- "April 1968: Ken Hancock, the Ipswich Town goalkeeper, fails to save Rodney Marsh's penalty in a match against Queen's Park Rangers FC."-
For QPR and Football Updates throughout the day, visit the ever-growing (and hopefully always-improving!) QPR Report Messageboard/quasi-blog. Either offer your own perspectives on any of the topics (QPR and football only). Or of course, feel free to simply read the various QPR and football-only discussions. -- The QPR Report Messageboard
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- Tonight: QPR at Ipswich - Previews and Past Results...The Ref will be K P Stroud
- Listen to the recent three-hour JNet Interview with Ex-QPR CEO Mark Devlin (and two QPR fans). The three hour broadcast now available online
- Birthday for Ex-QPR Captain and Manager, Ray Wilkins
- Three Year Flashback: Kevin Gallen Responds to then-Chairman Gianni Paladini
- West Ham's Ben Haim Won't Play on Yom Kippur
- Video (Non-QPR): Strange Penalty
- Football League's Championship Team of the Week (None from QPR!)
QPR Magazine - TALKING POINT: 50 YEARS IN HOOPS
This article was published in the QPR Magazine. It was written by John Disson. (Note the role of his brother in the hoops decision.)
TALKING POINT: 50 YEARS IN HOOPS
This season the Club has celebrated fifty successive years of wearing the famous Blue and White Hoops.Behind the celebration, there is a story to be told…
so just how did it come about that we went back to our roots and assumed our true persona for being the Super Hoops?
QPR: The Official Magazine caught up with R’s fan John Disson to get to the crux of the matter.
- It was the close season prior to the start of the 1960/61 campaign, the annual general meeting of the Supporters Club had been called to take place at the Hammersmith Town Hall.
- I confess not an occasion I had ever regularly attended, but this year Alec
Stock had been invited to attend and was to address the supporters, so an occasion
not to miss.
- Much was expected of Alec Stocks’ appointment as Manager - he had been given the job the previous season, having taken over from Jack Taylor who had moved on to Leeds United. He had been in the job for about six years, during which time we had been served up with some pretty mediocre football, as well as seeing the Blue and White Hoops dispensed with in favour of a plain white shirt.
- With Stock due to give a talk on how he wanted the Club to progress the
meeting was well attended; I think the meeting was chaired by the President of
the Supporters Club, but what I definitely do remember about him was that he was
wearing a black bow tie!
- As is the case with most meetings, the usual complaints and grievances
were being aired, mostly all about performances on the pitch, so there was
very little the Supporters Club could ever do about it.
- Therefore, the areas of complaint were targeted at the Board and the Club itself;
remember this was in the days prior to the purchase of the Club by Jim Gregory.
Stock had sat quietly throughout the proceedings, but now it was his turn to speak.
- Almost everybody knew about his recent football background, as well as
him holding the rank of Major in the Tank Corps, during which time he took part in
active service in the Second World War. He spoke with an air of authority and the longer he went on the more the supporters were drawn in and charged with enthusiasm. In fact, I can only relate the substance of his speech to that given by Henry the Fifth before the Battle of Agincourt - it’s something that vividly stands out in my memory.
- He was a true man Manager, someone that many people should use as an
example to follow. I’m sure that many of the sides he put out to play were suitably
inspired by him; not by coincidence was his autobiography entitled ‘A Little Thing
Called Pride.’
- The meeting then moved onto any other business, which is where it got really interesting.
- My brother Derek seemingly inspired, as was the whole meeting, immediately
put up his hand and proposed that we revert back to wearing our Blue and
White Hoops, I can’t remember just whether I seconded the proposal, but it
was immediately adopted amid cheers from all present.
- The Club dispensed with the Hoops in 1954 and having worn a nondescript
white shirt for the past six years, we wanted our identity back, the meeting
urged that the Supporters Club should inform the Club without delay of our
request for the coming season. Stock then stated that he would endorse our
proposal and to all present, this was rubber stamping the fact we would once
more be wearing our Hoops.
- The meeting broke up with everyone on a high, not only from the speech given
by Stock, but also the highs of knowing the Hoops were here to stay.
If we had never been there to witness that uplifting speech, would my brother
Derek, or any other person at that meeting for that matter, have ever been
encouraged to put forward the proposal ‘let’s get back to the Hoops.’
- In the coming years, all that Stockie achieved is now history. Without doubt
he can be credited as being the catalyst, not just for inspiring us back into the
Hoops, but also for all of our subsequent achievements.
- As a family we are in our fifth generation of support for the R’s, from
my Grandfather in the 1890s to my now six year-old grandson, we therefore feel
justifi ably proud to be responsible for playing our part in a significant era of the
Clubs history.’
- See Also John Disson's proposal re Wearing Green and White Hoops
QPR Official Site - LIVE MATCHDAY SHOW - YOUR VIEWS
- On Saturday, QPR Player trialled a live radio show, building up to our match against Middlesbrough at Loftus Road.
- Our intention is to run this show every home matchday from 2pm, looking ahead to the game itself as well as having phone-ins from supporters, giving YOU the chance to air your views to fellow fans.
- We also plan to get players on the show for a live chat shortly after the final whistle.
- Now we want to hear from those of you who listened in at the weekend. Did you enjoy it? Would you like to see us continue this every home matchday? What would you like to see introduced to the show?
- We can't make the right decisions without your feedback, so please get in touch. Send your comments to: qprplayer@qpr.co.uk
- To subscribe to QPR Player for just £3.99 a month, click here. - QPR
- Or Discuss on the QPR Report Messageboard
- Blackpool's Coach has Stroke...Footballer has Heart Attack
- Looking for Information about QPR Ladies from the 1968-1970 Period. Photos, articles, or anything else. Thanks
- A Missing QPR Fan: (Posted on various QPR Messageboards)