With Wolves in town on Saturday, LFW looks back to a meeting between the sides from the late 1990s when, for half an hour at least, it seemed like Stewart Houston might actually be onto something.

Recent Meetings

Wolves 2 QPR 3, Tuesday August 20, 2015, Championship

QPR kick-started their 2015/16 season with a remarkable comeback to victory in the rain at Molineux back in August. Having quickly fallen two goals down, and looked overwhelmed in defence by Bennick Afobe and Noah Dicko, it looked like a long night was in store. However a trademark Charlie Austin header from a similarly typical Matt Phillip cross halved the deficit and the winger scored twice himself, making the most of fine approach work from Massimo Luongo and poor goalkeeping from the home custodian, after half time.

Wolves: Martinez 3; Iorfa 6, Stearman 6, Hause 5, Golbourne 6; Henry 7 (Van La Parra 63, 6), Coady 6, McDonald 7, Edwards 7; Afobe 8, Dicko 7 (Le Fondre 46, 5)

Subs not used: Ikeme, Price, Doherty, Ojo, Ebanks-Landell

Goals: Afobe 17 (assisted Henry/Edwards), McDonald 24 (unassisted)

Bookings: Hause 45 (foul), Le Fondre 74 (foul), Coady 90+4 (foul)

QPR: Green 7; Perch 6, Hall 6, Onuoha 6, Konchesky 5; Faurlin 7 (Polter 89, -), Henry 7; Luongo 8, Chery 8 (Doughty 78, 7), Phillips 8; Austin 7

Subs not used: Hill, Gladwin, Lumley, Emmanuel-Thomas, Hoilett

Goals: Austin 38 (assisted Phillips), Phillips 52 (assisted Luongo), 72 (assisted Luongo)

Bookings: Onuoha 60 (foul), Henry 64 (foul)

QPR 1 Wolves 2, Saturday February 4, 2012, Premier League

QPR lost a crucial relegation six-pointer at home to Wolves when these sides met in the Premier League in February 2012. The game turned following a typical brain fart from striker Djibril Cisse. Bobby Zamora had given Mark Hughes’ expensively assembled, new-look side the lead with his first goal for the club after a quarter of an hour but Cisse undid the good work by taking Roger Johnson by the throat after the centre half had committed an ugly tackle on him — Mark Clattenburg booked the Wolves player and dismissed Cisse. Against ten men Wolves came roaring back with a goal straight after half time from Matt Jarvis and another from Kevin Doyle midway through the second half.

QPR: Kenny 6, Young 7 (Hall 65, 7), Onuoha 6, Ferdinand 6, Taiwo 6, Taarabt 8, Derry 5 (Traore 64, 6), Barton 6, Wright-Phillips 6, Cisse 6, Zamora 7 (Hulse 74, 5)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Hill, Mackie, Smith

Sent Off: Cisse 34 (violent conduct)

Goals: Zamora 16 (assisted Wright-Phillips)

Wolves: Hennessey 7, Stearman 5 (Doyle 46, 7), Johnson 6, Bassong 5, Ward 6, Foley 6, Frimpong 6 (Ebanks-Blake 24, 7), Edwards 6, O'Hara 6 (Milijas 87, -), Jarvis 8, Fletcher 7

Subs Not Used: De Vries, Elokobi, Hunt, Berra

Booked: Johnson (foul), Fletcher (foul), Bassong (foul)

Goals: Jarvis 46 (assisted Doyle), Doyle 71 (assisted O’Hara/Ebanks-Blake)

Wolves 0 QPR 3, Saturday September 17, 2011, Premier League

The relegation scrap that materialised that season seemed a million miles away when QPR demolished Wolves on their own patch back in September. Fresh from a mad deadline day the new look QPR side was in fine form at Molineux and surged into an early two goal lead thanks to a scuffed effort from Joey Barton and a thunderous long range volley from Ale Faurlin. The Wolves team was constantly abused by its own supporters and that only got worse when the excellent Armand Traore crossed for substitute DJ Campbell to make it 3-0 three minutes from time. The game was marred by a dreadful late tackle on Barton by his old enemy Karl Henry. Barton responded to the subsequent jeers from the Wolves fans by reminding them of the score but clashed with Henry again at the final whistle and the story dominated the papers for days afterwards.

Wolves: Hennessey 6, Stearman 5, Johnson 6, Berra 6, Elokobi 5 (Vokes 46, 5), Kightly 5 (Guedioura 46, 6), Henry 5, O'Hara 6, Jarvis 6 (Hunt 73, 5), Ward 5, Doyle 5

Subs Not Used: De Vries, Hammill, Milijas, Foley

Booked: Guedioura (foul), Vokes (use of elbow)

QPR: Kenny 7, Young 7, Gabbidon 7 (Hall 83, -), Ferdinand 8, Traore 8, Derry 7, Faurlin 8, Barton 8, Wright-Phillips 8, Taarabt 6 (Smith 75, 6), Bothroyd 6 (Campbell 73, 7),

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Buzsaky, Connolly, Puncheon

Booked: Bothroyd (foul), Faurlin (foul), Ferdinand (dissent)

Goals: Barton 8 (assisted Wright Phillips), Faurlin 10 (unassisted), Campbell 87 (assisted Traore)

QPR 1 Wolves 0, Saturday December 6, 2008, Championship

Martin Rowlands scored the last, and arguably the best, of his 37 QPR goals against Mick McCarthy’s men when these sides met in a live Sky game in 2008. Manager Paulo Sousa had his tactics absolutely spot on, targeting Wolves’ talented but somewhat lightweight centre half pairing of Richard Stearman and Michael Mancienne with a physical front three of Dexter Blackstock, Patrick Agyemang and Heidar Helguson. Even though Blackstock was forced off injured in the first half QPR were good value for a 1-0 win secured by a fabulous strike from Rowlands midway through the second half. For me though it was the performance of Patrick Agyemang rather than the goal that was the most memorable thing about this game — he gave Mancienne a torrid time in his best performance in a QPR shirt. He was almost unplayable that night, which made his performances since even harder to fathom.

QPR: Cerny 8, Ramage 6, Stewart 9, Gorkss 9, Delaney 7, Ephraim 7, Mahon 7, Rowlands 8, Blackstock 6 (Cook 27, 6) (Di Carmine 90, -), Helguson 7 (Tommasi 77, 5), Agyemang 7

Subs Not Used: Cole, Borrowdale

Booked: Rowlands (foul)

Goals: Rowlands 63 (assisted Helguson)

Wolves: Hennessey 8, Foley 6, Stearman 5, Mancienne 5, Ward 6, Kightly 5, Edwards 6, Henry 6, Jones 6 (Jarvis 58, 7), Iwelumo 5 (Vokes 72, 6), Ebanks-Blake 5 (Keogh 78, 6)

Subs Not Used: Higgs, Collins

Booked: Mancienne (handball)

Previous Results

2015/16 Wolves 2 QPR 3 (Phillips 2, Austin)

2011/12 QPR 1 Wolves 2 (Zamora)

2011/12 Wolves 0 QPR 3 (Barton, Faurlin, Campbell)

2008/09 Wolves 1 QPR 0

2008/09 QPR 1 Wolves 0 (Rowlands)

2007/08 Wolves 3 QPR 3 (Buzsaky, Blackstock, Leigertwood)

2007/08 QPR 0 Wolves 0

2006/07 Wolves 2 QPR 0

2006/07 QPR 0 Wolves 1

2005/06 QPR 0 Wolves 0

2005/06 Wolves 3 QPR 1 (Gallen)

2004/05 QPR 1 Wolves 1 (Gallen)

2004/05 Wolves 2 QPR 1 (Gallen)

2000/01 Wolves 1 QPR 1 (Bruce)

2000/01 QPR 2 Wolves 2 (Peacock 2)

1999/00 Wolves 3 QPR 2 (Peacock, Slade)

1999/00 QPR 1 Wolves 1 (Peacock)

1998/99 QPR 0 Wolves 1

1998/99 Wolves 1 QPR 2 (Sheron 2)

1997/98 QPR 0 Wolves 0

1997/98 Wolves 3 QPR 2 (Sheron, Peacock)

1997/98 Wolves 1 QPR 2 (Peacock, Murray)*

1997/98 QPR 0 Wolves 2*

1996/97 QPR 2 Wolves 2 (Peacock, Spencer)

1996/97 Wolves 1 QPR 1 (Dichio)

1983/84 QPR 2 Wolves 1 (Wicks, Gregory)

1983/84 Wolves 0 QPR 4 (C Allen, Gregory, Stainrod)

1982/83 QPR 2 Wolves 1 (Flanagan, Hazell)

1982/83 Wolves 4 QPR 0

1979/80 Wolves 1 QPR 0*

1979/80 QPR 1 Wolves 1* (C Allen)

1978/79 QPR 3 Wolves 3 (Roeder, Busby, Gillard)

1978/79 Wolves 1 QPR 0

1977/78 QPR 1 Wolves 3 (Shanks)

1977/78 Wolves 1 QPR 0

1975/76 QPR 4 Wolves 2 (Givens 2, Thomas, Francis)

1975/76 Wolves 2 QPR 2 (Givens 2)

1974/75 QPR 2 Wolves 0 (Givens, Thomas)

1974/75 Wolves 1 QPR 2 (Givens 2)

1973/74 QPR 0 Wolves 0

1973/74 Wolves 2 QPR 4 (Bowles 2, Leach, Francis)

1969/70 QPR 3 Wolves 1* (Clarke 2, Bridges)

1968/69 QPR 0 Wolves 1

1968/69 Wolves 3 QPR 1 (I Morgan)

1899/00 Wolves 0 QPR 1** (Bedingfield)

1899/00 QPR 1 Wolves 1** (Haywood)

* - League Cup

** - FA Cup

Connections

Bob Hazell was a big, physical, uncompromising heart of the defence at Loftus Road in the early 1980s. Signed by Tommy Docherty in 1979 he went on to form a formidable centre half partnership with Steve Wicks, particularly during Terry Venables' reign in W12. He played at Wembley as a Second Division player for Rangers in the FA Cup final against Spurs, which we lost after a replay, and won promotion into the First Division with us a year later.

The R's, famed for their well drilled offside trap and plastic pitch in that promotion campaign, inexplicably lost 4-0 at Wolves on their way into the First Division which must have been particularly tough for Hazell who was a graduate of the youth set up at Molineux and had moved to Loftus Road from Wolves in 1979.

It was the semi final v West Brom at Highbury, rather than the final, that Hazell is probably best remembered for at Rangers. Against the Baggies' feared talisman Cyrille Regis Hazell turned in one of the all time great centre half performances and marked him out of the game in a 1-0 win. As a former Wolves man this should have been a sweet moment but Hazell was actually brought up as a Baggies fan and his only recollection of the game is Tony Currie coming to congratulate him after the final whistle.

In an interview with the Express and Star newspaper in 2008 Hazell said: “You will find this hard to believe but the truth is I can barely remember one or two incidents from that game. It was one of those matches where I concentrated so hard that even when the final whistle went I didn’t realise it was the end of the game. But, at that time, Cyrille was ripping up trees, he was really doing the business and I remember vividly the team meeting beforehand. Terry Venables looked at me at that meeting and said: ‘Bob, if you can look after Cyrille, we have got a good chance here.

“Although Cyrille and I were and are good friends that was my mission for the day. For the day? It felt like it was my life’s mission. And from the time we walked out on to the pitch to after the match had been finished, barely a couple of things have ever come back to me. I can remember the lead up to our goal although I can’t remember how the ball came in my direction. They showed it on TV last week but the clip was so short I still couldn’t remember how it got there."

Hazell, who was the first black player to ever score for Wolves, scored eight goals for Rangers, mostly from set pieces, but is also remembered for a headed own goal past Peter Hucker in a match against West Ham. He was moved on by Rangers to Leicester in 1983 with Wicks partnered by Terry Fenwick at this point and a young Alan McDonald progressing through the ranks in his position.

Hazell spent brief periods on loan back at Wolves and Reading later in his career then signed for Third Division side Port Vale in 1987 and played 17 times in their 1988/89 promotion season before being forced to retire from the game.

Despite being born in Jamaica he won England Under 21 and B caps in his youth and now works in the Midlands in a programme for young offenders.

Others >>> Jay Bothroyd, Wolves 2006-2008, QPR 2011-2014 >>> Keith Curle, Wolves 1996-2000, QPR (coach) 2009-2014 >>> Marcus Bent, QPR (loan) 2010, Wolves (loan) 2010-2011 >>> Leon Clarke, Wolves 2003-2007, QPR (loan) 2006, 2010-2011 >>> Carl Ikeme, Wolves 2003-present, QPR (loan) 2010 >>> Matt Hill, Wolves 2008-2011, QPR (loan) 2010 >>> Gavin Mahon, Wolves 1995-1996, QPR 2008-2011 >>> Tim Flowers, Wolves 1984-1986, QPR (coach) 2008 >>> Michael Mancienne, QPR (loan) 2006-2008, Wolves (loan) 2008-2011 >>> Paul Jones, Wolves 1991-1996, 2004-2006, QPR 2006-2007 >>> Rohan Ricketts, Wolves 2005-2007, QPR (loan) 2007 >>> Dean Sturridge, Wolves 2001-2005, QPR 2005-2006 >>> Keith Lowe, Wolves 2004-2008, QPR (loan) 2006 >>> Bob Taylor, Wolves 2000-2002, QPR (loan) 2001 >>> Darren Ward, QPR (loan) 1999-2000, Wolves 2007-2010 >>> Mark Kennedy, QPR (loan) 1998, Wolves 2001-2006 >>> Simon Osborn, QPR 1995-1996, Wolves 1996-2001 >>> Dougie Freedman, QPR 1993-1994, Wolves 1997-1998 >>> Darren Peacock, QPR 1990-1994, Wolves 2000 >>> Brian Law, QPR 1987-1991, Wolves 1994-1997 >>> Andy Sinton, QPR 1989-1993, Wolves 1999-2002 >>> John Burridge, QPR 1980-1982, Wolves 1982-1984 >>> Keith Pritchett, Wolves 1972-1973, QPR 1974-1975 >>> Dave Thomas, QPR 1972-1977, Wolves 1979-1980 >>> Tommy Docherty, QPR (manager) 1968, 1979-1980, Wolves (manager) 1984-1985 >>> Peter Eastoe, Wolves 1971-1973, QPR 1976-1979 >>> Mark Lazarus, QPR 1960-1961, 1962-1964, 1966-1968, Wolves 1961-1962 >>> Fred Ramscar, Wolves 1946-1947, QPR 1947-1949

Memorable Match

QPR 2 Wolves 2, Monday March 31, 1997, First Division

There are many reasons why it took QPR 15 years to return to the Premiership after relegation in 1996, but fairly high up on the list is the way they wasted the 1996/97 season in the First Division. Flush with new money from Chris Wright Rangers blew the rest of the division out of the water with transfer fees spending significant seven figure sums on John Spencer, Gavin Peacock, Steve Morrow and others.

But they made fundamental mistakes as well. They started the season with Ray Wilkins in charge despite relegation the previous season. Nothing wrong with giving a manager another chance after relegation per se but having allowed Wilkins to shape the team as he wished over the summer and conduct pre-season training he then left (still debate about whether he was sacked or resigned) four games into the campaign after a home defeat by Bolton.

Rangers then appointed Stewart Houston who’d done a sound job as caretaker manager at Arsenal on several occasions but didn’t have any experience of a number one role. He first of all appointed Bruce Rioch as his assistant and then took an age to spend any of Wright’s money improving the squad.

Director Nick Blackburn later told A Kick Up The R’s: “Well, Clive Berlin prepared his contract. One of the things Clive said Stewart insisted on putting in his contract was that he appointed his own number two. Later, Stewart called us and he said I want to come over to Chris Wright’s office and tell you who my number two is. So we all go over. There’s Clive, me, Chris, and somebody else I can’t remember. He told us that his number two is going to be Bruce Rioch. We said: “Are you sure?” But he thought it was fantastic. We went, “Are you sure?”. But we couldn’t change it because it was in his contract that he could appoint his number two.

“We didn’t think it was a good idea at all. Not because we thought Bruce was a bad manager. In fact Bruce’s track record is pretty good. But we didn’t think the chemistry between the two of them would work. I then heard that in the first training session he took, Houston called Rioch “Gaffer” in front of the players.

“The other thing about Stewart was that he was a remarkably honest and decent man, and I think he was a very good coach, But he was very slow to make decisions. We had Matt Jackson on loan at the time, who I thought was a decent player, and Stewart said, “I’m not going to sign him until I’ve watched him a few more times.” So Matt said, “I’m not going to stay here on trial” and went back to Everton. I always remember, Stewart started quite well and then the club slipped down the table, yet he had money available. But he just wouldn’t sign anyone. Chris was away and he rang me up one day and said,“Tell Stewart, if he doesn’t sign anybody, I’m going to sign some fucking players”, because we were still slipping down the table.”

When he did spend money he initially spent it very well, signing Gavin Peacock and John Spencer from Chelsea who were both excellent for Rangers. But that period of uncertainty and indecision pre-Christmas cost QPR at the other end of the season and when Wolves came to town on Easter Monday it was getting to do or die time.

For half an hour QPR were absolutely magnificent in the blazing London sunshine. A beautifully worked and typically well finished John Spencer goal gave them the lead after 13 minutes and Gavin Peacock lashed in a fabulous second before the half hour. I remember my mum randomly went to this game and even she turned around and said after half an hour “I didn’t realise QPR were actually this good.”

The problem is, they weren’t. They couldn’t hold their lead until half time and Don Goodman stole in to halve the deficit before the break. The second half was a tense and increasingly bad tempered affair. Six players were shown yellow cards including Wolves goalkeeper Mike Stowell who objected to some rough contact in his penalty area and started a melee — but strangely didn’t concede a penalty for it.

A spot kick was awarded at the other end however and Keith Curle, a perennial scourge of QPR before he became their assistant manager more recently, converted at the Loft End. Cue another melee. Curle had become involved in an argument with Rangers’ American goalkeeper Jurgeon Sommer before taking the kick as the pair tried to put each other off and having scored he celebrated in the goalkeeper’s face sparking another round of handbags.

Rangers had to settle for a draw and ended up finishing eighth, missing out on the play off positions altogether. Wolves finished third but lost out in the play offs as sixth placed Crystal Palace came roaring through to take the final promotion spot behind Barnsley and Bolton.

QPR: Sommer, Yates, McDonald, Maddix, Brevett, Impey, Barker (Quashie 77), Peacock, Murray, Spencer, Dichio (Slade 77)

Subs not used: M Graham

Goals: Spencer 13, Peacock 27

Bookings: McDonald, Barker, Spencer

Wolves: Stowell, Smith, Venus (Law 40), Curle, Atkins, Froggatt, Corica (Thomas 33), Osborn, Ferguson, Goodman, Roberts

Subs not used: Thompson

Goals: Goodman 39, Curle (penalty) 70

Bookings: Thomas, Roberts, Stowell

Highlights >>> Wolves 0 QPR 3, 2011 >>> Wolves 1 QPR 1, 1996 >>> Wolves 4 QPR 0, 1982 >>> Wolves 2 QPR 4, 1973

Tweet @loftforwords

Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

enfieldargh added 05:16 - Jan 22 What about Houston saying Paula wanchope was not our kind of player having had him on trial and the guy scoring about 6 goals in 2 or 3 games What a plonker! Great memories of our Bobby azel. I remember the Upton Park game. I was stood at the front of the home end with my hammers mate. They kept changing there's only one chicken George at our Bobby ( the tv show roots was on at the time) which seemed to put our Bob off somewhat

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TacticalR added 10:54 - Jan 22 Great stuff. The more detail you hear about the Stewart Houston era, the stranger it sounds. An early case of the 'if something comes from a big club it must be good' outlook that has been so disastrous for the club in recent years.
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