Tottenham Hotspur and the Queen’s Park Rangers Connection

Kyle Walker played for QPR on loan

Tottenham and Queen’s Park Rangers have numerous links even though the first League meeting didn’t occur until after the Second World War, at the end of the 1940s. That was a brief encounter over two seasons until Spurs won the 2nd Division title and were promoted. The clubs renewed their acquaintanceship in 1968 when Rangers were promoted to the 1st Division.

Twelve Connections between Tottenham and QPR

The Allen Family

Les Allen was a member of Tottenham’s ‘Double’ winning team providing vital goals alongside Bobby Smith. The arrival of Jimmy Greaves restricted his chances at Spurs and in 1965 he was transferred to Rangers where he became part of the successful Rangers team which won the League Cup while in the 3rd Division and then won back to back promotions to rise to the 1st Division for the first time in 1968. Allen went on to manage Rangers and his son Clive also played for the Loftus Road club before moving on to Arsenal and Crystal Palace and back to Rangers from whom he was transferred to Tottenham in 1984. Season 1986-87 was a tremendous season for Allen at Tottenham when he set a new club record of 49 League and Cup goals in the season. After retiring he returned to White Hart Lane as a coach for many years working closely with Harry Redknapp until his departure last summer.

Terry Venables

Terry Venables played for Tottenham from 1966 until 1969 and won the FA Cup in 1967. He left for Queen’s Park Rangers  and eventually returned to Loftus Road as manager in 1980. He took the 2nd Division club to the 1982 FA Cup Final where they lost 1 – 0 in a replay to Tottenham. After leaving to manage Barcelona he returned to England as manager of Spurs in November, 1987. His first match in charge was against Liverpool at White Hart Lane. Venables took Spurs to FA Cup success in 1991 and linked up with Alan Sugar to rescue the club from its financial problems. He became Chief Executive but still had a say in team management but left Tottenham after an acrimonious fall-out with Sugar.

Gerry Francis

Gerry Francis was both a player and manager with Queen’s Park Rangers. He resigned as manager at Loftus Road in October, 1994 and was appointed at White Hart Lane at the beginning of November. He took over a struggling team which lacked defensive resolve under Ossie Ardiles and turned it into a team which could defend and also benefit from the attacking play of Teddy Sheringham and Jurgen Klinsmann. They reached the FA Cup semi-final but lost to Everton. The departure of Klinsmann the following summer was a loss to the team which never regained the level of consistency and play achieved in that first season under Francis. After three years Francis resigned in November, 1997.

1982 FA Cup Final

Tottenham and Rangers met in the Final as Tottenham under Keith Burkinshaw endeavoured to retain the trophy. On their way to the previous season’s success the two clubs had met in the 3rd Round. The first match at Loftus Road was scoreless but Spurs won the replay. This time they met at Wembley at the end of what had been a long season for Spurs who had been battling for success of four fronts. They finished fourth in the League, lost in the League Cup Final to Liverpool and had been knocked out of the European Cup Winners’ Cup at the semi-final stage by Barcelona. The FA Cup was their last opportunity for silverware. The first match was scoreless until extra time when Glenn Hoddle put Spurs ahead. Terry Fenwick who was to later join Venables at White Hart Lane levelled the scores and took the Final to a replay. Glenn Hoddle put Spurs ahead with a penalty early on after a foul on Graham Roberts. Spurs held on for the rest of the match with Ray Clemence saving them on numerous occasions.

QPR Current Squad

Numerous players have played for both Spurs and Rangers. Adel Taarabt who scored the only goal at Loftus Road in Rangers’ Premier League success last April, started his career in England with Spurs. He joined Rangers in March, 2009 on loan and after another season on loan joined permanently in 2010 as Rangers went on to win promotion. Ryan Nelsen joined QPR in the summer having spent six months with Spurs last season. Bobby Zamora joined Rangers last season having had a short period with Spurs from July, 2003 to January, 2004.  Luke Young who started his career with Spurs moved to Charlton Athletic and joined Rangers last season having spent time with Middlesbrough and Aston Villa. Radek Cerny who was with Tottenham for three season, on loan, joined QPR in 2008.

Les Ferdinand

Les Ferdinand started his career at Loftus Road where he spent eight seasons. After two seasons with Newcastle he returned to London and joined Tottenham where he spent six seasons and scored 33 goals in 118 Premier League appearances. In November, 2008 he joined Tottenham in a coaching capacity where he continues to work with Tim Sherwood with the Development Squad.

Kyle Walker

Kyle Walker has established himself as Tottenham’s right back over the past fifteen months, the club having used the loan system to get him League experience with other clubs. Having joined Spurs from Sheffield United, Walker returned to Sheffield but then had six months on loan with Queen’s Park Rangers before joining Aston Villa to gain Premier League experience.

Ossie Ardiles

After leaving Tottenham in 1988, Ossie Ardiles played for Blackburn Rovers and then Queen’s Park Rangers. It was a short spell at Loftus Road, lasting only eight League matches.

First League Meeting

Tottenham and Queen’s Park Rangers first met in the Football League in a 2nd Division game at White Hart Lane in October, 1948. Spurs won 1 – 0 with the goal being scored by Eddie Baily who was a vital member of the ‘Push and Run’ team which would win successive titles over the next two seasons. Baily later became Bill Nicholson’s assistant at White Hart Lane.

Roger Morgan

Queen’s Park Rangers successful team of the mid-1960s contained the Morgan twins, Ian and Roger, who played on the wings. In February, 1969 Tottenham split them up by signing Roger for £110,000. He then made his debut at Loftus Road against his former club playing on the left wing against his brother who was on Rangers right wing. The match ended 1 – 1 with Jimmy Greaves scoring. Morgan was unfortunate that his time at Tottenham was blighted by injury which led to his eventual retirement in the summer of 1973.

Hat-trick

Many Tottenham players have enjoyed scoring against QPR. Teddy Sheringham leads the goalscorers with 8 while Mark Falco is only one goal behind. Clive Allen and Gary Lineker have both scored five. Only one player, however, has managed a hat-trick – Gary Lineker in a 3 – 2 win in September, 1989 at White Hart Lane.

Only Goal

Phil Beal made over 400 appearances for Tottenham but only managed one goal. It came against Rangers and was a cracker.

In January, 1969 Spurs met QPR at White Hart Lane for the first time in the 1st Division. They won the game 3 – 2 which over time has turned out to be quite a regular scoreline between the two clubs. Phil Beal who played over 400 games for Tottenham scored only one goal in 13 seasons. He made his debut in place of Danny Blanchflower in September, 1963 against Aston Villa but it was a number of years before he established himself as a regular member of the team. In the latter half of the 1960s he formed a very effective central defensive partner ship with Mike England and together they went on to win numerous trophies in the early 1970s. The goal that Beal scored against QPR was a goal to remember.  He broke up an attack on the edge of the Spurs area and carried the ball forward, exchanging passes with Jimmy Greaves and on reaching the edge of the Rangers box, he cracked an unstoppable shot, in off the bar. Alan Gilzean and David Jenkins scored the other Spurs goals.

3 – 2 to the Spurs

On another four occasions that 1969 scoreline, 3 – 2, has been repeated in matches between the clubs – all at White Hart Lane. In November, 1983, Steve Archibald and Falco (2) were the Spurs’ scorers while Lineker’s hat-trick was the difference in September, 1989. In February, 1993 Sheringham scored twice with Darren Anderton and two years later he again scored two while Jason Dozzell scored the other.

First League Match at White Hart Lane

Queen’s Park Rangers were Tottenham’s first opponents for a competitive match at their new White Hart Lane ground. It was a Southern League match played on Saturday, 9th September, 1899, five days after the official opening against Notts County in a friendly. Spurs defeated QPR by the only goal of the game scored by Tom Smith who was a member of the Tottenham team which won the 1901 FA Cup.