Turkey, Christmas, relatives blah blah blah, football is back tomorrow and not a moment too soon. Ash is back with a festive look at a memorable match and players that have played for both clubs as QPR travel to Charlton.

Having just got back from the Winter Wonderland extravaganza at Hyde Park, I’m quite the festive mood and still buzzing from the trilling three points that earned Rangers victory last Saturday. If the R’s can keep up those kind of performances, and Sousa can show that kind of tactical nouse over the next two games, it really will be the most wonderful time of the year. First up for the Super Hoops is another Boxing Day away day, thankfully not in Plymouth, but the short trip across London to the struggling Addicks, Charlton. As mentioned before it’s an even shorter trip for me to The Valley, just ten minutes down the road and I’m hoping that our current run of three straight victories continues on Friday so I can still have that smug feeling over my local club.

Charlton are in a dire state at the moment, on a 14 match winless streak and fans down here are calling this side the worst Charlton team they have ever seen - no surprise as most of them didn’t even start going until they were promoted to the Premier League, and have already started to desert the team when the club needs them most. Having seen Charlton first hand against Coventry a couple of weeks ago, they are awful and if a new manager doesn’t come in soon their down but Rangers being Rangers have a history of being generous to teams like this and as its Christmas could just see them handing the Addicks their fist three points for three months.

The R’s first travelled to South East London in December 1921 for a Third Division South game that finished 1-1. While last season’s victory is covered in this weeks’ memorable match. So lets take a walk down the blue a and white path of memory lane and remember a great win for Mick Harford and the players that have played for both sides.

I also just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone at LFW a very Merry Christmas, here’s hoping you get everything you want from Santa Claus!

Memorable Match
Charlton 0-1 QPR
27th October 2007
Championship
When Charlton were relegated in the summer of 2007 the first fixture I was looking out for the following season was our overdue clash with the Addicks. Having lived in the South East London area all my life I have had to put with the Charlton lot having one over us since our own relegation from the top-flight. When I was a wee QPR supporting nipper no one in my school supported Charlton despite the fact it was just down the road. Some went along to the games but most were Arsenal, Man Utd or Liverpool fans, until that is that famous play-off final at Wembley saw Alan Curbishley’s boys promoted to the big league and all of a sudden everyone at Woolwich Polytechnic school was a Charlton fan again. And this is where my dislike of the club comes from - the fickle fans of Charlton.

Those fans who during the Premier League days would only fill the ground where one of the big four were in town, those who were bussed in from as far as Gillingham and Brighton just to bump up the attendance and those fans stuck with a season ticket because Charlton were giving out buy one get another season free offers (maybe Flavio could look at that one?). It didn’t help either that in between Charlton promotions they would regularly beat Rangers and I had to put up with those fickle lot winding me up the following day.

So a win over our London rivals and me a victory over my Charlton supporting friends fickle or not was long overdue as the teams prepared to meet for the first time in seven seasons. Going into the game Rangers were bottom of the table, and after sacking John Gregory had caretaker manager Mick Harford in charge looking for the second win of the campaign against promotion chasing Charlton, fresh after being relegated from the Premier League.

It was the home team as expected who started the better of the two teams and twice went close in the first half through striker Luke Varney. But in a typical tight London derby chances were few and far between as Stewart and Cranie stood firm in the Rangers back-line.

After the break Rangers grew in confidence and started to threaten themselves. I think most of the travelling R’s faithful would have taken a point but as the half wore on there were signs that there were three points for the taking for Mick Harford’s men. Then another mazy run by Rowan Vine into the Charlton box was stopped by defender Jonathon Fortune and Rangers were awarded a penalty right in front of the travelling support. The normally reliable Martin Rowlands stepped up to take the spot-kick but his effort cannoned off Nicky Weaver’s post and I thought we had blown our chance.

Minutes later Mikele Leigertwood found himself one on one with the keeper before blasting his shot straight at Weaver as another chance went begging to win the game. Then with twenty minutes to go a left-wing cross from Hogan Ephraim had Weaver flapping under pressure from Nygaard and with the ball loose, Adam Bolder was on hand to tap the ball into the empty net. Charlton appealed for a foul on their keeper but the goal stood and Rangers held on to take all three points, lifting them off the bottom of the Championship. While I got to celebrate victory with free drinks courtesy of a pre-match bet with my now sheepish Charlton mates!

Charlton: Weaver 6; Mills 6, Basey 7, Sodje 7, Fortune 6; Sam 7 (Racon 85, -), Semedo 6 (J Thomas 46, 5), Zheng 7, Reid 7; Varney 6, Iwelumo 6 (McLeod 69, 5)
Subs not used: Randolph, Bougherra
Booked: Sam 81 (foul), Reid 87 (dissent)

QPR: Camp 7; Mancienne 7, Barker 7, Stewart 8, Cranie 8; Rowlands 7, Bolder 7, Leigertwood 8, Ephraim 7, Nygaard 8, Vine 8
Subs not used: Cole, Bignot, Ainsworth, Sahar, Moore
Goals: Bolder 72 (assisted Nygaard)

Full Match Report

Postscript: Harford was soon replaced by Italian Luigi Di Canio and Rangers’ season turned around, pulling away from the relegation battle, briefly flirting with the play-offs before finishing in 11th place. Charlton’s promotion charge never really got going and eventually finished 8th.

Connections
Gavin Peacock
QPR 1984-87, 1996-2002
Charlton 2001
Gavin Keith Peacock was born and raised just down the road from Friday’s opponents in Eltham, South-East London and attended Bexley Grammar School. After playing for England schoolboys he signed pro-forms with Rangers in 1984 and two years later made his debut for the Super Hoops in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday aged just 19. But first-team opportunities were limited for a young Peacock and after just 17 appearances in four seasons at Loftus he joined Gillingham who were managed by his father Keith after a successful loan stint there. Although his Dad was sacked just months are joining, Gavin remained and spent two years at Priestfield and a further two years at Harry Redknapp’s Bournemouth before joining Newcastle United in 1990.

Peacock had already established himself as a decent midfielder but it was at St James Park he added consistency and a goal scoring threat to his game. When Kevin Keegan took over Newcastle, Gavin became a key member of the Magpies team that won promotion to the Premier League. Peacock though didn’t appear for Newcastle in the top-flight as he moved on to Glenn Hoddle’s Chelsea for £1.25 million. He became a first team regular at Stamford Bridge helping the team to the FA Cup Final in 1994 and finished top the Blues top scorer, famously netting both home and away winners against Champions Manchester United along the way. When Hoddle left to manage England, Ruud Gullit took over the Chelsea reigns and Peacock found himself out of the new manager’s plans.

Seeking first team football he returned ‘home’ to first club QPR first on loan before sealing a permanent £1 million transfer along with team-mate John Spencer to the club, who under Stewart Houston were pushing for a return to the Premier League. That return never materialised and over the next seven seasons under four different managers, there was more a threat of relegation for Peacock and Rangers then a promotion challenge and was involved in the memorable 6-0 win over Palace and Jamie Pollock’s own goal survival moments. Gavin however always gave his heart to the Rangers cause and was given the captain’s armband under Gerry Francis. When Rangers did finally loose their second tier status, Peacock left to join Dad Keith again who was now assistant manager at Charlton on loan to lift the burden of his wages off the Rangers’ bill. His loan spell lasted just six games before Peacock retired from football and became a pundit for the BBC. He was regularly seen on Football Focus and Match of the Day 2 until this summer when he somewhat bizarrely moved to Canada to study divinity in the hope to be a Christian pastor or vicar.
Magic R’s moment: A classic Peacock bursts from midfield in a famous 4-1 win over Ipswich in October 1999

Others:
Stuart Leary - Charlton 1950-1962, QPR 1962-1966, The South African also played first class cricket for Kent, found dead on Table Mountain in August 1988
Mike Flanagan - Charlton 1971-1979 QPR 1980-1984, left the assistant manager position at Margate last season
Nicky Johns – Charlton 197-/87, QPR 1987-1989, now runs Soccer Schools
Alan McDonald - QPR 1981-1997, Charlton 1984 loan, now manager of Glentoran
Carl Leaburn - Charlton 1987-1998, QPR 2001-2002, now a match analyst for Premier League Productions
Bradley Allen – QPR 1988-1996, Charlton 1996-1999, now a BBC LDN pundit
Jermaine Darlington - Charlton 1992-1993, QPR 1999-2001, now retired after finishing with AFC Wimbledon
Dennis Bailey - QPR 1991-95, Charlton 1994 loan, now retired
Kevin Lisbie – Charlton 1995-2007, QPR 2000-01 (loan), now with Ipswich Town
Danny Shittu - Charlton 2000-02, QPR 2001-06, now with Bolton
Lee Cook – QPR 2002-03, 2004-07, 2008, Charlton 2008
Jerome Thomas - QPR 2002 (loan), Charlton 2004-2008, now with Portsmouth
Simon Royce - Charlton 2003-2005, QPR 2005-2007, now at Gillingham
Martin Crainie - QPR 2007-08 (loan), Charlton 2008 (loan)

Fans’ Memories
Away Christmas time 1982/1983. They have three decent stands and a huge empty grass infested terrace to the right. Rangers fill the away end. We win 3-0 I think, with a Gary Micklewhite overhead goal to wrap things off. "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to see, Rangers’ win away". Remember it as clear as yesterday. -Parker64

The game I remember was when we has John "budgie" Burridge in goal - made one of the best saves I have ever seen. Long shot looked like it was going over his head as he was standing outside the six yard box. He sort of somersault/flipped backwards to tip it over. Think it ended 1-1 or 2-2 but can't remember the year. -Smiffy7

Don't remember the year but a few hundred of us there. That high right stand was not overgrown but empty. At half time the Charlton mob started moving round that stand towards us. People jumped over the wall onto vans behind it to get away. The train back wasn't too tidy either. -BazWot

I remember the game where Gavin Peacock scored a penalty, our first one away from home in eight years. also the rob styles game where he sent Chris Plummer off and gave them a penalty. -Northernr

Pick any game in the late 80's and chanting "Going down" at them, only for the lucky bastards to beat us 1-0, I think we did finally manage a win there (well Sellhurst) circa 89. -Loftboy

I looked at a place near Thamesmead once and went for pint in Greenwich after. Some mug came up to me, after hearing I was Rangers and said he was A-MOB(?) or something and pulled a blade on me, before I could do anything, some big rasta come and said I was his brother and the geezer proper shat it and scarpered. Fair play to him, he remembered Bob Hazell and said that at Rangers he was treated good as he was a mad fan(!) Was about to move to SE London, its a shithole, but a 'left to its own business' shithole. Weird place to be fair, like a cut off society, but in London. Know some good boys down there, but it has that desperation that some parts of London have moved away from. Was in the Lewisham housing office a month ago in Catford/Deptford and the security geezer (top bloke,too) had a bullet proof jacket on! I blame London transport personally.

A weird crowd, Charlton. Always been a proper family crowd, more so than us, on a par with half ful. Don't actually mind them, like Orient. Was chuffed for them to get The Valley back, still a nothing club, run well for a while by Curbishley and the board. Great performance from us last year, would be surprised if we can better it, but three points and a dire display will do fine, ta. One of the best performances I'd seen from us in a few years. Crainie at centre back was immense, Bolder and all were brilliant. Mick Harford may well have done a job for us last year. GanjR

Mid to late 80s away at Selhurst midweek. Probably no more than 6 or 7 thousand there with maybe 1,500 QPR in the away end. Awful, awful game with the home fans for some reason singing that "Yippie yi Ohhhhh, Yippie yi yaaaaay" chorus to that Ghost Riders Johnny Cash song. Anyway, the floodlights failed leaving our end in complete darkness for quite a while. The QPR fans decided to entertain themselves with singing, terrace surges etc. I then felt a hand on my shoulder and was dragged out by a copper for "jumping, pushing and swearing". The fact I had been leaning on a crush barrier and therefore was in no position to be pushing anyone escaped him. How he could pick out anyone doing anything in complete darkness was another mystery.

In those days losing to Charlton was up there with losing to Vauxhall Motors for embarrassment factor. You guessed it, they got the lights working again and we lost 1-0. As I got thrown out quite near the end I was able to go back in the Charlton end and watch the rest of the match as the gates were open. Should have got an early train home instead. We offered nothing and I got to enjoy the home fans celebrating a very rare win with yet more Yippie yi Ohhhhhs. The only other time I watched Charlton there was when they beat Leeds in the playoffs with a very late goal. About 10,000 Leeds there absolutely fuming at the end. There were coins flying everywhere on the way out. -SydneyRs

As I've said before I hate the club and currently enjoying out little three match winning streak against them. My worst memory was when Charlie McDonald got the winner mid 90's as I used to play in the same Sunday team as him as a kid! . -Wegerle10

Late 70's poss early 80's a mate got laid out coming out of the bogs.Turned out the winker's family were minted and he got enough out of the criminal injury board to lay a large deposit on his first house. Can’t remember the score though (there again neither could he , alcohol was my excuse ) -hooper1957

Last game of 1979-80 season, nothing at stake. Last game for Allen and Goddard's partnership, Paul scored two. Andy Pape in goal, I wonder how often that happened. There were about 7,000 there, little squads sallied forth from the ends across the huge weedy side terrace to throw bits of wood at each other, it was like watching a mediaeval battle. National Front News on sale around the ground, and a sprint back to the car afterwards. Haven't thought of it as a family club since, although I've never seen trouble there since. -Mr Sheen

We beat them 0-1 at Selhurst early in the 1987/88 season - a result that kept us top of the Division 1 table. Loads of R's there that day. -hoopsa

I remember a Danny Maddix o.g. in the 85th minute at Selhurst Park in the late 80's/early nineties. Lost 1-0. Absolutely gutted as I was at the match with a couple of Charlton fans who I didn't really like... -KevinPR

82/3 we won 3-1.Allan Simonsen was playing for them. That Burridge save game we won 2-1 it was 81/2. -Norfolt

I remember my dad driving me and my mate from northwest London when I was about 11. Got all the way to the valley to find a sign on the gate saying match postponed. Hadn’t heard of LBC in those days. -Enfieldargh

Nothing to do with QPR but my dad used to take me over as he had a mate who lived down that way and I saw Stanley Matthews playing there for Stoke. It was towards the end of his career, I quickly add. Also, saw the Who Put The Boot In tour. A neighbour designed the posters and went with 2 mates. One disappeared before the Who came on, so the 2 of us had to finish a 2 litre bottle of wine. Don't remember much of the trip back to West London but managed to wake the Mrs as I staggered in. -derbyhoop

December (I think) 79. Gary Waddock home debut...Stan's last ever goal for us, a header. We won 4-0 ....Stan left us a couple of weeks later...heartbroken. -Harkouk

As referred to already.... 81/82 Both teams were top 5 or 6, Charlton WERE 100% at home. The twisting Budgie save in front of us AND he saved a penalty AND Roeder scored with a shuffle (or did he create one with a shuffle?). To top it all the tannoy told the massed Rs as we were leaving "final score Rotherham 6 chelsea 0" 82/83 Christmas Micklewhite bicycle kick to keep us top & help erase our Boxing Day defeat to the other lot two days previous. One of these games involved fans of both teams running at each other back & forth along the large terrace throughout the game . btw, Stan’s last goal was the week after that Charlton 4 0, at Cambridge-Walnut

I was at the 82/83 3-1 night game between Xmas and New Year and it was my first visit to the Valley. Definitely running battles along that huge side terrace that night, and also loads on either platform at Charlton station throwing stuff across at each other after the game. -Kingshill

When I used to live in Kent remember going for a few night games, one cup game I think were one of out ex youth team players scored - or was that a bad night mare???? -Bacon77

One year we went there about mid to late eighties I think, were 1-0 up until about 87th minute, when Steve Gritt scored a screamer, must have been about the only goal he ever scored for them. Farking typical -The Cat

They had a firm called the B-TEAM...in the 80s... Was at the 2-1 game when Budgie made that save, was on the big match. Me and a few mates were in the seats and spoke to el tel...after THAT save even the ref shook his head in disbelief. Was at the 3-1 when Micklewhite scored that overhead goal...100s of QPR steamed from the seats over to the terrace bit, as Charlton fans tried to start on a few QPR, a small part of the terrace was for away fans but most (1000s) were in the seats behind the goal. Was at Selhurst for the Maddix og 0-1? For me, Charlton are a nothing team, limited history and poor support, over the last 10 years they turned it around average 20000 odd , but it's dropping again as no Prem league. They were a model team in the 90s for me, getting and staying in the Prem, always a decent side and showed it can be done....but they are on the slide....they go down, expect 12000 or so... -Modfather

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