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[Steve Russell]

.....peanut shells at their keeper)

The match against Southend on 7th February 1959 was a lively affair by all accounts
and not only did it end in a 1-3 defeat for the R’s but also evoked some crowd trouble.

At the end of January, Rangers were in 18th position and the visitors were lying third.
January had been a poor month for the R’s, losing the last home game against Bournemouth
0-4 and the previous match at Norwich, 1-5.

Pat Welton had been doubtful after cutting his hand in training but still replaced Ray Drinkwater
to make his debut in goal.

In his book, ‘Heroes In Hoops’, John Marks wrote that after making nearly 300 appearances for
Leyton Orient, Pat Welton was to turn out only three times for the R’s.

He later went on to manage St. Albans City then Walthamstow Avenue before becoming the England
Youth Team Coach. In 1969 he took over a similar role at Tottenham until 1976. Then he coached
abroad for a time before becoming a P.E. Teacher at a Public School.

Team: Welton, Woods, Ingham, Petchey, Rutter, Angell, Dawson, Longbottom, Kerrins, Pearson, Clark.
Attendance: 6,361

Apart from the programme, I also have three newspaper cuttings that report on events, on and off
the pitch and the first of which reads as follows:-

‘Queens Park Rangers rowdy fans brought more trouble to Loftus Road with their violent demonstrations.
Poor, suffering QPR. They had lost the match in the opening 22 minutes, in which time competent Southend
had galloped to a well deserved 3-0 lead.

In the 55th minute centre forward Kerrins added to Rangers’ growing troubles when he wrenched a knee
and had to be carried off. Wing-halves Petchey and Angell, for so long the strong men of Rangers’ defence,
contributed to Southend’s first two goals.

Angell allowed himself to be robbed in the 16th minute by McCrory. The inside-right put the ball through
the middle for Hollis to round goalkeeper Welton and shoot into an open goal. In the 21st minute a bad
headed clearance by Petchey was put back into the Rangers’ goalmouth by Houghton for Price to slam in.

Sixty seconds later Hollis headed Southend’s third from Price’s centre. With Southend resting on their
laurels somewhat, Petchey soloed through for Rangers’ goal.’

The second cutting was written by a Roger Malone who writes solely about the trouble:-

Headline: Q.P.R. Ref Warns ‘I’ll Stop Game’ – ‘Queen's Park Rangers Secretary George Hurley alleges that
referee Ron Warnke of Coventry threatened to abandon the cup-throwing match at Loftus Road, which
Southend won 3-1, because a spectator swore at him.

“He told one of my Stewards at half-time that he would stop the match if a spectator sitting on a bench
in front of the Stand didn’t stop swearing at him,” says Mr Hurley. So I arranged for a policeman to patrol
where this spectator was sitting.”

Then 10 minutes from time, Mr Warnke gave a free kick against Rangers near the touchline. The fans
reckoned he had given it to the wrong side. They hurled cups at Southend centre-half Jim Stirling and
at the referee.

Mr Alfred Hittinger, the Rangers’ Chairman, said: “We’ve got more than enough Stewards and Police to
look after spectators, but it is impossible for them to keep an eye on everyone all the time.

We’ve condemned hooliganism among the younger element in our programmes. We’ve warned them.
What more can we do?

The final cutting proclaims: ‘What Now QPR?’ which also refers to other incidents earlier in the season –
‘There’s trouble again at the old trouble spot – Shepherd's Bush, where Queen’s Park Rangers have,
said referee Reg Leafe, THE WORST CROWD I KNOW‚ – The Bushrangers , the rowdies on the QPR terraces ,
yesterday showered cups on the pitch as Southend were only minutes from having their easy win.

As referee Ron Warnke of Coventry, walked off the pitch, he was kicked on the leg. For a moment, he
staggered then limped to his dressing room.

NO ‘ASSAULT’ COMPLAINT. ‚ am not making any complaint, referee Warnke told the Police. He was barracked
repeatedly during the game. Now what? Will the Bushrangers get away with it again? For it is the third time
this season that there has been bother at the Bush. Remember……

December 27 - Police removed a fan who came on the pitch and tried to make it two-against-one when a
Rangers player squabbled with a Plymouth Argyle player. Police took stations and dissuaded other spectators
about to climb over.

OCTOBER 27 - Halifax player Stan Lonsdale had to duck a vicious swing as he went to pick up the ball for a
throw in.

And only a month before, Reg Leafe had made his famous remarks about the QPR crowd in the
Manchester City programme. For his frankness, and perhaps to protect him ‚ he was taken out of the
game he was to have refereed at Shepherd's Bush a few days later.

These incidents during the Southend game provoked the following comment by ‘The Editor’ in the next home
programme, titled, ‘Unwelcome Fools’:-

‘Some while ago, when a small minority of our supporters ‚ the unintelligent ones‚ embarked on a phase of
hooliganism, we successfully appealed for the co-operation of every person to help stamp out such unworthy
conduct. Now, I am unhappy to report, that there has been a fresh outbreak of hooliganism.

The Directors of this club are seriously concerned over this matter, and I am asked to stress that the consequences
may well be extremely serious if there are any further outbreaks.

Whilst we have no intention of resorting to the method adopted by one foreign football club who, when their
supporters created trouble, charged a deposit plus admission, and returned the deposit – providing everyone
behaved themselves during the game, we will take very strong action against any culprits at the ground.

Once again we make an appeal to all our supporters to help stamp out childish conduct. Remember that the
whole crowd is branded because of the action of a few young hooligans.’

This match against Mansfield Town finished as a 1-1 draw but Rangers went on to win seven of their remaining
eight home games and with a further two away victories, this was enough to secure safety for another season.