QPR 5 Everton 0: A Retrospective Report

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Nice memories revived by Mark Tovey/Virgin Media of QPR's victory three decades ago, as QPR marked (almost) to the First Division Championship. [Of course, the next time QPR played Everton at Loftus Road: Opening day of the 1976/1977 season, the score was QPR 0 Everton 4...! And the following season, it was QPR 1-Everton 5!)

Mark Tovey/Virgin Media - QPR 5 Everton 0
Stan 'the man' Bowles scored for QPR
Saturday, 11th October 1975, was the day that set a precedent – and a president.

Down in London W12, Queens Park Rangers doubled the number of goals they had scored in their previous five home league fixtures, while in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in the USA, future American commander-in-chief Bill Clinton was marrying Hilary Rodham.

Nevertheless, today was all about the outstanding leadership of QPR and England captain, Gerry Francis, and an exciting Hoops team that stamped their authority on the English first division, which they headed before kick-off, with five wins and five draws from their first eleven matches.

Rangers had reached the Division 1 summit under the tutelage of Dave Sexton, who had been appointed twelve months earlier following the sack at Chelsea. Whilst at Stamford Bridge, Sexton led the blues to FA Cup success against Leeds in 1970, and beat the mighty Real Madrid to land the European Cup Winners Cup the following season. Once ensconced at Loftus Road, Sexton implemented coaching methods that were way ahead of their time, including specialist fitness training and diets which helped a team largely built by his predecessor Gordon Jago to realise their true potential in the 1975-76 season.

Due to their UEFA Cup participation, after finishing fourth the previous season, Billy Bingham’s Everton had played one game less, recording five wins and three draws, but had a reputation for dour defensive football away from home.

Scenting blood, the home side tore into their opponents from the off and scored within sixty seconds. Stan Bowles’ chipped pass cleared the sleepy heads of Everton’s defence and allowed Don Givens to exchange passes with Mick Leach before stroking the ball past keeper Dai Davies.

Following this rude awakening, Everton uncharacteristically poured forward, but their striker Bob Latchford fluffed a simple chance and had another brilliantly saved by Phil Parkes, before Rangers went 2-0 up on the half-hour after midfielder Don Masson smashed in a 20-yard shot.

In the second half, Everton’s respite lasted a full nineteen minutes; and they even threatened to score, before Francis exhilarated a packed house of 23,500 with a superbly taken goal. Alert to a deep pass conjured by the magical Bowles, Francis sprinted forward, gathered, then beat Buckley’s despairing lunge before teasing the ball into an expectant net

Five minutes later, Rangers’ winger Dave Thomas, characterised by his permanently rolled-down socks made it 4-0 with a well struck shot, after bamboozling full-back Kenyon for the umpteenth time.

The final act belonged to Francis, who brilliantly anticipated another astute delivery and glided through the Everton defence, before inter-passing with Don Masson and scoring with aplomb.

Poor Everton, their players must have felt like captives amongst the sheer stands that strangled the Loftus Road pitch on every side, belting out a vociferous roar at the final whistle. Almost like, ‘Within These Walls’, a British drama about the fictional women’s prison, HMP Stonepark, which aired on ITV, at 8.00 pm that evening and starred Googie Withers, who may have sounded like an American country and western singer, but was actually an accomplished actress.

Talking of real musicians, lovable Cockney warbler David Essex sang this weekend’s number one single, ‘Hold Me Close’, which was prophetic if you were a Liverpool fan, because despite winning a staggering thirteen of their last fifteen fixtures, defeat at Norwich on 17th April meant the Hoops finished second, one point behind the Merseyside champions at the seasons close.

16th October 2007 Report