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So near and yet so far - History

Ahead of the visit of Leeds to Loftus Road on Friday we look back at the final day of the 1975/76 season when QPR got the 2-0 win they needed to take their title bid down to Liverpool's final match at Wolves - 48 years ago this week.

Memorable Match

QPR 2 Leeds 0, Saturday April 24, 1976, First Division

There is much conjecture about where exactly QPR’s glorious class of 1975/76 lost the club’s one and only chance to win the league title.

Obviously, the Easter defeat to Norwich at Carrow Road is the obvious answer. Dave Sexton’s side were unbeaten in 12 games, winning 11 leading into that game and had won six in a row before arriving in East Anglia. They were beaten 3-2 by the Canaries. But, within that run there was also a 0-0 draw at Sheffield United who finished bottom of the league with just 22 points and six wins all season, six adrift of the second bottom side Burnley who Rangers had also lost 1-0 away to in October. Wolves were third bottom, and QPR dropped points at Molineux early in the season. Birmingham were fourth bottom, again a draw at St Andrew’s. West Ham, fifth bottom, beat QPR at Upton Park and drew at Loftus Road. Twas ever thus, it seems, QPR struggling most when they’re heavy favourites to win a game, even when we’re talking about the club’s greatest ever team.

Whatever the answer – and, of course, it’s cumulative effect – QPR went into the final game of that memorable season knowing they had to beat Leeds to still be within a chance of the title. Rangers had recovered from the Norwich setback by beating Arsenal at home in the penultimate game with goals from Frank McLintock against his former club and a penalty by Gerry Francis. That left fifth placed Leeds, managed by Jimmy Armfield in the wake of Brian Clough’s infamously brief attempt to succeed Don Revie, to head to W12 in front of a declared record home crowd of 31,002 (though almost certainly more) with Rangers needing to win and then hope Wolves could do them a favour against Liverpool in their final game – due to be played a fortnight after the end of the regular season owing to Liverpool’s European commitments.

QPR, with 25 of their last 28 points in the league and unbeaten at Loftus Road all season, had the first half chance of the game. Billy Bremner clattered through the back of Bowles and, while QPR’s mercurial ten picked himself up and Bremner accused him of diving, Masson dollied a free kick up for Dave Webb to flick on straight at visiting keeper Harvey.

Momentum and confidence building, Dave Thomas brilliantly robbed Reaney of the ball down by the School End and Ellerslie Road corner flag, crossed dangerously into the box and the ball was cut back by Francis for Givens to strike from 15 yards but Madeley threw himself in front of the ball. Francis had a shot of his own from the edge of the box brilliantly saved by Harvey, and Givens was blocked out a second time as the intricate attacking football that team was so well known for started to flow in earnest. Bowles’ fantastic dribble around three on the edge of the box looked to have been ended by a foul right on the line but the referee waved play on.

Nil nil at half time, then, but the deadlock wouldn’t last much longer. Parkes twice had to deny Duncan McKenzie at the start of the second half while Harvey had to spring from his line to save one on one from Givens after Madeley’s slip let him clean through. From the resulting throw in McLintock crossed, Givens flicked on high at the near post, and Dave Thomas stole in round the back to head home the opening goal.

Within seconds Francis was bursting through the middle of the field, gliding past opponents with skill and well executed one-twos, but driving just wide when a replica of the goal of the season he’d scored on the first day against Liverpool looked on.

There was another brilliant Parkes save from McKenzie to come but on a typical Sexton team counter attack, men flooding forward and the ball advanced at pace, Bowles was worked into oceans of space wide on the right and with all that time the best player in the league was always going to do damage – cutting in calmly from the flank and using the retreating defenders as a shield to disguise his intent to curl the ball round Harvey and into the far corner for 2-0.

Clement probably should have made it three with a header on the end of more Bowles brilliance, but the game was over and QPR had done all they could. Of course, as we all know, Liverpool were to win 3-1 at Wolves having trailed, finishing with eight wins and a draw in their final nine games to overhaul the R’s and deny what, in all likelihood, will be the club’s only chance in history to win a league title.

The Leeds game took place 48 years ago this week. A similar result for QPR on Friday would not go amiss.

QPR: Parkes, Clement, McLintock, Webb, Gillard, Thomas, Francis, Hollins, Givens, Bowles, Masson

Subs not used: Leach

Leeds: Harvey, Reaney, Hunter, Madeley, F Gray (Lorimer), Cherry, Bremner, Harris, E Gray, Jordan, McKenzie

Classic encounters

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 Leeds are embedded below, give him a subscribe on YouTube or follow @QPR_Memories on Twitter.

Recent Meetings

Leeds United 1 QPR 0, Wednesday October 4, 2023, Championship

The fag end of Gareth Ainsworth’s dreadful spell as QPR manager included long, fruitless trips to the likes of Elland Road and The Hawthorns where it was difficult to tell what the plan was for QPR to even cross the halfway line, never mind score a goal. A shocking bit of defending by Osman Kakay and Paul Smyth let Summerville in for an opener after nine minutes and from there Leeds saw out a 1-0 win barely in second gear. A late Lyndon Dykes shot at the keeper was as near as Rangers came, and Asmir Begovic was then sent off in stoppage time after Patrick Bamford conned the referee with a dive just to really put the tin hat on the evening.

Leeds: Meslier 6; Ayling 4, Rodon 6, Struijk 7, Byram 6; Gray 7, Ampadu 7; Summerville 7 (Poveda 80, -), Piroe 5 (Bamford 65, 5), Anthony 7 (James 65, 6); Rutter 6 (Cresswell 90+11, -)

Subs Not Used: Cooper, Kamara, Darlow, Gelhardt, Gruev

Goals: Summerville 9 (assisted Rutter)

QPR: Begovic 6; Kakay 3 (Dunne 73, 5), Cook 5 (Larkeche 84, -), Clarke-Salter 6; Smyth 4 (Adomah 46, 4), Colback 4 (Dozzell 46, 5), Field 5, Paal 5; Dykes 5, Chair 5, Armstrong 4 (Kolli 78, 5)

Subs not used: Archer, Dixon-Bonner, Duke-Mckenna, Kelman

Red Cards: Begovic 90+3 (professional foul)

Yellow Cards: Field 26 (foul), Kakay 69 (foul)

QPR 1 Leeds United 0, Saturday January 18, 2020, Championship

Loftus Road became the only ground on which Marcelo Bielsa has ever lost three times as a visiting manager as QPR won a pulsating, controversial Championship tie against El Loco’s promotion chasers in January 2020. Bright Osayi-Samuel and Ebere Eze terrorised the visitors all afternoon, and when Osayi-Samuel was fouled on the edge of the box early on Eze’s free kick was deflected into the path of Nahki Wells who scored via a blatant bit of control with his arm. Referee Peter Bankes did give Leeds a chance to equalise from the penalty spot in the second half but Liam Kelly, having conceded the penalty, then had his finest moment during a brief QPR career by saving Patrick Bamford’s typically insipid penalty kick. In a frantic finale Kalvin Phillips’ horror tackle on Geoff Cameron, who he’d already crocked once in the previous meeting that season, drew a straight red card.

QPR: Kelly 8, Kane 8, Hall 7, Masterson 8, Wallace 6: Cameron 6, Amos 7 (Scowen 74, 6); Osayi-Samuel 8, Chair 7, (Clarke 74, 6) Eze 7; Wells 7 (Pugh 83, -)

Subs not used: Barnes, Manning, Leistner, Ball.

Goals: Wells (pre-assist Eze)

Bookings: Masterson 71 (time wasting), Wallace 79 (foul), Cameron 88 (retaliation), Wells (foul play).

Leeds: Casilla 5; Dallas 5 (Alioski 45, 6), Cooper 6, White 6, Ayling 6; Phillips 5, Klich 6 (Stevens 87, -); Costa 5, Hernandez 7, Harrison 6; Bamford 3

Subs not used: Mesiler, Struijk, McCalmont, Shackleon, Casey

Red Cards: Phillips 88 (serious foul play)

Bookings: Dallas 42 (foul), Hernandez 74 (foul), Ayling 88 (unsporting)

Leeds United 2 QPR 0, Saturday November 2, 2019, Championship

QPR were beaten reasonably comfortably by Leeds in the first meeting that season, perhaps caught lacking a little bit of self belief and quality against one of the division’s better teams and in front of a hostile crowd. Lee Wallace, on debut, made a wonderful goal-saving tackle early on and Patrick Bamford missed a series of increasingly easy chances as the afternoon wore on. But goals from two of Leeds’ three best players on the day — Tyler Roberts and Jack Harrison — was enough to see the hosts through. Roberts scored from the edge of the area just before half time and Harrison made the most of Marc Pugh inadvertently diverting the ball back into his own area eight minutes before the end.

Leeds: Casilla 6; Ayling 6, Cooper 6, White 7, Dallas 6; Phillips 8, Klich 6; Harrison 7 (Davis 84, -), Roberts 7, Costa 5 (Hernandez 77, 5); Bamford 5

Subs not used: Meslier, Berardi, Gotts, Bogusz, Clarke

Goals Roberts 39 (assisted Harrison), Harrison 82 (assisted Pugh)

Bookings: Klich 22 (foul)

QPR: Kelly 6; Hall 6, Leistner 5 (Kane 54, 6), Wallace 6; Rangel 5, Ball 5, Chair 5 (Pugh 63, 5), Eze 6, Manning 6; Wells 5 (Mlakar 72, 5), Hugill 5

Subs not used: Lumley, Amos, Scowen, Osayi-Samuel

Bookings: Ball 70 (repetitive fouling), Wallace 79 (foul), Rangel 90+2 (foul), Hugill 90+3 (foul)

QPR 1 Leeds United 0, Tuesday February 26, 2019, Championship

QPR won in the Championship for the first time in ten attempts, putting an enormous dent in Leeds’ title hopes at the same time, when they triumphed against the odds at Loftus Road in February 2019. They were led from the front by Luke Freeman who scored the only goal of the game with a cute backflick at the near post at the start of the second half, part of an all-action performance that will go down in modern day Rangers folklore. Rangers rode their luck, and required an incredible triple save from Joe Lumley to keep Patrick Bamford out in the second half, but held on for a vital win in what would become a quest to avoid sinking into the bottom three.

QPR: Lumley 7; Furlong 6, Leistner 7, Hall 7, Bidwell 6; Luongo 8, Cousins 7; Wszolek 6, Eze 7 (Osayi-Samuel 77, 6), Freeman 9 (Scowen 86, -); Wells 6 (Hemed 83, -)

Subs not used: Ingram, Smith, Lynch, Manning

Goals: Freeman 48 (assisted Luongo)

Bookings: Luongo 45+2 (foul) Bidwell 50 (foul), Wells 57 (kicking ball away), Scowen 87 (ratting)

Leeds: Cassila 7; Ayling 6 (Dallas 73, 6), Jansson 6, Cooper 6, Alioski 5 (Brown 81, -); Phillips 5 (Douglas 65, 5), Klich 6; Hernandez 6, Roberts 6, Harrison 5; Bamford 5.

Subs not used: Peacock-Farrell, Berardi, Shackleton, Gotts

Bookings: Brown 85 (foul)

QPR 2 Leeds 1, Sunday January 6, 2019, FA Cup third round

QPR won an FA Cup game outright for the first time in 22 years when these sides met at Loftus Road at the start of January 2019. An early lead provided from the penalty spot by Aramide Oteh after Jake Bidwell was fouled was soon cancelled out by a horrendous Matt Ingram error and goal from close range by Halme. Walker had already hit the inside of both posts in the first minute for the visitors and when Ingram later fluffed a pass back it looked like another cup horror story was on the cards for Rangers. But Bidwell won the game late on with a flying header from a Luke Freeman corner to set up a round four trip to Portsmouth.

QPR: Ingram 5; Kakay 6, Furlong 7, Hall 6, Bidwell 8; Scowen 7, Cousins 7; Osayi-Samuel 7 (Wszolek 86, -), Eze 6 (Smith 90, -), Freeman 8; Oteh 7 (Chair 83, -)

Subs not used: Lumley, Manning, Baptiste, Smyth

Goals: Oteh 23 (penalty, won Bidwell), Bidwell 75 (assisted Freeman)

Bookings: Furlong 72 (foul), Kakay 90+3 (dissent)

Leeds: Peacock-Farrell 7; Shackleton 6, Ayling 6, Halme 5 (Pearce 45, 5 (Temenuzhkovat 79, 5)) Davis 5 (Odour 87, -); Forshaw 7, Clarke 6; Baker 6, Roberts 7, Alioski 6; Harrison 6

Goals: Halme 25 (assisted Baker)

Subs not used: Huffer, Diaz, Stevens, Gotts

Bookings: Halme 20 (foul), Alioski 84 (repetitive fouling), Baker 88 (foul)

Leeds 2 QPR 1, Saturday December 8, 2018, Championship

Leeds striker Kemar Roofe proved the scourge of QPR once again with a pair of goals either side of half time as QPR lost narrowly in a deluge at Elland Road in early December 2018. Rangers had taken the lead after weathering an early Leeds storm, Nahki Wells silencing the home crowd by mugging off two defenders before sliding home from the edge of the box. But Rangers sank too deep protecting that lead and eventually succumbed to Roofe’s first scrambled effort from close range in first half stoppage time. With Geoff Cameron off injured at half time and Rangers still regrouping, Toni Leistner was harshly judged to have handled in the area and Roofe converted Leeds’ first penalty in 59 matches. A later appeal by Matt Smith for a QPR spot kick was waved away and Jake Bidwell’s audacious late attempt to chip the keeper was saved by Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Leeds: Peacock-Farrell 6; Shackleton 7, Jansson 5, Phillips 5, Douglas 6; Forshaw 6; Alioski 6, Saiz 6 (Halme 81, 7), Klich 6, Hernandez 8 (Clarke 86, -); Roofe 8

Subs not used: Bamford, Huffer, Harrison, Baker, Davis

Goals: Roofe 45+3 (assisted Hernandez), 52 (penalty, won Roofe)

Bookings: Klich 33 (foul), Phillips 63 (foul)

QPR: Lumley 6; Rangel 6, Leistner 5, Lynch 5, Bidwell 6; Cameron 6 (Scowen 46, 6), Luongo 6; Wszolek 5 (Osayi-Samuel 73, 6), Eze 6 (Smith 78, 5), Freeman 6; Wells 6

Subs not used: Ingram, Furlong, Cousins, Hemed

Goals: Wells 26 (unassisted)

Bookings: Scowen 48 (foul), Leistner 52 (dissent), Rangel 76 (foul), Lynch 85 (nearly Christmas)

Leeds United 2 QPR 0, Sunday May 6, 2018, Championship

Leeds completed a comfortable double against QPR for 2017/18 with an easy win on the final day of the campaign in what turned out to be the last game in charge for both Paul Heckingbottom and Ian Holloway. A typically random Holloway team selection with Darnell Furlong and Jake Bidwell at centre half had already looked vulnerable from several corners before perennial scourge of the R’s Kemar Roofe, who’d scored a hat trick at Loftus Road before Christmas, hooked in the first from a set piece on 30 minutes. A misplaced kick from Joe Lumley gave Kalvin Phillips the chance to make it two and kill the game straight after half time. Rangers weren’t at the races.

Leeds: Peacock-Farrell 6; Ayling 7, Jansson 6 (Pennington 46, 6), Cooper 6, Pearce 8; Phillips 7, Vieira 6; Forshaw 7 (O’Kane 87, -), Alioksi 6, Roofe 7 (Edmondson 74,6); Ekuban 5

Subs not used: Lonergan, Lasogga, Saiz, Sacko

Goals: Roofe 30, Phillips 47

Bookings: Alioski 54 (foul), Edmondson 81 (foul), Phillips 86 (foul)

QPR: Lumley 5; Wszolek 5 (Smyth 67, 5), Furlong 6, Bidwell 5, Manning 6; Cousins 4, Scowen 6, Chair 5 (Osayi-Samuel 60, 5); Freeman 6, Eze 5 (Oteh 73, 5), Smith 5

Subs not used: Ingram, Kakay, Hamalainen, Owens

Bookings: Furlong 63 (foul), Scowen 84 (foul), Bidwell 90+1 (foul)

QPR 1 Leeds United 3, Saturday December 9, 2017, Championship

QPR’s winter slump continued with a defeat to Leeds in December that, once again, extended a winless run to six matches under Ian Holloway. A tight first half had seen Luke Freeman and Conor Washington miss from close range but the visitors cut loose after half time with three goals from former Oxford man Kemar Roofe. The first was a close range header on the hour, the second a volley from only slightly further out five minutes later and the hat trick goal was swept under Alex Smithies in an injury time counter attack. QPR scored with their first shot on target just prior to that, Pawel Wszolek’s chipped through ball allowed to bounce in by hapless keeper Weidwald, but the German redeemed himself by rushing out to stop Idrissa Sylla making it 2-2 just before Roofe sealed the game. Roofe hadn’t scored in nine matches prior to that.

QPR: Smithies 6; Wszolek 6, Onuoha 6, Robinson 6, Bidwell 6 (Sylla 71, 5); Scowen 6 (Hall 78, 6), Freeman 6, Luongo 6, Chair 6 (Osayi-Samuel 64, 5); Washington 5, Smith 6

Subs not used: Cousins, Manning, Lumley, Wheeler

Goals: Wszolek 89 (unassisted)

Bookings: Scowen 20 (foul), Luongo 55 (foul)

Leeds: Weidwald 5; Ayling 6, Jansson 7, Cooper 7, Beradi 6; Vieira 7 (Pennington 80, -), Phillips 7; Alioski 7 (O’Kane 70, 6), Saiz 8, Roofe 8; Ekuban 5 (Cibicki 38, 6)

Subs not used: Lonergan, Borthwick-Jackson, Anita, Shaughnessy

Goals: Roofe 63 (assisted Alioski), 64 (assisted Cibicki), 90+4 (assisted Saiz)

Bookings: Phillips 29 (foul), Vieira 56 (foul), Alioski 60 (dissent)

Leeds United 0 QPR 0, Saturday March 11, 2017, Championship

Everything but the goal for Ian Holloway’s impressive QPR at the peak of their 2016/17 powers at Elland Road when these sides met in March. With four wins from the previous five, and a 5-1 win against Rotherham to come the following week, QPR played superbly against fourth-placed Leeds, shutting the division’s top marksman Chris Wood out of the game and failing to score only because Conor Washington started his shot around Rob Green out too wide of the post and couldn’t bring it back in.

Leeds: Green 6; Ayling 7, Bartley 6, Jansson 6, Berardi 5; Bridcutt 6, Vieira 6 (O’Kane 78, 6); Roofe 6 (Sacko 60, 6), Hernandez 6, Pedraza 6 (Doukara 73, 5); Wood 5

Subs not used: Cooper, Silvestri, Taylor, Dallas

Bookings: Ayling 35 (foul), Alfonso 48 (foul), Bridcutt 66 (foul), O’Kane 90+4 (ungentlemanly)

QPR: Smithies 6; Furlong 6, Onuoha 8, Lynch 7, Bidwell 6; Freeman 8, Hall 7, Luongo 7; Wszolek 7 (Ngbakoto 79, 6), Smith 6 (Sylla 78, 6), Washington 6 (Mackie 80, 6)

Subs not used: Goss, Ingram, Manning, Morrison

Bookings: Bidwell 87 (foul), Mackie 90+4 (ungentlemanly)

QPR 3 Leeds United 0, Sunday August 7, 2016, Championship

There were few signs of the respective seasons to come for these two sides on the opening day at Loftus Road. Robert Green, making a swift return to W12 after a summer release, dropped one in his own net after five minutes to set the scene. All the spin about QPR’s ridiculously harsh pre-season under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink rang true as they ran Leeds off the park, eventually scoring a deserved second when Jordan Cousins won a penalty and Tjaronn Chery converted. Seb Polter volleyed a third in in injury time.

QPR: Smithies 6; Onuoha 7, Caulker 7, Hall 7, Bidwell 7; Gladwin 5 (Cousins 56, 7), Henry 8, Luongo 8, Shodipo 6 (El Khayati 68, 6); Chery 7 (Perch 88, -); Polter 8

Subs not used: Lynch, Washington, Ingram, Kpekawa

Goals: Bamba og 5 (assisted Chery/Onuoha), Chery 73 (penalty, won Cousins), Polter 90+3 (assisted Onuoha)

Bookings: Gladwin 25 (foul), Bidwell 31 (dissent)

Leeds: Green 3; Beradi 3 (Coyle 22, 6); Bartley 6, Bamba 4, Taylor 6; Viera 6, Diagouraga 4; Dallas 5, Grimes 5 (Antonsson 61, 4), Roofe 5 (Sacko 75, 7); Wood 4

Subs not used: Cooper, Turnbull, Mowatt, Phillips

Bookings: Grimes 57 (foul)

Leeds 1 QPR 1, Tuesday April 5, 2016, Championship

Two substitutions helped Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink salvage a point on his return to his former stomping ground Elland Road back in April, 2016. Another injury for the luckless Jamie Mackie saw Seb Polter step forward from the bench in the first half and when he drove into the penalty area four minutes from time and was felled it presented second half sub Tjaronn Chery with a chance to score from the spot. That was only an equaliser through, with Chris Wood scoring from close range on 70 minutes when Rangers were caught out by Murphy’s inswinging free kick.

Leeds: Peacock-Farrell 5; Beradi 6, Bellusci 4, Cooper 6, Taylor 6; Bridcutt 7, Murphy 6 (Diagouraga 83, -), Dallas 5 (Coyle 86, -), Cook 6; Carayol 6 (Mowatt 90, -), Wood 6

Subs not used: Bamba, Adeyemi, Grimes, Antenucci

Goals: Wood 70 (assisted Murphy)

QPR: Smithies 5; Onuoha 6, Hall 6, Angella 5, Perch 5; Phillips 5, Luongo 5, Faurlin 5, Hoilett 7 (Chery 74, 6); Washington 4 (El Khayati 80, -), Mackie 4 (Polter 24, 5)

Subs not used: Gladwin, Henry, Ingram, Robinson

Goals: Chery 86 (penalty, won Polter)

QPR 1 Leeds 0, Saturday November 28, 2014, Championship

Caretaker manager Neil Warnock enjoyed a revenge mission against his former employers with a 1-0 win at Loftus Road when these sides met in November, 2014. The reliance on Charlie Austin was clear for all to see as he settled a drab match with almost his first touch as a second half substitute — powering in a header from Ale Faurlin’s corner. Earlier Robert Green had come tearing out of his area for no good reason leaving Chris Wood to run in behind him but the new Zealand forward took too long over his finish. Leeds didn’t muster a serious shot on target all game and would have lost by more but the form of their goalkeeper Silvestri who saved brilliantly from Hall and Chery late in the second half.

QPR: Green 5; Perch 6, Onuoha 7, Hall 7, Konchesky 6; Petrasso 6 (Austin 57, 7), Sandro 7, Faurlin 8, Yun 6 (Chery 57, 7), Hoilett 7 (Henry 89, -), Phillips 6

Subs not used: Luongo, Smithies, Angella, Tozser

Goals: Austin 58 (assisted Faurlin)

Leeds: Silvestri 7; Wootton 5, Belusci 5, Cooper 5, Taylor 5; Mowatt 6 (Botaka 67, 5), Bridcutt 6, Cook 6, Dallas 6; Antenucci 5 (Erwin 80, -), Wood 4

Subs not used: Byram, Murphy, Doukara, Adeyemi, Peacock-Farrell

Booked: Bridcutt 6 (foul), Wootton 35 (foul), Cook 82 (foul)

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> QPR wins 21 >>> Draws 16 >>> Leeds wins 25

2023/24 Leeds 1 QPR 0

2019/20 QPR 1 Leeds 0 (Wells)

2019/20 Leeds 2 QPR 0

2018/19 QPR 1 Leeds 0 (Freeman)

2018/19 QPR 2 Leeds 1** (Oteh, Bidwell)

2018/19 Leeds 2 QPR 1 (Wells)

2017/18 Leeds 2 QPR 0

2017/18 QPR 1 Leeds 3 (Wszolek)

2016/17 Leeds 0 QPR 0

2016/17 QPR 3 Leeds 0 (Bamba og, Chery, Polter)

2015/16 Leeds 1 QPR 1 (Chery)

2015/16 QPR 1 Leeds 0 (Austin)

2013/14 QPR 1 Leeds 1 (Jenas)

2013/14 Leeds 0 QPR 1 (Hill)

2010/11 QPR 1 Leeds 2 (Helguson)

2010/11 Leeds 2 QPR 0

2006/07 Leeds 0 QPR 0

2006/07 QPR 2 Leeds 2 (Rowlands pen, Baidoo)

2005/06 Leeds 2 QPR 0

2005/06 QPR 0 Leeds 1

2004/05 QPR 1 Leeds 1 (Gallen)

2004/05 Leeds 6 QPR 1 (Ainsworth)

1995/96 QPR 1 Leeds 2 (Gallen)

1995/96 Leeds 1 QPR 3 (Dichio 2, Sinclair)

1994/95 Leeds 4 QPR 0

1994/95 QPR 3 Leeds 2 (Ferdinand 2, Gallen)

1993/94 QPR 0 Leeds 4

1993/94 Leeds 1 QPR 1 (Meaker)

1992/93 Leeds 1 QPR 1 (Ferdinand)

1992/93 QPR 2 Leeds 1 (Bardsley, Ferdinand)

1991/92 QPR 4 Leeds 1 (Ferdinand, Allen, Sinton, Wilson pen)

1991/92 Leeds 2 QPR 0

1990/91 QPR 2 Leeds 0 (Wegerle, Barker)

1990/91 QPR 0 Leeds 3*

1990/91 Leeds 2 QPR 3 (Wegerle 2, Wilkins)

1986/87 Leeds 2 QPR 0**

1982/83 QPR 1 Leeds 0 (Hart og)

1982/83 Leeds 0 QPR 1 (Allen)

1978/79 Leeds 4 QPR 3 (Walsh, Roeder, Busby)

1978/79 QPR 0 Leeds 2*

1978/79 QPR 1 Leeds 4 (Eastoe)

1977/78 QPR 0 Leeds 0

1977/78 Leeds 3 QPR 0

1976/77 Leeds 0 QPR 1 (Eastoe)

1976/77 QPR 0 Leeds 0

1975/76 QPR 2 Leeds 0 (Thomas, Bowles)

1975/76 Leeds 2 QPR 1 (Bowles (pen))

1974/75 QPR 1 Leeds 1 (Givens)

1974/75 Leeds 0 QPR 1 (Francis)

1973/74 QPR 0 Leeds 1

1973/74 Leeds 2 QPR 2 (Thomas, Bowles)

1968/69 QPR 0 Leeds 1

1968/69 Leeds 4 QPR 1 (Wilks)

1951/52 QPR 0 Leeds 0

1951/52 Leeds 3 QPR 0

1950/51 Leeds 2 QPR 2 (Shepherd, Smith)

1950/51 QPR 3 Leeds 0 (Shepherd, Hatton (pen), Mills)

1949/50 QPR 1 Leeds 1 (Best)

1949/50 Leeds 1 QPR 1 (Pointon)

1948/49 QPR 2 Leeds 0 (Addinall 2)

1948/49 Leeds 1 QPR 2 (Gibbons, Pattison)

1931/32 QPR 3 Leeds 1** (Cribb, Rounce)

* - League Cup

** - FA Cup

Connections

Tony Ingham >>> Leeds 1947-1950 >>> QPR 1950-1963

Tony Ingham remains QPR’s record appearance holder to this day, despite leaving the club way back in 1963, and in the modern era it’s unlikely anybody is going to beat his 548 league and cup outings for the Super Hoops any time soon — particularly with the turnover of players at Loftus Road these days.

Ingham was born in Harrogate in 1925 and spotted playing local football there as a 22 year old just after the Second World War. He served in the Royal Navy during the conflict, and completed an electrical apprenticeship while playing part-time for Harrogate Town which is where the local league side Leeds United picked him up from. He’d intended to be a full time electrician until that point. He stayed at Elland Road for four years, but only made three appearances for the senior team after finding himself stuck behind first John Charles and then Jimmy Milburn.

He wasn’t exactly a regular at QPR either having moved down to London to join the R’s in 1950 for a fee of £5,000. He made his debut in a 2-1 home defeat by Doncaster Rovers in the Second Division in November 1950 (Cyril Hatton with the QPR goal) and only missed two matches for the rest of the season. Nevertheless, he started the 1951/52 campaign out of the side and, bar two outings at the end of November and beginning of December in 2-0 and 4-0 defeats to Birmingham and Leicester respectively, he didn’t start playing regularly again until the Christmas and New Year period when he was recalled for a 3-2 home win against Swansea Town.

Rangers were relegated from the Second Division into Third Division South that year. Ingham is quoted on the Leeds United history site saying: "One more point would have kept us up and we should have got that in one of our last games against Cardiff City. Alf Sherwood punched the ball off the line but the ref never saw it so we didn't even get a penalty let alone a goal. We were drawing at the time and that goal would have given us the extra point to stay up.”

But in his third season with the club he made the transition into first team regular, missing just three matches in the entire Division Three South campaign. He was rarely out of the starting 11 for the following decade after that — remarkably completing the 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60 and 1960/61 seasons without missing a single league or cup game - 272 consecutive appearances. That meant, amazingly, that having returned to the side after a four match absence for a 1-0 win against Exeter on February 25 1956 he didn’t miss another competitive match until a 1-1 draw at home to Bournemouth on September 16, 1961, some five and a half years later. Have that Armand Traore.

Left back isn’t a position conducive to prolific goal scoring of course, and for all his loyal service he only managed six in his entire time with the club before retiring in 1963. But he was around for the start of the Alec Stock and Jim Gregory revolution at Loftus Road which would see Loftus Road entirely redeveloped and the club eventually become a top flight regular. Gregory dissuaded Ingham from leaving W12 in the early 1960s with an offer to stay on at the club after his retirement.

Despite being a born and bred northerner, he came to call London and QPR home, staying on at Loftus Rod in various capacities for many years afterwards back in the days when a job at QPR was a job for life and people like the late Daphne Biggs would be around the club for decades. Ingham was commercial manager, club secretary and on the board of directors at various points. He had a suite in the South Africa Road stand named after him in recognition of his commitment and long service.

Ingham died in April 2010 aged 85 following an illness.

Others >>> Tyler Roberts, QPR’s treatment room (loan) 2022-2023, Leeds 2018-2023 >>> Jack Clarke, QPR (loan) 2020, Leeds 2018/19 >>> Paddy Kenny, Leeds 2012-2014, QPR 2010-2012 >>> Neil Warnock, Leeds (manager) 2012-2013, QPR (manager) 2015-present, 2010-2012 >>> Hogan Ephraim, QPR 2007-2013, Leeds (loan) 2009-2010 >>> Shaun Derry, QPR 2010-2013, Leeds 2005-2008 >>> Rob Hulse, QPR 2010-2013, Leeds 2005-2006 >>> Liam Milller, QPR 2009, Leeds (loan) 2005-2006 >>> Simon Walton, QPR 2007-2008, Leeds 2004-2006 >>> Serge Branco, QPR 2004-2005, Leeds 2004 >>> Jerome Thomas, Leeds (loan) 2012-2013, QPR (loan) 2002 >>> Clarke Carlisle, Leeds 2004-2005, QPR 2000-2004 >>> Vinnie Jones, QPR 1998-1999, Leeds 1989-1990 >>> Mark Hateley, QPR 1995-1997, Leeds (loan) 1996 >>> Steve Hodge, QPR 1994-1995, Leeds 1991-1994 >>> Dougie Freedman, Leeds (loan) 2008, QPR 1992-1994 >>> David Seaman, QPR 1986-1990, Leeds 1981-1982 >>> Paul Hart, QPR (sort of manager) 2009-2010, Leeds 1978-1983 >>> Tony Currie, QPR 1979-1982, Leeds 1976-1979 >>> Clive Clark, QPR 1968-1970, 1958-1960, Leeds 1957-1958 >>>Terry Venables, Leeds (manager) 2002-2003, QPR (manager) 1980-1984, 1969-1974 >>> Joe Jordan, QPR (coach) 2012-2015, Leeds 1970-1978

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