| QPR Life Goals 10:13 - Oct 2 with 1364 views | Antti_Heinola |
Haven't heard Theo Delaney's podcast yet, but i think it does a thing where you talk about the goals of your life, the ones with the biggest impact that you saw your club score. I know we've done games and atmospheres etc before, but what are your top 10 QPR goals in terms of ones that stand out in your memory - so not best goals, but, I suppose, important ones. A few we'll all share I'm sure. I would put Gerry v Liverpool in, but I wasn't born, so forgive me. Here's mine, from 10-1.
10. JOHN SPENCER v PORT VALE, CHAMPIONSHIP, 1997
The only one I wasn't there for, but it gets in because I went batsheet mental. I was at uni and for some reason this potential dog of a game was on ITV. So me and my housemates settled back to watch it. At half time, sulking and embarrassed, their laughter ringing in my ears, I skulked off to my room to watch the second half alone, and in silence. Goals one and two barely stirred me. But I let out a yelp on goal three. And when goal 4 went in it was payback time because we had DRAWN. With Port Vale! Take that, suckers. Will never forget that look on John Spencer's face, a look that said, 'Of course we did it. Of course it was me.' 'I'm yer fkn man' indeed.
9. ISHMAEL MILLER v LEICESTER, CHAMPIONSHIP, 2011
There are goals I've left out - Austin v Wigan, Blackstock v Preston, Kulscar v Palace, that were probably bigger. But I love this goal so much. Miller didn't really do a lot else for us, (or, oddly for a player who seemed very decent, for anyone else), but this more than paid for his loan deal. It was a tough game against a strong Leicester team and to be honest by the end I was fairly happy with a point and a clean sheet. And then a tackle by Ale (of course), a superb outside of the boot ball by Routledge, and there was Miller, sprinting away like Les in his pomp, holding off a challenge, and sliding it home, before showing us his bum and trying to pull his shorts up like it hadn't happened. The day I knew we were going up (Paladini madness notwithstanding).
8. CLIVE WILSON v MILLWALL, FA CUP, 1995
The last time I thought we might win a Cup. Just the 24 years ago. An incredibly tense, even game. The Wawll lads at boiling point to my right (I was in the Paddocks). A ridiculous handball and then Willo, one of my all-time favourite players, the best left back we've had over the last 30-odd years, stepped up and nervelessly stroked it home. I did one massive cheer, one flick of the Vs to the Millwall fans, then waited by the exit for the final whistle before pegging it from the inevitable mayhem on the streets.
7. ADEL TAARABT v WATFORD, THE CHAMPIONSHIP, 2011
Of course, he scored better ones. Scunthorpe, Cardiff (twice), Swansea, Fulham and on and on. But this was the one. The thing about Adel that season was that, for all his flaws, when the big games came, he delivered. Both Cardiff games. Barnsley after we'd just lost 4-1 to Scunny without him. Swansea after our December wobble. And this one. In an incredibly nervy game as we limped over that b'stard finish line, who scored when we needed it? Adel. A lovely little finish, too.
6. KEVIN GALLEN v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY, PREMIER LEAGUE, 1994
A personal one this. It was a scuffed strike, but it felt like the start of something special. It was Kev's long-awaited home debut. Gerry Francis had been getting some stick for not chucking Gallen in the side the season before, but finally, aged 18, he was in for the new season. He had a goal robbed off him at Old Trafford on the opening day, but he wasn't to be denied in a superb game against Sheffield Wednesday, in which three of my all-time faves all scored (Les, Trev, Kev). This one was in front of us in the Loft, and it bobbled in, just about, to give us the win. And we all thought we had a future England star at the club. I remember Howard, editor of In the Loft, a great old fanzine perhaps unfortunately often in the shadow of AKUTRs, had written months before that when Kev would finally make his debut, 'it would see the birth of the greatest striker the country has seen since Gary Lineker.' I really believed it.
5. TREVOR SINCLAIR v BARNSLEY, FA CUP, 1997
I was there, were you? I saw it go in and next thing I knew I had run 12 steps down to the front of the Loft, screaming 'DID YOU SEE THAT?'. The best goal I have ever seen live, or will see live.
4. LES FERDINAND v EVERTON, PREMIER LEAGUE, 1994
Les scored loads of goals that could have made this list. But this one is a special memory. Matt Le Tiss scored the last goal at the Dell for a Southampton win, which I love, and Les scored the last goal at the Loft End terracing to give us a win, which I also love. Our equaliser by Devon White in this game had, let's say, a hint of handball about it... in that he punched it over the line quite blatantly. But this late winner was wonderful, a classic Ferdinand goal from the era. The Bard gets it, plays a trademark ball over the top, Les outsprints the defence: bang. 2-1. Goal. Game. Bye bye terraces. A sad day, but what a way to end it. Still have the certificate, signed by Gerry and Richard Thompson. Odd.
3. JAMIE MACKIE v LIVERPOOL, PREMIER LEAGUE, 2012
Few players loved a dramatic goal as much as our Jamie. And this, for someone who scored a few of them, was the best. People were leaving on 75 minutes as we drifted to defeat and, it has to be said, almost certain relegation (we would have gone down, actually, had we even drawn this). But then Derry - Shaun Derry! - rose to get one back. Cisse touched home another, got cramp, and yelled at Taiwo for celebrating when he was in so much pain. And then came Jamie Mackie with the coollest finish you could ever imagine considering what was at stake, the lateness of the game, and the match situation. I accidentally destroyed a seat in front of me celebrating, while my Liverpool mate next to me stood in dead silence.
2. BOBBY ZAMORA v DERBY, PLAY-OFF FINAL, 2014
Not quite top spot, but clearly an incredible goal. Not many groups of fans can genuinely claim to have celebrated a goal, a win and a promotion all effectively in exactly the same moment. I sent this goal to someone the other day when they emailed me about the Derby car wreck, and I watched it 12 times. You can't only watch it once. And you find something new each time. Zamora almost angry. Redknapp trying to remain calm and issue some instructions. Charlie going mental. And *that* Derby fan. A bizarre goal, really, from almost nothing, and yet when you watch it now, it's as if we fans sensed something. We were going mad on the throw-in FFS. Absolutely incredible. All my life I wanted to see us at Wembley. It's done. There isn't much else, really, that's feasible.
1. PAUL FURLONG v OLDHAM, PLAY-OFF SEMI, 2003.
This, for me, pips Zamora. I know Zamora's goal was bigger, and in the end meant a lot more. But sadly several things mean it can't be number one (Redknapp, Barton, and, yes, sorry, the fact it wasn't Austin who scored, because if anyone deserved it that season, it was him).
This was different. I loved this team. Full of Rs fans. So many individual stories, or 'journeys'. The emergence of Gino. The relentlessness of Bircham. Langley's best season, cruelly curtailed by tw@ttish referee Steve Bennett. Ollie's incredible personality to bounce back from the depths of despair. Gallen's return to form. Danny Shittu's cult status. Who didn't have cult status in that team? But perhaps the best story of all was Paul Furlong. A player no one wanted. A player who proved we were right not to want him with some poor performances. And then a player with the belief, determination and quality to prove everyone wrong, to turn the entire crowd on his side, and to later end his career with us as a modern-day legend. Such a legend that he even bequeathed his own son to us, who has since forsaken his birthright to join a rival family, the b'stard.
Anyway, where was I? Well, this was the culmination of years and years of absolute rubbish. People complain about last season or JFH and I think - Jesus Christ, you cannot have been there in the late 90s/early 2000s when we were seriously, seriously useless. We put up with it all (most of us - there seemed to be a lot more by the end of the season), and when this goal went in and we then won the game, they heard the roar throughout W12. Grown men crying. Children dancing. Culkin and Day hugging. Team, management, owners, fans, all as one. It was a special, determined goal, by a special, determined player.
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| QPR Life Goals on 10:58 - Oct 2 with 1299 views | Devon_4_England |
Thank you for this Antti. Brought back some great memories.
I would have a lot of these in my top 10 but would find a place for Les’ first hat trick and Dennis Bailey’s. |  | | |
| QPR Life Goals on 11:48 - Oct 2 with 1263 views | hateley_legend |
Brilliant post, thank you so much. Goal number 9 tends to be overlooked, but it remains my most uncontrollably mental celebration of all time inside (or outside) a football ground. |  | | |
| QPR Life Goals on 12:06 - Oct 2 with 1247 views | Antti_Heinola |
| QPR Life Goals on 10:58 - Oct 2 by Devon_4_England |
Thank you for this Antti. Brought back some great memories.
I would have a lot of these in my top 10 but would find a place for Les’ first hat trick and Dennis Bailey’s. |
it would have to be one goal from those hat-tricks though - them's the rules! [Post edited 2 Oct 2019 12:06]
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| QPR Life Goals on 12:48 - Oct 2 with 1198 views | The_Beast1976 |
fantastic post. Some great memories there. I saw many live. I would add Les Ferdinand's first away goal of the 1992/93 season to the list. We had to wait until January (9th, I think) for it. Middlesborough away. Had to do my paper round at 5am and then get my dad to give me a lift to HQ to catch the supporters' club coach early doors. A few hundred hardly souls stood on the terrace in the corner of Ayresome Park. We won 1-0. A great day.
I miss proper football and terraces [Post edited 2 Oct 2019 12:50]
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| QPR Life Goals on 13:01 - Oct 2 with 1169 views | stevec |
Some memorable goals in there and No 9 a great pick.
I'd add...
Clive Allen at Highbury v WBA, setting up our only FA Cup final. |  | | |
| QPR Life Goals on 13:43 - Oct 2 with 1107 views | BrisbaneR |
Judging by the dates you’re not old enough for this one Anti, but if you’d witnessed Gary Micklewhite make it 5-5 against Newcastle I’m sure it would be on the list.
What a game, comeback and finish...I couldn’t speak properly for days
Michael Robinson from the halfway line at Stamford Bridge was pretty special too - watched that all the way into the net | | | |
| QPR Life Goals on 13:52 - Oct 2 with 1095 views | daveB |
some of mine the same as Anti but here goes in no particular order
John Spencer v Port Vale - Jan - 97
Similar to Antti I was at Uni in Middlesbrough but game wasn't shown on Tyne Tees so I listened on the radio as we fell 4-0 behind. I stormed out halls embarrassed and angry but being an addict to QPR I needed to know the score so rang clubcall from a phone box to hear it was 4-1, oh well I thought then after stopping for a quick pint I called again with 5 minutes to go and it was 4-2. You know the rest as I threw pound coins in we got back to 4-4, as Spencer scored I put my foot through the glass phone box window badly cutting my leg and ran around cheering like a manic. I then stopped at the off licence buying a bottle of Vodka and a bottle of coke before walking back in the halls triumphant singing Theres only one johnny Spencer whilst stupidly pouring vodka and coke in my mouth at the same time, would have been easier to pour it in a glass but I was young. Sitting in the halls was my future/current wife who sort of knew me but was introduced to me properly due to my singing of the Spencer song and celebrating a draw with Port Vale. Poor cow still blames John Spencer for the 22 years she's suffered since.
Trevor Francis v Charlton - 1988
It was a league cup game when Francis was just a player for us, the ball came to him in the air on the edge of the box and he seemed to spin with his back to goal and volley it into the top corner, I still don't know how he did it, was bloody brilliant
John Byrne v Chelsea - March 86
That magical day when we won 6-0. John Byrne was my absolute hero, I loved him so much but a year earlier he had dribbled past the entire Chelsea team (Slight Exaggeration), gone round the keeper and missed. So on that day for him to do it again but score this time was special. He ran through the defence going one way then the other then back and then the other way again with a dribbling style and directness you don't see anymore. Good finish as well. Ahh John Byrne
Furlong v Oldham
Mainly for my misses who after that first encounter became a fan from the 97/98 season and season ticket holder in 2000 for our relegation season. She didn't see us win a game for 3 years so that night against Oldham was reward for her loyalty to QPR. I'm saying nothing new here but the noise that night, the way the stadium seemed to sway from side to side and the feeling that we'd actually achieved something after years of seeing other teams wins semi finals I knew what it felt like
Ferdinand v Man City - March 1991
This was the day I felt Ferdinand properly arrived. He was on a decent goalscoring run but this was a quality goal. he won the ball on the halfway line and played it wide to Bardsley before spinning and sprinting into the box. The Bard crossed and from nowhere ferdinand flew in with a diving header, it was a thing of beauty
Andy Sinton v Arsenal - January 1990
FA Cup 4th round, we had a good side that year and drew the first game at Highbury. That night the atmosphere was incredible, best I experienced pre Oldham, We were 1-0 up and hanging on then we broke, Wegerle (another hero) to Sinton and bang 2-0. Loftus Road went mad, Tom the Steward mobbed. What a night
Chris Carr Own Goal v Sheffield Wednesday
Look it was a crap goal but the moment i saw that wonderful idiot slice the ball into his own goal I knew we were up, the relief, the joy the weight off my shoulders and the culmination of 3 brilliant years as a fan came to an end at that moment
Mark Falco v Chelsea - 1989
Falco scored some special goals for us but this one was my favourite, was Ferdinands home debut, Don Hows first home game in charge and Falco scored a great goal. Long ball forward headed clear, it came to him 30 yards out and wallop volley into the top corner, bloody marvelous
Bobby Zamora v Derby
The single best moment I've ever had at a football match, when that ball hit the net I lost my mind, all i ever wanted as a kid was to see us win at Wembley and that moment completed a life long dream
Taarabt v Swansea
Another hero of mine but that goal is my favourite ever. I had a nightmare getting to the Bush that day with no trains so my fathr in law still pissed from the day before agreed to drive me but wasn't bothered about seeing the game, something he regretted when he saw this goal on tv that night.
We were already 3-0 up I think and then that nutmeg, the look on Joe Allens face and then the shot into the bottom corner, I've celebrated many goals over the years but this is the only one that left me stood absolutely breathless and speechless in awe at the brilliance of it [Post edited 2 Oct 2019 13:52]
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| QPR Life Goals on 14:02 - Oct 2 with 1076 views | Antti_Heinola |
| QPR Life Goals on 13:43 - Oct 2 by BrisbaneR |
Judging by the dates you’re not old enough for this one Anti, but if you’d witnessed Gary Micklewhite make it 5-5 against Newcastle I’m sure it would be on the list.
What a game, comeback and finish...I couldn’t speak properly for days
Michael Robinson from the halfway line at Stamford Bridge was pretty special too - watched that all the way into the net |
Yep, I was about 9 or 10 then, but not at the game sadly, but obviously knew all about it! Must've been incredible.
All the more sad we couldn't pull it off v Birmingham earlier this year - sufrely no other team has come back from four down three times in 34 years?! | |
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| QPR Life Goals on 14:04 - Oct 2 with 1064 views | Antti_Heinola |
| QPR Life Goals on 13:52 - Oct 2 by daveB |
some of mine the same as Anti but here goes in no particular order
John Spencer v Port Vale - Jan - 97
Similar to Antti I was at Uni in Middlesbrough but game wasn't shown on Tyne Tees so I listened on the radio as we fell 4-0 behind. I stormed out halls embarrassed and angry but being an addict to QPR I needed to know the score so rang clubcall from a phone box to hear it was 4-1, oh well I thought then after stopping for a quick pint I called again with 5 minutes to go and it was 4-2. You know the rest as I threw pound coins in we got back to 4-4, as Spencer scored I put my foot through the glass phone box window badly cutting my leg and ran around cheering like a manic. I then stopped at the off licence buying a bottle of Vodka and a bottle of coke before walking back in the halls triumphant singing Theres only one johnny Spencer whilst stupidly pouring vodka and coke in my mouth at the same time, would have been easier to pour it in a glass but I was young. Sitting in the halls was my future/current wife who sort of knew me but was introduced to me properly due to my singing of the Spencer song and celebrating a draw with Port Vale. Poor cow still blames John Spencer for the 22 years she's suffered since.
Trevor Francis v Charlton - 1988
It was a league cup game when Francis was just a player for us, the ball came to him in the air on the edge of the box and he seemed to spin with his back to goal and volley it into the top corner, I still don't know how he did it, was bloody brilliant
John Byrne v Chelsea - March 86
That magical day when we won 6-0. John Byrne was my absolute hero, I loved him so much but a year earlier he had dribbled past the entire Chelsea team (Slight Exaggeration), gone round the keeper and missed. So on that day for him to do it again but score this time was special. He ran through the defence going one way then the other then back and then the other way again with a dribbling style and directness you don't see anymore. Good finish as well. Ahh John Byrne
Furlong v Oldham
Mainly for my misses who after that first encounter became a fan from the 97/98 season and season ticket holder in 2000 for our relegation season. She didn't see us win a game for 3 years so that night against Oldham was reward for her loyalty to QPR. I'm saying nothing new here but the noise that night, the way the stadium seemed to sway from side to side and the feeling that we'd actually achieved something after years of seeing other teams wins semi finals I knew what it felt like
Ferdinand v Man City - March 1991
This was the day I felt Ferdinand properly arrived. He was on a decent goalscoring run but this was a quality goal. he won the ball on the halfway line and played it wide to Bardsley before spinning and sprinting into the box. The Bard crossed and from nowhere ferdinand flew in with a diving header, it was a thing of beauty
Andy Sinton v Arsenal - January 1990
FA Cup 4th round, we had a good side that year and drew the first game at Highbury. That night the atmosphere was incredible, best I experienced pre Oldham, We were 1-0 up and hanging on then we broke, Wegerle (another hero) to Sinton and bang 2-0. Loftus Road went mad, Tom the Steward mobbed. What a night
Chris Carr Own Goal v Sheffield Wednesday
Look it was a crap goal but the moment i saw that wonderful idiot slice the ball into his own goal I knew we were up, the relief, the joy the weight off my shoulders and the culmination of 3 brilliant years as a fan came to an end at that moment
Mark Falco v Chelsea - 1989
Falco scored some special goals for us but this one was my favourite, was Ferdinands home debut, Don Hows first home game in charge and Falco scored a great goal. Long ball forward headed clear, it came to him 30 yards out and wallop volley into the top corner, bloody marvelous
Bobby Zamora v Derby
The single best moment I've ever had at a football match, when that ball hit the net I lost my mind, all i ever wanted as a kid was to see us win at Wembley and that moment completed a life long dream
Taarabt v Swansea
Another hero of mine but that goal is my favourite ever. I had a nightmare getting to the Bush that day with no trains so my fathr in law still pissed from the day before agreed to drive me but wasn't bothered about seeing the game, something he regretted when he saw this goal on tv that night.
We were already 3-0 up I think and then that nutmeg, the look on Joe Allens face and then the shot into the bottom corner, I've celebrated many goals over the years but this is the only one that left me stood absolutely breathless and speechless in awe at the brilliance of it [Post edited 2 Oct 2019 13:52]
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Brilliant post Dave - top and bottom of that superb, the John Spencer story a tour de force! | |
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| QPR Life Goals on 16:06 - Oct 2 with 985 views | The_Beast1976 |
| QPR Life Goals on 13:52 - Oct 2 by daveB |
some of mine the same as Anti but here goes in no particular order
John Spencer v Port Vale - Jan - 97
Similar to Antti I was at Uni in Middlesbrough but game wasn't shown on Tyne Tees so I listened on the radio as we fell 4-0 behind. I stormed out halls embarrassed and angry but being an addict to QPR I needed to know the score so rang clubcall from a phone box to hear it was 4-1, oh well I thought then after stopping for a quick pint I called again with 5 minutes to go and it was 4-2. You know the rest as I threw pound coins in we got back to 4-4, as Spencer scored I put my foot through the glass phone box window badly cutting my leg and ran around cheering like a manic. I then stopped at the off licence buying a bottle of Vodka and a bottle of coke before walking back in the halls triumphant singing Theres only one johnny Spencer whilst stupidly pouring vodka and coke in my mouth at the same time, would have been easier to pour it in a glass but I was young. Sitting in the halls was my future/current wife who sort of knew me but was introduced to me properly due to my singing of the Spencer song and celebrating a draw with Port Vale. Poor cow still blames John Spencer for the 22 years she's suffered since.
Trevor Francis v Charlton - 1988
It was a league cup game when Francis was just a player for us, the ball came to him in the air on the edge of the box and he seemed to spin with his back to goal and volley it into the top corner, I still don't know how he did it, was bloody brilliant
John Byrne v Chelsea - March 86
That magical day when we won 6-0. John Byrne was my absolute hero, I loved him so much but a year earlier he had dribbled past the entire Chelsea team (Slight Exaggeration), gone round the keeper and missed. So on that day for him to do it again but score this time was special. He ran through the defence going one way then the other then back and then the other way again with a dribbling style and directness you don't see anymore. Good finish as well. Ahh John Byrne
Furlong v Oldham
Mainly for my misses who after that first encounter became a fan from the 97/98 season and season ticket holder in 2000 for our relegation season. She didn't see us win a game for 3 years so that night against Oldham was reward for her loyalty to QPR. I'm saying nothing new here but the noise that night, the way the stadium seemed to sway from side to side and the feeling that we'd actually achieved something after years of seeing other teams wins semi finals I knew what it felt like
Ferdinand v Man City - March 1991
This was the day I felt Ferdinand properly arrived. He was on a decent goalscoring run but this was a quality goal. he won the ball on the halfway line and played it wide to Bardsley before spinning and sprinting into the box. The Bard crossed and from nowhere ferdinand flew in with a diving header, it was a thing of beauty
Andy Sinton v Arsenal - January 1990
FA Cup 4th round, we had a good side that year and drew the first game at Highbury. That night the atmosphere was incredible, best I experienced pre Oldham, We were 1-0 up and hanging on then we broke, Wegerle (another hero) to Sinton and bang 2-0. Loftus Road went mad, Tom the Steward mobbed. What a night
Chris Carr Own Goal v Sheffield Wednesday
Look it was a crap goal but the moment i saw that wonderful idiot slice the ball into his own goal I knew we were up, the relief, the joy the weight off my shoulders and the culmination of 3 brilliant years as a fan came to an end at that moment
Mark Falco v Chelsea - 1989
Falco scored some special goals for us but this one was my favourite, was Ferdinands home debut, Don Hows first home game in charge and Falco scored a great goal. Long ball forward headed clear, it came to him 30 yards out and wallop volley into the top corner, bloody marvelous
Bobby Zamora v Derby
The single best moment I've ever had at a football match, when that ball hit the net I lost my mind, all i ever wanted as a kid was to see us win at Wembley and that moment completed a life long dream
Taarabt v Swansea
Another hero of mine but that goal is my favourite ever. I had a nightmare getting to the Bush that day with no trains so my fathr in law still pissed from the day before agreed to drive me but wasn't bothered about seeing the game, something he regretted when he saw this goal on tv that night.
We were already 3-0 up I think and then that nutmeg, the look on Joe Allens face and then the shot into the bottom corner, I've celebrated many goals over the years but this is the only one that left me stood absolutely breathless and speechless in awe at the brilliance of it [Post edited 2 Oct 2019 13:52]
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Ferdinand v Man City is a great shout. I remember as a young teenager walking to Greenford station with my cousins before that one and discussing whether Ferdinand could continue scoring (having said the season before that he just wasn't up to it). What a goal! | | | |
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