Stan Anderson sadly passed away earlier this month on 10th June, aged 85.
His playing league career commenced at Sunderland where he went on to make over 400 appearances. Stan then moved to Newcastle in 1963 and two years later he signed for Middlesbrough, where he was to also manage.
Stan’s association with the R’s was brief and on the 28th September 1974 the Newcastle Evening Chronicle carried the following article:
‘Former Newcastle United skipper Stan Anderson today faced one of the hardest tasks in soccer.
Anderson, ex-boss of Middlesbrough, is in charge of trouble-torn Queen’s Park Rangers, following the resignation of manager Gordon Jago.
And Stan – he also captained Sunderland and Middlesbrough – had to lift Rangers’ morale in time for today’s match against Manchester City at Maine Road. Who eventually takes over from Jago is anybody’s guess.
Brian Clough and Billy Nicholson, currently out of work, spring to mind. So, too, do Terry Venables and former Rangers coach Bobby Campbell, No. 2 to Bertie Mee at Arsenal for the past 12 months.
Apart from Jago, Rangers were also without striker Stan Bowles today – but Bowles will be back next week, when his club suspension is lifted.
But Jago, who yesterday resigned for the second time in four months, looks certain to split with the club he took to eighth place in the First Division last season after winning promotion.
Last May, Jago asked to stay at Loftus Road ten days after quitting. Chairman Jim Gregory is hoping for a similar change of feelings this time, but Jago’s mind seems to be made up.
Jago had apparently become depressed by his side’s poor form and had taken criticism to heart.
But what is really behind Rangers’ transformation from being the happiest club in the land to the most unsettled? Jago thinks everybody expected too much, but there are other more obvious problems. Bowles’ transfer request for instance.
Then came the decision to sell Terry Mancini and finally the transfer of Ian Evans and captain Venables – the most influential man at the club – to Crystal Palace. All of these things added up to a giant headache for Jago.’
Rangers lost 0-1 at Maine Road that day, but defeated Ipswich Town 1-0 at Loftus Road a week later.
Stan went on to manage Doncaster Rovers the following year. As for the R’s, Dave Sexton was appointed manager in October and then led QPR to 11th place.
Steve Russell
(Thanks to Colin Woodley for forwarding me the newspaper article)