Ahead of Saturday’s League Cup tie with Millwall we look back to a Loftus Road meeting from February 1995 when Clive Wilson put Rangers through to the FA Cup sixth round with a last-minute penalty.

Memorable Match

QPR 1 Millwall 0, FA Cup Fifth Round, Saturday February 18, 1995

The 1994/95 season had started badly for Queens Park Rangers with just one league win from the first 11 matches. To make matters worse, an attempt by controversial chairman Richard Thompson to bring in club legend Rodney Marsh as a director of football over the head of manager Gerry Francis had upset Rangers’ inspirational manager and so although form did take a sudden turn for the better with two wins in three days at home to Aston Villa ad Liverpool at the end of October it wasn’t enough to keep the boss from resigning and heading to Spurs.

In his place came Ray Wilkins, who’d brought a fine Indian summer at Loftus Road to an end before the start of the campaign with a move to newly promoted Crystal Palace. The Eagles were to be the division’s whipping boys, and Wilkins was injured long term in the very first game of the season against Liverpool. At Loftus Road, there was only ever one candidate for the job.

Wilkins won his first match, 3-2 at home to Leeds, and followed that up with a home success against West Ham before chalking up the club’s first away win of the season at Sheff Wed and another, memorably, on New Year’s Eve at Highbury where Arsenal were vanquished by three goals to one.

The R’s also started progressing nicely in the FA Cup, with an easy 4-0 win in the Third Round against Aylesbury — the original away draw switched to Loftus Road because the non-league side’s ground was deemed unfit to host the fixture — and a 1-0 win against Premier League rivals West Ham thanks to a goal from Andy Impey.

In theory, another home tie in round five, against First Division Millwall, was ideal for Rangers — beat the Lions, as they had done 3-0 in the League Cup the previous season in W12, and they’d be in the quarter finals and with the likes of Les Ferdinand rampaging around, who knows what might happen after that?

But Millwall were a fearsome side for any Premier League side to draw at this time. They’d already knocked Nottingham Forest out of the League Cup earlier in the season before dispatching first Arsenal and then Chelsea, both after replays and the latter on penalties, from the FA Cup. Rangers could have faced a packed house and their bitter neighbours from Stamford Bridge if it wasn’t for the exploits of Mick McCarthy’s men, led from the back by inspirational American international goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Predictably, that win at the Bridge had been followed by running battles between supporters of both sides and the police. With Chelsea facing a free weekend and keen for revenge off the field, and Millwall’s visits to Loftus Road never noted for the friendly atmosphere, hundreds of police swarmed around Shepherds Bush trying to keep order. Access was gained to the Goldhawk only by a secret knock at the back door, and if Tony the Barman knew your face. For the most part it seemed as though the law enforcement officers would get their way as Keller’s heroics kept the game scoreless — although a midweek replay down at The Den ten days later would have suited nobody, apart from Wilkins it seemed who said he was always confident his side would have won at the second attempt regardless.

Keller saved early at the near post from Gallen and then, brilliantly, when a Simon Barker shot deflected in the opposite direction giving the keeper a split second to react. At the other end Tony Roberts smartly palmed away Mark Kennedy’s free kick. Les Ferdinand thought he’d finally got the better of his man marker — former R Tony Witter — just after half time but Keller was again equal to the powerful header and tipped it away from the bottom corner.

Keller saved one on one from Kevin Gallen with time running down, and all hell would have broken loose had Andy Roberts’ shot from 20 yards hit the back of the net rather than the base of Roberts’ post with just eight minutes to go, but a replay looked a likely outcome at that stage.

The game hinged on a remarkable moment deep into stoppage time. Andy Impey attacked down the left for a final time and slung over a final cross where, bizarrely, centre half Alan McDonald stood awaiting its arrival to try and head home. Despite the presence of the Northern Irish skipper there seemed little danger to the visitors until Damien Webber leapt into the late afternoon air, thrust up a hand and inexplicably punched the ball clear. The Loft, McDonald and the QPR team appealed noisily as one and a penalty was duly awarded.

The script now seemed written for more Keller heroics but Clive Wilson, with a trademark left footed strike, slammed the ball home for the winning goal.

The draw followed a day later. Wolves, Everton, Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham all went into the hat — Wolves were a division lower, and Rangers hadn’t lost to any of the other teams in the Premier League to that point of the season. They drew Manchester United. Away. And lost 2-0.

That quarter final will be remembered for Wilkins dropping Trevor Sinclair in order to pick both Wilson and Rufus Brevett to try, and fail, to keep Andrei Kanchelskis quiet, and 7,000 travelling QPR fans driving “The Guv’nor” to distraction with a hour-long chorus of “Paul Ince is a wanker” that actually carried on right through half time. But goals from Lee Sharpe and Dennis Irwin were the important stat of the game and the Wembley dream was over for another season.

Everton won the trophy that year, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final with a goal from Paul Rideout.

QPR: Roberts; Bardsley, McDonald, Maddix, Wilson; Impey, Barker, Holloway, Meaker; Gallen, Ferdinand

Attendance: 16,457

Classic Encounters

LFW 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 three recent meetings with Millwall are embedded below, give him a subscribe on YouTube or follow @QPR_Memories on Twitter.

Recent Meetings

Millwall 2 QPR 0, Saturday April 18, 2026, Championship

A fairly typical QPR trip to The Den, over before it really began, as Millwall surged towards the play-offs and Rangers limped down the season’s final straight. Mazou-Sacko made the most of chaotic defending to score from range after three minutes, and Neghli doubled that on the quarter hour after sitting Jonathan Varane down in embarrassing fashion.

Millwall: Patterson 6; Crama 7, Taylor 7, Cooper 7, Sturge 7; Mazo-Sacko 8 (Bannan 90, -), De Norre 8 (Langstaff 70, 6); Azeez 8 (Cundle 86, -), Neghli 7, Ballo 7 (Watson 70, 6); Coburn 6 (Ivanovic 86, -)

Subs not used: Crocombe, Leonard, Lovelace, McNamara

Goals: Mazou-Sacko 3, Neghli 17 (assisted Mazou-Sacko)

QPR: Walsh 5; Mbengue 3 (Cook 46, 6), Edwards 4, Clarke-Salter 4, Norrington-Davies 4; Smyth 4 (Burrell 46, 6), Morgan 4 (Hayden 46, 6), Varane 3 (Madsen 46, 7), Vale 4; Poku 4 (Chair 60, 6), Kone 5

Subs not used: Adamson, Hamer, Bennie, Kolli

Yellow Cards: Edwards 19 (foul), Mbengue 30 (foul), Hayden 90+2 (foul)

QPR 1 Millwall 2, Saturday October 18, 2025, Championship

There was bad news early on for Millwall and former QPR midfielder Mass Luongo on his return to Loftus Road as he tore the ACL ligament in his knee and ended his debut season at The Den in October. That blow was tempered by a positive result supplied courtesy of two first half goals from Femi Azeez through a creaking offside trap and Mihailo Ivanovic deep into stoppage time. Rumarn Burrell continued his breakout season with a late consolation for the R’s.

QPR: Nardi 5; Dunne 6, Morrison 5 (Mbengue 54, 6), Cook 5, Norrington-Davies 5; Vale 5 (Dembele 54, 5), Varane 5 (Morgan 72, 6), Madsen 6, Smyth 6 (Saito 61, 6); Kone 6, Frey 5 (Burrell 61, 6)

Subs not used: Field, Hamer, Hayden, Kolli,

Goals: Burrell 85 (assisted Saito)

Yellow Cards: Norrington-Davies 55 (dive), Smyth 59 (foul)

Millwall: Crocombe 6; Leonard 6; Crama 7, Cooper 7, Sturge 6; Luongo – (De Norre 15, 7 (Cundle 79, -)), Mitchell 7; Azeez 7 (Neghli 75, 6), Smallbone 7, Ballo 6 (Doughty 74, 6); Ivanovic 7 (Langstaff 80, -)

Subs Not Used: Bryan, Coleman, Emakhu, Taylor

Goals: Azeez 36 (assisted Mitchell), Ivanovic 45+4 (unassisted)

Yellow Cards: Leonard 33 (foul), Cooper 39 (foul), Ballo 56 (foul)

Millwall 2 QPR 1, Saturday February 1, 2025, Championship

With Jimmy Dunne absent ahead of an apparent done deal move to Sheff Utd, QPR lasted all of a minute at The Den before shipping a defensively shambolic opener to Aaron Connolly. In a frantic opening the R’s were soon level when Alfie Lloyd finished powerfully in off both posts for an equaliser. But Luke Cundle put the dominant hosts back in front before half time and despite an impressive debut cameo from Yang Min-Hyeok off the bench the Lions were able to see the 2-1 out with relative ease.

Millwall: Jensen 8; Crama 5, Tanganga 7, Cooper 6, Bryan 6; Saville 6, De Norre 5 (Wintle 80, -); Bangura-Williams 6 (Mitchell 89, -), Cundle 7 (Watmore 80, -), Connolly 7 (Honeyman 89, -); Ivanovic 6 (Langstaff 89, -)

Subs not used: Harding, Kelly, Roberts, Wallace

Goals: Connolly 1 (assisted Crama), Cundle 25 (unassisted)

Yellow Cards: Saville 75 (foul)

QPR: Nardi 5; Edwards 5, Cook 5 (Ashby 64, 5), Fox 4, Paal 4; Varane 6, Field 5, Morgan 5 (Saito 64, 7); Chair 4 (Yang 76, 7), Smyth 6 (Frey 76, 5), Lloyd 6 (Kolli 83, -)

Subs not used: Colback, Madsen, Morrison, Walsh

Goals: Lloyd 3 (assisted Morgan)

Yellow Cards: Morgan 59 (foul), Lloyd 74 (foul)

QPR 1 Millwall 1, Saturday September 21, 2024, Championship

QPR were lucky to escape the first meeting the previous season with a draw as the R’s continued their clunky start to the campaign and Millwall put in their best performance at Loftus Road for many years. Duncan Watmore’s opening goal ten before half time was very much deserved, and only Paul Nardi’s heroics kept the visitors from scoring several more. Michi Frey’s equaliser five minutes later was skilfully set up by Karamoko Dembele and beautifully finished by the Swiss striker, but definitely against the run of play.

QPR: Nardi 7; Dunne 5, Cook 6, Clarke-Salter 6, Paal 6; Field 6, Madsen 5 (Varane 69, 6); Dembele 6 (Celar 90+3, -), Andersen 4 (Lloyd 69, 6), Saito 6 (Smyth 60, 5); Frey 7

Subs not used: Ashby, Santos, Dixon-Bonner, Morgan, Walsh

Goals: Frey 40 (assisted Dembele)

Yellow Cards: Paal 60 (foul), Varane 84 (foul)

Millwall: Jensen 6; Leonard 6, Cooper 7, Tanganga 7, Bryan 6; De Noore 7, Saville 7; Esse 7, Honeyman 6 (Wintle 90+3), Watmore 7 (Azeez 75, 6); Langstaff 6 (Ivanovic 75, 6)

Subs not used: Emakhu, Hutchinson, Kelly, McNamara, Wallace, Roberts

Goals: Watmore 34 (assisted Langstaff)

Yellow Cards: Saville 86 (foul)

QPR 2 Millwall 0, Saturday January 20, 2024, Championship

QPR injected some life into their flagging Championship survival prospects with a hard fought 2-0 home win against Millwall in January. Favourable cup draws and the switching of the opening day game with Watford had given Marti Cifuentes’ side a month of home games, but they’d already been beaten at Loftus Road by Cardiff, Watford and Bournemouth in consecutive games prior to this one. Ilias Chair settled nerves with a first half opener. There was terror to come, as Asmir Begovic let a shot squirm through his hands requiring a last ditch goalline clearance, but Sinclair Armstrong settled the debate from close range late on. Millwall were probably the worst side we played through the second half of the season.

QPR: Begovic 5; Cannon 5, Cook 7, Clarke-Salter 6, Paal 6; Field 7, Colback 8; Willock 5 (Adomah 84, -), Dykes 7, Chair 7 (Larkeche 90+4, -); Armstrong 7 (Dixon-Bonner 89, -)

Subs not used: Dunne, Fox, Drewe, Walsh, Pedder, Talla

Goals: Chair 27 (assisted Willock), Armstrong 87 (assisted Colback)

Millwall: Sarkic 4; McNamara 5, Harding 5, Cooper 6; Norton-Cuffy 5 (Tanganga 67, 6), Honeyman 6, Mitchell 5, Bryan 5 (Wallace 67, 5); Watmore 4, Flemming 4, Nisbet 4 (Longman 56, 6)

Subs not used: Campbell, Saville, De Norre, Esse, Bialkowski, Grant

Yellow Cards: Mitchell 32 (foul), Flemming 85 (foul)

Millwall 2 QPR 0, Tuesday December 26, 2023, Championship

QPR’s already flimsy survival hopes were dealt a blow on Boxing Day when one of their worst performances of a dreadful season condemned them to a 2-0 loss. Defensively laughable goals by Tom Bradshaw and Murray Wallace at the end of each half sealed a comfortable win for the hosts. Rangers lost before Christmas at Sheff Wed having led in the 86th minute, a result that would have put them ten points ahead of the Owls. Wawll had been on a long losing run prior to this game and sunk to within touching distance of the R’s, only for this result to spark three successive wins and put them back out of reach.

Millwall: Sarkic 6; Leonard 6, Harding 7, Cooper 6, Bryan 5 (Wallace 71, 6); Norton-Cuffy 7 (McNamara 85, -), Honeyman 6, Saville 7, Emakhu 6 (Nisbet 83, -); Bradshaw 6 (Flemming 71, 7), Watmore 6 (Esse 83, -)

Subs Not Used: Hutchinson, Longman, Bialkowski, Mitchell

Goals: Bradshaw 45+3 (assisted Saville), Wallace 90 (assisted McNamara)

Yellow Cards: Emakhu 33 (foul), Honeyman 44 (foul), Wallace 90+3 (foul)

QPR: Begovic 5; Kakay 4, Dunne 3 (Cannon 63, 5), Clarke-Salter 6, Larkeche 5 (Dixon-Bonner 63, 5); Dozzell 5, Field 5, Paal 6; Smyth 5 (Adomah 79, 5), Dykes 4, Chair 6

Subs not used: Duke-McKenna, Archer, Richards, Kelman, Drewe, Armstrong

Yellow Cards: Dunne 9 (foul), Smyth 37 (foul), Chair 75 (foul)

QPR 1 Millwall 2, Saturday February 11, 2023, Championship

Despite the emergency additions of Jamal Lowe and Chris Martin to the attack, QPR’s season continued to crater when Millwall won at Loftus Road in February 2023. Martin headed a late first goal for the club but Duncan Watmore had already given the visitors the lead and Oli Burke made it two deep into the second half when QPR committed a typical piece of defensive suicide from a long throw. There were big defeats against Sunderland and Middlesbrough to come later that week before Neil Critchley was fired after a dozen games in charge.

QPR: Dieng 6; Laird 4, Dickie 4, Dunne 4, Paal 4; Dozzell 4, Johansen 6 (Martin 64, 6), Field 5; Lowe 5, Chair 5, Armstrong 6 (Willock 69, - (Adomah 76, 5)

Subs not used: Kakay, Archer, Gubbins, Iroegbunam

Goals: Martin 82 (assisted Chair)

Bookings: Armstrong 69 (handball)

Millwall: Long 6; McNamara 7, Cresswell 7, Cooper 7, Wallace 6; Mitchell 7, Saville 6; Honeyman 7 (Leonard 90+2, -), Flemming 7 (Shackleton 85, -), Watmore 8 (Burke 68, 7); Bradshaw 7 (Boglsammer 85, -)

Subs not used: Malone, Bialkowski, Esse

Goals: Watmore 31 (assisted Flemming), Burke 78 (unassisted)

Bookings: Honeyman 85 (foul)

Millwall 0 QPR 2, Wednesday September 14, 2022, Championship

QPR started to hit their best form for 2022/23 in September when they won comprehensively at The Den. Chris Willock opened the scoring with a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box ten minutes after half time. When Millwall subsequently fell fast asleep at a Rangers corner, Stefan Johansen collected a short pass from Ilias Chair and finished the chance, and the game, across the keeper and into the side net.

Millwall: Bialkowski 5; Shackleton 6, Cresswell 4, Cooper 5, Wallace 5, Styles 6 (Malone 77, 5); Mitchell 5, Saville 5 (Honeyman 77, 6), Voglsammer 5 (Burey 62, 5); Flemming 7, Bradshaw 6 (Afobe 62, 3)

Subs not used: Long, McNamara, Evans

QPR: Dieng 6; Laird 7, Balogun 7, Dunne 7, Paal 8 (Kakay 90+6, -); Johansen 8, Field 6, Iroegbunam 6 (Bonne 85, -); Chair 7 (Adomah 85, -), Willock 7 (Dozzell 78, 6), Roberts 5 (Dykes 78, 6)

Subs not used: Archer, Masterson

Goals: Willock 54 (assisted Chair), Johansen 71 (assisted Chair)

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> QPR wins 25 >>> Draws 26 >>> Millwall wins 37

2025/26 Millwall 2 QPR 0

2025/26 QPR 1 Millwall 2 (Burrell)

2024/25 Millwall 2 QPR 1 (Lloyd)

2024/25 QPR 1 Millwall 1 (Frey)

2023/24 QPR 2 Millwall 0 (Chair, Armstrong)

2023/24 Millwall 2-0 QPR

2022/23 QPR 1 Millwall 2 (Martin)

2022/23 Millwall 0 QPR 2 (Willock, Johansen)

2021/22 Millwall 2 QPR 0

2021/22 QPR 1 Millwall 1 (Dickie)

2020/21 QPR 3 Millwall 2 (Austin, Johansen, De Wijs)

2020/21 Millwall 1 QPR 1 (Chair)

2019/20 QPR 4 Millwall 3 (Masterson, Manning, Eze, Kane)

2019/20 Millwall 1 QPR 2 (Wells 2)

2018/19 Millwall 0 QPR 0

2018/19 QPR 2 Millwall 0 (Luongo, Eze)

2017/18 Millwall 1 QPR 0

2017/18 QPR 2 Millwall 2 (Luongo, Smith)

2013/14 QPR 1 Millwall 1 (Austin)

2013/14 Millwall 2 QPR 2 (Austin, Kranjcar)

2010/11 Millwall 2 QPR 0

2010/11 QPR 0 Millwall 0

2005/06 QPR 1 Millwall 0 (Nygaard)

2005/06 Millwall 1 QPR 1 (Nygaard)

2004/05 Millwall 0 QPR 0

2004/05 QPR 1 Millwall 1 (Furlong)

1994/95 QPR 1 Millwall 0* (Wilson)

1993/94 QPR 3 Millwall 0** (Barker, Ferdinand, Sinclair)

1989/90 Millwall 1 QPR 2 (Barker, Wegerle)

1989/90 QPR 0 Millwall 0

1988/89 QPR 1 Millwall 2 (Falco, pen)

1988/89 Millwall 3 QPR 2 (Francis, Allen)

1987/88 Millwall 0 QPR 0

1987/88 QPR 2 Millwall 1 (Bannister, McDonald)

1972/73 Millwall 0 QPR 1 (Givens)

1972/73 QPR 1 Millwall 3 (Bowles)

1971/72 Millwall 0 QPR 0

1971/72 QPR 1 Millwall 1 (Marsh)

1970/71 QPR 2 Millwall 0 (Marsh, Francis)

1970/71 Millwall 3 QPR 0

1969/70 Millwall 2 QPR 0

1969/70 QPR 3 Millwall 2 (Bridges 2, Clement)

1967/68 Millwall 1 QPR 1 (Marsh)

1967/68 QPR 3 Millwall 1 (R Morgan, Keen, L Allen)

1965/66 QPR 6 Millwall 1 (Marsh 2, R Morgan, Collins, L Allen, Lazarus)

1965/66 Millwall 2 QPR 1 (Leach)

1963/64 Millwall 2 QPR 2 (McLeod, Leary)

1963/64 QPR 2 Millwall 0 (Bedford, McQuade)

1962/63 QPR 2 Millwall 3 (Leary, McCelland)

1962/63 Millwall 0 QPR 0

1957/58 Millwall 5 QPR 0

1957/58 QPR 3 Millwall 0 (Locke 3)

1956/57 Millwall 2 QPR 0

1956/57 QPR 0 Millwall 0

1955/56 QPR 4 Millwall 0 (Clark, Shepherd, Ingham, Smith)

1955/56 Millwall 2 QPR 0

1954/55 QPR 1 Millwall 2 (Shepherd)

1954/55 Millwall 0 QPR 1 (Clark)

1953/54 QPR 4 Millwall 0 (Kerrins, Clark, Pounder, Smith)

1953/54 Millwall 4 QPR 0

1952/53 QPR 1 Millwall 3 (Smith)

1952/53 Millwall 2 QPR 1 (Smith)

1950/51 QPR 3 Millwall 4* (Parkinson 2, Addinall)

1937/38 QPR 0 Millwall 2

1937/38 Millwall 1 QPR 4 (Lowe, Cape, Cheetham, Fitzgerald)

1936/37 QPR 0 Millwall 1

1936/37 Millwall 2 QPR 0

1935/36 Millwall 2 QPR 0

1935/36 QPR 2 Millwall 3 (Blackman, Lowe)

1934/35 QPR 1 Millwall 0 (Farmer)

1934/35 Millwall 2 QPR 0

1927/28 Millwall 6 QPR 1 (Beats)

1927/28 QPR 0 Millwall 1

1926/27 QPR 1 Millwall 1 (Goddard)

1926/27 Millwall 2 QPR 1 (Middleton)

1925/26 Millwall 3 QPR 0

1925/26 QPR 3 Millwall 0 (Cable 2, Whitehead)

1924/25 Millwall 3 QPR 0

1924/25 QPR 0 Millwall 0

1923/24 QPR 1 Millwall 1 (Parker)

1923/24 Millwall 3 QPR 0

1922/23 Millwall 0 QPR 0

1922/23 QPR 2 Millwall 3 (Parker, Davis)

1921/22 Millwall 0 QPR 0

1921/22 QPR 6 Millwall 1 (Chandler 2, Birch, Grant, Smith, Edgley)

1920/21 Millwall 0 QPR 0

1920/21 QPR 0 Millwall 0

1899/90 QPR 0 Millwall 2*

* - FA Cup

** - League Cup

Connections

Danny Shittu >>> QPR 2011-2012, 2001-2006 >>> Charlton 1999-2002

Lagos-born Danny Shittu kick-started his own professional football career by constantly writing to managers, coaches and scouts, badgering teams across the South East of England for a trial. Norwich had a look at him but it was Charlton who offered him pro terms. Shittu has rarely had a good word to say about the long-serving and well-regarded Addicks boss of the time Alan Curbishley however, saying he rarely spoke to the younger players at the club.

During 2000/01 Charlton loaned Shittu first to Blackpool, then the following season to Ian Holloway’s Queens Park Rangers side in League One. Rangers were in administration, but putting a decent side together under Holloway’s supervision. Shittu was signed right on the deadline for a Tuesday night league game at Peterborough where he started at centre half, not knowing half of his team mates, and was sent off for two clumsy tackles in a 4-1 defeat.

An inauspicious start then, but Shittu’s enormous frame, deceptive pace and physical approach to marking opposition strikers quickly made him a fans’ favourite at Loftus Road. He was also a very lucrative first goalscorer bet — always listed at 33/1 and a prodigious threat when going up for attacking corners. He opened his QPR account with a typical header from one such set piece in a 3-2 win at Chesterfield.

Despite the administrators overseeing things at Loftus Road, Rangers were able to buy Shittu for £250,000 from Charlton thanks to generous funding from the Winton family — who also financed the acquisitions of DouDou and Marc Bircham around this time. The moves provoked anger among rivals clubs, with Brentford chairman Ron Noades — who’d made a cash offer for Shittu himself — a particularly outspoken critic. Clubs in administration have been placed under transfer embargoes by the league ever since.

But Shittu was signed and sealed at Loftus Road and formed a formidable centre half partnership with Clarke Carlisle in the third tier. He became a cult hero, and although his ruptured knee ligaments in a match at Bournemouth midway through the 2003/04 season threatened to derail QPR’s promotion push, the fact that he played on for 70 minutes of that match with a knee injury that reduces most players to a crumpled, screaming heap on the floor only added to his attraction. Surgeons grafted part of his hamstring into his knee to repair the damage — Holloway remarked that this was no problem as Shittu had more hamstring than the rest of the team put together — and by the time he returned to action the R’s were a division higher.

Shittu continued to impress in the new division. A whole new league of strikers, not used to his unconventional shape, underestimated him to their pain and suffering — Cardiff’s Alan Lee made the mistake of elbowing Shittu in his gentleman’s area as he climbed for a header and after 30 seconds on the floor to gather his breath Shittu left the field, pointing at his assailant, and shouting that he was coming back for him. The following hour was as brutal as you’ll ever see within the rules of the game and Lee was removed with 25 minutes still to play for his own safety.

As Rangers struggled for cash with Gary Waddock in charge and Gianni Paladini as chairman, Shittu was sold to Watford for £1.6m in August 2006. Aidy Boothroyd’s Hornets had just been promoted to the top flight but the Premier League proved beyond both Shittu and the rest of the team and they were relegated comfortably before the end of the season. Shittu remained, and Watford initially looked a good bet to return, before falling away into more financial trouble.

Shittu spent an unhappy two years back in the Premier League at Bolton where he made just 11 appearances, but reignited his career with a spell under his former QPR coach Kenny Jackett at Millwall in 2010/11. His form there on a short term contract brought QPR calling again in January 2011, looking for extra bodies to solidify their own push for the Premier League.

Shittu’s form was fairly wild during his second spell at Loftus Road — excellent in wins against Ipswich at home, Middlesbrough away and Watford away, absolutely dreadful in away defeats at Scunthorpe and Millwall. Bizarrely, he finished the season playing as an auxiliary striker on the final day of the season as the R’s lifted the Championship trophy with a home game against Leeds.

Panic set in that summer when Tony Fernandes’ perspective takeover of the club dragged on into August, and existing owner Falvio Briatore refused to finance new signings knowing he was leaving the club. The signatures of Wayne Routledge and others were missed as a result and Warnock renewed contracts for players like Peter Ramage and Shittu while knowing they weren’t good enough for the top flight — in fact, Warnock had decided Shittu wasn’t for him after his catastrophic performance and red card in that return to Millwall the previous season. Takeover complete and 25 man squad named without him involved, Shittu found himself out in the cold for a year.

He returned to Millwall as captain, and took part in their run to an FA Cup semi-final, before retiring. A real character, and somebody who will always be remembered fondly at QPR.

Others >>> Mass Luongo, Millwall 2025-2026, QPR 2015-2019 >>> Matt Smith, Millwall 2019-2022, QPR 2016-2019 >>> Ian Holloway, QPR (manager) 2016-2018, (manager) 2001-2005, 1991-1996, Millwall (manager) 2014-2015 >>> Shaun Derry, Millwall (loan) 2013, QPR 2010-2014>>> Rob Hulse, Millwall (loan) 2013, QPR 2010-2013 >>> Patrick Agyemang, QPR 2008-2012, Millwall (loan) 2011 >>> Jason Puncheon QPR (loan) 2011, Millwall (loan) 2010-2011 >>> Adam Bolder, Millwall (loan) 2007-2008, 2009-2010, QPR 2007-2009 >>> Stefan Moore QPR 2005-2008, Millwall (loan) 2004 >>> Steve Lomas, Millwall (manager) 2013-2014, QPR 2005-2007 >>> Andros Townsend, QPR (loan) 2013, Millwall (loan) 2011 >>> Marc Bircham QPR 2002-2007, Millwall 1996-2002 >>> Rhys Evans, Millwall 2008, QPR (loan) 2001-2002 >>> Marcus Bignot Millwall (loan) 2007-2008, 2008-2009, QPR 2004-2007, 2001-2002 >>> Chris Day, Millwall 2006-2008, QPR 2001-2005 >>> Kenny Jackett Millwall (manager) 2007-2013, QPR (coach) 2001-2004 >>> Justin Cochrane, Millwall 2008, QPR 2001-2002 >>> Darren Ward, Millwall 2010-2013, 2001-2005, QPR (loan) 1999-2000 >>> Danny Dichio, Millwall 2004-2005, QPR 1993-1997 >>> Andy Impey, Millwall (loan) 2005, QPR 1990-1997 >>> Ray Wilkins, Millwall (coach) 2003-2006, 1997, QPR (player manager) 1994-1996, 1989-1994 >>> Tony Witter, Millwall 1991-1998, QPR 1991 >>> Mark Falco, Millwall 1991-1992, QPR 1988-1991 >>> Ian Dawes, Millwall 1988-1995, QPR 1982-1988 >>> Ian Stewart, Millwall (loan) 1982-1983, QPR 1980-1985 >>> Jimmy Carter, Millwall 1998/99, 1987-1981, QPR 1985-1987 >>> Clive Allen, Millwall 1994-1995, QPR 1981-1984, 1978-1980 >>> Gary Waddock, QPR (manager) 2006, 1991-1992, 1979-1987, Millwall 1989-1991 >>> John Byrne, Millwall 1992-1993, QPR 1984-1988 >>> Gavin Maguire, Millwall 1993-1994, QPR 1984-1989 >>> Dean Neal, Millwall 1981-1985, QPR 1979-1981 >>> Frank Saul, Millwall 1972-1976, QPR 1970-1972 >>> Tony Hazell, Millwall 1974-1978, QPR 1964-1974 >>> Frank Neary, Millwall 1950-1954, QPR 1945-1947

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