Here is one for you all to ponder. Who has been our most important signing of all time? You may think than Stan Bowles as possibly our greatest hero of all time is, or Don Masson for completing our best team of all time. Maybe Ollie or Gareth Ainsworth for all that they did for our club, some may even think Paul Furlong for that goal against Oldham. We can probably guess who DT will go for! Iâm especially looking forward to the replies from those of you with longer memories, this type of thread always throws up some gems from peopleâs pasts. A few words of explanation would be nice, if they are your choice you must have a reason. My choice is Lee Cook on his initial loan spell. We had hit rock bottom having just lost to Vauxhall Motors when Ollie got him in. A player who always had QPR in his heart, his effervescent performances instantly lifted the club and started our climb back up the leagues. His pin-point crossing led to many of our goals and gave us a potent attacking threat which was sadly missing before his arrival. In my opinion, he did more than any other player to kick start our recovery which eventually led to our return to the Premier League.
From the past Rodney Marsh for £15k from Fulham,it enabled us to achieve our most profitable time in our history,and Sir Les for the same amount from Hayes,he was in my opinion our best player in the Premiership scoring goals for fun.For the future i'd like to hope it's Tony Fernandes because he's capable of taking us to the next level,somewhere we've never been.Here's hoping!
Roller - I remember his first game and the crowd were signing "Sign him up". This is tough, (and I may yet change my mind) but signing Ray Wilkins was a good piece of business. We signed him when not many clubs would, and he helped develop players such as Sir Les, Andy Sinton, Dave Bardsley, Willo (the list goes on) and helped them ultimately achieve big money moves away from the club. the old head in the centre of the pitch, he had Ollie supporting him with his running and tackling, and I can always remember a comment from a game at Crystal Palace which we won 3-0 - when Steve Coppell said that he wished his team could do what Ray Wilkins did that day.......and pass the ball to someone in the same coloured shirt! I won't mention his managerial record as I believe he was used by the Thompson family to appease us fans after GF left and he was out of his depth.
thats an intriging question roller. well for me what started rangers back on the road was les allen & followed by marsh, allen was imense coming from spurs not flash just a good alround player & then marsh linked up & rest speaks volumes. on current times i would say WARNOCK & to look how we've come since he came in, breath of fresh air in the club. special mention to wilkins as well on playing not managing.
It's hard to look beyond Rodney Marsh. Peanuts in transfer fees from Fulham for a player who (along with Alec Stock at the helm) changed the course of QPR history within a few seasons. It is possible that Jim Gregory would have continued with his investment anyway and that sucess would have eventually arrived but there can be little doubt that the cup win and two successive promotions that Marsh inspired pushed QPR into football's mainstream for the first time and allowed Gregory to push on with his plans. Without Marsh it is possible we would have continued to haunt the lower divisions as we had done for the previous 80 years or so of our existence. Now that's what I call influential!
Have to agree that Warnock is probably our most important ever signing. We have had some great great players and managers over the years. What impresses me about our Neil is that he succeeded where so many others failed. His indepth knowledge of the Championship and the best players in it gave us a huge advantage. He was not given huge money to spend but his acquisitions were just superb, Kenny, Hill, Tarbs, DERRY etc etc. He knew he was getting players that would hold firm on a bad night away in difficuly places like Doncaster. With a few clever additions he turned around an ordinary team and our club which had spent 15 years in the wilderness and brought us back to the promised land. He has given us all such hope and enthusiasm going forward. The way he dealt with Adel last year was fabulous and making him captain for the year was probablya stroke of genuis at the time. Considering that he had to put up with the previous ownership and how they treated him, the players, the club and the supporters, it is a great credit to him that he stuck around. I was genuinely worried and concerned about how he would adapt to the prem considering he had spent most of his career in the lower leagues. I fely my concerns were justifiable. I think he has showed several things that have impressed me and addressed my fears. He has shown that he absolutely loves our club and is 100% committed. He has shown that he is tactically astute and is willing to change our formations and setup if needed. IMO we are lucky to have him and i say "Stand up NW and take a bow"
Agree with Jeff and Northy - Warnock the best managerial signing. After the myriad of gaffers we'd had and the flirtation with relegation, it's amazing what he's done in 20 odd months. As a player, I can still never go further than Sir Les. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't we sign him off Hayes for 30K? His goals kept us in the top flight until he left for a massive profit (sadly frittered away on the likes of Zelic and Sheron).
Lee Camp on loan. Olly left London to go to Hartlepool with no keeper, turned left off the M1, did the deal, picked Campy up and we won 4-1. If that deal had failed I think Birch was getting the gloves.
Absolutely agree AAAAAGH! Whilst as Jeff points out, the Gregory-inspired Rangers revolution started in earnest with the purchase of Les Allen, a credible signing from top tier Tottenham, Rodney was the real catalyst that launched this little club into the stratosphere. Les was nearing the end of his career. Rodney, on the other hand, was a 21 year old starlet with a 1:3 goal ratio in the top drawer. With the exception of the modern loan system, I can't think of another top league player being bought outright by a third tier outfit - and then with a 1:2 goal ratio heaving those minnows all the way for the first time in their long history. For these reasons Rodney has to be our most important signing of all time. Testament to little Rangers destiny that Rodney's departure to Citeh in 1972, inspired our second most important signing: Stan Bowles from second division Carlisle. All in all I regard Mancunian Stan as the better of the two maverick players - and the more veritable R. Stan had no difficulty in converting his abilities from second to top tier - and is one reason why I've been unconvinced that given a few games to bed-in, a lot of lower level players cannot make the step up when the chance arises.
Has to be Sir Les for me , just for sheer value for money , Rodney cost the same but 20 years earlier than les , so in comparison cost a lot more. £15k , full international and kept us up for many a year .
Wannock without doubt he brought us back and a player ... I would go straight up to date as football is harder now than in the past ... We currently have the best player in the air in the league ... A great man and a great signing that is now proven and without him we wouldn't have beaten the brand Heiðar Helguson
COLIN is a good choice alright. But what about the Furs? Led the line like a man possessed for a year and a half to win us promotion. Wouldn't have done it without the "Chelsea reject"!!
