Ash takes his usual look back at a memorable meeting between Saturday's opponents, and at the players that have played for both sides over the years.

It may be early days but I’m getting a very good feeling about Mr Sousa. He seems to fit the QPR style pre and post Flavio, he’s saying all the right things and although we again failed to get on the score-sheet again at Selhurst Park last weekend, there was enough to suggest that Sousa is already getting his ideas across. Of course I may have been lulled into yet another a false sense of security but this weekend gives Sousa the an early chance to see if he can be the real deal as Rangers host table-topping Wolves in front of the Sky cameras on Saturday tea-time.

Wolves are currently riding high at the top of the Championship and with an embarrassment of riches upfront that at the moment Rangers could only dream of. Sylvan Evans-Blake is looking every bit like a Premier League player while Chris Iwelumo is in the form of his life. Added to the likes of Sam Vokes, Andy Keogh and Michael Kightly, means Rangers in form defence will have to be right on top of their game if the R’s are to get something out of Saturday’s game.

The R’s first ever home game against Wolves was right at the start of the last century, drawing 1-1 in a FA Cup tie just 27 days into 1900. It was more then 60 years later until we would meet in the league losing 1-0 to Wanderers in March 1969. Our last meeting almost exactly a year ago ended goalless but we haven’t actually beaten Wolves at home since the early eighties. So let’s take a walk down the blue and white hooped path of memory lane to and look at a title celebrating win and the players who have appeared for both clubs…

Memorable Match
QPR 2-1 Wolves
7th May 1983
Second Division
There’s a tinge to irony to this weeks match, twenty five years ago just a month before I came into this world we went into a match at home to Wolves ready to clinch the title along with promotion to the top division. Fast forward to the modern day and not only are we gearing towards repeating that feat for the first time with the board’s grand promotion plan but Wolves visit Loftus Road top of the pile looking like they will be celebrating their own promotion to the promised land come May.

Back in the 82-83 season though it was Rangers and Wolves who were going head to head at the top of the Second Division. In all came to head the weekend before Rangers were due to play Wanderers at Loftus Road. QPR had already clinched promotion but needed to beat West London rivals Fulham and hope Charlton did them a favour by taking points off Wolves. Fulham gave Terry Venables’ Rangers a hard game but goals from Stainrod, Sealy and Gregory gave the R’s victory. The news then came in that Charlton had scored three goals of their own to draw with Wolves and hand QPR the title.

Five days later Rangers paraded the newly won Division Two title before the game against Wolves. A party atmosphere welcomed the Superhoops and goals from Flanagan and Hazell meant QPR finished the season in style.

Team: Hucker, Neil, Dawes, Waddock, Hazell, Fenwick, Wicks, Sealy, Stainrod, Flanagan (Micklewhite), Gregory

Postscript: Wolves celebrated with Rangers by finishing second and also winning promotion. However the following campaign saw them finish bottom of the First Division while Rangers consolidated with a top half place.

Connections
Paul Jones
Wolves 1991-96, 2004-06
QPR 2006-07
Jones has been one of the most consistent goalkeepers around for the last 15 years or so, most notably at Southampton where he was first choice keeper in their Premier League days. His career stared in non-league football with Kidderminster Harriers, learning his trade as a professional footballer. Jones spent four seasons with Harries, picking up a losers medal in the FA Trophy Final in 1987 before getting his move to a league club when Graham Turner took him to Wolves for £60,000. Still a relatively young goalkeeper with limited experience, Jones spent most of his five years at Molineux in the reserves unable to dislodge a series of goalkeepers as Wolves number one. So after just thirty odd first-team appearances, he left to join Stockport County , the in Division Two.

Under Dave Jones, Jones was installed as the clubs first-choice keeper and helped the team finish in second place in the table, winning promotion without missing a league game all season. That summer though Dave Jones left to takeover at Southampton and decided to give Paul his opportunity in the top-flight and took him to The Dell with him. It was with the Saints that he would enjoy the best football of his career and earn the reputation of one the leagues most reliable goalkeepers and picking up a FA Cup runners-up medal in the 2003 defeat to Arsenal.

He also earned international recognition by getting his first call-up to the Wales squad, for the game against Scotland in May 1997 and would go on to earn 50 caps for Wales , memorably shaving the number 50 into his hair for his last game which embarrassingly ended in a 5-1 defeat to Slovakia .

After Southampton Jones enjoyed a very brief two game spell at boyhood heroes Liverpool to cover for their injuries, before re-joining Wolves in 2004. Wanderers had just been relegated from the Premier League and now managed by Glen Hoddle he saw Jones as an experienced cover as he shaped his squad. Once again though Jones craved first-team football and after loan spells at Watford and Millwall, he joined QPR halfway through the 2005-06 season. With Ian Holloway on gardening leave Gary Waddock bought him and was a vital part of the team that steered off relegation that season, Jones playing in every game and earning himself a year’s contract with the Superhoops. The following campaign saw Paul start off the season still as the clubs number one but after a terrible start, Waddock was sacked and replaced by John Gregory. Gregory quickly made Simon Royce his first choice goalie for the R’s and Jones spent the rest of the season as back-up before leaving that summer to join non-league Bognor Regis. Now splits his time between Wales as their goalkeeping coach and a family business.
Magic R’s moment: The brilliant penalty save at Bramall Lane , securing Rangers 3-2 win over Sheffield United in Waddock’s highlight in charge.

Bob Hazell
Wolves 1977-79
QPR 1979-84
Big Bad Bob was born in Jamaica but moved to England at a young age and raised in the Midlands. His first club in England was Wolverhampton Wanderers. Here he would spend two seasons with the Black Country club before QPR snapped up 20 year old defender for £240,000 in September 1979. At Loftus Road the 6’1 star flourished and under Terry Venables was part of the QPR squad that enjoyed their best spell of the decade. Forming a deadly defensive partnership with Glen Roader in the Rangers back four, he helped the R’s reach the FA Cup final of 1982 narrowly missing losing to Tottenham after a replay. Hazell and Rangers bounced back a year later by gaining promotion to the First Division, with Bob scoring in the title party win over old club Wolves on the final day of the season. In all the cultured centre-back played 123 times for the Super Hoops scoring nine goals before he moved onto to enjoy spells at Leicester and Port Vale.
Magic R’s moment: His man of the match display in the 1982 cup semi-final win over WBA, where he marked Cyril Regis out of the game.

Others:
Mark Lazarus QPR 1960-61, 1964-67, Wolves 1962-64. Now owns a transport business in Essex.
John Burridge QPR 1980-82, Wolves 1982-84. Now goalkeeping coach for Oman national team
Tim Flowers Wolves 1984-86, QPR (assistant manager) 2008. Now unemployed
Andy Sinton QPR 1989-93, Wolves 1999-02. Now on coaching staff at Fleet Town
Darren Peacock QPR 1990-94, Wolves (loan) 2000. Now defensive coach at Newcastle - that explains at lot!
Dougie Freeman QPR 1992-94, Wolves 1997-98. Now at Southend
Simon Osborn QPR 1995-96, 1996-01. Now out of work after managing Bromley last season
Gavin Mahon Wolves 1995-96, QPR 2008-present
Mark Kennedy QPR (loan) 1998, Wolves 2001-05. Now at Cardiff City
Darren Ward QPR (loan) 1999-00, Wolves 2007-present, currently on loan at Watford
Dean Sturridge Wolves 2001-05, QPR 2005-06. Now probably still on crutches working with Radio Derby
Leon Clarke Wolves 2003-07, QPR (loan) 2006. Now at Southend on loan from Sheffield Wednesday
Rohan Ricketts Wolves 2005-07, QPR (loan) 2007. Now at Toronto FC
Michael Mancienne QPR (loan) 2006-08, Wolves (loan) 2008

Fans’ Memories
The last game of 82/83 season. Celebrating promotion on the pitch after beating them 2-1. Happy Days! -zranger

Been to our home game with Wolves last four seasons...dull draw,draw,loss,draw. Hoping for a feast of samba style football from the rangers this time and a win. -komradkirk

Remember the 82 game ...didn't it clinch the title? ...promotion was secured against Fulham a couple of weeks earlier ...police horses on the pitch after the game ...apart from that can't remember the last time we beat Wolves ...remember playing them off the park one evening in the snow a couple of years ago up until half time before Holloway went all defensive and it ended 1-1 ...glad Carl Cort doesn't play for them anymore he loved a goal against us! -eghamr

Wasn't there a 1-1 game where Danny Dichio scored the equaliser with an outrageous volley? Or was I just stoned again? -TheBlob

oh yes game was at there place, and they battered us for most of it then all of a sudden the ball come over the top to Danny the donkey and he hammered it home from easily 30+ yards , look on youtube I’m sure its still on there-Wombat

Yes but that was away SpongeBlob, first season after relegation from the prem, we were in line with him when he hit it. So it don't count mate! -BazWot

I think that same season in the home game we played them over Easter, dicked all over them in the 1st half to go 2-0 up and as usual threw it away in the 2nd half, finished 2-2. -TheChef

I always recall a League Cup game in 1979 (I think). We were in the old 2nd Div, Wolves were in the top flight. Clive Allen scored a brilliant free kick in the first half, and we were heading for what was (at the time) a major upset. Then Kenny Hibbert equalised for them in the 92nd minute - gutted. My first experience of 'last-minute-goal-agony syndrome' with Rangers. I'm immune these days. -Loftus77

I remember that day, the bill used the horse's before the game started. we both got promoted, but the coppers caused more probs than the fans did.. it was OBIVOUS both sets of fans wanted to celebrate together... But the bill ruined it!!!!! -QPR_10

Yes, but I remember a fight back by us in 1978 when Don Shanks scored a late equaliser for 3-3 against the run of play I have to say. Wolves fans were mad and I narrowly escaped a big fist in the face in Loftus Rd afterwards. Other earlier memory was the disastrous 1968/9 season when I think Derek Dougan scored with a trademark header and I think that was the match when(their) Derek Parkin stopped what looked like a certain equaliser with a spectacular overhead kick. -Old Nick

Then Second-Division QPR (Les Allen-managed; Venables, Marsh, Bridges et al), beating then-First Division Wolves in a League Cup tie at Loftus Road under the flood lights with two goals from Frank Clarke-QPRReport

I remember that Kenny Hibbert equaliser ...we were just walking down to the exit and turned around for one last look at the game just as he scored ...far too young to realise the consequences though! -eghamR

To add your memories you can use the commenting facility below, e-mail us loftforwords@yahoo.co.uk or post on the message board thread.

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