NEWLY relegated Plymouth Argyle hosted Queens Park Rangers on the second day of the Third Division season.
Newly relegated Plymouth Argyle hosted Queens Park Rangers on the second day of the Third Division season.
Teams: Plymouth Argyle v Queens Park Rangers
Date: Tuesday August 20, 1957
Competition: Football League Division Three (South)
Venue: Home Park, Plymouth
Following their 18th placed finish in the 1955-56 season, Jack Taylor`s Queens Park Rangers were looking for an improvement in a bid to claim a coveted Second Division spot.
There were several inclusions during the summer to bolster the squad including Peter Lay a defender from Northampton Town along with midfielders Leslie Locke and Cecil Andrews from Bromley and Crystal Palace respectively.
Tom Quigley and Terry Peacock helped to strengthen the attacking line arriving from Portsmouth and Hull City – but it would take a lot to displace Arthur Longbottom, the striker who had been in good form since arriving from Methley United.
QPR`s season got off to a disappointing start, as a visit to Reading and Elm Park ended in defeat on the opening game of the season. A chance to rectify this, again on their travels came in the shape of recently relegated Plymouth Argyle under the guidance of Jack Rowley.
It was Rowley`s first managerial post and he combined this with his playing side after joining Argyle from Manchester United. There he won the FA Cup playing under the guidance of Sir Matt Busby.
After saving Argyle miraculously at the first attempt he couldn`t save them from their eventual drop in 1957 – but the supporters and team kept faith that he was the man to guide them back to the second tier.
Taylor made two changes to his side after the defeat against Reading, with Keith Rutter coming in at centre half to replace Mike Powell along with striker Arthur Longbottom making his first start of the season in place of the long-serving Bobby Cameron.
The 4-1 away defeat to Brentford wasn`t the start that the Pilgrims were looking for as the searched for their first win of a campaign that they hoped would lead them back to the Second Division.
The two sides went into the break level pegging, but it was QPR who grabbed that all important second goal and it came from the reliable source of Arthur Longbottom.
Rangers initial goal from midfielder Peter Angell had given the hosts a foothold on the fixture before Longbottom`s effort won the game for the R`s and secured their first victory of the campaign.
Rangers went on to finish an impressive 10th in the Third Division southern section, which could be viewed upon as over-achievement in light of their previous finishes.
Argyle underachieved to finish 18th in the Third Division but fortunately for them the faith remained in the former England international Rowley who eventually retired in 1957. He led them to the newly united Third Division title and back to the second tier.
Final Score: Plymouth Argyle 1-2 Queens Park Rangers
Attendance: 15,718
Queens Park Rangers: Springett, Woods, Ingham, Petchey, Rutter, Andrews, Hellawell, Longbottom, Quiqley, Quinn, Angell.
Goals: Angell, Longbottom
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