History Queens Park Rangers F.C.

1 history

1.1 1880s–1970s
1.2 1980s–1990s
1.3 2000–present

history



for current season see 2017–18 queens park rangers f.c. season

1880s–1970s

the club formed in 1886, when team known st jude s (formed in 1884) merged christchurch rangers (formed in 1882). resulting team called queen s park rangers, because of players came queen s park area of north-west london. qpr became professional team in 1889, , played home games in 20 different stadia (a league record), before permanently settling @ loftus road in 1917, although team briefly attempt attract larger crowds playing @ white city stadium 2 short spells: 1931 1933, , 1962–63 season.

chart showing progress of qpr s league finishes 1920–21 season present.

qpr promoted champions of division 3 south in 1947–48 season. dave mangnall manager club participated in 4 seasons of second division, being relegated in 1951–52. tony ingham signed leeds united , went on make ever league appearances qpr (519). arguably club s greatest ever manager, alec stock, arrived prior start of 1959–60 season. 1960–61 season saw qpr achieve biggest win date: 9–2 vs tranmere rovers in division 3 match. in time, stock, jim gregory arrived chairman in mid-1960s, helped achieve total transformation of club , surroundings.

in 1966–67, qpr won division 3 championship , became first third division club win league cup on saturday, 4 march 1967, beating west bromwich albion 3–2, coming two-goal deficit. still major trophy qpr have won. first league cup final held @ wembley stadium. after winning promotion in 1968 top flight first time in history, rangers relegated after 1 season , spent next 4 years in division two. terry venables joined spurs @ beginning of 1969–70 season , rodney marsh sold manchester city. during time, new qpr heroes emerged including phil parkes, don givens, dave thomas , stan bowles. these new signings in addition home-grown talent such dave clement, ian gillard, mick leach , gerry francis.

in 1974 dave sexton joined manager and, in 1975–76 led qpr runners-up spot in first division, missing out on championship 1 point squad containing 7 england internationals , internationals home nations. after completing 42-game season, qpr sat @ top of league, 1 point ahead of liverpool went on defeat wolverhampton wanderers clinch title. wolves relegated second division same season. late 1970s saw cup success rangers reaching semi-finals of league cup , in first entry european football reached quarter finals of uefa cup losing aek athens on penalties. following sexton s departure in 1977 club slipped second division in 1979.

1980s–1990s

in 1980 terry venables took on manager , in 1981 club installed plastic pitch . in 1982 qpr, still playing in second division, reached fa cup final time in club s history, facing holders tottenham hotspur. tottenham won 1–0 in replay. following season qpr went on win second division championship , returned english football s top division. after respectable fifth-place finish, , uefa cup qualification, following year, venables departed become manager of barcelona. in 1988 club had new chairman, richard thompson. @ 24 premier league s youngest ever chairman. on next 7 years, various managers came , went loftus road , club spent many seasons finishing mid table avoided relegation. successful season during period 1987–88 season in qpr finished fifth, missing out on uefa cup campaign due ban on english clubs in european competition result of heysel stadium disaster. runners in 1986 league cup, losing oxford united.

old crest used 1980s until 2008

gerry francis, key player in 1970s qpr side had proved himself successful manager bristol rovers, appointed manager in summer of 1991. in 1991–92 first division campaign finished mid-table in league , founder members of new premier league, finishing fifth, top london club, in 1992–93 inaugural season. francis oversaw 1 of qpr s famous victories, 4–1 win @ old trafford in front of live tv on new year s day 1992. midway through 1994–95 season francis resigned , became manager of tottenham hotspur , ray wilkins installed player-manager. wilkins led qpr eighth-place finish in premiership. in july 1995 club s top goalscorer, les ferdinand, sold club record fee of £6 million newcastle united.

qpr struggled throughout following season , relegated @ end of 1995–96 season. qpr competed in division 1 until 2001 under succession of managers. gerry francis returned in 1998; however, 2000–2001 season proved disaster, , francis resigned in 2001.

2000–present

charismatic former player ian holloway became manager unable stop rangers being relegated england s third tier first time more 30 years. following 2003–2004 season qpr returned division 1 , struggled consistent form on next 2 campaigns before holloway suspended amidst rumours of impending departure leicester city. poor series of results , lack of progress @ club saw holloway s successors gary waddock , later john gregory – both former players – fail hold on manager s job.

during same period, qpr became embroiled in financial , boardroom controversy. although club had floated on alternative investment market in 1991, in 2001 entered administration (receivership). period of financial hardship followed , club left administration after receiving £10m high-interest emergency loan continued burden club. scandals involving directors, shareholders , others emerged in 2005–06 season , included allegations of blackmail , threats of violence against club s chairman gianni paladini. in unrelated incident qpr further rocked murder of youth team player kiyan prince on 18 may 2006 and, in august 2007, death of teenager , promising first-team player ray jones in car crash.

following low point in club s history rangers faced mounting financial pressure, in same month announced club had been bought wealthy formula 1 businessmen flavio briatore , bernie ecclestone (see ownership , finances below). during 2007–08 season, rangers competed in football league championship (see also: queens park rangers f.c. season 2007-08). john gregory s reign manager came end in october 2007 after string of poor results left qpr @ bottom of championship , replaced luigi de canio until end of 2007–08 season. further investment followed in 2008 club looked push promotion premier league within 4 years, on of greater financial stability. on 14 may 2008 iain dowie announced manager begin campaign return rangers top flight.

however, on 24 october 2008 iain dowie sacked after 15 games in charge of club.

badge introduced under flavio briattore , used 2008–2016

on 19 november 2008, qpr named former portugal midfielder paulo sousa new first team coach. however, on 9 april 2009, contract terminated after allegedly divulged confidential information without authority. on same day sousa s sacking, player/coach gareth ainsworth appointed player/caretaker manager second time. in june 2009 jim magilton named new manager of qpr. despite leading qpr start 2009–10 season, loss of form combined alleged head-butting incident hungarian midfielder Ákos buzsáky saw club further embroiled in controversy. magilton left club mutual consent on 16 december 2009, along assistant john gorman. replaced paul hart , mick harford on next day. less month , 5 games after becoming manager @ qpr, paul hart parted club on 14 january 2010; reasons leaving club unstated.

on 30 april 2011, qpr secured promotion premier league winning championship 2–0 win on watford. subsequent fa investigation involving qpr s acquisition of alejandro faurlín threatened deduct points side , put promotion jeopardy. investigation concluded on 7 may 2011, qpr found @ fault in 2 of 7 charges, , received £875,000 fine. however, there no points deducted fa, , qpr s promotion premier league secured.

in january 2012, club chairman tony fernandes appointed mark hughes team manager 36 hours after previous incumbent neil warnock sacked. following tough start loftus road career , after run of 5 straight home wins, hughes , qpr escaped relegation despite dramatic 3–2 defeat @ manchester city on last day of season.

on 23 november 2012, mark hughes sacked on of poor start 2012–13 season, having amassed 4 points in 12 games , club languishing @ bottom of premier league despite significant financial investment in new players in 11 months of hughes tenure. day later, harry redknapp confirmed new manager. on 28 april 2013, in 0–0 draw against fellow relegation rivals reading, , 3 games of season play, qpr relegated premier league down championship after 2 seasons in top flight.

during 2013–14 season, qpr finished fourth in championship, , qualified play-offs defeated wigan athletic in semi-finals. in final against favourites derby county on 24 may 2014, qpr won 1–0 goal scored bobby zamora in 90th minute return premier league.

following promotion premier league, qpr endured difficult 2014–2015 campaign. initial manager, harry redknapp, resigned in february after poor results , mutual frustration board. replaced chris ramsey. team finished season last, amassing 30 points, , relegated championship after 1 season. after poor start championship, chris ramsey sacked in november 2015 , former manager neil warnock returned hot seat in interim charge.

on 4 december 2015, jimmy floyd hasselbaink appointed club s new manager on rolling contract. hasselbaink sacked on 5 november 2016, 11 months after being in charge. 6 days later qpr reappointed ian holloway in charge 10 years previously.