MY own club Queens Park Rangers have fielded some truly outstanding footballers over the years.
Many of these guys earned international caps and featured in past Premier League odds among the betting stakes. Here is a selection of the top QPR players of all-time listed in alphabetical order…
CLIVE ALLEN
A predatory striker who won three England caps as a Queens Park Rangers man. Clive played 157 matches in two spells for QPR whilst bulging the net 83 times.
His most crucial goal for us came amidst a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the 1982 FA Cup Semi-Final staged at Highbury Stadium.
He also scored when we beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Loftus Road in the Quarter-Final during that Cup run and celebrated by running the full length of the pitch!
CHARLIE AUSTIN
Charlie enjoyed two spells as a prolific centre-forward for Rangers.
I remember commentating on the radio when he supplied two decisive goals against Wigan Athletic in the 2014 Championship Play-Off Semi-Final at Loftus Road.
DAVID BARDSLEY
A cultured overlapping right-back, Bardsley made 295 appearances for Rangers and scored five times.
He won two England international caps whilst on the books at Loftus Road.
GARY BANNISTER
A centre-forward who hit two brilliant hat-tricks for QPR in local derby matches against Chelsea in March 1986 and September 1987 even though he had one leg shorter than the other!
Made 172 appearances for the R’s and scored 72 times.
BRIAN BEDFORD
Scored 180 goals in 284 appearances for the R’s up front. That puts him second in our all-time list of Hoops goal scorers. Bedford joined us from Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in July 1959.
He was virtually ever-present for Rangers over the next six years where he didn’t once fall below 25 goals in a season. His best return was 39 in 1961/62.
MARC BIRCHAM
Grew up in a QPR supporting family. Midfielder Bircham signed for the R’s in July 2002. He went on to make 167 appearances and scored seven goals.
I particularly liked the fact that he dyed his hair blue and white when playing for us.
STAN BOWLES
Bowles wore the number 10 shirt with distinction and made 315 appearances for Rangers, scoring 96 times.
His tally of 11 goals in our 1976/77 UEFA Cup run to the Quarter-Finals was a record for any British player in a European competition at that time. A true legend.
RUFUS BREVETT
A wholehearted left-back who joined the R’s from Doncaster in February 1991 in a £250,000 transfer.
He went on to make 152 appearances for Rangers over seven years. Really tough in the tackle!
JOHN BYRNE
Fondly remembered for his fantastic dribbling skills and long blonde hair at number 10.
Made 149 appearances for Rangers and netted 36 times. Won the first 13 of his 23 Republic of Ireland caps as a QPR player
DAVE CLEMENT
An athletic right-back who achieved five England caps playing for QPR. He mustered 476 first team appearances for us, scoring 28 goals.
Clement was an integral component in the great Rangers side that finished runners-up by a point to Liverpool in the 1975/76 League title race.
PETER CROUCH
The 6’7” striker originally started off in our youth ranks at Loftus Road. He then had a short spell at Tottenham Hotspur without playing in their senior team before returning to the R’s back in July 2000 at the age of 19.
The 2000/01 campaign saw Crouch make 47 League and Cup appearances at Rangers and hit the net 12 times. But when our financial situation went into meltdown, he was sold to Portsmouth for £1.25 million in July 2001.
Crouch was eventually capped 42 times by England.
TONY CURRIE
A lavish midfield man who was an England squad member when he signed for QPR from Leeds United in August 1979 for £400,000.
Made 98 appearances in a hooped shirt and scored six times. Captained our team at Wembley in the 1982 FA Cup Final Replay against Spurs.
ALE FAURLIN
The silky midfield maestro made 40 League appearances for us in the 2010/11 promotion winning campaign up to the top flight.
TERRY FENWICK
The most capped England player in the history of Queens Park Rangers. Playing in defence and midfield, Fenwick won the first 19 of his 20 England caps as a QPR star.
His most crucial R’s impact came in the 1982 FA Cup Final when he scored a late headed equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium.
LES FERDINAND
A rampaging centre-forward who won seven international caps for England during his time as a Queens Park Rangers man.
He scored on his international debut versus San Marino at Wembley in February 1993. Ferdinand made 183 appearances at QPR and scored 90 goals.
GERRY FRANCIS
A dynamic midfielder who won 12 England caps whilst a Queens Park Rangers man and was selected as the national team’s captain.
Francis appeared 352 times in two spells for us – mostly as skipper - and scored 65 goals. He was a pivotal member of the best ever QPR team in 1975/76.
KEVIN GALLEN
Scored 97 goals as a striker in 403 appearances for the R’s.
One of his best moments was delivering the opening goal in our 3-1 promotion-clinching win versus Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in 2004.
IAN GILLARD
A refined left-back who was graced our 1975/76 team and won three full England caps as a Queens Park Rangers man.
Gillard made 484 appearances for Rangers, scoring 11 times
DON GIVENS
Strong in the air up front, he won 27 international caps for the Republic of Ireland during his time as a QPR man.
He made 294 appearances for us and scored 101 times. Givens was our leading scoring in that fabulous 1975/76 campaign with 13 strikes.
GEORGE GODDARD
Scored 186 goals in attack across 260 appearances for the R’s. That puts him first in our all-time list of Hoops goal scorers.
Goddard was QPR’s leading marksman in seven consecutive seasons: 1926/27 23 goals, 1927/28 26 goals, 1928/29 38 goals, 1929/30 42 goals, 1930/31 27 goals, 1931/32 19 goals and 1932/33 14 goals (joint-leading scorer).
He scored an impressive total of 12 hat-tricks for Queens Park Rangers and also hit four goals in a game on another four occasions.
JOHN GREGORY
An elegant attacking midfield man who won six England caps during his time as a Queens Park Rangers man. He played 190 times for the R’s and scored 43 goals.
One of his most dramatic efforts was hitting the crossbar with a lobbed volley in the 1982 FA Cup Final Replay against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium.
BOB HAZELL
A bustling centre-half who starred in our run to the 1982 FA Cup Final. His best performance was in marking top striker Cyrille Regis out of the game in our 1-0 win over West Brom in the Semi-Final at Highbury that year.
Hazell made a total of 124 appearances for Rangers and scored nine goals.
CLINT HILL
Clint was a robust defender during QPR’s 2010/11 promotion campaign to attain Premier League status.
Overall, he racked up 169 matches in six years with Rangers. A true 100% performer.
PETER HUCKER
Man of the match in goal for QPR in the 1982 FA Cup Final versus Tottenham Hotspur which finished in a 1-1 draw.
He produced a string of elasticated saves to deny the potent Spurs front line.
TONY INGHAM
A left-back who chalked up 555 appearances for the R’s. That puts him first in our all-time list of Hoops appearance holders. Ingham became the mainstay of our team for 13 years.
His QPR career included a remarkable sequence of 272 consecutive matches (250 League and 22 Cup) between 25th February 1956 and 12th September 1961, which is another club record for us.
PADDY KENNY
Only missed two League games in our 2010/11 promotion winning year. A very agile goalkeeper.
RICHARD LANGLEY
Enjoyed two spells in midfield for Rangers and once scored with an audacious left footed volley from near the corner flag at Loftus Road.
There was an audible gasp before the crowd celebrated!
MARK LAZARUS
Netted 84 goals in 235 appearances across three separate spells for QPR on the wing.
He scored our winning goal in the 1967 League Cup Final against West Bromwich Albion at Wembley Stadium.
EVELYN LINTOTT
QPR’s first ever England international.
A left-half, he won three full caps in 1908 when we were a Southern League club.
DON MASSON
Won 14 international caps for Scotland during his Queens Park Rangers career.
Masson was an exceptional passer of the ball in midfield and was part of the eminent QPR title challenging team of 1975/76.
RODNEY MARSH
Scored 134 goals in 242 appearances for us. He made the number 10 hooped shirt famous and won the first of his nine England caps as a Queens Park Rangers man.
Marsh’s goal haul embraced scoring 44 during our glorious 1966/67 Division Three title and League Cup double-winning campaign…30 in the League, three in the FA Cup and 11 in the League Cup.
This is by far the all-time R’s scoring record by one player in a season - the most celebrated strike being a wonderful solo effort against West Bromwich Albion in the 1967 League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
ALAN McDONALD
Our most capped international player. Centre-half McDonald featured 52 times for Northern Ireland as a Queens Park Rangers man.
‘Macca’ made 483 first team appearances and was hugely popular with QPR fans due to his non-stop commitment throughout every game.
PAUL PARKER
A versatile defender who won 16 England caps whilst on the books at Queens Park Rangers. He made 160 appearances in a hooped shirt at right-back, centre-half and sweeper.
Parker played in a World Cup Semi-Final as a QPR man – facing the Germans at Italia ’90.
PHIL PARKES
Dominant in goal, he was capped once by England during his time at Queens Park Rangers.
Parkes notched up 406 appearances for the R’s and was one of the stars of our wonderful team in 1975/76.
GAVIN PEACOCK
Another player who had two separate spells at QPR playing in midfield.
Contributed 41 goals for us between 1996 and 2002. Is now a Pastor at a church in Canada.
DAVID SEAMAN
A magnificent goalkeeper who won the first three of his 75 full England caps whilst a QPR player.
Made 175 appearances for the R’s before a £1.3 million move to Arsenal in July 1990.
DANNY SHITTU
A powerful centre-half who accumulated 184 appearances for the Hoops and bulldozed 28 goals – mostly with headers when pushing forward on set pieces.
Won the first of his caps for Nigeria whilst a QPR man.
DANNY SIMPSON
An important right-back in our 2014 Championship Play-Off Final victory over Derby County at Wembley Stadium.
Everyone who turned out for the R’s that day is a hero in my opinion.
TREVOR SINCLAIR
The winger’s 20 yard overhead kick against Barnsley in 1997 was the best goal I have ever seen in 51 years of worship at Loftus Road.
Trevor made 190 appearances for us and scored 21 times. He moved to West Ham for £2.3 million in January 1998 and won 12 England caps in his post-QPR career.
ANDY SINTON
Left winger Andy Sinton won ten England caps whilst on the books at Queens Park Rangers.
He amassed 190 appearances for the R’s and scored 25 goals – including a sizzling effort as Rangers drew 1-1 at Manchester City in the historic first live televised game when the new Premier League was launched in 1992/93.
SIMON STAINROD
An immensely skilful number 10. Signed from Oldham in November 1980 for £270,000.
Made 177 appearances in a hooped shirt and hit 62 goals.
ADEL TAARABT
A majestic maverick attacking from midfield. Adel was the main man in QPR’s 2010/11 promotion to the Premier League scoring 19 mainly spectacular goals.
DAVE THOMAS
A flying winger who was rewarded with eight England caps as a Queens Park Rangers man.
He featured in our marvellous Hoops team of the mid-1970’s, making 220 appearances for us and scoring 34 times.
GARY WADDOCK
A flame-haired midfielder who became the most popular player of his era with the Loftus Road crowd due to incessant sliding tackles.
After coming up through the youth ranks, he made 240 appearances for us and scored 10 times. Also won 18 caps for the Republic of Ireland as a QPR man.
ROY WEGERLE
A number 10 who dribbled past the entire Leeds United defence at Elland Road to score the ITV Goal Of The Season for Queens Park Rangers in 1990/91.
Made 92 appearances for us and notched 31 goals. Later became a professional golfer.
RAY WILKINS
A former England star midfielder who joined the R’s from Glasgow Rangers in December 1989. Played 207 times for us in two spells and scored 10 goals.
Was player-manager at Loftus Road from November 1994 to September 1996. A class act on and off the pitch.
CLIVE WILSON
Probably the best uncapped defender in this country. Signed from Chelsea in August 1990 for £450,000 as a midfield player but soon got switched to left-back.
Made 199 appearances for the R’s and hit the net 14 times incorporating some deadly penalties.
BOBBY ZAMORA
A striker who slashed home the last minute winner for 10 man Rangers to cement our 1-0 victory over Derby County in 2014’s Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium.
That goal encapsulated my greatest ever elation as a QPR supporter.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Tony Incenzo*
