palace 1 (Rounce 2, Burns, Goddard)
1929/30 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Wiles)
1928/29 QPR 1 Palace 1 (Goddard)
1928/29 Palace 1 QPR 4 (Goddard 3, Coward)
1927/28 QPR 2 Palace 0 (Swan, Goddard)
1927/28 Palace 1 QPR 1 (Lofthouse)
1926/27 QPR 0 Palace 2
1926/27 Palace 2 QPR 1 (Varco)
1925/26 QPR 1 Palace 3 (Burgess)
1925/26 Palace 1 QPR 0
1922/23 QPR 1 Palace 0** (Gregory)
1920/21 Palace 0 QPR 0
1920/21 QPR 3 Palace 0 (Birch 2, Gregory)
*Zenith Data Systems Cup
** FA Cup
*** League Cup
QPR had struggled at the start of the 1988/89 season after winning their opening day fixture at home to Crystal Palace with two goals from new signing Paul Wright.
Only two victories had followed in the next 14 matches and manager Trevor Francis, who'd undermined his own position with the players the year before for fining Martin Allen for leaving the team hotel prior to a match at Newcastle to attend the birth of his son, was under immense pressure going into a home game with Liverpool.
Improbably, thanks to two more goals from Wright and a vintage Mark Falco volley, second from bottom QPR beat second from top Liverpool 3-2.
Francis, however, left the club anyway. Managing director Clive Berlin said there had been "a difference of opinion over his managerial style.” Don Howe was brought in as first team coach in a continental model and his first game was an early December trip to Selhurst Park.
The game is remembered by Rangers fans as a day when the R's fielded one of the oldest central midfield partnerships in the club's history. Francis had signed his old friend Ray Wilkins from Glasgow Rangers shortly before his departure and he had actually been linked with the managerial role himself before distancing himself from the position.
Wilkins made his debut that afternoon, paired with Peter Reid who'd joined Rangers aged 33 after seven trophy-laden years at Everton. Any fear that Palace would simply run this creaking combination off the field was quickly extinguished as the pair rolled back the years with a vintage display of astute passing football.
The first was route one stuff, worked from a corner routine QPR used frequently during Alan McDonald's time as captain at Loftus Road. A chipped corner to the near post tempted rookie keeper Nigel Martyn from his goal line only for Macca to flick the ball beyond him. Danny Maddix rose highest in the waiting crowd and headed into the empty net.
The second was much easier on the eye. Wilkins and David Bardsley made light of a pudding pitch to move the ball smoothly into the feet of a young Les Ferdinand and he fed the ball wide to Andy Sinton who waltzed round Martyn as he rushed out to close the angle and calmly slid the ball in for number two.
The killer third goal came after half time. Howe had brought on Colin Clarke at this stage and he released Reid into space in the Palace half as the home team flooded forward hunting for a way back into the match. Reid, up to his ankles in mud, ran/chugged like a man who, quite frankly, didn't want to be released into space and nobody was more relieved when Sinton burst up on his right shoulder to receive a pass and finish the game off with a crisp shot into the corner.
Howe, who'd quickly pinpointed Les Ferdinand as a potential leading light, further endeared himself to his new supporters in his first home match — West London rivals Chelsea were swept aside 4-2 with two goals from Ferdinand, Colin Clarke, and an outrageous 20-yard scissor kick from Falco once more. Kerry Dixon missed an open goal at 3-1 — always worth a mention.
QPR: Roberts, Bardsley, McDonald, Maddix, Parker, Sansom, Wilkins, Reid, Sinton, Falco, Ferdinand (Clarke)
Nearly everyone of the Allen footballing family has had a spell down a Loftus Road over the years and all are remembered fondly by Rangers fans, but perhaps none more so then Clive.
The son of former R’s player and manager Les, Allen continued the family dynasty by joining Rangers as a youngster and making his debut for the club in 1978. And what a debut it was, with the striker scoring a hat-trick in a 5-1 romp of Coventry City but he couldn’t prevent Rangers being relegated that season.
In the R’s quest for an instant top-flight return Allen became Tommy Docherty’s first choice striker, scoring 28 goals that season but unfortunately not enough to help Rangers promoted. This led to Arsenal swooping for the front man that summer, paying £1.25 million for his services-which was big money at the time especially as Allen was still a teenager. What followed though was a bizarre turn of events that saw Allen fail to make a single appearance for the Gunners and was sold on to Crystal Palace just two months after joining. There were rumours at the time that Arsenal just acted as a go between so they could sign Kenny Sansom from Palace. In a season at Selhurst Park, Allen scored eight goals for the Eagles but the team were relegated and Allen decided to move back to Rangers and get his career back on track.
QPR were still in the Second Division but now under one of the many other connections between the R’s and the Eagles Terry Venables and the combination of him and Allen helped Rangers enjoy some of the clubs most memorable moments of the decade. In his first season back at Loftus Road, Rangers just missed on promotion once again but did make their first ever FA Cup Final, with Allen scoring the all important goals against his old club Palace in the quarter final and West Brom in the semi. It was Tottenham who Rangers faced at Wembley but it didn’t go well for Clive as he picked up an injury and was taken off in the second half as the game ended 1-1. The injury meant he missed the replay which Rangers lost to a disputed Glenn Hoddle penalty.
Over the next two seasons Allen scored 27 goals for the R’s, helping them finally win promotion and consolidate their place in the top flight. He also won his first of five England caps in a 2-0 win against Brazil. In 1984 Allen left Rangers and joined his father’s other former club Tottenham and would go on to enjoy a successful spell, winning the PFA and Football Writers Player of the Year award in 1988 thanks to his 49 goals that season. Allen went on to appear for six more clubs including Chelsea and Bordeaux (and a spell with American Football side London Monarchs) before moving into coaching at Tottenham where he has had a number of different roles.
Others >>> Andy Johnson, Palace 2014-present, 2002-2006, QPR 2012-2014 >>> Jason Puncheon, Palace 2013-present, QPR (loan) 2011 >>> Damien Delaney, Palace 2012-present, QPR 2008-2009 >>> Jerome Thomas, Palace 2013-present, QPR (loan) 2002 >>> Danny Gabbidon, Palace 2012-2014, QPR 2011-2012 >>> Clint Hill, QPR 2010-present, Palace 2008-2010 >>> Shaun Derry, QPR 2010-2013, Palace 2007-2010, 2002-2005 >>> Wayne Routledge, QPR 2009-2010, (loan) 2011, Palace 2001-2005 >>> Neil Warnock, (manager) 2014-present, 2007-2010, QPR (manager) 2010-2012 >>> Marcus Bent, QPR (loan) 2010, Palace 1998-1999 >>> Ben Watson, QPR (loan) 2009, Palace 2003-2009 >>> Mikele Leigertwood, QPR 2007-2011, Palace 2004-2006 >>> Peter Ramage, Palace 2011-2012, QPR 2008-2012 >>> Gavin Mahon, Palace (loan) 2011, QPR 2008-2011 >>> Fitz Hall, QPR 2008-2012, Palace 2004-2006 >>> Scott Sinclair, Palace (loan) 2008, QPR (loan) 2007 >>> Gary Borrowdale, QPR 2009-2013, Palace 2002-2007 >>> Andrew Davies, Palace (loan) 2011, QPR (loan) 2005 >>> Fraser Digby, QPR 2001-2003, Palace 1998-2000 >>> Fernando De Ornelas, QPR 2001, Palace 1999 >>> Chris Day, QPR 2001-2005, Palace 1996-1997 >>> Andy Linighan, QPR (loan) 1999, Palace 1997-2000 >>> Tony Scully, QPR 1998-2001, Palace 1993-1997 >>> Iain Dowie, QPR (manager) 2008, Palace (manager) 2003-2006, QPR 1998-2001, Palace 1995 >>> Neil Ruddock, Palace 2000-2001, QPR (loan) 1998 >>> Darren Ward, Palace 2005-2007, QPR (loan) 1999-2000 >>> Simon Osborn, QPR 1995, Palace 1988-1994 >>> Mark Kennedy, Palace 2006-2008, QPR (loan) 1998 >>> Dougie Freedman, Palace (manager) 2011-2012, 2000-2008, 1995-1997, QPR 1992-1994 >>> Trevor Francis, Palace (manager) 2001-2003, QPR (player/manager) 1988-1990 >>> Ray Wilkins, QPR (manager) 1994-1996, 1989-1994, Palace 1994 >>> Dennis Bailey, QPR 1991-1995, Palace 1987-1989 >>> Garry Thompson, QPR 1991-1993, Palace 1990-1991 >>> Tony Witter, QPR 1991-1993, Palace 1990-1991 >>> Andy Gray, Palace 1989-1992, 1984-1987, QPR 1989 >>> Mark Dennis, Palace 1989-1990, QPR 1987-1988 >>> Paul Barron, QPR 1985-1988, Palace 1980-1982 >>> Kenny Sansom, QPR 1989-1991, Palace 1975-1980 >>> Terry Fenwick, QPR 1980-1987, Palace 1976-1980 >>> Jimmy Carter, QPR 1985-1987, Palace 1983-1985 >>> Barry Silkman, QPR 1980-1981, Palace 1976-1978 >>> Steve Wicks, QPR 1981-1986, 1979-1981, Palace 1981 >>> Mike Flanagan QPR 1980-1982, Palace 1979-1980 >>> Tommy Langley, Palace 1981-1983, QPR 1980-1981 >>> Tony Sealy, QPR 1981-1983, Palace 1979-1981 >>> Rachid Harkouk, QPR 1978-1980, Palace 1976-1978 >>> Ian Evans, Palace 1974-1979, QPR 1970-1974 >>> John Burridge, QPR 1980-1982, Palace 1978-1980 >>> Don Rogers, QPR 1974-1976, Palace 1972-1974 >>> Alan Mullery, QPR (manager) 1984, Palace (manager) 1982-1984 >>> Terry Venables, Palace (manager) 1998-1999, (manager) 1976-1980, 1974-1976, QPR (manager) 1980-1984, 1969-1974 >>> Gerry Francis, QPR (manager) 1998-2001, (manager) 1991-1994, 1981-1982, 1968-1979, Palace 1979-1981 >>> Dave Sexton, QPR (manager) 1974-1977, Palace 1959 >>> Tony Hazell, Palace 1978-1979, QPR 1964-1974 >>> Mark Lazarus, Palace 1967-1969, QPR 1966-1967, 1962-1964, 1960-1961 >>> Bert Addinall, Palace 1953-1954, QPR 1943-1953
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