HISTORY TODAY: 10th APRIL
Thursday 10th April 2008
by Ron Norris

Another look back through some memorable, and some not so memorable moments from our history. We delve into the archives to find a great win, a poor defeat, a debut, a hatrick and the birth of a former Rangers player from April 10th in years gone by.  

Win

In 1976 QPR looked to be on the march towards their first ever league title. After an undefeated run of eleven games, amounting to ten wins and just one draw, Middlesbrough visited Loftus Road and went away on the end of a 4-2 defeat as Dave Sexton's boys extended the run to twelve games.

Gerry Francis bagged two, with one coming from the spot whilst Don Givens and Stan Bowles completed the scoring. Unfortunately, just one week later the great run came to an end in a 3-2 defeat at Norwich, the game that most feel cost Rangers the championship.

Defeat  

Just seven days earlier in 1982 The R's had seen off West Brom to reach The FA Cup final and were preparing to face Tottenham at Wembley in May. However on April 10th that year it was very much a case of after the Lord Mayors Show as Chelsea saw off Terry Venables side 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with John Gregory scoring the Hoops only goal that day.

Born  

Joseph Denoon's exact year of birth is unknown however we do know he was born on this day sometime in the 1880's. His QPR debut came about in 1917 against West Ham and he went onto make 89 appearances between sticks for The R's wartime sides.

During the First World War football was kept going as best it could, all national leagues were scrapped and the Southern League teams joined with football league sides such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Fulham to form the London Combination. This format went on until 1919 when normal service was slowly resumed.

This period also proved very significant as during 1917 Rangers' ground at Harvest Road was seconded by the military and turned into allotments. QPR took over a patch of land in Ellerslie Road formally owned by the now disbanded Shepherds Bush FC. It was little more than a field but it was slowly built up using bits and pieces from previous grounds and soon became better known as Loftus Road.

Debut 

In 1999 things were looking up for beleaguered Queens Park Rangers, the return of Gerry Francis the previous season had saved us from relegation to the third tier of English football and we were sitting comfortably in mid table as the 98/99 campaign came to a close. Of course we didn't know what was to happen over the next two years!

A late signing that season made his debut on April 10th and would go onto enjoy a popular stint in W12. Jermaine Darlington signed from Aylesbury for just £25,000 and made his first start in a 2-1 home win over West Brom with Karl Ready and Gavin Peacock scoring the goals.

Darlington was sold off less than two years later by the clubs administrators in what Ian Holloway described at the time as "theft". He moved to Watford after making 78 appearances for Rangers, scoring two goals.

Hatrick 

The inaugural Premier League changed the face of football forever and as part of it, Rangers can take some pride/bear some blame, for the way the game is today.

That first season was a magnificent one to be an R's fan. A great side full of fantastic, exciting players and led by (the then) inspirational Gerry Francis finished fifth above the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea. On the morning of April 10th Les Ferdinand had already scored 15 goals and by the time relegation bound Nottingham Forest left Loftus Road that evening Les had 18 to his name. Rangers won the game 4-3 with a Clive Wilson penalty complementing Ferdinand's hatrick.

Two days later The R's travelled to Everton and Ferdinand did it again, bagging back to back hatricks as we beat The Toffee's 5-3.