With QPR at Burnley on Saturday LFW recalls recent meetings between the sides and the career of Dave Thomas who played for both with distinction.
Burnley 0 QPR 0, Saturday January 15, 2011, Championship
QPR had been irresistible at times in the first half of the 2010/11 Championship season, with the likes of Adel Taarabt and Kyle Walker thrilling the Loftus Road crowds. But a hectic, taxing Christmas period of fixtures saw Neil Warnock take a more pragmatic approach to games that resulted in a number of grinding performances during December and January. Perhaps the dullest came at Turf Moor where Rangers were more than happy to take a point and Burnley, with new manager Eddie Howe watching on from the stands before taking charge, likewise. Rangers were the better side, but perennial scourge of the R’s Lee Grant was in decent form in the Burnley goal, while Paddy Kenny got away with a late fumble that could easily have cost his team an injury time defeat.
Burnley: Grant 7, Mears 6, Carlisle 6, Duff 6, Fox 6, Elliott 6, Alexander 7 (Edgar 86, -), Cork 7, Rodriguez 6, Iwelumo 6 (Thompson 68, 5), Eagles 7
Subs Not Used: Jensen, McDonald, Bikey, Wallace, Easton
Booked: Duff (foul), Alexander (foul), Fox (foul), Thompson (foul), Cork (foul)
QPR: Kenny 6, Orr 6, Connolly 7, Gorkss 7, Hill 6, Faurlin 7 (Clarke 81, -), Derry 8, Smith 6, Vaagan Moen 7, Taarabt 8 (Hall 90, -), Hulse 6 (Helguson 81, -)
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Cook, Borrowdale, German
Booked: Faurlin (foul), Orr (foul)
QPR 1 Burnley 1, Saturday October 30, 2010, Championship
Although QPR went on to win the Championship in 2010/11, they were fortunate to escape from an October home match against Burnley with a draw. Rangers, still unbeaten at this point, took the lead just after the half hour with a vintage individual strike from distance by Adel Taarabt but were pegged back on half time when a harsh penalty awarded against Matt Connolly for a meagre touch on Dean Marney gave Graham Alexander the chance to bury an equaliser from 12 yards. But thereafter the home team relied heavily on goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who was in fine form with a number of saves. The frustration of being unable to breakthough was too much for Chris Eagles who was substituted early after being booked for diving and then losing his temper to the delight of The Loft.
QPR: Kenny 8, Walker 6, Connolly 6, Gorkss 6, Hill 5, Derry 6, Faurlin 5, Ephraim 5 (Agyemang 62, 7), Taarabt 7 (Smith 82, 8), Mackie 6, Hulse 5 (Clarke 74, 5)
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Orr, Leigertwood, Rowlands
Booked: Taarabt (handball), Gorkss (foul), Mackie (foul)
Goals: Taarabt 32 (unassisted)
Burnley: Grant 6, Mears 6, Carlisle 9, Duff 8, Fox 7, Eagles 5 (Wallace 46, 6), Alexander 6, Marney 6, Elliott 6, Rodriguez 6, Iwelumo 8 (Thompson 83, -)
Subs Not Used: Jensen, Cork, Paterson, Cort, Bikey
Booked: Eagles (diving), Duff (foul), Alexander (foul)
Goals: Alexander 45 (penalty)
Burnley 1 QPR 0, Saturday April 11, 2009, Championship
When these sides met here was in April 2009 Burnley were about to be promoted to the Premier League and QPR had just sacked Paulo Sousa in farcical circumstances. The result was somewhat inevitable, with Gareth Ainsworth unusually quiet and hidden from view beginning his second spell as caretaker manager. The game was settled by a controversial goal just after half time — Chris Eagles deflecting Clarke Carlisle’s effort past Radek Cerny with his arm.
Burnley: Jensen 7, Williams 6, Carlisle 8, Caldwell 7, Kalvenes 6, Elliott 7, Alexander 7, McCann 7, Blake 7 (Gudjonsson 79, -), Eagles 7 (McDonald 89, -), Rodriguez 7 (Paterson 86, -)
Subs Not Used: Penny, Duff
Booked: Kalvenes (foul)
Goals: Eagles 49 (assisted Carlisle)
QPR: Cerny 7, Ramage 6, Gorkss 7, Connolly 7, Delaney 6, Routledge 6, Leigertwood 4, Ephraim 6 (Lopez 71, 6), Taarabt 6, Di Carmine 6 (Cook 54, 6), Vine 6 (Alberti 84, -)
Subs Not Used: Mahon, Stewart
Burnley 2 QPR 1, Tuesday January 13, 2009, FA Cup Third Round replay
Rangers, with Sousa in charge, had been to Turf Moor just six weeks previously for an FA Cup Third Round replay that formed part of QPR’s record breaking run of 11 years without a win in that competition. In an atmosphere more akin to a reserve match QPR were the better team for long periods of normal time and all of extra time before contriving to lose with the last kick. Sam Di Carmine gave Rangers the lead after Mikele Leigertwood had won possession in midfield just after half time and counter attacked. Martin Rowlands then hit the bar and Heidar Helguson had a goal disallowed with the most delayed offside decision ever seen before. Steve Thompson got a scruffy equaliser after a poor piece of goalkeeping by Radek Cerny to set up extra time and when QPR failed to make their possession tell penalties looked a certainty. That was until Damion Stewart made a hash of a routine long ball down the field to give Jay Rodriguez a sight of goal and, with Cerny inexplicably in no man’s land, the youngster calmly lobbed the ball towards goal and in off the post to but Burnley into the next round at West Brom.
Burnley: Jensen 8, Alexander 7, Carlisle 7, Caldwell 6, Jordan 7, Elliott 6, McCann 6 (Mahon 20, 5), Gudjonsson 6 (MacDonald 84, 6), Eagles 8, Blake 6 (Rodriguez 69, 6), Thompson 7
Subs Not Used: Penny, Kalvenes, Akinbiyi, Kay
Booked: Caldwell (foul), Mahon (foul)
Goals: Thompson 60 (assisted Gudjohnson), Rodriguez 120 (assisted Carlisle)
QPR: Cerny 4, Hall 5, Stewart 6, Gorkss 7, Delaney 5, Alberti 5, Leigertwood 8, Mahon 6 (Rose 79, 7), Rowlands 5, Ledesma 5 (Ephraim 55, 7), Di Carmine 7 (Helguson 85, 6)
Subs Not Used: Borrowdale, Crowther, Connolly, Ramage
Booked: Delaney (foul), Alberti (foul)
Goals: Di Carmine 54 (assisted Leigertwood)
Head to Head >>> Burnley wins 19 >>> Draws 6 >>> QPR wins 10
2010/11 Burnley 0 QPR 0
2010/11 QPR 1 Burnley 1 (Taraabt)
2008/09 Burnley 1 QPR 0
2008/09 Burnley 2 QPR 1* (Di Carmine)
2008/09 QPR 0 Burnley 0*
2008/09 QPR 1 Burnley 2 (Blackstock)
2007/08 QPR 2 Burnley 4 (Mahon, Agyemang)
2007/08 Burnley 0 QPR 2 (Stewart, Vine)
2006/07 QPR 3 Burnley 1 (Cook, Blackstock, Lomas)
2006/07 Burnley 2 QPR 0
2005/06 Burnley 1 QPR 0
2005/06 QPR 1 Burnley 1 (Ainsworth)
2004/05 Burnley 2 QPR 0
2004/05 QPR 3 Burnley 0 (Gallen, Santos, Furlong)
2000/01 Burnley 2 QPR 1 (Bignot)
2000/01 QPR 0 Burnley 1
1982/83 Burnley 2 QPR 1 (Sealy)
1982/83 QPR 3 Burnley 2 (Neill, Allen, Micklewhite)
1979/80 Burnley 0 QPR 3 (Gillard, Allen, Shanks)
1979/80 QPR 7 Burnley 0 (Goddard 2, Allen 2, Roeder, Shanks, McCreery)
1975/76 Burnley 1 QPR 0
1975/76 QPR 1 Burnley 0 (Bowles)
1974/75 QPR 0 Burnley 1
1974/75 Burnley 3 QPR 0
1973/74 Burnley 2 QPR 1 (Thomas)
1973/74 QPR 2 Burnley 1 (Thomas, Bowles)
1972/73 QPR 2 Burnley 0 (Leach, Givens)
1972/73 Burnley 1 QPR 1 (Busby)
1971/72 QPR 3 Burnley 1 (Leach 2, Marsh)
1971/72 Burnley 1 QPR 0
1968/69 Burnley 2 QPR 2 (Marsh, Leach)
1968/69 QPR 0 Burnley 2
1967/68 QPR 1 Burnley 2** (Sibley)
1961/62 Burnley 6 QPR 1* (Evans)
1920/21 Burnley 4 QPR 2* (Smith, Birch)
* - FA Cup
** - League Cup
Dave Thomas >>> Burnley 1966-72 >>> QPR 1972-76
In a career spanning twenty years and six clubs, winger Dave Thomas is best remembered for his time at Turf Moor and Loftus Road.
Born and raised in Nottingham, Thomas signed pro forms with Burnley at 16 and was tipped as a future England international. He was fast-tracked to the first team and made his debut on the last day of the 1966-67 season against Everton, a club he would later play for. At 16 years and 220 days became the second youngest player ever to play for the club after Tommy Lawton.
Within two years he’d become a first team regular but couldn’t stop the club from being relegated to the Second Division. Although he stayed with the Clarets the following campaign and played in all but five of Burnley’s games speculation began to mount that Thomas would be moving on but was a surprise when he Burnley sold him to promotion rivals QPR in October 1972.
Thomas, a right-winger, was brought in to replace the injured Martyn Busby who was left-winger. At first Thomas struggled to adapt to the new position but once he did he would go on to excel in his new role and become a huge fan favourite at Loftus Road with his mazy runs and ability to get skip past defenders. Thomas, socks rolled down to his ankles and not a shin pad in sight, helped Rangers to promotion in first season ironically alongside Burnley and over his four seasons in Shepherds Bush was integral part of what was arguably Rangers greatest ever team, coming within a whisker of winning the League title in 1976. He also won eight England caps in his time with the club and is recognised as one of the club’s greatest ever players.
Thomas left the Super Hoops a year later a joined Everton before enjoying spells with Wolves, Middlesborough, Portsmouth and Vancouver Whitecaps. He became a PE teacher after hanging up his boots and recently featured in a ‘Time of Their Lives’ documentary for Sky Sports on the great QPR side of the 1970s.
Others >>> Charlie Austin >>> Tom Heaton >>> Arthur Gnohere >>> Clarke Carlisle >>> Leighton James
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Pictures — Action Images