On FA Cup First Round Day - Cup Flashback Five Years to QPR's Greatest-Ever Humiliation: Vauxhall Motors

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In 2001-2002 (November 8), Ian Holloway's Division 2 QPR, chasing for promotion from what used to be called the Third Division, played "fourth Division" strugglers, Swansea (in a game shown live on TV): The result Swansea 4 QPR 0 QPR's team that day: Digby, Forbes, Warren, Palmer, Plummer, Perry, Connolly, Bignot, Bonnot, Griffiths, Dodou. Subs: Bruce, Wardley, Bull, Paquette, Burgess. Swansea - QPR Match Report Holloway's Response (besides re-signing Kevin Gallen a few days later): "They were gutless. We were out-battled and out-fought. Not many of my players were worth their wages. Perhaps some of them have been at the club too long and if they don't want to play for the club they can leave," he raged." - This is Local London

But far, far, greater humiliation came to Holloway's QPR the following season: in the FA Cup First Round in 2002/03: An away 0-0 draw at non-League Vauxhall Motors (November 16)...followed by a replay at Loftus Road (November 26), a 1-1 draw, after extra time and then a QPR exit on Penalties.

BBC- Wednesday, 26 November, 2002, FA Cup 1st round Replay Vauxhall Motors stun QPR
QPR 1-1 Vauxhall Motors (aet) (Vauxhall won 4-3 on penalties)
Vauxhall Motors caused the upset of the FA Cup first round as they dumped out Second Division QPR on penalties at Loftus Road.
The Unibond League outfit thoroughly deserved their victory and should have won in normal time.
But it was left to goalkeeper Andy Ralph to save from Paul Furlong in the shootout before Karl Connolly's miss sent the part-timers through 4-3.
There did not look to be an upset on the cards when Andy Thomson shot QPR ahead after 18 minutes.
But when Vauxhall skipper Phil Brazier levelled four minutes later the game swung towards the part-timers.
They were denied four times in the first half after superb efforts by Terry Fearns, Robbie Lawton, Peter Cumiskey and Nicky Young as they dominated their opponents.
QPR hit back after the break as the non-League side tired. But Thomson, Clarke Carlisle and Connolly all missed chances as the game went first into extra time and then to penalties.
Vauxhall earned a second-round tie at Macclesfield with successful kicks from Cumiskey, Fearns, Carl Nesbitt and Kevin Lynch, and were given a standing ovation at the end.
QPR: Digby, Forbes, Carlisle, Palmer, Padula, Burgess, Bircham, Langley, Williams, Thomson, Furlong. Subs: Culkin, Connolly, Murphy, Oli, Daly.

Vauxhall Motors: Ralph, Lawton, Brazier, Collins, McDermott, Nesbitt, Aspinall, Haddrell, Cumiskey, Fearns, Young. Subs: Hogg, Thompson, Lynch, Derek Ward, Welton.
BBC

The Guardian -QPR caught in Vauxhall spotlights
Matthew Hancock at Loftus Road November 27, 2002
This was not meant to happen. Vauxhall Motors of the Unibond Premier League humiliated Second Division Queens Park Rangers by knocking them out of the Cup on penalties after two matches and 210 minutes of competition had failed to find a winner.
In surmounting the three- division gap between the sides Vauxhall found a hero in their 19-year-old goalkeeper Andy Ralph, who flung himself to his right to save Paul Furlong's opening spot-kick for Rangers.
Then, after seven successful penalties, the pressure was on Karl Connolly to score. He side-footed wide and the small band of supporters who had travelled down from the Wirral received their reward.
Not only had they achieved one of the great first-round upsets but they had banked £120,000 and TV bonuses as their second-round match at Macclesfield on Saturday week will be shown live on Sky.
"We fully deserved victory; it's an historic day for the club and tremendous publicity for us," said Tony Woodley, Vauxhall's chairman, who was also the club's first manager when it was formed in 1963. "It gives us extra finance to grow and build the club."
Any ambitions, however realistic, to join the Conference can wait for another day. Vauxhall will dwell on their biggest night for a while.
They were the true Cup underdogs, grittily fighting back after Andy Thomson put Rangers ahead in the 18th minute. But they equalised four minutes later. Peter Cumiskey sent in a cross that allowed Robbie Lawton to feed his captain Phil Brazier, who in turn slammed the ball into the net.
Rangers could have won the match in the second half and should have won in extra-time as the non-leaguers, understandably, tired. Marc Bircham came closest to scoring when he forced Ralph to dive to his left and parry a fierce effort and another shot rebounded to safety off the crossbar. When Thomson headed over from close range in the last minute it was down to penalties.
Rangers' manager Ian Holloway, who has yet to win any cup match from seven attempts, was disconsolate. "Where was the passion? Where was the commitment? We looked like we were on a different planet," he said. "It's the worst day I've ever had in the office."
But Vauxhall's manager Alvin McDonald did not care. He could barely keep the smile from his face. "The things these boys keep achieving just get better and better," he said. "It's absolutely fabulous. I would never write these lads off."
Then he put the whole night into perspective. "We had better get going because some of these lads have got to be at work tomorrow morning." Guardian


Ten Days previously, in the first match:
BBC - Vauxhall Motors 0 QPR 0
Vauxhall Motors held Second Division Queens Park Rangers to a goalless draw in the FA Cup first round, although they had the chances to produce a shock win.
The non-league outfit came close on several occasions but could not manage the all-important first goal.
Nicky Young drilled in a right-footed effort that flashed wide, while Carl Nesbitt had a shot blocked by Tommy Williams.
Marc Bircham squandered a decent opportunity for Rangers, but Andy Ralph made a good save in the home goal, while Dennis Oli shot over when well-placed.
Steve Aspinall fired over for Vauxhall just before the break, before Steve Palmer shot wide from just outside the area.
Rangers were forced into a change just before the hour when Oli was replaced by Kevin Gallen with what looked to be a serious injury.
Vauxhall Motors: Rolph, Collins, McDermott, Brazier, Haddrell, Lawton, Aspinall, Nesbitt, Young, Fearns, Cumiskey. Subs: Thompson, Hogg, Lynch, Derek Ward, Welton.
QPR: Digby, Palmer, Carlisle, Shittu, Rose, Bircham, Connolly, Williams, Burgess, Oli, Thomson. Subs: Forbes, Padula, Gallen, Culkin, Daly. BBC