First memories of QPR

Folks, this thread is brilliant - I've been reading everyones stories, and it brings back so many memories for myself.

Can't wait for the next season to start, as we'll all have many more stories to add now that we are back in the big time!

Keep the stories coming guys - it brings a smile to the face of an exiled QPR fan and I can't wait to re-visit my old haunts next year

 

First time I went to QPR was to watch a league game against Forest which I think we lost 2-0
QPR went on to get relegated and Forest went on to win the league

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So agree. More stories please!

Yeah... welcome Rajman Bowles! You sure ain't the only Asian now mate... there's Lakshmi, Amit and the family Mittal. Plenty of room for Hoops from anywhere!!

 

My Dad took me to Loftus Road as a 10 year old in 67/68 - after the League Cup win. The climb up the uncovered banking on South Africa Road seemed to take forever but the view from the top into the ground was worth it! Don't remember who we played or what the score was, but I was introduced to the most haunting (minor key, you musos out there) slow chant of "Rod.... ney..." and hooked. It didn't hurt that my first 18 months included two promotions. Like all of us, I've learned to live with disappointment since!

Once the SARd stand was built I used to get to games by 1pm (with my friend Nick - where are you now Nick Skutezky?) so I could stand at the top of the tunnel and actually manage to see something of the game.

As we got taller and older, we moved to The Loft, and used to stand near the announcers box up on the left hand side. That was where "Useless" used to stand. I've no idea who he was, and don't remember what he looked like, but whenever a pass went astray or a scoring opportunity was spurned, he'd mutter "Useless, Rangers" to himself repeatedly.

Once I reached 17 and got myself a motorcycle, I used to ride from Paddington to Rangers down the Westway in 10 minutes and park in the flats opposite the ground. Access to Rangers has never been so easy - especially now I'm based in E14 - although I'm still on two wheels.

Thanks for the memories everyone. Let's hope we have a great season in 2011/12. I'd settle for being the plucky team who try to entertain and stay up.

 

Sort of on the the same theme I was thinking the other day about some of the notable hard nuts that have played for us down the years. It was sparked by that newspaper debate a few weeks ago after that runty little Eytie Gatusso tried to have a go at Joe Jordan after the Spurs Milan game.

Anyhow, Does anyone remember Mark Lazerus who was a winger for the r's in the 60's. He was a nephew I think of Lew Lazar the famous boxer from the forties. What a tough nut he was. I remember him getting his shorts ripped off in one game and undeterred he tore off down the wing in his jock strap to comlpete the cross. He also scored the winning goal in the 67 league cup final. Great lad.

Also Bobby Keetch, always looked a bit overweight but nobody took liberties with him. He was the subject of an article in the newspaper about how to inflict the maximum pain without getting caught.

Both guys were very decent players and great characters. We could do with some more

 

I can remember that game so vividly! I was in Pu and in the second half they just kept coming at us! Amazing that we held out for the 0-0.

 

Peter Springett in goal.

 

Hi new to the board but have followed on here and previously on 606.
Started reading this thread and ended up down memory lane.
My first connection with QPR was when I played in the Hammersmith Schools Cup Final for Flora Gardens School in 1960 and the game was held at Loftus Road.
We won the game and I scored a goal at the School End.

My first QPR game was against Brentford on the 19 September 1960 a Monday night game which ended 0-0.If I remember it was pouring down and your right Brixton what a job to get up that bank to get to the South Africa Road terrace.
That was the start of what up to now has been a 51 year love affair with Rangers all the highs and the lows the celebrations and the commiserations but as Rangers fans what we expect.

 

Welcome to the board mate

 

What about your first memories Northolt?

 

Which one, first time with the old man(very young) or first time alone with my mates(still very young)?

 

HELLO ALL!! Good to be on this site!!

Not my first memory but the one that still haunts me to this day!!

The day was the last game of the season in the early 70's and we had our record crowd 35,353 against Leeds ( Lorrimer, Bemmner, Clarke ect)

I was with my dad at the front of the South Africa Road Stand on my stool with the other kids when a copper came out of the tunnel. He walked over to where we were and said "which of you boys has been to the most games this season?", my hand shot up and I shouted that I hadn't missed a game for two years. He said "you better have this then" and gave me one of the old check programmes. When I turned it over it had been signed by the players of both teams!!

The reason it haunts me is because I tried to find it some 20years later among my boxes of old programmes and couldn't and still haven't to this day!!

 

Hello mate, nice story, shame you lost it

 

Let's have it all northolt, if you've got time.

 

Keep me reading from south Kensington to bounds green!

 

I've been reading these stories on the tube home this week, and loving them. Keep em coming

 

Thing is I hate typing Woody!
Here goes, the first time I went by myself, and I've just had to look up the date oct 80,
Tommy Doc had just been sacked and I was 10 yrs old in the school end(loft was getting done).
And we sang bring back our Tommy to us for 90mins, which is funny considering who we were about to get!
Can't remember who we were playing or the score but I'd be interested to know.
Hope that'll do for my effort

 

Not worth starting a new thread but an additional question.....

From your earliest memory of QPR what would you like to bring back?

For me its not the obvious standing to watch games but.................MARCHING BANDS!!..you could always tell the significance of a game as a kid if you had a half time showing from the ' Coldstream Guards '...it was also quite entertaining if they over-ran and the returning players all had to stand around as they trooped off!

 

That's easy, just being able to turn up and get in for not a lot of money.

 

I imagined you to be older Northolt, must have been that churchill picture!