In this modern day and age it would have probably been called a damaged metatarsal but way
back then in the 67/68 Season, medical jargon was more primitive and it was merely known as
a broken foot.
The midweek Reserve team fixture against Southend United at Roots Hall on the 8th November 1967
was to be one of the tests to see if QPR goal scoring genius Rodney Marsh had fully recovered from
This injury which had kept him out of 1st Team football since the start of the Season.
Although judging by the R’s results and position in the Division 2 league table (second place at the time)
some less informed pundits could have been excused for thinking that he HAD been playing 1st Team
football for QPR FC right from the August kick-off.
I was working at the time for a firm of Insurance Brokers in the City of London so immediately after work
had finished for the day, I took the short walk to Fenchurch Street Station to catch the Southend train.
yes football supporters in that era sometimes did turn up wearing a suit, collar and tie!
(None of that replica shirt nonsense then)
On the train I met up with some friends from the Bush also ‘suitably’ dressed for the occasion I hasten to add!
there was a very large crowd at Roots Hall that evening. I believe it was over 3,000 and nearly half were
R’s fans.
The Official Supporters Club ran a dozen coaches from the Ground. Daphne Biggs and co. couldn’t sell the
travel tickets fast enough ! It was amazing considering it was a midweek away Reserve Team fixture!
Yes folks, such was the pulling power of Rodney Marsh, supreme QPR icon.
To be quite honest, nothing much happened in the game for the first 85 minutes. Rangers did field a fairly
strong team including Kelly, Glover and Watson but the football was non-descript.
There was of course the chanting of ‘Rod-nee’ each time he touched the ball and the bizarre sight of the
entire mass of Rangers fans from behind one goal walking round to the opposite end at half time where the R’s
would be attacking.
Then in the 86th minute cometh the man cometh the hour ! Rangers pressed forward in
that famous Wembley all-white strip.
The ball bounced kindly for Rodney just inside the boxhe turned and hit a thunderous shot into the top corner
of the net. Yes you have guessed it,hysteria, loud chants of ‘Rod-nee’ and a pitch invasion by some of the more
excited fans. All hail the hero!
Rodney Marsh returned to 1st Team football at Loftus Road ten days later against Middlesboro’ and scored in
the 1-1 draw.
As the history books show, the R’s together with that old ‘Marsh Magic’ went on to clinch promotion to the top
flight for the first time in their history at the Villa Park Finale but that’s another story. #
As a ‘footnote’, the following pre-Season of 1968/69, Rodney suffered a similar injury. This time he was
sidelined until January. Who said lightning never strikes twice ?
Bernard Lambert (Kerrins)