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The Venables Team of the Early 80s 20:20 - Aug 22 with 6058 viewsnumptydumpty

Massively underrated and massively overlooked too.

People mention the 75/76 season and then the Ferdinand/Wilkins/Sinton/McDonald team in the 90s, but this team of Terry Venables scored goals for fun.

Just seeing a poster compare Ronnie to Terry Fenwick got me thinking, its a team and era that doesnt get mentioned enough.

Didnt live near the ground then, so often my first knowledge of the score was when stopping mid paper round to check out last nights scores in the newspapers and then attempt to shove them through post boxes that refused to open.

A lot of Flanagan and Allen references, seem to recall...
[Post edited 22 Aug 20:21]

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 21:07 - Aug 22 with 4980 viewscaliforniahoop

Saw that reference to Fenwick and it got me thinking that team also, Wicks(JCS) lamptey(Parker) Big Mac(Dunne) Fillary (Vale) Hazel (Mbengue) Leroy (Kone) and a few others.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 21:11 - Aug 22 with 4960 viewscharmr

Wonderful period following that team home and away with some special people. A real highlight of my life. Football, music, friends and the opposite sex. Not many travelled away during that period.

That team could play forget about the offside trap taking the conversation centre stage.
[Post edited 22 Aug 23:39]
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 21:35 - Aug 22 with 4868 viewsMyke

I think what took away from the achievements of that team somewhat was the ‘plastic’ pitch. Their dominant home form was always down-graded due to the ‘massive advantage’ we had over visiting teams. But we had some players. I loved Tony Staley, John Gregory, Ian Stewart. Sealed and Gregory scored lots of goals in our promotion year, as did Flanagan and Allen of course.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 23:44 - Aug 22 with 4691 viewsBristolR

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 21:35 - Aug 22 by Myke

I think what took away from the achievements of that team somewhat was the ‘plastic’ pitch. Their dominant home form was always down-graded due to the ‘massive advantage’ we had over visiting teams. But we had some players. I loved Tony Staley, John Gregory, Ian Stewart. Sealed and Gregory scored lots of goals in our promotion year, as did Flanagan and Allen of course.


Agree… people seem to forget that we also won a load of games away…was it 10?
Remember going to Palace around Xmas time and stuffing them 3-0. Was a bit lively getting back to the station after
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 00:10 - Aug 23 with 4646 viewswombat

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 23:44 - Aug 22 by BristolR

Agree… people seem to forget that we also won a load of games away…was it 10?
Remember going to Palace around Xmas time and stuffing them 3-0. Was a bit lively getting back to the station after


The offside trap we used was unbeatable at time , we went to Leeds when the terraces were closed not many of us as was the Norm and proceeded to catch them off side every time they attacked , the locals were going even more mental than normal

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 00:25 - Aug 23 with 4616 viewsSydneyRs

The promotion season under Venables was my first as a regular, a great time.

If he'd stayed another year we could have been genuine title contenders, but you don't turn down Barcelona.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 04:18 - Aug 23 with 4447 viewsPlanetHonneywood

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 21:07 - Aug 22 by californiahoop

Saw that reference to Fenwick and it got me thinking that team also, Wicks(JCS) lamptey(Parker) Big Mac(Dunne) Fillary (Vale) Hazel (Mbengue) Leroy (Kone) and a few others.


I think you'll find Venables had departed long before Parker, Macca, and Rosenoir donned the B&W.

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 06:51 - Aug 23 with 4306 viewsNorthantsHoop

What a team that was, once Venables established the set up we were hard to beat, winning the old Division 2 by around a 10 point margin and then finishing 5th in old Division 1 in 1984.Even though we had the plastic pitch, we could go away and win games. Allen and Stainrod were superb, plus many others, Fenwick was immense as well. The loft in those days had been rebuilt and was still standing only, as a youngster in my late teens/early 20s it was a joy to watch the Rangers. Had some great away days too.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:12 - Aug 23 with 4183 viewsDWQPR

If I remember the team generally was

Hucker
Fenwick
Gillard
Roeder
Hazell
Waddock
Gregory
Flanagan
Stainrod
Allen
Currie
Mickelwhite
Sealy
Neill
Dawes
Fereday
Wicks

And then when we went up the likes of Fillery was added. We certainly signed less players once promoted then the 1972-73 side and had seven home grown players in the squad as opposed to four, Clement, Gillard, Francis and Leach. But the names don’t trip off the tongue like the 75-76 team. Both played great football but I would say that the glut of internationals in the 75-76 side made them more attractive to watch. Shame Venables did leave though as I have little doubt that within a couple of years we would have been champions.

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:14 - Aug 23 with 4182 viewsDejR_vu

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 04:18 - Aug 23 by PlanetHonneywood

I think you'll find Venables had departed long before Parker, Macca, and Rosenoir donned the B&W.


Pretty sure Macca made his debut under Venables when we lost away at Wolves, 0-4, I think, in 82-83.

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:15 - Aug 23 with 4173 viewsGaryBannister86

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:12 - Aug 23 by DWQPR

If I remember the team generally was

Hucker
Fenwick
Gillard
Roeder
Hazell
Waddock
Gregory
Flanagan
Stainrod
Allen
Currie
Mickelwhite
Sealy
Neill
Dawes
Fereday
Wicks

And then when we went up the likes of Fillery was added. We certainly signed less players once promoted then the 1972-73 side and had seven home grown players in the squad as opposed to four, Clement, Gillard, Francis and Leach. But the names don’t trip off the tongue like the 75-76 team. Both played great football but I would say that the glut of internationals in the 75-76 side made them more attractive to watch. Shame Venables did leave though as I have little doubt that within a couple of years we would have been champions.


Fenwick and Allen were the first of my Rangers heroes and they remain two of the finest players ever to wear the hoops.

So many likeable (and excellent) players in that side - Dawes, Stainrod, Waddock, Roeder....

God, El Tel was an absolute genius.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:25 - Aug 23 with 4143 viewsPlanetHonneywood

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:14 - Aug 23 by DejR_vu

Pretty sure Macca made his debut under Venables when we lost away at Wolves, 0-4, I think, in 82-83.


Your wiki is better than mine!

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:32 - Aug 23 with 4120 viewsDejR_vu

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:25 - Aug 23 by PlanetHonneywood

Your wiki is better than mine!


Apparently not! Just checked and it was the following year, when we went there and returned the favour, beat them 4-0. Venables’ last before he left.

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:37 - Aug 23 with 4098 viewsPunteR

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:12 - Aug 23 by DWQPR

If I remember the team generally was

Hucker
Fenwick
Gillard
Roeder
Hazell
Waddock
Gregory
Flanagan
Stainrod
Allen
Currie
Mickelwhite
Sealy
Neill
Dawes
Fereday
Wicks

And then when we went up the likes of Fillery was added. We certainly signed less players once promoted then the 1972-73 side and had seven home grown players in the squad as opposed to four, Clement, Gillard, Francis and Leach. But the names don’t trip off the tongue like the 75-76 team. Both played great football but I would say that the glut of internationals in the 75-76 side made them more attractive to watch. Shame Venables did leave though as I have little doubt that within a couple of years we would have been champions.


Vintage QPR for me. When I first started supporting Rangers as a wee lad.

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 09:03 - Aug 23 with 4051 viewspaulparker

Agree with the OP that side gets absolutely zero coverage
What TV did was build a foundation for us that carried us well into the mid nineties
The TV documentary we get about one sentence which is typical , people bang on about the “palace team of the 80s”but venables had more success with us
Stainrod
Allen
Roeder
Fenwick, all just fabulous players who excelled under TV
The media have never really liked us so it’s up to us oldies to keep that team and era alive

And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles Brian Moore

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 09:25 - Aug 23 with 4002 viewsPlanetHonneywood

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:37 - Aug 23 by PunteR

Vintage QPR for me. When I first started supporting Rangers as a wee lad.


Pretty much gone downhill since then. So, yeah, it is your fault!

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 09:29 - Aug 23 with 3991 viewsnumptydumpty

Clive Allen wasnt here long enough but was an incredible number nine. Think he got 50 goals in all competitions for Spurs shortly after leaving ourselves.


Fenwick and Roeder used to glide so elegantly around the pitch.


Tony Currie again was a number ten who hardly gets a mention, looking back..


Stainrod, Gregory and Waddock all again top quality players of their day.


Wayne Fereday so quick and a cult hero of his time.


Then you have Venables who was an immensely talented manager of his time. Ahead of his era, no doubt. And the very fact that he went from QPR to Barcelona says everything.


Yes but like others have suggested, they hardly mentioned and perhaps a lot of that is down to us having the plastic pitch. This team would have had a great home record on grass too, anyhow.
[Post edited 23 Aug 9:30]

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 22:10 - Aug 23 with 3556 viewsPunteR

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 09:25 - Aug 23 by PlanetHonneywood

Pretty much gone downhill since then. So, yeah, it is your fault!


Its crossed my mind...

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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 19:07 - Aug 24 with 3157 views7374Ranger

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 21:07 - Aug 22 by californiahoop

Saw that reference to Fenwick and it got me thinking that team also, Wicks(JCS) lamptey(Parker) Big Mac(Dunne) Fillary (Vale) Hazel (Mbengue) Leroy (Kone) and a few others.


That was a very good side that also had Clive Allen and Simon Stainrod up front.
Great team to watch and was only a few points away from being top until the 40th game. They lost the 41st and drew the last game at home to WBA to drop to 5th.

Venables and Allen moved on in the summer and the team dropped in quality and then slipped down the table for a few seasons.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 19:12 - Aug 24 with 3146 views7374Ranger

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:14 - Aug 23 by DejR_vu

Pretty sure Macca made his debut under Venables when we lost away at Wolves, 0-4, I think, in 82-83.


He did, but wasn't in the 1st team picture because of Wicks, Hazell and Roeder.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 19:17 - Aug 24 with 3126 views7374Ranger

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:37 - Aug 23 by PunteR

Vintage QPR for me. When I first started supporting Rangers as a wee lad.


Yes, that was when I 1st started going regularly, prior to the 82-83 season I had to rely on my Arsenal supporting brothers to reluctantly take me when they didn't have a home game, which rarely happened as the fixture list had us both playing home games on the same Saturday.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 16:21 - Aug 25 with 2650 viewsstowmarketrange

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 08:12 - Aug 23 by DWQPR

If I remember the team generally was

Hucker
Fenwick
Gillard
Roeder
Hazell
Waddock
Gregory
Flanagan
Stainrod
Allen
Currie
Mickelwhite
Sealy
Neill
Dawes
Fereday
Wicks

And then when we went up the likes of Fillery was added. We certainly signed less players once promoted then the 1972-73 side and had seven home grown players in the squad as opposed to four, Clement, Gillard, Francis and Leach. But the names don’t trip off the tongue like the 75-76 team. Both played great football but I would say that the glut of internationals in the 75-76 side made them more attractive to watch. Shame Venables did leave though as I have little doubt that within a couple of years we would have been champions.


No wonder we won so often with 17 players on the pitch to the opposition’s 11.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 16:37 - Aug 25 with 2610 viewsqpr1976

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 09:29 - Aug 23 by numptydumpty

Clive Allen wasnt here long enough but was an incredible number nine. Think he got 50 goals in all competitions for Spurs shortly after leaving ourselves.


Fenwick and Roeder used to glide so elegantly around the pitch.


Tony Currie again was a number ten who hardly gets a mention, looking back..


Stainrod, Gregory and Waddock all again top quality players of their day.


Wayne Fereday so quick and a cult hero of his time.


Then you have Venables who was an immensely talented manager of his time. Ahead of his era, no doubt. And the very fact that he went from QPR to Barcelona says everything.


Yes but like others have suggested, they hardly mentioned and perhaps a lot of that is down to us having the plastic pitch. This team would have had a great home record on grass too, anyhow.
[Post edited 23 Aug 9:30]


Being ‘slightly’ pedantic, but I wouldn’t class Venables as a Manager. More a brilliant Head Coach, they probably didn’t use such a term in the UK at the time, but his forte was Coaching platers and his Tactical ideas. Us, Palace, Varxa & England were all great to watch under him.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 16:52 - Aug 25 with 2579 viewsstevec

Football was in the doldrums in the mid 80’s, had become slightly unfashionable and a bit of a forgotten era all round.

Two/three cup finals in space of four years, promotion and the most settled we’d ever been in the top league, shame they don’t get remembered quite so fondly.
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The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 20:04 - Aug 25 with 2405 viewsnumptydumpty

The Venables Team of the Early 80s on 16:37 - Aug 25 by qpr1976

Being ‘slightly’ pedantic, but I wouldn’t class Venables as a Manager. More a brilliant Head Coach, they probably didn’t use such a term in the UK at the time, but his forte was Coaching platers and his Tactical ideas. Us, Palace, Varxa & England were all great to watch under him.


Be interested to know what elements he didnt do in the job that you would classify as being a manager.

Agree with what you have said as a coach.

But the man management of different characters, the assessments initially of players required to be brought in and whether they thought there was potential and fitted in with the way we could play and win matches. And even helping seek out players that could end up helping us financially if sold on.

Surely all those are the extra elements of being a manager and also tasks Terry was very capable of and performing too.

i was too young to know who did those parts of the job as manager then.

Thought Terry would have had plenty of input into those. And just because he excelled at the tactical aspects of development etc am baffled if he had no input in the other parts of the job.
[Post edited 25 Aug 20:05]

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