As QPR prepare to travel to The Hawthorns this weekend, LFW looks back at the career of Georges Santos who represented both Rangers and West Brom.

Recent Meetings

West Brom 1 QPR 0, Saturday April 14, 2012, Premier League

An impressive run of five straight home wins at the end of last season put QPR in with a chance of survival in the Premier League after a disastrous winter had threatened to sink them. But with three games of the campaign left, and two of them on the road, it seemed as though the R’s would need to find a way to win an away game for the first time since November to make doubly sure of safety. With Man City away looming large on the final day of the campaign the earlier trip to West Brom looked to be their best chance but despite a big travelling support from West London, and the hosts having nothing to play for, they slipped to a meek 1-0 defeat. This was a tale of two goalkeepers with Paddy Kenny culpable for Graeme Dorrans’ long range opener at one end while Ben Foster denied Bobby Zamora on three separate occasions with fine saves at the other. Ultimately Rangers survived anyway, winning a crucial game at home to Stoke a week later, but it was no thanks to their lousy away form which persists to this day.

West Brom: Foster 8, Jones 7, McAuley 6, Dawson 6, Ridgewell 6, Brunt 7, Mulumbu 7, Dorrans 7 (Andrews 71, 6), Thomas 7 (Scharner 80, -), Fortune 6 (Long 59, 6), Odemwingie 7

Subs Not Used: Daniels, Shorey, Hurst, Cox

Booked: Mulumbu (foul), Ridgewell (time wasting), Dorrans (foul)

Goals: Dorrans 22 (unassisted)

QPR: Kenny 5, Onuoha 5, Ferdinand 6, Hill 7, Taiwo 7 (Traore 77, 6), Barton 6, Diakite 6, Derry 5 (Wright-Phillips 56, 6), Mackie 6, Zamora 6, Taarabt 6 (Helguson 75, 6)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Gabbidon, Buzsaky, Young

QPR 1 West Brom 1, Saturday December 3, 2011, Premier League

QPR were left to count the cost of a series of missed chances as West Brom escaped from Loftus Road with a point last December. Heidar Helguson gave the home side a first half lead and Shaun Wright-Phillips thought he’d doubled it shortly afterwards only to be incorrectly flagged offside. Rangers had only themselves to blame thereafter though, with Joey Barton’s open goal howler at the Loft End the pick of a series of sitters. The inevitable equalising goal, from Shane Long, came nine minutes from time after Chris Brunt had been allowed to run unchecked through the heart of the R’s midfield.

QPR: Cerny 7, Young 6, Gabbidon 6, Ferdinand 6, Traore 7, Mackie 7, Barton 7, Faurlin 8, Wright-Phillips 7, Bothroyd 6 (Buzsaky 74, 5), Helguson 8

Subs Not Used: Putnins, Orr, Hill, Derry, Taarabt, Smith

Goals: Helguson 20 (assisted Barton)

West Brom: Foster 7, Reid 6, Olsson 6, McAuley 6, Shorey 6, Thomas 6 (Odemwingie 65, 7), Dorrans 7 (Tchoyi 78, 6), Mulumbu 8 (Scharner 83, -), Morrison 7, Brunt 7, Long 7

Subs Not Used: Fulop, Dawson, Jones, Cox

Booked: Long, Thomas, Reid

Goals: Long 81

QPR 3 West Brom 1, Saturday March 6, 2010, Championship

Neil Warnock’s successful reign as QPR manager started with an unlikely win in his first match in charge against West Brom. The Baggies were top of the league and heading back to the Premiership under Roberto De Matteo and were heavy favourites to win at Loftus Road against a QPR side with just one win from their previous 11 matches and about to start life under their fourth permanent manger of the season. Relegation was starting to look like a serious possibility for the Super Hoops but Warnock’s impact was instant. Jay Simpson made the most of a poor piece of goalkeeping from Scott Carson to tap in from close range after 13 minutes and that lead was doubled five minutes later when a glorious through ball from Alejandro Faurlin set up Matt Connolly for a rare goal. When Brunt halved the deficit before half time a nervous second half seemed likely but Rangers re-established their advantage when Carson again treated them to a soft goal, Akos Buzsaky the beneficiary directly from a free kick on this occasion.

QPR: Ikeme 8, Connolly 7, Gorkss 7, Stewart 7, Hill 6, Taarabt 7 (Ramage 69, 6), Leigertwood 7, Faurlin 8, Ephraim 6 (Buzsaky 59, 7), Priskin 6 (Vine 77, 6), Simpson 7

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Balanta, Borrowdale, German

Booked: Priskin (dissent), Faurlin (foul)

Goals: Simpson 13 (assisted Taarabt), Connolly 18 (assisted Faurlin), Buzsaky 67 (free kick)

West Brom: Carson 3, Reid 6, Tamas 6, Olsson 7, Cech 6 (Miller 64, 5), Morrison 6 (Dorrans 68, 6), Mulumbu 7, Watson 6, Brunt 7, Thomas 7, Cox 6

Subs Not Used: Kiely, Mattock, Koren, Moore, Meite

Booked: Cech (foul), Brunt (foul)

Goals: Brunt 36 (assisted Thomas)

West Brom 2 QPR 2, Monday December 14, 2009, Championship

Before Christmas that season Rangers travelled to the Hawthorns once more under the guidance of a brand new managerial team. In the wake of Jim Magilton's suspension youth team coaches Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham took the reins for a match televised live by Sky. The R's stunned their hosts by surging into a two goal lead just after half time with Kaspars Gorkss first forcing an own goal from Olsson from a Ben Watson corner, then heading another set piece from the ginger midfielder in himself. Sadly Rangers couldn't hold on, getting nervous and dropping deep when Jerome Thomas fired home after a defensive scramble and then collapsing in injury time when Alejandro Faurlin and Alessandro Pellicori contrived to give the ball away in the Baggies’ half and Simon Cox stole in to bury an equaliser with the last kick of the game.

West Brom: D Kiely 8, G Zuiverloon 7 (R Bednar 85, -), A Meite 5, J Olsson 6, J Mattock 5, C Brunt 6, G Jara 6, G Dorrans 7, J Thomas 8, L Moore 5 (C Wood 64, 6), S Cox 7

Subs not used: R Allsop, M Cech, F Teixeira, Y Mulumbu, S Martis

Booked: Brunt (foul), Cox (dissent)

Goals: Thomas 67 (assisted), Cox 90+3 (assisted Bednar)

QPR: R Cerny 6, P Ramage 5, D Stewart 7, K Gorkss 8, T Williams 6, Routledge 6, M Leigertwood 7, B Watson 6, J Simpson 5 (F Hall 90, -) A Taarabt 7 (A Faurlin 81, -), P Agyemang 6 (A Pellicori 84, -)

Subs not used: R Taylor, R Vine, M Alberti, J Parker

Goals: Olsson own goal 56 (assisted Watson), Gorkss 62 (assisted Watson)

Previous Results

2011/12 West Brom 1 QPR 0

2011/12 QPR 1 West Brom 1 (Helguson)

2009/10 QPR 3 West Brom 1 (Simpson, Connolly, Buzsaky)

2009/10 West Brom 2 QPR 2 (Olsson og, Gorkss)

2007/08 QPR 0 West Brom 2

2007/08 West Brom 5 QPR 1 (Ainsworth)

2006/07 QPR 1 West Brom 2 (Blackstock)

2006/07 West Brom 3 QPR 3 (Stewart, Gallen, Nygaard)

2000/01 QPR 2 West Brom 0 (Plummer, Koejoe)

2000/01 West Brom 2 QPR 1 (Kiwomya)

1999/00 QPR 0 West Brom 0

1999/00 West Brom 0 QPR 1 (Wardley)

1998/99 QPR 2 West Brom 1 (Ready, Peacock)

1998/99 West Brom 2 QPR 0

1997/98 West Brom 1 QPR 1 (Dowie)

1997/98 QPR 2 West Brom 0 (Sheron, Peacock)

1996/97 West Brom 4 QPR 1 (Spencer)

1996/97 QPR 0 West Brom 2

1985/86 QPR 1 West Brom 0 (Bannister)

1985/86 West Brom 0 QPR 1 (Robinson)

1984/85 West Brom 0 QPR 0

1984/85 QPR 3 West Brom 1 (Stainrod 2, Fenwick)

1983/84 QPR 1 West Brom 1 (Fereday)

1983/84 West Brom 1 QPR 2 (Stainrod, Fenwick)

1982/83 West Brom 3 QPR 2* (Fenwick, Micklewhite)

1981/82 QPR 1 West Brom 0* (C Allen)

1978/79 West Brom 2 QPR 1 (McGee)

1978/79 QPR 0 West Brom 1

1977/78 West Brom 2 QPR 0

1977/78 QPR 2 West Brom 1 (Bowles, Eastoe)

1976/77 West Brom 1 QPR 1 (G Francis)

1976/77 QPR 1 West Brom 0 (Gillard)

1972/73 West Brom 2 QPR 1** (Givens)

1968/69 QPR 0 West Brom 4

1968/69 West Brom 3 QPR 1 (Clarke)

1966/67 QPR 3 West Brom 2** (R Morgan, Marsh, Lazarus)

1948/49 West Brom 1 QPR 1 (Pointon)

1948/49 QPR 0 West Brom 2

* - FA Cup

** - League Cup

Connections

Georges Santos >>> West Brom 2000 >>> QPR 2004-2006

Georges Santos was born in Marseille but played international football for the Cape Verde Islands. He first arrived on these shores in 1998 when he signed for Tranmere Rovers, then a First Division team, from his first club Toulon.

QPR’s first encounter with Georges came shortly after his arrival. Rangers, in their third season outside the Premier League, headed to Merseyside to face Rovers in February 1999 and were beaten 3-2. Santos was booked, but it was a miracle that he stayed on the field after rampaging around the place for the entire match doing pretty much as he pleased. I remember my aunt turning to me at one point that day and asking whether Santos was playing to a different set of rules to everybody else.

That rather set the tone for a lot of his time in England. He was booked 14 times in the 1998/99 season, and in total picked up 68 yellows and six reds in nine seasons in English football. And yet off the field he was the most affable person you could ever meet – almost studious in his thin-rimmed spectacles.

On the old transfer deadline day in 2000 Gary Megson moved to bring Santos to the Hawthorns to add steel to a team fighting against relegation. The Baggies looked all set for the Second Division but with Santos added to the team they survived at the last at the expense of near neighbours Walsall – thanks in no small part to a 0-0 draw at Loftus Road on the penultimate day of the campaign.

Santos turned down an extended contract at the end of the season and decamped to Sheffield United with Neil Warnock and the bad blood between him and the Baggies would only increase from there. It was in Sheffield that Santos became embroiled in an incident against West Brom for which he is best remembered in this country.

Having been seriously injured by Baggies’ midfielder Andy Johnson the season before – Johnson’s elbow fractured Santos’ eye socket – Santos sought retribution after being brought on as a second half substitute at Bramall Lane in March 2002. United were already 2-0 down and had been reduced to ten men earlier in the game when Santos deliberately flew into a knee-high two-footed lunge on Johnson that brought an immediate red card within 90 seconds of his introduction. In the ensuing melee Patrick Suffo, himself a substitute sent on at the same time as Santos, headbutted Darren Moore and was also sent off. Soon 3-0 down and reduced to eight men Warnock started instructing players to feign injury and come off, soon reducing his team to six men and forcing the abandonment of the game. To be fair to Warnock Santos never played for the Blades again.

Santos was rehabilitated on the east coast at Grimsby Town where he played at centre back in a struggling First Division team and impressed, winning the club’s Player of the Year award as they were relegated in 2002/03. His classy, ball playing displays in a poor side attracted Joe Royle and Ipswich Town and he made 36 appearances for the Tractor Boys in 2003/04 but having been something of a folk hero at Tranmere and Grimsby, he found the Ipswich fans harder to please and Royle decided to cut his losses at the end of the season and sell him on.

Step forward newly promoted QPR who needed some Championship experience on the cheap after winning promotion from the Second Division the year before. Santos ticked both boxes, but Ipswich fans besieged the QPR message boards to mock the signing, turning many Rangers fans against the player before he’d even set foot on the field. Santos began to win people over with his role in an unprecedented seven straight wins that saved Ian Holloway’s job and propelled the R’s into the promotion race – he scored the first of six QPR goals in a midweek win at Crewe.

The rest of his time in W12 was a bit of a curate’s egg really. There were moments of rashness such as a Boxing Day sending off at Plymouth that Samba Diakite would have been proud of and an own goal in a home match with Watford the likes of which I can scarcely recall ever seeing before. I always had a soft spot for him, because I’d seen a lot of him at Grimsby and knew he could be a good player on his day, but sticking up for him was hard work at times.

Santos was hamstrung rather by Ian Holloway’s mistaken belief that he could play up front when required – this was seemingly based on one match with Sheffield United at Loftus Road where he had played in attack and scored twice, but that was against the dreadful QPR team of 2000/01 and was, in any case, several years before he arrived at Rangers. It was a foolish idea that Holloway persisted with for far too long and Santos was predictably awful there, and wildly erratic in the centre of midfield, but did ok at centre half all in all, although it’s fair to say nobody in Hoops ever felt fully safe and confident with him around. The next disaster or sending off never felt like it was too far away. Off the field he was intelligent and articulate, on the field he was a bit of a law unto himself at times.

He spent time with Brighton, Oxford, Farsley and Alfreton among others after leaving Loftus Road in 2006. I suspect he’ll be remembered by QPR fans, rather unfairly, as not being particularly good, and rather more reasonably, as being a bit mad. A very typical QPR player in the modern era though, and somebody that could never be accused of not giving his all.

Others >>> Danny Gabbidon, West Brom 1998-2000, QPR 2011-2012 >>> Rob Hulse, West Brom 2003-2005, QPR 2010-present >>> Ishmael Miller, West Brom 2007-2011, QPR (loan) 2011 >>> Ben Watson, QPR (loan) 2009, West Brom (loan) 2010 >>> Jay Simpson, West Brom (loan) 2009, QPR (loan) 2009-2010 >>> Steven Reid QPR (loan) 2009, West Brom 2009-present >>> Lloyd Dyer, West Brom 2000-2006, QPR (loan) 2005 >>> Brett Angell, West Brom (loan) 1996, QPR 2002-2003 >>> Jerome Thomas, QPR (loan) 2002, West Brom 2009-present >>> Paul Peschisolido, West Brom 1996-1997, QPR (loan) 2000 >>> Ray Harford, West Brom (manager) 1997, QPR (manager) 1997-1998 >>> Andy McDermott, QPR 1995-1996, West Brom 1996-2000 >>> Danny Dichio, QPR 1993-1997, West Brom 2001-2004 >>> Nigel Quashie, QPR 1995-1998, 2010, West Brom 2006-2007 >>> Ossie Ardiles, QPR 1988-1989, West Brom (manager) 1992-1993 >>> Wayne Fereday, QPR 1980-1989, West Brom 1991-1994 >>> Gary Bannister, QPR 1984-1988, West Brom 1990-1992 >>> Paul Barron, West Brom 1982-1985, QPR 1985-1988 >>> Alan Glover Peter Eastoe, QPR 1976-1979, West Brom 1982-1985 >>> Andy King, QPR 1980-1981, West Brom 1981-1982 >>> Clive Clark, QPR 1958-1960, 1969-1970, West Brom 1960-1969 

Memorable Match

QPR 3 West Brom 2, Saturday March 4, 1967, League Cup Final, Wembley

The 1960s and 1970s were glorious times to be a QPR fan by and large as the club moved from its previous status as Division Three South minnows into the big time and almost finished up as champions of England. There were ups and downs along the way of course but the club we know today was shaped during those two decades under the guidance of chairman Jim Gregory.

It was Gregory’s takeover of the club and the management of former army major Alec Stock that brought the R’s their one and only domestic cup triumph to date and two successive promotions. Stock had cup pedigree having famously knocked Sunderland out of the 1949 FA Cup while with Yeovil and his good work with the youth team at Loftus Road paid dividends when Gregory arrived and supplemented it with money for bigger name signings such as Les Allen from the double winning Spurs team, and Fulham pair Jim Langley and Rodney Marsh.

In 1967 QPR were still a Third Division side but they made it all the way through to the first League Cup final to be played at Wembley Stadium thanks to victories over Colchester, Aldershot, Swansea, Leicester, Carlisle and finally Birmingham in the semi final. This was a truly exceptional QPR team that not only boasted Allen, Langley and Marsh, who scored ten goals in the eight games leading up to the final, but also included great QPR favourites like Mark Lazarus, Roger and Ian Morgan, Mike Keen and Frank Sibley.

In the final however they came up against their toughest test yet, First Division West Bromwich Albion and their legendary striker Jeff Astle in front of 98,000 fans. By half time the game had gone much according to the script with the Baggies two goals to the good thanks to a brace from Clive Clark who’d played previously for QPR and would return to Loftus Road later in his career. Clark scored after seven minutes, collecting Doug Fraser’s pass and firing past Peter Springett, and then again before half time after sneaking through the Rangers’ offside trap.

But miraculously Rangers fought back in the second half. The warning signs had been there in the first half when Marsh had an acrobatic overhead kick disallowed for offside and West Brom were living on their nerves when Roger Morgan scored with a header on the hour from Allen’s free kick. Then Marsh scored one of the all time great Wembley goals from long range after a mazy dribble through the West Brom half with 15 minutes still left to play. The Baggies felt aggrieved that the crucial third goal was allowed by referee Walter Crossley, Mark Lazarus slamming the ball home after centre half Ron Hunt put in a physical challenge on the goalkeeper Shepherd, but there was no stopping Rangers by this point and the cup was theirs.

Interest in the competition had been dwindling prior to this, and a place in the Fairs Cup (later the UEFA Cup) was added as a prize to give teams and incentive to compete more for the trophy. QPR though were denied their first European entry because of their lowly league status and West Brom went forward into Europe instead. The League Cup was only just the beginning though – Rangers won the Third Division title that year and rocketed straight through the Second Division into the first the following season.

Roger Morgan later told The Times: "The young players would inspire each other. There were about five or six of us who had grown up together, and there was tremendous team spirit. Alec was prepared to put his faith in youth, but we learnt from the experienced players around us."

The late Mike Keen, club captain on the day, added: "Even though we were in the Third Division, we were playing some quality football, and there was a good attitude in the team. We had come back from 2-0 down in other games that season and were told to simply go out and enjoy the. Day.”

QPR: Springett, Hazell, Langley, Hunt, Keen, Sibley, Sanderson, R Morgan, Lazarus, Allen, Marsh.

Highlights >>> QPR 3 West Brom 1 09/10 Highlights >>> West Brom 2 QPR 2 09/10 Highlights >>> West Brom 3 QPR 3 06/07 Highlights >>> QPR 1 West Brom 0 FA Cup semi final 1982 highlights >>> West Brom 2 QPR 3 League Cup final 1967 highlights

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Pictures – Action Images

Photo: Action Images

simmo added 23:27 - Oct 3 I know it's not nice, but that tackle is one of my favourites.
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SonofNorfolt added 02:50 - Oct 4 I agree with Simmo, if you know you've been done, get your revenge, properly.(I assume you are talking about the Sheff Utd v WBA game.) How many other teams have had a Cape Verde International playing for them?
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Metallica_Hoop added 09:30 - Oct 4 Georges is one of my favourite players in the last 10 years, genuinely. Never shirked anything even when some of our 'wonderful' fans were booing his name. I always got up and cheered when they did that.
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Neil_SI added 10:11 - Oct 4 He shouldn't have been allowed near a football pitch – whatever he was doing on it, was not football to my eyes. He was always so theatrical when under pressure, or having to deal with an awkward situation in terms of winning or controlling the ball. Having said that, he was often involved in key moments, whether they were positive or negative for the side. So in that sense, he always had some kind of impact and provided some type of strange character and personality to matches because of how eccentric he was. Still, while I never for a minute saw a football player in him, he was a tremendous source of amusement and entertainment, and I reflect on him fondly and used to enjoy watching what madness he'd conjure up next.

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MerthyrHoop added 10:53 - Oct 4 I loved Georges Santos for his unpredictability. My favourite memory was going to see him in a pre-season friendly for Brighton when I lived down that way. I told the mate I'd gone with that he could dominate in the air, go on 30-yard charges unchallenged, or alternatively pass the ball as if he was tackling someone. The match kicks off, the ball bounces to him for his first touch, no opposition player close to him and he kicked the ball about 30 yards straight up into the air. The look on my mate's face was priceless.

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QPunkR added 11:47 - Oct 4 Georges Santos is basically a swear word in my house. I cannot abide the guy (on-field only, of course). In a sense though, I spose he was the archetypal QPR player - mentally unstable and pretty shit. And yes he was good value for a laugh disecting his performances after games in the pub. However, a football player he was not - I remember one game away at Luton where he attempted a shot and managed to kick the ball clear out of the ground - over the stand to the left of the pitch, not even directly over the goal!!

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MrSheen added 12:15 - Oct 4 I'm not sure what was worse, Santos and Rehman at the back (maximum stress) or Santos and Bircham in the middle (minimum creativity). Whole-hearted, hard-working lad, though most of them are, not very good.
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BeauRanger added 12:42 - Oct 4 He did score an injury time winner against Coventry at Highfield Road though...
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Charlie1 added 13:25 - Oct 4 When SMiffy used to post on here, my God he gave him hell. Could never be accused of not giving 100%. 100% of not a lot was often a cause for concern!
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jamois added 21:38 - Oct 4 We went from George to Fitz Hall. There's a genetical/wiring connection there to be sure. Think it's a type of DNA that is delusional (is Paladini the connection there?). Anyway, both clumsy, prone to major lapses, think they're ball playing centre halves when really they're better suited to club bouncing and fathering lots of children. Got to say though, George always brought top comedy value to a dull, wintry game.

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RangersAreBack added 22:51 - Oct 4 "Santos began to win people over" Really??? I don't remember that. The Ipswich fans were spot on. He wouldn't have been too bad if he'd kept it simple but he always had ideas above his station, such as hitting raking 40-yard crossfield passes. The 6-1 defeat at Leeds pretty much summed him up. Yet another attempt to re-write history but my memory is razor sharp.
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Northernr added 23:44 - Oct 4 Shame your reading isn't quite so hot as you appear to have missed the next three paragraphs after that.
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