“It started badly, it tailed off a little in the middle and the less said about the end, the better, but apart from that it was excellent.” The famous words of Edmund Blackadder sum up perfectly the cacophony of misery that last season has been. Characterised by a slow, inevitable disintegration of morale at the Continue reading
Author: Steve Sayce
QPR v Ipswich Town – 16th March 1957: Referee Attacked and then Bombarded with Apples
Team: Springett, Woods, Ingham, Petchey, Rutter, Andrews, Hellawell, Longbottom, Balogun, Cameron, Kerrins Attendance: 12,303 The following match report appeared in the Willesden Chronicle on 22nd March 1957: ‘It took 5 policemen to lead an irate fan off the pitch at Loftus Road on Saturday after he had hit referee Mr B. A. Buckle of Peterborough Continue reading
Danny Maddix Did Like to be Beside the Seaside
The following article must be from 1988 and I think, appeared in ‘Shoot’ magazine: ‘To paraphrase the song, Danny Maddix, the 21-year-old Queen’s Park Rangers central defender, did like to be beside the seaside. The player who Tottenham did not want reckons his few weeks by the sea with Southend United two years ago were Continue reading
Supporters are ‘Life Blood’ of Football – Letter to the Acton Gazette in December 1963
The following letter was written by Neil Gunner of Summerlands Avenue in Acton and appeared in the Acton Gazette in December 1963: ‘As an ardent follower of Queen’s Park Rangers for many years, and in the light of the recent stormy annual general meeting, I , in common with a great many supporters of the Continue reading
From 1889 and 1896 – Murder and Affray in Greenside Road, Shepherd’s Bush, W12
Colin Woodley (ESSEXURs) kindly sent me the following two articles relating to two separate incidents in Greenside Road in the late 19th Century. The first one appeared in the ‘Illustrated Police News’ on 23rd February 1889: ‘At the Hammersmith Police Court Walter Clarke, who was described as a barman, was finally examined on a charge Continue reading
QPR v Newcastle United – The Final Home Game of the Season, Nothing to Celebrate, Nothing to Treasure
Team: Green, Traore, Hill, Onuoha, Bosingwa (Fabio), Jenas, Hoilett (Taarabt), Townsend, Mbia (Derry), Remy, Zamora Subs Not Used: Murphy, Park, Granero, Mackie Attendance: 17,278 What more can you say about this most rotten of football seasons ? The home atmosphere was the most angry that I have witnessed in my two decades of following Rangers. Continue reading
QPR Diary: Relegation, Rumours and Recriminations
After Queen’s Park Rangers were finally relegated at the Madejski Stadium, it looked as though the cameras, reporters and tabloids would turn their attentions elsewhere. For the story was over: Rangers had sleepwalked into the Championship, squandering vast sums of money in the process, and a private disintegration was about to begin. Except this is Continue reading
18th January 1919: QPR (3) – Millwall (0)
London Combination (Principal) Team: Denoon, Mitchell, Whyman, Grendon, Wake, Baldock, Jefferson, Smith, Dale, Gregory, Fox Attendance: 6,500 The West London Observer reported on the game as follows: ‘Rangers gained a highly creditable victory at Shepherd’s Bush on Saturday, when they defeated Millwall by three goals to nil. In the absence of Wingrove, Mitchell had to Continue reading
QPR v Arsenal – Please God Let it be Over
So it was the first return to Loftus Road after the hammer came down on QPR’s Premier League tenure last weekend. The mood was understandably sombre and subdued in the warm May sunshine. Fans were, to varying degrees, trying to come to terms with the welter of interviews and press statements coming out of the Continue reading
The Comic Connection – No.9 – Roy of the Rovers – 7th January 1978
This is the fourth time a ‘Roy of the Rovers’ issue has been featured in the series. Mark Dickinson of Accrington won ¬£2 for successfully requesting a picture of Leighton James scoring the first goal in a 2-0 win over Liverpool. ‘Leighton Lashes Home the First Against Liverpool’ ! The caption reads: ‘Leighton James won’t Continue reading