CONTINUING to look at my own club Queens Park Rangers where we have fielded some truly prolific strikers over the years.
Many of these guys were heavily backed in the betting during their careers.
So here is a selection of the top QPR forwards of all-time listed alphabetically…
CLIVE ALLEN
The predatory finisher won three England caps as a Queens Park Rangers man. Clive played 157 matches in two spells for QPR and bulged 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 powerful centre-forward for Rangers.
I recall commentating on the radio when he supplied two decisive goals against Wigan Athletic in the 2014 Championship Play-Off Semi-Final at Loftus Road.
GARY BANNISTER
Bannister hit two brilliant hat-tricks for QPR in home local derby victories 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
Amassed 180 goals in 284 games for the R’s. 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 highest return was 39 in 1961/62.
STAN BOWLES
Bowles wore the number 10 shirt with distinction and completed 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 European competitions at that juncture.
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.
PETER CROUCH
The 6’7” giant 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 scoring 12 goals.
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.
LES FERDINAND
A rampaging centre-forward who won seven England caps whilst playing for Queens Park Rangers.
He scored on his international debut versus San Marino at Wembley in February 1993. Ferdinand made 183 appearances in QPR colours racking up 90 goals.
KEVIN GALLEN
Scored 97 times in 403 matches 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.
DON GIVENS
Strong in the air, he won 27 international caps for the Republic of Ireland when on the books at QPR.
Made 294 appearances for us and converted 101 goals. Givens was our leading scorer in that fabulous 1975/76 title challenge campaign with 13 strikes.
GEORGE GODDARD
Accumulated 186 goals in attack across 260 games 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 accrued an impressive total of 12 hat-tricks for Queens Park Rangers and also achieved four goals in a fixture on another four occasions.
RODNEY MARSH
Scored 134 goals in 242 matches for us. He made the number 10 hooped shirt famous and won the first of his nine England caps as a Queens Park Rangers star.
Marsh’s goal haul embraced 44 throughout 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.
LEROY ROSENIOR
Anyone who has scored for Rangers in a West London derby is a hero of mine.
Rosenior grabbed the sixth goal in our renowned 6-0 annihilation of Chelsea at Loftus Road on Easter Monday 1986.
SIMON STAINROD
An immensely skilful number 10. Signed from Oldham Athletic in November 1980 for £270,000.
Fulfilled 177 appearances in a hooped shirt and struck 62 goals.
TONY THORPE
Thorpe fired 10 vital goals in our 2003/04 promotion season up to the Championship.
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.
BOBBY ZAMORA
Zamora 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 and it sent football betting punters wild!
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
