Brian Bedford 2nd highest all time goal scorer

[Bushman]

Noel Brian Bedford (born Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, 24 December 1933) is a former professional footballer. He played the majority of his career at QPR, as a centre forward.

He started his professional career at Reading, where he was spotted by Ted Bates who signed him for Southampton in July 1955. He made only a handful of appearances for Southampton before moving on to Bournemouth in August 1956.

After scoring 32 goals in 75 games for Bournemouth he was signed by QPR manager Alec Stock in 1959 for just £750 and made his debut for QPR in August 1959 in a 2-0 win against Swindon Town. He went on to play 258 league games for Rangers scoring a remarkable 161 goals (180 in all competitions)
He is QPR's second highest goalsorer behind George Goddard. Unfortunately, despite being a prolific striker during his time at QPR they never managed to achieve promotion to the Second Division, the closest they managed was a third place finish in 1960-61 with Bedford scoring an impressive 33 in 44 league games that season.

Bedford was transferred to Sc**thorpe United in August 1965 just as a young and dynamic QPR team was taking shape (they would cruise to the Third Division title and win the League Cup just two seasons later).

After short spells at Brentford and Sc**thorpe United he played briefly in the United States with Atlanta Chiefs. On returning from the U.S. in 1967 however the Football Association banned him from playing as the U.S. Football Association was at the time not affiliated. After a year he successfully appealed the ban and joined Bexley United but a knee injury forced him to retire.

Throughout his career he maintained a high strike rate, scoring 229 goals in 399 league appearances.

After his retirement from playing he became a professional tennis coach and he was later the stadium manager at Loftus Road, before retiring to Llandaff in 1995.
2010: Llandaff where he still lives today coming up to the age of seventy-seven this Christmas eve.

Photo taken in 1962.

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[londonranger]

He knew how to get into position to score goals and to receive the pass. He could shoot at the place where the ball would go in. He could hold up shiift and slight and nod. Skills he was top class at and he
worked very hard.

In contrast as the team has regressed to strikers who are painful to watch and notoriously inaccurate
and cluelss in how to perform the basic moves and shifts and strikes and from what ranges, I can assume they are not taught. We had Crouch, who really is an incomplete striker, and Furlong who
except for a slump yet knew how to put the ball in the net. Since then, Mackie had a great run but has lost something essential.

Sad.

[londonranger]

Obviously I didnt cover Rodney, Ferdinand the Allens , left out a few, post Ferdinand.

[Lonegunmen]

Mark Hately, the best ever investment as far as strikers go - Next to Sicknote Sturridge.

[londonranger]

Actually right now Smith, to me, has the best goal sense. Tarby fires missiles from a range where they go nobody knows including him.

[Bushman]

Roy Bentley, Brian Bedford, Bill Williams and Mark Lazarus posing for the camera 1962.

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[spanishal]

I lost count of the hat-tricks I saw him score - he was a no nonsense Centre Forward though I think he wore the no. 8 shirt and was always likely to score when on goal - mind you they use to play with 5 forwards then - now there's a formation for mr Capello.

[londonranger]

Inside right and left and two wingers often played forward but usually one on each side played both ways too.

[Lonegunmen]

Dec 13, 2010 15:20:05 GMT spanishal said:

mind you they use to play with 5 forwards then - now there's a formation for mr Capello.

Too imaginative and positive for this ultra defensive style played these days. 1st rule, iron clad defence of 5 players!