January 5th, FA Cup Third Round - QPR Draw at Chelsea and Win The Replay

January 5th....1974!

Gordon Jago's QPR, in their first season back in the old Division One - and in only their second-ever season in the First Division - travelled to Dave Sexton's "Mighty" Chelsea. And got a draw: 0-0. (Chelsea just prior to the game had transfer listed Peter Osgood and Alan Hudson - QPR should have bought Hudson,like they were linked to.)

QPR's Team that Day:
Parkes
Clement Mclintock Mancini Gillard
Francis Venables Leach
Thomas Bowles Givens

Ten Days later, January 15, 1974, in an early afternoon, midweek game (it was during the era of the "Three Day Week" industrial action, QPR, with the same team defeated Chelsea 1-0 with Stan Bowles scoring.

QPR's Team that Day:
Parkes
Clement Mclintock Mancini Gillard
Francis Venables Leach
Thomas Bowles Givens
Sub: Tony Hazell coming on for Bowles

See also: QPR vs Chelsea Record Past QPR vs Chelsea Results (and Players who played for both teams)

UPDATE: QPR OFFICIAL SITE FROM THE ARCHIVES
As the countdown continues to our trip to Stamford Bridge, www.qpr.co.uk looks back at a memorable past encounter between Chelsea and QPR.
QUEENS PARK RANGERS 1, CHELSEA 0
Tuesday, January 15 1974 - FA Cup Third Round Replay
A classic headed goal by Stanley Bowles sent Rangers rampaging into the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.
This replay was necessary after the sides drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge. The R's dominated that first game and went closest to scoring when a Gerry Francis penalty was pushed away by Chelsea keeper John Phillips.
With the miners' strike and three day week in operation, the floodlights could not be used at Loftus Road. So the re-match was scheduled for a lunchtime 1.30pm start on Tuesday, January 8. However, after heavy rain the day before, match referee Mr David Smith of Gloucestershire called the tie off less than two hours before the planned kick-off.
QPR then moved quickly to advise spectators of the waterlogged pitch. Within seven minutes of the ref's decision, Rangers had notified the local radio stations, the two London evening papers, the press agencies and television companies. In addition, local police arranged for 'Match Postponed' boards to be displayed at all tube and railway stations en route to the ground.
The fixture was subsequently rearranged for seven days later - again with a 1.30pm Tuesday billing. This was a mild, sunny day but the pitch was very heavy and greasy. And a bumper crowd of 28,715 packed into Loftus Road.
Rangers were fifth in the top flight at the time with Chelsea languishing in 17th spot. The visitors' line-up included John Hollins and David Webb, who were both later destined to move to QPR along with their manager Dave Sexton.
The Super Hoops dominated the replay for long spells on a multi-speckled mud heap of a surface. Frank McLintock had a goal disallowed early on. Then Don Givens sent in a powerful header which squirmed under keeper Phillips but it was hacked off the line by Chelsea defender Marvin Hinton.
We finally made the vital breakthrough on 63 minutes. Dave Thomas dwelt on the ball and then tickled it through to overlapping full-back Dave Clement. He made a brilliant, buccaneering run down the right before crossing for Stan Bowles to nod home in emphatic fashion.
It took the 'Pensioners' 82 minutes to win their first corner. Although they came close to snatching a late and undeserved equaliser. David Webb, who was playing as a makeshift centre-forward, pounced on to a loose clearance and volleyed the ball left footed against the crossbar.
Bowles was stretchered off in the final seconds with a gash on his ankle and a badly bruised calf. This followed a crunching tackle by Chelsea's Ron 'Chopper' Harris, who had already been booked for an earlier challenge on the R's number 10. Harris could well have been sent off it the referee had seen the second incident.
Despite this setback, Rangers held firm to register a first ever victory against our close rivals in a recognised competitive fixture. However, the celebrations at the final whistle were subdued due to an outbreak of serious hooliganism by the Chelsea fans who had been standing at the Loft end.
Wearing their trademark uniform of laced up Dr Martens boots and white flared trousers, they surged forward to demolish the wall that formed a boys' enclosure at the front of the terrace. One spectator was injured in the crush. Then the visitors' supporters stormed through a line of police and on to the playing area in a bid to pull down the goalposts.
R's secretary Ron Phillips told newspapers: "The Loft terrace wall did not give way under pressure. It was deliberate vandalism. It was kicked and pushed down by the Chelsea fans as they tried to get on to the pitch in their disappointment at losing."
Concentrating on the football, Rangers first team coach Steve Burtenshaw said afterwards: "Our team did very well under what was, at times, provocation by Chelsea's robust play. There were some very harsh tackles indeed.
"The conditions were bad but we proved that it is possible to play pure football on any surface if you have the skill. I always felt that the goal would come."
Veteran QPR defender Frank McLintock added: "Stan Bowles is in such a relaxed frame of mind that he played in this tense replay against Chelsea as he does in five-a-side games.
"Stan stopped the ball, shielded it and then threaded it through opponents' legs! You might have imagined that we were in a practise session rather than facing one of the top teams in the country before a 28,000 partisan crowd!"
In his match report in the Sun newspaper, Bob Driscoll wrote: "Bruised...battered...but on top of the world. That's Stan Bowles, the new king of West London...Chelsea have dominated West London for a long time but the crown has been snatched from them by QPR."
This match was the only time in our history that we have defeated Chelsea in the FA Cup...so far! QPR