The visit of Blackburn Rovers to Loftus Road this Saturday gives LFW a chance to look back to 1982/83 when a goal Stuart Attwell would have been proud to award won Rovers a point in W12.

Recent Meetings

The magic of the FA Cup was in short supply at Ewood Park in January when these sides last met in competitive action. In front of a sparse crowd both teams turned out largely second string outfits in what proved to be a drab encounter. Blackburn won the game through a fine late goal from the impressive Junior Hoilett – QPR went close to forcing a replay with near misses either side of that from long range by Petter Vaagan Moen and a headed effort from a corner by Kaspars Gorkss. The whole event was completely overshadowed though by a broken leg suffered by Rangers’ Jamie Mackie from which he is only now recovering. Mackie flung himself into a fool’s mission against Givet and came off much the worse. The mood soured further when El Hadji Diouf stood over the stricken QPR player and accused him of faking injury among other allegations. This sparked angry scenes at the time, and again at the final whistle, and Neil Warnock branded the Senegal striker a “sewer rat” in his after match interviews. The defeat extended QPR’s run of games in the FA Cup without a win to 11 years, the worst record of any team at any level in the entire country.

Blackburn Bunn 6, Salgado 8 (Linganzi 81, -), Hanley 6, Nelsen 7, Givet 6 (Morris 30, 6), Hoilett 8, Lowe 6, Pedersen 6, El-Hadji Diouf 7, Mame Diouf 7, Mwaruwari 6 (Roberts 46, 6)

Subs Not Used: Fielding, Goulon, Doran, Cotton

Goals: Hoilett 77 (assisted E H Diouf)

QPR: Kenny 8, Orr 7, Gorkss 6, Hill 6, Borrowdale 5, Derry 7, Faurlin 7 (Cook 81, -), Clarke 5, Mackie 6 (Andrade 31, 6), Moen 7, Hulse 6 (Doughty 88, -)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Tofas, Harryman

Booked: Borrowdale (foul), Derry (foul)

Blackburn 3 QPR 0, FA Cup Third Round, Saturday January 7, 2006

These sides haven’t shared a division for ten years but did meet again in 2006 at the same stage of the same competition. QPR were coming towards the end of Ian Holloway’s reign and took 4,000 fans with them to Ewood Park for the third round clash. Blackburn were under the guidance of Mark Hughes and still included the likes of Brad Friedel, Lucas Neill and Craig Bellamy against the R’s despite a host of changes to the usual starting 11. Rovers were just too strong for Rangers on the day, Holloway’s decision to leave out Gareth Ainsworth against the club he started his career with and desperately wanted to face was shown up to be a mistake when the Hoops only really started to have an effect on the game after his second half introduction. By then Blackburn were two up thanks to goals from Todd and Bellamy, and everybody’s favourite Welshman made it 3-0 before the end. The game became infamous at QPR when the club’s official website aired a video of behind the scenes footage which showed Holloway explaining in detail how they would deal with Stephen Reid (who was suspended and couldn’t play) while the players generally pissed around and didn’t listen to him.

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Todd, Khizanishvili, Matteo, Thompson, Savage (Pedersen, 77 ) , Tugay, Peter, Dickov (Kuqi, 77 ) , Bellamy

Subs not used: Enckelman, Nelsen, Emerton

Goals: Bellamy 36, 86, Todd 17

Bookings: Matteo, Neill

QPR: Royce, Bignot, Shittu, Rose, Milanese, Rowlands, Santos ( Ainsworth, 55 ) , Langley, Cook ( Donnelly, 75 ) , Baidoo, Furlong ( Moore, 75 )

Subs not used: Cole, Evatt

Bookings Milanese (QPR)

QPR 1 Blackburn 3, First Division, Saturday April 7, 2001

The last time these sides shared a division was in 2000/01 when QPR were relegated to the Second Division and Blackburn were promoted into the Premiership under Graeme Souness. Ironically, considering what happened five years later, this was one of the first games under Ian Holloway’ charge for Rangers. The only real surprise of the April meeting at Loftus Road was that Rangers took a first half lead through Chris Plummer – Rovers soon pegged them back with goals from David Dunn and Matt Jansen before half time and Eyal Berkovic four minutes from the end.

QPR: Harper, Rose, Plummer (Koejoe, 83 ) , Ready, Baraclough (Burgess, 60 ) , Wardley, Bignot, Peacock, Bruce, Thomson, Crouch (Knight, 61 )

Subs not used: Miklosko, Kulcsar

Goals: Plummer 15

Bookings: Ready

Blackburn: Friedel, Curtis, Berg, Short, Gillespie ( Hignett, 69 ) , Mahon ( Berkovic, 75 ) , Flitcroft, Dunn, Duff, Jansen ( Hughes, 86 ) , Bent

Subs not used: Filan, Bjornebye

Goals: Dunn 25, Jansen 45, Berkovic 86

Previous Results

2010/11 Blackburn 1 QPR 0*

2005/06 Blackburn 3 QPR 0*

2000/01 QPR 1 Blackburn 3 (Plummer)

2000/01 Blackburn 0 QPR 0

1999/00 Blackburn 0 QPR 2 (Wardley, Gallen)

1999/00 QPR 0 Blackburn 0

1995/96 QPR 0 Blackburn 1

1995/96 Blackburn 1 QPR 0

1994/95 QPR 0 Blackburn 1

1994/95 Blackburn 4 QPR 0

1993/94 Blackburn 1 QPR 1 (Ready)

1993/94 QPR 1 Blackburn 0 (Ferdinand)

1992/93 Blackburn 1 QPR 0

1992/93 QPR 0 Blackburn 3

1990/91 QPR 2 Blackburn 1** (Falco, Barker)

1986/87 Blackburn 2 QPR 2** (Bannister, Walker)

1986/87 QPR 2 Blackburn 1** (Byrne, Brazil)

1982/83 Blackburn 1 QPR 3 (Stainrod 2, Flanagan)

1982/83 QPR 2 Blackburn 2 (Allen, Fenwick)

1981/82 Blackburn 2 QPR 1 (Allen)

1981/82 QPR 2 Blackburn 0 (Gregory, Allen)

1980/81 QPR 1 Blackburn 1 (Francis)

1980/81 Blackburn 2 QPR 1 (Neal)

1970/71 QPR 2 Blackburn 0 (Marsh, Francis)

1970/71 Blackburn 0 QPR 2 (Leach, Saul)

1969/70 QPR 2 Blackburn 3 (Venables pen, Hazell)

1969/70 Blackburn 0 QPR 1 (Leach)

1967/68 Blackburn 0 QPR 1 (F Clarke)

1967/68 QPR 3 Blackburn 1 (Marsh, Wilks, Sanderson)

1951/52 Blackburn 4 QPR 2 (Nicholas, Addinall)

1951/52 QPR 2 Blackburn 1 (Addinall 2)

1950/51 Blackburn 2 QPR 1 (Hatton)

1950/51 QPR 3 Blackburn 1 (Addinall 2, Hatton pen)

1949/50 QPR 2 Blackburn 3 (Addinall, Hatton)

1949/50 Blackburn 0 QPR 0

1948/49 QPR 4 Blackburn 2 (Parkinson 2, Hatton, Hartburn)

1948/49 Blackburn 0 QPR 0

1911/12 Blackburn 2 QPR 1 (Revill)***

* - FA Cup

** - League Cup

*** - Charity Shield, played at White Hart Lane

Player Connections

The story goes, certainly from Jim Smith’s perspective anyway, that QPR had been watching Blackburn trainee Simon Barker for the thick end of two years before actually buying him for £400,000 in 1988. Barker, a YT at Blackburn before the Jack Walker revolution, came through the Ewood Park ranks to sign senior forms in 1982 and made 182 league appearances for Rovers in which he scored 35 goals. He was tipped as a ‘new Paul Gascoigne’ in the press at the time but when Smith first came calling Rovers manager at the time Bobby Saxton told Smith he wasn’t ready to step up to the First Division but promised to call the QPR boss when he felt he was. In July 1986 the call came, the deal was done, and Barker became an integral part of the QPR team for the next decade.

Despite being at the end of his contract at Ewood Park Barker cost the R’s £400,000 in the pre-Bosman days and admitted in an interview with QPRnet that he found it difficult to settle at first and would liked to have returned to Blackburn given the chance. In the end a change of manager in W12 gave him his big break. Don Howe really rated Barker and after stepping up from assistant to the top job he put him straight in the team and was rewarded immediately with a memorable goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup.

The England Under 21 international initially made his name at Loftus Road as a goal scoring midfielder under Don Howe and then Gerry Francis although he found his opportunities limited in the early Premier League years by the superb Indian summer enjoyed by Ray Wilkins. He scored memorable goals, including a fabulous strike at the Loft End in a 3-1 win against Everton in the 1991/92 season that ended a long run of home games without a win.

Barker remained with Rangers through the Ray Wilkins era when we were relegated from the Premiership and continued to score goals in the First Division although by this stage his rather inoffensive style had earned him the unfortunate nickname ‘Mavis’ among the QPR fans. He was eventually released on a free transfer to Port Vale, after a sell out testimonial match at Loftus Road against the Jamaican World Cup side of 1998. Naturally he scored for Vale on his first return to Loftus Road but retired after two seasons at Vale Park and after failing to secure a management position he now works for the PFA.

Others >>> Jay Bothroyd, QPR 2011-present, Blackburn (loan) 2004-2005 >>> Pascal Chimbonda, QPR 2011, Blackburn 2009-2011 >>> Marcus Bent, Blackburn 2000-2001, QPR (loan) 2010 >>> Steven Reid, Blackburn 2003-2010, QPR (loan) 2009 >>> Tim Flowers, Blackburn 1993-1999, QPR (coach) 2008 >>> Gareth Ainsworth, Blackburn (trainee) 1989-1991, QPR 2003-2010 >>> John Curtis, Blackburn 2000-2003, QPR 2007 >>> Andy Taylor, Blackburn 2004-2008, QPR (loan) 2006 >>> Marlon Broomes, Blackburn 1994-2001, QPR (loan) 2000 >>> Darren Peacock, QPR 1990-1994, Blackburn 1998-2000 >>> Ray Harford, Blackburn (manager) 1995-1996, QPR (manager) 1997-1998 >>> Roy Wegerle, QPR 1990-1992, Blackburn 1992 >>> Ossie Ardiles, Blackburn 1988, QPR 1988-1989 >>> Jim Smith, Blackburn (manager) 1975-1978, QPR (manager) 1985-1988 >>> Mike Ferguson, QPR 1969-1973, Blackburn 1962-1968

Memorable Match

QPR’s lucky referee Mark Clattenburg is in charge at Loftus Road this Saturday, but how Rangers could have done with the County Durham official back in 1982 when Blackburn came calling for a mid November First Division clash.

QPR had reached the FA Cup final as a second tier team the season before and would go onto win promotion in the 1982/83 season under the guidance of manager Terry Venables. Blackburn were a steady midtable side playing in a ramshackle old ground at this stage before Jack Walker moved in with his millions and made them English champions.

So far so routine, and that was how the match panned out for the first 80 minutes with the score tied at 1-1 thanks to a goal from Miller for the visitors and one from Clive Allen for Rangers. Then, the controversy. A cross into the QPR penalty area by David Hamilton from the Blackburn left down at the School End went out of play for a goal kick but in doing so caught the back stanchion holding up the net and rebounded back into play. Norman Bell swept the ball into the net and looked to the referee who awarded the goal.

Pandemonium ensued with all 9,000 people in the ground well aware the ball had gone off and QPR players Bob Hazell and Peter Hucker incandescent with rage. The story goes that John Gregory kicked the ball into the Ellerslie Road stand and told QPR fans to keep hold of it while they argued with the referee and Venables also made his way onto the field to speak with the officials.

Afterwards Venables said: “It was a bad mistake. The ball clearly went out of play before it was bundled into the net. I saw it hit the stanchion and as it happened I turned to my coach George Graham and said straight away that centre has gone out.”

Bell said: “I thought the ball hit the bar and when the Rangers players started shouting I just assumed they thought I was offside.”

There was more to come though. In the spirit of evening things up Rangers were awarded a highly questionable late penalty when Clive Allen theatrically tumbled under meagre contact from Derek Fazackerley. Captain Terry Fenwick stepped forward to ram the penalty home, but it barely relieved the frustration of the home crowd after an extraordinary end to the game.

QPR immediately changed the design of the goals at Loftus Road, removing the full length back stanchions and replacing them with the smaller curved ones at the top of the post – although as the ball struck the stanchion at the top in this case it probably wouldn’t have made any difference.

QPR: Hucker, Neill, Dawes, Sealy, Hazell, Fenwick, Mickelwhite (O’Connor), Stewart, Gregory, Currie, Allen.

Blackburn: O’Keefe, Branagan, Randell, Mail, Fazackerley, Miller, Hamilton, Bell, Garner (Arnott), Rathbone, Brotherstone.

Links >>> Blackburn 1 QPR 0 Match Report

Photo: Action Images

dixiedean added 11:58 - Oct 13 remember Barker's goal very well. At Loft end- he instinctively started celebrating and then put his hands up to apologise. Top man.Andy Johnson should take a leaf out of his book, ie how NOT to provoke fans unnecessarily.
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PeterHucker added 12:01 - Oct 13 Good piece as usual Clive. I always thought that Barker's nickname of Mavis was because he looked like Les "the funnier one died" Dennis. Back in them days, the citizens of our great nation had their appetite for Saturday night prime-time entertainment satiated by a man wearing a wig and saying "I don't really know" in an effeminate voice.
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Canterbury_Don added 12:27 - Oct 13 A man in a wig saying "I don't really know". Poor, yes, but if it were a choice between that and the X-Factor...? Thoughts? Clive?
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DanVanDyke added 12:41 - Oct 13 I loved Simon Barker! That FA cup goal against Liverpool, live on the beeb was awesome. I was in floods of tears at the time as I thought we were going out and I f*ckin' hated Liverpool then, when they used to spawnily win everything. Uncontrolled joy when he equalised. I really thought we were gonna win the cup that year, and back then it actually meant something. Even though I was only 13, I always thought we'd win it in my lifetime. Little did I know, we'd actually embark on a run of not prgressing past the bloody 3rd round, or the 1st come to think of it!

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RangerKIK added 13:33 - Oct 13 I am sure we will get back on track Sat. Really enjoyed your previous article on the hysteria surrounding football. It's not just football though it's society in general. It's all down to 24 hour news/sports/phone in shows. Not only is there just not enough news to fill the time but if everything is not presnted in a 'life or death' tone people just do not tune in. We have become addicted to hype and the media just feeds us more and more of it. Last Thurs I switched off the TV when a hospital helicopter ride was described as 'a matter of life and death' even though the patient was happily talking and laughing with the paramedics. I then turned on the radio to hear Talk Sport starting a phone in debate on whether Premier league footballers should be able to sue referrees for loss of earnings when they get sent off. WTF! I then swithched that off and put on Sky sports to hear their opening healine gambit of 'there is no truth in the rumour that Toby Flood and Johnny Wilkinson are going to have a 'kick off' to decide who will take the kicks against France!!!!!! NO TRUTH IN THE RUMOUR!!!!!!!! Unbelievable It all took me back to Sky sports 'transfer deadline day show' when after 10 mins I decided that having my testicles coated in banana paste and jumping into a cage of staving chimpanzees, all of whom are armed with rusty blunt scissors, would be far less painful then watching another second of that trumped up load of s**t. I have just checked myself into the Betty Ford clinic for those addicted to hysteria. I have to take a 14 week dose of a drug with a street name of 'Facts' and to repeat the mantra 'just because a gorgeous blond sports reporter with fantastic cleavage tells me Lionel Messi might be having talks at Loftus Road doesn't mean it's true' over and over again. I am checked into the Princess Diana wing.

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Antti_Heinola added 13:42 - Oct 13 Barker was a fantastic servant and as the guys above said, the Mavis nickname came about because he looked like Les Dennis, who did a famous Mavis off of Corrie impersonation. A brilliant nickname because of that. Oddly, my 2 biggest Barker memories are not famous ones. The first was a simple penalty he rammed home v Stoke, I think soon after Houston left. The second was the mentioned goal for Vale in our 3-2 win against them. It wasn't so much the goal, it was Barker's class. He scored a header, clenched his fist, looked straight up into the Loft, then flattened his hands and nodded his head towards us before running off with minimal celebrations. Pleased to say quite a few of us clapped him. A truly classy moment, especially from someone who received more than his fair share of abuse from the moronic section of our fanbase who have to boo someone at all times. We didn't know what we had till it was gone in his case.

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SonofNorfolt added 14:40 - Oct 13 Clive, a touch of Johann Hari in this article!
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Northernr added 16:02 - Oct 13 Haha because it's taken from that message board thread? That's what that thread is there for Mel! We have it every week. Anyway I had to go all the way upstairs to find the programme for the game after (Carlisle home) so I could get the teams so I worked jolly hard as well =)
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SonofNorfolt added 17:29 - Oct 13 I know. ( smiley face bollox)
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JB007007 added 19:00 - Oct 13 Remember the Barker goal v Liverpool so well. I can still see him strike that ball now. I remember him having a bit of handbags with Ray Houghton that afternoon too. We signed Barker around the time that Gascoigne signed for Spurs. All you saw and heard was Gazza this and Gazza that. I think it was Jim Smith that said Tottenham have signed Gascoigne for £2 million and we've signed Barker for £400,000 and I know which one is the best deal. Arguably he was right. A QPR hero for me.

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themodfather added 22:22 - Oct 13 always hard to beat blackburn.....stubborn? i'll take any win..good bad or ugly.
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PeterHucker added 10:52 - Oct 14 favourite Barker goal was at home against Everton. I think it was quite early in the season (possibly around 1991, Gerry's 1st season as manager?) and QPR had been playing pretty well but not really getting the results we deserved. We'd had a few games where we'd been leading but then we'd let the opposition come back. An undeserved late equaliser away at Arsenal for example. Dennis Bailey was scoring for us but nobody else was getting amongst the goals. Anyway, we played Everton at home and we went 2-0 up. But then they got a goal back and the rest of the match the crowd were very nervous because Everton kept on attacking and the QPR fans were thinking "oh no here we go again". Anyway, in the last minute Barker scored an absolute belter to make it 3-1 and the celebrations were fantastic. Relief, joy, exhiliration. One of those goals where you hug total strangers.

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Northernr added 13:24 - Oct 14 I think that Everton game had been preceded by two or three where we'd led 2-0 and let it slip - at Palace when Collymore scored in the last minute, at home to Chelsea when Townsend whopped one in from 35 yards and maybe against Southampton as well. Went 2-0 up against Everton and Beardsley (i think) got one back so Barker's goal was vital. We only lost three of the next 18 in the league incouding 4-1 at Man Utd, 4-1 against champions elect Leeds, 4-0 v Man City. Wish I'd been old enough to appreciate it.

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