Doc takes a look at Queen's Park Rangers Football Club
Wednesday, 24 September 08, 06:27 AM · Comments (38)
QPR's original name, when founded, is a standing joke amongst their fans: the club began life as St. Jude's FC. St. Jude, in case you weren't aware, is the patron saint of lost causes.
It's a badly kept secret, but I grew up a few miles down the M4 from West London and, inevitably, I was brought up a QPR fan. I lost count long ago of the Saturday afternoons I have spent on "The Loft", and Shepherd's Bush - just around the corner from the BBC Television Centre - will always retain a very special place in my affections.
You may also begin to understand why I reserve special volumes of vitriol for Chelsea - QPR's detested local rivals.
All of you know how easy it is to fall in love with a football club. And, call me a tart if you like, I know doubly because I've done it twice. But QPR is a great club with a fabulous soul.
Let's start with the ground - officially entitled "Rangers Stadium" but defiantly and forever known as Loftus Road by anyone who knows and cares. Sandwiched between terraced streets and the White City estate, it's steep stands are little more than a couple of yards from the touchline, and it's completely enclosed. Anyone who's been to the ground will know the almost uniquely intimate football atmosphere that creates, with a tangible rapport between the players and the fans.
You also leave with deep gulleys etched into your knees from the seat in front of you - the legroom is tiny, but the intimacy more than makes up for it.
Recently, a new and pretty undesirable bunch of fans have arrived. But on the whole, the Hoops crowd is a bohemian bunch. On a Saturday afternoon, you might see Robert Smith of The Cure or even Phil Collins. Go on a Wednesday night, and there's an eclectic mix of besuited businessman after work, media types from the BBC and the "real" fans who've been walking up the Uxbridge Road for donkey's years. "Only Fools and Horses" was filmed on these streets (though it's supposed to be Peckham) - so that will give you a good sense of the ambiance.
Rangers' fans are as wordly as any other. Their expectations are set at doom level - and any success is greeted with witty cockney scepticism. It wasn't always so: in the mid 70s and early 80s, when I went to every game, the R's were by far London's most powerful team - missing out on the league championship in '76 by one point and taking Spurs to an FA Cup Final replay in 1982 under one Terry Venables.
It was in the early-mid 90s that the club was taken over by Richard Thompson, otherwise known in W12 as Satan. Thompson inherited the club from his (real fan) father-in-law; sold Les Ferdinand, David Seaman, Andy Sinton and Darren Peacock, put the money in his pocket and did one. Until the recent takeover, the club never recovered.
You can't talk about QPR without romancing about the beloved number ten shirt. Made famous by Rodney Marsh, taken to the dizzy heights of brilliance by England's greatest ever footballer - Stan Bowles (hence my pen name), graced then by Tony Currie - the QPR number 10 encapsulated the spirit of the club. Cheeky but flawed. Brilliant, entertaining but ultimately doomed to fail. And I love it.
Stan Bowles, for those of you who are too young to know him, was the epitome of the seventies superstar footballer. A left footed wizard of the dribble, with sublime touch and incredible vision - as well as an eye for some fun with the crowd. Ron Greenwood's phrase (often mis-attributed) was, though: "if he could pass a betting shop as well as he can pass a football, we'd have the player of the decade". And that was Stan: booze, betting, birds and football. But it was all fun - and we loved him for it.
Some years ago we moved to the Midlands and my boys chose the Villa. And you just can't help supporting your kids' team - now season ticket holders, all of us, we're died in the wool claret and blue.
But somewhere, deep inside, a blue-and-white-hooped heart beats within me and I hope you'll join me in wishing them all the best for their trip to B6 tonight. Even though I once wildly celebrated a Trevor Francis hattrick for the Hoops against Villa.
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38 Comments · Add yours
Trevor Francis - Urrrrghhhh!!! Dirty Word there doc!!!!
QPR tonight,
Villa to win by a large margin with QPR fielding their usual line up. QPR lost to Coventry on Sat and will be nervous of Villa Park and the Villa crowd. No team should be underestimated and certainly not QPR but I think a Villa side with some reserve players who have points to prove too strong for a QPR side dreaming of promotion.
Villa to win emphatically - 2-1
So, Doc Bowles, whose writing and opinion I admire so much, turns out to be a QPR fan!
The first ever Villa match I went to was against QPR. We won 2-1 during the 1988/89 season. Fond memories. That said, I do not wish them all the best tonight - I wish US all the best. A win, by any means, in any style and due to as much or as less luck as is possible, is fine by me!
Are the Villa on tv at all or will I solely rely on a live text commentary from this site this evening?
George, Villa not on TV or radio anywhere.
Doc...you "wildly celebrated a Trevor Francis hattrick for the Hoops against Villa". i hope that's another wind up. How Could you?
"Recently, a new and pretty undesirable bunch of fans have arrived. But on the whole, the Hoops crowd is a bohemian bunch. "
Let's hope its the Bohemian bunch down at B6 tonight and not the idiots who decided to come down in 2004 and kick a steward to death. I hope we smash em 4 or 5 nil.
I'm going for a 6 - 1 to the mighty Villa
UTV!
Evening all!
Has anyone got any links to a live stream tonight? Hate not being able to watch the match!
cheers
JP...Try downloading the TVU player from the site link below. Run the program and search the sports listings...they usually have the Villa matches on and very clear and great sound. Happy viewing..!
LINK
Thanks for the link andy
4-1 villa tonight
doc nearly choked on my potatos when i saw that u r an ex QPR fan but glad u saw the light that shines from villa park as for 2nites result i wuld like 2 see some of the resrves play the full 90 tonite resting some of the senior players as the sunderland game is a hard one personally i would prefur 2 go 4 league and uefa but we should win this 1
Cheers andy i'll give it a go!
Scrappy 1-0 tonight, me thinks!
what channel shoudl i use???
but i spose it wont be on until the match
Hey Damo...are you doing the text commentary tonight ? Has anyone found a stream yet cos a bloke on another site said only the Spurs game will be being streamed ?? Any advice ?
Six changes
Guzan Gardner Knight Cueller Osbourne Marlon all start.
Sounds like it may be on Radio WM
barry captain??
Dunno who captain is
Team is Guzan, Gardner, Knight, Cuellar, Shorey, Petrov, Osbourne, Barry, Webcam, Harewood, Carew.
Subs are Friedel, Gabby, Davies, Routledge, Salifou, Delfuenso and Reo Coker
COME ON YOU VILLA BOYS !!!
Ghosthunter...i'm sure Damo said he was gonna do a text commentary. Wonder what has happened ?
Is anyone watching a stream ? Gimme link please !
UTV
I like that lineup. Would've like to see Carew or Barry get a break, but at least MON is taking the Carling Cup seriously. There should only be one winner tonight with that lineup.
95.60 bbcwm fm
Barry is captain
marewood missed on 12 mins over bar
Harewood scoops good chance over the bar. Should have been 1-0 apparently.
Drat!
guys what channel shuld i use on tvu player?
live streams anyone?
Dunno Joe but if you find a link, let us know cos' I don't think it can be on anywhere apart from radio.
COME ON THE BOYS !
lads - please lets not forget that there is a forum, link below:
LINK
i know its a pain in the arse ... and you can do it here .. .but it is better in the forum
AV33 EARLIER SOME1 GAVE ME A LINK BUT THERE IS NO CHANNEL SO I GUESS NOT
OK mate...off to the forum then.
Thanks for letting us know.
I simply cannot accept the opinions of a man that changes his team. Pathetic Doc Bowles change your house, wife etc.. but never ever your football team
villa rule, blues drool!
bloody disgraceful result
Thought Villa would lose - I feel for the Villa fans who went to see that - Very poor and again the same people not fit in a Villa shirt - Marlon & Knight
Oh well, I think Villa can use the excuse this year we're playing in Europe1
(clap clap clap) well done MON, i now hope this shows us we have NO depth in the squad..Knight,Harwood,Osbourne,Routledge...utter shite..I blame MON, without Carew and Gabby we will do absolute fcuk all, WHY THE FCUK didnt he sign another striker..Harewood has been utter garbage this season..I said we'd lose this game and i was proved exactly right.
We should have enough strength in depth to beat teams like this, it shouldnt matter if its our first team or not we were at home for god sake. whats happened to harewood hes just not performing when he plays any more.
trevor francis walks on dog s%@t , na na na na na the b@$%^*d stinks!