ONE of the most exciting aspects of football is watching a keeper leap full-length across his goal line before finger tipping the ball to safety.
My own club Queens Park Rangers have fielded some truly outstanding goalies over the years.
Many of these guys earned international caps and featured in past Premier League odds among the football betting stakes.
Here is a selection of the top QPR goalkeepers of all-time listed in alphabetical order…
REG ALLEN
Allen had an incredible rags to riches rise. He began his football career with Corona FC - a social club team attached to the chocolate firm of Fullers and competing in the Hanwell and District League.
Fortunately, an eagle-eyed QPR supporter spotted Allen in action and recommended him to our club. On 6th May 1938, Allen signed as a professional for Queens Park Rangers.
During the Second World War, he was one of the early volunteers for armed service with the Commandos. Deployed on a special mission, Allen was captured and suffered the hardship of prison camps in Italy and Germany until the War ended.
Overall, Allen made 255 appearances for the R’s between 1938 and 1950. This included a vital role in our team that won the Third Division South and reached the FA Cup Quarter Finals in 1947/48.
His £12,000 transfer to Manchester United on 6th June 1950 was a British record for a goalkeeper at the time.
JOHN BURRIDGE
I really liked John’s style whereby he would perform a unique pre-match warm-up routine on the Loftus Road pitch involving energetic handstands, somersaults and back-flips.
This made him extremely agile in goal for us amidst 45 appearances between 1980 and 1982.
JULIO CESAR
Brazil’s World Cup keeper Julio Cesar signed for QPR from Inter Milan on 29th August 2012. It was one of the most sensational transfers in our club’s history!
The 32 year old – who had 64 international caps – agreed a four year contract at Loftus Road until the summer of 2016. Cesar had earlier won the Champions League and five titles with Inter during his seven years at the San Siro.
However, he only made 27 appearances for the R’s before leaving by mutual consent and signing for Benfica on 19th August 2014.
CHRIS DAY
Day pulled off one of the greatest saves in the history of Queens Park Rangers. He denied Fitz Hall from point blank range during the last minute of our 2003 Second Division Play-Off Semi-Final 2-1 aggregate win over Oldham Athletic at Loftus Road.
Day initially signed for the R’s after being released by Watford in July 2001 and mustered exactly 100 appearances for us before ironically joining Oldham four years later.
ROBERT GREEN
Having previously won 12 England Caps, Green switched to Queens Park Rangers on a free transfer from West Ham United in June 2012.
His best performance for the R’s was when he achieved a string of fantastic saves in our 1-0 triumph over Derby County in the 2014 Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium. Green amassed 128 QPR appearances.
LEE HARPER
Harper saved two penalty kicks for Rangers during the 1-1 draw away to Sheffield United on 30th September 2000.
Prior to that, he joined QPR from his first professional club Arsenal in July 1997. He completed 131 first team appearances for us.
PETER HUCKER
Hucker was our goalkeeper in the 1982 FA Cup run to Wembley Stadium. This concluded by being voted man of the match for the Final versus Tottenham Hotspur which finished in a 1-1 draw. He produced a string of elasticated saves to thwart the extremely potent Spurs front line.
Hucker originally graduated via the youth ranks at Loftus Road and went on to make 188 first team appearances. Transferred to Oxford United for £100,000 in February 1987.
PADDY KENNY
Only missed two League games in our 2010/11 promotion winning campaign. Queens Park Rangers therefore returned to the Premier League for the first time in 15 years.
We only conceded 32 League goals during that season. Kenny played 81 times for the R’s before moving on to Leeds United in the summer of 2012.
LUDEK MIKLOSKO
Miklosko signed for Queens Park Rangers from West Ham United in an unusual Christmas Day transfer in 1998.
This was for a nominal fee following the Czech international’s successful three month loan spell at Loftus Road. He stayed at QPR until July 2001 making 65 appearances.
PHIL PARKES
Parkes was capped once by England during his time at Queens Park Rangers.
He notched up 406 appearances for the R’s and was one of the stars of our wonderful 1975/76 team which finished runners-up by a point to Liverpool in the League title chase.
A world record goalkeeper transfer fee of £565,000 took him to West Ham United in February 1979.
TONY ROBERTS
Roberts initially joined Queens Park Rangers on trial as a schoolboy before progressing through the youth set-up.
He eventually racked up 146 appearances for the R’s. Roberts won two Welsh Under-21 caps, two ‘B’ caps and three full caps as a QPR man.
DAVID SEAMAN
Seaman, one of the club's greatest ever players, won the first three of his 75 full England caps whilst on QPR’s books. He joined us from Birmingham City in August 1986 for £225,000.
Seaman famously saved four spot kicks out of five for Queens Park Rangers in a Simod Cup tie penalty shoot-out win away to Watford in February 1989.
Made 175 appearances for the R’s ahead of a £1.3 million move to Arsenal in July 1990.
JUERGEN SOMMER
American born Sommer signed for QPR from Luton Town for £600,000 in September 1995.
He subsequently fulfilled 71 appearances for us and won three full USA caps as a Queens Park Rangers man. He ultimately left Loftus Road to return to the States and sign for Columbus Crew FC in January 1998.
PETER SPRINGETT
The younger brother of another former keeper Ron Springett at QPR. Peter progressed through the youth ranks at Loftus Road and then turned professional in May 1963
He won six England youth caps in the 1963/64 season. During our Third Division and League Cup double winning campaign of 1966/67, Peter was an ever-present. In total, he played 161 games for Rangers between 1963 and 1967
RON SPRINGETT
Ron Springett first joined Rangers as a teenager back in 1953.
He made 146 appearances for the club in two spells and also accumulated 33 full England caps during his time as a Sheffield Wednesday player.
JAN STEJSKAL
Stejskal transferred to Queens Park Rangers from Sparta Prague for £600,000 a few weeks after excelling for Czechoslovakia in the 1990 World Cup Finals.
Appeared 122 times for the R’s and won 31 full caps in his career. Lining up for QPR, he was one of only 13 overseas men to play on the opening weekend of the newly-formed Premier League in 1992.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
