The connections and memories column returns after a festive break to look ahead to Saturday's game between QPR and Coventry City at Loftus Road - once a regular Premiership fixture.

Happy new year to everyone! I always wonder how long into January you can actually say that to people but I’ll say it anyway as it’s the first M and C column of 2009 as we look forward to Saturday’s visit of Coventry City to Loftus Road. Since I was last with you, I have sat and froze to death as Rangers just about clung onto their unbeaten run against an awful Charlton team, and produced two dire goalless draws one resulting in a needless replay that left me disappointed with our Christmas period fixtures. Hopefully with shiny new signings Wayne Routlegde, Hider Helguson and err… Garry Borrowdale, Rangers can get back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon against the Sky Blues.


Chris Coleman’s men are in a nice little run of form and are unbeaten in the last five games, having avoided a potential banana skin in last weeks FA Cup win over Kidderminster Harriers. Paulo Sousa will have to reshuffle his pack once again to get the team firing against a team that includes Clinton Morrison - who of course loves a goal against the R’s. Here’s hoping it’s more of the Rangers side we saw win against Preston than the one that has struggled at home for the past two matches.


Coventry first travelled to West London for a Division Three South game in September 1926 in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw. Last season Rangers gave away a customary late goal as Kevin Kyle grabbed a 90th minute winner in a 2-1 victory over QPR. You can check out the Coventry away memories from earlier in the season here, but for the first time in 2009 lets take a walk down the blue and white hooped path of memory lane and remember a goal glut from the early 90’s and the players who have played for both clubs.



Memorable Match

QPR 5-1 Coventry

23rd October 1993

Premier League

There were more than a few memorable games during Gerry Franics’ first reign as QPR gaffer, but there are certain matches that particularly stick out to me and this week’s game is right up there with the best of them.


Rangers went into the game on a run of four games without defeat and off the back of a brilliant win at St James Park where Les Ferdinand stole the show despite allegedly not being fully fit. Coventry on the other hand, hadn’t made the best start to the campaign despite victories over Arsenal and Liverpool, and came into the game without a win in four having just been knocked out the League Cup by lowly Wycombe Wanderers. In truth there was only ever one team in this game.


The R’s opened the scoring through the in-form Ferdinand, who picked up where he left off at Newcastle a week before. A long ball was punted down field by Alan McDonald over the Coventry defence and into the path of Rangers number nine who hit the shot first time into the bottom of the net. It was soon 2-0 to the Super Hoops, as a Simon Barker header was met by Bradley Allen who turned his defender and put the ball past Steve Ogrizovic.

Rangers were in cruise control and Allen nabbed his second and Rangers third just before half-time. Ray Wilkins floated the ball into the Coventry box towards Ferdinand, who collided with Ogrizovic in mid-air to leave the goal gaping for Allen to slot home goal number three, pretty much game over.


But the R’s didn’t stop there and after the break Wilkins pass was chested down by Ferdinand into the path of Andy Impey, and he blasted a volley into the back of the net.


Peter Ndlovu briefly restored some pride for the Sky Blues when he pounced on a mistake from R’s keeper Jan Stejskal to grab a consolation for Coventry but Rangers had the final say late in the second half. Wilkins again the provider, his cross found Ferdinand again as his shot was saved only for Simon Barker to nod it to make it 5-1 to Rangers on a memorable day for Gerry Francis side.


It was QPR’s biggest home win for three years, taking them to fifth place in the league and a win so good that immediately after the game Coventry City manager Bobby Gould resigned from his post.


Team: Stejskal, Bardsley, Wilson, Wilkins, Peacock, McDonald, Impey (Holloway), Barker, Ferdinand, Allen, Sinclair


Postscript: QPR enjoyed another successful Premier League season and eventually finished in ninth place, while Coventry’s fortune improved under new manger Phil Neal and finished just two places behind the R’s.



Connections

Andy Impey

QPR 1990-97

Coventry 2005-06

Born and bred in Hammersmith, Andy Impey was yet another gem picked up by Rangers from non-league football and turned into a Premier League star. Signed from Yeading for just £35,000 in June 1990, Impey was a small, strong and very quick player who could was effective both at full-back and as a winger. He made his debut for Gerry Francis’ Super Hoops in a Zenith Data Systems Cup game against Norwich in October 1991 and scored in a 2-1 win. But a young Impey had to bide his team and wasn’t until the end of the season that he got a run in the side, playing the last twelve games of the season as Rangers finished in twelfth position.

The following campaign the first ever Premier League season, Impey missed just one league game for Rangers as they went on to finish fifth, the highest placed a QPR team had been since the seventies and as top London club. Impey would continue the same in the same vein for Rangers for the next four seasons winning the clubs Player of the Year in 1995 and even staying at Loftus Road after the R’s relegation from the top flight a year later.

In all Andy played 215 games for QPR scoring 18 goals before he moved to West Ham in September 1997 for a £1.3 million fee. Again at Upton Park Impey continued to show what a solid and consistent performer he was in the Premier League level before he moved on a year later to Leicester City where he grabbed a League Cup winner’s medal. Spells at Millwall and Nottingham Forest before he finished his career with a 16 appearance spell at Coventry under Mickey Adams. Having been released by the Sky Blues in 2006, Impey had trials at Australian A League side Sydney FC but had now retired from the game. A great servant for Rangers who perhaps is never spoken in the same breath as the likes of Sinclair, Sinton and Wilkins but was equally as effective to the great Gerry Francis side.

Magic R’s Moment: A screamer of a winning goal, ironically over Coventry at the start of the 1992-93 season


Others:

John O’Rourke Coventry 1969-71, QPR 1971-74. Now runs a newsagents

Gerry Francis QPR 1968-79, 1981-82, Coventry 1982-83. Now coach at Stoke

John Beck QPR 1972-76, Coventry 1976-78. Now coach at Histon United

Gary Bannister Coventry 1978-81, QPR 1984-1988. Now owns and rents holiday accommodation

Mark Hateley Coventry 1978-83, QPR 1995-97. Now works for Rangers and is a Setanta pundit.

Alan Brazil Coventry 1986, QPR 1986. Now a TalkSport radio host.

Roy Wegerle QPR 1990-92, Coventry 1992-95. Now a USA Soccer pundit

Kenny Samson QPR 1989-91, Coventry 1991-93. Now a TV pundit

Paul Furlong Coventry 1991-92, QPR 2002-07. Now on loan at Barnet from Southend United.

Keith Rowland Coventry 1993 (loan), QPR 1998-01. Now unknown

Rohan Ricketts Coventry 2004 (loan), QPR 2007 (loan). Now at Toronto FC

Leon Best QPR 2004 (loan), Coventry 2007-present

Tim Flowers Coventry 2002 (loan), QPR 2008 (assistant coach)

Iain Dowie Coventry 2007-08 (Manager) , QPR 1998-01, 2008 (manager). Now a TV pundit

Garry Borrowdale Coventry 2007-09, QPR 2009-present



Fans’ Memories


I remember David (Spit) Speedie scoring a great lob against us, the ball went so high it had snow on it, cue the jokes about Speedie lobbing Seaman. -loftboy



The sliced OG at the loft end, that was so funny as the played was facing the other trying to clear it up field-ultramagnetic



Stan Bowles putting one over Joe Mercer, much to his irritation. Now those were the days. -BazWot



1973/74: 5th Round FA Cup Replay at Loftus Road. QPR and Coventry 2-2. Extra time looming (and with couple of QPR players limping)...Free kick to QPR. Bowles took it. Goal. Final whistle immediately after... And QPR through to an easy FA Cup Quarter Final home game against Leicester City! -QPRReport



That's exactly the one I referred to Report. I was standing in the loft right behind that free kick and went mental as soon as he struck it. I was stood in the same spot against Lesta-BazWot



I was in the South Africa Road Stand. And as I recall, Bowles was on the left side of the field....It was all a blur. Because it was a typical Venables/Bowles schemed free kick. Not just a "bend around the wall" As for Leicester. When they announced that the Leicester player was injured and some youngster (Joe Waters) would be making his debut, just added to our hopes: And then he fxxxxxing went and scored twice on his debut. -QPRReport



Remember both games very well (particularly the Leicester one) LR packed to the rafters & that barsteward Waters ruining my day-RrrsPricey



That 5-1 with Gould resigning in the bogs was my first ever game at Loftus Road... ah the memories... -PlumsteadQPR



Clive Allen hat-trick in '79.....(I think) Was that the one when they wore the brown kit ?? -ChrisPTenner




To add your memories e-mail us loftforwords@yahoo.co.uk, comment on the story below or post on the message board thread.

Photo: Action Images

Queens Park Rangers Polls