With Huddersfield in town on Sunday we look back to the opening day of the 99/00 season when unfancied QPR got the campaign off to a surprisingly good start against the big spending Terriers.

Memorable Match

QPR 3 Huddersfield 1, Saturday August 7, 1999, First Division

Expectations were low at Loftus Road on the opening day of the 1999/00 season when Steve Bruce’s Huddersfield Town side came to W12.

Rangers had been relegated from the Premier League four years previously but chronic mismanagement of both the team by first Stewart Houston and then Ray Harford, and the club as a whole by chairman Chris Wright, had left the R’s cash-strapped and far more likely to drop down to the third tier than climb back to the first. In fact the only reason Rangers were starting out in the First Division that year at all was because of a series of unlikely results masterminded by new manager Gerry Francis at the end of the previous season culminating in a 6-0 home win against Crystal Palace on the final day which nudged Rangers over the line.

Francis found cut price solutions to his problems, bringing in Stewart Wardley and Jermaine Darlington from non-league Saffron Walden and Aylesbury respectively, and persuading Bradford to part with Swedish target man Rob Steiner who’d impressed during a loan spell the previous season. Francis said: “We were in a lot of trouble financially, so we had to go to non-league areas. We got all our scouts into the non-league looking at talent that might be available, then the senior scouts went and took a look and then I went and had a look myself. We ended up finding the likes of Jermaine Darlington, Stewart Wardley and Ross Weare from well below the Conference. All three ended up playing for the first team at some point.”

Huddersfield by contrast were aiming big. They’d spent £1m on Greek winger George Donis from Sheffield United and £750,000 on Bury centre back Chris Lucketti and Leeds striker Clyde Wijnhard. Kenny Irons cost £500,000 from Tranmere and by the end of September they’d brought in nine new faces, including Dean Gorre from Ajax, for just under £4m. They were one of the hot favourites for promotion to the Premier League.<

But Rangers, free from the morale sapping shackles of the previous season’s relegation battle, caught them cold on day one. Playing a three centre back system that utilised Jermaine Darlington’s ability well as a wingback the R’s stormed into a two goal half time lead. First Darlington collected a loose ball midway inside the Huddersfield half and jinked through two tackles before lashing in from long range. Then Ian Baraclough hung a deep cross up to the back post for Steiner to guide back across goal to Chris Kiwomya who could hardly miss from a yard out against his home town club.

Huddersfield were stung into action and they halved the deficit midway through the second half when Wijnhard wriggled free of Matthew Rose tight to the byline and fired into the roof of the net. But after a nervous ten minutes Rangers put the game to bed when Kiwomya tricked his way past his man wide on the left and crossed for Gavin Peacock to head in from close range. Peacock would go on to set a club record for scoring in the club’s first five matches of the season.

Francis’ men went on to enjoy a splendid season all things considered. They finished tenth having threatened a run to the play offs at one point. Huddersfield underachieved, finishing eighth and missing out on the end of season knock out.

Francis though was keen to sound a note of caution. He said: “You can’t keep doing it. You can’t keep finding players in non-league. Sooner or later you have to compete and buy players of proven quality.” And so it proved. A repeat in 2000/01 was beyond him, not helped by a career ending injury for Steiner, and Rangers were relegated.

QPR: L Miklosko, T Breacker, (K Gallen, 90), D Maddix (K Rowland, 90), M Rose, S Morrow, I Baraclough, R Langley, G Peacock , J Darlington (S Wardley, 87), R Steiner, C Kiwomya

Subs not used: L Harper, A Scully

Goals: Darlington 16, Kiwomya 38, Peacock 79

Bookings: Breaker, Peacock, Kiwomya

Huddersfield: N Vaesen, S Baker (J Dyson, 82), C Armstrong, C Lucketti , J Vincent (W Allison, 82), Y Donis, C Beech, K Irons, S Sellars (B Thornley, 64), M Stewart, C Wijnhard

Subs not used: B Horne, M Margetson

Goals: Wijnhard 65

Bookings: Baker, Vincent, Lucketti

Referee Mike Dean

Attendance: 13,642

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

Recent Meetings

Huddersfield 2 QPR 1, Saturday October 21, 2023, Championship

QPR fans battled storms, floods and a complete collapse of the rail system to make it to West Yorkshire in October only for Gareth Ainsworth’s team to fall apart right from the kick off. Defensively shambolic goals from Harratt and Rudoni effectively had the game over as a contest within the first quarter hour. Jake Clarke-Salter’s towering header from a corner did halve that deficit and only Sinclair Armstrong will know how he missed a second half open goal, but this was a poor performance and damaging defeat. It effectively sealed Ainsworth’s fate, with his dismissal announced a week of interviews with other candidates later.

Huddersfield: Nicholls 5; Pearson 6 (Nakayama 81, -), Helik 7, Lees 6; Thomas 6, Rudoni 8, Hogg 7, Wiles 5, Koroma 6 (Headley 67, 5); Zoidberg 5 (Hudlin 82, -), Harratt 6

Subs not used: Edmonds-Green, Diarra, Maxwell, Austerfield, Jackson

Goals: Harratt 8 (assisted Rudoni), Rudoni 14 (assisted Thomas)

Bookings: Zoidberg 47 (diving, not the first time), Nakayama 85 (time wasting, harsh)

QPR: Begovic 5; Kakay 3 (Canon 70, 6), Dunne 4, Clarke-Salter 6; Adomah 4 (Kolli 74, 5), Colback 6 (Dixon-Bonner 74, 5), Field 5, Dozzell 6, Paal 6 (Larkeche 75, 4); Chair 5, Armstrong 4 (Smyth 64, 5)

Subs not used: Willock, Archer, Kelman, Duke-McKenna

Goals: Clarke-Salter 44 (assisted Dozzell)

Bookings: Chair 34 (foul), Colback 45+4 (foul)

Huddersfield 1 QPR 1, Saturday February 4, 2023, Championship

A game between two teams rapidly descending the Championship table, of abysmally poor quality, finished in deserved stalemate in February 2023. Mark Fotheringham and Neil Critchley were both on their last legs in either dug out. Jamal Lowe, still interested at this point, opened the scoring for QPR after a goalkeeper error, but Martyn Waghorn was then able to do exactly the same for the hosts at the other end. Sinclair Armstrong’s shot out of play for a throw in when through on goal with Ilias Chair in support will live long in the memory.

Huddersfield: Vaclik 5; Turton 6, Lees 5, Helik 5 (Pearson 79, 5), Lowton 3; High 4 (Koroma 63, 6), Hogg 4 (Knockaert 64, 5), Kasumu 5; Hungbo 6 (Diarra 70, 6), Waghorn 6 (Rhodes 63, 5), Rudoni 5

Subs not used: Bilokapic, Headley

Goals: Waghorn 39 (assisted Turton)

Bookings: Hogg 41 (foul), Rudoni 90+4 (foul)

QPR: Dieng 4; Laird 4, Dunne 5, Clarke-Salter 5, Paal 5; Dozzell 4 (Armstrong 66, 4), Field 6, Johansen 6 (Iroegbunam 76, 5); Chair 5, Willock 5 (Adomah 66, 4), Lowe 6

Subs not used: Kakay, Dickie, Amos, Archer

Goals: Lowe 16 (unassisted)

Bookings: Clarke-Salter 37 (foul), Adomah 72 (foul)

QPR 1 Huddersfield 0, Tuesday November 8, 2022, Championship

The decay in QPR's 2022/23 season really set in in earnest at home to Huddersfield in November. Despite taking a first minute lead against the bottom placed side in the division thanks to Lyndon Dykes' close range effort, Rangers quickly slipped behind as their vulnerabilities from set pieces were exposed twice by Ruffels the Gentleman Full Back. Huddersfield shithoused almost the entire second half away under the ever-watchful eye of referee Gavin Ward.

QPR: Dieng 6; Laird 5 (Bonne 71, 5), Balogun 4 (Dunne 46, 6), Clarke-Salter 4, Paal 6; Iroegbunam 6, Field 6; Adomah 5 (Shodipo 83, -), Willock 5 (Richards 77, 7), Chair 6; Dykes 6

Subs not used: Dickie, Archer, Dozzell

Goals: Dykes 1 (assisted Willock)

Huddersfield: Nicholls 8; Spencer 5 (Hayden 45, 6), Helik 8, Boyle 8, Ruffels 8; Diarra 5 (Rhodes 58, 5), Rudoni 7, Holmes 6 (Mahoney 69, 6); Thomas 7, Ward 5, Jackson 5 (MBete 90+1, -)

Subs not used: Bilokopic, Ondo, Ayina

Goals: Ruffels 9 (assisted Rudoni), 26 (assisted Boyle)

Bookings: Spencer 45 (foul), Ward 75 (foul), Thomas 89 (time wasting), Nicholls 90+1 (time wasting), Rhodes 90+5 (time wasting)

Huddersfield 2 QPR 2, Friday April 15, 2022, Championship

QPR rallied slightly amidst the collapse of their 2021/22 season with a spirited showing and decent point at promotion chasing Huddersfield on Good Friday. The weekly goal conceded from a corner went in after six minutes and was credited as a Yoann Barbet own goal but Luke Amos, one of the few players who had maintained decent form, equalised before half time and although Harry Toffolo headed the hosts back in front there was another leveller to come from man of the match Ilias Chair. Of course, QPR continued to fall away from the play off picture despite going onto beat Derby at home on the Monday, while Huddersfield timed their run to the six perfectly and would have been promoted but for Jon Moss’ scandalous refereeing of the play-off final.

Huddersfield: Nicholls 6; Turton 7 (Avila 89, -), Lees 6, Colwill 7, Toffolo 7; Hogg 7, Russell 6; Sinani 5 (Anjorin 75, 5), O’Brien 6, Thomas 6; Ward 5 (Holmes 46, 5)

Subs not used: Rhodes, Koroma, Blackman, Sarr

Goals: Barbet og 6 (assisted Hogg), Toffolo 53 (assisted Turton)

Bookings: O’Brien 64 (foul), Holmes 66 (foul), Thomas 90+1 (foul)

QPR: Westwood 6; Odubajo 7, Dunne 5, Barbet 5, McCallum 7; Field 7, Amos 7 (Adomah 85, -), Dozzell 6, Chair 8; Thomas 7 (Gray 83, -), Dykes 6 (Austin 83, -)

Subs not used: Johansen, Ball, Sanderson, Mahoney

Goals: Amos 43 (assisted McCallum), Chair 57 (assisted Odubajo)

Bookings: Austin 90+2 (foul), Field 90+5 (foul)

QPR 1 Huddersfield 0, Wednesday November 24, 2021, Championship

Luke Amos rose from the bench to head home the only goal of the game at the Loft End when these sides met for the first time in 2021/22 in November. A high-quality, tightly contested encounter looked to be heading for stalemate until Amos planted Chris Willock’s cross into the roof of the net with eight minutes left for play. What felt, at the time, like a significant victory over a promotion rival. Ho ho.

QPR: Dieng 8; Adomah 6, Dickie 7, Dunne 8, Barbet 7, Wallace 8; Johansen 8 (Ball 90+3, -), Dozzell 7 (Amos 71, 7), Chair 7; Willock 7, Austin 6 (Field 83, -)

Subs not used: Kakay, Archer, Thomas, Duke-McKenna

Goals: Amos 83 (assisted Willock)

Bookings: Chair 27 (foul), Dozzell 56 (foul)

Huddersfield: Nicholls 7; Turton 6 (Odubeko 82, -), Pearson 6, Lees 6, Colwill 6, Toffolo 6; High 6, O’Brien 7, Sinani 5; Koroma 5 (Thomas 71, 5), Ward 5 (Campbell 63, 5)

Subs not used: Ruffels, Sarr, Schofield, Russell

Bookings: Koroma 10 (foul), O’Brien 63 (foul)

QPR 0 Huddersfield 1, Saturday March 13, 2021, Championship

QPR had won eight from 12 as they turned their 2020/21 season around in spectacular style after Christmas, while Huddersfield’s form was heading off the edge of a cliff with just one win from 13 games since the January arrival of Richard Keogh. Todd Kane missed a first half sitter and that proved crucial as Juninho Bacuna thumped home a first time shot from the edge of the area ten minutes into the second half.

QPR: Dieng 6; Kakay 5, Dickie 5, Barbet 5; Kane 4 (Adomah 76, 5), Field 5 (Thomas 88, -), Johansen 5, Chair 5 (Dykes 76, 4), Wallace 5; Willock 6, Austin 4 (Bonne 88, -)

Subs not used: Lumley, De Wijs, Ball, Cameron, Hämäläinen

Bookings: Johansen 86 (foul)

Huddersfield: Schofield 6; Edmonds Green 6, Keogh 6, Sarr 6; Pipa 7, Bacuna 7, O’Brien 7, Hogg 7, Rowe 5 (Duhaney 52, 6); Campbell 5 (Sonogo 67, 6), Mbenza 6 (Holmes 52, 7)

Subs not used: Minguez, Stearman, Ward, Brown, Pereira, High

Goals: Bacuna 55 (assisted Pipa)

Huddersfield 2 QPR 0, Saturday December 5, 2020, Championship

QPR were about as bad as they’ve been all season when these sides met in West Yorkshire at the start of December. Josh Koroma was allowed to run most of the length of the field and curl a nicely taken opener in unchallenged after three minutes, and he got the assist for Toffolo’s close range second before half time, but in truth Huddersfield should have won by many more while QPR barely made it as far as their penalty area all afternoon.

Huddersfield: Hamer N/A, Pipa 7 (Bacuna 73, 7), Schindler 6 (Edmonds-Green 79, 6), Sarr 6, Toffolo 8; Eiting 8, Hogg 8, O’Brien 7; Mbenza 7 (Duhaney 87, -), Campbell 7 (Ward 73, 6), Koroma 8

Subs not used: Pritchard, Diakhaby, Brown, Schofield, Daly

Goals: Koroma 3 (unassisted), Toffolo 39 (assisted Koroma)

QPR: Dieng 7; Kane 4, Dickie 5, Barbet 4, Hämäläinen 5; Cameron 4 (Ball 56, 4), Carroll 5; Osayi-Samuel 4 (Kelman 82, -), Chair 4 (Adomah 82, -), Willock 5 (Thomas 56, 5); Dykes 4 (Bonne 46, 4)

Subs not used: Masterson, Bettache, Kelly, Kakay

Bookings: Ball 62 (foul), Osayi-Samuel 71 (foul)

Huddersfield 2 QPR 0, Saturday February 8, 2020, Championship

Despite another mesmeric performance from Ebere Eze, and Grant Hall’s first half header striking the inside of the Huddersfield post, QPR slipped to a 2-0 loss when these sides last met in West Yorkshire in February. First goal — header from a cross. Elias Kachunga heading in from close range after Ryan Toffolo had got to the byline and cut a chipped ball back. Second goal — penalty conceded by Lee Wallace, Mounie thrashing home from the spot after Kachunga was fouled.

Huddersfield: Lossl 6; Simpson 7, Stearman 6, Schindler 6, Toffolo 7; Hogg 6, O’Brien 6; Kachunga 8 (Willock 90, -), Smith Rowe 7, Bacuna 6 (King 74, 6); Mounie 7 (Campbell 72, 6)

Subs not used: Chalobah, Coleman, Pyke, Stankovic

Goals: Kachunga 57 (assisted Toffolo), Mounie 61 (penalty, won Kachunga)

QPR: Kelly 6; Kane 6, Masterson 6, Hall 5, Wallace 5; Ball 7, Amos 5 (Clarke 67, 5); Osayi-Samuel 5 (Oteh 87, -), Eze 7, Chair 6 (Pugh 67, 5); Hugill 5

Subs not used: Lumley, Manning, Rangel, Barbet

Bookings: Hugill 27 (foul), Amos 41 (foul), Ball 82 (foul)

QPR 1 Huddersfield 1, Saturday August 10, 2019, Championship

Grant Hall scored a late headed equaliser to win QPR a deserved point from the first meeting between these sides last season. Rangers played quite nicely against the newly relegated Terriers but conceded straight after half time when a typically rash Yoann Barbet tackle led to a penalty converted by Karlan Grant. That looked like it might be the winner until Hall headed home a Ryan Manning assist with two minutes of normal time remaining.

QPR: Lumley 6; Rangel 6 (Kane 71, 7), Hall 7, Barbet 7, Manning 6; Cameron 7, Amos 5 (Wells 82, -); Eze 6, Scowen 5 (Chair 55, 7), Osayi-Samuel 6; Hugill 6

Subs not used: Pugh, Ball, Kelly, Leistner

Goals: Hall 82 (assisted Manning)

Yellow cards: Barbet 48 (foul, penalty concession), Osayi-Samuel 90+2 (foul)

Huddersfield: Grabara 6; Hadergjonaj 6, Elphick 6, Schindler 7, Kongolo 6; Bacuna 5 (Kachunga 45, 6), Hogg 6, O’Brien 6, Diakhaby 6 (Quaner 76, 5), Pritchard 6 (Stankovitch 90+5); Grant 7

Subs not used: Bockhorn, Koroma, Brown, Schofield

Goals: Grant 48 (penalty, won Kachunga)

Yellow cards: Diakhaby 2 (diving), Bacuna 43 (foul), O’Brien 69 (foul), Quaner 79 (foul), Grant 90+2 (foul)

QPR 1 Huddersfield 2, Saturday February 11, 2016, Championship

QPR started well, finished strongly, but ultimately proved no match for David Wagner’s swashbuckling promotion chasers when these two sides met at Loftus Road in February 2016. Conor Washington struck a post via fine save from Danny Ward, and Ryan Manning blazed a good chance wide as Ian Holloway’s team looked to take it to the Premier League-bound side early. But a quickfire double at the end of flowing moves by Izzy Brown and Nahki Wells gave the visitors a two goal half time lead. Luke Freeman pulled a goal back on the hour in emphatic fashion to set up a grand stand finish in which Ward saved brilliantly with his hands from Matt Smith and with his feet from Mass Luongo as he fired through a crowd of players late on.

QPR: Smithies 6; Wzsolek 6 (Ngbakoto 80, -), Perch 6, Onuoha 5, Bidwell 5 (Lua Lua 53, 6); Hall 6, Manning 6, Luongo 5; Mackie 5 (Freeman 53, 7), Smith 7, Washington 6

Subs not used: Goss, Ingram, Furlong, Sylla

Goals: Freeman 60 (unassisted)

Bookings: Manning 45+1 (foul), Hall 58 (foul), Luongo 85 (foul)

Huddersfield: Ward 8; Cranie 6 (Smith 80, -), Hefele 7, Schindler 6, Lowe 6; Mooy 7, Hogg 6 (Billing 20, 8); Kachunga 6, Brown 8, van la Parra 6 (Lolley 79, 6); Wells 7

Subs not used: Payne, Quaner, Stankovic, Coleman

Bookings: Brown 62 (dissent)

Huddersfield Town 2 QPR 1, Saturday September 17, 2016, Championship

Shell shocked QPR headed north to Huddersfield for the first meeting that season just days after being annihilated 6-0 on their own ground by Newcastle. With Town having lost only one of their first seven games they were strong favourites and, in truth, their victory was far more comfortable than a 2-1 scoreline suggests. Kasey Palmer and Ellias Kachunga headed goals for the home team either side of half time and although Tjaronn Chery set Idrissa Sylla up for a back post header to halve the deficit late on the Town win never looked under serious threat.

Huddersfield: Ward 6; Smith 7, Hudson 6, Schindler 6, Lowe 6; Mooy 8, Hogg 6; van La Parra 7, Palmer 8 (Whitehead 86, -), Kachunga 8 (Bunn 81, -); Wells 7 (Hefele 90+1, -)

Subs not used: Scannell, Coleman, Cranie, Payne

Goals: Palmer 14 (assisted van La Parra), Kachunga 62 (assisted Smith)

Bookings: Hogg 21 (unsporting), Hudson 44 (foul)

QPR: Smithies 6; Onuoha 4, Caulker 5, Hall 5, Bidwell 4; Henry 4 (Borysiuk 46, 6), Luongo 4; Cousins 5, Chery 5, Shodipo 5 (Sylla 73, 7); Washington 4 (Polter 46, 6)

Subs not used: Lynch, Ingram, Wszolek, El Khayati

Goals: Sylla 76 (assisted Chery)

Bookings: Chery 21 (unsporting), Polter 87 (repetitive fouling), Borysiuk 90+1 (foul), Sylla 90+3 (Unsporting)

QPR 1 Huddersfield 1, Monday December 28, 2015, Championship

These sides fought out a dire 1-1 draw at Loftus Road over Christmas 2015, as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink continued to struggle to make an impact after taking over at QPR. It looked like he might get his first win as Rangers manager when Seb Polter bundled in the opening goal amidst a scramble from a long throw ten minutes from time. Matt Phillips had earlier missed an absolute sitter when played clear through on Joe Murphy in the Huddersfield goal. But the visitors deserved a point and won it with four minutes to go as Nahki Wells was able to beat Robert Green with a free kick from somewhere over by White City tube station.

QPR: Green 6; Onuoha 6, Hall 6, Hill 6, Konchesky 6; Tozser 4, Sandro 4 (Polter 65, 7); Phillips 5 (Emmanuel Thomas 77, 5), Henry 5, Hoilett 6, Fer 4 (Chery 69, 6)

Subs not used: Faurlin, Luongo, Smithies, Angella

Goals: Polter 80 (assisted Emmanuel Thomas/Onuoha)

Huddersfield: Murphy 6; Smith 6, Hudson 6, Cranie 6, Davidson 6 (Chilwell 60, 6); Hogg 6, Huws 7, Bunn 6, Carayol 5 (Lolley 60, 7); Paterson 5 (Scannell 73, 6), Wells 7

Subs not used: Allinson, Lynch, Billing, Bojaj

Goals: Wells 86 (free kick won Lolley)

Yellow Cards: Hudson 79 (foul), Huws 89 (foul)

Huddersfield 0 QPR 1, Saturday August 29, 2015, Championship

QPR ground out a 1-0 win from a scrappy game when these sides met for the first time that season on August Bank Holiday weekend. Twice in the first half low crosses from Matt Phillips almost forced own goals from Huddersfield players, the in the second he drew a save from home keeper Brian Murphy, but the game looked to be drifting off to a 0-0 draw. That was until Tjaronn Chery slid onto a low cross at the back post and converted the only goal of the game from close range with eight minutes left.

Huddersfield: Murphy 6; Smith 5, Hudson 6 (Cranie 45, 6), Davison 6, Lynch 7; Whitehead 7, Butterfield 8, Hogg 6, Scannell 7(Lolley 72, 5); Miller 6, Wells 5 (Carayol 80, 6)

Bookings: Hogg 62 (foul)

QPR: Green 6, Perch 5, Onouha 8, Hall 7, Konschesky 7, Doughty 6, Faurlin 6, Phillips 7, Chery 6, Luongo 6, Austin 6

Subs not used: Emmanuel-Thomas, Hoilett, Smithies, Blackwood, Furlong, Comley, Kpekawa

Goals: Chery 84 (assist Luongo)

Bookings: Konchesky 63 (foul), Perch 90 (foul), Phillips 92 (ungentlemanly conduct)

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> QPR wins 14 >>> Draws 11 >>> Huddersfield wins 17

2023/24 Huddersfield 2 QPR 1 (Clarke-Salter)

2022/23 Huddersfield 1 QPR 1 (Lowe)

2022/23 QPR 1 Huddersfield 2 (Dykes)

2021/22 Huddersfield 2 QPR 2 (Amos, Chair)

2021/22 QPR 1 Huddersfield 0 (Amos)

2020/21 QPR 0 Huddersfield 1

2020/21 Huddersfield 2 QPR 0

2019/20 Huddersfield 2 QPR 0

2019/20 QPR 1 Huddersfield 1 (Hall)

2016/17 QPR 1 Huddersfield 2 (Freeman)

2016/17 Huddersfield 2 QPR 1 (Sylla)

2015/16 QPR 1 Huddersfield 1 (Polter)

2015/16 Huddersfield 0 QPR 1 (Chery)

2013/14 QPR 2 Huddersfield 1 (Austin 2)

2013/14 Huddersfield 1 QPR 1 (Hoilett)

2002/03 Huddersfield 0 QPR 3 (Furlong 2, Shittu)

2002/03 QPR 3 Huddersfield 0 (Shittu, Williams, Carlisle)

2001/02 Huddersfield 1 QPR 0

2001/02 QPR 3 Huddersfield 2 (Thomson, Rose, Palmer)

2000/01 Huddersfield 2 QPR 1 (Thomson)

2000/01 QPR 1 Huddersfield 1 (Connolly)

1999/00 Huddersfield 1 QPR 0

1999/00 QPR 3 Huddersfield 1 (Darlington, Kiwomya, Peacock)

1998/99 QPR 1 Huddersfield 1 (Baraclough)

1998/99 QPR 0 Huddersfield 1*

1998/99 Huddersfield 2 QPR 0

1997/98 Huddersfield 1 QPR 1 (Jones)

1997/98 QPR 2 Huddersfield 1 (Quashie 2)

1996/97 QPR 2 Huddersfield 0 (McDermott, Spencer)

1996/97 Huddersfield 1 QPR 2* (Peacock, McDonald)

1996/97 QPR 1 Huddersfield 1* (Hateley)

1996/97 Huddersfield 1 QPR 2 (Dichio, Brazier)

1983/84 Huddersfield 2 QPR 1* (Gregory)

1972/73 Huddersfield 2 QPR 2 (Francis, Leach)

1972/73 QPR 3 Huddersfield 1 (Givens 2, Thomas)

1969/70 Huddersfield 2 QPR 0

1969/70 QPR 4 Huddersfield 2 (Marsh, I Morgan, Bridges, Venables (pen))

1967/68 QPR 3 Huddersfield 0 (Marsh 2, Legg og)

1967/68 Huddersfield 1 QPR 0

1948/49 Huddersfield 5 QPR 0*

1948/49 QPR 0 Huddersfield 0*

1931/32 Huddersfield 5 QPR 0*

* - FA Cup

Connections

Kevin Gallen’s time away from QPR between 2000 and 2001 was brief and unhappy, but it included one of the most memorable moments at Loftus Road in recent times.

Gallen’s time at Loftus Road had rather petered out, with manager Gerry Francis preferring Rob Steiner and Chris Kiwomya in attack. Gallen wanted first team football, and Rangers wanted to cut costs so although he signed off with a goal in a 3-1 win at Portsmouth on the final day of the 1999/00 season it did prove to be the last of his first spell with the club. A shame not only because of his connection with the club, but also because Steiner subsequently suffered a career ending injury.

By the time he came back to Loftus Road for the first time his former team were struggling badly. The plot line was fairly predictable, and sure enough Gallen took just eight minutes to hook home a spectacular opening goal. But there was a twist still to come. Rangers equalised through Karl Connolly before half time but should have lost the game when the visitors were awarded a penalty at the Loft End in the second half. Gallen, who had missed his previous penalty at that end of the ground in a Premier League game with Leeds, stepped up determined to hammer another nail in the coffin of his former club. Veteran Czech goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko plunged low to his left and saved it.

Gallen had been one of the most exciting youth prospects at QPR in years in the early 1990s. He’d broken scoring records in the South East Counties youth leagues that had stood since Jimmy Greaves’ day and helped the Rangers juniors to league and cup success. When he finally did make it into the first team, on the opening day of the 1994/95 season at Old Trafford, it was probably overdue. The 18-year-old scored that day, but a linesman’s flag meant he had to wait for the opening home game of the season to open his account — a seventy ninth minute winner against Sheffield Wednesday at the Loft End was a fitting way to start.

Gallen struck up a formidable partnership with Les Ferdinand that season but struggled somewhat the following year when Sir Les moved to Newcastle for £6m without adequate replacement. Ray Wilkins entrusted his old pal Mark Hateley with filling Ferdinand’s boots but he was a long way past his best by this stage and even turned up on the pitch for his unveiling prior to a home match with Spurs on crutches. Gallen finished the season with eight, but didn’t score at all until December 23 when he headed home a winner at home to Aston Villa. He and former youth team strike partner Danny Dichio battled valiantly to make it work, but their youth and inexperience caught up with them and QPR were relegated.

Gallen, who had been linked with Man Utd, was tipped to be a star at the lower level and when he scored in an opening day win at home to Oxford and followed it up with an early goal in a Friday night televised game at Portsmouth there didn’t look to be any stopping him. Sadly, in the act of scoring a late winner, he ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments and didn’t play again until the opening day of the following season. Gallen adapted his game post-injury from out and out goalscorer to hold up and lay man. He scored just four times in 31 appearances in 1997/98 as QPR, under first Stewart Houston and then Ray Harford, struggled badly. He scored eight goals the following year when the R’s needed a 6-0 win against Palace on the last day to survive but by then Gerry Francis, who had given Gallen his debut, had returned to the club and didn’t seem to rate his former protégé as highly any more.

Gallen went to Huddersfield under Steve Bruce, and scored ten goals in 2000/01 including the one against QPR. Bruce though was sacked and Gallen wasn’t offered a deal at the end of the season. He trained with QPR, now a Division Two side managed by Ian Holloway, that summer but when no deal was forthcoming accepted a two-year contract at Barnsley. He scored twice in his first five appearances for Tykes but then found, again, that the manager who brought him in, Nigel Spackman, left the club changing Gallen’s situation.

In an interview with Indy R’s Gallen recalled the situation.

He said: “I don’t think I was treated that badly. At the end of the 99/00 season, if I wasn’t playing that was the manager’s decision obviously. Gerry had his way of playing, I’ve got the utmost respect for Gerry, I love Gerry, I think he’s the greatest QPR player ever. I’ve got no problem with Gerry thinking that Chris Kiwomya, Sammy Koejoe and Rob Steiner were ahead of me, that’s no problem, but at the time I thought that I needed to get away. They were ahead of me in the pecking order but that was the manager’s decision. That’s why I left because I knew that I wasn’t going to play. We never fell out over that but that was the situation, I didn’t think that I was ever going to play. He didn’t say that I was in contention but he wanted me to stay as well. If I hadn’t left at that time, I probably wouldn’t have come back. I would have left the following year and that would have been the end because what happened with the administration situation, everything might of happened differently.

“I went up to Huddersfield under Steve Bruce who I thought was a good manager. I was only under him for three or four months and then he got sacked. I met some new people, a different way of life from London. I enjoyed my time but a year was enough really. I would like to clear up another thing, when during the following year when Ian Holloway was in charge, I went back training with QPR and I read somewhere along the lines of that they offered me a contract, which they didn’t. I went to Barnsley, no contract was offered to me at QPR that summer. The first contract I was offered was from Barnsley and Nigel Spackman was the manager. It was a decent contract, so I took it. QPR didn’t offer me a contract until I came back in November that year.”

Gallen’s return to W12 came at a difficult time for Rangers who’d been decimated by relegation and administration and recently beaten 4-0 in the cup by Third Division Swansea. Gallen signed straight after the game, made his debut that Tuesday and scored in a 4-0 win against Swindon in Shepherd’s Bush.

Gallen scored 14 goals the following year, 2002/03, as QPR made the Second Division play-off final but lost to Cardiff. Despite the defeat, his partnership with veteran Paul Furlong offered great promise. He scored 17, his best haul in a single season, in 2003/04 while Furlong managed 16. The pair both scored on the final day of the season in a memorable 3-1 win at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday to seal promotion.

At the higher level Holloway often used Gallen in the middle of midfield and he was a key part of the team that went on a seven match winning run shortly after promotion that threatened to take Rangers all the way into the Premier League. He scored in three of those games — 3-2 wins against Plymouth and Brighton and a 1-0 win at Stoke City. Along with fellow boyhood QPR fan Marc Bircham he became the heart and soul of a lively, spirited dressing room that played a big part in QPR being able to compete in the Championship despite being strapped for cash.

When Holloway left, and the money really started to become an issue, Gallen once again fell out of favour. He struggled with hamstring injuries and was ignored by the manager at the time John Gregory. He told Indy R’s: “I have to say that the way I was treated by John Gregory at the end of my QPR career still makes me a little angry really. The way I was pretty much banished, it wasn’t a nice time. I was glad to be out of that situation. I never got the chance to say goodbye, that’s a bit sad. Those weeks leading up to that — it was a case of, ‘I’ve got to get out of here’, it was difficult, speaking to my parents, my mum crying, we were really sad about it.”

Holloway had him again, on loan at Plymouth this time, but he didn’t want to uproot his family and so spells with MK Dons, where he won League Two and the JP Trophy, and Luton Town followed as well as a brief loan with Barnet. He scored his first ever professional hat trick in April 2010 for Luton against Grays in a 6-0 win.

Now retired, Gallen has turned out in non-league for Braintree, Leverstock and Aylesbury and is a regular at Loftus Road, and on the Open All R’s QPR podcast. He has scouted for MK Dons and more recently Crystal Palace. A QPR man through and through, and great servant to the club, one Huddersfield goal notwithstanding.

Others >>> Chris Willock, QPR 2020-present, Huddersfield (loan) 2020 >>> Nahki Wells, QPR (loan) 2018-2020, Huddersfield 2014-2017 >>> Alex Smithies QPR 2015-2018, Huddersfield 2007-2015 >>> Neil Warnock, Huddersfield (manager) 2023, 1993-1995, QPR (manager) 2010-2012 >>> Damien Delaney, Huddersfield (loan) 2002, QPR 2008-2009 >>> Fraser Digby, Huddersfield 2000, QPR 2000-2001 >>> Leon Knight, QPR (loan) 2001, Huddersfield (loan) 2001-2002 >>> Michel Ngonge Huddersfield (loan) 2000, QPR 2000-20001 >>> Steve Yates, QPR 1993-1999, Huddersfield 2003-2005 >>> Peter Eastoe, QPR 1976-1979, Huddersfield (loan) 1983 >>> Ted Goodier, Huddersfield 1922-1923, QPR 1931-1935

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