#QPR's MARK LAZARUS TURNS 85

[QPR Report]

Edit another year:

Mark Lazarus Turns 85...Mazel Tov!

Born December 5, 1938. One of THE heroes of the 1967 League Cup Victory, goalscoring winger, Lazarus scoring QPR's winning goal against WBA.

In the 1960s, Lazarus was bought three times by Queens Park Rangers. Sold Three times by Queens Park Rangers. Started Orient, QPR, Wolves, QPR, Brentford, QPR, Crystal Palace, Orient.
Lazarus made his QPR debut in September 1960 away to Colchester, scoring the only goal. Also in the team that day: Brian Bedford, Clive Clark, Ray Drinkwater, Tony Ingham (Mike Keen was out injured). Lazarus played his last game for QPR (in his third stint) in November 1967 away to Huddersfield (QPR losing 1-0). Players in that final team included Ron Springett, Les Allen, Mike Keen, Bobby Keetch, Ron Hunt, Tony Hazell, the Morgan Twins, Keith Sanderson (Sub), Alan Harris...and Rodnee Marsh.

QPR OFFICIAL SITE PROFILE OF INTERVIEW WITH MARK LAZARUS
QPR Official Site, December 2007 - BLAST FROM THE PAST
In our latest instalment of exclusive past player interviews on www.qpr.co.uk, 1967 League Cup Final hero Mark Lazarus comes under the spotlight.
Mark Lazarus
- Mark Lazarus will always be remembered as the man who scored the winning goal in the 1967 League Cup Final victory.
- It was a memorable match as Third Division Queens Park Rangers fought back from two down to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in the first Final to be staged at Wembley
Lazarus can recall that day from 40 years ago in vivid detail. He reminisces that Rangers started nervously and were soon trailing to goals by former R's player Clive Clark on seven and 36 minutes.
- "None of us performed in the first half," said Lazarus. "The atmosphere and the occasion must have affected us before the game. Maybe we felt we had got to Wembley and that was the job done! We had forgotten that there was a football match to play as well.
- "In saying that, both the West Brom goals were dodgy and looked offside. Had it been an ordinary game, we would have contested them. But because we were in the Final and we were the underdogs against a First Division side, there was no protest from us.
- "Then at 2-0 our keeper Peter Springett made a brilliant save from Jeff Astle, which I think won us the game. If Albion had scored again at that point then we would have been finished. Peter really kept us in it.
- "During half-time, Manager Alec Stock told us that we could still win the Cup. But whatever we did had to be an improvement on our first half performance. He said that we had overturned deficits before, so we should go back out and enjoy the day and finish the task.''
- The second half was a totally different affair. Rangers goals from Roger Morgan (63 minutes) and Rodney Marsh (75 minutes) took the score to 2-2.
Lazarus said: "We played well after the break and the R's fans in the 100,000 crowd kept cheering for us. But Roger's goal came out of the blue with less than half an hour remaining.
- "I got the ball on the right hand side of the pitch and I went past Graham Williams, who was at left-back and captain for West Brom. He brought me down. And from that free-kick by Les Allen, Roger Morgan headed home.
- "We were the better side at that point. I had a couple of good chances that were kicked off the line and another that was pushed on to the post by their goalkeeper.
- "So the equaliser was coming. I remember that Rodney hardly had a kick all game but then he started to buzz. Although I think he was surprised when he scored his goal! He was trying to get rid of the ball but he couldn't find anyone to pass it to. So he just ended up shooting from distance and it hit the post and went in. It was a great strike."
- The winner came on 81 minutes. It was Lazarus who sealed victory after good work by Ron Hunt. And like the biblical Lazarus, Rangers had risen from the dead.
"Ronnie gained possession so I ran inside and he played a pass up to me. I slipped it back with the outside of my foot and it went up in the air and started spinning like a rugby ball. Ronnie was a strong boy and he carried on running.
"When the ball came down, it dropped at the feet of a couple of West Brom defenders but the spin beat them and it carried on through to their goalkeeper. Ronnie raced in and he had every right to go for the ball but there was a clash with the keeper.
"The spin beat the goalkeeper as well so the ball rolled out and I was there just to tuck it into the corner of the net with my left foot. It was a scrappy goal but the occasion made it so important!"

- Lazarus feels that the 1967 team launched Rangers into the big time. They also won the Third Division that year, paving the way for the future advancement of the Club.
- "It was just a great season all round. We were a good side and we were confident that we could beat anybody.
- "That campaign certainly put the R's on the map. Previously, we were just a Cinderella club who were lucky to attract crowds of 4,000 at home games. But our gates rocketed after that.
- "Our team in 1967 was the stepping stone for the great Rangers players who have followed since then. We were the start of the QPR success story." QPR

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Lazarus

Years Team Apps (Gls)
1958–1960 Leyton Orient 20 (4)
1960–1961 Queens Park Rangers 37 (19)
1961–1962 Wolverhampton Wanderers 9 (3)
1962–1964 Queens Park Rangers 81 (28)
1964–1966 Brentford 62 (20)
1966–1967 Queens Park Rangers 88 (29)
1967–1969 Crystal Palace 63 (17)
1969–1972 Leyton Orient 82 (14)
1972–1977 Folkestone 164 (17)
Ilford F.C.
Wingate & Finchley
Total 606 (151)

A Past John Clifford "Gramps" (RIP) Interview with Mark Lazarus

www.qprreport.blogspot.com/2012/06/qprs-1967-hero-and-legend-mark-lazarus.html

Jewish Telegraph Profile & Interview
www.jewishtelegraph.com/prof_106.html

PROFILE

Footballing legend of 50 years ago cost £27,500

MARK LAZARUS: In his playing days

SIMON YAFFE hears what it was like to play before the onset of the millionaire stars

THE accent is old school East End, reminiscent of a bygone era and a defiant spirit during the Blitz.

A time when organised crime ruled and a good ol' punch-up was the way to sort things out.

And life could have been very different for former footballer Mark Lazarus had he decided to follow his brothers, Lew and Harry, into boxing.

But he chose to use his feet rather than his fists and became a favourite at numerous London clubs - and a legend at Queen's Park Rangers.

Mark became Britain's first big name Jewish footballer when First Division Wolverhampton Wanderers signed him for a then club record fee of £27,500 in 1961 - although he only made nine appearances for them.

Hoops fans best remember Mark, now 72, scoring the winning goal in the 1967 League Cup final against West Bromwich Albion at Wembley.

He is still feted at Loftus Road, often meeting up with old team mates at dinners organised by QPR.

"I'm from a tough background and we had to look after ourselves," Mark, who was brought up in Stepney, said from his Essex home.

"My brothers were boxers and my family had fought against Mosley's Blackshirts.

"There was no antisemitism in the East End - that came later when we moved to Chadwell Heath, in Essex, when I was six.

"We were the only Jewish family in the area and I had fights every day on the way to school.

"The other kids called me names, but it didn't make me feel any different, that's just how kids behaved."

Mark, whose grandparents were eastern European immigrants, didn't have a Jewish upbringing, nor was he barmitzvah.

But he remains fiercely proud of his heritage.

He explained: "We were Jewish by name and by nature.

"Nobody ever started on us about that in the East End or said anything derogatory - we were a fighting family, after all."

Football in the mid-1950s, when Mark started to attract the attention of scouts from professional clubs, was, of course, nothing like the billion-pound corporate and global phenomenon that it is today.

Not actively encouraged by his parents, Martha and Isaac, to go down the football route, his dad warned him to take an apprenticeship in case his footballing dreams did not come to fruition.

On the books of Fulham and Chelsea as a schoolboy, he became an apprentice in the upholstery trade.

Mark recalled: "I did a bit of boxing, fought in a few bouts as an amateur, but I just enjoyed playing football. Simple as.

"Anyway, football was an easier game than fighting. "I played for my school, district and then county sides.

"In those days, football was a short-lived career and after footballers had finished, many of them end up on the dole, so my dad wanted me to have a trade behind me.

"I was always off in the park playing football and Jimmy Greaves and I played in the same Saturday side.

"Jim and I were best of friends and he used to come round to my parents' home for his tea."

Mark, a naturally gifted right winger, was soon spotted by Leyton Orient's Alec Stock.

Stock, an old-fashioned, suited and booted wily old manager, was to form a close bond with Mark, signing him later for QPR.

He spent two years at Brisbane Road before Stock, by now in charge at QPR, persuaded him to move from east to west London.

It was the first of three spells for Mark at Loftus Road.

Division One soon came calling, however, and the iconic Stan Cullis clinched Mark's signature for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1961.

It was not to be a happy time for him however.

Mark played just nine times for the boys from the Black Country and didn't get on with the formidable Cullis. He remembered: "I never, in my whole career, asked for a transfer and would have preferred to have stayed in London.

"Cullis was a sergeant major type who was never happy, even when we won. Nothing was good enough for him and we had a personality clash.

"Alec felt he had a responsibility to look after QPR financially too so I was seen as a saleable object."

Never capped for England, Mark felt that he may have received a call-up had he stayed at Wolves.

He'd heard rumours that Manchester City were interested, but they chose to sign Mike Summerbee instead.

A return to London beckoned - again with QPR - where he enjoyed a second spell for two years before moving to Brentford.

After two years with the Bees, he headed back to QPR again, where perhaps his greatest footballing achievement was realised.

QPR, then in the Third Division, beat top-flight West Brom in the League Cup Final at Wembley, with Mark scoring the winning goal in the 81st minute in front of a crowd of nearly 100,000.

Recognisable names in the line-up on that day include Rodney Marsh, Frank Sibley and Les Allen.

Mark insists: "It was not my proudest moment - that came every time my team won.

"It was only a tap-in, it was not as though I beat three men and smashed the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the area.

"The lead-up to the final was tremendous, though. We had a great season.

"That final was the first game my mum and dad saw me play in.

"My dad had never been to a game in his life and he never went to any more after the final.

"My mum loved it though, and after that, she always came to see me play."

Mark spent one more year at QPR before moving to Crystal Palace, whom he helped reach the top-flight.

TODAY: Mark as a septuagenarian

"I didn't want to go to Palace, but their manager Bert Head saw me as the final piece of their promotion jigsaw," he explained.

Sixty-three games and 17 goals later he moved on to a second spell with Orient, where he enjoyed promotion again, this time from the old Division Three.

Altogether, Mark achieved four promotions, including twice with QPR, and saw out his career with non-league teams Folkestone, Ilford and Wingate and Finchley.

As one of the few British Jewish professional footballers, he admits that he had to endure antisemitism, sadly from fellow players and fans.

Mark remembered: "The worse antisemitism I ever received, fan wise, was at Sunderland.

"They called me a 'Jew-b*****d' and said I should be sent back to the ovens.

"I got it from players too, mostly snide antisemitic comments.

"A lot of managers would tell their full-backs to get me riled and say certain things to me.

"Defenders used to kick me, but I responded by playing well and doing my best."

Other notable Jewish players in the British game included Dave Metchick, who enjoyed spells at Fulham and Orient, former Orient, Palace and Manchester City midfielder Barry Silkman and David Pleat, who would forge a more successful career as a manager.

But Mark is candid about why there have not been more.

"I've never really thought about it and I don't care, to be honest," he maintained.

"Perhaps Jewish people are more interested in furthering their education and going into business."

He is also scathing about today's game and said he never watches football on television.

From a relaxed and affable manner when recalling his playing days, he seems perplexed about both modern football and its high-earning stars.

"Football has not changed for the good since I played," Mark lamented.

"It is a different game entirely, players just want to touch the ball once and walk the ball into the net. It is all geared towards money.

"People compare Ryan Giggs with Georgie Best, which, to me, is ridiculous.

"Giggs is good, but if a player can pass the ball these days all of a sudden he is brilliant.

"There is nobody in the same class as Jimmy Greaves or Bobby Charlton today.

"All the money has cancelled out the individualism.

"The referees are so protective of players that there is no physical side whatsoever."

Mark added: "So many wingers today don't even beat the first man.

"I remember watching David Batty and Ray Wilkins and they just used to play the ball sideways.

"Lots of wingers cannot even cross the ball properly and these are fellas who are being paid £50,000 or more. It frustrates me.

"The only one I can think of who can actually cross is David Beckham."

No doubt if Mark was playing today he would be earning big money, unlike when he first started out and was being paid £14.10 a week.

His modesty only drops when he compares himself to Cristiano Ronaldo, stating: "He runs at people, tricks them and goes past them like I used to do. He is exciting."

Married to Fay, who he met at a dance club in the West End, for 52 years, father of two children and grandfather of five, Mark still likes to sit down and go through his scrapbook.

He said: "I look at it and I am satisfied with my career. I am a very happy person."

Gentleman Mark could certainly teach today's over-paid stars a thing or two about diffidence and humility.

As I speak to Mark, he tells me he is watching snooker and much prefers it to football.

Orient chairman and snooker executive Barry Hearn is a close friend and Mark worked as a minder for the stable of snooker players managed by him.

Those boxing days certainly came in handy.






Winning at Wembley




And the Bushman Photo Archives..








And past Bushman Archive

From the Bushman Archives: Lazarus' First Season at QPR - 1960/61
qprreport.proboards.com/thread/23367/division-3-1960-61-season

Before his arrival




And Bushman's 1962/63 Season

qprreport.proboards.com/thread/32538/division-1962-season-white-city















[/b]

+ A Past Indys Interview

Part I
www.indyrs.co.uk/?p=312

Part II
www.indyrs.co.uk/?p=319

[QPR Report]

This was the Indys interview with Mark Lazarus from the Summer
Part I
www.indyrs.co.uk/?p=312

Part II
www.indyrs.co.uk/?p=319

[Lonegunmen]

Belated Happy Birthday Mark. Excellent interview on that League Cup final DVD.

[londonranger]

Our Hero, for all time..

[QPR Report]

A hero because in those days players were different from us because they were so much better than us at football. Not because they were multi-millionaires, etc, etc.

[Lonegunmen]

And you could find them down at your local after a game. nothing "elitist" about them.

[Macmoish]

Bump a year

[Bushman]

Standing at the top of the school end watching Mark tearing up and down the wing was always a treat.
Happy birthday.

[Lonegunmen]

Dec 5, 2009 20:11:13 GMT Lonegunmen said:

Belated Happy Birthday Mark. Excellent interview on that League Cup final DVD.

A legend and I agree with what I said earlier! A very happy birthday Mr Lazarus.

[Macmoish]

[Macmoish]

Bump another year....

Happy Birthday

[canadaranger]

And here's Mark today, with Gramps

[Lonegunmen]

And yet again a very happy birthday to a true legend

[gramps]

I have just finished a long chat with Mark on the phone to wish him a happy birthday and took the opportunity to read your various comments to him. He was flattered and has asked me to thank you all on his behalf as he is not on the net. He said he was rather hoping that he and those who are left of the League Cup winning team of 1967 might have been invited to attend. He said "It's not a big issue but it would have been nice and would have meant a lot".

He went to a charity do in London last evening and said he had a great time. They were raising money for Sunshine coaches for the handicapped kids. He told me that as well as a lot of famous comedians and celebrities he also had a chat with Pat Jennings and Sir Geoff Hurst amongst other well known former players.

What's more, I got another invitation to coffee at his house. What a gent he is - streets ahead of most of today's players in so many ways.

Our chat ended with him wishing all of you a great Christmas.

Have a great birthday Mark.

[Lonegunmen]

Total respect

[gramps]

Yep, he is a pretty special guy.

[0hwestlondon]

nice one gramps and happy birthday to mr lazarus.

though before my time i would like to thank him for the great service he gave to our club, and merry christmas and a very happy new year to mr lazarus as well.

[alfaranger]

Saw Mark play back in the day. Was behind the goal at Wembley when he stuck it in. Still makes me well up even now, remember that feeling.... and the noise!!

Happy birthday Mark

[Macmoish]

Bump another Year... Happy 74th Birthday

Gramps' June 2012 Interview with Mark Lazarus
qprreport.blogspot.com/2012/06/qprs-1967-hero-and-legend-mark-lazarus.html

[Macmoish]

And the Bushman Photo Archives...

[Lonegunmen]

Happy Birthday from New Zealand Mark, you're a legend!

[Deleted]

Dec 5, 2011 11:15:31 GMT canadaranger said:

And here's Mark today, with Gramps

I missed this thread
Happy birthday to Mark and great photos gramps

[Macmoish]

Bump: Happy 75th...


From Bushman...



And a past on the Official Site


QPR OFFICIAL SITE PROFILE OF INTERVIEW WITH MARK LAZARUS
QPR Official Site, December 2007 - BLAST FROM THE PAST
In our latest instalment of exclusive past player interviews on www.qpr.co.uk, 1967 League Cup Final hero Mark Lazarus comes under the spotlight.
Mark Lazarus
- Mark Lazarus will always be remembered as the man who scored the winning goal in the 1967 League Cup Final victory.
- It was a memorable match as Third Division Queens Park Rangers fought back from two down to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in the first Final to be staged at Wembley
Lazarus can recall that day from 40 years ago in vivid detail. He reminisces that Rangers started nervously and were soon trailing to goals by former R's player Clive Clark on seven and 36 minutes.
- "None of us performed in the first half," said Lazarus. "The atmosphere and the occasion must have affected us before the game. Maybe we felt we had got to Wembley and that was the job done! We had forgotten that there was a football match to play as well.
- "In saying that, both the West Brom goals were dodgy and looked offside. Had it been an ordinary game, we would have contested them. But because we were in the Final and we were the underdogs against a First Division side, there was no protest from us.
- "Then at 2-0 our keeper Peter Springett made a brilliant save from Jeff Astle, which I think won us the game. If Albion had scored again at that point then we would have been finished. Peter really kept us in it.
- "During half-time, Manager Alec Stock told us that we could still win the Cup. But whatever we did had to be an improvement on our first half performance. He said that we had overturned deficits before, so we should go back out and enjoy the day and finish the task.''
- The second half was a totally different affair. Rangers goals from Roger Morgan (63 minutes) and Rodney Marsh (75 minutes) took the score to 2-2.
Lazarus said: "We played well after the break and the R's fans in the 100,000 crowd kept cheering for us. But Roger's goal came out of the blue with less than half an hour remaining.
- "I got the ball on the right hand side of the pitch and I went past Graham Williams, who was at left-back and captain for West Brom. He brought me down. And from that free-kick by Les Allen, Roger Morgan headed home.
- "We were the better side at that point. I had a couple of good chances that were kicked off the line and another that was pushed on to the post by their goalkeeper.
- "So the equaliser was coming. I remember that Rodney hardly had a kick all game but then he started to buzz. Although I think he was surprised when he scored his goal! He was trying to get rid of the ball but he couldn't find anyone to pass it to. So he just ended up shooting from distance and it hit the post and went in. It was a great strike."
- The winner came on 81 minutes. It was Lazarus who sealed victory after good work by Ron Hunt. And like the biblical Lazarus, Rangers had risen from the dead.
"Ronnie gained possession so I ran inside and he played a pass up to me. I slipped it back with the outside of my foot and it went up in the air and started spinning like a rugby ball. Ronnie was a strong boy and he carried on running.
"When the ball came down, it dropped at the feet of a couple of West Brom defenders but the spin beat them and it carried on through to their goalkeeper. Ronnie raced in and he had every right to go for the ball but there was a clash with the keeper.
"The spin beat the goalkeeper as well so the ball rolled out and I was there just to tuck it into the corner of the net with my left foot. It was a scrappy goal but the occasion made it so important!"

- Lazarus feels that the 1967 team launched Rangers into the big time. They also won the Third Division that year, paving the way for the future advancement of the Club.
- "It was just a great season all round. We were a good side and we were confident that we could beat anybody.
- "That campaign certainly put the R's on the map. Previously, we were just a Cinderella club who were lucky to attract crowds of 4,000 at home games. But our gates rocketed after that.
- "Our team in 1967 was the stepping stone for the great Rangers players who have followed since then. We were the start of the QPR success story." QPR

qprreport.blogspot.com/2008/12/qprs-1967-hero-turns-seventy-mark.html

Read more: qprreport.proboards.com/thread/16431/years-today-mark-lazarus-debut#ixzz2maQy41zS

[Macmoish]

And past Bushman Archive

From the Bushman Archives: Lazarus' First Season at QPR - 1960/61
qprreport.proboards.com/thread/23367/division-3-1960-61-season

Before his arrival




And Bushman's 1962/63 Season

qprreport.proboards.com/thread/32538/division-1962-season-white-city

[Macmoish]

Flashback


Thursday, June 28, 2012
QPR's 1967 Hero and Legend Mark Lazarus Interviewed Speaks About QPR, QPR Legends and Football in General Yesterday and Today - By John "Gramps" Clifford
-

Chatting with Mark Lazarus – 27th June 2012


By John Clifford "Gramps"




John "Gramps" Clifford is the author of "Queen's Park Rangers: The Old Days (1939-1970)" which can be purchased at qprtheolddays.com or via Amazon.com

Rodney Marsh v Stan Bowles

Rodney played the game like a lot of the people they are talking about now but Rodney used to score a lot of goals and he also scored a lot of goals off his own back. He would get the ball down in the middle of a crowded defence and he would wiggle his way through and score a goal. Players today can’t do that – Stan Bowles could never do that. Let’s face it, Stan Bowles was a bloody good player but as a pure footballer you’d have Rodney in your side every day in preference to Stan Bowles. Rodney could win a game on his own but Stan was a player who, on his day, would bring the ball down and set other people up but with Rodney, well he didn’t need anybody else. In my opinion Rodney was far away ahead of Stan. I agree that people may have other opinions but, after all, what is football – it’s all about opinions at the end of the day.

I would have struggled in today’s game because I didn’t work enough backwards. A lot of the players in my day would struggle today because they were not athletic enough; today you’ve got to be an athlete because it is a much faster game. Today the players can tackle but they can’t hold the ball as we could. I wouldn’t mind betting that today twenty out of every hundred passes go forwards and eighty go backwards. There’s more backward play today than there has ever been in the game. People get the ball up front, they seldom go past anybody and if they do go down the line they stop and pass it backwards and it finishes up with the right back or centre half. We are attacking in their penalty area and the ball finishes up with our goalkeeper without the opposition touching the ball.

Football today is very good ‘touch football’ – excellent – but in our day we had more players with great individual skills. They would get the ball and people like Jimmy Greaves, Johnny Haynes – well, Rooney couldn’t lace their boots up. Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney were brilliant but not players who tackled a man. You just gave them the ball and let them get on with it and it was the same with Rodney; you could give me the ball and let me get on with it! I was never looking to pass the ball back to my full back. There was that spot in the opposition area that was eight yards wide and eight feet high and had a net on it; my aim was to get the ball in there or at least somewhere near there; I certainly didn’t want our goalkeeper to end up getting it. I wanted to get the ball and go forward.

My opinion of Rooney is that he is an average to good player. He is definitely not world class and despite what some may think he is not the greatest footballer we have ever turned out.

We were given a lesson in football in 1953 and 1954 by Hungary. We thought we were the best in the world, we introduced the game to the world, then Hungary came over and played the sort of football we had never seen before. I took the day off school to watch that game. In my opinion we didn’t learn from it. We haven’t got the individual players now: Finney, Shackleton, Lawton, Matthews, Mortensen. We don’t have them today but we have different types of players – athletes – but I can’t call them great. The goalkeeper might be the best goalkeeper around but he couldn’t compare with the goalies we had in the past. We were the best in the world for goalkeepers – Banks, Swift, Parkes, Seaman, Shilton, Rangers’ own Reg Allen, Ted Ditchburn, Sam Bartram, Ron and Peter Springett – in my view Ron Springett was one of the best goalkeepers I ever played with and against. I will always remember Gil Merrick who played for England. His sense of positioning was brilliant and I have seen him go out at the beginning of a game in clean kit and come off the pitch just as clean. His positioning and keeping was so good that he seldom had to dive for the ball. He took every shot cleanly.

If you had to pick a world team I can’t see that any England players would get in – we just don’t have the skills that other countries have. I feel that our true world class players over the years have been Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, Jimmy Greaves but I can’t think of too many more, even in the World Cup winning side. George Best and Denis Law might have got in there.

Questions from QPR Report members:

1 What made Mark choose football over boxing and what was your weekly wage at QPR in the 66-67 season?

Mark: Well, I didn’t choose football – football chose me rather than boxing. I was doing the two things at the same time. When I signed pro forms for Leyton Orient in 1957 they stopped me boxing as an amateur and I was not allowed to sign as a pro in the two sports. So, as I have said, football chose me. Had Orient not signed me then I would most probably have carried on boxing as I wasn’t that keen on football. I was a mad footballer as a kid and I got a lot of recognition as a schoolboy but boxing was my real love.

As far as the second part of the question goes, it is difficult to remember but I’ll try to get my facts right. As I recall, we were all on £30 - £35 a week. You have to remember that we were a Third Division side at that time and I knew players at Fulham who were on less wages than that. In those days this was quite a good deal. Remember that in those days we didn’t have agents so players had to negotiate their own contracts. When I signed for Rangers from Brentford I negotiated £35 a week plus bonuses so with a good result I could get £60 in a week which was really good money in those days. When I moved on to Crystal Palace I negotiated £60 a week basic plus bonuses and a signing on fee. Generally, though, players’ pay was about £35 a week.

At this point I asked Mark if he knew that he held an all time football record as the only player to be signed three times by the same club. He admitted that he didn’t know this but then pointed out that he held another record in that he is the only player to have played for three teams (1967 to 1970) who were promoted in four successive seasons. 1966/7, promotion with QPR; 1967/8, promotion again with QPR; 1968/9, promotion with Crystal Palace; 1969/70, promotion with Leyton Orient. He said the word was going round that if you wanted to get promotion then you signed Mark Lazarus.

2 Apart from those he has played with, which other players, past or present, would he have liked to play with?

Mark: That is a very hard question to answer. I once played a friendly match with George Eastham and of all the players I have played with over the years George gave me the ball more than anybody else. In the formations of the old days, if you were a winger or inside forward on the same side of the field you had to know and understand each other very well. George “had my number” and seemed to instinctively know where I was at any one time. I have never played with him since but I guess, based on that one game, he would be the one with whom I would be happy to strike up a long-term partnership.

I played with Jimmy Greaves as a schoolboy and he is a good friend but we never played together professionally and I don’t know how we would have got on together. I also enjoyed playing with Jimmy Bloomfield. I have played with some great inside forwards but it is always difficult to answer a question like this if you have not actually been on the field with a player. In saying this, I think that Paul Scholes is somebody I would have enjoyed playing with; he is a bit more ‘old school’ in his style of play. Now I think about it, Johnny Haynes would also have been a good player to work with.

3 How does it feel to still be a Rangers legend after over 40 years?

Mark (slightly embarrassed laughter): Well, it really is an honour . I wouldn’t know how many legends there are at QPR but I don’t want to appear too immodest when I say that I think Rodney and myself are two who can claim that sort of title. What you have to remember is that Rodney and I did a lot of the hard work to get QPR out of the Third Division. When I first joined the club in 1960 we often played in front of crowds of only three or four thousand and by the time I finally left, our successes had dramatically increased this.

When I was sold to Wolves for £27,500 this was a record fee. I didn’t want to go and Alec Stock didn’t want to sell me but the club was in financial difficulty and I was mainly sold to help keep their head above water. This was something that Alec Stock was good at and he kept clubs afloat by his financial dealing. I believe that by going to Wolves I saved QPR at that time.

Rangers have had some really class players in people like Les Ferdinand, Terry Venables, John Hollins. It is difficult, in my view, to classify these players as ‘legends’ because in effect they jumped on the successful bandwagon. Of course the club had to strengthen their squad to cope with a higher division but these players had done nothing to create that bandwagon in the first place and it is easy to forget those who were with the club in the thin times. This is exactly what the club has to do, and is doing, this year to strengthen their squad which will also herald the departure of one or two who have worked loyally and been through the hard graft of getting them into the Premier League.

Probably others who could claim legendary status would be Mike Keen, Tony Ingham, Dave Clement, Ian Gillard. I am not decrying the club and supporters when they talk of legends, and don’t deny that there were great players along with many others, but sometimes the title is given too easily. Gerry Francis is a true legend. He started with the club as an apprentice, gave loyal service for more than ten years, was a first class player and captained England. What could get better than that? There are others from before my time who could probably also claim that title: Reg Allen, George Goddard and others but very few supporters from those days are around now so they tend to be forgotten. A legend has to be an old player. I don’t believe you can be a legend while you are still playing the game. I know and have a lot of respect for Les Ferdinand. A good player who has helped his clubs by scoring a lot of goals but I would have difficulty in classifying him as legendary on that basis alone.

At this point I would like to say how much I loved QPR. I never once wanted to leave them. I was forced to leave for the club’s financial reasons but they were always the only club for me. The fans there were absolutely brilliant and I loved every one of them – they were my non-playing mates.

4 How do you rate the managers from your time to the managers of today?

Mark: I really don’t think I can answer that question. I haven’t played football for over 40 years. A few of today’s managers I have played against and played with but it is very difficult to generalise about people you have not played for. I think you have to judge managers today on their ability to buy and sell players. Years ago you based your managers more on success for the club. I have played under Alec Stock, Malcolm McDonald, Tommy Kavanagh, Jimmy Bloomfield, Bert Head, Stan Cullis, George Petchey. Undoubtedly the top of that list was Alec Stock and next would be Bert Head. Very similar but, in stature, Alec would leave Bert behind. Bert was a real, quiet spoken west country man – a great motivator; a very, very nice man who always knew what was going on in his club. Alec Stock, on the other hand was a diplomat, very smartly dressed. You couldn’t mistake Alec for what he was – he was the Guv’nor, whereas Bert was a bit scruffy and very laid back.

Alec was a disciplinarian. Many a time when he was not happy with me he literally cuffed me round the face or gave me a kick up the arse. He wouldn’t stand for any nonsense but the very next day he would come up and put his arm round you. Not only was Alec a leader and motivator of men, he was also a problem solver. He would recognise signs if anybody appeared to be worried and ask a player if everything was alright at home. He was a very caring man and if any of his players had a problem he would go out of his way to help them in any way he could. Alec had a lovely family. I was devastated when he died . I admit without shame that I wept at his funeral and kissed his coffin. I had great respect for him.

Another man I had great respect for was “Gentleman Jim” Langley and I was deeply saddened by his death. A nice guy, really solid, tough, full back even though he was only about five feet eight. He was similar to Tony Ingham. They were both players who were real gentlemen and would not kick an opponent except by accident. There are gentlemen in football or, at least, there were gentlemen in the game in those days but not so much now. There were also a lot of ****holes!

Back to the managers, however. It seems that the only measure of a good manager today is the buying and selling of players and success. The latter comes from the skill of doing the former. It’s a lot to do with the coaching side of it. Years ago you didn’t see a manager on the football pitch. It was all about the coaches and most clubs had two or three coaches who were all experienced footballers. Alec Stock could not discuss tactics to save his life, even though he was a former footballer. He just came nowhere near the pitch during training sessions. He was, like others of that time, strictly an administrator.

5 Did you ever consider becoming a manager or coach?

Mark: No. Definitely not. I was offered a post as coach at Colchester by Dick Graham when I retired from active playing but I was not interested. Not my thing. I had seventeen years of football and I had a business. When I stopped playing I had really had enough. When I was playing the game I was not the best one for training and I don’t feel it would have been right for me or I would have been suited to strutting around telling others about the importance of training. I had a fair idea of how to coach but I just wasn’t interested.

6 What is your recollection of the game when you lost your shorts but carried on playing?

Mark (Laughter): There are a few games that stand out in your memory bank and there was lot that was spoken about and written about that incident. It was against Carlisle in the fifth round of the League Cup and I split my shorts. My shirt was covering my embarrassment and I had to take my torn shorts off by the dugout. I threw my shorts to Alec Farmer (trainer) and he threw me a new pair. Before I could put them on the ball came my way. It was instinct. I was on the field of play and was not about to let the ball go to put on a pair of shorts so I just ran down the line with no pants on. I had a good game that day and laid on both goals for Rodney. I was tearing Carlisle apart at the time and, as was the case in those days I got a cheer every time I got hold of the ball but on this occasion there was a cheer and roars of laughter. That’s the be all and end all of it.

7 In all your career who do you feel gave you the hardest time and contained you during a game?

Mark: There’s plenty of games where I haven’t been at my best but never a game where I have been fearful of the defence against me and I truly don’t think any player of that era can say they managed to truly contain me. When I played against Don Megson at Hillsborough when he played for Sheffield Wednesday I had a tough game or two but always “murdered him” at Loftus Road. I don’t think anybody ever gave me a hard time at Loftus Road. The confidence and sheer “fan-power” at that time meant so much. I did play one game at Loftus Road for Crystal Palace against the Rangers and I was up against Dave Clement who really gave me a tough time. Probably Dave was the toughest back I have ever faced. The away factor is something that is always a problem. You could play on a pitch similar to our own yet struggle. Again, this was so much down to the fans and familiarity of your surroundings; they give you such a lift and you feel a real buzz and want to do the business for them. It was much the same with Clive Clark, Rodney Marsh and Les Allen besides myself. When any of us got the ball fans were convinced something was going to happen.

8 About those transfers………….

I just so loved my time at QPR. When I was on Brentford’s transfer list I wanted to get away, more so when I knew it was Rangers and Alec Stock who wanted me. If it had been any other club I am not sure that I would have left.

Later, Alec Stock called me into the office and asked how I would feel about going to Crystal Palace. I told him I didn’t want to go. He suggested that in any event I should go and have a chat with Bert Head. I later realised that Alec was in a difficult position. He wanted to bring on the Morgans and I think he was under some pressure from Ian who was more or less a permanent sub and wanted to develop his career. I felt they wanted to get Ian into the side as a young player but were in a difficult situation and perhaps didn’t want to lose me. I was no youngster at the time and Bert came up with a super offer so I thought that perhaps QPR were trying to save me a bit of dignity. Alec Stock, diplomat that he was, was very good at that sort of man management. Crystal Palace were a good side at the time so I accepted the deal. I felt I would rather play for Palace than be a substitute at QPR. As I said before, I never wanted to leave QPR and I wish now that I hadn’t but I was obviously always trying to further my career.

Wolverhampton Wanderers was a disaster really. Stan Cullis and I never hit it off and what I saw as a chance to play in the big time simply did not work out. Coincidentally, Cullis told me that if he had not signed me he would have signed Mike Summerbee who went to Manchester City. I often think that if I had refused to go to Wolves then that may have opened the door to Manchester City and who knows where I could have gone from there? Maybe even a regular for England. This was one of those years where I couldn’t do anything wrong. If I fell over my own feet the chances were that the ball would hit my head and go in the net.

9 If Joey Barton was your team mate, would you have punched him on the nose?

Mark (huge laughter): I have no feelings about this really but I think he is a bit of a prat, not only for what he did at QPR but also his former clubs – a real head case. I just think I would not like the man and could not get on with him as a person. Yes, I know I was fiery but I would never have allowed myself to get into a state like he did. I had my ups and downs on and off the pitch but would never have done anything like that. It was professionally shameful and brought discredit on himself and the club.

In the old days it was the clubs who ran things and dictated terms it now seems that the pendulum has swung the other way and it is the players and their agents who run things. I don’t think Barton is that good a player and with the latest development you might as well have an injured player on your hands. The club needs to make life hard for him. His team mates can’t possibly have any respect for him as a captain. He totally lost it in that game and if I had been on the pitch I would have stepped in but not sure that I could have stopped him.

110 Do you stay in touch with former players?

Mark: I don’t stay in touch as such but I do see them at various functions from time to time. I’m not one for ringing people up and going out for a meal or any such thing. I see Tony Hazell from time to time. He doesn’t miss any opportunity to see old friends. He goes to any QPR events that he can. I spoke with Ron Hunt about a year ago and he is not very well. He lives in the Bournemouth area and had a tragedy which he has never come to terms with when his son hung himself. I tend to see Frank Sibley from time to time but not that often. Nobody knows where Keith Sanderson is. The last we heard, he was in South Africa but nobody knows exactly where. I keep in touch with Les Allen who has been very ill. I am also in touch with Rodney Marsh – I love the guy although I am never quite sure what is going on with him. I have seen Roger and Ian Morgan from time to time in recent years. The last time was at a signing session in Brentwood.

111 Best wishes from Bill Power and wants to know your recollection of that winning goal.

Mark: Thanks for the good wishes. That goal! It was quite an easy goal and an easy recollection. Probably one of the easiest goals I have ever scored. It came to me from the goalkeeper, I chipped it in with my left foot then went for a chat with the crowd while they sorted the goalkeeper out – not unusual for me! The prima donnas who are playing today have so much money and consider themselves so very much better than the supporters that in general they don’t want to know. Where would they be without those supporters though?

112 Mark, where did you get your beautiful singing voice from?

Mark (biggest laugh of the afternoon): Can’t answer that! But I’ve still got the record somewhere.

113 What would he wish the club to do about its relationships with former players?
What are other clubs doing vis-à-vis other players that Mark knows?

Mark: I can’t really give you a view on what other clubs are doing although I can say that Crystal Palace run regular functions (reunions) for past players, usually with a meal and a match. As a former Palace player I was invited to a home match against QPR a couple of years or so ago. I made a point of walking across the pitch to acknowledge the QPR fans as well as the Palace supporters and I received a really great round of applause for that which was very rewarding. Palace are brilliant and do a lot for us.

I know Rangers don’t do anything and I was a bit upset when none of us got invited to the West Brom game last season in view of our history with them (1967). One recollection is of a game where QPR were playing West Ham at Loftus Road. My son is a Hammers supporter and asked if we could go together so I rang the club and asked if I could buy two tickets and they said that this could be arranged. I told them who I was. When I got there I couldn’t get a decent seat. We were in the top corner of the South Africa Road stand with a dreadful view and I just didn’t want to be there.

On another occasion I was invited to a QPR dinner at a big hotel. I took a good friend with me. I was seated at a front table along with Ron Springett and Stan Bowles. The compere for this was Tom Watts (formerly of Eastenders) a self professed Rangers fan. He said that he would like to introduce some old favourites from Loftus Road. He introduced Ron Springett and Stan Bowles to applause then went on to a totally different subject. I was completely ignored and found this to be insulting. It took some time for me to calm down and get over my embarrassment. I said to myself that I would not go to any more QPR functions in future.

14 Why are you not a fan of the modern game? Is it the money, speed, cheating,
refs, ball, fans, foreigners, chairmen of just lack of technical ability of the English
players?

Well, I guess it is a bit of most of them. The questioner seems to be reading my mind. I don’t think money should come into it. However much you are paid you can only do what you can do. Lack of ability certainly comes into it.

Cheating is a big issue and something must be done about it. I blame the referees because they are being conned and, what’s more they know they are being conned, they are allowing themselves to be conned and they let the players get away with it. Players are screaming as soon as anybody goes near them and throwing themselves on the ground and other players are being booked – often for nothing. The referees are useless! Absolutely useless! I don’t know what sort of football, if any, they have ever played but they are definitely being conned. If they keep on letting players get away with diving and cheating the game will be totally ruined. The players are the biggest cheats of the lot. If they think they can get away with things then they will carry on doing it. I see players getting the smallest connection on a leg going down holding their head because they know play will be stopped for an apparent head injury. Most of the things that they go to ground for are the sort of things that in my day we would have ignored. If we did go down we would get up and carry straight on – and we never screamed or had agonised looks on our faces unless it was totally genuine and serious. The aim seems to be to do whatever you can to get a player sent off. If a player ever fouled me, I would get up and carry on with the game. If I fouled a player, he would do the same. There is no way I would ever say “Sorry”. It was all part of the game. Jimmy Langley was different. If he made a poor tackle, he would immediately grab his opponent’s hand, help him to his feet and apologise but that was not for me. I don’t want somebody to say sorry to me when they have just tried to break my leg.

If the ref gave us a penalty we would never argue against it even if we knew it was not a penalty but we would always argue if there was one against us. That goes with the territory. You give anybody an inch in football then the players will want to take a yard.
We have all seen incidents, particularly in the Euros, where the shirt tugging goes on. In one incident John Terry was held back by his shirt and it was ignored by the ref and his assistants. If it happens down by the half way line the a free kick is awarded. By the same token that sort of holding should be given as a penalty in the box. This sort of behaviour should be stamped out by referees. I know that referees had me down as a marked man before a game because they knew I was a tough player. Referees today must have a similar view on players who are cheaters and divers like Ashley Young but they choose to ignore the facts and let it go. I also feel that the foreign players have a lot to do with the cheating aspects of the game.

I don’t like football today. It’s boring, referees are killing it, players are killing it and silly little plastic footballs are ruining it. Some of today’s players like Ronaldo would never be able to cope with the heavy, soaking wet leather football and soggy mud-bath pitches that we had in our day. One final point is that in my opinion goal-line technology is an essential as referees are just not up to the job.

QPR Report would like to thank John "Gramps" Clifford for conducting this interview; and for granting permission to post it on the QPR Report Blog. His Book "Queen's Park Rangers: The Old Days (1939-1970) can be purchased at qprtheolddays.com or via Amazon.com

Read more: qprreport.proboards.com/thread/16431/years-today-mark-lazarus-debut#ixzz2maRfzBSH

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Bump: Turning 76

[sharky]

76! Bloody hell that makes me feel old!

Have a good one Mark. Onya mate

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Turning 77 Today

And when I think of Mark Lazarus, I now think of Gramps...

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Mark Lazarus gets the QPR Winner (3 minutes into the video)

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