QPR

Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Road since 1917, other than two brief spells at the White City Stadium. They share rivalries with various other clubs, most notably they contest the West London derby.

The club was founded as Christchurch Rangers in 1882 and took up their current name after merging with St Judes Institute four years later. Having won the West London League in 1898–99, they joined both the Southern League and Western League. Having won titles in both leagues, they were elected to the Football League in 1920. They played in the Third Division South until winning promotion as champions in 1947–48. Relegated in 1952, they won the Third Division and League Cup in the 1966–67 season under the stewardship of Alec Stock. Promoted from the Second Division in 1967–68, they were relegated after one season in the First Division. QPR won promotion again in 1972–73 and then were runners-up to the English football champions in 1975–76 after finishing one point behind Liverpool. Relegated in 1979, they reached the FA Cup final as a second tier club in 1982, losing to Tottenham Hotspur after a replay.

QPR won another Second Division title in 1982–83 and were beaten finalists in the 1986 League Cup final. They remained in the top-flight for thirteen years, becoming founder members of the Premier League in 1992, before they were relegated in 1996. Relegated again in 2001, they secured promotion from the third tier at the end of the 2003–04 campaign. QPR won promotion as winners of the Championship in 2010–11, though were relegated from the Premier League after two seasons. They won an immediate promotion via the play-offs in 2014, though were relegated again the following season and have remained in the Championship since that time.

History

1880s–1970s

The club was formed in 1886, when a team known as St Jude's (formed in 1884) merged with Christchurch Rangers (formed in 1882). The resulting team was called Queen's Park Rangers and their official formation date is considered to be 1882, which is the original founding date of Christchurch Rangers. The club's name came from the fact most of the players came from the Queen's Park area of west London. St Jude's Institute on Ilbert Street W10 is still in use as a community hall and in July 2011 club icon Stan Bowles unveiled a plaque celebrating its place in history.

QPR became a professional team in 1889. The club were elected into the Southern Football League in 1899. They first won the Southern Football League in 1907–08. As Southern League champions that year, they played in the first ever Charity Shield match, against the Football League champions, Manchester United. The club lost 4–0 in a replay after the first game had finished 1–1. Both games were played at Stamford Bridge. QPR were Southern League champions for a second time in 1911-12.

The club joined the Football League in 1920, when the Third Division was formed, mainly with Southern League clubs. When the Third Division was split into North and South the following season, QPR, like most of the former Southern League clubs that had joined the Football League to form the Third Division, were in the Third Division (South).

QPR played their home games in nearly 20 different stadia (a league record), before permanently settling at Loftus Road in 1917, although the team would briefly attempt to attract larger crowds by playing at the White City Stadium for two short spells: 1931 to 1933, and the 1962–63 season.

The club were promoted as champions of Division 3 South in the 1947–48 season. Dave Mangnall was the manager as the club participated in four seasons of the Second Division, being relegated in 1951–52. Tony Ingham was signed from Leeds United and went on to make the most ever league appearances for QPR (519). Arguably the club's greatest ever manager, Alec Stock, arrived prior to the start of the 1959–60 season. The 1960–61 season saw QPR achieve their biggest win to date: 9–2 vs Tranmere Rovers in a Division 3 match. In time, Stock, together with Jim Gregory who arrived as chairman in the mid-1960s, helped to achieve a total transformation of the club and its surroundings.

In 1966–67, QPR won the Division Three championship and became the first Third Division club to win the League Cup on Saturday, 4 March 1967, beating West Bromwich Albion 3–2, coming back from a two-goal deficit. It is still the only major trophy that QPR have won. It was also the first League Cup final to be held at Wembley Stadium. After winning promotion in 1968 to the top flight for the first time in their history, Rangers were relegated after just one season and spent the next four years in Division Two. Terry Venables joined from Spurs at the beginning of the 1969–70 season and Rodney Marsh was sold to Manchester City. During this time, new QPR heroes emerged including Phil Parkes, Don Givens, Dave Thomas and Stan Bowles. These new signings were in addition to home-grown talent such as Dave Clement, Ian Gillard, Mick Leach and Gerry Francis.

In 1974, Dave Sexton joined as manager and, in 1975–76 led QPR to the runners-up spot in the First Division, missing out on the championship by one point with a squad containing seven England internationals and internationals from the home nations. After completing their 42-game season, QPR sat at the top of the league, one point ahead of Liverpool who went on to defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers to clinch the title. Wolves were relegated to the Second Division that same season. The late 1970s also saw some cup success with Rangers reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup and in their first entry into European football reached the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup losing to AEK Athens on penalties. Following Sexton's departure in 1977 the club eventually slipped into the Second Division in 1979.

1980s–1990s

In 1980, Terry Venables took over as manager and in 1981 the club installed an artificial turf pitch. In 1982 QPR, still playing in the Second Division, reached the FA Cup Final for the only time in the club's history, facing holders Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham won 1–0 in a replay. The following season QPR went on to win the Second Division championship and returned to English football's top division. After a respectable fifth-place finish, and UEFA Cup qualification, the following year, Venables departed to become manager of Barcelona. In 1988 the club had a new chairman, 24-year-old Richard Thompson. Over the next seven years, various managers came and went from Loftus Road and the club spent many seasons finishing mid table but avoided relegation. The most successful season during this period was the 1987–88 season in which QPR finished fifth, missing out on a UEFA Cup campaign due to the ban on English clubs in European competition as a result of the Heysel Stadium disaster. They were also runners up in the 1986 League Cup, losing to Oxford United.

Gerry Francis, a key player in the 1970s QPR side who had proved himself as a successful manager with Bristol Rovers, was appointed manager in the summer of 1991. In the 1991–92 First Division campaign they finished mid-table in the league and were founder members of the new Premier League, finishing fifth, as top London club, in the 1992–93 inaugural season. Francis oversaw one of QPR's most famous victories, the 4–1 win at Old Trafford in front of live TV on New Year's Day 1992. Midway through the 1994–95 season Francis resigned and very quickly became manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Ray Wilkins was installed as player-manager. Wilkins led QPR to an eighth-place finish in the Premiership. In July 1995 the club's top goalscorer, Les Ferdinand, was sold for a club record fee of £6 million to Newcastle United.

QPR struggled throughout the following season and were relegated at the end of the 1995–96 season. QPR then competed in Division 1 until 2001 under a succession of managers. Gerry Francis returned in 1998; however, the 2000–2001 season proved to be a disaster, and Francis resigned in early 2001.

2000–present

Charismatic former player Ian Holloway became manager, but was unable to stop Rangers from being relegated to England's third tier for the first time for more than 30 years. Following the 2003–2004 season QPR returned to Division 1 and struggled for consistent form over the next two campaigns before Holloway was suspended amidst rumours of his impending departure for Leicester City. A poor series of results and lack of progress at the club saw Holloway's successors Gary Waddock and later John Gregory – both former players – fail to hold on to the manager's job.

During this same period, QPR became embroiled in financial and boardroom controversy. Although the club had floated on the Alternative Investment Market in 1991, in 2001 it entered administration (receivership). A period of financial hardship followed and the club left administration after receiving a £10m high-interest emergency loan which continued to burden the club. Scandals involving the directors, shareholders and others emerged in 2005–06 season and included allegations of blackmail and threats of violence against the club's chairman Gianni Paladini. In an unrelated incident, QPR were further rocked by the murder of youth team player Kiyan Prince on 18 May 2006 and, in August 2007, the death of teenager and promising first-team player Ray Jones in a car crash.

Following this low point in the club's history as Rangers also faced mounting financial pressure, in the same month it was announced that the club had been bought by wealthy Formula One businessmen Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone (see '' Ownership and finances'' below). During the 2007–08 season, Rangers competed in the Football League Championship (see also: 2007–08 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season). John Gregory's reign as manager came to an end in October 2007 after a string of poor results left QPR at the bottom of the Championship and he was replaced by Luigi De Canio until the end of the 2007–08 season. Further investment followed in early 2008 as the club looked to push for promotion to the Premier League within four years, on the back of greater financial stability. On 14 May 2008, Iain Dowie was announced as the manager to begin the campaign to return Rangers to the top flight. However, on 24 October 2008 Dowie was sacked after just 15 games in charge of the club.

On 19 November 2008, QPR named former Portugal midfielder Paulo Sousa as their new first team coach. However, on 9 April 2009, his contract was terminated after he allegedly divulged confidential information without authority. On the same day as Sousa's sacking, player/coach Gareth Ainsworth was appointed as player/caretaker manager for a second time. In June 2009 Jim Magilton was named as new manager of QPR. Despite leading QPR to a good start to the 2009–10 season, a loss of form combined with an alleged head-butting incident with Hungarian midfielder Ákos Buzsáky saw the club further embroiled in controversy. Magilton left the club by mutual consent on 16 December 2009, along with his assistant John Gorman. They were replaced by Paul Hart and Mick Harford on the next day. Less than a month and only five games after becoming manager at QPR, Hart parted with the club on 14 January 2010; the reasons for his leaving the club were unstated.

On 30 April 2011, QPR secured promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship with a 2–0 win over Watford. A subsequent FA investigation involving QPR's acquisition of Alejandro Faurlín threatened to deduct points from the side and put their promotion into jeopardy. The investigation concluded on 7 May 2011, with QPR found to be at fault in two of the seven charges, and received a £875,000 fine. However, there were no points deducted by the FA, and QPR's promotion to the Premier League was secured.

In January 2012, club chairman Tony Fernandes appointed Mark Hughes as team manager 36 hours after the previous incumbent Neil Warnock was sacked. Following a tough start to his Loftus Road career and after a run of five straight home wins, Hughes and QPR escaped relegation despite a dramatic 3–2 defeat at Manchester City on the last day of the season.

On 23 November 2012, Mark Hughes was sacked after a poor start to the 2012–13 season, having amassed only four points in 12 games and with the club languishing at the bottom of the Premier League despite significant financial investment in new players in the 11 months of Hughes' tenure. A day later, Harry Redknapp was confirmed as the new manager. On 28 April 2013, in a 0–0 draw against fellow relegation rivals Reading, and with three games of the season to play, QPR were relegated from the Premier League down to the Championship after two seasons in the top flight.

During the 2013–14 season, QPR finished fourth in the Championship, and qualified for the play-offs where they defeated Wigan Athletic in the semi-finals. In the final against favourites Derby County on 24 May 2014, QPR won 1–0 with a goal scored by Bobby Zamora in the 90th minute to return to the Premier League.

Following promotion to the Premier League, QPR endured a difficult 2014–15 campaign. Harry Redknapp resigned in February after poor results and mutual frustration with the board. He was replaced by Chris Ramsey. The club finished the season in last place, amassing only 30 points, and were relegated back to the Championship after only one season. After a poor start to the following season, Ramsey was sacked in November 2015 and former manager Neil Warnock returned in interim charge. On 4 December 2015, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was appointed the club's new manager on a rolling contract. Hasselbaink was sacked on 5 November 2016, just 11 months after being in charge. Then six days later QPR reappointed Ian Holloway who was in charge 10 years previously. Holloway left the club at the end of the 2017–18 season.

On 17 May 2018, QPR appointed former England manager Steve McClaren as manager. Despite a promising first half of the season in which the team sat as high as eighth by Christmas, results quickly tailed off following the turn of the year and McClaren was sacked in April 2019 after a 2–1 loss to Bolton.

On 8 May 2019, Mark Warburton was appointed as McClaren's successor on a two-year deal. He signed a new contract ahead of the 2021–22 season. The club played attractive possession based football and challenged for promotion in each of Warburton's three seasons in charge however failed to make the playoffs in any of these seasons. Warburton's contract was not renewed after the 2021–22 season in which a disappointing end to the season saw Rangers drop out of the playoff where they had spent the majority of the season and finishing 11th. Ahead of the 2022–23 season, former Aston Villa and Glasgow Rangers assistant manager Mick Beale was appointed as manager on a three year deal on 1 June 2022.

Kits

Grounds

Queens Park Rangers have led a somewhat nomadic existence in their history. The several grounds used prior to 1886 are unknown but were probably in the Queens Park area of London (the first being ''The Queens Park'' itself). Thereafter, the club played at 15 different locations in west London and north-west London, but since joining the Football League in 1920, they have only played at two grounds: Loftus Road ( Formally known as Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium ) and White City Stadium.

*Welford Fields (1886–1888)
* London Scottish Ground (1888–1889)
*Home Farm (1888–1889)
*Kensal Green (1888–1889)
*Gun Club (1888–1889)
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