As QPR end their miserable 2012/13 campaign at home to Newcastle this weekend, LFW looks back at two meetings between the sides on this ground from 1995 either side of the transfer of Les Ferdinand.

Recent Meetings

QPR’s two games at Newcastle during their latest Premier League stint have both been almost identical. Two poor, dull matches almost devoid of quality that both finished 1-0 to the home side with Rangers barely posing a threat of a goal of their own at all. Just a couple of days before Christmas this season Harry Redknapp’s side were beaten by a late strike from Shola Ameobi when the otherwise excellent Ryan Nelsen dropped too deep and played him on side. The game was best remembered for the post match press conference when Harry Redknapp revealed that Jose Bosingwa had been fined for refusing to sit on the bench the week before against Fulham, and that his wages eclipsed anything his previous players at Spurs had been earning.

Newcastle: Krul 6, Simpson 6, Coluccini 6, Williamson 6, Santon 6, Gutierrez 6 (Obertan 60, 7), Perch 5, Tiote 6 (Marveaux 77, 7), Anita 7, Ba 5, Cisse 5 (Sh Ameobi 61, 6)

Subs not used: Harper, Ferguson, Bigirmana, Sa Ameobi

Goals: Ameobi 81 (assisted Anita)

Bookings: Tiote 62 (foul), Perch 87 (foul), Ameobi 90 (foul)

QPR: Green 7, Ferdinand 4, Nelsen 7, Hill 6, Fabio 5, Mackie 5, Mbia 6, Faurlin 5 (Derry 78, 5), Granero 5 (Wright-Phillips 56, 5), Taarabt 5, Cisse 5 (Hoilett 64, 5)

Subs not used: Murphy, Traore, Onuoha, Diakite

Bookings: Ferdinand 41 (kicking ball away), Hill 85 (foul)

Newcastle 1 QPR 0, Sunday January 15, 2012, Premier League

The Mark Hughes era got underway in earnest at St James Park in January with his first league game in charge. Rangers started brightly with Shaun Wright-Phillips hitting the top of the bar and Jay Bothroyd the outside of the post, and Hughes certainly had the team looking more organised and in a solid shape with a basic two banks of four in front of the defence. But when Leon Best was given the benefit of the doubt by the linesman and waved onside to curl in the opening goal a dire game was already heading the way of the hosts. Shaun Derry was fortunate to stay on the field after a late tackle on Yohan Cabaye that brought the Frenchman’s afternoon to an end and Jay Bothroyd further endeared himself to the travelling faithful by spurning two decent chances for an equaliser in the second half.

Newcastle: Krul 7, Simpson 6, Coloccini 7, Williamson 6, Santon 6, Ryan Taylor 6 (Gosling 81. -), Guthrie 6, Cabaye 6 (Ben Arfa 25, 7), Gutierrez 7, Best 7 (Perch 76, 6), Shola Ameobi 5

Subs Not Used: Elliot, Abeid, Obertan, Ferguson

Goals: Best 37 (assisted Ameobi)

QPR: Kenny 7, Young 6, Gabbidon 6, Ferdinand 7, Hill 6, Wright-Phillips 5, Derry 6, Buzsaky 6 (Macheda 76, 6), Mackie 5, Helguson 6 (Smith 64, 6), Bothroyd 6

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Orr, Hall, Campbell, Ephraim

Booked: Derry (foul), Hill (foul), Bothroyd (foul), Macheda (foul)

QPR 0 Newcastle 0, Monday September 12, 2011, Premier League

It’s amazing to think how optimistic everybody was, and how well the QPR team played, when these sides last met at Loftus Road right at the beginning of last season. Tony Fernandes takeover complete and six new signings hurried through the doors, QPR took to the field for a Sky Monday Night Football match against Newcastle. The game finished 0-0, although quite how it finished 0-0 nobody was could be sure. QPR were excellent, dominant throughout, and denied a victory only by stubborn, and often last ditch, defending from the visiting team. Shaun Wright-Phillips was man of the match on his debut and had a first half lob kicked off the goalline after beating Tim Krul. It all seems such a long time ago.

QPR: Kenny 7, Young 8, Ferdinand 7, Gabbidon 6, Traore 7 (Connolly 51, 6), Derry 7, Faurlin 8, Wright-Phillips 8 (Puncheon 88, -) Barton 7, Taarabt 8, Bothroyd 7 (Campbell 80, -)

Subs Not Used: Murphy, Hall, Buzsaky, Smith

Booked: Derry (foul)

Newcastle: Krul 6, Simpson 7, Steven Taylor 6, Coloccini 7, Ryan Taylor 6, Cabaye 6,Tiote 7, Obertan 6 (Sammy Ameobi 88, -), Gutierrez 6, Best 6 (Marveaux 82, -),Shola Ameobi 5 (Ba 64, 6)

Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Guthrie, Lovenkrands

Booked: Shola Ameobi (dissent),Tiote (repetitive fouling),Steven Taylor (foul)

Newcastle 1 QPR 1, Wednesday September 30, 2009, Championship

QPR were at the height of their Jim Magilton form back in 2009 when they travelled to St James’ Park for the first time since 1996. Newcastle were top but QPR were flying up the table amid a host of free scoring thrashings and took an early lead when Ben Watson’s speculative shot was deflected past Steve Harper to send a sizeable midweek travelling support wild. Rangers had good cause to be angry with referee Rob Shoebridge thereafter, the Derbyshire based official seemed hugely intimidated by the large home crowd and awarded a ridiculously harsh penalty against Damion Stewart midway through the first half which Danny Guthrie took and the superb Radek Cerny saved. The Magpies did get their equaliser in the second half when Marlon Harewood climbed off the bench to bundle home his annual goal against QPR and although Cerny was the QPR man of the match the visitors had more than their fair share of the game and were thoroughly good value for their point.

Newcastle: Harper 7, Enrique 7, Taylor 7, Khizanishvili 6, Simpson 6, Smith 7, Butt 4 (Gutierrez 46, 8), Nolan 6, Guthrie 4 (Lovenkrands 88, -), Carroll 8, Ranger 6 (Harewood 61, 7)

Subs: Geremi, Krul, Kadar, Donaldson

Goals: Harewood 70 (assisted Carroll)

Bookings: Smith (foul)

QPR: Cerny 9, Leigertwood 7, Stewart 8, Gorkss 7, Borrowdale 7, Routledge 7, Rowlands 8, Watson 9, Buzaky 7, Vine 6 (Faurlin 87, -), Simpson 8 (Taarabt 73, 7)

Subs not used: Ramage, Agyemang, Pellicori, Heaton, Ephraim

Goals: Watson 7 (unassisted)

Bookings: Stewart (foul), Leigertwood (foul), Buzsaky (failing to retreat)

Previous Results

2012/13 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

2011/12 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

2011/12 QPR 0 Newcastle 0

2009/10 QPR 0 Newcastle 1

2009/10 Newcastle 1 QPR 1 (Watson)

1995/96 Newcastle 2 QPR 1 (Holloway)

1995/96 QPR 2 Newcastle 3 (Dichio 2)

1994/95 QPR 3 Newcastle 0 (Ferdinand 2, Barker)

1994/95 Newcastle 2 QPR 1 (Dichio)

1993/94 QPR 1 Newcastle 2 (Penrice)

1993/94 Newcastle 1 QPR 2 (Ferdinand, B Allen)

1988/89 Newcastle 1 QPR 2 (Stein, Clarke)

1988/89 QPR 3 Newcastle 0 (Maddix, M Allen, Falco)

1987/88 Newcastle 1 QPR 1 (Kerslake)

1987/88 QPR 1 Newcastle 1 (Wharton og)

1986/87 QPR 2 Newcastle 1 (Byrne, Fillery)

1986/87 Newcastle 0 QPR 2 (Byrne, Bannister)

1985/86 QPR 3 Newcastle 1 (Fenwick 2, Robinson)

1985/86 Newcastle 3 QPR 1 (Fenwick)

1984/85 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

1984/85 QPR 5 Newcastle 5 (Bannister, Stainrod, Gregory, Wicks, Mickelwhite)

1982/83 QPR 2 Newcastle 0 (Gregory 2)

1982/83 Newcastle 1 QPR 0

1981/82 Newcastle 0 QPR 4 (Gregory, C Allen, Flanagan, Stainrod)

1981/82 QPR 3 Newcastle 0 (King, Roeder, Stainrod)

1979/80 QPR 2 Newcastle 1 (Roeder, McCreery)

1979/80 Newcastle 4 QPR 2 (Goddard, Roeder)

1977/78 Newcastle 0 QPR 3 (Givens, McGee, Hollins)

1977/78 QPR 0 Newcastle 1

1976/77 QPR 1 Newcastle 2 (Givens)

1976/77 Newcastle 2 QPR 0

1975/76 Newcastle 1 QPR 2 (McLintock, Bowles)

1975/76 Newcastle 2 QPR 1* (Masson)

1975/76 QPR 0 Newcastle 0*

1975/76 QPR 1 Newcastle 3** (Leach)

1975/76 QPR 1 Newcastle 0 (Leach)

1974/75 Newcastle 2 QPR 2 (Francis, Gillard)

1974/75 QPR 0 Newcastle 4**

1974/75 QPR 1 Newcastle 2 (Keeley og)

1973/74 Newcastle 2 QPR 3 (Thomas, Francis, Leach)

1973/74 QPR 3 Newcastle 2 (Clement, Givens, Bowles)

1968/69 QPR 1 Newcastle 1 (Bridges)

1968/69 Newcastle 3 QPR 2 (Wilks, Moncur og)

* - FA Cup

** - League Cup

Memorable Meeting

QPR 3 Newcastle 0, Saturday February 4, 1995, Premier League

QPR 2 Newcastle 3, Saturday October 14, 1995, Premier League

Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle side came to Loftus Road twice in 1995 either side of a record breaking transfer that changed the path of both clubs for the following decade.

In February Keegan brought an injury hit side to W12 to face Ray Wilkins’ QPR side. Warren Barton, John Beresford, Steve Howey and Darren Peacock were all absent, giving the back four something of a makeshift look.

That wasn’t an ideal situation to be in ahead of a game with QPR. They’d recovered from a poor start of one win from the first 11 league games, and the controversial departure of popular manager Gerry Francis, to rally and climb the table. Former player Ray Wilkins had been coaxed back from an ill-fated spell at Crystal Palace to take up his first managerial position at Loftus Road and the R’s had won six and drawn two of the previous 12 including a 3-1 win at Highbury on New Year’s Day against Arsenal.

Missing only Clive Wilson from a full strength line up Rangers set about their visitors from the very first whistle. On a typically dreadful Loftus Road pitch Ian Holloway snapped into an early tackle on peter Beardsley and fed young Kevin Gallen whose first time ball sent Les Ferdinand through in a one on one race with Rob Elliott of which there was only ever going to be one winner. Ferdinand burned off Elliott, drew Mike Hooper from his line, and slotted in from a narrow angle.

There was more to come just three minutes later. Again Newcastle found the rutted, sandy playing surface tough going. Rob Lee dwelt on the ball in midfield fractionally too long which was all the invitation Alan McDonald required to steam out of his centre half position and launch into a fearsome tackle that left the Newcastle man laid out on the deck and sent the ball flying clean as a whistle to Gallen. Once more the youth team graduate simply helped Ferdinand through on goal and this time the prolific front man went for power and beat Hooper with a low drive.

The Magpies were shell shocked and they barely lasted another ten minutes before they fell three behind. Hard working Holloway snatched possession as Newcastle tried to work a free kick out of their own area and fed Impey whose deep cross was met in the air by Simon Barker, who seemed to be trying to guide the ball back into the danger area rather than score but nevertheless managed to perfectly lob the ball over Hooper and into the net for a third with only 18 minutes played.

Lee struck a long range shot well wide before half time but the closest the game came to a fourth goal was in the second half when Ferdinand saw an initial shot blocked back to him on the edge of the area and then launched a 20 yard barnburner flush onto the underside of the bar, down onto the goal line and away to safety. Inches away from a fabulous hat trick.

Gallen should have scored too. Powerful wing play from Impey carried him past Lee Clark and Marc Hottiger before a cross on the run presented Gallen with a chance that seemed harder to miss at the back post but he headed down into the ground and the ball bounced up and over the cross bar.

Keegan had seen enough. He returned to W12 that summer with his cheque book in hand and bought Ferdinand for £6m. No surprise really – Les seemed to love playing against the Geordies and had been almost completely unplayable in QPR’s memorable 2-1 win on Tyneside the season before when he scored one and made another for Bradley Allen before Jan Stejskal’s late penalty save preserved the points. Rangers largely wasted the money – the most they’d ever received for a player – and it left them woefully short in attack where Ferdinand’s direct replacement Mark Hateley was often injured and well past his best when fit, and Danny Dichio lacked the necessary experience to replace one of the country’s top marksmen.

Probably Dichio’s finest performance for the R’s came against Newcastle in October that year, ironically on Les Ferdinand’s first return to the club. The difference in the two teams at kick off compared to the previous season was obvious – Bardsley and McDonald ruled out of the QPR defence to be replaced by Karl Ready and Steve Yates while Barton, Howey, Peacock and Beresford were all back for Newcastle who had added David Ginola to their attack along with Ferdinand. Up front this time Wilkins paired Sinclair and Dichio with Simon Osborn a new arrival in midfield.

Not surprisingly the R’s had started the season poorly, losing four of the first five, but they’d rallied prior to this with away wins at Leeds and Bolton and a terribly unfortunate 3-2 home defeat by Spurs. Newcastle on the other hand – sixth the season before – had won nine of their first ten games with only a 1-0 defeat at Southampton to blot their copy book. They were streaking away at the top of the Premier League.

Selected as the main game on Match of the Day, and with The Sun typically trumping up a comment from Danny Maddix about the marking job he was intending to do on Ferdinand, this one turned out to be an absolute cracker in front of a full house at Loftus Road. Dichio in particular was superb and thumped in a glorious header two minutes before half time to open the scoring. Winger Keith Gillespie responded in kind immediately after the break which set the stage for Ferdinand to seize on the one ball QPR allowed to drop in behind their defence all afternoon, power away from Maddix, and thrash an unstoppable shot past Jurgeon Sommer at the Loft End. A real heartbreaker.

Back came Wilkins’ team though and Dichio was soon in again for an equaliser. From there it looked like only the home side could win the game, but Rangers would finish the season relegated and a penchant for self destruction had a lot to do with that. With 20 minutes left for play a harmless, aimless ball into the right Newcastle channel should have posed QPR few problems but Sommer rushed needlessly from his line at the exact moment that Karl Ready laid a lazy, blind back pass to where he thought his keeper should have been. The perfect defensive storm left Ready and Sommer stranded on the corner of their own penalty box and Keith Gillespie all alone with the ball in the middle of the penalty area and an open goal laid before him.

Ferdinand should have won a league title medal that season. The Magpies won nine and drew three of the next 14 matches and were 12 points clear of Manchester United at one stage before a dramatic collapse with five defeats and a draw from eight matches through March and April let Alex Ferguson’s side back in to pinch the league from them.

QPR failed to recover from the loss of Ferdinand, and to a lesser extent Clive Wilson, and were relegated at the end of the campaign. They didn’t return to the top flight for another 15 years, and then made rather a pig’s ear of it when they finally did.

QPR 94/95: Roberts, Bardsley, Maddix, McDonald, Brevett, Impey, Holloway, Barker, Sinclair, Gallen, Ferdinand (Dichio 89)

Subs not used: Yates, Dykstra

Goals: Ferdinand 4, 7, Barker 19

Bookings: Barker, Brevett Newcastle 94/95: Hooper, Bracewell, Hottiger, Watson, Elliott, Gillespie, Clark, Lee, Nielson, Beardsley, Kitson (Mathie 52)

Subs not used: Harper, Drysdale

Bookings: Elliott

Referee: Keith Cooper

Attendance: 16,576

QPR 95/96: Sommer, Yates, Ready, Maddix, Brevett, Impey, Holloway, Barker, Osborn (Goodridge 72), Sinclair, Dichio

Subs not used: Gallen, Wilkins

Goals: Dichio 43, 68

Bookings: Barker, Dichio

Newcastle 95/96: Hislop, Barton, Howey, Peacock, Beresford, Ginola (Sellars 72), Clark, Lee, Gillespie, Beardsley, Ferdinand

Subs not used: Srnicek, Watson

Goals: Gillespie 46, 72, Ferdinand 65

Bookings: Ferdinand, Barton

Referee: Paul Durkin

Attendance: 18,524

Highlights >>> QPR 0 Newcastle 1, 2010 >>> Newcastle 1 QPR 2, 1993 >>> QPR 5 Newcastle 5 Part 1 >>> Part 2 >>> Part 3 >>> Part 4 >>> Part 5 >>> Newcastle 1 QPR 0, 1982, part 1 >>> Newcastle 1 QPR 0, 1982, part 2 >>> Newcastle 2 QPR 1 1980 >>> Newcastle 2 QPR 1 1976 >>> QPR 1 Newcastle 2 1974

Connections

Les Ferdinand is still the best known export from Loftus Road to St James’ Park, but two years before his £6m move the R’s also sold centre back Darren Peacock to Kevin Keegan’s side for a fee in the region of £2.7m.

Peacock was originally taken from lower league Hereford by QPR in 1990 at a time of great crisis at Loftus Road. Danny Maddix, Paul Parker and Alan McDonald all suffered long term injuries at the same time and manager Don Howe had run so low on centre halves he’d been reduced to loaning the terminally useless Gus Caesar from his former club Arsenal.

Without a win in ten matches and in the bottom three of the old First Division Howe brought Bobby Gould in as his new assistant manager and Gould’s little black book immediately turned up two prospects from the lower divisions who could come in and solve the centre half crisis. Andy Tilson from Grimsby Town was one, Darren Peacock from Hereford for £200,000 was the other.

Peacock was, it’s fair to say, an unconventional looking player with a long straggly barnet draped across his shoulders throughout his time with Rangers and Newcastle. He was also fairly accident prone, often falling over inexplicably at the worst possible moment and costing his team a goal. But as the Premier League era dawned and Gerry Francis made Rangers the top London club in the country Peacock blossomed into a very fine top flight centre back.

He was the Player of the Year elect in 1994 when chairman Richard Thompson - as he did with Paul Parker, Andy Sinton and so many QPR stars at the time – authorised his sale to Newcastle for £2.7m. Gerry Francis was forced to muddle through with youth team centre half Karl Ready as his replacement and QPR endured a torrid run of just two wins from their final ten matches of the season as a result. That run included big defeats against Oldham (4-1), Leeds (4-0), Sheff Wed (3-1) and Swindon Town who only won five matches all season but picked up their only away success of the campaign, and completed a humiliating double over QPR, when they won 3-1 at Loftus Road. Francis resigned midway through the following season, tired of Thompson’s methods.

At Newcastle, Peacock was also part of the side that was pipped by Man Utd to the title in 1995/96. He moved on to Blackburn in 1998 and although he clocked up the thick end of 50 appearances there a chronic back problem forced him into early retirement after a brief loan spell with Wolves where he came close to paralysing himself in a clash with his own goalkeeper Michael Oakes.

Recently named manager of non-league side Lancaster City.

Others >>> Joey Barton, Newcastle 2007-2011, QPR 2011-present >>> Peter Ramage, Newcastle 2004-2008, QPR 2008-2011 >>> Kieron Dyer, Newcastle 1999-2007, QPR 2011-2013 >>> Wayne Routledge, 2009-2010, 2011, Newcastle 2010-2011 >>> Fitz Hall, QPR 2008-2012, Newcastle loan 2010 >>> Leon Best, QPR 2004-2005, Newcastle 2010-2012 >>> Warren Barton, Newcastle 1995-2001, QPR 2003-2004 >>> Les Ferdinand, QPR 1987-1995, Newcastle 1995-1997 >>> Gavin Peacock, QPR 1984-1987, 1996-2002, Newcastle 1990-1993 >>> Kenny Sansom, Newcastle 1988-1989, QPR 1989-1991 >>> Kevin Brock, QPR 1987-1989, Newcastle 1989-1994 >>> Ossie Ardiles, QPR 1988-1989, Newcastle manager 1991-1992 >>> Jim Smith, QPR manager 1985-198, Newcastle manager 1988-1991 >>> Glenn Roeder, QPR 1978-1983, Newcastle 1983-1989, manager 2006-2007 >>> Wayne Fereday, QPR 1980-1989, Newcastle 1989-1990 >>>John Burridge, QPR 1980-1982, Newcastle 1989-1991 >>> Ian Stewart, QPR 1980-1985 >>> Newcastle 1985-1987 >>> Dave McCreery, QPR 1979-1981, Newcastle 1982-1989 >>> Paul Goddard, QPR 1977-1980, Newcastle 1986-1988 >>> Gavin Maguire, QPR 1984-1989, Newcastle loan 1992

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Pictures – Action Images

Photo: Action Images

SonofNorfolt added 01:02 - May 9 When Les scored against us at LR, I recall thinking to myself, 'We're relegated this season,' a side that was pretty good, suddenly looked less than ordinary. I still cannot believe England never played Les & Shearer together. In Euro '96, the opposition would not have been able to cope with the both of them on form.
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probbo added 12:50 - May 9 Sir Les - what a legend. In that 95/6 game I was sat in the Ellerslie Rd stand with a mate of mine, next to 4 geordies, all aged 50 and upwards who had been fawning over Beardsley prior to the start of the game. The banter was great throughout and when they all got up after Dichio scored my mate said to them 'sneaking out all ready lads'?! Sadly they had the last laugh and I vaguely recall Beardsley did play very well that day. I never rated Yates and Ready.

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TacticalR added 23:05 - May 9 Always painful to think about the sale of Ferdinand, and frustrating to think that his good performances against Newcastle led to Keegan raiding the club after having already nabbed Peacock. One of the ideas behind the Ferdinand sale seemed to be that 4 average players are worth one excellent player, but if anything the sale proved Ferdinand was worth 20 Ned Zelics.
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qprninja added 11:03 - May 10 That shot of Les's that hit the underside of the bar but didn't go in was the hardest I've ever seen a ball hit I reckon, he certainly pinged it.
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QPunkR added 11:38 - May 10 probbo - Ain't nobody ever rated those two!!
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isawqpratwcity added 13:26 - May 10 My gut sank as soon as LF's sale was announced. I always knew that was relegation up from then on. Wilkin's transfers could have proved me wrong, but he went out of his way...
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