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Crystal Palace v QPR Connections and Memories
Crystal Palace v QPR Connections and Memories
Friday, 28th Nov 2008 22:18

As the present day Rangers prepare to head for Selhurst Ash takes a look back at a memorable match and the copious amounts of players that have played for both sides.

Nothing like a win against the local team you despise to lift your sprits on a freezing Tuesday night. Needless to say thanks to our continued hot streak over Charlton the smug look is firmly fixed on my face walking around South East London. So thanks to Mr Sousa who picked up his first win as Rangers boss on Tuesday night and thanks also to Clive who has been covering the connections and memories column in my absence as I move house yet nearer to the defeated Addicks.

On to Saturday then where Sousa take’s his team across London for another ding dong derby against Crystal Palace at everyone’s favourite excuse for a ground Selhurst Park. Neil Warnock’s side are in decent form having only lost one game in November and slowly risen to the table to be just two points behind the R’s in what is a tight Championship table. Once again we can expect a tight full-blooded game and hope that we see more of the Rangers of Tuesday then the shambles of Vicarage Road last weekend. An away goal would be a nice as well.

QPR first made the trip to South London on New Year’s Day 1921 for a Third Division South game that ended in a goalless draw. Last season also finished all square, Scott Sinclair netting for the R’s before a late equaliser from Clinton Morrison with what seemed like his 100th goal against us. So let’s take a walk back down the blue and white hooped path of memory lane and look at the truck load of players that have played for both sides and a memorable game from the late eighties…

Memorable Match
Crystal Palace 0-3 QPR
2ND December 1989
First Division

Selhurst Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Rangers in recent times and you have to go back to this game in 1989 for our last victory over Crystal Palace on their own patch. Rangers came into the game whilst in the process of transition, manager Trevor Francis had been sacked the previous month and Don Howe has come in as his replacement. Howe’s first act was to bring Ray Wilkins back to England from Glasgow Rangers and the former England midfielder made his debut for the R’s on a foggy afternoon at Selhurst Park.

Palace, had a torrid start to the season, having lost in 5-0 in the League Cup to Nottingham Forest and memorably thrashed 9-0 in the league at Anfield. They went into the game without a win in their last nine games. It didn’t get any better for the Eagles this December afternoon either as Rangers produced a impressive performance and leaving South London with a 3-0 victory with Andy Sinton grabbing a couple of goals and Danny Maddix adding an excellent third late on.

Crystal Palace: Martyn, Pemberton, Dennis, Gray, Hopkins, Barber, McGoldrick, Thomas, Bright, Wright, Pardew.

QPR: Roberts, Bardsley, Sansom, Parker, McDonald, Maddix, Wilkins, Reid, Falco, Ferdinand (Clarke), Sinton.

Postscript: The Eagles finished 15th with 48 points and made the FA Final losing to Man Utd after a replay. Rangers needed the season a respectable 11th with 48 points, following a turbulent beginning in W12.

Connections
Clive Allen
QPR 1978-80, 1981-84
Crystal Palace 1980-81

Nearly everyone of the Allen footballing family has had a spell down a Loftus Road over the years and all are remembered fondly by Rangers fans and perhaps none more so then Clive. The son of former R’s player and manager Les, Allen contained the family dynasty by joining Rangers as a youngster and making his debut for the club in 1978. And what a debut it was, with the striker scoring a hat-trick in a 5-1 romp of Coventry City but he couldn’t prevent Rangers being relegated that season.

In the R’s quest for an instant top-flight return Allen became Tommy Docherty’s first choice striker, scoring 28 goals that season but unfortunately not enough to help Rangers promoted. This led to Arsenal swooping for the front man that summer, paying £1.25 million for his services-which was big money at the time especially as Allen was still a teenager. What followed though was a bizarre turn of events that saw Allen fail to make a single appearance for the Gunners and was sold on to Crystal Palace just two months after joining Arsenal. There were rumours at the time that Arsenal just acted as a go between so they could sign Kenny Samsen from Palace but this has never been confirmed. In a season at Selhurst Park , Allen scored eight goals for the Eagles but the team were relegated and Allen decided to move back to Rangers and get his career back on track.

QPR were still in the Second Division but now under Terry Venables and the combination of him and Allen helped Rangers enjoy some of the clubs most memorable moments of the decade. In his first season back at Loftus Road, Rangers just missed on promotion once again but did make their first ever FA Cup Final, with Allen scoring the all important goal against West Brom in the semi. It was Tottenham who Rangers faced at Wembley but it didn’t go well for Clive as he picked up an injury and was taken off in the second half as the game ended 1-1. The injury meant he missed the replay which Rangers lost to a disputed Hoddle penalty. Over the next two seasons Allen scored 27 goals for the R’s, helping them finally win promotion and consolidate their place in the top flight. He also earnt his first of five England caps in a 2-0 win over Brazil . In 1984 Allen Rangers and joined his fathers other former club Tottenham and would go on to enjoy a successful spell, winning the PFA and Football Writers player of the year in 1988 thanks to his 49 goals that season. Allen went on to appear for six more clubs including Chelsea and Bordeaux (and a spell with NFL side London Monarchs) before moving into coaching at Tottenham where he has had a number of different roles and is currently coach under Harry Redknapp.
Magic R’s moment: The classic drag back goal against West Ham in 1984. A truly sublime piece of skill that I could only do playing Pro Evo! See it here.

Terry Venables
QPR 1969-74, 1980-84 (Manager)
Crystal Palace 1974-76, 1976-80 (Manager)

One of the games most likable characters, ‘El Tel’ left school in the summer of 1957 to sign apprentice terms with Chelsea . The midfielder would become an important part and captain of the Blues team that narrowly missed out on title success but did win the League Cup in 1965 defeating Leicester . But a massive fall out with boss Tommy Docherty over pre-match curfews led to Venables leaving Stamford Bridge and moving to Spurs a year later. He played for three seasons at White Hart Lane , the highlight being the FA Cup win in 1967 over his former club Chelsea before joining QPR. At Rangers used Venables experience to help them back into the First Division and made over 200 appearances for the club in a four year spell in W12.

After Rangers El Tel enjoyed a brief playing spell with Crystal Palace before becoming the Eagles manager, and led the team to two promotions in just four seasons at the helm. After a mid-table finish with the Eagles in 1980, Venables left to take up the reigns at QPR who were now in the Second Division. He had an immediate effect and in his first full season led Rangers all the way to their first ever FA Cup final against Tottenham, narrowing missing out on trophy after a replay. The year after he got Rangers promoted to the First Division, and fifth place the following campaign before landing the managers job at Barcelona. Venables won the league and cup in Spain then went on to successfully manager former club Tottenham, lead England to the Euro 96 semis and help Middlesbrough stay in the Premier League. He also had less productive spells at Portsmouth , Crystal Palace and as Steve McLarens number two. Was recently linked with a return to Loftus Road before the appointment of Paulo Sousa but is currently out of work.
Magic R’s moment: Being the only manager to lead out a QPR side in a FA Cup Final.

Others:
Joe Millbank Crystal Palace 1939-48, QPR 1948-49. Now unknown
Dave Nelson QPR 1950-52, Crystal Palace 1952. Now unknown
Cecil Andrews Crystal Palace 1952-56, QPR 1956-59. Now unknown
Pat Kerrins QPR 1953-60, Crystal Palace 1960-61. Now unknown
George Petchy QPR 1953-60, Crystal Palace 1960. Now retired
Mark Lazarus QPR 1960-61, 19620-64, 1965-67, Crystal Palace 1967-69. Now runs a transport business
Gerry Franics 1968-79, 1981-82, 1991-94 (manager), 1998-01 (manager), Crystal Palace 1978-81. Now coach at Stoke City
Ian Evans QPR 1970-74, Crystal Palace 1974-79. Now out of work
Don Rodgers Crystal Palace 1972-74, QPR 1974-76. Now runs a Sports Shop in Swindon
Kenny Samson Crystal Palace 1975-80, QPR 1989-91. Now a TV pundit
Terry Fenwick Crystal Palace 1976-80, QPR 1980-87. Now manager of San Juan Jabloteh in Trinidad
Rachid Harkouk Crystal Palace 1976-78, QPR 1978-80. Now a businessman in Algeria
John Burridge Crystal Palace 1978-80, QPR 1980-82. Now goalkeeper coach for the Oman national team.
Mike Flanagan Crystal Palace 1979-80, QPR 1980-84. Now retired
Tony Sealy Crystal Palace 1979-81, QPR 1981-83. Now manager of Hong Kong FC
Steve Wicks QPR 1979-81, 1982-86, Crystal Palace 1981-82. Now works behind the scenes at Chelsea
Tommy Langley QPR 1980-81, Crystal Palace 1981-83. Now retired
Paul Barron Crystal Palace 1980-82, QPR 1985-1988. Now goalkeeping coach at Newcastle
Jimmy Carter Crystal Palace 1983-85, QPR 1985-87. Now unknown
Dennis Bailey Crystal Palace 1987-89, QPR 1991-95. Now retired
Mark Dennis QPR 1987-88, Crystal Palace 1989-90. Now assistant manager of Eastleigh
Andy Gray QPR 1989, Crystal Palace 1989-92. Now manager of Sierra Leone
Ray Wilkins QPR 1989-1994, 1994-96 (manager), Crystal Palace 1994. Now assistant coach at Chelsea
Simon Osborne Crystal Palace 1989-1994, QPR 1995-96. Now at Croydon
Bobby Bowry QPR 1990-91, Crystal Palace 1991-95. Now player/coach at Bromley FC
Garry Thompson Crystal Palace 1990-91, QPR 1991-93. Now unknown
Iain Dowie Crystal Palace 1995, 2003-06 (manager), QPR 1998-01, 2008 (manager). Now out of work
Gareth Taylor Crystal Palace 1995-96, QPR 2000 (loan). Now at Barnsley
Chris Day Crystal Palace 1996-97, QPR 2001-05. Now at Stevenage
Tony Scully Crystal Palace 1996-97, QPR 1998-01. Now unattached
Andy Linighan Crystal Palace 1997-2000, QPR (loan) 1998-89. Now a plumber!
Fraser Digby Crystal Palace 1998-2000, QPR 2001-03. Now part of the Man Utd legends team
Mark Kennedy QPR 1998 (loan), Crystal Palace 2006-08. Now at Cardiff
Neil Ruddock QPR 1998 (loan), Crystal Palace 2000-01. Now a TV personality and after-dinner speaker
Gary Borrowdale Crystal Palace 2002-07, QPR (loan) 2008
Fitz Hall Crystal Palace 2004-06, QPR 2008-present
Mikele Leigertwood Crystal Palace 2004-06, QPR 2007-present
Scott Sinclair QPR 2007 (loan), Crystal Palace 2008 (loan). Now at Chelsea

Fans’ Memories
Legs of wood, Legs of wood, He's got legs of wood. That's what we were singing. We were told at the station after the game that it was wrong. Didn't stop us though. -BazWot

OK, 2 bad memories come to mind initially and recorded in the hope that we'll end on a more positive note. Sept 1967 and a Rodney-less team lost 1-0. I think that was the first time I watched the R's live. More recently, a dismal Remembrance Sunday (1999?) when we lost 3-0 and had two sent off. -Old Nick

Don Howe’s first game in charge, a midfield of Wilkins & Reid a convincing 3-0 win. The following week we beat the scum 4-2 courtesy of a Ferdinand Brace. -Loftboy

Ha Ha - that was exactly the memory I had as well !!!! Reid and Wilkins were brilliant that day - wasn't it a bit foggy as well ??! The memory is fading somewhat ! -westolian

I missed both those games as I was out of London, gutted!! I think those were the only two games Wilkins & Reid ever played together (including England) and despite a combined age of a zillion years, apparently they ran the show in both games. I think Reid got transferred after the Chelsea game? -Juzzie

I have the same memories of Palarse. It's a shitthole of a stadium, mare too get to and we always lose. That pub near Thornton Heath Station ain't too bad from memory. Palarse fans tend to be fat twats. Eagles? WTF. -Charlie

Don't know if its foggy or premature Alzheimer's or what; but have I seen Clive Allen and Bob Hazel score here in the same match, a 3-0? What match was the defeat when 'Cheer Up Sleepy Jean' was sung so loud for the first time? Also where online is a Rangers Derek Buxton-like, authoritative and complete, Statistics Delve? That bleeding Arthur Wait Stand never gets any better does it?....maybe I'll bring my pick and get started on the demolition. -BridgeBomber

3-0 down at half time in the ZDS(?) cup, came back to 3-2-KevinPR

Remember Don Howe's 1st game 3-0 seem to remember Sinton playing well that day as well and remember the crap away terrace in the corner of the ground ...other Selhurst memories that don't involve Palace... Dean Coney's header against Charlton to put us top of the league ... the Wimbledon FA Cup game when we took about 15,000 Hateley scored to put us 1 up ...then typical Rangers let one in straight after and lost 2-1. -eghamR

To add your memories use the commenting facility below, e-mail us at loftforwords@yahoo.co.uk or post on the message board thread.

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