As Nottingham Forest come to W12 on Saturday, LFW looks back to Easter 1993 when Les Ferdinand scored the first of two hat tricks in three days, slaying Brian Clough’s struggling side 4-3 at Loftus Road.

Recent Meetings:

Nottingham Forest 2 QPR 0, Thursday December 26, 2013, Championship

QPR slipped to their annual meek defeat at the City Ground in a televised fixture on Boxing Day earlier this season. Despite picking defender Greg Halford up front, Forest were by far the better side with Djamel Abdoun, Henri Lansbury, Jamie Makcie and others particularly impressive. Halford had missed several gilt edged chances when he finally opened the scoring with a powerful header after half an hour. There was a degree of controversy about the second, with scorer Andy Reid initially flagged offside only for the goal to be allowed when referee Keith Stroud deemed the ball had travelled through to him without touching another team mate en route. But the moaning and groaning about that only provided QPR with a cover story for an abject performance and defeat that should have been far more severe.

Forest: Darlow 6; Jara 6, Lascelles 6, Hobbs 7, Lichaj 6; Vaughan 6 (Chalobah 67, 6), Lansbury 8; Mackie 7 (Derbyshire 86, -), Reid 7, Abdoun 8 (Paterson 82, -); Halford 6

Subs not used: Harding, Majewski, de Vries, Osborn

Goals: Halford 29 (assisted Abdoun), Reid 80 (assisted Abdoun)

Bookings: Darlow 84 (time wasting)

QPR: Green 6; Simpson 6, Dunne 5, Hill 6, Assou-Ekotto 5; Carroll 6, Henry 3 (Hoilett 45, 5); Phillips 5 (Benayoun 76, 5), Jenas 4, Kranjcar 6; Zamora 2 (Johnson 45, 6)

Subs not used: Traore, Wright-Phillips, Onuoha, Murphy

Bookings: Assou-Ekotto 48 (foul)

QPR 1 Nottingham Forest 1, Sunday February 13, 2011, Championship

With Nottingham Forest bang in form and boasting two games in hand over league leading Queens Park Rangers, the last meeting between these sides was every bit as crucial as this week’s Boxing Day clash. Things seemed to be going QPR’s way when Tommy Smith cut in from the flank and curled home a trademark low shot from the edge of the area and when Radoslaw Majewski dived in on Adel Taarabt and was sent off by referee Mark Clattenburg before half time the writing seemed to be on the wall. But David McGoldrick equalised almost immediately and Forest could easily have won the game in the second half despite their numerical disadvantage. They made a serious error at full time though. Former QPR keeper Lee Camp and Forest boss Billy Davies led on-pitch celebrations in front of the away end more akin to a league championship than a point away from home. Forest could scarcely have been more pleased with themselves, but they ultimately won neither of their games in hand over Rangers and made no impact in the end of season play offs either while Neil Warnock’s side won the title and went to the Premier League.

QPR: Kenny 6, Orr 6, Connolly 5, Gorkss 5 (Chimbonda 73, 6), Hill 7, Faurlin 8 (Moen 79, 6), Derry 7, Smith 8 (Miller 46, 7), Taarabt 6,Routledge 6, Hulse 5

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Hall, Helguson, Shittu

Booked: Taarabt (unsporting conduct), Gorkss (foul), Derry (foul)

Goals: Smith 16 (assisted Faurlin)

Nottm Forest: Camp 6, Gunter 7, Chambers 8, Morgan 8, Konchesky 7, Cohen 6,Majewski 5, McGugan 6 (Anderson 68, 6), McKenna 7, McGoldrick 7 (Tyson 74, 7), Tudgay 7 (Lynch 46, 5)

Subs Not Used: Smith, Adebola, Earnshaw, Moloney

Sent Off: Majewski 23 (serious foul play)

Booked: Tyson (foul)

Goals: McGoldrick 26 (assisted McGugan)

Nottingham Forest 0 QPR 0, Saturday November 13, 2010, Championship

Camp was predictably the star of the show at the City Ground in November as QPR were denied a win only by the form of their former keeper and the incompetence of referee Andy D’Urso. The match officials failed to spot a blatant trip on Tommy Smith in the Forest penalty area in the first half as he raced through on goal — a penalty and red card would have been the only outcome had the foul been seen. Camp made several fine saves in the first 80 minutes of the game, including an acrobatic tip over from a Taarabt lob, but it was Forest who finished the stronger and only a fine stop from Paddy Kenny and some brave blocks in the area in the closing stages prevented the annual QPR defeat on this ground.

Nottm Forest Camp 8, Gunter 6, Morgan 6, Chambers 6, Bertrand 6, Anderson 6, McGugan 7 (Tyson 79, 6), McKenna 6, Majewski 6 (Earnshaw 61, 7),Cohen 6, Blackstock 5 (Adebola 61, 6)

Subs Not Used: Smith, McCleary, Moussi, Lynch

Booked: Blackstock (foul), McKenna (foul)

QPR: Kenny 7, Mackie 7, Hill 7, Gorkss 7, Walker 7, Derry 7, Faurlin 6, Ephraim 5 (Clarke 79, 5), Taarabt 8 (Rowlands 89, -), Hulse 5 (Agyemang 67, 6).

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Hall, Borrowdale, Andrade

Booked: Hulse (foul), Derry (foul)

Previous Results

Head to head >>> QPR wins 14 >>> Draws 19 >>> Forest wins 26

Past Results:

2013/14 Forest 2 QPR 0

2010/11 QPR 1 Forest 1 (Smith)

2010/11 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/fb_news.php?storyid 0 QPR 0

2009/10 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/fb_news.php?storyid 5 QPR 0

2009/10 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/fb_news.php?storyid 1 Forest 1 (Leigertwood)

2008/09 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/fb_news.php?storyid 2 QPR 2 (Alberti 2)

2008/09 http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/fb_news.php?storyid 2 Forest 1 (Balanta, Buzsaky)

2004/05 QPR 2 Forest 1 (Bircham, Curtis OG)

2004/05 QPR 0 Forest 3 **

2004/05 Forest 2 QPR 1 (Santos)

2000/01 Forest 1 QPR 1 (Wardley)

2000/01 QPR 1 Forest 0 (Crouch)

1999/00 Forest 1 QPR 1 (Ready)

1999/00 QPR 1 Forest 1 (Kiwomya)

1997/98 QPR 0 Forest 1

1997/98 Forest 4 QPR 0

1995/96 Forest 3 QPR 0

1995/96 QPR 1 Forest 1 (Sinclair)

1994/95 QPR 1 Forest 1 (Barker)

1994/95 Forest 3 QPR 2 (Allen, Ferdinand)

1992/93 QPR 4 Forest 3 (Ferdinand 3, Wilson)

1992/93 Forest 1 QPR 0

1991/92 Forest 1 QPR 1 (Sinton)

1991/92 QPR 0 Forest

1990/91 QPR 1 Forest 2 (Wegerle)

1990/91 Forest 1 QPR 1 (Wegerle)

1989/90 QPR 2 Forest 0 (Sinton, Barker)

1989/90 Forest 2 QPR 2 (Sinton, Wright)

1988/89 Forest 0 QPR 0

1988/89 QPR 1 Forest 2 (Stein)

1988/89 Forest 5 QPR 2* (Stein, Kerslake)

1987/88 QPR 2 Forest 1 (Coney, Fereday)

1987/88 Forest 4 QPR 0

1986/87 QPR 3 Forest 1 (Bannister, Fereday, McDonald)

1986/87 Forest 1 QPR 0

1985/86 Forest 4 QPR 0

1985/86 QPR 2 Forest 1 (Bannister, Fenwick pen)

1984/85 Forest 2 QPR 0

1984/85 QPR 3 Forest 0 (Fereday 2, Bannister)

1983/84 QPR 0 Forest 1

1983/84 Forest 3 QPR 2 (Dawes, Stainrod)

1978/79 Forest 0 QPR 0

1978/79 QPR 0 Forest 0

1977/78 Forest 1 QPR 0

1977/78 Forest 1 QPR 1** (Shanks)

1977/78 QPR 1 Forest 1** (Busby)

1977/78 Forest 3 QPR 1** (Bowles)

1977/78 QPR 0 Forest 2

1972/73 Forest 0 QPR 0

1972/73 QPR 3 Forest 0 (Givens, Bowles, McCulloch)

1968/69 Forest 1 QPR 0

1968/69 QPR 2 Forest 1 (Marsh, Hazell)

1961/62 QPR 1 Forest 2* (Towers)

1951/52 Forest 3 QPR 1 (Muir)

1951/52 QPR 4 Forest 3 (Smith, Hatton, Shepherd, Gilberg)

1948/49 Forest 0 QPR 0

1948/49 QPR 2 Forest 1 (Hartburn, Pattison)

1933/34 Forest 4 QPR 0**

* League Cup

** FA Cup

Memorable Meeting

QPR 4 Nottingham Forest 3, Saturday April 10, 1993, Premier League

The first year of the Premier League was to be a memorable one for QPR who, under the astute management of Gerry Frances, and led by the goals of Les Ferdinand, finished fifth in the top flight ahead of Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs. That final position owed much to a late run of four wins and two draws from the final six matches which started with a wonderfully entertaining 4-3 Easter Saturday win at home to Nottingham Forest.
The R’s had won only two of their previous 12 with talismanic midfielder Ray Wilkins out injured, but the veteran returned for the Easter fixtures and made all the difference at the heart of the team.

Forest, meanwhile, were struggling badly. They’d been FA Cup finalists in 1991 and League Cup finalists in 1992 but had sold Teddy Sheringham and Des Walker during the 1992/93 season and although legendary anager Brian Clough was still in the dugout, alcohol was rendering him a shadow of his former self and Forest spent the majority of the season bumping along the bottom of the league.

They had, however, typically, beaten Rangers 1-0 at the City Ground in the first meeting between the two sides that season with a bundled effort from Gary Crosby. A repeat looked to be on the cards when, after just nine minutes, Gary Bannister, returning to the club he’d previously served with such distinction, finished off a shambolic goal mouth scramble with a close-range finish at the Loft End.

Forest had lost to Blackburn and Villa at the City Ground in the two games immediately prior to this one and the defensive vulnerabilities that plagued them in the post-Walker era were laid bare just after the half hour when Tony Roberts made amends for his less-than-commanding goalkeeping for the first goal with a long punt down the season that invited Les Ferdinand to power into the confusion around the edge of the visiting team’s penalty box and lob Mark Crossley as he raced from his line for the equaliser.

Forest couldn’t get to half time without mastering further downfall either. Gary Charles dallied in possession at right back, lost the ball to Andy Sinton and then dragged the winger to the floor in the penalty box in his desperation to make amends. Clive Wilson stepped up with a short run and crisp finish from 12 yards out to give Francis’ team the lead at the break.

But Forest weren’t in the mood to crumble and, in fact, within nine minutes of the second half beginning they’d retaken the lead with two goals in five minutes in front of their fans in the School End. Both were scored by winger Kingsley Black — the first finished flamboyantly with his left foot having sprung the offside trap and run clean through on Tony Roberts, the second volleyed home after being teed up by Steve Stone when Ian Holloway conceded possession deep in his own half.

It seemed QPR’s season was rather petering out, but that reckoned without the prodigious form of Ferdinand. With 20 minutes left for play the powerful front man made the most of a generous decision to play on through an apparent handball by Andy Impey, and an equally questionable call to flag him onside, to round Mark Crossley and then calmly hammer in the equaliser from close range.

And 3-3 became 4-3 to QPR within three minutes when Wilkins moved the ball wide to Sinton and his cross into the heart of the penalty area was hungrily gobbled up by Ferdinand who thumped in the winning goal with a trademark diving header at full stretch. It rather summed up Forest’s season — they won only one of their last eight, losing six, and were relegated to the First Division. Clough retired at the end of the season.

Rangers, meanwhile, went to Everton two days later for an Easter Monday fixture that produced their finest performance of the season. Ferdinand scored another hat trick, six goals in three days, as the R’s won 4-3 and then added another a week later in a draw at Leeds. The R’s won four and drew two of their final six matches to climb from tenth prior to the Forest game to fifth by the season end.

QPR: Roberts, Bardsley, McDonald, Peacock, Wilson, Impey, Holloway, Wilkins, Sinton, Ferdinand, Allen

Attendance: 15,815

Connections

Gary Bannister >>> QPR 1984-88 >>> Forest 1992-93

Born in Warrington in 1960 Bannister was one of the most consistent goal scorers of the 1980s, especially at Loftus Road. A product of the Coventry youth system, Bannister broke his way into the first team to make his debut in May 1978. To gain some first-team experience he was sent on loan to American side Detroit Express impressing with a goal every other game in a three month spell. Once back at City he found it difficult to break into the team and decided to drop a division, joining Sheffield Wednesday for £100,000. At Wednesday, Bannister started to show his predatory instincts and was top scorer for the club in each of his three seasons at Hillsborough, and helped the Owl’s gain promotion to the First Division. However Gary never got to play for Wednesday in the top flight as he was snapped up that summer by QPR who bought him to fill the void left by Clive Allen.

He made an immediate impact on the R’s faithful by scoring on his debut against West Brom and went on to have steady first campaign in the hoops, with most of his strikes coming at Loftus Road. But when Jim Smith took over the R’s in 1985 things really took off for Bannister and he flourished on Rangers plastic pitch and formed a formidable partnership with John Byrne. Their goals led R’s to Wembley, in their first League Cup Final since 1967, beating Liverpool in the semis on route. Sadly the final was a day Rangers would rather forget, as Oxford running away with it 3-0.

Bannister’s finest hour however came on Easter Monday 1986 when Rangers entertained local rivals Chelsea, who were within a shout of the title at the time. Many expected them to rollover Rangers but on a day that’s gone down in R’s folk law, QPR hit Chelsea with six without reply — Bannister getting three of them.

He stayed at the Loft for another season until the arrival of Trevor Francis and Marc Falco saw him pushed out the picture and he moved back to first club Coventry. Spells at West Brom and Oxford followed before he joined Nottingham Forest in time for the inaugural season of the Premier League. But despite scoring against Rangers, the season at the City Ground was a disappointing one as Forest were relegated. He moved to Hong Kong side HK Rangers and played for Stoke and Darlington before retiring in 1996. Now owns a holiday apartment business in Cornwall. Famed for having one leg shorter than the other.

Others >>> Jermaine Jenas, QPR 2013-present, Forest (loan) 2012-2013, 2000-2002 >>> Jamie Mackie, Forest 2013-present, QPR 2010-2013 >>> Shaun Derry, QPR 2010-2013, Forest (loan) 2004-2005 >>> Clint Hill, QPR 2010-present, Forest (loan) 2011 >>> Mick Harford, QPR (manager) 2010, 2007, Forest (manager) 2004-2005 >>> Dexter Blackstock Forest 2009-present, QPR 2006-2009 >>> John Curtis, Forest 2005-2007, QPR 2007 >>> Danny Cullip, QPR 2007-2008, Forest 2005-2007 >>> Lee Camp, Forst 2009-2013, QPR 2007-2009, (loan) 2004 >>> Gino Padula, Forest 2005-2007, QPR 2002-2005 >>> Junior Agogo, Forest 2006-2008, QPR 2002 >>> Nigel Quashie, QPR 2010, 1995-1998, Forest 1998-2000 >>> Andy Impey, Forest 2004-2005, QPR 1990-1997 >>> Dougie Freedman, Forest 1998-2000, QPR 1992-1994 >>> Steve Hodge, QPR 1994-1995, Forest 1988-1991 >>> Trevor Francis, QPR 1988-1990, Forest 1978-1981 >>> Stan Bowles, Forest 1979-1980, QPR 1972-1979 >>> Chris Woods, QPR 1979-1981, Forest 1976-1979 >>> Steve Burke, QPR 1979-1986, Forest 1978-1979 >>> Dave Needham, Forest 1977-1982, QPR 1977

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Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

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