As QPR prepare to travel to Wolves hoping to upset the promotion party Ash takes his usual look at a memorable match between the two and players that have played for both clubs.

I’ve struggled with this intro all week, only because having missed out the last couple of games in the column (there’s only so many memories you can stretch!) there’s so match to catch up on. Another manager removed, our top scorer on loan and a whole host of out of work jokers linked with our job over the summer – please, Alan Pardew, stay away. That’s without mentioning the return of Vine, our Easter Monday fight-back or Briatore’s interview – just another quiet fortnight in W12 then. But looking forward, Gareth Ainsworth is at the helm again until the end of the season at least, and he takes his QPR side to Molineux this weekend to take on table toppers Wolves.



Wolves can seal their promotion this weekend with a win over the R’s, which is not exactly the role in this season’s Premier League promotion story we had planned at the start of the campaign. But having seen Plymouth , Reading and West Brom ’s promotion party in recent years it’s unfortunately something we have come accustomed too – maybe it be out turn next year eh?



Rangers first traveled to the Black Country right at the start of the last century for an FA Cup game in January 1900 – coming away with a 1-0 win. While last season saw a game typical of the Rangers side under Gigi De Canio, losing the lead three times in a thrilling 3-3 draw. So let’s take a walk down the blue and white hooped path of memory lane, to recall a wonder strike at Molineux and a Rangers name that will go down in Loftus Road folklore.



Memorable Match

Wolves 1-1 QPR

28 August 1996

First Division


I’ve selfishly chosen to ignore the brilliant win over Wolves during Iain Dowie’s caretaker manager stint to remember a game that included one of my favourite QPR goals. In fact other then Wegerle’s against Leeds and Sinclair’s overhead kick, it’s my fave goal from a man in blue and white hoops.



The 1996-97 season saw Rangers in the second tier of English football for the first time since the mid-eighties. Despite Rangers’ relegation Ray Wilkins remained in charge at the start of the campaign and the R’s were seen as one of the favourites to bounce straight back to the Premier League. They had got off to a great start, with wins over Oxford and Portsmouth – but lost Kevin Gallen due to a horrible injury at Fratton Park . Wolves, under Mark McGhee, also came into the game with two wins after victories over Grimsby and Bradford.



It was Rangers’ first visit to the revamped Molineux and it was the hosts who got off to the better start. Midfielder Steve Corica crashed an early shot against the R’s bar before they took the lead twenty-five minutes in. A free-kick was given away on the edge of the area and up stepped former QPR midfielder Simon Osborn who unleashed a ferocious right foot-strike straight into the top corner past Juergan Sommer.



That was a wake-up call for the Superhoops and they got back on level terms just before the break, with a true wonder goal. A long ball from Rufus Brevett was missed by Trevor Sinclair but found the head of Steve Slade. Slade’s neat touch lined it up perfectly for Danny Dichio to hit an amazing volley 30 yards from goal, from the corner of the Wolves box. The shot gave Mike Stowell no chance as it thundered past him to draw Rangers level. Dichio and the traveling Rangers fans went crazy for a goal that would long be remembered and easily Dichio’s most memorable moment in a hooped shirt.



The game petered out in the second half, with Wolves coming closest after Iwan Roberts’ header was cleared off the line by Steve Yates. But it stayed 1-1 and everyone went home talking about Danny’s brilliant volley.



Wolves: Stowell, Smith, Froggatt, Atkins, Venus, Richards, Thompson, Corica, Bull, Roberts, Osborn


QPR: Sommer, Jackson, Brevett, Barker, McDonald, Yates, Impey, Wilkins (Murray 61) Dichio, Slade, Sinclair




Postscript:
Wilkins left club soon after and was replaced by Stewart Houston. However he couldn’t steer the R’s to promotion and they finished ninth. Wolves made the play-offs but lost in the semi-finals to eventual winners Crystal Palace.



Connections


Mark Lazarus

QPR 1960-61, 1962-64, 1966-68

Wolves 1961-62

Mark Lazarus will forever be remembered in the history of Queens Park Rangers as the man who bought the only major piece of silverware to Loftus Road and the only R’s player to score a winning goal at Wembley – in the 1967 cup final win.
Born in Stepney, Mark come from a family of eight brothers and five sisters, two of his brothers were professional boxers and Mark himself competed in ten unbeaten fights before choosing football. As a youngster he was on the books at Fulham but signed pro forms with Leyton Orient in November 1957. The winger’s performances down the right wing for the O’s were soon getting noticed and after just three seasons at Orient Alec Stock brought Lazarus to QPR for £3,000.

He quickly became a Loftus Road favourite with his fast and aggressive wing play but moved after just a year in W12 moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers. However he struggled to make the first XI at Wanderers and after making just nine league starts for the club moved back to Loftus Road a year later. Mark enjoyed another two successful seasons with the Super Hoops before moving down the road to Brentford, where he became equally as popular with the Bee’s fans in a two year stint. A further return to QPR in 1966 would see his appearances for Rangers reach 235, scoring 84 goals along the way. Of course his last spell was the most memorable thanks to the 1967 League Cup Final where Third Division Rangers came from 2-0 down to defeat First Division West Brom thanks to a calmly taken winner from Mark himself. He followed that up with a Third Division Championship medal with the R’s before enjoying spells at Crystal Palace , his first club Orient and Folkestone. Now runs his own transport business in Romford.

Magic R’s moment: See above!



Michael Mancienne

QPR (loan) 2006-08

Wolves (loan) 2008

We don’t like much that comes from the lot from Stamford Bridge (Roy Wegerle and Paul Furlong aside) but Michael Mancienne was one Chelsea player who definitely had a positive effect on Loftus Road .


Rangers had just appointed John Gregory as manager and needed some new blood after a terrible start to the season that saw them already in a relegation battle. Mancienne made his debut in a 3-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday and would go on to be a regular in the R’s first team that season, practically making the right-back slot his own. He played a key role in keeping Rangers up that season and was rightly recognised by the fans, coming second place in the Young Player of the Year award.

He returned to Rangers the following year on another season long loan and again became a regular fixture in the R’s team under Gregory and then Gigi De Canio. When the club was taken over by billionaires Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone rumours emerged that the R’s were preparing to make Mancienne a QPR player permanently but the deal was never reached and he returned to Chelsea at the end of the season, with the new owners seeing Peter Ramage as a better, cheaper option for the squad.

Instead Mancienne joined Wolves at the start of the current campaign, mainly as a centre-back as he helped the club to the top of the Championship table with, QPR apart, some impressive displays. So impressive that he was called up to Fabio Capello’s England squad for the friendly against Germany but failed to get on the pitch. Now back at Stamford Bridge the defender made his first start for the Blues in their win over Wigan in February. He is soon as very much one for the future – if Chelsea can accommodate him.

Magic R’s moment: Keeping table toppers Cardiff at bay during 1-0 in November 2006. His first real show of the quality he possesses.




Others:

Bob Hazell Wolves 1977-79, QPR 1979-84

John Burridge QPR 1980-82, Wolves 1982-84. Now goalkeeping coach for Oman national team

Tim Flowers Wolves 1984-86, QPR (assistant manager) 2008. Now unemployed

Andy Sinton QPR 1989-93, Wolves 1999-02. Now on coaching staff at Fleet Town

Darren Peacock QPR 1990-94, Wolves (loan) 2000. Now unknown

Paul Jones Wolves 1991-96, 2004-06, QPR 2006-07. Now Wales ’s goalkeeping coach

Dougie Freeman QPR 1992-94, Wolves 1997-98. Now at Southend

Gavin Mahon Wolves 1995-96, QPR 2008-present

Mark Kennedy QPR (loan) 1998, Wolves 2001-05. Now at Cardiff City

Darren Ward QPR (loan) 1999-00, Wolves 2007-present, currently on loan at Charlton

Dean Sturridge Wolves 2001-05, QPR 2005-06. Now probably still on crutches working with BBC Radio

Leon Clarke Wolves 2003-07, QPR (loan) 2006. Now at Sheffield Wednesday

Rohan Ricketts Wolves 2005-07, QPR (loan) 2007. Now at Toronto FC



Fans’ Memories

99th minute equaliser last season a la Man U at home in '96. Season before (2-0 defeat) managed to blag my DSLR camera in saying I was a professional photographer and had no way of storing it safe on my motorbike. "I won't be taking any pictures...promise". Yeah right. Didn't get to take too many in the end as I was sitting right by the stewards. Link -Juzzie


Winning 2-1 up here with Dowie in caretaker charge, Sheron scored twice in the first five minutes and the late comers didn't believe us. -Northernr



April 2007 I was at uni in Nottingham at the time and it was a very last minute decision to go and watch Rangers away as often happened on Saturdays. Once I had found someone who would come with me we eventually left Notts at about half 1. Tearing down the A453, M42 and then the wrong way down the M6 and back on outselves the right way. Queued in traffic once off at the Wolves junction, then asked directions for Molineux at about ten to three. Parked on a grass verge by the side of a busy road at one minute to three with the ground in sight. A quick sprint and in the ground with four minutes on the clock. There was a decent following and cheerful atmosphere in the away end behind the goal with loads of Rs fans enjoying the sunny weather and celebrating our recent assured survival in the Championship. The Wolves fans no more than ten feet away to our left wanted to spend the whole game trying to intimidate and wind us up such is their prerogative. Rangers lost 2-0, Jimmy Smith hitting the bar while it was still level being the closest we came to scoring. Still a good day out all the same. -SuffolkHoop


During the 2-0 we gave their lot plenty of abuse a la "Your ground's too big for you" because of all the empty seats to our right. They only had 24,000 in. Lots of fun about staying up and not caring that we were losing. Jake Cole in goal made 3 great saves. He needed to. To make up for that bleach job on his head. -derbyhoop


The season we got promoted in 83 away at Molineux when we lost 4-0. The look on their faces as the Rangers end celebrated their fourth goal. They had that one good stand that skinted them for years and the rest of the ground was falling apart and overgrown with weeds. WTF is it called Molineux? Aren't they blenders? -Adi Das Boot



Was there also mate, it was fecking freezing, had been snowing all week. Remember George berry's afro. We stood on the huge 'kop' which was split 50-50 home & away fans. Think we must have looked an impressive and formidable bunch standing there. All 350 of us on a terrace that held 6,000 ish. -enfieldargh



1983-84 was the best I can recall. First season back in the top flight and we gave the Yam-Yams a 4.0 spanking. Fond memories of Alan McDonald making his debut and keeping Andy Gray in his pocket for the entire match. -CheshireR



I used to work with one of their loony tunes and after a heavy nights drinking after work we found ourselves cornered at KingsX by half a dozen ICF looking to batter anyone. I was barely able to stand let alone look after myself whilst he just got stuck in and saw them off. So I've always had respect for them, always thought it was Brum that had a real nasty streak to them. -Brightonhoop



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