54 Yrs Today: Gerry Francis QPR Debut!

[QPR Report]

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54Years ago: Gerry Francis makes his QPR Debut

The ORIGINAL PROGRAMME LISTED QPR WITH 9 HOME GROWNS in the QPR 12 But in actuality was "only" 4 out of the 12
QPR's Penultimate Home Game at Home to Liverpool. Just under 17,000 there (when capacity was 35,000):

Like so many games in that 1968/69 season - at least as I recall - QPR played so well. And lost by a single goal.

Liverpool had Lawrence in goal. And Tommy Smith. And I presume all the other stars of that season. Rodney Marsh had a good game. Barry Bridges scored. But we lost 2-1.

Spratley Watson Hunt Keetch Harris Wilks Leach Hazell Bridges Clarke Marsh - Sub: Gerry Francis

(Maybe the players were playing in different positions, but with that midfield...)

And the Liverpool team: Tommy Lawrence Chris Lawler Gerry Byrne Tommy Smith Ian Ross Emlyn Hughes Ian Callaghan Roger Hunt Alun Evans Ian St John Peter Thompson
Bobby Graham on for Ian St John Tommy Smith 28' pen Roger Hunt 78'
www.lfchistory.net/viewgame.asp?game_id=501





From Bushman

December 1969.




Photos of a young Francis (from the following season)

prints.paphotos.com/image/soccer-football-league-division-two-queens-park-rangers-photocall_1359298.jpg?pvw=2

i652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/zrangerqpr/3323123.jpg

[cpr]

Wasn't at that game but how many did we lose by the odd goal?

I was at Manure and wetspam both home and away, forget manure away obviously but the others were 3-2, 4-3 and 3-2 as I recall. Don't remember much else mind.

Didn't realise Gerry had his debut that very season! I see him a fair amount, anything you would me to aks him?

[QPR Report]

Mar 29, 2009 7:08:56 GMT cpr said:

Wasn't at that game but how many did we lose by the odd goal?

I was at Manure and wetspam both home and away, forget manure away obviously but the others were 3-2, 4-3 and 3-2 as I recall. Don't remember much else mind.

Didn't realise Gerry had his debut that very season! I see him a fair amount, anything you would me to aks him?

Will think of some questions, thanks! (Not the obvious "What do you think of Rodney Marsh/Stan Bowles" - More behind the scenes as QPR manager...)

These are the stats for QPR in 1968/69
Lost 6 Home and 7 away by one goal (Of course all 4 of our wins that season were also be one goal)

QPR's various stats for 1968/1969 www.statto.com/football/teams/queens-park-rangers/1968-1969

[cpr]

That's a good site, didn't see us win that season but didn't remember the draw at home with wetspam, thought we'd lost so I saw us get a point. ;D I was only 13 mind.

See Gerry at district football and when our teams play each other in the Surrey youth league. He attends presentations etc as well. Very quiet unassuming bloke, still wears his QPR coaches coat at matches. ;D

Edit: He doesn't have a clue who I am obviously but will always talk football.

[QPR Report]

Of course, to be fair to Francis, if he tells you stuff, probably wouldn't be right to post private conversations on a messageboard - especially if you were to ask him "What do you think of Briatore" and he gave an unflattering view (hypothetically). That's private.

[ingham]

What a player. Possibly the best we've ever had, even including Stan and Rodney. They were more flamboyantly talented, but he was an extraordinary all rounder.

[QPR Report]

The interesting thing as I recall seeing him as a 16 and 17 year old, he wasn't someone you saw and said: "Future England International/Captain of England." A player who looked good enough to get into the QPR team...and then developed more and more and more and more (Helped by playing alongside Terry Venables).

And then you have the players who in the first games you say "Future super star" and then dwindle away.

[QPR Report]

West Ham

[Macmoish]

Bumpy...

[Macmoish]

Bump... 43 years ago

And the programme as supplied by Bushman last week

[Macmoish]

And for those "visiting" the board who didn't see the other thread
What Jayrigg Gave us yesterday

[Roller]

Mar 29, 2009 7:08:56 GMT cpr said:

Wasn't at that game but how many did we lose by the odd goal?

I was at Manure and wetspam both home and away, forget manure away obviously but the others were 3-2, 4-3 and 3-2 as I recall. Don't remember much else mind.

Didn't realise Gerry had his debut that very season! I see him a fair amount, anything you would me to aks him?

Could you ask him if he'd come back as manager next season please? We need a manager with passion for the club, someone who wants to be at the club and not one who is using us as a port of convenience.

[jayrigg]

Mar 29, 2009 17:31:29 GMT ingham said:

What a player. Possibly the best we've ever had, even including Stan and Rodney. They were more flamboyantly talented, but he was an extraordinary all rounder.

Good point Ingham, i definately agree with you on that.


Cheers,

Jay

[Bushman]

December 1969.

[scarletpimple]

Saw the game, all i remember of francis is he was played on the wing, and remember him going on a mazy run beating three liverpool players, which excited the growd..........not much else did that season..........bit like this one.

[Markqpr]

I remember his return because my brother-in-law got very excited just before kick-off, which was very rare for him.

I asked him what was up and he just said 'Gerry Francis returns today. You'll love him, he's a proper player and one of us.'

I also remember him colliding with a post and getting carried off when he scored I think, but I'm not entirely sure. Am I correct in remembering that or was that someone else?

[haqpr1963]

Mar 29, 2012 11:38:12 GMT Markqpr said:

I remember his return because my brother-in-law got very excited just before kick-off, which was very rare for him.

I asked him what was up and he just said 'Gerry Francis returns today. You'll love him, he's a proper player and one of us.'

I also remember him colliding with a post and getting carried off when he scored I think, but I'm not entirely sure. Am I correct in remembering that or was that someone else?

Yes, it was Gerry, but I am pretty sure it was an own goal.

Well remember his return, was in the School End with a few mates. Gerry got the ball in the right back position with 4 or 5 oppo players around him. I think he beat all of them 3 or 4 times and than passed to a team mate. He turned to us and than collapsed in a heap, totaly knackered.

One of my heroes.... A real QPR Legend....

[scarletpimple]

Spot on haqpr1963, own goal at the loft end and hurt his knee and back against the post almost certain gerry never played for us again, was the start of the venables revolution.

[jayrigg]

Mar 29, 2012 20:11:48 GMT scarletpimple said:

Spot on haqpr1963, own goal at the loft end and hurt his knee and back against the post almost certain gerry never played for us again, was the start of the venables revolution.

Nice one scarlet, i was in the loft end that day,and to be honest he was getting some stick from the crowd and he was not having a good day,by then with all the injuries he had suffered he really was a shadow of his former self.I still like to remember him in his prime as QPR and England Skipper.

Cheers,

Jay

[Bushman]

[scarletpimple]

Remember watching both gerry francis and martyn busby both in there teens, and thought Busby will be the better player and go on and surpass gerry....then that legbrake at fulham...never as good again.......such a bluudy shame we would have had two international class attacking midfielders both under twenty.

[Macmoish]

So sad.

It's probably inappropriate to say. But of course if Busby hadn't broken his leg, we wouldnt have signed Dave Thomas

[Macmoish]

Bump

Note 9 of the QPR 12 were homegrowns

The other 3 cost 75,000 pounds combined

[Lonegunmen]

Also note the number who were aged between 16 & 22

[Macmoish]

As far as I see, while QPR had 9 out of 12 "Home Growns" against Liverpool in that 1969 game...

The Current QPR squad of 25 does not have a single home grown. Not one.

[terryb]

Mar 29, 2013 9:12:16 GMT Macmoish said:

As far as I see, while QPR had 9 out of 12 "Home Growns" against Liverpool in that 1969 game...

The Current QPR squad of 25 does not have a single home grown. Not one.

A bit of an exageration Mac.

Your right as far as the names in the program goes, but if you look at your original post we "only" had 5 or 6 home grown in the actual 12!

I'm not sure if Alan Wilkes started with us or Chelsea.

What a youth policy we had in those days. I would love to have anyone come through these days & be a regular in the side.

I didn't see the Liverpool game but I was at Porstmouth when Gerry made his first start, & score, for us.

[rousdonhoops]

Mar 29, 2013 11:20:17 GMT terryb said:

Mar 29, 2013 9:12:16 GMT Macmoish said:

As far as I see, while QPR had 9 out of 12 "Home Growns" against Liverpool in that 1969 game...

The Current QPR squad of 25 does not have a single home grown. Not one.

A bit of an exageration Mac.

Your right as far as the names in the program goes, but if you look at your original post we "only" had 5 or 6 home grown in the actual 12!

I'm not sure if Alan Wilkes started with us or Chelsea.

What a youth policy we had in those days. I would love to have anyone come through these days & be a regular in the side.

I didn't see the Liverpool game but I was at Porstmouth when Gerry made his first start, & score, for us.

was there too Terry, you forgot to add that was a cracking goal too

[Macmoish]

Bump

45 Year ago today;

9 Home Growns...Amazing

And as we just honoured Alec Stock - truly his legacy of this QPR Team, even if he had left by now...

[Macmoish]

Update: As pointed out by someone who tweeted me. The team did NOT have 9 out of 12.

(It was the team programme - which obviously had changes - which had the 9 out of 12)


Programme via Bushman Archives

[Macmoish]

And now tweeted by Official QPR

(Guess they forgot to say, as usual ..."QPR Report/Bushman..."