QPR, as they have done so often in recent years, face a festive fixture with Norwich City later today and that usually means a goal fest.
Norwich 2 QPR 1, Saturday November 26, 2011, Premiership
QPR’s poor recent run of results included the annual defeat at Carrow Road in late November. Buoyed by a surprise victory on the road at Stoke the week before QPR came into the match against their fellow newly promoted side full of confidence but found themselves tormented by Norwich striker Grant Holt once again. Holt stopped to head home a late winner minutes after coming off the bench just at the point that it seemed QPR were the more likely side to go on and win the game. Russell Martin, as he did in this fixture last season, gave Norwich an early lead with a fine finish after poor defending but Luke Young scored a deserved equaliser when Jamie Mackie’s long range drive rebounded out to him off the base of the post. That set the scene for Holt’s super sub act that left Rangers empty handed.
Norwich: Ruddy 7, Martin 8, Barnett 5, De Laet 6 (Naughton 58, 6), Tierney 5, Pilkington 7 (Hoolahan 70, 7), Johnson 6, Crofts 6, Surman 7, Morison 8, Jackson 7 (Holt 70, 7)
Subs Not Used: Rudd, Fox, Bennett, Wilbraham
Booked: Naughton (foul)
Goals: Martin 15 (unassisted), Holt 73 (assisted Hoolahan)
QPR: Cerny 6, Young 8, Gabbidon 5, Ferdinand 5, Hill 6 (Bothroyd 57, 7), Wright-Phillips 6 (Smith 79, 6), Derry 5 (Buzsaky 77, 6), Faurlin 8, Traore 7, Mackie 7, Helguson 6
Subs Not Used: Putnins, Orr, Hall, Puncheon
Goals: Young 59 (assisted Mackie)
Norwich 1 QPR 0, Saturday January 1, 2011, Championship
Rangers met Norwich in the first game of the New Year 12 months ago as well – although this time the game took place at Carrow Road. Norwich were in great form and closing in on QPR at the top of the Championship table at the time. They’d overhauled Leeds at the top of League One the season before the home supporters spent most of this game taunting the visitors that the same thing was about to happen. It didn’t, QPR went onto win the league, but Norwich did beat Rangers thanks to a fabulous early strike from full back Russell Martin. QPR’s cause wasn’t helped by Matthew Connolly’s second sending off in as many visits to Norfolk for fouling Grant Holt as he ran through on goal but the R’s should have equalised late on when Patrick Agyemang hit the post with a header that should have been scored. Norwich were promoted in second behind QPR.
Norwich: Ruddy 7, R Martin 7, Nelson 6, Whitbread 6, Drury 6, Smith 7, Crofts 7, Hoolahan 8, C Martin 7, Holt 8, Wilbraham 6 (Gill 82,-)
Subs Not Used: Rudd, Jackson, Johnson, McNamee, Tudur Jones, Berthel Askou
Goals: R Martin 10 (assisted C Martin)
QPR: Kenny 8, Walker 6, Gorkss 6, Connolly 5, Hill 6 (Orr 46, 6), Derry 7, Faurlin 6, Clarke 4, Mackie 6, Taarabt 6 (Tofas 62, 6), Helguson 5 (Agyemang 46, 7)
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Rowlands, Hulse, Borrowdale
Sent Off: Connolly 51 (denying obvious goal scoring opportunity)
Booked: Hill (foul), Taarabt (foul)
Wes Hoolahan’s first half penalty miss was the headline of a goalless draw between these two sides the last time they met at Loftus Road. The Irishman drilled a spot kick wide of Paddy Kenny’s left hand post midway through the first half after a theatrical fall by striker Grant Holt under meagre contact from Matt Connolly in the penalty area. In truth both teams seemed happy with a point from pretty early in the second half and a goalless draw was a fair result from a drab fixture.
QPR: Kenny 7, Walker 8, Connolly 8, Gorkss 8, Hill 7, Derry 6, Buzsaky 7 (Leigertwood 27, 4), Mackie 6, Taarabt 6 (Smith 76), Ephraim 5 (Agyemang 69, 5), Helguson 6
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Orr, Clarke, Faurlin
Booked: Derry (dissent), Mackie (foul)
Norwich: Ruddy 7, R Martin 7, Barnett 6, Ward 7, Drury 6 (Steven Smith 58, 6), Crofts 7, Hoolahan 5 (C Martin 69, 6), Smith 6, Lappin 6, Holt 7, Jackson 5
Subs Not Used: Rudd, Fox, Johnson, McNamee, Berthel Askou
Booked: Ward (foul), Barnett (impeding throw in), Lappin (foul)
2011/12 Norwich 2 QPR 1 (Young)
2010/11 Norwich 1 QPR 0
2010/11 QPR 0 Norwich 0
2008/09 QPR 0 Norwich 1
2008/09 Norwich 0 QPR 1 (Rowlands)
2007/08 Norwich 3 QPR 0
2007/08 QPR 1 Norwich 0 (Rowlands)
2006/07 Norwich 1 QPR 0
2006/07 QPR 3 Norwich 3 (Rowlands 2, Smith)
2005/06 Norwich 3 QPR 2 (Ainsworth, Cook)
2005/06 QPR 3 Norwich 0 (Furlong, Santos, Nygaard)
2000/01 Norwich 1 QPR 0
2000/01 QPR 2 Norwich 3 (Carlisle, Wardley)
1999/00 QPR 2 Norwich 2 (Kiwomya 2)
1999/00 Norwich 2 QPR 1 (Wardley)
1998/99 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Murray, Peacock)
1998/99 Norwich 4 QPR 2 (Sheron, Peacock)
1997/98 Norwich 0 QPR 0
1997/98 QPR 1 Norwich 1 (Peacock)
1996/97 QPR 3 Norwich 2 (Peacock, Dichio, McDermott)
1996/97 Norwich 1 QPR 1 (Impey)
1994/95 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Ferdinand, Gallen)
1994/95 Norwich 4 QPR 2 (Barker, Gallen)
1993/94 Norwich 3 QPR 4 (Barker, Penrice, Peacock, White)
1993/94 QPR 2 Norwich 2 (Sinclair, Ferdinand)
1992/93 QPR 3 Norwich 1 (Ferdinand 2, Wilson)
1992/93 Norwich 2 QPR 1 (Allen)
1991/92 Norwich 0 QPR 1 (Bailey)
1991/92 QPR 0 Norwich 2
1990/91 Norwich 1 QPR 0
1990/91 QPR 1 Norwich 3 (Wegerle)
1989/90 QPR 2 Norwich 1 (Falco, Clarke)
1989/90 Norwich 0 QPR 0
1988/89 QPR 1 Norwich 1 (Falco)
1988/89 Norwich 1 QPR 0
1987/88 QPR 3 Norwich 0 (Channing, Coney, Fereday)
1987/88 Norwich 1 QPR 1 (Allen)
1986/87 QPR 1 Norwich 1 (Rosenior)
1986/87 Norwich 1 QPR 0
1984/85 QPR 2 Norwich 2 (Fereday, Wicks)
1984/85 Norwich 2 QPR 0
1983/84 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Dawes, Waddock)
1983/84 Norwich 0 QPR 3 (Stainrod, Fenwick 2)
1981/82 Norwich 0 QPR 1 (Roeder)
1981/82 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Stainrod, Gregory)
1978/79 QPR 0 Norwich 0
1978/79 Norwich 1 QPR 1 (G Francis)
1977/78 QPR 2 Norwich 1 (Eastoe, Cunningham)
1977/78 Norwich 1 QPR 1 (Needham)
1976/77 Norwich 2 QPR 0
1976/77 QPR 2 Norwich 3 (Masson, Webb)
1975/76 Norwich 3 QPR 2 (Thomas, Powell og)
1975/76 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Masson, Bowles)
1973/74 QPR 1 Norwich 2 (Bowles
1973/74 Norwich 0 QPR 0
1971/72 QPR 0 Norwich 0
1971/72 Norwich 0 QPR 0
1970/71 Norwich 3 QPR 0
1970/71 QPR 0 Norwich 1
1969/70 QPR 4 Norwich 0 (Marsh, Venables, Clarke, Bridges)
1969/70 Norwich 1 QPR 0
1967/68 Norwich 0 QPR 0
1967/68 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Keen, I Morgan)
1959/60 QPR 0 Norwich 0
1959/60 Norwich 1 QPR 0
1958/59 Norwich 5 QPR 1 (Longbottom)
1958/59 QPR 2 Norwich 1 (Longbottom, Kerrins)
1957/58 QPR 1 Norwich 1 (Cameron)
1957/58 Norwich 2 QPR 0
1956/57 Norwich 1 QPR 2 (Longbottom, Painter)
1956/57 QPR 3 Norwich 1 (Angell, Locke, Quigley)
1955/56 Norwich 1 QPR 0
1955/56 QPR 2 Norwich 3 (Petchley, Smith)
1954/55 QPR 2 Norwich 1 (Angell, Cameron)
1954/55 Norwich 1 QPR 1 (Smith)
1953/54 QPR 0 Norwich 2
1953/54 Norwich 2 QPR 2 (Clayton, Hawkins)
1952/53 QPR 3 Norwich 1 (Waugh 2, Tomkys)
1952/53 Norwich 2 QPR 0
1947/48 Norwich 5 QPR 2 (Hatton, Smith)
1947/48 QPR 3 Norwich 1 (Hatton, McEwan, Pettison)
1946/47 Norwich 0 QPR 1 (Mills)
1946/47 QPR 2 Norwich 0*(Hatton, Mills)
1946/47 Norwich 4 QPR 4* (Mills 2, McEwen, Pattison)
1946/47 QPR 1 Norwich 1 (Hatton)
1933/34 Norwich 1 QPR 0
1933/34 QPR 5 Norwich 2 (Blackman 2, Emmerson 2, Clarke)
1932/33 QPR 2 Norwich 2 (Goodier, Howe)
1932/33 Norwich 3 QPR 2 (Marcroft, Goddard)
1931/32 QPR 2 Norwich 2 (Blackman, Cribb)
1931/32 Norwich 2 QPR 1 (Lewis)
1930/31 QPR 3 Norwich 1 (Goddard 2, Rounce)
1930/31 Norwich 1 QPR 1 (Goddard)
1929/30 QPR 3 Norwich 2 (Goddard 3)
1929/30 Norwich 3 QPR 0
1928/29 Norwich 3 QPR 1 (Goddard)
1928/29 QPR 3 Norwich 0 (Coward 2, Rounce)
1927/28 QPR 0 Norwich 0
1927/28 Norwich 3 QPR 1 (Johnson)
1926/27 Norwich 0 QPR 1 (Lofthouse)
1926/27 QPR 4 Norwich 0 (Goddard 2, Lofthouse, Vargo)
1925/26 QPR 0 Norwich 1
1925/26 Norwich 1 QPR 1 (Whitehead)
1924/25 Norwich 5 QPR 0
1924/25 QPR 1 Norwich 2 (Ogley)
1923/24 Norwich 5 QPR 0
1923/24 QPR 2 Norwich 1 (Parker, Johnson)
1922/23 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Gregory, Birch)
1922/23 Norwich 1 QPR 1 (Davis)
1921/22 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Gregory, Smith)
1921/22 Norwich 0 QPR 0
1920/21 QPR 2 Norwich 0 (Gregory, Birch)
1920/21 Norwich 2 QPR 0
1909/10 QPR 3 Norwich 0* (Steer, McNaught, Whyman)
1909/10 Norwich 0 QPR 0*
* - FA Cup
Dean Coney >>> QPR 1987-1989 >>> Norwich 1989-1991
Dean Coney arrived at QPR in 1987 from near neighbours Fulham for a transfer fee of around £200,000. Manager Jim Smith had spotted two promising youngsters learning their trade down at the Cottage and moved to bring in both Coney and Paul Parker. While the latter became one of the modern day greats of Loftus Road and played for England at Italia 90 as a QPR player before moving to Manchester United for more than £2m, Coney’s time at Loftus Road was slightly less successful.
Despite bagging 19 goals in his first full season as a teenager at Fulham, and earning England Under 21 caps as a result, he struggled for a regular run in the QPR team and his performances for first Smith and then later Trevor Francis were poor. He had been one of the country’s hottest properties at Fulham, forming a lethal partnership in attack with Gordon Davies. In all he scored 56 times in 211 appearances for Fulham by the time he left. He is best remembered by most Rangers fans for an outrageous miss from almost underneath the crossbar in an away game against Portsmouth at Fratton Park. He scored just seven goals in almost 50 appearances for Rangers.
It seemed bizarre, therefore, when title chasing Norwich City not only showed an interest in Coney in 1989 but actually paid more for him than Rangers had to get him from Fulham. City manager Dave Stringer paid £350,000, one of Norwich’s biggest ever transfer fees, for the forward despite him failing to score in 16 QPR appearances already that season. His first, and as it turned out only, goal for Norwich came in April 1989 against Aston Villa when he charged down a clearance from goalkeeper Nigel Spink and sent the rebound into the net.
Coney became a target for the Carrow Road boo-boys and requested a transfer from the club in 1990. Sadly he ruptured his cruciate ligament in a reserve team match before he could secure a move that all but ended his professional career. A brief spell in Hong Kong preceded non-league appearances for Farnborough, who he later managed, and Carshalton. He recently worked as assistant manager at non-league Redbridge.
Others >>> Lee Camp, QPR (loan) 2004, (loan) 2007, 2007-2009, Norwich (loan) 2006 >>> Jimmy Smith, QPR (loan) 2006-2007, Norwich (loan) 2007 >>> Jason Jarrett, Norwich 2005-2006, QPR (loan) 2007-2008 >>> Zesh Rehman, Norwich (loan) 2006, QPR 2006-2009 >>> Jamie Cureton, Norwich 1993-1996, 2007-2010, QPR 2004-2005 >>> Dean Marney, QPR (loan) 2004, Norwich (loan) 2005 >>> Robert Taylor, Norwich 1990-1991, QPR (loan) 2001 >>> Peter Crouch, QPR 2000-2001, Norwich (loan) 2003 >>>Paul Peschisolido, QPR (loan) 2000, Norwich (loan) 2001>>> Brian McGovern, QPR (loan) 1999-2000, Norwich 2000-2002 >>> Bruce Rioch, QPR (coach) 1996-1997, Norwich (manager) 1998-2000 >>> Matt Jackson, QPR (loan) 1996, Norwich 1996-2001 >>> Mike Sheron, Norwich 1994-1995, QPR 1997-1999 >>> Andy Linighan, Norwich 1988-1990, QPR (loan) 1999 >>> John O’Neill, QPR 1987, Norwich 1987-1988 >>> Glenn Roeder , QPR 1978-1983, Norwich (manager) 2007-2009 >>> Chris Woods, QPR 1979-1981, Norwich 1981-1986
QPR 3 Norwich City 3, Saturday October 14, 2006, Championship
QPR have met Norwich more than any other league team, and the teams have regularly become embroiled in high scoring affairs. That was certainly the case in the autumn of 2006 when the two clubs, in the midst of managerial changes and struggling at the bottom end of the Championship, clashed at Loftus Road.
Rangers had endured a difficult summer with a farcical tour of Italy and a lousy start to the campaign costing rookie manager Gary Waddock his job. Norwich meanwhile had stuck with Nigel Worthington as manager despite a poor first season back in the second tier after relegation from the Premiership – the Northern Irishman may well have been given the push towards the end of the previous season but Waddock’s QPR side contrived to throw away a two goal lead in the final 15 minutes of a game at Carrow Road and lose 3-2 to secure Worthington’s position into the summer. Former Canaries midfielder Peter Grant, a man known by QPR fans for snapping Paul Murray’s leg in an earlier meeting between the two sides, watched this game from the stands prior to taking over as manager.
What Grant would find, as new QPR manager John Gregory had done at Loftus Road, was a team incapable of defending. QPR, with the hapless Zesh Rehman in terrifying form at the heart of the defence, and Norwich contrived to ship six goals between them in this farcical encounter.
Rehman, Damion Stewart and the rest of the defence weren’t even in the picture when Darren Huckerby strode confidently through to open the scoring at the Loft End after three minutes and only a superb save from Paul Jones to deny Robert Earnshaw kept the score at 1-0 but Rangers steadily fought their way back into the game. Gregory had turned to Chelsea for the loan of two promising young players, Jimmy Smith and Michael Mancienne, and it was Smith who had made the biggest initial impact. He scored five goals in his first eight matches in the QPR midfield, starting with a well drilled equaliser from the edge of the box on his home debut here – Norwich were so impressed they later signed him on loan themselves but he has since dropped down the divisions and currently plays for Leyton Orient.
Dexter Blackstock and Robert Earnshaw both missed good chances before Rangers captain Martin Rowlands lashed home a fearsome free kick on the stroke of half time to give QPR the lead going into the break.
The second half began at the same relentless pace – Norwich defender Shackell appeared to block another long range effort from Smith with his hand while Jones was again on hand to deny his fellow Weslhman Earnshaw.
But with Rehman in action QPR could never be sure of themselves at the back. Andrew Crofts had already missed an open goal from two yards out when the visitors did equalise, substitute Dion Dublin side footing home after neat approach work from his team mates. And things got a lot worse with six minutes to go when Rehman foolishly wrestled Huckerby to the floor in the area – this time referee Andre Marriner did point to the spot and Robert Earnshaw finally got the better of Jones from the spot.
Rangers had good cause to feel aggrieved with the match officials but by the end of the game it was Norwich left questioning Marriner after he added five minutes to the end of the game which was just enough time for a fine individual goal from Martin Rowlands down at the Loft End which tied a pulsating game at three each and left both teams with a point. Both QPR and Norwich went on to survive, although neither Gregory nor Grant lasted a full 12 months in their jobs after this match.
QPR: Paul Jones, Lomas (Rose 90), Rehman, Stewart, Bignot, Rowlands, Bircham, Smith, Cook, Ray Jones (Gallen 77), Blackstock
Subs Not Used: Royce, Ward, Bailey
Booked: Rehman, Smith, Lomas
Goals: Smith 24, Rowlands 45, 90
Norwich: Gallacher, Colin, Fleming, Shackell, Drury, Etuhu, Robinson (Dublin 67), Hughes (Safri 75), Croft (McVeigh 87), Earnshaw, Huckerby
Subs Not Used: Camp, Ryan Jarvis
Booked: Shackell
Goals: Huckerby 4, Dublin 72, Earnshaw 84 pen
Highlights >>> Norwich 2 QPR 1 2011/12 >>> QPR 0 Norwich 0 2010/11 >>> QPR 3 Norwich 0 04/05 >>> Norwich 2 QPR 0 1984/85 >>> Norwich 3 QPR 2 1976 >>> QPR 2 Norwich 0 1967
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