- Forty-Four Years Ago Today: "The Doc" Tommy Docherty Takes over at QPR Succeeding Alec Stock
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QPR's London Call In Tonight with QPR Chairman Tony Fernandes
#QPR owner @tonyfernandes will be joining us live in the London Call-In studio this Thursday from 7-8pm! More soon on @OfficialQPR #QPR
[The whole matter of how QPR Treat - Ignores its former players (except for, in a few instances, a few of the "Super Stars") has been a long-standing issue of contention at least with this blogger]
A New Book About QPR's Early Days
While some QPR Fans really don't care too much about QPR History; others are almost obsessed about it! At one extreme are those for whom QPR "History" is anything which occurred prior to a season ago. Certainly for many fans, QPR "Pre-History" is the more than three quarters of a century period which came prior to the Famed 1967.
Just published: A short booklet on the truly early year of QPR. The booklet by Brian Belton is entitled "West London Born: The Early Years of QPR" and is published by Endeavour Press.
The booklet offers a short, nice contribution to the certainly not-large-enough section of writings about QPR's early years, from the Club's Founding to around World War I.
(I'd be remiss in noting the publication of "The Early Years," without also noting a book published last year, by QPR Fan (and QPR REPORT Messageboard Contributor) John "Gramps" Clifford Queen's Park Rangers: 'The Old Days (1939-1970)"
[I'd also be remiss in not also taking note (and paying homage!) to the truly-incredible Bushman Photo Archives on the QPR Report Messageboard which cover QPR over the decades - including the period covered in Brian Belton's booklet.
From the Publishers:
West London Born: The Early Years of QPR
By Brian Belton
Published by Endeavour Press, 23rd October 2012. Priced £1.99 in eBook format.
Queen’s Park Rangers have never been the biggest club in London – Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal vie for that honour – but it has always been one of the most flamboyant and illustrious. Legendary player such as Rodney Marsh, Phil Parkes, Stan Bowles and Gerry Francis lit up the league with their skill and flair. And managers such as Dave Sexton and Terry Venables have over the years made sure that QPR could always punch their weight.
It is one of the great names of English football – and a team that inspires fierce loyalty among its fans. But where did it all begin?
QPR have one of the most fascinating histories of any major football club. In 1886, a team called St Jude’s merged with Christchurch Rangers and Queen’s Park Rangers – named after the park in north- west London where most of the players came from – were born. Over twenty different stadia were tried out before the team finally settled in Loftus Road in 1917. For many years an underdog, the team clawed its way through the league – before eventually claiming their rightful place alongside its elite.
In ‘West London Born: The Early Years of QPR’, the leading football writer and historian Brian Belton tells the story of those early years – the triumphs, the setbacks, and the hardships to be overcome.
It is a must-read for every QPR fan – and every devotee of the beautiful game.
Brian Belton is the author of 'Bolton Born: The Early Years of Bolton FC', 'When magpies First Flew: Newcastle FC The Early Years' and numerous books on the history of football. His books on the game are primarily a study and celebration of this global congregation, the life carnival of soccer splendor.