As Burnley approach Loftus Road on Sunday, LFW looks back at a clash between the two sides from 1979 when the visiting team’s young goalkeeper had a debut to forget.
QPR 7 Burnley 0, Saturday October 27, 1979, Second Division
While it’s amazing to think that Queens Park Rangers were almost the champions of England in 1976 — pipped by Liverpool winning their game in hand over Wolves after the final day of the season, denied by a 3-2 Easter defeat at Norwich which was the R’s only defeat in the final 15 games that season — it’s even more remarkable just how quickly things disintegrated at Loftus Road thereafter.
Influential manager Dave Sexton left for Manchester United in 1977 and a farcical situation ensued where former Loftus Road favourite Alec Stock was brought in to replace him only to leave within days. When chairman Jim Gregory eventually settled on Steve Burtenshaw it didn’t go well, and by the end of the 1978/79 campaign QPR had actually been relegated from the top flight into the Second Division.
But Rangers would rebuild. As the old guard of Dave Thomas, Gerry Francis, Stan Bowles, Frank McLintock and others aged and moved on, so a new band of exciting QPR players emerged from the club’s youth team — led by dynamic striking pair Clive Allen and Paul Goddard.
Eventually, under the management of Terry venables, QPR would contest an FA Cup final against Tottenham as a Second Division side and take it to a replay before winning promotion in fine style the following season. But even prior to that the signs were good, with Tommy Docherty returning for a second spell in charge and leading the R’s to fifth in their first season back at the lower level.
The highlight of the 1979/80 campaign was a freak 7-0 home win against Saturday’s visitors to Loftus Road Burnley — a game which has gone down in folklore at both clubs, not only for the scoreline but also the situation surrounding Burnley goalkeeper Billy O’Rourke.
Rangers had been in decent form prior to the October meeting with five wins and two draws from seven matches, but they’d been well beaten 3-0 at Sunderland the weekend before so there was little indication that a massacre was imminent. Burnley however were in dreadful form — without a single win to their name from the first 12 games of the season and on course to be relegated second bottom of the table.
QPR showed little mercy to the Clarets, or O’Rourke who, aged just 19, was making his debut for the visitors between the sticks that day.
The R’s were gifted the first goal — O’Rourke shafted by his own centre half who knocked a heavy pass back wide of his keeper as he advanced to collect the ball leaving Goddard with the simple task of rolling the loose ball into an empty net. The second goal wasn’t that much more aesthetically pleasing either as Clive Allen’s meandering run across the edge of the penalty area ended with a scuffed shot that fell to Don Shanks at the far post and his attempt to cut the ball back was inadvertently diverted over O’Rourke’s head and into the net by defender Ian Brennan.
So far, so calamitous and when centre back Glenn Roeder — signed the previous season from Leyton Orient — showed typically brilliant anticipation to intercept a Burnley attack before escaping into space with his trademark shuffle it created a chance for Shanks to cross for Goddard to head home a third before half time.
And so the farce grew. Bowles crossed from a corner late in the half and with centre back Steve Wicks causing havoc at the back post an untidy scramble ensued in the goal mouth that was eventually finished by Dave McCreery — diving full length to guide a smooth header over O’Rourke, and two hapless defenders on the line, into the back of the net.
Burnley survived to half time without suffering further damage but when Barry Wallace, making a rare start, burst forward from midfield at the start of the second half and laid a sweet pass into Clive Allen’s path the deadly young striker produced a vintage opportunistic finish with his toe from 15 yards out. Five nil now, and all of O’Rourke’s worst nightmares were becoming reality.
Wallace, making a first start of the season, was involved in the sixth as well — chipping a fine ball into the right channel for Bowles to chase and win a penalty that Allen calmly rolled home with embarrassing ease. Allen should have had a hat trick as well when a swift counter attack saw Mickey Walsh cross for Bowles to take the goalkeeper out of play with a chip to the back post. Allen, inexplicably, hit the post from a yard out with the goal gaping but, true to Burnley’s luck on the day, the ball fell plum for Roeder, up from the back, to head home number seven.
Despite it all, the Burnley Express named O’Rourke their man of the match, and the young keeper fled from the field at full time in tears. He would spend the majority of his career — nearly 100 appearances between 1984 and 1987 — at Lancashire rivals Blackpool before finishing with a couple of years at Tranmere Rovers. Sadly he suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2002, aged just 41, and passed away.
QPR: Woods, Shanks, Roeder, Wicks, Gillard, Bowles, Wallace, McCreery, Busby (Walsh), Allen, Goddard
Scorers: Allen 2, Goddard 2, Roeder, Shanks, McCreery
Attendance: 11,261
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 three recent meetings with Burnley are embedded below, give him a subscribe on YouTube or follow @QPR_Memories on Twitter.
Burnley 1 QPR 0, Monday May 2, 2016, Championship
Burnley needed a win from their final home match of 2015/16 to clinch the Championship crown and promotion back to the Premier League. QPR are usually terrific party guests in such circumstances but put up unusually strong resistance for the best part of an hour to increase nerves in the home ranks. The game played out mostly through a series of goalmouth scrambles in front of Matt Ingram’s goal until Sam Vokes glanced in Jones’ free kick at the near post to break the deadlock. Ale Faurlin came close to breaking Burnley hearts late on with a 25 yarder that struck the outside of the post with the keeper beaten.
Burnley: Heaton 7; Lowton 6, Keane 6, Mee 7, Ward 6; Boyd 6, Barton 5, Jones 6, Arfield 7; Vokes 7, Gray 5 (Barnes 76, 6)
Subs not used: Taylor, Dyer, Robinson, Hennings, Tarkowski, Darikwa
Goals: Vokes 61 (assisted Jones)
QPR: Ingram 6; Onuoha 6, Hall 6, Hill 6, Kpekawa 7; Henry 6; Petrasso 6 (El Khayati 70, 5), Phillips 5, Faurlin 7, Hoilett 5 (Washington 63, 5); Polter 6 (Gladwin 71, 5)
Subs not used: Lumley, Perch, Prohouly, Grego-Cox
Bookings: Polter 3 (living the dream), Kpekawa 45 (foul)
QPR 0 Burnley 0, Saturday December 12, 2015, Championship
The first meeting between the sides that season was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s first match in charge of QPR and saw the scoreline finish level. A tight first half saw Robert Green get away with an amateurish fumble of a long range Joey Barton free kick, while Tom Heaton saved well from Junior Hoilett and Matt Phillips at the other end. QPR introduced Charlie Austin in the second half and he teed up Karl Henry for a decent chance which he took too long over while at the School End Sam Vokes headed over with the keeper beaten.
QPR: Green 6; Perch 6, Onuoha 7, Hall 8, Konchesky 7; Henry 6 (Emmanuel-Thomas 74, 5), Faurlin 6, Sandro 7, Hoilett 6 (Austin 60, 6), Phillips 5
Subs not used: Chery, Luongo, Smithies, Angella, Tozser
Burnley: Heaton 6; Darikwa 7, Duff 6, Keane 6, Mee 8; Boyd 6, Jones 6, Barton 6, Arfield 6; Vokes 5, Gray 7
Subs not used: Lowton, Marney, Taylor, Kightly, Ward, Gilks, Hennings
Burnley 2 QPR 1, Saturday January 10, 2015, Premier League
QPR contrived to lose the last meeting between these sides through poor defending in the first half and a tactical collapse in the second. The defending for Scott Arfield’s well taken goal after 12 minutes was weak, with three challenges attempted and missed on the former Huddersfield man, but Charlie Austin levelled from the penalty spot and QPR were having much the better of the game at that point. However when Mauricio Isla gave the ball away five minutes before half time it set off a chain of events which saw Stephen Caulker allow a through ball to bounce, then get shrugged off the ball by Danny Ings who subsequently turned Richard Dunne and rolled the ball home. Harry Redknapp responded by sending on Bobby Zamora and Mauro Zarate in the second half but with Adel Taarabt and Charlie Austin both out there trying to play the same positions it became a shambolic mess that rarely threatened a second equaliser.
Burnley: Heaton 7; Trippier 7, Keane 7, Shackell 6, Mee 6; Boyd 8, Marney 6, Jones 6, Arfield 6; Ings 7, Barnes 6 (Vokes 73, 6)
Subs not used: Duff, Wallace, Kightly, Reid, Gilks, Jutkiewicz
Goals: Arfield 12 (unassisted), Ings 38 (assisted Barnes)
Bookings: Marney 45+1 (foul), Barnes 52 (foul)
QPR: Green 6; Isla 5, Caulker 4, Dunne 5, Hill 4 (Traore 75, 4); Fer 6, Henry 6 (Zamora 69, 4), Barton 5, Vargas 6 (Zarate 76, 5); Taarabt 7, Austin 6
Subs not used: Phillips, McCarthy, Onuoha, Mutch
Goals: Austin 32 (penalty, won Austin)
Bookings: Barton 44 (foul), Traore 75 (foul)
QPR 2 Burnley 0, Saturday December 6, 2014, Premier League
QPR secured an important three points against relegation rivals Burnley in the first meeting between the sides at Loftus Road that season. Charlie Austin was the headline maker against his former club, first teeing up Leroy Fer for a bundled first goal straight after half time with a neat assist, then thumping in the second himself after excellent approach work by Mauricio Isla and Eduardo Vargas. But he was almost immediately dismissed for two yellow cards for a lunging tackle and elbowing offence leaving QPR, and a defence led magnificently by Man of the Match Richard Dunne, to see the job through. The Clarets left to rue missed chances in the first half, and a string of fine saves by Robert Green.
QPR: Green 8; Isla 7, Dunne 8, Caulker 7, Suk-Young 6; Vargas 7 (Much 78, 6), Barton 6, Henry 6, Fer 7 (Phillips 90+1, -); Austin 7, Zamora 6 (Kranjcar 66, 7)
Subs not used: Ferdinand, McCarthy, Onuoha, Hoilett
Goals: Fer 51 (assisted Austin), Austin 74 (assisted Isla)
Red Cards: Austin 76 (two bookings)
Bookings: Fer 45+1 (foul) Austin 71 (foul), Austin 76 (elbow)
Burnley: Heaton 6; Trippier 6, Keane 6, Shackell 6, Mee 6; Boyd 7, Marney 6, Jones 6 (Jutkiewicz 86, -), Arfield 7 (Wallace 75, 6); Barnes 5 (Sordell 89, -), Ings 6
Subs not used: Reid, Kightly, Long, Gilks
Bookings: Barnes 46 (foul)
QPR 3 Burnley 3, Saturday February 1, 2014, Championship
With form on the wane and former Burnley striker Charlie Austin ruled out for a prolonged period of time with a shoulder injury, QPR’s promotion campaign faced a bleak future when fellow title challengers Burnley arrived at Loftus Road in February 2014. Typically, the R’s had been very active on transfer deadline day earlier in the week and gave debuts to two strikers here — Kevin Doyle and Mobido Maiga would both end up on the scoresheet in a ding-dong encounter. Doyle went first, heading home Kranjcar’s well flighted corner after six minutes, but Danny Ings quickly struck back for the visitors. A powerful volley from another corner by Richard Dunne restored QPR’s lead but Sam Vokes headed the Clarets level for a second time after half time and when Ings retrieved a lost cause from the byline and laid another chance on a plate for his strike partner Vokes was on hand to slide Burnley into the lead for the first time. QPR fought back to equalise when Hoilett crossed low for Maiga to score from close range, suggesting the much-maligned loan signing from West Ham might not be that bad after all. As it turned out, this was the high-point of his QPR career. One of the club’s worst ever players, but every dog has its day.
QPR: Green 6; Onuoha 5, Dunne 7, Hill 6, Assou-Ekotto 4; Phillips — (Hoilett 6, 6), Barton 8, Kranjcar 7, Traore 6 (Henry 83,-); Johnson 6 (Maiga 68, 6), Doyle 8
Subs not used: Carroll, Hughes, Zamora, Murphy
Goals: Doyle 7 (assisted Kranjcar), Dunne 34 (assisted Kranjcar), Maiga 79 (assisted Hoilett)
Bookings: Doyle 40 (foul), Dunne 46 (foul)
Burnley: Heaton 6; Tripper 7, Duff 6, Shackell 6, Mee 7; Kightly 7 (Stanislas 85, -), Arfield 7, Jones 6, Marney 7; Ings 8, Vokes 8
Subs not used: Lafferty, Wallace, Cisak, Edgar, Long, Barnes
Goals: Ings 25 (assisted Trippier), Vokes 54 (assisted Kightly), 62 (assisted Ings)
Bookings: Kightly 14 (foul)
Burnley 2 QPR 0, Saturday October 26, 2013, Championship
When these sides met at Turf Moor in October 2013 it was a battle between the division’s top two sides — Burnley on a run of seven consecutive wins, QPR unbeaten in the first 11 games of the season. Perhaps a surprise, therefore, just how one sided the match was. Sean Dyche’s side were purposeful and positive, outplaying QPR in all departments and deservedly winning 2-0. The only surprise was it took them 65 minutes to open the scoring, Danny Ings on the end of an incisive move after Karl Henry had lost possession in the heart of the midfield. Ings scored the second from the penalty spot with two minutes left — a spot kick he won himself — and the Clarets were looking good. Oddly, they didn’t win again for six matches after this one and a dip in form from both clubs has since allowed Leicester to open a big gap at the top of the Championship.
Burnley: Heaton 6; Trippier 7, Mee 6, Duff 6, Shackell 6; Treacy 6 (Stock 90, -), Marney 6 (Edgar 83, -), Jones 7, Kightly 6; Ings 8, Vokes 7
Subs not used: Lafferty, Stanislas, Cisak, Long, Noble
Goals: Ings 65 (assisted), 88 (penalty, won Ings)
Bookings: Jones 35 (repetitive fouling), Treacy 42 (foul)
QPR: Green 5; Simpson 6, Dunne 6, Hill 7, Assou-Ekotto 5; Henry 5 (Jenas 68, 5), Barton 6, O’Neil 6 (Chevanton 73, 5), Kranjcar 6 (Phillips 73, 5), Hoilett 5; Austin 5
Subs not used: Traore, Onyewu, Murphy, Faurlin
Bookings: Barton 25 (foul), Hoilett 36 (foul), Dunne 38 (foul), Simpson 76 (foul)
Burnley 0 QPR 0, Saturday January 15, 2011, Championship
QPR had been irresistible at times in the first half of the 2010/11 Championship season, with the likes of Adel Taarabt and Kyle Walker thrilling the Loftus Road crowds, but a hectic, taxing Christmas period of fixtures saw Neil Warnock take a more pragmatic approach to games that resulted in a number of grinding performances during December and January. Perhaps the dullest came at Turf Moor where Rangers were more than happy to take a point and Burnley, with new manager Eddie Howe watching on from the stands before taking charge, likewise. Rangers were the better side, but perennial scourge of the R’s Lee Grant was in decent form in the Burnley goal, while Paddy Kenny got away with a late fumble that could easily have cost his team an injury time defeat.
Burnley: Grant 7, Mears 6, Carlisle 6, Duff 6, Fox 6, Elliott 6, Alexander 7 (Edgar 86, -), Cork 7, Rodriguez 6, Iwelumo 6 (Thompson 68, 5), Eagles 7
Subs Not Used: Jensen, McDonald, Bikey, Wallace, Easton
Booked: Duff (foul), Alexander (foul), Fox (foul), Thompson (foul), Cork (foul)
QPR: Kenny 6, Orr 6, Connolly 7, Gorkss 7, Hill 6, Faurlin 7 (Clarke 81, -), Derry 8, Smith 6, Vaagan Moen 7, Taarabt 8 (Hall 90, -), Hulse 6 (Helguson 81, -)
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Cook, Borrowdale, German
Booked: Faurlin (foul), Orr (foul)
QPR 1 Burnley 1, Saturday October 30, 2010, Championship
Although QPR went on to win the Championship in 2010/11, they were fortunate to escape from an October home match against Burnley with a draw. Rangers, still unbeaten at this point, took the lead just after the half hour with a vintage individual strike from distance by Adel Taarabt but were pegged back on half time when a harsh penalty awarded against Matt Connolly for a meagre touch on Dean Marney gave Graham Alexander the chance to bury an equaliser from 12 yards. But thereafter the home team relied heavily on goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who was in fine form with a number of saves. The frustration of being unable to breakthough was too much for Chris Eagles who was substituted early after being booked for diving and then losing his temper to the delight of The Loft.
QPR: Kenny 8, Walker 6, Connolly 6, Gorkss 6, Hill 5, Derry 6, Faurlin 5, Ephraim 5 (Agyemang 62, 7), Taarabt 7 (Smith 82, 8), Mackie 6, Hulse 5 (Clarke 74, 5)
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Orr, Leigertwood, Rowlands
Booked: Taarabt (handball), Gorkss (foul), Mackie (foul)
Goals: Taarabt 32 (unassisted)
Burnley: Grant 6, Mears 6, Carlisle 9, Duff 8, Fox 7, Eagles 5 (Wallace 46, 6), Alexander 6, Marney 6, Elliott 6, Rodriguez 6, Iwelumo 8 (Thompson 83, -)
Subs Not Used: Jensen, Cork, Paterson, Cort, Bikey
Booked: Eagles (diving), Duff (foul), Alexander (foul)
Goals: Alexander 45 (penalty)
Burnley 1 QPR 0, Saturday April 11, 2009, Championship
When these sides met here was in April 2009 Burnley were about to be promoted to the Premier League and QPR had just sacked Paulo Sousa in farcical circumstances. The result was somewhat inevitable, with Gareth Ainsworth unusually quiet and hidden from view beginning his second spell as caretaker manager. The game was settled by a controversial goal just after half time — Chris Eagles deflecting Clarke Carlisle’s effort past Radek Cerny with his arm.
Burnley: Jensen 7, Williams 6, Carlisle 8, Caldwell 7, Kalvenes 6, Elliott 7, Alexander 7, McCann 7, Blake 7 (Gudjonsson 79, -), Eagles 7 (McDonald 89, -), Rodriguez 7 (Paterson 86, -)
Subs Not Used: Penny, Duff
Booked: Kalvenes (foul)
Goals: Eagles 49 (assisted Carlisle)
QPR: Cerny 7, Ramage 6, Gorkss 7, Connolly 7, Delaney 6, Routledge 6, Leigertwood 4, Ephraim 6 (Lopez 71, 6), Taarabt 6, Di Carmine 6 (Cook 54, 6), Vine 6 (Alberti 84, -)
Subs Not Used: Mahon, Stewart
Burnley 2 QPR 1, Tuesday January 13, 2009, FA Cup Third Round replay
Rangers, with Sousa in charge, had been to Turf Moor just six weeks previously for an FA Cup Third Round replay that formed part of QPR’s record breaking run of 11 years without a win in that competition. In an atmosphere more akin to a reserve match QPR were the better team for long periods of normal time and all of extra time before contriving to lose with the last kick. Sam Di Carmine gave Rangers the lead after Mikele Leigertwood had won possession in midfield just after half time and counter attacked. Martin Rowlands then hit the bar and Heidar Helguson had a goal disallowed with the most delayed offside decision ever seen before. Steve Thompson got a scruffy equaliser after a poor piece of goalkeeping by Radek Cerny to set up extra time and when QPR failed to make their possession tell penalties looked a certainty. That was until Damion Stewart made a hash of a routine long ball down the field to give Jay Rodriguez a sight of goal and, with Cerny inexplicably in no man’s land, the youngster calmly lobbed the ball towards goal and in off the post to but Burnley into the next round at West Brom.
Burnley: Jensen 8, Alexander 7, Carlisle 7, Caldwell 6, Jordan 7, Elliott 6, McCann 6 (Mahon 20, 5), Gudjonsson 6 (MacDonald 84, 6), Eagles 8, Blake 6 (Rodriguez 69, 6), Thompson 7
Subs Not Used: Penny, Kalvenes, Akinbiyi, Kay
Booked: Caldwell (foul), Mahon (foul)
Goals: Thompson 60 (assisted Gudjohnson), Rodriguez 120 (assisted Carlisle)
QPR: Cerny 4, Hall 5, Stewart 6, Gorkss 7, Delaney 5, Alberti 5, Leigertwood 8, Mahon 6 (Rose 79, 7), Rowlands 5, Ledesma 5 (Ephraim 55, 7), Di Carmine 7 (Helguson 85, 6)
Subs Not Used: Borrowdale, Crowther, Connolly, Ramage
Booked: Delaney (foul), Alberti (foul)
Goals: Di Carmine 54 (assisted Leigertwood)
Head to Head >>> QPR wins 11 >>> Draws 8 >>> Burnley wins 21
2015/16 Burnley 1 QPR 0
2015/16 QPR 0 Burnley 0
2014/15 Burnley 2 QPR 1 (Austin)
2014/15 QPR 2 Burnley 0 (Fer, Austin)
2013/14 QPR 3 Burnley 3 (Doyle, Dunne, Maiga!!!)
2013/14 Burnley 2 QPR 0
2010/11 Burnley 0 QPR 0
2010/11 QPR 1 Burnley 1 (Taraabt)
2008/09 Burnley 1 QPR 0
2008/09 Burnley 2 QPR 1* (Di Carmine)
2008/09 QPR 0 Burnley 0*
2008/09 QPR 1 Burnley 2 (Blackstock)
2007/08 QPR 2 Burnley 4 (Mahon, Agyemang)
2007/08 Burnley 0 QPR 2 (Stewart, Vine)
2006/07 QPR 3 Burnley 1 (Cook, Blackstock, Lomas)
2006/07 Burnley 2 QPR 0
2005/06 Burnley 1 QPR 0
2005/06 QPR 1 Burnley 1 (Ainsworth)
2004/05 Burnley 2 QPR 0
2004/05 QPR 3 Burnley 0 (Gallen, Santos, Furlong)
2000/01 Burnley 2 QPR 1 (Bignot)
2000/01 QPR 0 Burnley 1
1982/83 Burnley 2 QPR 1 (Sealy)
1982/83 QPR 3 Burnley 2 (Neill, Allen, Micklewhite)
1979/80 Burnley 0 QPR 3 (Gillard, Allen, Shanks)
1979/80 QPR 7 Burnley 0 (Goddard 2, Allen 2, Roeder, Shanks, McCreery)
1975/76 Burnley 1 QPR 0
1975/76 QPR 1 Burnley 0 (Bowles)
1974/75 QPR 0 Burnley 1
1974/75 Burnley 3 QPR 0
1973/74 Burnley 2 QPR 1 (Thomas)
1973/74 QPR 2 Burnley 1 (Thomas, Bowles)
1972/73 QPR 2 Burnley 0 (Leach, Givens)
1972/73 Burnley 1 QPR 1 (Busby)
1971/72 QPR 3 Burnley 1 (Leach 2, Marsh)
1971/72 Burnley 1 QPR 0
1968/69 Burnley 2 QPR 2 (Marsh, Leach)
1968/69 QPR 0 Burnley 2
1967/68 QPR 1 Burnley 2** (Sibley)
1961/62 Burnley 6 QPR 1* (Evans)
1920/21 Burnley 4 QPR 2* (Smith, Birch)
* - FA Cup
** - League Cup
Dave Thomas >>> QPR 1972-1977 >>> Burnley 1966-1972
England international winger Dave Thomas, socks rolled down to his ankles, is one of QPR’s greatest ever players.
Born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, he came through the ranks at Burnley and made his debut there aged 16 years and 220 days against Everton in the 1967/68 season. It was not an auspicious start — the Clarets were beaten 8-1 at The Hawthorns by West Bromwich Albion in one of his early games. He was Burnley’s youngest ever top flight player and won the FA Youth Cup with the club. Thomas’ father had been a miner, and later worked on the railways, but his grandfather had a football background - David Rhys Thomas, played for the victorious West Auckland team in the 1909 Sir Thomas Lipton World Football Trophy, the competition which spawned the inaugural World Cup 21 years later. He would refuse to play football in his garden with young Dave unless he kicked the ball with his weaker foot.
Burnley were relegated from that league in 1970/71 and they then bumped into QPR in the old Second Division for the 71/72 campaign. In 72/73 the pair would fight it out for the league title, and with Thomas excelling down the wing at Turf Moor QPR boss Gordan Jago made an audacious move in the October of that season to sign Thomas for £165k — then a record fee for a club in the Second Division. The two teams would go on to finish first and second in the table, meaning Thomas effectively won two promotions in a single season.
His pace, crossing, and ability to play on either wing made Thomas one of the hottest prospects in the country. He was an integral part of Dave Sexton’s brilliant QPR side of the 1970s, which came so close to winning the championship in 1976 only to be pipped by Liverpool in their final game in hand. A modern footballer before his time, Thomas was teetotal in an era of excess — "I owed it to my profession to look after myself”.
"We had Terry Venables, Gerry Francis and Stan Bowles, streetwise people,” said Thomas. "Terry was great with me. He was knowledgeable and charismatic, there was an aura about him. He took an interest in you personally and would do anything to help you improve. I had the best five years of my career at QPR.”
Don Revie gave him an England debut in October 1974 during a 3-0 win against Czechoslovakia and he went on to win eight caps for his country. Revie had earlier tried to break the bank to take the teenage Thomas from Burnley to Leeds prior to him making his debut for the Clarets, £30 a week with a £2k signing bonus for a 15-year-old, but was shooed out of the Thomas family home by Dave’s father.
He returned to the North West in August 1977 when Everton paid £200k to sign him from Rangers. In 1977/78 he helped Bob Latchford reach 30 goals for the season for the Goodison Park outfit, with more assists than any other player.
Later he had briefer spells with Wolves, which was never going to last long once manager John Barnwell had demanded he ditch his rubber studs and pull his socks up. The dispute came to a head at Norwich where he slipped and cost his side a goal, and during a half time sort out tore off his shirt and through it at assistant manager Richie Barker. He later played for Boro and Portsmouth. He also had a stint in the original MLS with Vancouver Whitecaps.
Now registered blind owing to an optic nerve glaucoma condition inherited from his father, Thomas has made several emotional returns to Loftus Road as part of the Forever R’s club, speaking emotionally on the pitch about the fundraising Rangers fans had done for the Guide Dogs charity — his four-year wait ended when he was paired with Hannah who stands faithfully by his side today. He had been a PE teacher in Chichester post retirement, but had to give that job up as his sight failed.
Others >>> Jimmy Dunne, QPR 2021-present, Burnley 2017-2021 >>> Charlie Austin, QPR 2021-2022, 2013-2016, Burnley 2011-2013 >>> Andre Gray, QPR (loan) 2021-2022, Burnley 2015-2017 >>> Jeff Hendrick, QPR (loan) 2022, Burnley 2016-2020 >>> Marc Pugh, QPR 2019-2020, Burnley 2004-2006 >>> Nahki Wells, QPR (loan) 2018-2020, Burnley 2017-2020 >>> Peter Crouch, Burnley 2019, QPR 2000-2001 >>> Lloyd Dyer, Burnley 2016, QPR (loan) 2005 >>> Tom Heaton, Burnley 2013-2019, QPR (loan) 2009 >>> Dean Marney, Burnley 2010-2019, QPR (loan) 2004 >>> Joey Barton, Burnley 2015-2016, QPR 2011-2015 >>> Steven Reid, Burnley 2014-2015, QPR 2009 >>> Bradley Orr, QPR 2010-2012, Burnley (loan) 2004 >>> Clarke Carlisle, Burnley 2007-2012, QPR 2000-2004 >>> Keith Lowe, QPR (loan) 2006, Burnley (loan) 2005 >>> Fingers Gnohere, QPR 2003-2005, Burnley 2001-2004 >>> Gareth Taylor, Burnley 2001-2003, QPR (loan) 2000 >>> Chris Woods, Burnley 1997-1998, QPR 1979-1981 >>> Billy Hamilton, Burnley 1979-1984, QPR 1978-1979 >>> Ian Muir, QPR 1980-1983, Burnley (loan) 1982 >>> Paul McGee, Burnley 1981-1983, QPR 1977-1979 >>> Martyn Busby, Burnley (loan) 1980, QPR 1977-1981, 1970-1976 >>> Leighton James, QPR 1977-1978, Burnley 1970-1975
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Pictures — Action Images