QUEENS Park Rangers were undergoing transformation as they hosted mid-table side Reading in the Third Division.
Queens Park Rangers were undergoing transformation as they hosted mid-table side Reading in the Third Division.
Teams: Queens Park Rangers v Reading
Date: Monday March 7, 1960
Competition: Football League Third Division
Venue: Loftus Road, London
Following Jack Taylor’s departure to First Division Leeds United, QPR recruited former player and Yeovil Town manager Alec Stock.
Stock has masterminded a glorious cup run with the Glovers, which took them to the fifth round of the FA Cup – dispatching of Sunderland in a famous victory in the process.
He wasted no time in recruiting players, with Brian Bedford, Jimmy Andrews, Jimmy Golding and Ken Whitfield all moving to QPR.
One thing Stock had instilled was a solid home foundation, with only one defeat coming in 15 games at Loftus Road.
Indeed the R’s had won their last four home fixtures against Colchester United (3-1), Accrington Stanley (5-1), Tranmere Rovers (2-1) and Mansfield Town (2-0).
Harry Johnston’s Reading had only won once away all season, the thumping 4-0 win over rivals Swindon Town, the same side they defeated 3-0 at Elm Park prior to the clash against QPR.
Their form at home was formidable and indeed was the sole reason for their satisfactory mid-table position in the Third Division.
Stock made two changes from the QPR side that was defeated away at Halifax Town (1-3) at the weekend with George Petchey and Jimmy Golding making way for the Maltese Joe Cini and Clive Clark.
A mere 6,715 attended a fixture that went entirely the way the form book would have suggested with the R’s picking up their fifth home win in succession.
Stock’s signings came up trumps with Jimmy Andrews opening the scoring for the home side with his sixth goal of the season before striker Brian Bedford added to his impressive tally.
The striker joined QPR from Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in July and struck his 20th of the season against Reading to secure a 2-0 win for the hosts.
Bedford went on to score 25 goals as the R’s finished eighth in Alec Stock’s first season in charge. That was ten points behind the promoted runners-up Norwich City, and 12 behind champions Southampton.
Reading went on an excellent run towards the end of the season, only suffering two defeats in 12 games on their way to an 11th placed finish.
That run included a 2-0 reverse for the Royals over QPR at Elm Park as they finished three points and three places behind Rangers in the final reckoning.
Final Score: Queens Park Rangers 2-0 Reading
Attendance: 6,715
Queens Park Rangers: Drinkwater, Woods, Ingham, Keen, Rutter, Angell, Longbottom, Cini, Bedford, Andrews, Clark.
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