Owing to four days away on a business trip, time is of the essence at LFW Towers this week. So ahead of Saturday’s visit to Man Utd, excuse me for re-running an old column on a fabulous meeting between the two sides.
QPR’s hopes of springing an upset at Old Trafford in April were over before they’d ever really begun thanks to an outrageously bad piece of officiating. An early United onslaught culminated in a penalty, scored by Wayne Rooney, after 15 minutes but it was the decision to award the spot kick that sparked the controversy. Ashley Young was three yards offside when he received the ball, and barely touched at all by Shaun Derry who was, nevertheless, dismissed for bringing him down. With only ten men on the field Rangers could do little to trouble their hosts and United won 2-0 when they could, had they been in the mood, have bagged two or three times that amount. Paul Scholes got the second, Michael Carrick hit the bar from long range, and Paddy Kenny made a series of excellent saves to keep the score down.
Man Utd: De Gea 6, Rafael 6 (Jones 74, 6), Ferdinand 6, Evans 6, Evra 7, Valencia 8, Scholes 7 (Cleverley 74, 6), Carrick 8, Young 7 (Giggs 61, 7), Rooney 7, Welbeck 7
Subs Not Used: Amos, Park, Hernandez, Pogba
Booked: Rafael (repetitive fouling)
Goals: Rooney 15 (penalty, won Young), Scholes 68 (unassisted)
QPR: Kenny 8, Onuoha 6, Ferdinand 7, Hill 8, Taiwo 7, Diakite 7 (Wright-Phillips 71, 6), Derry 6, Mackie 7, Taarabt 6 (Smith 71, 6), Buzsaky 6, Bothroyd 5 (Campbell 81, -)
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Gabbidon, Young, Zamora
Sent Off: Derry 14 (denying goal scoring opportunity)
QPR 0 Man Utd 2, Sunday December 18, 2011, Premier League
QPR were taught some harsh lessons by Manchester United at Loftus Road back in December. The visitors left town with a comfortable 2-0 victory despite never really getting out of third gear. They took the lead within a minute of kicking off through Wayne Rooney and never once looked like relinquishing that. QPR barely threatened the goal and after an hour or so of cat and mouse type football United finally went in for the bg kill when Michael Carrick was allowed to run 50 yards through the heart of the home team’s midfield and score from the edge of the box. But for the performance of goalkeeper Radek Cerny it could have been twice as bad for Neil Warnock’s side.
QPR: Cerny 8, Young 6, Gabbidon 7, Connolly 7, Traore 6, Mackie 6, Barton 5, Faurlin 5, Wright-Phillips 5 (Taarabt 65, 6), Bothroyd 6 (Hill 75, 6), Helguson 6 (Campbell 65, 6)
Subs Not Used: Kenny, Orr, Derry, Smith
Booked: Gabbidon (foul)
Man Utd: De Gea 6, Smalling 7, Evans 7, Ferdinand 7, Evra 6, Valencia 7, Jones 8, Carrick 8, Nani 7(Young 88, -), Rooney 8 (Giggs 78, 6), Welbeck 7 (Hernandez 63, 6)
Subs Not Used: Lindegaard, Berbatov, Park, Fryers
Booked: Ferdinand (dissent), Jones (foul)
Goals: Rooney 1 (assisted Valencia), Carrick 56 (unassisted)
Man Utd 1 QPR 0, Tuesday November 11, 2008, League Cup Fourth Round
QPR aren’t exactly a team famed for their cup runs in the modern era but in 2008, under the guidance of Iain Dowie and newly flushed with Flavio Briatore’s millions, they successfully negotiated three rounds of the League Cup. That included a memorable upset in round three at Aston Villa where Damion Stewart’s flying header saw Rangers through. Of course, we all know that between the Villa and United games Briatore swung his axe and removed Dowie from the hot seat which meant that QPR went to Old Trafford under the caretaker guidance of Gareth Ainsworth – a short sighted move, considering Dowie had won 2-0 at Old Trafford with Coventry at the same stage of the same competition a year previously. Ainsworth set QPR up not to lose and the result was 80 minutes of siege being laid to the QPR goal where Radek Cerny was in the form of his life to keep the home side at bay. In the end only the award of the obligatory questionable penalty at the Stretford End, converted by Carlos Tevez, saved United’s blushes. Rangers were left to reflect on what might have been had they given the game more of a go – in the final ten minutes after conceding Sam Di Carmine had a goal disallowed for offside and Emmanuel Ledesma missed an absolute sitter with the last kick of the game.
Man Utd: Kuszczak 6, Rafael Da Silva 7, Neville 7 (Vidic 89, -), Evans 7, O'Shea 7, Gibson 7, Possebon 7 (Welbeck 72, 8), Anderson 7, Nani 7, Tevez 8, Park 8
Subs Not Used: Foster, Carrick, Manucho, Cleverley, Gray
Goals: Tevez 76 pen (assisted Nani)
QPR: Cerny 9, Ramage 7, Stewart 9, Hall 9, Connolly 7, Mahon 8, Rowlands 8, Buzsaky 5 (Agyemang 7), Parejo 4 (Ledesma 7) Cook 5 (Di Carmine 7) Blackstock 5
Subs Not Used: Cole, Delaney, Gorkss, Ephraim
QPR 1 Man Utd 1, Saturday March 16, 1996, Premiership
The last meeting of any sort prior to that League Cup tie was during our 1995/96 relegation season and was seen by many as the seminal moment of that campaign. QPR, embarking on a Premier League season for the first time without talismanic striker Les Ferdinand and under the inexperienced stewardship of Ray Wilkins, were struggling badly. They’d won just one of 11 league games during a barren winter and were deep in the relegation mire when title chasing Man Utd arrived in town on a ten straight winning run. But this wasn’t a QPR team entirely without talent and having already clocked up hard luck stories against Newcastle (played superbly, lost 3-2) and Spurs (lead 2-0, had a ridiculous penalty given against them, lost 3-2) at Loftus Road they were to suffer another here. QPR were excellent on the day and after weathering a heavy first half storm lifted the roof off a packed Loftus Road with a deserved opening goal just past the hour mark. Dennis Irwin is often credited with the own goal, diving despairingly to try and divert Danny Dichio’s shot over the bar but only finding the roof of his own net, but it’s always been Dichio’s goal for me. And then the infamous moment. Referee Robbie Hart, who has grown through myth and legend into a Manchester United fan given the game as a gesture by the league prior to his retirement, refused to blow the full time whistle. On and on the game went. On and on and on and on. Finally, just before the second reading of the classified football results, Eric Cantona scored at the School End. The final whistle duly sounded almost the second the ball hit the back of the net. It was a scandal then and it remains so today – a crucial nail in the QPR coffin from which we’ve only just recovered 15 years later.
QPR: J Sommer, D Bardsley, R Brevett, A McDonald, S Yates, S Barker, I Holloway, N Quashie (A Impey, 45), D Dichio (M Hateley, 80), K Gallen (K Ready, 84), T Sinclair
Goals: Dichio 63
Man Utd: P Schmeichel, D May (N Butt, 73), D Irwin, S Bruce, G Neville, B McClair (P Scholes, 58), R Keane, D Beckham (L Sharpe, 73), R Giggs, E Cantona, A Cole
Goals: Cantona 90+8
2011/12 Man Utd 2 QPR 0
2011/12 QPR 0 Man Utd 2
2008/09 Man Utd 1 QPR 0*
1995/96 QPR 1 Man Utd 1 (Dichio)
1995/96 Man Utd 2 QPR 1 (Dichio)
1994/95 Man Utd 2 QPR 0**
1994/95 QPR 2 Man Utd 3 (Ferdinand 2)
1994/95 Man Utd 2 QPR 0
1993/94 QPR 2 Man Utd 3 (Ferdinand, Wilson)
1993/94 Man Utd 2 QPR 1 (B Allen)
1992/93 QPR 1 Man Utd 3 (B Allen)
1992/93 Man Utd 0 QPR 0
1991/92 QPR 0 Man Utd 0
1991/92 Man Utd 1 QPR 4 (Bailey 3, Sinton)
1990/91 QPR 1 Man Utd 1 (Falco)
1990/91 Man Utd 2 QPR 1** (Maddix)
1990/91 Man Utd 3 QPR 1 (Wegerle)
1989/90 QPR 1 Man Utd 2 (Channing)
1989/90 Man Utd 0 QPR 0
1988/89 QPR 3 Man Utd 2 (Gray 2, Sinton)
1988/89 Man Utd 3 QPR 0**
1988/89 QPR 2 Man Utd 2** (Stein, McDonald)
1988/89 Man Utd 0 QPR 0**
1988/89 Man Utd 0 QPR 0
1987/88 Man Utd 2 QPR 1 (McDonald)
1987/88 QPR 0 Man Utd 2
1986/87 QPR 1 Man Utd 1 (Byrne)
1986/87 Man Utd 1 QPR 0
1985/86 QPR 1 Man Utd 0 (Byrne)
1985/86 Man Utd 2 QPR 0
1984/85 QPR 1 Man Utd 3 (Bannister)
1984/85 Man Utd 3 QPR 0
1983/84 QPR 1 Man Utd 1 (Fenwick)
1983/84 Man Utd 3 QPR 1 (C Allen)
1978/79 Man Utd 2 QPR 0
1978/79 QPR 1 Man Utd 1 (Gillard)
1977/78 Man Utd 3 QPR 1 (Bowles)
1977/78 QPR 2 Man Utd 2 (Givens, Needham)
1976/77 Man Utd 1 QPR 0
1976/77 QPR 4 Man Utd 0 (Eastoe 2, Givens, Kelly)
1976/77 Man Utd 1 QPR 0**
1975/76 Man Utd 2 QPR 1 (Givens)
1975/76 QPR 1 Man Utd 0 (Webb)
1973/74 QPR 3 Man Utd 0 (Bowles 2, Givens)
1973/74 Man Utd 2 QPR 1 (G Francis)
1968/69 Man Utd 8 QPR 1 (Marsh)
1968/69 QPR 2 Man Utd 3 (Leach, Wilks)
1908/09 Man Utd 4 QPR 0***
1907/08 QPR 1 Man Utd 1*** (Cannon)
* - League Cup
** - FA Cup
*** - Charity Shield
Paul Parker was the last serving QPR player to go to a World Cup with England, starring in the 1990 tournament in Italy. Rangers picked the diminutive defender up from near neighbours Fulham in 1987 for a fee of £200,000. At the same time then QPR manager Jim Smith also paid £200,000 for Dean Coney from the Cottagers but while Coney is often named in the club’s worst ever XI, Parker often makes the list of all time QPR greats.
It was actually a surprise that Parker remained at Craven Cottage for so long – his performances at full back in the lower divisions attracted regular interest from First Division clubs but having graduated from the Fulham youth team in 1981 he had to wait until 1987 for his move to Loftus Road. Within three years he was a mainstay of the England defence under Bobby Robson.
Despite his lack of height Parker was developed into a quality centre back while at Rangers – lightning pace and a super-human leap covering up whatever shortcomings his lack of height may have posed. He played at the heart of the QPR defence, and on the right for England with his first cap coming in 1989 against Albania. He’d only won five caps by the time Italia 90 began but with first choice Gary Stevens out of form Parker moved ahead of him in the pecking order to start the tournament as Robson’s first choice right full back.
Sadly he’s probably best remembered for charging down a German free kick in the semi final and inadvertently diverting it high in the air and over Peter Shilton’s head into his own net. He did however later make amends with an assist for Gary Linekar to equalise – England of course later lost on penalties.
Sadly, as was often the case in the 1990s, excellent performances for QPR and England didn’t go unnoticed elsewhere and he became the club’s record sale in August 1991 when Alex Ferguson paid £2m to take him to Old Trafford. Parker played at right back for United but was beset by injury problems and eventually lost his place at club level to Gary Neville and international level to Lee Dixon. Having said that he did win both domestic cup competitions and two league titles during his time at Old Trafford having, and was in Terry Venables’ first England squad in 1994 for a match against Denmark.
Parker’s career rather tailed off after leaving United in 1996. Brief and not particularly successful spells at newly promoted Derby, First Division Sheffield United and then back at Fulham down in the Third Division were interrupted by four matches in the top flight for Chelsea in 1997 as the Blues attempted to deal with an injury crisis. He managed Chelmsford City and Welling United after retiring, and media work for Setanta Sports when they covered Conference Football.
He made a brief return to Loftus Road in 2007 as commercial and communication director. In all he made 156 starts and four sub appearances for Rangers, scoring once, and won 19 full caps for England.
Others >>> Ji Sung Park, Man Utd 2005-2012, QPR 2012-present >>> Federico Macheda, Man Utd 2009-present, QPR (loan) 2012 >>> Tom Heaton, Man Utd 2005-2010, QPR (loan) 2009 >>> Liam Miller, Man Utd 2004-2006, QPR 2009 >>> Kieran Lee, Man Utd 2006-2008, QPR (loan) 2008 >>> Danny Nardiello, Man Utd 2000-2005, QPR 2007-2008 >>> John Curtis, Man Utd 1997-2000, QPR 2007 >>> Nick Culkin, Man Utd 1997-2002, QPR 2002-2005 >>> Ray Wilkins, Man Utd 1979-1984, QPR 1989-1994, (manager) 1994-1996 >>> >>> Alan Brazil, Man Utd 1984-1986, QPR 1986 >>> Gary Micklewhite, Man Utd 1978-1979, QPR 1979-1985 >>> Gordon Hill, Man Utd 1975-1978, QPR 1979-1981 >>> Stewart Houston, Man Utd 1973-1980, QPR (manager) 1996-1997 >>> Don Givens, Man Utd 1969-1970, QPR 1972-1978 >>> Dave Sexton, QPR (manager) 1974-1977, Man Utd 1977-1981 >>> Dave McCreery, Man Utd 1974-1979, QPR 1979-1981 >>> Tommy Docherty, QPR (manager) 1968, (manager) 1979-1980, Man Utd (manager) 1972-1977 >>> Reg Allen, QPR 1938-1950, Man Utd 1950-1955
In the summer of 1991 QPR controversially moved experienced manager Don Howe aside to appoint a “younger man” which would in this day and age result in some serious legal action being taken. That younger man was former star of the great QPR sides of the 1970s and England captain Gerry Francis who had been cutting his managerial teeth since retirement in the South West with Exeter and Bristol Rovers.
Francis had struggled initially at Loftus Road. After drawing at Highbury against champions Arsenal on day one Rangers won none of their first eight matches under him before a scrappy 1-0 success at Kenilworth Road against Luton in the middle of September, after Francis had brought in Spurs striker Paul Walsh on loan, got them off the mark. A further run of defeats to Villa, Leeds and Man City through November challenged Francis further but after, by his own admission, reading the riot act to his players things started to improve.
A 1-0 win at Notts County sealed in injury time by Les Ferdinand started a run of six matches without defeat including a draw at Maine Road against Man City and another last gasp win, sealed by Francis’ former Bristol Rovers favourite Denniis Bailey, at Carrow Road against Norwich. Still, despite a return to form few expected much from the R’s in the New Year’s Day fixture at Old Trafford.
Rangers had never won in Manchester against either United or City at this point and were seen by many as cannon fodder for the champions elect. Alex Ferguson, appointed in 1986, was still without a league title at this point and doubts about his ability were prevalent in the media but inspired by a young Ryan Giggs United led the table for almost the entire campaign that season. QPR’s visit was televised live by ITV with Dennis Law serving as a less than impartial co-commentator.
Complacency is a dangerous thing. Within three minutes of kicking off United were behind. Striker Roy Wegerle caught Clayton Blackmore dallying in possession in the right back area and seized the ball for the visiting team. Wegerle attacked the penalty box with purpose before moving the ball left to Simon Barker who in turn picked out Andy Sinton and he beat Peter Schmeichel with a low shot to the near post.
Early scare followed by United rally and victory? Well, if so, the scaring wasn’t over yet. Moments later Clive Wilson was able to pick out Sinton unmarked midway through the United half of the field and he lobbed a ball in behind the home defence for Bailey who powered past Blackmore and hit a first time shot that Schmeichel got two gloves to but couldn’t prevent from bouncing into the back of the net.
That technique of playing balls in behind the United defenders and allowing Bailey to exploit his superior power and pace almost brought another goal when Peacock played an incisive pass through from the back but although Bailey beat Schmeichel with a lobbed effort he couldn’t bring it down quickly enough to get t under the cross bar and in. Ian Holloway tried his luck with a more conventional effort from 25 yards out but it flashed wide of the top corner with the goalkeeper beaten.
Ferguson no doubt delivered a trademark half time dressing down, known by sycophants as the “hairdryer treatment” but essentially just a wizened Scottish man yelling, and introduced the rested Ryan Giggs instead of Mike Phelen. Blackmore launched a shot from 30 yards that flew just over Jan Stejskal’s goal to signal the home team’s second half intent.
But while they couldn’t cope with the physical nature of Bailey’s play at the other end any efforts to cut the deficit were always like to be futile and the in form striker was soon out muscling Bruce and chesting a cross down for Sinton to strike at goal but Schmeichel saved well. While ITV poured over replays Bailey ran through again and chipped the goalkeeper expertly to make it 3-0 at the Stretford End.
United did pull one back almost immediately when Brian McClair shot on the turn after a scrappy passage of play and the shot beat Stejskal when the Czech goalkeeper really should have done better.
But this was Rangers’, and Bailey’s, day and when Andy Sinton outpaced the United defence and ran half the length of the field five minutes from time the 4-1 victory and hat trick were complete. Sinton’s low drive was tipped onto the post by Schmeichel who could then only watch as Bailey, seemingly to his own surprise, rolled the ball in for a legitimate goal from five yards out. Bailey was in awesome form now and after literally shrugging Bruce to the form he marauded forward again, squaring the ball for Roy Wegerle who somehow lifted a gilt edged chance over the bar from 12 yards out. It should have been five.
They were Bailey’s ninth, tenth and eleventh goals of the season but he’d never hit those heights before, and didn’t really match the performance again afterwards as a torn abductor ruled him out for most of the rest of the campaign and Les Ferdinand took over as the main striker at Loftus Road. Ferdinand later scored in another 4-1 victory, at home this time, against Leeds United who nevertheless went on to beat United to the title that season.
Bailey famously said that he credited God with assists on all of his goals leading to the classic ‘Hallelujah’ chant from the QPR supporters.
Bailey said more recently: "You do come across the odd United fan who will tell you they remember that day clearly. I have also had a few meetings with Manchester City fans and also Leeds fans. They won the title that year and I think it was pleasant viewing for them.
QPR: Stejskal, Bardsley, Peacock, McDonald, Wilson, Barker, Holloway, Wilkins, Sinton, Bailey, Wegerle
Highlights >>> Man Utd 1 QPR 0 08/09 >>> Man Utd 2 QPR 0 FA Cup Quarter Final 1995 >>> QPR 1 Man Utd 3 92/93 >>> Man Utd 1 QPR 4 91/92 >>> Man Utd 3 QPR 1 83/84 >>> QPR 4 Man Utd 0 76/77 >>> QPR 1 Man Utd 0 75/76
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Pictures – Action Images