Queens Park Rangers FC

With the West London area overflowing with footballing tradition, it's no surprise that Queens Park Rangers Football Club were mostly overshadowed by their neighbors during their lifespan. The club's only major honor is the 1967 League Cup, but they do have a couple of Second Division titles to their name as well. QPR have a reputation of a nomadic club; during their early years, they have played at about twenty different grounds before, more or less, settling at Loftus Road in 1917. QPR should not be confused with Queen's Park Football Club that plays in the Scottish League.

Basic facts

Founded: 1886
Country: England
City: London

Home grounds

Welford's Fields (1886-1888)
London Scottish Ground (1888-1890)
Gun Club Ground (1891-1892)
Kilburn Cricket (1892-1896)
Kensal Rise Athletic Ground (1896-1901)
Latimer Road (1901-1902)
Kensal Rise Athletic Ground (1902-1904)
Royal Agricultural Society (1904-1917)
Park Royal Ground (1907-1917)
Loftus Road (1917-1931)
White City (1931-1933)
Loftus Road (1933-1962)
White City (1962-1963)
Loftus Road (1963-)

Main trophies

Football League Cup: 1

Prominent players

George Goddard, Brian Bedford, Tony Ingham, Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles, Don Givens, Phil Parkes, Dexter Blackstock, Les Ferdinand, Adel Taarabt, Ákos Buzsáky

Club records

Most games played: Tony Ingham (519)
Top goalscorer: George Goodard (172)

Loftus Road
Queens Park Rangers' home ground in 2014.

History

The club was officially formed in 1882, under the name of St. Jude's. Four years later, they merged with Christ Church Rangers and subsequently changed their name to Queens Park Rangers, due to most of their players hailing from the Queen's Park district.

The club became a member of the expanding Football League in 1920, but was not particularly successful during the decades that followed, spending most of their time in the lower ranks of English football.

Reaching great results

Their luck finally changed with the arrival of Alec Stock in 1959. Now regarded as the club's greatest manager of all time, Stock made his presence known from the get-go; in the season that followed, QPR achieved their record victory by routing Tranmere Rovers 9-2.

But it was not until 1967 that Queens Park Rangers really made a name for itself. The club won a double by placing first in the Third Division and defeating West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup final after being down 2-0 at halftime. The very next year, QPR managed to earn promotion to the First Division for the first time in their history. The best result in the top league was reach in 1972 with a second place, one point after Liverpool.

In 1981 QPR became the first football club in Europe to install an plastic pitch (or artificial turf, in this case called Omniturf) at their stadium. The plastic pitch were however abandon for normal grass again in 1988.

The 1991/92 season was another hallmark for the club. In addition to placing 11th in the First Division – thus earning the invitation for the newly-formed Premier League – QPR also recorded one of their most sensational victories by outclassing Manchester United 4-1 on New Year's Day. The club followed it up by finishing fifth in the inaugural Premier League season.

After a decade of internal struggle, the club was bought by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore in 2007. On the back of their newfound financial stability, QPR became a regular guest in the Premier League.

By Martin Wahl

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Logo

QPR logoQPR has used three dissimilar logos in the history of the club. In 2016, the club decided to change back to the logo used between 1982 and 2008. The new version, however, had some slight modifications and was a bit simplified including the discard of the banner.

Trivia

Football clubs also founded in 1886

Arsenal FC logoArsenal FC
Grasshoppers logoGrasshoppers

Football clubs ordered after establishment

League statistics

League record

Titles in total: 0
Premier League titles: 0
First participation: 1920-1921

All seasons

Season League Position Points Notes
2018-19 Championship 19 51  
2017-18 Championship 16 56  
2016-17 Championship 18 53  
2015-16 Championship 12 60  
2014-15 Premier League 20 30 Relegated
2013-14 Championship 4 80 Promoted
2012-13 Premier League 20 25 Relegated
2011-12 Premier League 17 37  
2010-11 Championship 1 88 Promoted
2009-10 Championship 13 57  
2008-09 Championship 11 61  
2007-08 Championship 14 58  
2006-07 Championship 18 53  
2005-06 Championship 21 50  
2004-05 Championship 11 62  
2003-04 2nd Division 2 83 Promoted
2002-03 2nd Division 4 83  
2001-02 2nd Division 8 71  
2000-01 1st Division 23 40  
1999-00 1st Division 10 66  
1998-99 1st Division 20 47  
1997-98 1st Division 20 49  
1996-97 1st Division 9 66  
1995-96 Premier League 19 33 Relegated
1994-95 Premier League 8 60  
1993-94 Premier League 9 60  
1992-93 Premier League 5 63  
1991-92 1st Division 11 54  
1990-91 1st Division 12 46  
1989-90 1st Division 11 50  
1988-89 1st Division 9 53  
1987-88 1st Division 5 67  
1986-87 1st Division 16 50  
1985-86 1st Division 13 52  
1984-85 1st Division 19 50  
1983-84 1st Division 5 73  
1982-83 2nd Division 1 85  
1981-82 2nd Division 5 69 Promoted
1980-81 2nd Division 8 43  
1979-80 2nd Division 5 49  
1978-79 1st Division 20 25 Relegated
1977-78 1st Division 19 33  
1976-77 1st Division 14 38  
1975-76 1st Division 2 59  
1974-75 1st Division 11 42  
1973-74 1st Division 8 43  
1972-73 2nd Division 2 61 Promoted
1971-72 2nd Division 4 54  
1970-71 2nd Division 11 43  
1969-70 2nd Division 9 45  
1968-69 1st Division 22 18 Relegated
1967-68 2nd Division 2 58 Promoted
1966-67 3rd Division 1 67 Promoted
1965-66 3rd Division 3 57  
1964-65 3rd Division 14 46  
1963-64 3rd Division 15 45  
1962-63 3rd Division 13 45  
1961-62 3rd Division 4 59  
1960-61 3rd Division 3 60  
1959-60 3rd Division 8 49  
1958-59 3rd Division 13 46  
1957-58 3rd Division S 10 50  
1956-57 3rd Division S 10 47  
1955-56 3rd Division S 18 39  
1954-55 3rd Division S 15 44  
1953-54 3rd Division S 18 42  
1952-53 3rd Division S 21 39  
1951-52 2nd Division 22 34 Relegated
1950-51 2nd Division 16 40  
1949-50 2nd Division 20 34  
1948-49 2nd Division 13 39  
1947-48 3rd Division S 1 61 Promoted
1946-47 3rd Division S 2 57  
1939-46 - - - WWII
1938-39 3rd Division S 6 44  
1937-38 3rd Division S 3 53  
1936-37 3rd Division S 9 45  
1935-36 3rd Division S 4 53  
1934-35 3rd Division S 13 41  
1933-34 3rd Division S 4 54  
1932-33 3rd Division S 16 37  
1931-32 3rd Division S 13 42  
1930-31 3rd Division S 8 43  
1929-30 3rd Division S 3 51  
1928-29 3rd Division S 6 52  
1927-28 3rd Division S 10 43  
1926-27 3rd Division S 14 39  
1925-26 3rd Division S 22 21  
1924-25 3rd Division S 19 36  
1923-24 3rd Division S 22 31  
1922-23 3rd Division S 11 42  
1921-22 3rd Division S 5 49  
1920-21 3rd Division 3 53  

Note. The 1939-40 season was abandoned after three rounds and is therefore excluded.

Premier League – facts, stats and history

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens_Park_Rangers_FC
http://www.qpr.co.uk/club/history/potted-history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_turf/

Image source:
Adjamy