VITAL QPR takes you back to 1972 as the R’s flying high in Division Two took on mid-table Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Teams: Bristol City v Queens Park Rangers.
Date: Saturday 11th November, 1972.
Competition: Football League Division Two.
Venue: Ashton Gate, Bristol.
Bristol City were seeking vengeance following back to back defeats in the second Division, most notably the 5-1 thumping by Rangers’ west London neighbours Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Rangers had also stuttered in their previous two fixtures, being beaten by Blackpool away (2-0), before drawing at to Hull City (1-1) with Stan Bowles notching. However before that Rangers won five fixtures on the bounce, stretching their unbeaten run at Loftus Road to beyond seven months.
It was Ray Cashley’s mistake that handed the R’s first blood in this encounter. The stopper who had performed so heroically to keep the R`s to one goal up at Loftus Road a month previous, misjudged an effort from £40k signing from Luton Town, Don Givens, whose floated effort crept in the near post.
City were made of stern stuff however, and despite not being able to match the R’s for flair play and attractive football, they got back on level terms from a smart counter attacking move. Stan Bowles had been penalised for handball after punching his effort into the back of the net, A quickly taken free-kick had Rangers at a disadvantage, with Tainton knocking the ball long and John Galley slotting past a forlorn Phil Parkes for the equaliser.
For the Robins attacking exploits they had little in the way of a defensive unit and the R’s were able to coast forward and bag another goal courtesy of Givens once more. Dave Thomas swung in a testing corner, for which Givens rose unmarked to nod home his 11th goal of the campaign.
Despite a valiant late effort from City, which included ten corners, goalkeeper Phil Parkes more than matched each and every one as Rangers were given a scare down at Ashton Gate.
Ultimately the R’s would go on to achieve promotion into the top tier of English football by finishing as runners up to eventual winners, Burnley, as Bristol City rounded off the campaign in seventh.
Final Score: Bristol City 1-2 Queens Park Rangers.
Attendance: 12,570.
Teams
Bristol City: Cashley, Jacobs, Wilson, Sweeney, Rodgers, Merrick, Tainton, Spiring (Emannuel), Galley, Gow, Bartley.
QPR: Parkes, Clement, Watson, Venables, Evans, Hazell, Thomas, Francis, Leach, Bowles, Givens.
