55Years Ago Today:#QPR Make it to Wembley-League Cup Final
Jan 26, 2011 15:50:08 GMT
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Post by Macmoish on Jan 26, 2011 15:50:08 GMT
Bump/Edit - 55 Years ago today: The Second leg vs Birmingham..and to Wembley we go 
Programme from Bushman Archive/below
Originally - QPR's 1967 SF Win - Nice Piece in Birmingham Mail
How QPR halted Birmingham City in their Carling Cup quest in 1967
* by Brian Halford, Birmingham Mail
* Jan 26 2011
FOUR years after lifting the League Cup, Blues knocked out Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Grimsby and Sheffield United to find themselves one step from another final in 1967.
But then they ran into one of the country�s brightest emerging teams � and one of the most dynamic players around.
Queens Park Rangers were storming towards the Division Three title with fast, skilful football which was to bring them more than 100 goals in the league alone that season.
And the leader of their orchestra was Rodney Marsh.
While George Best was lighting up the north with his ineffable skills at Manchester United, down in west London the flamboyant Marsh matched him. Poor Blues were swept away in the semi-final.
Wary of a tough-looking second-leg assignment at Loftus Road, Blues manager Stan Cullis insisted that �nothing less than a two-goal advantage would be good enough� for his team from the first game at St Andrew�s. Blues 1 QPR 4 was not quite what he had in mind.
For 45 minutes, Blues were in command. They took a fourth-minute lead through Barry Bridges and kept the visitors� roving midfielders reined in to lead 1-0 at the break. Then Rangers ran riot.
Marsh equalised with a 56th-minute glancing header. Nine minutes later, Mark Lazarus, tormenting the Blues defence, set up Ian Morgan who made it 2-1. Marsh then twice unlocked the back-line for Lazarus to add a third and Les Allen a fourth to virtually settle the tie a minute from time to the dismay of most in the 34,295 crowd.
�We were well-beaten by a side without any apparent weaknesses,� admitted Cullis, though there was some consolation in the form of generous post-match words from his QPR counterpart Alec Stock.
�First of all I must say how impressed we all were with the sportsmanship of the Birmingham people,� he said. �Our aim is to become a club like Birmingham City. They have the right approach to the modern game.�
Rangers� supporters turned up for the second leg ready to party and, though Blues fought hard to keep the tide at bay, eventually the floodgates opened again. After 54 minutes Marsh�s cross-shot looped over a static Jim Herriott.
Eric Barber gave Blues a crumb of consolaion with a cleverly taken goal ten minutes from time but within seconds Mike Keen�s header had the home fans in full voice. When, two minutes later, Malcolm Beard�s slip allowed Marsh in to make it 3-1 � 7-2 on aggregate, the blue-and-white hooped party got into full swing, especially among those of their supporters who had backed Josh Gifford that afternoon as he rode a treble, all trained by Ryan Price, at Plumpton.
Blues had been well-beaten but by one of the coming forces in English football � and Rangers� party was to carry on at Wembley where Marsh was on target again in a thrilling 3-2 final win over Albion.
www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2011/01/26/how-qpr-halted-birmingham-city-in-their-carling-cup-quest-in-1967-97319-28059118/#ixzz1C9n0QBru
Programme from Bushman Archive/below
Originally - QPR's 1967 SF Win - Nice Piece in Birmingham Mail
How QPR halted Birmingham City in their Carling Cup quest in 1967
* by Brian Halford, Birmingham Mail
* Jan 26 2011
FOUR years after lifting the League Cup, Blues knocked out Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Grimsby and Sheffield United to find themselves one step from another final in 1967.
But then they ran into one of the country�s brightest emerging teams � and one of the most dynamic players around.
Queens Park Rangers were storming towards the Division Three title with fast, skilful football which was to bring them more than 100 goals in the league alone that season.
And the leader of their orchestra was Rodney Marsh.
While George Best was lighting up the north with his ineffable skills at Manchester United, down in west London the flamboyant Marsh matched him. Poor Blues were swept away in the semi-final.
Wary of a tough-looking second-leg assignment at Loftus Road, Blues manager Stan Cullis insisted that �nothing less than a two-goal advantage would be good enough� for his team from the first game at St Andrew�s. Blues 1 QPR 4 was not quite what he had in mind.
For 45 minutes, Blues were in command. They took a fourth-minute lead through Barry Bridges and kept the visitors� roving midfielders reined in to lead 1-0 at the break. Then Rangers ran riot.
Marsh equalised with a 56th-minute glancing header. Nine minutes later, Mark Lazarus, tormenting the Blues defence, set up Ian Morgan who made it 2-1. Marsh then twice unlocked the back-line for Lazarus to add a third and Les Allen a fourth to virtually settle the tie a minute from time to the dismay of most in the 34,295 crowd.
�We were well-beaten by a side without any apparent weaknesses,� admitted Cullis, though there was some consolation in the form of generous post-match words from his QPR counterpart Alec Stock.
�First of all I must say how impressed we all were with the sportsmanship of the Birmingham people,� he said. �Our aim is to become a club like Birmingham City. They have the right approach to the modern game.�
Rangers� supporters turned up for the second leg ready to party and, though Blues fought hard to keep the tide at bay, eventually the floodgates opened again. After 54 minutes Marsh�s cross-shot looped over a static Jim Herriott.
Eric Barber gave Blues a crumb of consolaion with a cleverly taken goal ten minutes from time but within seconds Mike Keen�s header had the home fans in full voice. When, two minutes later, Malcolm Beard�s slip allowed Marsh in to make it 3-1 � 7-2 on aggregate, the blue-and-white hooped party got into full swing, especially among those of their supporters who had backed Josh Gifford that afternoon as he rode a treble, all trained by Ryan Price, at Plumpton.
Blues had been well-beaten but by one of the coming forces in English football � and Rangers� party was to carry on at Wembley where Marsh was on target again in a thrilling 3-2 final win over Albion.
www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2011/01/26/how-qpr-halted-birmingham-city-in-their-carling-cup-quest-in-1967-97319-28059118/#ixzz1C9n0QBru
