QPR's Quartet of Promotions

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Unfortunately not really celebrated or commemorated by the club, but this year marked four major milestone anniversaries of major QPR successes: Four QPR Promotions. (Unfortunately, there haven't been that many triumphs in QPR's history to make the ones we have had, so easy to overlook or ignore.)

It's 60 years - 1948 - since QPR won their first League Championship - and promotion for the first time out of the old Division Three South. QPR's First Championship

It's 40 years - 1968 -since Alec Stock's QPR first gained promotion to the First Division - The Greatest Day in QPR History

It's 35 years - 1973 - since QPR won promotion to the First Division under Gordon Jago, Terry Venables, Stan Bowles, Gerry Francis and Dave Thomas (and all the rest) - QPR's Promotion.

It's 25 Years - 1983 - since QPR's Last Promotion under manager Terry Venables, and Clive Allen, Simon Stainrod, John Gregory, Garry Waddock and Terry Fenwick - QPR's Last Title


What was previously posted on QPR Report re these Four Triumphs


1983: 25 Years Ago: QPR's Last Championship Title (1982-83 Season)

Marking a Quarter of a Century since QPR last won a championship Title: May 14, 1983 when Terry Venables (and Allan Harris') Queens Park Rangers concluded their season with a 1-1 draw at Grimsby to win the then Division Two (now The Championship) title by 10 points. (A season which had begun with a 0-1 loss at Newcastle who had just signed Kevin Keegan).

Video: One of the Highlights: Video from March 5, 1983: QPR 6 Middlesbrough 1 including Clive Allen's Hattrick Video of QPR's Six Goals
Hucker Neil Wicks Fenwick Dawes Flanagan Waddock Gregory Mickelwhite Allen Stainrod

Promoted Teams:
Queens Park Rangers 42 26 7 9 77 36 85
Wolverhampton W. 42 20 15 7 68 44 75
Leicester City 42 20 10 12 72 44 70

A QPR team with Fenwick and Wicks...Gregory and Waddock...Allen and Stainrod (The normal QPR Team: Hucker - Neil Wicks (or Hazell) Fenwick (Roeder) Dawes - Waddock Gregory Flanagan Micklewhite - Stainrod Sealy (or Clive Allen) - Tony Currie mostly injured.)

But most of all, a QPR under the brilliant Terry Venables. (And of course, a QPR playing on the "Controversial artificial/plastic pitch!"). Coming on the footsteps of their two FA Cup Final matches against Spurs, and with a great season in Division to come, QPR's future under Terry Venables looked bright.

QPR's Leading goalscorers that season: Tony Sealy 16, John Gregory 15 Simon Stainrod 9 and Clive Allen 13 (From 26 appearances)

{The only thing that ruined the season: Chelsea JUST failed to get relegated to Division Three that season!)

See QPR's Season: Results and Final Table

- 1982/1983 Table

- 1982/1983 Results

- The famed Guiness Shirt


1973: Thirty-Five Years Ago: QPR Promotion at End of 1972-1973 Season

Thirty-five years ago today (wow!), Gordon Jago's QPR team, with Parkes, Clement, Venables, Francis, Thomas, Bowles and Givens, completed their 1972-1973 promotion season with a 3-0 victory at FA Cup Winners Sunderland. 1972-1973 Results

In that final games at Sunderland, Stan Bowles has spoken and written about how he almost started a riot, by deliberately knocking over Sunderland's newly-won FA Cup with a long range shot.
As someone on Wikipedia has written "Bowles was often regarded as something of a character both on and off the pitch. One notable incident in his playing days involved the famous FA Cup trophy. Having won the FA Cup competition four days prior, Sunderland were parading the trophy at Roker Park on May 9, 1973 when they met QPR in the old Division 2. The trophy had been placed on a table at the side of the pitch when Bowles tore straight across the park and kicked the ball at it full speed, sending the Cup flying through the air.[1] The crowd predictably went ballistic, however Stan had the last laugh by scoring a brace in the match which ended in a pitch invasion. According to Bowles some of the QPR players had laid bets as to who could hit the trophy first." Wikipedia

Although For what it's worth: From the Guardian - November 2006
DID STAN BOWLES TAKE A POT SHOT AT THE FA CUP (2)?
Last week we delved into Stan Bowles's autobiography to discover that, apparently, he once booted a ball at the FA Cup trophy while it was being displayed pitchside at Sunderland during a game. But that's not the end of the story ...
Because reader Brian Halliday sent our article to a friend of his, one Gordon Jago MBE, the manager of QPR at the time of the incident, and who now resides in Dallas. Here's Gordon's view of the events: "The truth is that yes, the FA Cup was knocked off the table during the game against Sunderland, but not by Stan Bowles. It was Tony Hazell, the QPR defender.
"At some time during the game Tony cleared a ball and it knocked the cup flying. This incident really upset the home fans; so much so that the referee took both teams from the field to let tempers cool. The game was eventually restarted and we finished 3-0 winners. Stan had someone write a book for him and he tells the story about a bet and that he deliberately knocked the cup off the table. Fiction! I do not know if Tony or any of the other players have contacted Stan to correct him, but that story is typical of him and no doubt it helped to sell the book." Guardian

DIVISION TWO 1972/1973
Pos Name Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1 Burnley 42 24 14 4 72 35 62
2 Queens Park Rangers 42 24 13 5 81 37 61
3 Aston Villa 42 18 14 10 51 47 50
4 Middlesbrough 42 17 13 12 46 43 47
5 Bristol City 42 17 12 13 63 51 46
6 Sunderland 42 17 12 13 59 49 46
7 Blackpool 42 18 10 14 56 51 46
8 Oxford United 42 19 7 16 52 43 45
9 Fulham 42 16 12 14 58 49 44
10 Sheffield Wednesday 42 17 10 15 59 55 44
11 Millwall 42 16 10 16 55 47 42
12 Luton Town 42 15 11 16 44 53 41
13 Hull City 42 14 12 16 64 59 40
14 Nottingham Forest 42 14 12 16 47 52 40
15 Orient 42 12 12 18 49 53 36
16 Swindon Town 42 10 16 16 46 60 36
17 Portsmouth 42 12 11 19 42 59 35
18 Carlisle United 42 11 12 19 50 52 34
19 Preston North End 42 11 12 19 37 64 34
20 Cardiff City 42 11 11 20 43 58 33
21 Huddersfield Town 42 8 17 17 36 56 33
22 Brighton & Hove Albion 42 8 13 21 46 83 29
Table



1968 Season: Forty Years Ago: 1967-1968 Promotion

While opinions might vary, arguably this was the greatest - and most momentous - day in QPR history: May 11, 1968, the day that "little" QPR won promotion to the First Division (as it was then called) opened up new vistas and a new horizon for a team that was historically "just" a little Third Division Team. To reach the First Division...The feeling for a QPR fan was truly incredible.

The history should be known to all QPR Fans: Promoted the previous season as Third Division Champions and League Cup Winners, QPR had previously spent only four seasons (1948-1952) in the Second Division. Only one other team in history had gone straight through from the Third to the First Division in successive seasons. Basically with a couple of additions and departures, this was the same team that got QPR promoted from the Third Division. Incoming: Ron Springett, Frank Clarke...Outgoing: Peter Springett, Mark Lazarus.

May 11, 1968, QPR travelled to Aston Villa, neck and neck with Blackpool chasing for promotion. (In an era, when there were two points for a win; there was goal aggregate (goals for divided by goals against) rather than goal difference; and only two teams were promoted - with no playoffs for the teams below). The Programme Mick Leach scored QPR's first. Eight Minutes from time, a Bradley Own goal put QPR 2-1 up and that was the final score. QPR promoted with a marginally better goal aggregate than Blackpool.

The QPR team on that day: Mike Kelly in goal. Allan Harris, Bobby Keetch, Tony Hazell and Ian Watson in defense
Ian Morgan, Mike Keen Les Allen, Mick Leach
Rodney Marsh, Frank Clarke

The 1967-1968 Season: If "1967" has become synonymous with QPR's Wembley Victory (and the Third Division Championship!) 1968 was in some ways even more beyond belief.
Managed by Alec Stock...coached by Bill Dodgin...Captained by Mike Keen...Inspired by Rodney Marsh and Roger and Ian Morgan...

The 1967/1968 Players: Mark Lazarus started with QPR and moved on to Crystal Palace. Formre England Goalkeeper, Ron Springett had returned to QPR in a swop, in which his brother Peter Springett moved to Sheffield Wednesday. Alan Harris joined QPR. Rodney Marsh missed the start of the season with a broken foot, but ended the season as top goalscorer with 14 goals. Near the transfer deadline, Frank Clarke joined QPR from Shrewsbury (after QPR failed to sign John O'Rourke)
Les Allen, Frank Clarke, Dave Clement, Alan Harris, Tony Hazell, Ron Hunt, Mike Keen, Bobby Keetch, Mick Leach, Rodney Marsh, Ian Morga, Roger Morgan, Keith Sanderson Also: Mark Lazarus, Bobby Finch, Backup goalie, Mike Kelly, Frank Sibley, Ian Watson, Alan Wilks. Ever presents: Mike Keen, Roger Morgan, Allan Harris.
Leading Scorers: Rodney Marsh 14, Ian Morgan 10, Mick Leach 10, Roger Morgan 8, Les Allen 6, Mike Keen 6, Frank Clarke 3.
And of course the season, when in the League Cup, Alan Wilks scored a record five goals in QPR's 5-1 win over Oxford United.

A couple of team photos from the era: The 1967 squad and Many of QPR's 1967/1968 Squad

Memories of the May 11, 1968 day on the Indepdent Rs Site: Memories I
Memories II

Ex-Blackpool's Tony Green Recalls QPR's 1967/1968 Promotion Pipping
Blackpool Gazette, February 9, 2008 - Legends: Tony Green
"...Signed with Pool already doomed to drop out of the old First Division, Green was sidelined for the '69/70 promotion season and a further ankle injury finished him at 25.
His abiding memory of five years at Bloomfield Road was being denied promotion back to the First Division on goal difference in '67/68, when Pool came third behind Ipswich and QPR.
"We'd won at Huddersfield and thought we were up. Our supporters crowded onto the field and were going daft but we got back in the dressingroom to find that QPR had scored a winner in the last minute against Aston Villa. They'd been losing with ten minutes left," said Green, who lives at Poulton.
"Inside a few minutes the mood went from euphoria to massive disappointment. But we were eventually upbeat because our manager Stan Mortensen was a fairly upbeat character." Blackpool Gazette

See
1967/1968 Table

1967/1968 Division Two Week-by-Week Results,

For further Nostalgia: "Where Are They Now" - See QPRNet's Section for some of the players from the 1960s

1967/1968 - DIVISION TWO TABLE & RESULTS
Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1 Ipswich Town 42 22 15 5 79 44 59
2 Queens Park Rangers 42 25 8 9 67 36 58

3 Blackpool 42 24 10 8 71 43 58
4 Birmingham City 42 19 14 9 83 51 52
5 Portsmouth 42 18 13 11 68 55 49
6 Middlesbrough 42 17 12 13 60 54 46
7 Millwall 42 14 17 11 62 50 45
8 Blackburn Rovers 42 16 11 15 56 49 43
9 Norwich City 42 16 11 15 60 65 43
10 Carlisle United 42 14 13 15 58 52 41
11 Crystal Palace 42 14 11 17 56 56 39
12 Bolton Wanderers 42 13 13 16 60 63 39
13 Cardiff City 42 13 12 17 60 66 38
14 Huddersfield Town 42 13 12 17 46 61 38
15 Charlton Athletic 42 12 13 17 63 68 37
16 Aston Villa 42 15 7 20 54 64 37
17 Hull City 42 12 13 17 58 73 37
18 Derby County 42 13 10 19 71 78 36
19 Bristol City 42 13 10 19 48 62 36
20 Preston North End 42 12 11 19 43 65 35
21 Rotherham United 42 10 11 21 42 76 31
22 Plymouth Argyle 42 9 9 24 38 72 27

RESULTS
1-1 Away v Portsmouth 1967-08-19 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 1
2-0 Away v Bristol City 1967-08-22 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 2
2-0 Home v Norwich City 1967-08-26 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 3
3-1 Home v Bristol City 1967-08-29 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 4
3-1 Away v Rotherham United 1967-09-02 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 5
3-0 Home v Aston Villa 1967-09-05 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 6
0-1 Home v Derby County 1967-09-09 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 7
2-1 Home v Hull City 1967-09-12 Football League Cup, 1967/68, Round 2
2-0 Away v Preston North End 1967-09-16 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 8
2-1 Home v Charlton Athletic 1967-09-23 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 9
0-1 Away v Crystal Palace 1967-09-30 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 10
1-0 Home v Bolton Wanderers 1967-10-07 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 11
5-1 Home v Oxford United 1967-10-10 Football League Cup, 1967/68, Round 3
0-2 Away v Hull City 1967-10-14 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 12
3-1 Home v Millwall 1967-10-21 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 13
1-0 Away v Blackpool 1967-10-28 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 14
1-2 Home v Burnley 1967-10-31 Football League Cup, 1967/68, Round 4
1-3 Away v Carlisle United 1967-11-11 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 15
1-1 Home v Middlesbrough 1967-11-18 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 16
0-1 Away v Huddersfield Town 1967-11-25 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 17
1-0 Home v Ipswich Town 1967-12-02 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 18
0-2 Away v Birmingham City 1967-12-09 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 19
3-1 Home v Blackburn Rovers 1967-12-12 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 20
2-0 Home v Portsmouth 1967-12-16 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 21
0-0 Away v Norwich City 1967-12-23 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 22
1-0 Away v Plymouth Argyle 1967-12-26 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 23
4-1 Home v Plymouth Argyle 1967-12-30 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 24
6-0 Home v Rotherham United 1968-01-06 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 25
2-0 Home v Preston North End 1968-01-20 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 26
1-3 Home v Preston North End 1968-01-27 F.A. Cup, 1967/68, Round 3
3-3 Away v Charlton Athletic 1968-02-03 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 27
2-1 Home v Crystal Palace 1968-02-10 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 28
0-4 Away v Derby County 1968-02-17 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 29
1-1 Away v Bolton Wanderers 1968-02-24 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 30
1-1 Home v Hull City 1968-03-09 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 31
1-1 Away v Millwall 1968-03-16 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 32
2-0 Home v Blackpool 1968-03-23 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 33
1-0 Away v Blackburn Rovers 1968-03-30 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 34
1-0 Home v Carlisle United 1968-04-06 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 35
1-0 Home v Cardiff City 1968-04-12 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 36
1-3 Away v Middlesbrough 1968-04-13 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 37
0-1 Away v Cardiff City 1968-04-16 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 38
3-0 Home v Huddersfield Town 1968-04-20 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 39
2-2 Away v Ipswich Town 1968-04-27 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 40
2-0 Home v Birmingham City 1968-05-04 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 41
2-1 Away v Aston Villa 1968-05-11 2nd Division, 1967/68, Match 42
Statistics Source

QPR's 1967/1968 Statistics.
P W D L F A Home% Away% Total%
All League Matches 42 25 8 9 67 36 90.5% 47.6% 69.05%
F.A. Cup 1 0 0 1 1 3 0.0% - 0.00%
Football League Cup 3 2 0 1 8 4 66.7% - 66.67%
Home 25 20 2 3 54 16 84.0% - 84.00%
Away 21 7 6 8 22 27 - 47.6% 47.62%
August 4 3 1 0 8 2 100.0% 75.0% 87.50%
September 7 5 0 2 12 5 75.0% 66.7% 71.43%
October 6 4 0 2 11 6 75.0% 50.0% 66.67%
November 3 0 1 2 2 5 50.0% 0.0% 16.67%
December 7 5 1 1 11 4 100.0% 50.0% 78.57%
January 3 2 0 1 9 3 66.7% - 66.67%
February 4 1 2 1 6 9 100.0% 33.3% 50.00%
March 4 2 2 0 5 2 75.0% 75.0% 75.00%
April 6 3 1 2 8 6 100.0% 16.7% 58.33%
May 2 2 0 0 4 1 100.0% 100.0% 100.00%

Weekend Match 36 19 8 9 55 36 83.3% 44.4% 63.89%
Midweek Match 10 8 0 2 21 7 85.7% 66.7% 80.00%

Statistics


1948 - QPR's First Title and Promotion (1947-1948)

This year marks the Diamond Anniversary of QPR's First Title and Promotion: Sixty Years ago, the 1947/1948 came to a close and QPR won the Third Division South Championship and promotion to the Second Division for the first time in their history.

QPR's manager that season was Dave Magnall. In goal was Reg Allen (still with QPR before moving on to Man United.) QPR's top scorer with 25 goals was C Hatton followed by D Boxshall with 13. Most appearances: Playing in 47 of the 48 League and cup games: Ivor Powell (who's still active sixty years later.).

From QPR Official Site - A POTTED HISTORY OF QPR (1882-2008)
"...In 1945/46 QPR finished top of the League they were in. They also got through to the Fifth Round of the Cup - the only time it was played on a two-leg basis. In 1947/48 they reached the Sixth Round of the Cup before losing to Derby after a replay, and on 26th April 1948 won promotion for the first time to the Second Division.
QPR spent four years in the Second Division, before they were relegated back to Division Three in 1952. Dave Mangnall left the club and his place was taken by Jack Taylor. In 1953 the first floodlights were installed at Loftus Road at a cost of £5,000, the first floodlit match being against Arsenal on 5th October. In 1959 Alec Stock joined the club as a manager, and signed Brian Bedford from Bournemouth.... QPR

From The Official History of Queens Park Rangers by Gordon acey (2000 Edition)
"1947-1948. "...Rangers made two costly signings. They paid their record fee of £2,000 fo George Smith the Bentford centre-half and the same figure to Wolverhampton Wanderers for Fred Ramscar....
....By now the crowds were into the mid 20,000 range for each game ...the title belong to Rangers who had now won promotion for the first time in their history....
...The increased revenue enable the club to make a very important purchase, that of the freehold of the ground together with the thirty nine houses adjoining in Ellersie and Loftus Roads. The cost of £26,250 was met by the issue of shares, which due to the club's success was fully taken up...
Before the start of the [1948-1949] season, Rangers became the first British club to make an official trip to Turkey..." (pp 67-68)

Brief Video of QPR from that year: In the FA CUP that year: - QPR vs Derby Video
Pathe Description: "Start of the FA (Football Association) Cup 6th round football match between Queen's Park Rangers and Derby County. Ball goes out to Harrison. Bad pass. Powell kicks the ball forward. Goalkeeper of Derby County collects ball as Heath rushes in and clears up field. Various shots of the game. Hartburn scores for QPR. Crowd cheering. Throw-in. Close up shot of cheerful Charlie Chester. Billy Steele (Steel) shoots. Goalkeeper partially saves, but ball goes back to Steele who scores from rebound. Crowd cheering. Steele to Morrison, Morrison to Stamps. Centre to Steele, back to Jackie Stamps (Stamp) and Smith clears. Leuty beats Heath in the air, to Steele to Morrison. Powell tackles and slices across goal area. Carter shoot but goalkeeper Allen clears. Steele collects and dribbles forward. Forward pass. Various shots of the game. Final score Queen's Park Rangers 1, Derby County 1." Pathe -

STILL PHOTOS Stll Photo 1 Still Photo II - The Supporters 1 - The Supporters II

QPR's hoops in 1948 (as opposed to their first season after promotion: QPR's "hoops in 1949") (replaced by Hoops again)


DIVISION THREE SOUTH - 1947/1948

Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1 Queens Park Rangers 42 26 9 7 74 37 61
2 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athleti 42 24 9 9 76 35 57
3 Walsall 42 21 9 12 70 40 51
4 Ipswich Town 42 23 3 16 67 61 49
5 Swansea Town 42 18 12 12 70 52 48
6 Notts County 42 19 8 15 68 59 46
7 Bristol City 42 18 7 17 77 65 43
8 Port Vale 42 16 11 15 63 54 43
9 Southend United 42 15 13 14 51 58 43
10 Reading 42 15 11 16 56 58 41
11 Exeter City 42 15 11 16 55 63 41
12 Newport County 42 14 13 15 61 73 41
13 Crystal Palace 42 13 13 16 49 49 39
14 Northampton Town 42 14 11 17 58 72 39
15 Watford 42 14 10 18 57 79 38
16 Swindon Town 42 10 16 16 41 46 36
17 Leyton Orient 42 13 10 19 51 73 36
18 Torquay United 42 11 13 18 63 62 35
19 Aldershot 42 10 15 17 45 67 35
20 Bristol Rovers 42 13 8 21 71 75 34
21 Norwich City 42 13 8 21 61 76 34
22 Brighton & Hove Albion 42 11 12 19 43 73 43
Table

1947-1948 Results: QPR's 1947-1948 Results:

[Further Memories: If you have any memories of this season - or any links to material or photos from this season, please feel free to post or to email at QPRReport@hotmail.com

It's 25 Years - 1983 - since QPR last won a title - and promotion to the First Division, under Terry Venables - QPR's Last Title