Geoffrey Leach of Hemel Hempstead wrote the following letter to the Club in 1969, which appeared in the ‘Ranger to Ranger’ section of the programme: “Could you possibly search through QPR’ history books and try to get an answer to this. I reckon this is one of the most fascinating mysteries in football. On November Continue reading
“Old Stumpy” of West London
The following article appeared in the West London Observer on 28th July 1944: ‘There is someone else selling papers at the busy street corner in West London where for years “Old Stumpy”, the legless paper boy, had sat, perched on an upturned soap box, with a perpetual grin on his face and a quire of Continue reading
When Dave Webb met 9-Year-Old Denise Rayford at Mount Vernon Hospital
On a Tuesday afternoon in 1975, a number of Rangers players visited the children’s ward of Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood. Captured above is the moment Dave Webb met 9-year-old Denise Rayford. Steve Russell (The Press photo is from my collection)
QPR’s Goalless but exciting Draw at the Den in 1920
Team: Merrick, Wingrove, Pullen, Cain/Broster (?), Mitchell, Baldock, Ramsey, Birch, Smith (J), Gregory, Donald Attendance: 26,000 On the 20th March 1920, the R’s took on Millwall at the Den. The following match report later appeared in the West London Observer: ‘Queen’s Park Rangers visit to New Cross on Saturday, where they shared the honours of Continue reading
When Rangers Goalkeeper Harry Brown realised his ambition in a Fog
As a bit of a follow-on to Martin Percival’s excellent recent articles, Harry Brown wrote the following for ‘Soccer Star’, which appeared in the magazine on 3rd January 1953: ‘I was standing in the middle of a fog congratulating myself. Ever since I was a kid I’d always had an ambition to play for Arsenal. Continue reading
QPR (5) – Bristol City (0) – ‘Amazing Scenes at Loftus Road, Uproar after Fitzgerald is Knocked Out’
Team: Mason, Jefferson, Rowe, Lowe, Farmer, March, Bott, Charlton, Cheetham, Fitzgerald, McMahon Attendance: 9,576 On Christmas Day 1936, QPR recorded a 4-0 win at Loftus Road over Exeter City. Another home game followed the next day when the R’s took on Bristol City. Bushranger 11’s match report appeared in the Middlesex County Times a week Continue reading
Brentford (2) – QPR (2) – ‘The Incessant Rain on Saturday Afternoon had its effect on the Attendance at this Match’
Team: Howes, White, Newlands, Yenson, Hitch, Ryder, Thompson, Sugden, Roberts, Fletcher, Bevan. Attendance: 3,000 Following a goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur the previous week, the Park Royalists travelled to Griffin Park on 17th February 1906. A match report appeared in the Sporting Life two days later: ‘The incessant rain on Saturday afternoon had its effect Continue reading
Watching Football again……after a very Long Wait – Part 2
In part 1 of this piece posted on 17th November 2020, I wrote about the first Rangers match that my father, Frank Percival, attended after he arrived home after the war at Barnet in the FA Cup. However, his first match back home was not to see Rangers play. That first match had been four Continue reading
QPR (1) – Watford (0) – ‘Allen in Goal Saved the Day’
Team: Allen, Smith, Jefferson, Lowe, James, March, McEwan, Mallett, Swinfen, Fitzgerald, Bott Attendance: 7,364 On the 22nd April 1939, the R’s took on Watford at Loftus Road. The following match report later appeared in the Marylebone Mercury: ‘Staging a spirited late rally, Watford almost succeeded in snatching a point from the Rangers in a Southern Continue reading
Watching Football again……after a very Long Wait
November 1945 For most of us, the nine months since we last saw a live match in a stadium have been pretty excruciating. Back in 1945 however, many fans had to wait over six long years. 75 years ago, World War Two had just ended and football fans who had been in the Armed Services Continue reading