With Newcastle in town on Saturday, there really is only one game we can pick for our memorable match history column this week...

Recent Meetings

An insipid display and single goal defeat at Newcastle in November stretched QPR's run without scoring a goal at St James' Park to three and a half games, and made it seven straight defeats on the road to start the season. The game panned out much like all the others, with Rangers sitting deep and off a mediocre team hoping desperately that Robert Green would be able to make enough saves to preserve a 0-0 draw. He couldn't, despite his best efforts, and Sissoko won the game for Newcastle in the 78th minute — the third trip to that ground in a row that QPR had lost 1-0 to a goal scored roughly ten minutes from time. It meant Rangers had failed to score in five of their most recent six matches against the Magpies.

Newcastle: Krul 6; Janmaart 6, Williamson 6, Dummett 6, Haidara 6; Colback 6, Taylor 7 (Gouffran 34, 6); Ameobi 6, Sissoko 8, Cabella 6 (Cisse 68, 6); Perez 6 (Armstrong 89, -)

Subs not used: Anita, Ferrerya, Elliott, Streete

Goals: Sissoko 78 (assisted Ameobi)

Bookings: Sissoko 57 (foul), Armstrong 90+3 (time wasting)

QPR: Green 7; Onuoha 5, Dunne 6, Caulker 6, Suk-Young 5; Fer 5, Henry 6 (Hoilett 82, -), Sandro 6 (Kranjcar 61, 7), Barton 5; Zamora 5, Austin 5

Subs not used: Traore, Phillips, McCarthy, Isla, Mutch

Bookings: Onuoha 40 (foul) Dunne 72 (foul), Zamora 89 (foul)

QPR 1 Newcastle 2, Sunday May 12, 2013, Premier League

With Newcastle just about safe and QPR long since relegated, these two sides engaged in a farcical nonsense on their last meeting at Loftus Road in May 2013. Rangers had allowed an already abject season to totally collapse after their demotion was confirmed and went into the game on a run of seven without a win and four without a goal, but they took the lead early on when Debuchy was harshly adjudged to have fouled Junior Hoilett on the edge of the box and Loic Remy converted the R’s first penalty of the season at the fourth attempt. This was to be a game remembered for the crowd finally turning on Jose Bosingwa once and for all — the Portuguese full back first conceded a spot kick by pulling Ben Arfa’s shirt in the area and allowing the French winger to equalise from the spot. Then he had a hand in a maddening second by leaving a pass back to Robert Green short allowing Guttierez to sweep in and give the away side the lead. The second half saw visiting keeper Rob Elliott sent off for two yellow cards — one for kicking the ball away, the other deliberately handling outside his area in a ridiculous incident. But QPR couldn’t make their numerical advantage count and slipped to a meek defeat.

QPR: Green 5, Bosingwa 3 (Fabio 46, 6), Onuoha 6, Hill 6, Traore 5, Townsend 6, Jenas 5, Mbia 4 (Derry 46, 6), Hoilett 4 (Taarabt 84, -), Zamora 5, Remy 6

Subs not used: Murphy, Park, Granero, Mackie

Goals: Remy 11 (penalty, won Hoilett)

Bookings: Mbia 36 (foul)

Newcastle: Elliott 5, Debuchy 5, Coloccini 6, Williamson 5, Yanga-M’Biwa 5, Cabaye 6, Tiote 4 (Perch 52, 6), Guttierez 6, Goufran 6 (Obertan 77, 5), Ben Arfa 7 (Harper 82, -), Cisse 5

Subs not used: Simpson, Marveaux, Anita, Campbell

Goals: Ben Arfa 18 (penalty, won Ben Arfa), Gouffran 35 (assisted Bosingwa/Guttierez)

Yellows: Cabaye 10 (dissent), Williamson 29 (foul), Elliott 67 (time wasting), Elliott 80 (handball)

Reds: Elliott 80 (two yellows)

Newcastle 1 QPR 0, Saturday December 22, 2012, Premier League

QPR’s two games at Newcastle during their last Premier League stint were almost identical. Two poor, dull matches almost devoid of quality that both finished 1-0 to the home side with Rangers barely posing a threat of a goal of their own at all. Just a couple of days before Christmas in 2012, Harry Redknapp’s side were beaten by a late strike from Shola Ameobi when the otherwise excellent Ryan Nelsen dropped too deep and played him on side. The game was best remembered for the post match press conference when Harry Redknapp revealed that Jose Bosingwa had been fined for refusing to sit on the bench the week before against Fulham, and that his wages eclipsed anything his previous players at Spurs had been earning.

Newcastle: Krul 6, Simpson 6, Coluccini 6, Williamson 6, Santon 6, Gutierrez 6 (Obertan 60, 7), Perch 5, Tiote 6 (Marveaux 77, 7), Anita 7, Ba 5, Cisse 5 (Sh Ameobi 61, 6)

Subs not used: Harper, Ferguson, Bigirmana, Sa Ameobi

Goals: Ameobi 81 (assisted Anita)

Bookings: Tiote 62 (foul), Perch 87 (foul), Ameobi 90 (foul)

QPR: Green 7, Ferdinand 4, Nelsen 7, Hill 6, Fabio 5, Mackie 5, Mbia 6, Faurlin 5 (Derry 78, 5), Granero 5 (Wright-Phillips 56, 5), Taarabt 5, Cisse 5 (Hoilett 64, 5)

Subs not used: Murphy, Traore, Onuoha, Diakite

Bookings: Ferdinand 41 (kicking ball away), Hill 85 (foul)

Newcastle 1 QPR 0, Sunday January 15, 2012, Premier League

The Mark Hughes era got underway in earnest at St James Park in January with his first league game in charge. Rangers started brightly with Shaun Wright-Phillips hitting the top of the bar and Jay Bothroyd the outside of the post, and Hughes certainly had the team looking more organised and in a solid shape with a basic two banks of four in front of the defence. But when Leon Best was given the benefit of the doubt by the linesman and waved onside to curl in the opening goal a dire game was already heading the way of the hosts. Shaun Derry was fortunate to stay on the field after a late tackle on Yohan Cabaye that brought the Frenchman’s afternoon to an end and Jay Bothroyd further endeared himself to the travelling faithful by spurning two decent chances for an equaliser in the second half.

Newcastle: Krul 7, Simpson 6, Coloccini 7, Williamson 6, Santon 6, Ryan Taylor 6 (Gosling 81. -), Guthrie 6, Cabaye 6 (Ben Arfa 25, 7), Gutierrez 7, Best 7 (Perch 76, 6), Shola Ameobi 5

Subs Not Used: Elliot, Abeid, Obertan, Ferguson

Goals: Best 37 (assisted Ameobi)

QPR: Kenny 7, Young 6, Gabbidon 6, Ferdinand 7, Hill 6, Wright-Phillips 5, Derry 6, Buzsaky 6 (Macheda 76, 6), Mackie 5, Helguson 6 (Smith 64, 6), Bothroyd 6

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Orr, Hall, Campbell, Ephraim

Booked: Derry (foul), Hill (foul), Bothroyd (foul), Macheda (foul)

QPR 0 Newcastle 0, Monday September 12, 2011, Premier League

It’s amazing to think how optimistic everybody was, and how well the QPR team played, when these sides last met at Loftus Road right at the beginning of last season. Tony Fernandes takeover complete and six new signings hurried through the doors, QPR took to the field for a Sky Monday Night Football match against Newcastle. The game finished 0-0, although quite how it finished 0-0 nobody was could be sure. QPR were excellent, dominant throughout, and denied a victory only by stubborn, and often last ditch, defending from the visiting team. Shaun Wright-Phillips was man of the match on his debut and had a first half lob kicked off the goalline after beating Tim Krul. It all seems such a long time ago.

QPR: Kenny 7, Young 8, Ferdinand 7, Gabbidon 6, Traore 7 (Connolly 51, 6), Derry 7, Faurlin 8, Wright-Phillips 8 (Puncheon 88, -) Barton 7, Taarabt 8, Bothroyd 7 (Campbell 80, -)

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Hall, Buzsaky, Smith

Booked: Derry (foul)

Newcastle: Krul 6, Simpson 7, Steven Taylor 6, Coloccini 7, Ryan Taylor 6, Cabaye 6,Tiote 7, Obertan 6 (Sammy Ameobi 88, -), Gutierrez 6, Best 6 (Marveaux 82, -),Shola Ameobi 5 (Ba 64, 6)

Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Guthrie, Lovenkrands

Booked: Shola Ameobi (dissent),Tiote (repetitive fouling),Steven Taylor (foul)

Newcastle 1 QPR 1, Wednesday September 30, 2009, Championship

QPR were at the height of their Jim Magilton form back in 2009 when they travelled to St James’ Park for the first time since 1996. Newcastle were top but QPR were flying up the table amid a host of free scoring thrashings and took an early lead when Ben Watson’s speculative shot was deflected past Steve Harper to send a sizeable midweek travelling support wild. Rangers had good cause to be angry with referee Rob Shoebridge thereafter, the Derbyshire based official seemed hugely intimidated by the large home crowd and awarded a ridiculously harsh penalty against Damion Stewart midway through the first half which Danny Guthrie took and the superb Radek Cerny saved. The Magpies did get their equaliser in the second half when Marlon Harewood climbed off the bench to bundle home his annual goal against QPR and although Cerny was the QPR man of the match the visitors had more than their fair share of the game and were thoroughly good value for their point.

Newcastle: Harper 7, Enrique 7, Taylor 7, Khizanishvili 6, Simpson 6, Smith 7, Butt 4 (Gutierrez 46, 8), Nolan 6, Guthrie 4 (Lovenkrands 88, -), Carroll 8, Ranger 6 (Harewood 61, 7)

Subs: Geremi, Krul, Kadar, Donaldson

Goals: Harewood 70 (assisted Carroll)

Bookings: Smith (foul)

QPR: Cerny 9, Leigertwood 7, Stewart 8, Gorkss 7, Borrowdale 7, Routledge 7, Rowlands 8, Watson 9, Buzaky 7, Vine 6 (Faurlin 87, -), Simpson 8 (Taarabt 73, 7)

Subs not used: Ramage, Agyemang, Pellicori, Heaton, Ephraim

Goals: Watson 7 (unassisted)

Bookings: Stewart (foul), Leigertwood (foul), Buzsaky (failing to retreat)

Previous Results

2014/15 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

2012/13 QPR 1 Newcastle 2 (Remy)

2012/13 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

2011/12 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

2011/12 QPR 0 Newcastle 0

2009/10 QPR 0 Newcastle 1

2009/10 Newcastle 1 QPR 1 (Watson)

1995/96 Newcastle 2 QPR 1 (Holloway)

1995/96 QPR 2 Newcastle 3 (Dichio 2)

1994/95 QPR 3 Newcastle 0 (Ferdinand 2, Barker)

1994/95 Newcastle 2 QPR 1 (Dichio)

1993/94 QPR 1 Newcastle 2 (Penrice)

1993/94 Newcastle 1 QPR 2 (Ferdinand, B Allen)

1988/89 Newcastle 1 QPR 2 (Stein, Clarke)

1988/89 QPR 3 Newcastle 0 (Maddix, M Allen, Falco)

1987/88 Newcastle 1 QPR 1 (Kerslake)

1987/88 QPR 1 Newcastle 1 (Wharton og)

1986/87 QPR 2 Newcastle 1 (Byrne, Fillery)

1986/87 Newcastle 0 QPR 2 (Byrne, Bannister)

1985/86 QPR 3 Newcastle 1 (Fenwick 2, Robinson)

1985/86 Newcastle 3 QPR 1 (Fenwick)

1984/85 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

1984/85 QPR 5 Newcastle 5 (Bannister, Stainrod, Gregory, Wicks, Mickelwhite)

1982/83 QPR 2 Newcastle 0 (Gregory 2)

1982/83 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

1981/82 Newcastle 0 QPR 4 (Gregory, C Allen, Flanagan, Stainrod)

1981/82 QPR 3 Newcastle 0 (King, Roeder, Stainrod)

1979/80 QPR 2 Newcastle 1 (Roeder, McCreery)

1979/80 Newcastle 4 QPR 2 (Goddard, Roeder)

1977/78 Newcastle 0 QPR 3 (Givens, McGee, Hollins)

1977/78 QPR 0 Newcastle 1

1976/77 QPR 1 Newcastle 2 (Givens)

1976/77 Newcastle 2 QPR 0

1975/76 Newcastle 1 QPR 2 (McLintock, Bowles)

1975/76 Newcastle 2 QPR 1* (Masson)

1975/76 QPR 0 Newcastle 0*

1975/76 QPR 1 Newcastle 3** (Leach)

1975/76 QPR 1 Newcastle 0 (Leach)

1974/75 Newcastle 2 QPR 2 (Francis, Gillard)

1974/75 QPR 0 Newcastle 4**

1974/75 QPR 1 Newcastle 2 (Keeley og)

1973/74 Newcastle 2 QPR 3 (Thomas, Francis, Leach)

1973/74 QPR 3 Newcastle 2 (Clement, Givens, Bowles)

1968/69 QPR 1 Newcastle 1 (Bridges)

1968/69 Newcastle 3 QPR 2 (Wilks, Moncur og)

* - FA Cup

** - League Cup

Memorable Meeting

It says something for the lamentable attitude of modern commentators to any football that took place before 1992 that when Newcastle came roaring back from four goals down against Arsenal at St James’ Park a couple of years back that it was heralded as an “unprecedented achievement”.

Nonsense, QPR are never more dangerous than when they’re 4-0 down at half time, and have recovered from such a deficit against Newcastle themselves.

At the time Newcastle were under the guidance of World Cup winner Jack Charlton with a fearsome forward pairing of Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle and had just been promoted back into Division One during a yo-yo period for the club. QPR had replaced the superb Terry Venables, who had promoted the R’s and taken them to Wembley for their one and only FA Cup final in 1982, with the hapless Alan Mullery. The former Tottenham man was a walking disaster zone at Rangers, alienating and dismantling Venables’ impressive team and overseeing a disastrous UEFA Cup exit where Rangers beat Partizan Belgrade 6-2 at home but lost 4-0 away and went out on away goals. Goalkeeper Peter Hucker has since told QPRNet that Mullery came running down the tunnel that night in Belgrade asking why the players were leaving the field before extra time.

The previous week Rangers had been beaten at Spurs, who now had former R Clive Allen in attack, 5-0 and more of the same seemed to be in store as Newcastle cruised into a 4-0 half time lead. The Magpies had lost their previous three matches conceding ten goals in the process but made light work of the infamous plastic pitch in W12.

It took the visitors three minutes to go in front when Waddle crossed for Neil Macdonald to head home. That lead was doubled after a quarter of an hour when Waddle himself waltzed around Hucker and slammed in a second and then he made it three five minutes later when a deflected shot from Wharton fell into his path close in. Waddle completed his first half hat trick with a wild swerving shot four minutes before half time and that, it seemed, was well and truly that.

QPR fans still tell stories of hearing the news of an amazing comeback filtering in after they’d left to go back to the pub.

It never looked on to be fair. Ian Stewart was sent on for Fillery at half time, the Northern Irishman would endure a mediocre spell as a Newcastle player later in his career, and the change did at least make some difference.

But within four minutes of the restart Gary Bannister had raced onto a giant Peter Hucker clearance and beaten Carr one on one at the second attempt. A simply ludicrous goal on the hour when Haddock’s wild clearance smashed Wharton in the face and nestled in the bottom corner via Simon Stainrod brought QPR back into it and the comeback seemed to be on when John Gregory made it 4-3 in the seventy third minute.

The game seemed to be up six minutes from time when Newcastle reasserted their dominance — Beardsley and Waddle combining to set up Wharton for a fifth - but Steve Wicks (six foot two, eyes of blue) headed in a free kick immediately to set up a grand stand finish. Gary Micklewhite completed the comeback in injury time to raise the roof off the Loft End.

Mullery said: “These kind of games are great for the fans but they give managers heart attacks. We needed a miracle in the second half and we got it.”

Jack Charlton said: "Saturdays game was a total embarrassment, absolutely diabolical. I have never seen anything like it in my 32 years in the game. I went mad at the players because there were times when they were going to give me a heart attack. They just stopped playing. There are so many things wrong at Newcastle it is incredible. People are asking me where I intend to start with the problems, but I just don't know. It will take years to put right. Some of the players couldn't even breathe in the second half. I don't know where they got their education from before, but, believe me they'll get it from me in the months to come."

This was a game that almost led to my parents’ divorce. It came just two days after my birth on the day I was due to come home from hospital — my mum and I made that journey in a taxi because my dad was at the match. She slung him out, but took him back a few weeks later and set me on the path to doing similarly stupid things for this team of ours.

QPR: Hucker, Neil, Wicks, Fenwick, Dawes, Micklewhite, Fillery (Stewart), Gregory, Fereday, Stainrod, Bannister

Goals: Bannister, Stainrod, Gregory, Wicks, Micklewhite

Newcastle: Carr, Brown, Saunders, Roeder, Anderson, Haddock, Macdonald, McCreery, Wharton, Beardsley, Waddle

Goals: Waddle 3, Macdonald, Wharton

Highlights >>> QPR 0 Newcastle 1, 2010 >>> Newcastle 1 QPR 2, 1993 >>> QPR 5 Newcastle 5 Part 1 >>> Part 2 >>> Part 3 >>> Part 4 >>> Part 5 >>> Newcastle 1 QPR 0, 1982, part 1 >>> Newcastle 1 QPR 0, 1982, part 2 >>> Newcastle 2 QPR 1 1980 >>> Newcastle 2 QPR 1 1976 >>> QPR 1 Newcastle 2 1974

Connections

Les Ferdinand is still the best known export from Loftus Road to St James’ Park, but two years before his £6m move the R’s also sold centre back Darren Peacock to Kevin Keegan’s side for a fee in the region of £2.7m.

Peacock was originally taken from lower league Hereford by QPR in 1990 at a time of great crisis at Loftus Road. Danny Maddix, Paul Parker and Alan McDonald all suffered long term injuries at the same time and manager Don Howe had run so low on centre halves he’d been reduced to loaning the terminally useless Gus Caesar from his former club Arsenal.

Without a win in ten matches and in the bottom three of the old First Division Howe brought Bobby Gould in as his new assistant manager and Gould’s little black book immediately turned up two prospects from the lower divisions who could come in and solve the centre half crisis. Andy Tilson from Grimsby Town was one, Darren Peacock from Hereford for £200,000 was the other.

Peacock was, it’s fair to say, an unconventional looking player with a long straggly barnet draped across his shoulders throughout his time with Rangers and Newcastle. He was also fairly accident prone, often falling over inexplicably at the worst possible moment and costing his team a goal. But as the Premier League era dawned and Gerry Francis made Rangers the top London club in the country Peacock blossomed into a very fine top flight centre back.

He was the Player of the Year elect in 1994 when chairman Richard Thompson - as he did with Paul Parker, Andy Sinton and so many QPR stars at the time — authorised his sale to Newcastle for £2.7m. Gerry Francis was forced to muddle through with youth team centre half Karl Ready as his replacement and QPR endured a torrid run of just two wins from their final ten matches of the season as a result. That run included big defeats against Oldham (4-1), Leeds (4-0), Sheff Wed (3-1) and Swindon Town who only won five matches all season but picked up their only away success of the campaign, and completed a humiliating double over QPR, when they won 3-1 at Loftus Road. Francis resigned midway through the following season, tired of Thompson’s methods.

At Newcastle, Peacock was also part of the side that was pipped by Man Utd to the title in 1995/96. He moved on to Blackburn in 1998 and although he clocked up the thick end of 50 appearances there a chronic back problem forced him into early retirement after a brief loan spell with Wolves where he came close to paralysing himself in a clash with his own goalkeeper Michael Oakes.

Now manager of non-league side Lancaster City with Trevor Sinclair as his assistant.

Others >>> Joey Barton, Newcastle 2007-2011, QPR 2011-present >>> Danny Simpson, QPR 2013-2014, Newcastle 2010-2013 >>> Peter Ramage, Newcastle 2004-2008, QPR 2008-2011 >>> Kieron Dyer, Newcastle 1999-2007, QPR 2011-2013 >>> Wayne Routledge, 2009-2010, 2011, Newcastle 2010-2011 >>> Fitz Hall, QPR 2008-2012, Newcastle loan 2010 >>> Leon Best, QPR 2004-2005, Newcastle 2010-2012 >>> Warren Barton, Newcastle 1995-2001, QPR 2003-2004 >>> Les Ferdinand, QPR 1987-1995, Newcastle 1995-1997 >>> Gavin Peacock, QPR 1984-1987, 1996-2002, Newcastle 1990-1993 >>> Kenny Sansom, Newcastle 1988-1989, QPR 1989-1991 >>> Kevin Brock, QPR 1987-1989, Newcastle 1989-1994 >>> Ossie Ardiles, QPR 1988-1989, Newcastle manager 1991-1992 >>> Jim Smith, QPR manager 1985-198, Newcastle manager 1988-1991 >>> Glenn Roeder, QPR 1978-1983, Newcastle 1983-1989, manager 2006-2007 >>> Wayne Fereday, QPR 1980-1989, Newcastle 1989-1990 >>>John Burridge, QPR 1980-1982, Newcastle 1989-1991 >>> Ian Stewart, QPR 1980-1985 >>> Newcastle 1985-1987 >>> Dave McCreery, QPR 1979-1981, Newcastle 1982-1989 >>> Paul Goddard, QPR 1977-1980, Newcastle 1986-1988 >>> Gavin Maguire, QPR 1984-1989, Newcastle loan 1992

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Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

dixiedean added 10:42 - May 15 Clive. I do hope your Mum became more reasonable and tolerant with the passing years :) What's a bloke supposed to do when the R's are at home ? Great memories though. But better still ( apart from the result ) was Les' reception in the caption photo. I don't think I've ever seen the Loft applaud another team's goal like that before or since- a spine -tingling moment.

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TacticalR added 10:10 - May 16 Great stuff. Thanks.
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