A London derby which hasn't brought QPR fans too many fond memories in recent times, but it wasn't always like that.

I have quite a personal interest in Saturday’s opponents, Charlton Athletic. Despite being a Rangers supporter through and through thanks to my father, I have grown up on the South East side of London a stones throw away from The Valley. So I have seen this little happy family club go from average second tier team to what was until last season an established Premier League team. I’ve seen many a fan come out the woodwork during this time to declare themselves an ‘Addick’ and look down upon the R’s as our fortune rapidly headed in the other direction. Of course it’s not been helped that the very few seasons we’ve shared the same league, our record against our fellow Londoners isn’t very good. In fact we haven’t beaten Charlton at Loftus Road since 1988. But all that will be forgotten if Rangers manage to do their first double of the season on Saturday and give me the summer bragging rights to quite a few friends who will be sitting in the opposite end.

Charlton first made the journey across the capital on Christmas Eve back in 1921 resulting in a 3-1 win for the R‘s. While a goalless draw in one of the last home games of the century was the Addicks last visit, so lets take a walk down the blue and white hooped path of memory lane….

Memorable Match
Queens Park Rangers 5-1 Charlton Athletic
22 March 1983
Division 2
The season after the disappointing FA Cup final defeat was a memorable one for the R’s and this thumping win was a shining example of an excellent QPR side under Terry Venables. A week before Rangers 4-0 win at home to Rotherham had seen them go top of the league and the R’s were honing in on promotion from the second division - Charlton were now in the way of extending that lead further. The Addicks quite simply couldn’t cope with the league leaders in a five star performance from Rangers.

Goals from Bob Hazell, Simon Stainrod, John Gregory plus a brace from leading scorer Tony Sealy saw off the R’s London rivals. It was the beginning of a run that would see Rangers go unbeaten for seven games and only drop points in a 2-2 draw with Leicester. They secured promotion on April 23 and wrapped up the title two weeks later as Wolves dropped points ironically at Charlton and the R’s beat West London neighbours Fulham. Wouldn’t mind history repeating itself in twelve months time eh!

QPR: Hucker, Neil, Dawes, Waddock, Hazell, Fenwick, Micklewhite (Allen), Sealy, Stainrod, Flanagan, Gregory

Player Connections
Bradley Allen
QPR 1988-1996
Charlton 1996-1999
Rangers have a rich history when it comes to the Allen family. Les, Clive, and Martin have all donned the hooped shirt in the past and the last in the family to do so was striker Bradley. He rose through the ranks at Loftus Road making his debut at twenty years old against Wimbledon (funny how that is seen as quite old in the modern game) and was part of the successful Premier League squad under Gerry Francis. Although fair to say never is the same class as his brother, Bradley enjoyed some fruitful times in front of goal for the R’s, which included a hat-trick at Goodison Park and a run of six goals in seven matches in October 1993. After failing to secure first team place and missing a penalty against Chelsea, Allen moved on to Charlton. Unfortunately injuries hampered his time at the Valley and never got a decent run in the team, although he did manage to score the winner on his return to the Loft in November 1996. Spells at Grimsby, Peterborough and Bristol Rovers followed before retiring in 2004 whilst playing non-league. Now under-14’s coach at Spurs.
Did you know - Bradley can be seen as a pundit on TEAMTALK TV

Danny Shittu
Charlton 1999-2002
QPR 2002-2006
When future QPR fans ask about the teams of the early 21st century few players will come out with more credit then Danny Shittu. The Nigerian was a youth product at Charlton but somehow was never deemed good enough to make the first team at the Valley and was farmed out on loan first to Blackpool and then to QPR in October 2001. Although he didn’t get off to the best of starts (a 4-1 defeat to Peterborough and a red card) Big Dan became a big hit at Loftus Road and wasn’t before long there were calls to sign the centre-back on a permanent basis. Cash strapped Rangers couldn’t afford it but R’s fan Alex Winton dipped into his own pocket and forked out £350,000 for Shittu. Dan was soon the bedrock of the R’s defence, and built an unstoppable partnership with Clarke Carlisle at the back. Danny’s brawn matched with Carlisle’s brain was the basis of the memorable R’s team that won promotion from League One in 2004. Unfortunately the Premier League soon came calling and after two successful seasons in the Championship Big Dan moved onto newly promoted Watford for £1.6 million. The Hornets only lasted a season in the promised land and rumours are now rife that if Watford fail to gain promotion this campaign we could see Dan returning to join the R’s revolution.
Did you know - Danny’s brother Richard plays for non-league Chesnut

Nicky Johns
Charlton 1978-1987
QPR 1987-1989
A constant battle I have with my Charlton friends is the history of both clubs and the players that have played for them. Why I indulge in their fantasies I don’t know, but Nicky Johns is another example of how the R’s will always come out on top. Nicky Johns is seen as one of the best ever goalkeepers at Charlton, whilst in his spell with QPR he played second fiddle to one David Seaman, enough said really? Johns started his career at Millwall and spent some time in the US playing for Tampa Bay Rowdies before his move to Charlton, where in a nine year spell he worked his way to the number one jersey and was named played of the year in 1983. He moved to Rangers in 1987 and made just 16 appearances in two years, then moved on to Maidstone Utd. Now a football in the community officer.
Did you know - Nicky ran his own soccer schools in Greenwich and Kent and always wore his QPR tracksuit

Others:
Simon Royce (Charlton 2003-2005, QPR 2005-2007, now at Gillingham)
Dennis Bailey (QPR 1991-95, Charlton 1994 loan, now retired)
Alan McDonald (QPR 1981-1997, Charlton 1984 loan, now manager of Glentoran)
Gavin Peacock (QPR 1984-87 & 1996-2002, Charlton 2001 loan, now BBC Pundit)
Jerome Thomas (QPR 2002 loan, Charlton 2004-present)
Carl Leaburn (Charlton 1987-1998, QPR 2001-2002, now a match analyst for Premier League Productions)
Jermaine Darlington (Charlton 1992-1993, QPR 1999-2001, released last season)
Mike Flanagan (Charlton 1971-1979 QPR 1980-1984, recently left the assistant manager position at Margate)
Stuart Leary (Charlton 1950-1962, QPR 1962-1966, The South African also played first class cricket for Kent, found dead on Table Moutain in August 1988)

Fans’ Memories
Pre-season a couple of years back, terrible game that we lost 3-0 but memorable for Big Dan picking the ball up in our half, bursting forward and hitting the ball exceptionally hard against the bar from about 40 yards!! Aston Hoop

Beating them 4-0 and Gary Waddock paying a blinder - on his debut? Maybe wrong - seems a very long time ago. Birchy10

Winning 5-1 in our 83 promotion season, load of us went to the game straight from school, I think Sealy scored a couple. Also several times in the late 80's singing ‘going down’ to them at Selhurst only for them to beat us 1-0, happenned more than once. Loftboy

I can only remember John Humphrey continually beating our full backs and slinging in great crosses for some reason-nothing else. Oh, yes, there’s always Adam Bolder's goal. I was sitting in Gullivers Bar, Bangkok screaming my head off much to the bemusement of some Korean guys. Great night!!!! Enfieldargh

Great memory of a cup tie at the Valley 1969, Charlton two up at half time, then the great Rodney Marsh took over the game, scored two ,made the 3rd. Fantastic WelwynRanger

Clive Mendonca scoring lots of goals. QPRissimo

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