| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool 12:30 - May 4 with 5827 views | Martin63 |
50 years ago today - Wolves v Liverpool 4th May 1976. Taken from a piece originally written for IndyRs and A Kick up the Rs fanzine 15 years ago.
So with Rangers season over and top of the table by 1 point over Liverpool, it all boiled down to the Wolverhampton Wanderers versus Liverpool match played on Tuesday 4th May at Molineux. 10 days after Rangers' last match. A 0-0, 1-1 or 2-2 draw would give Liverpool their ninth championship on goal average. These were the days before goal difference was used to separate teams in the league table with the same number of points, but 3-3 would give Rangers the trophy. Wolves also needed to gain points – lose and they would be relegated. Birmingham needed to gain a point at already relegated Sheffield United to send their Midlands rivals down.
For the Rangers players and officials the opportunity to watch the game live on a closed circuit broadcast at the BBC Studios in Wood Lane was made available. Dave Thomas was asked to commentate for BBC Radio. Thomas therefore had the dubious pleasure of watching the game live on a monitor in the studio, whilst commentating on the goings-on on the pitch at the same time. Gerry Francis, Stan Bowles and Coach Frank Sibley plus Club Secretary Ron Phillips and his assistant Sheila Marson amongst others were also present in the studio. Everyone was of course keen to see Wolves win – but there was more than just Championship medals at stake. Stan had the chance that night to win £6,000 on a 16-1 bet for Rangers to be Champions, and there was also a £6,000 club bonus per player. Ron Phillips saw this as an opportunity to be repaid the £3,000 worth of wages that had already been advanced to Stan that season!
Other players and officials were elsewhere. Don Masson was on Scotland international duty and the Scotland squad were at Ibrox that night to watch Rangers v Dundee United. Masson, born in Banchory near Aberdeen, had never played for a Scottish club and had had an excellent career at Middlesbrough and Notts County prior to signing for QPR in December 1974. He had been on the verge of the Scotland team for many months previously but inexplicably kept missing out on selection. Approaching the age of 30, some people felt that he was too old for a first cap. In the end he got the call up he deserved for the Home Internationals after Willie Ormond, the Scotland Manager, had seen him at the Leeds game and had been suitably impressed.
Masson was to make his international debut 2 days later in Scotland’s 3-1 win over Wales at Hampden and scored his first goal for Scotland v England on 15th May at Hampden Park, a great first half effort in a match now largely remembered for Kenny Dalglish’s daisy cutter through Ray Clemence’s legs that won the game 2-1 for Scotland. Dave Sexton was also in Scotland the night of the Wolves v Liverpool game, in Edinburgh watching a European Basketball tournament. Chairman Jim Gregory was in the South of France on his yacht – the suspense just too much for him. Ron Phillips had instructions to call him after the game with the match result.
For the fans television was not an option. Sitting with your ears glued to BBC Radio 2 and its then static filled medium wave broadcasts was the only option available…..unless you felt that you had to be at Molineux in person. Two coaches were run by the Official QPR Supporters Club and Daphne Biggs had been selling stand tickets for the match after the Leeds United home game to Supporters Club members. One of the coach passengers was Robin Haldane, still getting over the events of the previous night at the Mike Channon testimonial at The Dell.
Others drove up to Wolverhampton. My father, Frank Percival, and his cousin Peter Robinson were lifelong Rangers fans and, together with my brother and I, were season ticket holders in the South Africa Road Stand. My brother Dave and I left school early after lunch and by 5pm we had arrived in Wolverhampton. The town was already seething with Liverpool fans, with little sign of many home fans. We joined the queue to try and get into Molineux – our blue and white QPR scarves hidden from display. However, I hadn’t hidden my scarf well enough and a guy behind me in the queue spotted it. “What have we got here then ? Some Evertonians?! ”
“No” I replied. “Queen’s Park Rangers fans”
“What the hell are you doing here ?” the Liverpool fan asked.
“If you lose, we’re the Champions” was my reply.
The Liverpool fan scoffed and said: “We’ll not be losing this game pal.”
By 5.45pm it was clear that Molineux was already full for the 7.30pm kick off. The Liverpool fans smashed the gates open at the South Bank End and a few hundred fans gained entry, but the stewards and Police soon stopped the flow of people into the ground and the queue stopped moving. By 6.45pm we gave up hope of getting in and set off for home. There were still dozens of coaches arriving from Liverpool. There was no way any of those fans would have got in, unless they had stand seat tickets. This was of course a time when the vast majority of the capacity of most grounds consisted of pay on the day terracing. The official attendance was 48,900, but there must have been at least 10,000 locked out that night. So we had to settle for listening to the game on the car radio on the way home.
Surprisingly Steve Kindon scored for Wolves in the 13th minute. Maybe Rangers would be Champions, despite the odds ? Wolves were still in front with 14 minutes to go, despite great pressure from Liverpool. Agony ensued though…as Keegan, Toshack and Kennedy all scored in the final minutes to win the game 3-1 for Liverpool.
As for the Rangers fans who did make it to the game, Robin Haldane recalls the terraces being packed solid and a Liverpool fan stumbling onto one of the Rangers coaches after the match. He was bemused when he received the reply “London” to his question: “Where is this coach going to ?” One of the Rangers fans even gave him a bottle of champagne that had been stashed away, just in case, and the Liverpool fan stumbled off the coach and into the night clutching his prize.
Listening to the Radio 2 commentary in the car on the journey home, my brother Dave and I were choked with the result. I was 12, my brother 10. My Dad put it into a bit of perspective though. He’d been following Rangers since the age of 7 in 1926; they’d had to apply for re-election at the end of his first season as a fan. That summer the club had changed colours from green and white to blue and white in an attempt to change their luck. So much for that! The 1926/27 season had got off to a great start with the Club Secretary forgetting to submit the club’s application to compete in the FA Cup. My Dad summed it all up by saying: “Think about it. Rangers have finished second at the end of their fourth ever season in Division One. We’re top London club, something I never thought I’d live to see. Next season we will be in Europe. Our time will come.”
Rangers’ Chief Scout, Ron Howard, was one of the QPR officials and players who watched the game at the BBC TV Centre. He was quoted in the ‘Willesden and Brent Chronicle’ on 7th May as saying: “It’s a bitter disappointment. Prior to the game most of us had written the championship off. We thought Liverpool would earn at least a draw. But when Kindon scored we all hit the roof. Stan couldn’t watch the game after the opening moments and went for a walk. But really Liverpool deserved to win. Only goalkeeper Pierce kept Wolves in the game with some excellent saves. But with all of Liverpool’s pressure and with only 14 minutes left, we all felt that maybe we might be the champions. It was not to be, Wolves collapsed in the end. Nobody could ask for more from QPR though – 27 points from the final 30. We have had our best ever season in the 80 year history of the club. I believe we will do well in the UEFA Cup next season.”
For the third season in a row, Rangers had finished as the highest placed London club in Division One, but it was little consolation. Howard’s forecast regarding Europe turned out to be correct however….but that is another story for another day.
I’d like to thank the following people for their kind help with the preparation of this piece: Robin Haldane, Chris Hewitt, Steve Russell and Richard Porter for their R’s recollections and Stuart Bilbe for some of the photos. Thanks also to Dave Thomas of ‘A Kick up the R’s’ fanzine. This article originally appeared in print in issue 255 on the day of the Leeds game. This Indy R’s online version is expanded and also contains some additional images. |  | | |  |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 13:27 - May 4 with 5731 views | thehat |
I remember listening on the radio at home with my Dad in Hanwell.
When Liverpool scored the second goal he switched the radio off, swore and went out for a walk...........50 years later I did the same thing on Saturday.
50 years from now my kids will be doing the same.........It's the hope that kills you!! | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 13:37 - May 4 with 5701 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Nice piece.
Awful night. |  |
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| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 16:47 - May 4 with 5506 views | enfieldargh |
I was in a Chinese restaurant in Bushey with my transistor radio glued to my ear, I only remember hearing Fairclough!!!! |  |
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| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 16:52 - May 4 with 5499 views | enfieldargh |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 16:47 - May 4 by enfieldargh |
I was in a Chinese restaurant in Bushey with my transistor radio glued to my ear, I only remember hearing Fairclough!!!! |
Could have sworn Fairclough scored must have been a wong radio station | |
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| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 18:44 - May 4 with 5436 views | dutch |
Cried my eyes out in our kitchen listening to the radio. | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 19:00 - May 4 with 5413 views | jeffranger50 |
Like many listening on radio & so gutted | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 20:27 - May 4 with 5295 views | sexton |
What a terrible evening that was.
A headline in one of the papers the following day was 'Fourteen Lousy Minutes'. |  | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 22:30 - May 4 with 5214 views | ManinBlack |
It was the mental torture inflicted on us having to wait 10 days to find out if we would be champions and then agonising if Wolves would hang on and reaching 75 minutes and it then all collapsed on us. It has been painful ever since following this club knowing we won't be in that position ever again. |  | | |
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| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 22:41 - May 4 with 5195 views | colinallcars |
I listened with my soon-to-be wife Colinette.
She was amazed how upset I was. She realises now. |  | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 22:53 - May 4 with 5181 views | qpr_1968 |
was in the pav that night.....
if ever there was a sorrow that drowned more than ever.....
it was that night.. | |
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| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 23:05 - May 4 with 5155 views | colinallcars |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 22:53 - May 4 by qpr_1968 |
was in the pav that night.....
if ever there was a sorrow that drowned more than ever.....
it was that night.. |
I was in the Pav that morning - remember Dai Jones who had the dairy on the corner ? They say he hated the Pav but it was only 20 yards away so he didn't lose any drinking time. | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 23:33 - May 4 with 5122 views | Myke |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 23:05 - May 4 by colinallcars |
I was in the Pav that morning - remember Dai Jones who had the dairy on the corner ? They say he hated the Pav but it was only 20 yards away so he didn't lose any drinking time. |
Speaking of a dairy, I was hand-milking cows with my dad while the game was on. Radio on full blast in the byre. When Wolves scored, I let such a roar that the cow kicked the full bucket of milk clean out of my hands - my father was NOT impressed. By the end of the match I had cried another bucketful to replace it. | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 10:13 - May 5 with 4949 views | Martin63 |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 22:30 - May 4 by ManinBlack |
It was the mental torture inflicted on us having to wait 10 days to find out if we would be champions and then agonising if Wolves would hang on and reaching 75 minutes and it then all collapsed on us. It has been painful ever since following this club knowing we won't be in that position ever again. |
Sad but so true | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 01:54 - May 6 with 4726 views | SonofNorfolt |
Unhappy birthday to me, twelve that day, similar to 'Golden Gordon' the Ripping Yarns episode, we smashed the house up..... |  | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 13:59 - May 6 with 4558 views | London_Pride |
I was at York University at the time, listening on the radio. I remember going to the student bar to drown my sorrows, only to make a quick retreat when finding it full of loud happy Liverpool fans. |  | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 14:21 - May 6 with 4546 views | Ghost_on_the_Westway |
I knew there were a few Rangers there but I didn’t know the club ran a couple of coaches!
I listened to it on the radio on our new-fangled GEC “Music Centre” (a cassette player, turntable and radio, all in one, doncha know!).
1-2 and not long to go, my Dad sees the tears dripping down my face and gave me a couple of bob to get a bottle of coke and a bag of crisps from the Offie (in the side door of a pub in them days, young ‘un) When I got there, they had the radio on and the bstds and scored their third.
School was great next day, with all my Chelsea classmates ☹️ [Post edited 6 May 14:22]
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| I need a SAGA. What’s the SAGA? It’s ….. Queen’s Park Rangers. |
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| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 14:37 - May 6 with 4505 views | dutch |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 14:21 - May 6 by Ghost_on_the_Westway |
I knew there were a few Rangers there but I didn’t know the club ran a couple of coaches!
I listened to it on the radio on our new-fangled GEC “Music Centre” (a cassette player, turntable and radio, all in one, doncha know!).
1-2 and not long to go, my Dad sees the tears dripping down my face and gave me a couple of bob to get a bottle of coke and a bag of crisps from the Offie (in the side door of a pub in them days, young ‘un) When I got there, they had the radio on and the bstds and scored their third.
School was great next day, with all my Chelsea classmates ☹️ [Post edited 6 May 14:22]
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Was the Pub the General Smuts? | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 14:39 - May 6 with 4502 views | TwoHalves |
“The 1926/27 season got off to a great start with the Club Secretary forgetting to submit the club’s application to compete in the FA Cup”.
Good to see our standards haven’t slipped in relation to the oldest annual knockout tournament in the world. | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 14:40 - May 6 with 4501 views | Ghost_on_the_Westway |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 14:37 - May 6 by dutch |
Was the Pub the General Smuts? |
No, The Victoria in Isleworth 😂
Very much a Chelsea/Brentford/Rangers place. | |
| I need a SAGA. What’s the SAGA? It’s ….. Queen’s Park Rangers. |
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| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 15:47 - May 6 with 4442 views | TwoHalves |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 14:40 - May 6 by Ghost_on_the_Westway |
No, The Victoria in Isleworth 😂
Very much a Chelsea/Brentford/Rangers place. |
I assume the landlord has appropriate building and contents insurance cover in place. | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 15:51 - May 6 with 4435 views | dutch |
Used to get sent to the Smuts to drag Grandad out for his tea. | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 17:08 - May 6 with 4368 views | NorrisGreen |
I listened to it on the radio while soaking in the bath. I don't remember being overly perturbed by it - I think my most fervent period of support came a few years later, that's when losses or disappointment started putting me in a foul mood for days. If you'd outlined to me our next 50 years back then I'd have laughed and said you must've confused us with a tripe team like Chelsea... | | | |
| 50 years ago today..... 4th May 1976 Wolves v Liverpool on 17:45 - May 6 with 4327 views | CroydonCaptJack |
I met Stuart Pearce one night at a Palace sporting night (the Company I work for sometimes sponsor them) When he heard I was QPR he asked what I was doing there and we started chatting. Turns out we were his team back then and we had both been listening on the radio that night, and had both cried our eyes out! |  |
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