#4 QPR v WBA

Weekend 25th/26th September

This weekend’s nostalgic match-up sees the ‘Battle of the Initials’ resume, as Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion lock horns again in a fixture that recalls two massive cup clashes that both went the way of the Londoners.

The lesser feted encounter (at least outside of west London) is the 1982 FA Cup semi played at Highbury. For West Brom, it was a return to the venue where Ipswich had beaten them at the same stage in 1978. Since then the midlanders had drawn widespread admiration as Ron Atkinson fashioned a side that at one stage could make a cheeky, yet plausible, claim to be the third best team in Europe: after all they finished just behind Nottingham Forest and Liverpool in the league, with the latter being champions and Forest winning the European Cup itself.

By 1982 however, a decline had set in for WBA: Laurie Cunningham had gone to Real Madrid and Bryan Robson, Remi Moses and Atkinson were all at Old Trafford. Club legend Ronnie Allen was the manager grappling with this situation, probably unmoved by the thought that at least the club had saved a few quid by not having to change the initials on one of the tracksuits. His Cup pedigree was impeccable: two goals in the 1954 final for WBA as they beat Preston. Could he pull off the feat of winning it again for the same club, but now as a manager? He could still call on Cyrille Regis up front, but Gary Owen, one of the club’s most creative players, did not make the line-up.

In the way stood Second Division QPR, who were a club clearly bouncing back to better things after a slide and relegation in the years after 1976 when they had gone so close to winning the League (And how different might English football history have been if Liverpool hadn’t pipped them by one point? QPR v Borussia Monchengladbach in Rome in 1977?). Rangers boasted quite a squad for a Division Two outfit: Glenn Roeder, who had been beaten at this stage with Orient in 1978 (and, as a ball-carrying defender, should surely have played for England); Terry Fenwick (who would play for England); Clive Allen, whose family DNA could be found all over late 20th Century FA Cup history (dad Les won it with Spurs, cousin Paul with West Ham); and Tony Currie, one of the flair players of the seventies, now looking at a last chance to play in a major final. Throw in Bob Hazell and Simon Stainrod, together with the small matter of Terry Venables as manager and you had some outfit.

The day belonged to QPR, with Allen poaching a goal by deflecting Ally Robertson’s defensive clearance and Hazell nullifying Regis. “Worst we’ve played all season,” sighed Allen afterwards as West Brom’s decline began to steepen. In contrast, it was onwards and upwards for the Hoops. Although Spurs beat them in a replayed final, they were soon back in the top flight. Venables was soon taking over at Barcelona – a big step up, but not the leap it would be now (with due respect to QPR).

Of course, this wasn’t the first time that Rangers had put their thumb in WBA’s eye in cup terms. Wind back to 1967 and we can have a quick look again at that year’s League Cup Final. QPR, then barnstorming their way through the Third Division, had already stymied the chance of an all West Midlands final by thumping Birmingham City 7-2 on aggregate in the semis. Rodney Marsh was their star player, setting out on a flamboyant career that would see him bracketed with players like the aforementioned Currie. By the time of the final in 67, he had already scored 35 goals in 40 matches. He was more than ably supported by players such as Roger Morgan (who would later play for Spurs) and Les Allen (whose cup pedigree we have already noted). There was also winger Mark Lazarus who, according to the Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush Gazette of 2/3/67 would “long be remembered for that great run down the wing when he wasn’t wearing any pants” !! One of the game’s quirkiest ever goals was prevented as Lazarus “was brought up short in the penalty area” apparently. His day came at Wembley though, as he scored the winner to cap Rangers’ comeback from a 2-0 half time score. Both West Brom’s goals had been scored by Clive Clark who, in football’s funny way, was an ex-Ranger.

West Brom, established in the First Division and holders of the League Cup at the time, were wary of QPR’s threat despite their excellent first half. Manager Jimmy Hagan had warned that QPR “were just as good as any First Division team”, which the Londoners proved, following a wonderful solo goal from Marsh that started the comeback. Their wily manager Alex Stock had told them during the interval to “go out there and show them what you can really do” and they followed his instructions to the letter.

After lifting the trophy, Rangers would go on rising, reaching Division One for the first time by the end of the decade. WBA recovered impressively from the defeat, returning to Wembley the following year to beat Everton in the FA Cup Final with their very own talisman, Jeff Astle, getting the winner.

Hopefully that was more than sufficient compensation for the lone West Brom fan who, according to the Sunday People, found himself among jubilant QPR fans in Shepherds Bush after the League Cup final, and could be heard lamenting “Of all the places to find myself tonight, this is the worst”.