To the Manor Ground – History Monday, 19th Jan 2026 20:06 by Clive Whittingham A wave of optimism that greeted Chris Wright's takeover of QPR in the mid-1990s quickly descended into a financial nightmare and relegation to the Second Division - decay perfectly illustrated across Rangers' last three visits to Oxford's Manor Ground. Memorable MatchOxford United 2 QPR 3, Saturday March 29, 1997, First Division QPR were relegated from the Premier League in 1995/96. For years they’d successfully sold their best player each summer (Paul Parker, Andy Sinton, Darren Peacock) but been able to replace well on a tight budget — Trevor Sinclair from Blackpool to replace Sinton arguably the outstanding example. But the loss of Les Ferdinand, the team’s talismanic centre forward, to be replaced by Mark Hateley and the inexperienced Danny Dichio, allied to Clive Wilson leaving for Spurs after a contract wrangle and David Bardsley getting a long term injury, was too much quality going out of the side all at once without adequate replacement. Richard Thompson’s failure to invest in a team arguably only a goalkeeper and Ray Wilkins replacement away from serious tilts at league, cups and European football cost him and the club dearly, as they departed the top table for the first time since the early 1980s just as the television money started to get astronomical. Optimism, nevertheless, was high going into the first season back in the second tier. There would be new grounds to visit, and we’d be doing it with a team that would almost certainly be coming straight back. The hated boards of the past had finally been prised out of the club after years of protest, and QPR fan and Chrysalis boss Chris Wright was finally in charge willing to spend money to rebuild the team. Kevin Gallen and Trevor Sinclair had remained, Wilkins was kept on as manager, and Loftus Road expected.
Oxford were an awkward first opponent. Denis Smith was leading them on a climb up the Football League for which he’d be rewarded with a bigger gig at West Brom. They’d given QPR a fright over two legs in the League Cup a year prior, and gone on to win promotion from the Second Division in second place, a point ahead of Blackpool in third courtesy of a remarkable run of one loss in their final 17 fixtures. They won 13 of those, including the last four to clinch the promotion, and along the way beat hated local rivals Swindon 3-0, Peterborough 4-0, Burnley 5-0 and Shrewsbury 6-0. This was a team with Matt Elliott at centre half, who would go on to win League Cup and play in Europe with Leicester, former Forest starlet Nigel Jemson in attack, and perennial scourge of QPR Joey Beauchamp on the wing, fresh from blowing up his big money move from Swindon to West Ham. That momentum, and QPR’s hangover, looked like it might produce an upset on day one when Jemson made the most of a fast start with the opening goal. Wilkins’ blind faith in Hateley had stretched into a second season, with the old carthorse started up top ahead of Danny Dichio, and QPR were labouring until Kevin Gallen got in on Trevor Sinclair’s assist on a narrow angle and finished sharply across the goalkeeper into the far corner. Dichio replaced Hateley soon after and scored the winner with ten to play, striding onto a back post cross and bulleting a header into the top corner.
The partnership of Dichio, and especially Gallen, was another great hope for that season. Man Utd had been linked with the latter and it was seen as a coup for QPR to hang onto both him and Sinclair at the lower level. The following Friday, in a televised away game at Portsmouth, Gallen scored twice in another 2-1 win to leave Rangers six for six at the start of the season. Sadly, infamously, he blew his knee out in the process of turning home the winning goal and didn’t play again that season. A draw at Wolves, with a spectacular Dichio goal, followed before Bolton won at Loftus Road. Backroom politics between the new board, Wilkins and CEO Clive Berlin saw the manager depart after that game. Stewart Houston was recruited at great expense from Arsenal where he’d impressed in prolonged caretaker spells, but his decision to bring his old boss Bruce Rioch with him as a role-reversal assistant was not a conspicuous success and he took too long to spend the money available to him, costing the R’s the permanent addition of impressive loanee Matt Jackson and leaving too much ground to make up when Gavin Peacock and the superb John Spencer were belatedly recruited in November. Spencer and Peacock sparked a run of five wins from five through December, and the team went on another hot streak through the latter third of the season. Rangers won seven of ten games through March and April, including a memorable 3-0 at Maine Road against Man City. This run included a chaotic Easter Saturday trip to Oxford’s Manor Ground. Jemson caught Rangers cold once more, chopped down in the box by Steve Yates after just ten minutes and up off the deck to calmly convert the penalty himself. Yates atoned for that mistake soon after when Dichio climbed and nodded on Simon Barker’s free kick allowing the centre back to touch and shoot past oxford understudy goalkeeper Elliott Jackson. Rangers always struggled with Beauchamp’s set piece deliveries in these games, and although Paul Moody claimed a touch on the line it still looks to this day like the winger’s high arcing corner delivery deceived Sommer and went all the way in at the far post by itself. Oxford back in front within a minute of Rangers drawing level. By half time, improbably, QPR were in front. They equalised for a second time when Rufus Brevett closed down a clearance and the ball rebounded favourably for Dichio who picked up his second assist of the game by laying the ball into the path of Spencer to bury into the bottom corner. And two became three on the stroke of half time when Dichio flicked on to Sepncer and he laid Peacock through to draw the keeper and chip into the empty net from the edge of the box. Five goals in the first half gave way to a scoreless second period and 3-2 QPR away win. Sadly the earlier poor runs meant the gap was too great and QPR ended up ninth in the First Division with a team that included Spencer, Peacock, Sinclair, Rufus Brevett, Paul Murray, Andy Impey, Danny Dichio, Alan McDonald, Simon Barker and others. Oxford finished seventeenth and would stay in the division another two seasons under first Smith and later Malcolm Shotton. They haven’t been back at this level since, until now. That would prove a terrible waste of an opportunity that would come back to haunt QPR as the Wright-era quickly unravelled in mismanagement and financial catastrophe. The 1997/98 season started well, with the R’s joint top at the end of September after five wins in six, but a long losing run say Houston and Rioch dismissed and replaced by Ray Harford who walked out on West Brom for the job having infamously promised Chris Wright he’d easily get Rangers promoted with the strikers at his disposal – Spencer, fit again Gallen, Sinclair and Slade had now been joined by club record purchase Mike Sheron. One of Harford’s first games saw the R’s well beaten 3-1 at The Manor Ground by Oxford in a live Sky game, with Beauchamp once again running riot. A dreadful 1-1 at Loftus Road, secured with a late Gallen equaliser, was one of six consecutive draws that ultimately secured QPR’s startus in the First Division for another year that April. Things would only get worse still. The team won only one of its first nine games in 1998/99 and Harford’s reign came a grisly end when Oxford went one better than the year before and beat them 4-1 in the last ever meeting between the sides at the old ground. Beauchamp, Murphy, future QPR striker Andy Thomson and a young Dean Windass put the U’s 4-0 up before a spectacular late consolation from Tony Scully. Harford returned to find his car had been trashed in the car park outside, and he resigned as manager soon after. Gerry Francis returned for a second spell in charge and Rangers survived on the final day of the season with a 6-0 home win against hapless Crystal Palace. Once again, a late home result against Oxford – Rob Steiner winning a dreadful game 1-0 – proved crucial. Oxford went down instead, finishing second bottom three points and goal difference worse off. 1996/97 Oxford: E Jackson, L Robinson, M Ford, D Smith, C Whyte, P Gilchrist, J Beauchamp, M Gray (M Murphy, 82), P Moody, N Jemson, S Massey (M Aldridge, 82) Subs not used: D Purse Goals: Jemson pen 10, Moody 21 QPR: J Sommer, D Maddix, R Brevett, S Barker, A McDonald, S Yates G Peacock, A Impey, P Murray, D Dichio, J Spencer Subs not used: N Quashie, A Roberts, S Slade Goals: Yates 21, Spencer 28, Peacock 41 1997/98 Oxford: P Whitehead (C Remy, 90), M Gray, M Ford, L Robinson, D Purse, P Gilchrist, S Massey, D Smith, M Aldridge (N Banger, 67), N Jemson, J Beauchamp Subs not used: M Angel Goals: Jemson 3, Beauchamp 36, 49 QPR: T Roberts, M Perry (D Maddix, 79), K Ready, S Yates, R Brevett (M Brazier, 79), P Murray, G Peacock, N Quashie, M Sheron, T Sinclair, J Spencer Subs not used: S Barker Goals: Peacock 19 1998/99 Oxford: P Whitehead, L Robinson, S Marsh, M Gray, P Whelan (M Murphy, 55), P Gilchrist, P Powell, D Smith (D Hill, 81), A Thomson, D Windass (J Cook, 83), J Beauchamp QPR: L Harper, A Heinola (A Scully, 53), I Baraclough, S Yates, K Ready, D Maddix, P Murray (M Rose, 63), G Peacock, G Kulcsar (M Sheron, 70), K Gallen, S Slade Goals: Scully 89 Classic EncountersLFW regular and AKUTR’s columnist Dave Barton has set up a QPR Memories YouTube channel, with a mixture of clips, classic games, and old highlights packages. His Oxford packages are embedded below, give him a subscribe on YouTube or follow @QPR_Memories on Twitter. Recent MeetingsQPR 0 Oxford United 0, Wednesday October 1, 2025, Championship Not one they’ll shift many DVDs of. QPR: Nardi 5; Dunne 6, Cook 6, Mbengue 6, Norrington-Davies 6; Dembele 5 (Saito 61, 6), Hayden 5 (Varane 81, -), Field 5 (Madsen 61, 6), Vale 5 (Smyth 75, 5); Kone 5, Frey 4 (Burrell 61, 6) Subs not used: Morgan, Esquerdinha, Hamer, Morrison Yellow Cards: Mbengue 74 (foul), Burrell 87 (foul), Norrington-Davies 90+3 (scuffle) Oxford: Cumming 6; Spencer 6, Helik 6, Long 6, Currie 6 (Leigh 90+5, -); Placheta 5 (Mills 69, 5), De Keersmaecker 6, Brannagan 5, Krastev 5 (Dembele 56, 5); Lankshear 5 (L Harris 69, 5), Prelec 5 (M Harris 90+5, -) Subs Not used: Davies, Goodrham, Ingram, Vaulks Yellow Cards: L Harris 85 (foul) Oxford United 1 QPR 3, Wednesday April 9, 2025, Championship QPR managed to nip their latest long losing run in the bud before it plunged them into serious relegation trouble with a much needed 3-1 win at Oxford in April 2025. Marti Cifuentes’ side made a strong start to the game and went two up when Ronnie Edwards and Sam Field, via an Ole Romeny contribution, forced in goals from set pieces. But Rangers got caught faffing about over a substitution after half time and oxford pulled a goal back while the R’s were temporarily down to ten men. That set up a nervy finish that was only put to bad when Dembele freed Spurs loanee Min-Hyeok for a low finish in injury time. Oxford: Cumming 4; Avest 5 (Mills 61, 6), Nelson 5, Helik 5, Brown – (Bennett 12, 5); Vaulks 5 (Bradshaw 75, 5), Brannagan 6; Placheta 5, Romeny 4 (Goodrham 46, 6), Dembele 5 (Matos 90+3, -); Harris 4 (Rodrigues 75, 6) Subs not used: Mizouni, Ingram, Long Goals: Mills 62 (assisted Dembele) Yellow Cards: Brannagan 87 (foul) QPR: Nardi 6; Dunne 6, Morrison 7, Edwards 7, Paal 6 (Fox 69, 6); Colback 7 (Morgan 90+10), -), Varane 7, Field 7 (Andersen 64, 5); Madsen 6 (Ashby 83, -), Bennie 6 (Min-Hyeok 64, 7), Smyth 6 (Dembele 82, -) Subs not used: Kolli, Sutton, Walsh Goals: Edwards 7 (assisted Madsen), Romeny og 42 (unassisted), Min-Hyeok 90+1 (assisted Dembele) Yellow Cards: Nardi 89 (time wasting), Colback 90+7 (foul) QPR 2 Oxford United 0, Wednesday December 11, 2024, Championship One of the worst halves of football ever seen at Loftus Road mercifully gave way to a comfortable QPR victory thanks to a quickfire double after halftime from unlikely goal scorer Sam Field. The result continued Rangers’ recovery from a dire start to the season, but for popular Oxford manager Des Buckingham it meant the end of the road despite winning promotion from League One just a few months prior. QPR: Nardi 6; Dunne 6, Cook 7, Morrison 6 (Chair 84, -), Ashby 4; Varane 6 (Morgan 76, 6), Field 7; Smyth 7 (Fox 76, 5), Madsen 5 (Andersen 67, 6), Saito 7; Kolli 6 (Lloyd 66, 5) Subs not used: Santos, Dixon-Bonner, Bennie, Walsh Goals: Field 53 (assisted Kolli), 68 (assisted Saito) Yellow Cards: Fox 90+1 (foul), Lloyd 90+3 (kicking ball away) Oxford: Cumming 5; Kioso 3 (Dale 88, -), Moore 5, Brown 5, Leigh 3; Brannagan 6; Phillips 4 (Rodrigues 58, 6), Goodrham 6, El Mizouni 5 (McEachran 70, 5), Placheta 4 (Edwards 58, 5); Harris 5 (Scarlett 70, 5) Subs not used; Ingram, Thorniley, Vaulks, Avest Yellow Cards: Brannagan 13 (foul), Moore 27 (foul) QPR 2 Oxford United 0, Tuesday August 24, 2021, League Cup Second Round QPR, and Rob Dickie in particular, were absolutely flying at the start of a 2021/22 season we all hoped would result in a promotion push from Mark Warbuton’s side. Big away wins at Hull and Middlesbrough had got the season up and running, and a 2-0 home win against Coventry waited on the other side of this cup tie. Rangers had beaten Orient on penalties in the first round. One of the big storylines within the overall picture, though, was the goalscoring form of former Oxford centre back Rob Dickie. He’d banged in a 30 yard screamer on the opening day against Millwall, headed in the opening goal at Brisbane Road, scored the third at Hull, and here against his former club again scored an astonishing goal from long range. Sadly, for Dickie, and the team, things would go badly awry after Christmas. They did see the Oxford cup tie through though thanks to Leon Chalmers-Parillon’s own goal, on the way to knocking out Premier League Everton in round three. QPR: Archer 7; Odubajo 6, Kakay 6, Dickie 8 (Gubbins 88, -), Dunne 7, McCallum 6 (Duke-McKenna 64, 6); Thomas 6, Dozzell 6, Chair 7 (Alfa 75, 6); Willock 7, Kelman 6 Subs not used: Walsh Goals: Dickie 26 (unassisted), Chambers-Parillon og 40 (assisted Chair) Bookings: Chair 66 (kicking ball away) Oxford: Eastwood 7; Chambers-Parillon 5, McNally 6, Moore 6, Seddon 7; Sykes 6, Rodriguez 6, McGuane 5 (Brannagan 46, 7); Agyei 6, Winnall 5 (Johnson 69, 6), Holland 6 (Whyte 46, 6) Subs not used: Taylor, Stevens, Mousinho, Cooper Bookings: Sykes 59 (foul), Johnson 76 (foul) QPR 1 Oxford United 0, Wednesday March 3, 1999, First Division Gerry Francis’ attempt to rescue QPR from relegation to the Second Division. Stricken by financial problems and beset with injuries, Francis had been called back in the autumn for a second spell in charge, and quickly picked up six invaluable wins against Barnsley, Bolton, Crewe, Bradford, Port Vale and Norwich. The latter was on Boxing Day, and sadly it was the last the team managed for three months. By the time fellow strugglers Oxford came to town for a midweek game in early March, Rangers were nine games without a win. They did, crucially, win this one though. Rob Steiner, a super signing from Bradford to cover Chris Kiwomya’s injury and Iain Dowie’s crapness, got in goallside and onside onto a hooked through ball just after half time and just got enough power on the shot to bundle it under Paul Gerrard for a scrambled winner. Rangers subsequently won well at home to Swindon and West Brom, but they were their only successes in the final 12 games and when the lost five in a row through to the final day of the season relegation seemed certain. A highly suspicious 6-0 victory against Crystal Palace on the final day saved their bacon. Oxford went down with Bury and Bristol City. QPR: L Miklosko, T Breacker, I Baraclough, M Rose, K Ready, D Maddix (C Plummer 44), G Kulcsar, G Peacock, R Steiner, K Gallen, L Jeanne (P Murray 87) Subs not used: I Dowie Goals: Steiner 46 Bookings: Breacker, Jeanne Oxford: P Gerrard, L Robinson, C Remy (M Murphy, 81), M Gray, M Watson, P Gilchrist, N Banger, P Tait, K Francis (A Thomson, 66), D Windass, J Beauchamp Subs not used: A Rose Bookings: Watson Attendance: 9040 Oxford United 4 QPR 1, Saturday September 26, 1998, First Division There are many pub debates about the lowest moments in QPR’s recent history, and obviously Vauxhall Motors is always front of mind, but Oxford away in September 1998 is right up there. The Chris Wright money had been spent by Stuart Houston, Ray Harford’s promise that he’d definitely win promotion with a strikeforce of Spencer, Sheron and Gallen had turned into a disaster, and Rangers were circling the drain financially and football-wise. They’d won only one of the first 11 games, at home to lowly Stockport, and were soundly trounced by Oxford, and regular foe Joey Beauchamp, in a defensive horror show. Andy Thomson, who’d later help spark the revival of the club as part of Ian Holloway’s Second Division side, bagged the third. The second is one of the worst goals you’ll ever see a professional football team concede. Randomly, Tony Scully’s last minute consolation, was QPR’s Goal of the Season. Harford’s car was vandalised by disgruntled supporters in the car park and he resigned after the match. Oxford: P Whitehead, L Robinson, S Marsh, M Gray, P Whelan (M Murphy, 55), P Gilchrist, P Powell, D Smith (D Hill, 81), A Thomson, D Windass (J Cook, 83), J Beauchamp Goals: Beauchamp 15, Murphy 64, Thomson 72, Windass 75 QPR: L Harper, A Heinola (A Scully, 53), I Baraclough, S Yates, K Ready, D Maddix, S Slade, G Peacock, G Kulcsar (M Sheron, 70), K Gallen, P Murray (M Rose, 63) Goals: Scully 90 Attendance: 7849 Previous ResultsHead to Head >>> Oxford wins 9 >>> Draws 7 >>> QPR wins 17 2025/26 QPR 0 Oxford 0 ConnectionsJamie Mackie >>> Oxford 2018-2020 >>> QPR 2015-2018, 2010-2013 Jamie Mackie was the sort of footballer that football fans love in general, and QPR fans in particular. Somebody that fought for his own career, through lower leagues – Dorking born, he played for the original Wimbledon, MK Dons, Exeter and Sutton before landing at Plymouth Argyle – rather than some arrogant sod from a Premier League academy. He treated playing for QPR as a big, important deal, rather than a career stepping stone, and came to love us as much as we loved him. He covered flaws in his technique, or any perceived lack of ability, with a fearsome work rate and if that sounds like damning with fake praise then believe me it’s not – some of the QPR teams he played in, still being willing to run your heart out and try marked you out as something approaching a God. Signed by Neil Warnock as part of a 2010 summer overhaul that would produce a team which went 19 games unbeaten to start the season and eventually won the Championship to return to the Premier League after 15 years away, Mackie really hit the ground running. He joined from Plymouth, via Warnock’s West Country connections, scored his first goal immediately in a 4-0 opening day win against Barnsley, and kept scoring from there. A last second equaliser at Derby, topless celebration and outrageously bad dragon tattoo marked him out as a cult hero in the making. QPR had trailed 2-0 deep into stoppage time at Pride Park, and rescuing a point had us all taking the team more seriously. They followed it up with three wins to nil at home to Middlesbrough and away at Ipswich and Leicester in which Mackie scored five times including a brace in both the away games. He was never going to keep scoring at that rate, and something of a drought ensued until he banged in an opener for a 4-0 Boxing Day win against Swansea, though he did open his international account on debut for Scotland in November that season. Sadly a horrible broken leg suffered in the FA Cup at Blackburn – the incident where El Hadji Diouf abused him on the way off the field – ended his season. His contribution to the promotion was considerable and what followed was a Premier League career in which Mackie was repeatedly written off, by fans and managers, and rejoiced in making them eat their words. He scored seven times in his first ever season at the level. It included an injury time winner against Liverpool in a game Rangers had again trailed 2-0, and his non-stop, all-action style was too much for Thomas Vermaelen in a 2-1 home win against Arsenal in which he set up a memorable winner for Samba Diakite. His propensity to score against the best teams, and in the biggest games, peaked on the final day of the year when he soared through the air like a tattooed goose, wildly flapping his arms and skillfully banging in a full-length diving header away to Man City to give ten-man Rangers an improbable lead and leave City’s title bid hanging by a thread. Some bloke called Aguero also scored in that game a bit later on.
Mackie was one of the old cohort discarded by Meticulous Mark Hughes during that excessive summer trolleydash, but along with fellow Warnock disciples Shaun Derry and Clint Hill found himself back in favour as the team cratered and Hughes fell on his sword. He scored in a 3-1 loss at Old Trafford under caretaker managership on his first game back in the side. Again, a man for the big occasion. Harry Redknapp played him frequently, and at one stage said “if we had 11 players like him we wouldn’t have a problem”, but Redknapp too decided to bomb him out that summer in favour of more fashionable favourites and he was sold to Nottingham Forest. QPR went up, and came down again, while Mackie played out middling stints at The City Ground and then Reading. Upon return to the Championship, and in an ever increasing mess financially and with FFP, QPR decided to bring Mackie back as a feel-good signing for the Les Ferdinand-Chris Ramsey regime. His second spell was not as successful as his first. Ever popular, ever hard working, but with too many injuries to execute that ferocious, relentless pressing style that came to typify his early QPR years. Still, there was a memorable winner and celebration back at Reading in a live Sky game, and something of a second wind when Ian Holloway took over for 2017/18. He subsequently scored eight goals in a season and a bit at Oxford in League One, where his madcap TikTok videos made him a viral star and kickstarted a television career which continues on Sky Sports to this day. One of the good guys, in a period of QPR history where there weren’t many of them around. Others >>> Matt Phillips Oxford 2024-present, QPR 2013-2016 >>>Jordan Archer, QPR 2021-2024, Oxford 2019-2020 >>> Mide Shodipo, QPR 2015-2022, Oxford (loan) 2020-2021 >>> Rob Dickie, QPR 2020-2023, Oxford 2018-2020 >>> Todd Kane, QPR 2019-2022, Oxford (loan) 2018 >>> Steve McClaren, QPR (manager) 2018-2019, Oxford 1989-1992 >>> Gary Waddock, Oxford (manager) 2014, QPR (manager) 2006, 1991-1992, 1979-1987 >>> Jim Magilton, QPR (manager) 2009, Oxford 1990-1994 >>> Stefan Bailey, QPR 2005-2008, Oxford (loan) 2007 >>> Georges Santos, Oxford (loan) 2007, QPR 2004-2006 >>> Rufus Brevett, Oxford 2006-2007, QPR 1991-1998 >>> Eric Sabin, Oxford 2005-2006, QPR 2003-2004 >>> DouDou, Oxford 2005, QPR 2001-2004 >>> Andy Thomson, QPR 2001-2003, Oxford 1998-1999 >>> Jim Smith, QPR (manager) 1985-1988, Oxford (manager) 1982-1985 >>> David Bardsley, QPR 1989-1998, Oxford 1987-1989 >>> John Byrne, Oxford 1993-1995, QPR 1984-1988 >>> Gary Bannister, Oxford (loan) 1992, QPR 1984-1988 >>> Mark Stein, Oxford 1989-1991, QPR 1988-1989 >>> Kevin Brock, QPR 1987-1989, Oxford 1979-1987 >>> Peter Hucker, Oxford 1986-1989, QPR 1980-1986 >>> Jeremy Charles, Oxford 1985-1987, QPR 1983-1985 >>> Billy Hamilton, Oxford 1984-1987, QPR 1978-1979 >>> Andy McCulloch, Oxford 1974-1976, QPR 1970-1972 If you enjoy LoftforWords, please consider supporting the site through a subscription to our Patreon or tip us via PayPal Pictures - Reuters Connect Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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