As QPR prepare for their first trip to White Hart Lane since 1995, LoftforWords takes its regular look back at past results, player connections and a memorable game between the two clubs.

Recent Meetings

Spurs 1 QPR 0, Saturday December 9, 1995

By the time QPR arrived at White Hart Lane in December 1995 they were on a disastrous run of ten league games without a win – a run that had been triggered by a collapse in the home fixture with Spurs in September that we’ll move onto shortly. Considering Ray Wilkins’ team actually finished the season quite strongly it was this dreadful run through October, November and December that would eventually cost them their Premiership place. Meak surrenders were the order of the day and having allowed Teddy Sheringham to open the scoring with the time still in single figures Rangers rarely, if ever, looked like getting back into the game. As I’ve said so often about games from our last Premiership campaign, when you look at the QPR team on paper it’s not hard to see why it struggled.

Spurs: Walker, Calderwood (Edinburgh 84), Campbell, Mabbutt, Wilson, Howells, Dozzell, Rosenthal, Fox, Sheringham, Armstrong

Subs:Day, McMahon

Goals: Sheringham 3

Bookings: Howells

QPR: Sommer, Bardsley, Yates, McDonald, Challis, Impey, Barker (Charles 78), Holloway, Sinclair, Hateley, Gallen (Osborn 63)

Subs: Maddix

Bookings: Barker, McDonald

QPR 2 Spurs 3, Monday September 25, 1995

It’s hard to believe, now we know everything that went on subsequently, but there was actually a decent amount of optimism around Loftus Road when Spurs visited for a live Monday Night Football encounter in September 1995. A pretty lousy start to the first post-Les Ferdinand season at Loftus Road had given way to victories over Man City and, memorably, away at Leeds 3-1 and more importantly Ray Wilkins had gone out and spent some money on a Ferdinand replacement. Sadly that replacement was Mark Hateley, who was paraded in front of the supporters before this game on crutches. Nevertheless Rangers set about Spurs well and former boss Gerry Francis could only watch in stunned silence as Danny Dichio gave QPR the lead, and then straight after half time Andy Impey nodded in Rufus Brevett’s looping back post cross. Then, disaster. Within a minute of doubling the lead QPR found it halved in controversial circumstances – Teddy Sheringham embarrassingly flinging himself over the back of Karl Ready as the defender turned to chase a ball that had long since cleared the area and was no longer anywhere close to either of them. David Ellery always was an obliging referee for Sheringham, and Spurs, and awarded the softest of soft penalties. From then on a collapse always looked likely and Sheringham and Dozzell scored a goal each in three devastating minutes midway through the half. QPR did recover to win at Bolton a week later but then won only two of their next 18 matches in the league and were eventually relegated.

QPR: Sommer, Maddix, McDonald, Ready, Brevett, Impey, Holloway, Barker, Osborn (Allen 79), Sinclair, Dichio

Subs: Gallen, Challis

Goals: Dichio 36, Impey 46

Spurs: Walker, Austin, Calderwood, Mabbutt, Wilson, Anderton (Edinburgh 65), Dozzell, Howells, Rosenthal, Armstrong, Sheringham

Subs: Campbell, Thorsvedt

Goals: Sheringham 48, 75, Dozzell 73

Bookings: Calderwood, Howells, Armstrong

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> Tottenham wins 18 >>> Draws 16 >>> QPR wins 13

1995/96 Spurs 1 QPR 0

1995/96 QPR 2 Spurs 3 (Dichio, Impey)

1994/95 QPR 2 Spurs 1 (Ferdinand)

1994/95 Spurs 1 QPR 1 (Impey)

1993/94 Spurs 1 QPR 2 (Sinclair 2)

1993/94 QPR 1 Spurs 1 (Ferdinand)

1992/93 Spurs 3 QPR 2 (Peacock, White)

1992/93 QPR 4 Spurs 1 (Penrice 2, Holloway, Wilkins)

1991/92 QPR 1 Spurs 2 (Sinton)

1991/92 Spurs 2 QPR 0

1990/91 Spurs 0 QPR 0

1990/91 QPR 0 Spurs 0

1989/90 QPR 3 Spurs 1 (Wilkins, Sinton, Barker)

1989/90 Spurs 3 QPR 2 (Bardsley, T Francis)

1988/89 QPR 1 Spurs 0 (Falco)

1988/89 Spurs 2 QPR 2 (Falco, T Francis)

1987/88 QPR 2 Spurs 0 (Kerslake 2)

1987/88 Spurs 1 QPR 1 (Coney)

1986/87 Spurs 1 QPR 0

1986/87 QPR 2 Spurs 0 (M Allen, Byrne)

1985/86 QPR 2 Spurs 5 (Bannister, Rosenior)

1985/86 Spurs 1 QPR 1 (Byrne)

1984/85 QPR 2 Spurs 2 (Bannister 2)

1984/85 Spurs 5 QPR 0

1983/84 QPR 2 Spurs 1 (Fereday, Gregory)

1983/84 Spurs 3 QPR 2 (Fenwick, Stainrod)

1981/82 Spurs 1 QPR 0*

1981/82 Spurs 1 QPR 1* (Fenwick)

1980/81 Spurs 3 QPR 1** (Stainrod)

1980/81 QPR 0 Spurs 0**

1978/79 Spurs 1 QPR 1 (Clement)

1978/79 QPR 2 Spurs 2 (Bowles, Shanks)

1976/77 Spurs 3 QPR 0

1976/77 QPR 2 Spurs 1 (Bowles, Clement)

1975/76 Spurs 0 QPR 3 (Francis 2, Givens)

1975/76 QPR 0 Spurs 0

1974/75 QPR 0 Spurs 1

1974/75 Spurs 1 QPR 2 (Bowles 2)

1973/74 QPR 3 Spurs 1 (Bowles, Givens, Francis)

1973/74 Spurs 0 QPR 0

1973/74 QPR 1 Spurs 0*** (Givens)

1968/69 QPR 1 Spurs 1 (Clarke)

1968/69 Spurs 3 QPR 2 (Clarke, Clement)

1949/50 QPR 0 Spurs 2

1949/50 Spurs 3 QPR 0

1948/49 QPR 0 Spurs 0

1948/49 Spurs 1 QPR 0

* - FA Cup final

** - FA Cup

*** - League Cup

Player Connections

Les Allen >>> Spurs 1959-1965 >>> QPR 1965-1969, (manager) 1968-1971

The Allen surname has become synonymous with Queens Park Rangers with brothers Clive and Bradley and their cousin Martin all playing for the club to varying degrees of success. But it was Clive and Bradley’s father Les who started it all off back in the 1960s when he dropped down the divisions and swapped White Hart Lane for Loftus Road – first playing for and later managing QPR.

Les was picked up by Chelsea in 1954 after an impressive amateur career and scored 11 goals in 44 appearances for the blues playing at centre forward. At Stamford Bridge he was part of an incredibly young forward line – three other players were 17 like Allen, while Frank Blunstone was 19. Allen had previously been working as an apprentice at Fords near his Dagenham roots but he shot to national fame after joining Spurs in 1959 – a move that saw Johnny Brooks go the other way in part exchange. He struck up a feared partnership with Bobby Smith, scoring 47 goals in 119 appearances, but lost his place in the side to Jimmy Grieves despite playing every match in the 1960-61 season when Spurs famously won the double under Bill Nicholson.

That prompted a move to QPR where he would enjoy some fantastic times. Allen was quite a coup for Third Division Rangers at that time, and he was part of the team that went from the Third to the First Division in consecutive seasons between 1967 and 1969. The R’s also won the League Cup as a Third Division outfit, coming from two down to beat West Brom 3-2 at Wembley in 1967.

Allen scored 62 goals in 146 appearances for QPR before going on to manage the team for a couple of years after the shock departure of Alec Stock and ill-fated month long reign of Tommy Docherty. During his time as gaffer he broke two of the club’s transfer records – selling Roger Morgan to Spurs for a record high £110,000 and then using it to smash the club’s record fee paid out by signing Terry Venables from White Hart Lane for £50,000. Neither Allen nor Venables could keep QPR in the First Division however and Allen has made no secret of the fact that he didn’t enjoy management. He went on to manage Swindon Town (they too were relegated to the Third Division under his tenure) and Salonika in Greece before retiring from the game.

Of his playing days at Rangers Allen told the QPR matchday programme before the Blackburn game: “I was very apprehensive about leaving Tottenham after being successful there but it turned out to be a super move for me. When I first signed for the club I found it hard to make an impact but Mr Gregory the chairman had a lot of confidence in me and he used to say: ‘Don’t worry, it will sort itself out.’ After that we started winning and things went on from there.”

Others >>> Luke Young, Spurs 1997-2001, QPR 2011-present >>> Adel Taarabt, Spurs 2007-2010, QPR (loan) 2009, 2010-present >>> Kyle Walker, Spurs 2009-present, QPR (loan) 2010-2011 >>> Wayne Routledge, Spurs 2005-2008, QPR 2009-2010, (loan) 2011 >>> Radek Cerny, Spurs 2005-2008, QPR 2008-present >>> Dean Parrett, QPR (trainee), Spurs 2007-present >>> Rohan Ricketts, Spurs 2002-2005, QPR (loan) 2007 >>> Stephen Kelly, Spurs 2000-2006, QPR (loan) 2003 >>> Dean Marney, Spurs 2002-2006, QPR (loan) 2004 >>> Chris Day, Spurs 1995-1996, QPR 2001-2005 >>> Dave McEwen, Spurs 2000-2001, QPR 2001-2002 >>> Peter Crouch, Spurs 1998-2000, 2009-2011, QPR 2000-2001 >>> Steve Slade Spurs 1994-1996, QPR 1996-2000 >>> Les Ferdinand, QPR 1987-1995, Spurs 1997-2003 >>> Clive Wilson, QPR 1990-1995, Spurs 1995-1999 >>> Gerry Francis, 1968-1979, 1981-1982, (manager) 1991-1994, (manager) 1998-2001, Spurs (manager) 1994-1997) >>> Andy Sinton, QPR 1989-1993, Spurs 1996-1999 >>> Paul Walsh, Spurs 1988-1992, QPR (loan) 1991 >>> Neil Ruddock, Spurs 1986-1988, 1992-1993, QPR (loan) 1998 >>> Ossie Ardiles, Spurs 1978-1988, (manager) 1993-1994, QPR 1988-1989 >>> Steve Hodge, Spurs 1986-1988, QPR 1994-1995 >>> Mark Falco, Spurs 1978-1987, QPR 1988-1991 >>> Danny Maddix, Spurs 1986-1987, QPR 1987-2001 >>> David Kerslake, QPR 1984-1989, Spurs 1994-1997 >>> Terry Fenwick, QPR 1980-1987, Spurs 1987-1993 >>> Clive Allen, QPR 1978-1980, 1981-1984, Spurs 1984-1988 >>> Andy Gray, QPR 1989, Spurs 1992-1994 >>> Terry Venables, Spurs 1966-1969, (manager) 1987-1993, QPR 1969-1974, (manager) 1980-1984 >>> Alan Brazil, Spurs 1983-1984, QPR 1986 >>>Alan Mullery, Spurs 1964-1972, QPR (manager) 1984 >>> Frank Saul, Spurs 1960-1968, QPR 1970-1972 >>> Roger Morgan, QPR 1964-1969, Spurs 1969-1972 >>> Frank Smith, Spurs 1954-1962, QPR 1962-1966

Memorable Match

Tottenham 1 QPR 1, Saturday May 22, 1982, FA Cup Final

QPR’s one and only trip to Wembley for an FA Cup final came in 1982 when they reached the showpiece event as a Second Division side under the wily managership of Terry Venables.

A convoluted run to the final saw Rangers twice require replays to progress – hey drew 1-1 at home to Middlesbrough in round three but won the replay in the north east. They also needed two cracks at Blackpool in round four but further victories against Grimsby and Crystal Palace, where goal scorer Clive Allen hardly endered himself to supporters of his former club with some extravagant goal celebrations after sealing a 1-0 win, set up a semi final with West Brom at Highbury.

The Baggies, with Cyril Regis leading the line, were hot favourites but with Bob Hazell in outstanding form in defence Rangers were able to seal the victory with a late Clive Allen goal that flew into the net off his outstretched foot after a risky West Brom defensive clearance flew straight at him.

That set up a Wembley date with First Division giants, and FA Cup holder, Spurs. They’d needed a replay to see off Man City at Wembley the previous season and would need a second crack at QPR as well, despite the one division difference and odds stacked in their favour.

The game finished 0-0 in normal time and R’s goalkeeper Peter Hucker was named man of the match, although his team had been far from outclassed. This set up a half-hour period of extra time. Rangers looked doomed midway through that when Glenn Hoddle executed a firm but fair challenge on Gary Waddock that left the Rangers man laid out on the Wembley turf. Now unshackled Hoddle was able to advance into an attacking possession while Graham Roberts carried the ball forward and after receiving the pass the mercurial midfielder fired a low shot past Peter Hucker for what looked sure to be the winning goal.

But that reckoned without the spirit of the QPR team. Five minutes later and five minutes from time a long throw from Stainrod was flicked on at the near post by Bob Hazell up from the back and Terry Fenwick, who would go onto play for Spurs, headed into the roof of the net from close range.

That meant a replay in the cup final for the second consecutive year but only the third time in the trophy’s history. Five days later they met again at Wembley but Rangers again fell behind after Roberts was fouled in the area by Currie and Hoddle lashed home the resulting penalty.

It was always going to be tough for Rangers who went into the second match without Glenn Roeder through suspension or Clive Allen who had been injured in the first match and sadly the R’s just didn’t have the sufficient cutting edge to get back into the game. John Gregory agonisingly hit the bar with a well flighted chip over Ray Clemence.

Rangers went onto win the Second Division title the following season.

QPR: Hucker, Fenwick, Hazell, Roeder, Gillard, Currie, Waddock, Gregory, Flanagan, Stainrod, C Allen (Micklewhite 75).

Goals: Fenwick 115

Spurs: Clemence, Hughton, Miller, Price, Hazard (Brooke 60), Perryman, Roberts, Archibald, Galvin, Roberts, Crooks.

Goals: Hoddle 110

Links >>> Cup final highlights >>> Connections and Memories

Photo: Action Images

18StoneOfHoop added 22:49 - Oct 27 Micklewhite's offside goal in the Cup Final replay? I briefly spoke to Terry Venables on a radio phone-in 5 years ago and it still rankles with him.
0

Spaghetti_Hoops added 09:51 - Oct 28 Looking forward to visiting WHL again after many years. Happy memories, especially of the day when Francis and Bowles, at their telepathic best, ran rings around Spurs.
0

isawqpratwcity added 11:03 - Oct 29 Is there a better list of Player Connections than that with any other team?
0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Norwich City Polls