As QPR prepare for the long trip down to the south west Ash takes his usual look back at a memorable meeting between the sides and players that have played for both clubs.
It really is getting silly now, when I saw the Wednesday score flash up on the screen while I was watching Charlton on Tuesday it did nothing to warm my cockles on a bitterly cold night. Same old story on the road the moment, playing well but missing chance after chance and even a spot-kick can’t seem to help us break our away drought at the moment. On Saturday Paulo Sousa’s men will try once again to hit the net as Rangers make the trip down to the south coast to play Plymouth.
Plymouth are on a run of three straight defeats after Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss Birmingham , and encouragingly all by the odd goal. So if Rangers can stick to what they are good at one end, then maybe someone will get that elusive goal at the other.
Our first trip down to Argyle was for a Third Division match in December 1921, ending in a 1-0 win for the home side. Plymouth were also victorious with a 2-1 win on Boxing Day last year, Rowan Vine netting for the R’s. But lets take a trip down the blue and white hooped path of memory lane to a win from the sixties and a magical midfielder loved by both sets of fans.
Memorable Match
Plymouth 0-1 QPR
December 26th 1967
Division Two
From Vital QPR
Derek Ufton`s Plymouth Argyle hosted QPR with no real expectation of overcoming the league’s front runners. The R’s were beginning to assert themselves in the Second Division following promotion from the third tier and League Cup win at Wembley. Alec Stock’s Rangers were three games undefeated having dispatched of Blackburn Rovers and title rivals Portsmouth at home, on their travels a goalless stalemate away to Norwich City kept the R’s momentum going as they looked forward to the big promotion push over the New Year.
Argyle themselves were on a five game unbeaten run, culminating in back to back goalless draws against Portsmouth and Cardiff City, but they were still at the wrong end of the table and needed to pick up some much-needed points against the R’s on Boxing Day. Yes, even back then they sent us to bloody Plymouth on Boxing Day.
The R’s brought in Mick McGovern to play the holding role in midfield in favour of forward Alan Wilkes. This allowed McGovern to slot in alongside Mike Keen, just behind Keith Sanderson. However it was the aforementioned skipper Keen who handed the R`s all three points from the penalty spot. His perfectly dispatched penalty was his fifth goal of the season, and was enough to see the R`s coast past their lowly opposition at Home Park.
Team: Springett, Clement Hazell, Keetch, Harris, Morgan, Keen, Sanderson, Morgan, McGovern, Marsh
Postscript: Argyle ended up propping up the second division with 27 points, fully eight points from safety and Preston North End in 20th. Ufton also left Home Park in February 1968, with Billy Bingham taking the reigns at Argyle. Rangers needed goal average to attain promotion from the Second Division with them and Blackpool tied at 58 points a piece.
Connections
Akos Buzsaky
Plymouth 2005-07
QPR 2007-present
I recently saw a poll on Football 365.com listing their top ten players currently plying their trade the Championship. A name that didn’t appear in what was a pretty quickly written feature was one of Akos Buzsaky. If you ask any Plymouth or QPR who have witnessed the delights of the player over the past three seasons they would tell you what you were seeing is one of the best attacking midfielders outside the top-flight and easily in the top ten stars in this league and surely should of have been included in this list.
Buzsaky started his career at local club MTK Hungaria, and his displays even at such an early age was enough to convince Jose Mourinho to fork out £400,000 to bring the Hungarian to Porto. At Porto Akos found himself a small fish is a massive pond and was farmed out on loan to Academica then moved to Porto’s B side in the Portuguese Third Division. He was a member of the full Porto squad that won the League and cup double in 2003 and was named Young Hungarian of the Year the same year. But Akos would only ever play four games for the first team and in 2004 was again sent out on loan, this time to Championship club Plymouth Argyle after he impressed manager Bobby Williamson during a friendly against Torquay. He played fifteen games towards the end of that season and became an instant hit with the Argyle fans. So much so they paraded signs during his last weeks on loan pleading the board to make Busaky’s stay a permanent one. Their pleas were answered that summer as Akos penned a three-year contract with Plymouth for a £250,000 fee.
Over the next two seasons Buzsaky became a focal point of the Plymouth attack and was attracting interest from a number of clubs. With his contract coming to an end, talks broke down with Ian Holloway and QPR seized an opportunity to make a move - swooping to bring the midfielder on loan in November and make the deal permanent in the 2008 January transfer window. Akos joined Rangers at the perfect time, having been taken over by billionaire owners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone Rangers now had Italian Luigi Di Canio as gaffer who style of play was perfectly suited to that of Buzsaky’s. Upon signing for Rangers, he was given the honour of the famous number ten shirt, following in the footsteps of such R’s legends as Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles and Roy Wegerle and he didn’t disappoint, becoming even more influential at Loftus Road then he had been at Home Park.
After scoring his first goal for QPR in the 2-1 defeat to Coventry he went on to score eleven times for Rangers, some so good it was like he was running his own goal of the season competition. Of course the best and winner was his cheeky chip against Blackpool that Akos still claims he meant. R’s fans have very much taken Buzsaky to their hearts nicknaming him the ‘white Pele’ and coming up with a song for their new hero that has fast become one of R blocks favourite chants. This season much was expected of the Hungarian international but after scoring his first goal of the season against Nottingham Forest in October disaster struck a month later when Akos injured himself in the Man Utd Carling Cup defeat and will now be out for the remainder of the season. Rangers’ newest number ten will be sorely missed but we wish him the speediest of recoveries.
Magic R’s moment: His Blackpool goal may have won the goal of the season and his brace against Scunthorpe a month earlier was just as good.
Evelyn Lintott
Plymouth 1906-1907
QPR 1907-1908
If Buzsaky has become something of a hero among fans of both clubs for his footballing skills, right half and occasional striker Evelyn Lintott is a fine example of a different kind of hero. Lintott, born in Godalming in 1883, started life as a school teacher and part time footballer with Woking. He joined QPR in 1907 from Plymouth Argyle after just two appearances for the Home Park club and made his debut in a 2-2 draw against New Brompton. He played 35 games for the R’s over two seasons scoring once and becoming the club’s first ever England international in the process. QPR won the Southern League and twice played Manchester United in the new Charity Shield competition during his time with the club. While with QPR he continued his work as a teacher in Willesden.
He won eight England caps while with Rangers, five as an amateur and three as a full international player. He never lost a game for his country while with Rangers, beating Ireland 6-1 and 3-1, Holland 12-2, France 12-0, Belgium 8-2, Germany 5-1, Wales 7-1 and drawing 1-1 with Scotland.
In an effort to dig QPR out of a financial hole (as much as things change they stay the same) Lintott signed professional terms with the club that meant we could demand a fee of £1000 when he moved to Bradford City in 1908. The City manager at the time Peter O’Rourke met Lintott at Paddington station after QPR had played at Swindon Town. He later played for Leeds United between 1912 and 1914. Lintott went on to become secretary of the football association later in his career and the first head of the Professional Footballers Association.
After the outbreak of war Lintott enlisted in Leeds with the 15th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) – the ‘Leeds Pals’ giving his occupation as teacher rather than professional footballer. Lintott was killed on July 1 1916 leading his troop over the top on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and being cut down by machine gun fire. His name can be found on the Thiepval war memorial, his body was never found.
His death was reported in the Yorkshire Post at the time. The report read: “Lt. Lintott’s end was particularly gallant. He led his men with great dash and when hit the first time declined to take the count. Instead he drew his revolver and called for further effort, again he was hit but struggled on but a third shot finally bowled him over."
A true legend and hero.
With thanks to queensparkrangers.co.uk, Ron Gould and bantamspast.co.uk for the information.
Others:
Harry Brown QPR 1942-46 & 1951-56, Plymouth 1956-58. Passed away in 1982
Gordon Quinn QPR 1952-56, Plymouth 1956-57. Now unknown
Keith Sanderson Plymouth 1964-65, QPR 1965-69. Now retired
Alan Harris QPR 1967-71, Plymouth 1971-73. Now unknown
John Delve QPR 1971-74, Plymouth 1974-78. Now unknown
Paul Barron Plymouth 1976-78, QPR 1985-88. Now Newcastle goalkeeping coach
Alan McCarthy QPR 1989-95, Plymouth (loan) 1994. Now retired
Michael Meaker QPR 1990-95, Plymouth (loan) 1991. Now at Bitton
Rufus Brevett QPR 1991-98, Plymouth 2005-06. Now doing his coaching badges
Tony Witter QPR 1991-92, Plymouth (loan) 1992. Now retired
Ian Holloway, QPR 1991-1996, 2001-2006, Plymouth 2006-2007, currently being interviewed for the Swindon job.
Kevin Gallen QPR 1992-2000 & 2001-07, Plymouth (loan) 2007. Now on loan at Luton from MK Dons
Dexter Blackstock Plymouth (loan) 2005, QPR 2006-present
Jason Jarrett Plymouth (loan) 2005-06, QPR (loan) 2007. Now at Oldham on loan from Preston
Leon Clarke QPR (loan) 2006, Plymouth (loan) 2006. Now at Sheffield Wednesday
Scott Sinclair Plymouth (loan) 2007, QPR (loan) 2007. Now at Chelsea
Chris Barker QPR 2007-08, Plymouth 2008-present.
Simon Walton QPR 2007-08, Plymouth 2008-present
Fans’ Memories
When Richard Paquette scored a few years back, fondly remember that day as well and got totally hammered in Dawlish that night where we stay when we go down there. -Big Ade
Served some of the coldest beer I've ever had in a ground. -Metallica
Doesn't really count but got "Hammered at Harlequins" during the beam back. -BazWot
Likewise only time I’ve been there was when Paquette scored the winner. Stunk the train carriage out on the journey home. -Hayesender
Walking down Union Street watching a smackhead head butting is own reflection in a shop window. Oh yes, we lost, now there's a surprise -EnfieldArgh
THAT title deciding game. We really didn’t deserve to lose that, and it felt sickening to do so. Worse than losing at the Millennium IMHO because we still had 2 games to sweat out not knowing if we would do it or not. Bloody Rangers. -Mr Foxy
In the title decider just before they scored their first Gareth Ainsworth got to the byline and cut a ball back into the six yard box that hit a Plymouth defender, beat the keeper all ends up and rolled about an inch wide of the post. Had that gone in I’m sure we would have won and been champions. Other than that it is just an endless string of bloody cold December days at Home Park watching us getting beaten. Last season was hard to take. -Northernr
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