Norwich v QPR, April 17th 1976. Parallels with this season?

[Phil Schmil 0]

The current media bias towards Liverpool takes me back 38 years to the 1975/76 season. At the time QPR were the media darlings and challenging Liverpool for the title.

Forward to Saturday April 17th 1976 and with 3 games to go QPR were slight favourites to win the league and visited Carrow Road for a must win game. I remember going to the match with my cousin and we ended up in the River End not far from the corner flag as the ground was absolutely heaving with lots of QPR fans in home sections.

What followed remains one of the best matches I have seen at Carrow Road. Ted McDougall put city ahead after a defensive mix up only for England winger Dave Thomas to cut in from the left and score a fine individual goal past a static City defence. 1-1 at half-time and the game was superbly poised.

Norwich defender Tony Powell was having something of a running battle with QPR striker Stan Bowles and I''m sure Powell stuck one on Bowles right in front of where I was standing.

Peter Morris then put City 2-1 in front with a volley from outside of the area. I remember being right behind the flight of the ball after he hit it and it flew in at the Barclay end. I think it was the only goal he ever scored for us.

QPR pressed for an equaliser only for Phil Boyer to score with a header, seemingly from an offside position.

Back came QPR and a long ball saw the feuding Tony Powell and Stan Bowles in a race towards the City goal. Powell got there first, but could only lob the ball over Kevin Keelan for an o.g. 

QPR went all out for an equaliser and City almost caught them on the break, Boyer firing narrowly wide.

The final whistle blew and City had won 3-2. Liverpool went on to win the league and their first European Cup the season after.

I remember Jimmy Hill sitting stony faced on Match of the Day as he said that Phil Boyer''s goal looked suspiciously offside.

Norwich were the team that had stopped QPR winning the league and many of their fans seem to have held a grudge against us ever since.

 

38 years later to the week and we are about to play this seasons Media darlings. Just maybe Liverpool fans will be holding similar grudges against City in 38 years time.

OTBC!

[nutty nigel 7,509]

I was there too Phil and remember the game well. It was Easter Saturday and as I remember a glorious day and a great match which I thought we played well. However the national view was that we were extremely lucky. I guess my yellow and green glasses were even stronger back then![;)] You''re right some older QPR fans haven''t forgiven us. And Liverpool fans have never shown any gratitude[:O] [;)]

 

By a strange quirk of fate we played QPR at home again on Easter Monday 17th April 2006. We also won the game 3-2. It was the game I''ll always remember for the disgraceful seens around me in the Barclay with some fans cheering QPR goals through hatred for Worthy only to end up skulking out with faces like slapped arses because we made a late comeback to win 3-2.

 

It''s a funny old game!

 

http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/37-As-good-as-it-got/1295-queens-park-rangers-1975-76

 

Wouldn''t it be great to change the course of history again this Easter.

 

 

[Phil Schmil 0]

Thanks for sharing that article, Nigel. Interesting to read the QPR view of the 1976 match. I''d settle for the national media having a similar opinion of our luck after this weekends match.

I hadn''t appreciated that the 2006 match was on the same date 30 years later. 

Going back to 75/76 we had many other great results that season. Home wins of 5-3 over Villa, 4-2 over Everton and 3-1 over Arsenal and away wins of 3-0 at Elland Road and 3-1 at ............. Anfield.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

There were some great results buddy. It was also the season where we lost to Bradford at home in the 5th round of the FA Cup. Southampton went on to win it from the second division and I was convinced we could have got to Wembley without playing another first division club!! (Although people kept telling me the draw would have worked out differently!). Of course it did take us 3 attempts to knock out Rochdale in the third round..

 

 

[Surfer 1,547]

I watched it from the Barclay end, and it was an entertaining game as you could wish for, made all the sweeter by us winning. You had to feel a little sorry for QPR as they were the "small club punching above it''s weight", and a similar loss of a couple of critical games at the end of the 92-93 season was to cost us when we almost became the most improbable Premier League champions.

[Six Pack 91]

Remember being pretty excited beating them at the time.

But through the years have regret we helped Liverpool win the title. QPR were the underdogs. I remember beating them (Liverpool) that season as well & should have beaten them at Carrow Road but Boyer missed a couple of sitters.

Would just love it if we''re the ones that deny them the title.