Flasback - 40 Years Ago Today: QPR's First-Ever Game in Division One

-
Forty years ago, today, August 10, 1968, QPR played their first-ever game in the old Division One (and today would be the Premiership).
At a Loftus Road, where the new South African Road Stand was not complete, newly-promoted QPR took on Leicester City who had the English record-signing, Alan Clarke (150,000 pound signing from Fulham) making his debut. QPR -as often was the case - were the better team, but could only draw 1-1 with Les Allen coming on as sub to equalize. (Rodney Marsh was injured with a pre-season broken foot injury).
QPR's team for its opening game vs Leicester
Ron Springet
Finch Watson Hazell Harris
Morgan Keen Sibley Morgan
Leach Wilks -
Sub Les Allen

As noted on QPR Report a couple of months ago, 1968/1969 was perhaps the most humiliating season in QPR history (although over the years QPR of course, have their individual humiliating results: Vauxhall Motors, to cite but one). But the euphoria/sense of disbelief that was present at that Leicester game won't be forgotten by anyone who was at that game. The season started with just such euphoria. The feeling of just complete amazement and disbelief that "little QPR" were playing in the same Division as Manchester United and Leeds and Liverpool and Arsenal and Manchester City and Chelsea and Spurs and Everton. Just beyond belief for QPR fans. Something any QPR fan of that era will forever remember.

Having experienced the incredible euphoria of gaining promotion to the then-called First Division (see "Greatest Day in QPR History", QPR then experienced a season of humiliation and a then record-low number of Points (18) (subsequently and thankfully "bettered" by Stoke) and 4 wins all season (all at home);without a single away victory. And every QPR fan old enough to remember that year will recall the numerous occasions, in which QPR were unlucky to have lost.

PHOTOS and MEMORABILIA - Photo of the individualQPR Players from 1968-1969 --- QPR Team Photo from that Era --- QPR vs Manchester United Programme --- More QPR Programmes from that era --- Newcastle vs QPR Programme --- Manchester United vs QPR --- QPR Home programmes from that era

In 1968-1969, QPR had far and away, the worst defensive record in the Division (with 95 goals conceded. The two previous seasons, 36 in 1967/68 amd and 38 in 19666/67, they had the best defenses in their division.

1968-1968: A season that saw
- QPR axe Alec Stock without a single game in charge
- Manager, Tommy Docherty - "The Doc" come and go within one month to be replaed by Neophyte Les Allen as player-manager.
- The South Africa Road Stand built (not complete before the season began)
- Record transfer signing fee broken: 55,000 pounds for former England International, Barry Bridges
- Record transfer sale: The break up of the Morgan twins, with Roger Morgan joining Spurs for 110,000 pounds.
- The League debut of future England captain, Gerry Francis

QPR's pre-season Transfer Activity: Signing Dave Metchick from Peterborough for 5,000!
Rodney Marsh missed the start of the season due to a broken foot.
QPR's only ever-present, defender Ian Watson.
QPR's top goalscorers: Barry Bridges 8 goals from 28 games and Mick Leach 8 goals from 31 games.
Goalkeeping was divided beween Ron Springett, Mike Kelly and then Alan Spratley playing in QPR's final 11 games.

Among the lowlights of the season (and there were many): The 8-1 defeat at Manchester United at the top. The 5-0 defeat at Coventry. And the 0-4 home defeats to Cheslea and WBA. And a League Cup defeat to lowly Peterbrough.

QPR Official Site History - On 1968-1969
"In 1967/68 QPR were promoted to the First Division for the first time by finished second in the table. In 1968/69 the South Africa Road Stand was completed. QPR were relegated after only one season in Division One with only 18 points. Alex Stock left the club, Tommy Docherty came and went in 28 days, and Les Allen took over. On 7th February 1969 Roger Morgan became the first QPR player to be sold for a six-figure fee." QPR

It's a fascinating, counter-factual, impossible-to-resolve question: If QPR hadn't won promotion in 1967/68, would another season in Division II have better prepared the team for Division One? Was 1968-1969 "A Bridge too Far?" - Or would QPR have just fallen away?...
Or if QPR had rather than spending on the South Africa Road stand, instead, strengthened the team: Say by buying Terry Venables a season earlier, etc; a goalkeeper, a forward, would that have made enough of a different?
If Rodney Marsh - Rodddd-neeeee had started the season, fit, would that have made a big enough difference?
Were QPR wrong to basically stick with their team which had got them out of the Third Division?

Final 1968/1969 English Division 1 (old) Table
P HW HD HL HGF HGA AW AD AL AGF AGA Points G Avg
Leeds 42 18 3 0 41 9 9 10 2 25 17 67 .5384
Liverpool 42 16 4 1 36 10 9 7 5 27 14 61 .625
Everton 42 14 5 2 43 10 7 10 4 34 26 57 .1388
Arsenal 42 12 6 3 31 12 10 6 5 25 15 56 .0740
Chelsea 42 11 7 3 40 24 9 3 9 33 29 50 .3773
Tottenham 42 10 8 3 39 22 4 9 8 22 29 45 .1960
Southampton 42 13 5 3 41 21 3 8 10 16 27 45 .1875
West Ham 42 10 8 3 47 22 3 10 8 19 28 44 .32
Newcastle 42 12 7 2 40 20 3 7 11 21 35 44 .1090
West Brom 42 11 7 3 43 26 5 4 12 21 41 43 .9552
Man Utd 42 13 5 3 38 18 2 7 12 19 35 42 .0754
Ipswich 42 10 4 7 32 26 5 7 9 27 34 41 .9833
Man City 42 13 6 2 49 20 2 4 15 15 35 40 .1636
Burnley 42 11 6 4 36 25 4 3 14 19 57 39 .6707
Sheff Wed 42 7 9 5 27 26 3 7 11 14 28 36 .7592
Wolves 42 7 10 4 26 22 3 5 13 15 36 35 .7068
Sunderland 42 10 6 5 28 18 1 6 14 15 49 34 .6417
Nottm Forest 42 6 6 9 17 22 4 7 10 28 35 33 .7894
Stoke 42 9 7 5 24 24 0 8 13 16 39 33 .6349
Coventry 42 8 6 7 32 22 2 5 14 14 42 31 .7187
Leicester 42 8 8 5 27 24 1 4 16 12 44 30 .5735
QPR 42 4 7 10 20 33 0 3 18 19 62 18 .4105
NB: In English Division 1 (old) 1968/1969 goal average applied instead of goal difference - 1968/1969 First Division Table

QPR 1968/1969 results and fixtures

English Division 1 (old) QPR 1-1 Leicester 10-08-1968
English Division 1 (old) Leeds 4-1 QPR 14-08-1968
English Division 1 (old) Wolves 3-1 QPR 17-08-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 2-2 Sunderland 20-08-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 1-1 Man City 24-08-1968
English Division 1 (old) Ipswich 3-0 QPR 27-08-1968
English Division 1 (old) Arsenal 2-1 QPR 31-08-1968
English Division 1 (old) Liverpool 2-0 QPR 07-09-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 0-4 Chelsea 14-09-1968
English Division 1 (old) Stoke 1-1 QPR 21-09-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 1-1 Southampton 28-09-1968
English Division 1 (old) West Brom 3-1 QPR 05-10-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 2-1 Ipswich 08-10-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 3-2 Sheff Wed 12-10-1968
English Division 1 (old) Newcastle 3-2 QPR 19-10-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 2-3 Man Utd 26-10-1968
English Division 1 (old) West Ham 4-3 QPR 02-11-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 0-2 Burnley 09-11-1968
English Division 1 (old) Everton 4-0 QPR 16-11-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 2-1 Nottm Forest 23-11-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 0-1 Coventry 07-12-1968
English Division 1 (old) Sheff Wed 4-0 QPR 14-12-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 1-1 Newcastle 21-12-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 0-4 West Brom 26-12-1968
English Division 1 (old) QPR 1-1 West Ham 11-01-1969
English Division 1 (old) Burnley 2-2 QPR 18-01-1969
English Division 1 (old) QPR 0-1 Leeds 24-01-1969
English Division 1 (old) Tottenham 3-2 QPR 29-01-1969
English Division 1 (old) QPR 0-1 Everton 01-02-1969
English Division 1 (old) QPR 1-1 Tottenham 15-02-1969
English Division 1 (old) Coventry 5-0 QPR 25-02-1969
English Division 1 (old) Nottm Forest 1-0 QPR 04-03-1969
English Division 1 (old) QPR 0-1 Wolves 08-03-1969
English Division 1 (old) Leicester 2-0 QPR 12-03-1969
English Division 1 (old) Man City 3-1 QPR 15-03-1969
English Division 1 (old) Man Utd 8-1 QPR 19-03-1969
English Division 1 (old) QPR 0-1 Arsenal 22-03-1969
English Division 1 (old) QPR 1-2 Liverpool 29-03-1969
English Division 1 (old) Southampton 3-2 QPR 05-04-1969
English Division 1 (old) Sunderland 0-0 QPR 07-04-1969
English Division 1 (old) QPR 2-1 Stoke 12-04-1969
English Division 1 (old) Chelsea 2-1 QPR 19-04-1969

CUP GAMES
English League Cup Peterborough 4-2 QPR --
English FA Cup Aston Villa 2-1 QPR --

For Further Match Details: See QPR Net - 1968/1969 Record