 Monday, 4th Jul 2011 23:21 by Ross Smith LFW is back on the history trail this week as guest columnist Ross Smith brings us the 11 most important moments of his 25 years of support. ‘QPR the Beast Within’ is what I’d like to have named this series of articles which, to me, is the top 11 most memorable moments from supporting the R’s during the last 25 years. The perils and jubilations of supporting a team picked randomly from a children’s magnetic football game because the shirts matched those red ones that QPR wore in the 1982 FA Cup Final. My older brother preferred to be Spurs. The feeling of sorrow for Rangers having been beaten in that final must have made an ever lasting impression on that three year old kid back then because I’ve followed the R’s like some kind of solo crusade ever since. I firmly believe in the old cliché that as a true football fan, you don’t choose your club, they somehow choose you.
Milk Cup Final April - 1986Rangers returned to Wembley four years after their FA cup final defeat to Spurs, now as a top division side and as odds on favourites to win the League Cup against Oxford United. On paper, they should have done. They had beaten Liverpool in the semi final at Loftus Road (not to mention Watford, Forest and Chelsea in earlier rounds) which was a match I remember watching live on TV - a rarity in the 80's - on a Tuesday night as seven year old kid. My dad was out down his regular Conservative Club, a Tuesday night tradition he still upholds, and my dear old mum let me stay up to watch it. I remember Paul Barron saving a penalty and Rangers winning. They got a credible 2-2 draw at Anfield in the away leg to seal a place in the final. I don't remember watching that leg mind. I wish I don't remember watching the final either, but unfortunately I do, and it still hurts to this day. Sunday afternoon, after lunch, we all sat down to watch it. Now old traditions die hard in my parents’ house and Sunday lunchtime always consists of traditional roast dinner which takes all day to prepare and less than half an hour to scoff. It always had the knack of being served up just as the football kicked off as well. Now that my dad retired he has taken on the burden of cooking with a somewhat more relaxed attitude, and since Sky Sports big Sunday games start at the later time of 4pm which I’m sure we'll have to get accustomed to this season… you've guessed it, Sunday lunch is served bang on kick off still to this day. Back in those days my Nan and Granddad would always come over on a Sunday, God rest their souls, so Sunday roast was always the centre point of their weekly visit. By the time I had finished and rushed into the living room to watch the final, Rangers were already fully into their terrible flight. Within what seemed like a minute of me casting my eyes on the event beaming through the ropey old wooden boxed TV Rangers had conceded the first goal in what seemed to me at the time almost in slow motion. It was almost a three-and-in down the park parody as Oxford forward Trevor Hebberd ran through on goal, stopped, had a fag, turned inside, lit another fag and rolled the ball past Paul Barron at the near post. Way too simple and it set the tone for Oxford dominance. A Ray Houghton goal ten minutes after the interval made it safe and a scary bearded Jeremy Charles third put icing on the cake as United ran out well deserved 3-0 winners. It could have been more too, I remember Steve Wicks saving at least one off the line with his head. The dejected QPR players trotting around the pitch as Oxford climbed the famous Wembley steps, and skipper Malcolm Shotton lifting the trophy wearing that famous Ox horned baseball cap, will be forever etched in my brain as a childhood memory. Arseholes. First time I'd tasted such disappointment with QPR, a taste I'd certainly have to get used to for years to come. You Tube Footage, if you can bear it
QPR 2 Arsenal 0 FA Cup Replay - 1990Rangers began their FA Cup quest under Don Howe with a third round tie against Cardiff City which went to a replay and that set the tone for a cup run in which the R’s actually ended up playing more games than the eventual winners. Cardiff seen off at the second attempt, with goals from Ray Wilkins and Roy Wegerle, it was league champions Arsenal next. The 1989/90 Queens Park Rangers side included players like, David Seaman, David Bardsley, Kenny Samson, Paul Parker, Alan McDonald, Danny Maddix, Ray Wilkins, Simon Barker, Colin Clarke, Roy Wegerle and Andy Sinton - a wealth of talent and experience. Sadly much of that squad earned Rangers a lot essential bunce in transfer fees over the seasons that followed. At Highbury Rangers held The Gunners to a 0-0 draw and took the tie back to Loftus Road for the replay four days later on a Wednesday night. This was getting serious now for Rangers, there was genuine belief they could beat Arsenal and progress to the next round where an away tie against Blackpool awaited. The first half ended in a stalemate with Seaman probably the busier of the two goalkeepers as Arsenal pressed for a breakthrough. In the second half, Rangers began to carve out more chances but found them few and far between against a resolute Arsenal defence. In the pouring rain the breakthrough finally came after a poor goal kick from Arsenal keeper John Lukic fell to Roy Wegerle whose first touch gave him a run into the area after riding a strong Arsenal tackle. Just as he was steadying himself to take on Nigel Winterburn for a shot he lost his footing on the slippery surface but as Winterburn looked certain to clear he too lost his footing and Wegerle was able to get back on his feet and retrieve the ball before it ran out of play for a throw. His next trick saw him easily sidestep Winterburn, dribble into the area, nutmeg a pair of Arsenal defenders and then with superb vision pick out a perfect pass to the edge of the area for the on rushing Kenny Sansom to smash home an opener past Lukic. It was a moment of pure class from Wegerle not too dissimilar to Taarabt’s goal against Cardiff from the same position this season, the difference being this was against the meanest defence in English football at the time in terrible conditions. The finish from Sansom was also sublime and must have been extra special for him against his former club. QPR held out looking to catch Arsenal on the break and got their reward in the final minutes. Again classy footwork from Wegerle bypassed two Arsenal defenders before he played in Andy Sinton who put his shot past Lukic and in off the far post to send a packed Loftus Road into raptures. Now I stood on the Loft End many times as youngster and it feels like a lifetime ago - the atmosphere of a congested Loft End as a goal like that went will never sadly never be created again. A sad loss for football. Rangers went on to defeat Blackpool after two more replays and sealed a mouth watering quarter final at home to Liverpool in front of the live Match of the Day cameras on a Sunday afternoon. Ray Wilkins put Rangers ahead with an unorthodox gymnastic volley but Liverpool came back to equalise in the second half through a trademark John Barnes free kick and then went ahead through an Ian Rush strike but just as it looked like Rangers were going out, Simon Barker levelled the tie with a great solo effort to take a replay back to Anfield. QPR put in a fine performance in the replay but couldn’t overturn a one goal deficit when Liverpool took an early lead through Peter Beardsley after a period of pressure on the Rangers goal. Despite creating various chances to go level later in the match, it never quite happened and sadly the dream was over. Had they beaten Liverpool they would have fancied their chances against Crystal Palace in a semi final, but sadly it wasn’t to be.
Gerry Francis Returns as Manager – 1991Rangers legend Gerry Francis was announced as manager of Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 1992. Former captain and midfielder Francis had previously cut his managerial teeth during spells at Exeter and Bristol Rovers before being offered the job at QPR replacing Don Howe. This was seen as a crowd pleasing coup for Rangers at the time as the Loftus Road faithful welcomed home one of their favorite sons. In the days before internet, SMS services and Sky Sports News I was often, as a young teenage boy, the first to find out news stories relating to football as a simple daily paperboy. I would deliver the papers at the break of dawn and scour through the back pages of each rag discreetly on the doorsteps of those customers expecting a fresh unread newspaper. Whilst digesting the goings on in the world of football I was always careful not to make it look like the paper had been read from front to back with the middle pages sagging beneath the cover. Not too difficult when you only really needed to view the last two or three pages back in those days. The only time this would prove difficult was when it was shitting it down outside and the houses I was delivering to had no shelter or porch. Some of the poor sods would receive their paper with the last few back pages dotted in rain drops. This was a particularly bad thing when I had a Sun or Star to deliver as the old page three birds would also get a splattering, although that's a story for another day. I remember vividly the back page of the Daily Mail on a summer’s morning in July - a picture of Gerry Francis holding the QPR shirt for the 1991/92 season as news broke of his appointment as the new QPR manager. Although fairly unaware of his significance to QPR at the time, I was more interested in the shirt he was holding. The vicar collar had gone, the hoops were an unfamiliar lighter shade of blue, and who the hell were Brookes? This was a time when trainers were the absolute ultimate sign of prestige for a young kid remember. At least they'd kept the yellow fluorescent piping below the shoulders which I liked. Francis had to endure the loss of Paul Parker to Manchester United to start with but brought in a couple of stalwarts from his Bristol Rovers days in Ian Holloway and Gary Penrice. His team nearly got off to the perfect start, and should have beat reigning champions Arsenal at Highbury on the opening day but for a late equaliser in a game that ended 1-1. Rangers endured a slow start that season, but relegation fears soon eased as they hit excellent form in January derailing Alex Ferguson's title hopes at high fliers Man Utd destroying them 4-1 at Old Trafford and eventual league winners Leeds 4-1 at Loftus Road in the process and finished the season mid table. Those were the days... Francis went on to have three and half good seasons in his first managerial spell at Loftus Road, keeping the R's in the top flight away from danger and playing some great football with the likes of Les Ferdinand, Andy Impey, Trevor Sinclair and co. His reign ended in 1994 after a bust up with the board over what he felt was a breach of trust during the announcement of a Director of Football offer from the club to Rodney Marsh. More on that in part two tomorrow night. LoftforWords will be rolling back the years this Saturday night with a travelling crew of five booked in for the London Masters as Wembley Arena, and associated drink up at Mabel’s Tavern. Full reaction online on Sunday of course, but if you fancy a few drunken Tweets from us on the day follow @loftforwords Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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