Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City

THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME OF QUEENS PARK RANGERS 2025/26 | ISSUE #3

STOKE CITY

SAT 20TH SEPTEMBER 2025 - K.O 12.30PM

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CLUB DIRECTORY

Queens Park Rangers FC

QPR Holdings Ltd, MATRADE

Loftus Road, South Africa Road,

London, W12 7PJ

Main Switchboard: 020 8743 0262

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Official Website: www.qpr.co.uk

STAFF

QPR FC/QPR Holdings Ltd

Chairman: Lee Hoos

QPR Holdings Ltd Vice-Chairman:

Ruben Gnanalingam

Board members:

Ruben Gnanalingam,

Amit Bhatia, Richard Reilly

CEO: Christian Nourry

Financial Director: Ruban Ghandi

Head Coach: Julien Stephan

Club Ambassador: Andy Sinton

Club Historian: Chris Guy

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(FORMERLY TWITTER)

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PROGRAMME

Editor: Ben Kosky

Contributors:

Tony Incenzo, Saif Atrakji

Designed by: Thomas Ridge

This programme was produced on

behalf of Queens Park Rangers by

Ignition Sports Media.

www.ignitionsportsmedia.com

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The views of this publication are not necessarily

the views of Queens Park Rangers Football Club.

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of Queens Park Rangers Football Club. All

information correct at time of print.

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Contents

04

27

04 | Head coach

Words from Julien Stephan

09 | News & Messages

All the latest from W12

14 | The Big Read

Rhys Norrington-Davies interview

20 | Fanzone

Kick-off times - the Sky debate

22 | Andy Sinton

Club ambassador has his say

27 | Welcome to W12

A look at Stoke City

in your programme...

14

35

35 | 50 Years Ago

Gerry Francis recalls 1975/76

46 | History Makers

Spotlight on Phil Parkes

48 | Junior Hoops

Test your knowledge

HOOPS | 3

54 | United Nations of QPR

Polish players who wore Hoops

59 | Community Matters

Latest from the QPR Trust

62 | Fixtures & Results

Stay updated this season

OFFICIALQPRFC | @OFFICIALQPR | @QPR | WWW.QPR.CO.UK

4 | HOOPS

WWW.QPR.CO.UK | @QPR | @OFFICIALQPR | OFFICIALQPRFC

HOOPS | 5

THE GAFFER

Julien

HEAD COACH JULIEN STEPHAN SHARES HIS THOUGHTS

AHEAD OF OUR MATCH AGAINST STOKE CITY...

W

hen

you’re at a club, it’s very

important to respect the

history of that club and today

we welcome back some of the legends

of QPR – the players from the 1975/76

season.

This season was such a big part of the

history of the club. If QPR is a good club

now, it’s because of the guys who did some

very good things on the pitch in previous

years and that was the case with this

team. Of course there’s a lot of respect

for what they did on the pitch and what

they represent in terms of values, as well

as the many good results that team had

in 1975/76. I look forward to meeting

some of those players today at MATRADE

Loftus Road and I’m sure they’ll be given

great support by our fans, which they

fully deserve because of everything they

represent.

The international break may be a short

one – but it is a break, with some players

going away with their national teams, so

it can always be a challenge to reconnect

them all for the next game. I was pleased

with the way the team performed at

Wrexham, particularly in the last 30-35

minutes of the first half – for me that

showed a very good balance between how

we want to defend and how we want to

attack and create danger. I saw a lot of


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HOOPS | 7

improvements during that period and it

was not perfect but it was very, very good.

I was also pleased with the reaction after

we conceded a goal in the second half,

because the momentum after half-time

was more in Wrexham’s favour – but then

we succeeded in changing the momentum

again. From one situation with a long ball

and the run of Rumarn Burrell we made

it 3-1 and after that we also had a good

opportunity for Kader Dembele to score a

fourth goal. It’s easier to control the game

when you lead by two goals, so the third

was very important.

It was good for Rumarn to score his first

goal for the club and also for Richard Kone

to score his third in three games. Of course

that helps their confidence but I don’t

only look at the goals, I’m also looking

at all the effort, all the runs and the way

that they work for the team, offensively

and defensively. For me, when you score,

it’s a consequence of all your efforts

and the collective efforts of the team as

well. Another positive aspect was to see

Michy Frey back on the pitch for the last

15 minutes, we now have more options in

attack and different choices to start and

finish games. I hope we will soon have

Kwame Poku and Ilias Chair back on the

pitch as attacking options as well and Paul

Smyth should be available again today.

Wrexham was just one step and now we

need to continue against a strong team

in Stoke City, who have had a very good

start to the season and I welcome them to

MATRADE Loftus Road today. With four

wins in five games and only three goals

conceded, we know Stoke are a strong

team both offensively and defensively,

they’re very quick in transitions and they’ll

also be high on confidence. I think it will be

a really good game this afternoon because

we’re in a good moment, we also have

confidence and we’re playing at home,

with our fans behind us. We will need to

make sure we remain very focused, but

I believe we have the qualities to create

danger and achieve a good result.

There is only one promise I can make – we

Julien Stephan

will all give 100 per cent each day.

Julien Stephan


8 | HOOPS


HOOPS | 9

QPR’s stars of 1975/76 will be

reunited at MATRADE Loftus

Road this afternoon as we

celebrate the 50th

anniversary of our greatest

ever team.

That side came within a

point of winning the top

division in English football

WELCOME BACK THE STARS OF 75/76!

– and we can’t wait to see

them back in W12 today.

We will be joined by Phil

Parkes, Ian Gillard, Frank

McLintock, Gerry Francis,

Dave Thomas, Don Shanks,

Phil Nutt and Tony Tagg.

We are also delighted that the

families of Dave Clement,

John Hollins, Micky Leach,

Stan Bowles and former

manager Dave Sexton will also

be attending in their

memories.

The group will be joining us on

the pitch at half-time, so

please give them the reception

they undoubtedly deserve!

SHANKS TAKES ON MARATHON CHALLENGE IN STAN’S MEMORY

Don Shanks will be running the

New York marathon in

November in memory of his

former QPR team-mate, the

late – and great – Stan

Bowles.

Shanks, who played alongside

Bowles in our celebrated side

of 1975/76, continues to

honour his lifelong friend and

is taking on the 26-mile

challenge to raise funds for

Alzheimer’s Society.

Bowles passed away in

February 2024, having lived

with Alzheimer’s for nine years.

“Alzheimer’s and dementia

have touched so many lives,

including close friends of mine

and my great teammate at

QPR, Stan,” said Shanks.

“Stan has gone, but

Alzheimer’s has not. Running

the marathon will be tough but

it’s nothing compared to the

daily battles faced by the

families of those living with

this dreadful disease.”

You can support Don’s

fund-raising efforts at www.

justgiving.com/page/donshanks-nym

or scan the QR code.


10 | HOOPS

MARCUS

Many happy returns to Marcus

Shellard on his 90th birthday, with

love from his children Dominic,

Jessica and Sonya and

grandchildren Ross, Leah, Ted,

Grace, Alfie and Alice. Come on

you R’s! Xxx

SAYA

Three-year-old Saya

Kotecha is attending her

first QPR game today,

following in the footsteps of

her dad who’s a big fan.

Saya’s favourite player is

Rayan Kolli.

PHOEBE

Happy seventh birthday to

Phoebe Claremont

Deviliers, who is marking

the occasion with her first

QPR match today! Love

from Dad, Evelyn, Micky,

Nanny and Grandad.

MAX

Happy birthday Max

“Maximum Energy” Lynch.

You R’s. Love from Harvey

& Mehmet.

JADE

A warm welcome to Jade

Ashby-Ryall, who is here at

MATRADE Loftus Road today!

Jade, pictured on her pony

Bramble, turned seven on Tuesday

9th September and her brothers

Max and Kyran are both season

ticket holders in the Loft Upper.

VINCE

A very happy birthday to Vince

Foster, a loyal fan for 60 years

who first came to QPR as a boy

with his dad. It’s his 70th birthday

today and he couldn’t imagine

celebrating anywhere else! Come

on you R’s!

MILLIE

Happy 13th birthday Millie. Have

the best day!!

Lots of love from Mum, Michael

and Leo xxxx

REPORTING ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

There is no place for anti-social behaviour at Loftus Road.

If you see it, please report it. There are many ways you can

get in touch.

Tweet: You can reach our operations team on Twitter; you can

follow and report incidents by tweeting @QPROperations.

Email: You can also report anything you see to the team via

email at operations@qpr.co.uk.

Call: You can call 07557 435 421 to report anything you see or

hear. Please note you can remain anonymous if you wish.


HOOPS | 11

LONG FAMILY

Here are three generations

of the Long family – Steve,

his son Steven and grandson

Caelan – proudly displaying

their colours on holiday in

Rhodes recently.

Caelan, who plays for

Parkfield FC under-eights,

will be at today’s game

cheering on the R’s with his

aunt Louise.

BRIAN

Wishing you a very happy appy

18th birthday Brian. Hoping for

three points, come on U Rrr’s.

Lots of love from mum, grandad,

Nan, Angela, Daniel and your

QPR friends.

JOHN

Happy 60th birthday, John!

A lifelong R’s fan whose love

for QPR runs deep – from

watching Dave Thomas as a

boy to cheering for Stan

Bowles, your passion has

never wavered. We were

there to share your joy when

Bobby Zamora scored the

winner at Wembley, and

we’re proud to celebrate this

day with you.

Here’s to many more

matchdays, memories, and

special moments. With love

from all your family and

friends.

JUDE

Happy 11th birthday, Jude

Sharman (JS9). You make us smile

every day—never change! We

hope you have a fantastic day

and that the R’s win! Lots and lots

of love from Mum, Dad, Fred,

and River.

JOHN

Happy 69th birthday to John

O’Mahony, who this season

is celebrating 60 years of

support of his beloved

football club!

A masterly contributor to ‘A

Kick Up The R’s’ from its

inception to the present day

and a tireless campaigner

on behalf of his hero,

Stanley Bowles.

With love and best wishes

from your family and all your

friends at Rangers including

Steve, Stuart, Ray and

Joanne.

HUDSON

Wishing Hudson a Super

seventh QPR birthday. Love

from mum, dad and brother

Grayson along with all his

family and friends.


12 | HOOPS


HOOPS | 13

TOM &

THELMA

Congratulations to Tom

and Thelma Doyle, who

will be celebrating their

51st wedding anniversary

on Sunday. Lots of love

from all of the family.

EDDIE

Happy 60th birthday to

Eddie Barrett who is a

season ticket holder in the

Loft Upper.

Eddie’s birthday is today so

hopefully the R’s bring home

all three points, love from all

the family!

ROB DAWE

Robert Frank Dawe passed away

on Friday 15th August at the age

of 54. Like all of our family, Rob

was an avid QPR fan, a season

ticket holder in the Ellerslie Road

stand in the 1980s and in South

Africa Road from the 1990s.

Poor health led Rob to give up his

season ticket, but he continued to

attend games home and away

regularly when his health allowed.

Rob got married in QPR colours in

2010 and he’ll be cremated in

them on Friday 26th September.

He’ll be missed terribly by his

family and his friends at Rangers.

BRAYDEN

A belated happy 18th birthday

to loyal R’s fan Brayden

O’Connor, from all of your

family. Enjoy the game today

with your cousin Charlie.

GRANT KELLEHER

We will always remember Grant

as a kind and gentle soul – our

very own big friendly giant.

Always smiling, always full of joy,

and always making everyone feel

special. He had a way of lighting

up every room and every heart,

and we are so grateful for the

love and warmth he shared with

all of us.

And of course, we’ll never forget

how much Grant loved QPR – his

team, his passion, and a big part of

who he was. Grant will forever hold

a very special place in our hearts.

RICHARD

BATCHELOR

In memory of Richard

‘Dick’ Batchelor. Brother,

dad, grandad and

thoroughly good bloke

– much loved by all that

knew him. Rest in peace.

Come on you R’s...!

TODAY'S MASCOT

Ollie Phillips

Age: 7

Favourite player:

Ilias Chair


14 | HOOPS

INTERVIEW: BEN KOSKY

Rhys Norrington-Davies

LOAN

RANGER

ENJOYING

THE RIDE

SIGNED ON A SEASON-LOAN

FROM SHEFFIELD UNITED,

RHYS NORRINGTON-DAVIES

HAS SLOTTED IN NEATLY AT

LEFT-BACK, FEATURING IN

BACK-TO-BACK VICTORIES.

The 26-year-old gives his first

impressions of life at QPR, reflects on his

recent return to international football

with Wales and looks ahead to today’s

game against former club Stoke City…


HOOPS | 15


16 | HOOPS

R

hys,

how would you

assess your first few

weeks at QPR?

It’s been great from my point

of view, in terms of getting to

know the lads. Football-wise,

I’ve played two games and won

two games, so everything’s

looking good at the moment

and finally settling down in my

new place as well after moving

down from Sheffield has been

good, if a bit chaotic.

How did the loan move

come about?

It had been going on for a little

while, QPR had reached out to

Sheffield United and it was all

ready to go on the basis that

they got a replacement in for

me. As soon as that was sorted,

it was all green light for go and

I was down here within 24-48

hours, got the medical done

and signed the paperwork.

As you said, it’s been two wins

in two games – do you get a

sense of everything starting to

come together for the team?

It’s still early days but we’re

in a good place at the moment.

We’ve won two and it’s just

about trying to build on that

momentum and keep it rolling

over against Stoke City this

afternoon.

Despite having plenty of

Championship experience,

your QPR debut (against

Charlton) was your first game


HOOPS | 17

IT’S STILL EARLY DAYS

BUT WE’RE IN A

GOOD PLACE AT

THE MOMENT. WE’VE

WON TWO AND IT’S

JUST ABOUT TRYING

TO BUILD ON THAT

MOMENTUM AND KEEP

IT ROLLING OVER

AGAINST STOKE CITY

THIS AFTERNOON.

at MATRADE Loftus Road.

What did you make of the

atmosphere?

I’ve definitely been in a

matchday squad before at

the stadium but, when

we played against

Charlton, I was honestly

taken aback by how

good the QPR fans

were throughout

the game. The

fans are almost

literally on top of you

at times and when we

were winning, the whole

stadium was bouncing – it’s

something I’ll definitely

remember, that’s for sure.

Another 3-1 win in North

Wales last weekend, was

that result arguably more

impressive given all the hype

and expectation surrounding

Wrexham?

Obviously over the

last few years

Wrexham

have been on

an upward

progression,

going from the

National League

to the Championship.

They had a good go

in the summer, they

spent a reasonable

amount of

money and got some big

names in – some experienced

players – but we went up there

and put in a good performance

away from home and came

back with the win. So the lads

were all delighted with that, it

was a great result.

You were also back in Wales a

few days earlier, playing for

your country against Canada

at Swansea. What did it mean

to you, pulling on that red

shirt on again?

It was the first time in three

years I’ve actually played in a

fixture for the national team

due to injuries and stuff, so it

was a very emotional moment

for me. There’s a lot of hard

work goes into getting fit

again and back out there, so

it was a really good feeling.

The aim is to get fitness into

the legs, get back to the

levels I was previously at and

progress. There’s no reason I

can’t get back into the squad

on a more regular basis and

hopefully push for more


18 | HOOPS


HOOPS | 19

appearances – and to help

Wales reach another World

Cup would be such a special

feeling. I was unfortunate to

miss out on the last World Cup

(in 2022) – it’d be great for

Wales as a nation to qualify

again and hopefully I can

work hard and get a place in

that squad.

Do you feel getting forward

regularly is an essential part

of the game for the modern

full-back?

Football’s progressed and

you have to do more these

days, from a left-back’s point

of view. Of course the main

point is to be defensively solid

and make sure you win your

1v1 duels against opposition

wingers, but obviously if you

can add to that in an attacking

sense that’s a plus. The fans

haven’t seen half of it yet –

once I get fully up to speed

and I’m fully fit, I’d like to think

I can add a lot more in an

attacking sense as well.

You played for today’s

opponents when you went

on loan to Stoke during the

2020/21 season. What are

your memories of that spell in

the Potteries?

It was weird because it was

during Covid, so there weren’t

any fans in the ground at

that stage. I actually scored a

rare goal, in a game against

Wycombe and it would have

been nice to celebrate that in

front of the fans, but it wasn’t

to be. But I enjoyed my time

at Stoke in terms of playing

a lot of football and it was a

successful loan. They’ve got a

very good set-up at the club

and they’ve started the season

extremely well, so it’ll be a

tough fixture but it’s one I’m

looking forward to, in front of

our own fans and hopefully we

can get another three points.

What are your main ambitions

for this season?

Well, I’d love to get on the

scoresheet again, which is

something I don’t do very

often! If I can contribute in

that sense here or there,

or get a couple of assists,

that’d be great. But the main

aim this season is to play as

much football as regularly as

possible, get back to enjoying

football and get to the heights

that I was at some years ago.

Doing well for QPR, pushing

the team up the table and

seeing how high we can get is

all part of that.


20 | HOOPS

25 YEARS

CHAMPIONING

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it’s our anniversary! Since 2000,

we’ve been transforming lives,

giving every community great

places to play sport. We're not

finished yet, so here's to more

game-changing investment.

Search Football

Foundation

to find out more


HOOPS | 21

FANZONE

Chris Kemp

QPR FAN CHRIS KEMP SHARES HIS THOUGHTS AHEAD OF OUR

MATCH AGAINST STOKE CITY IN THE SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP...

"S

ky TV is *******

****” rang out from

the crowd at many a

rearranged QPR game last

season; a chant repeated

up and down the country by

supporters of many other

teams.

Social media is routinely

awash with fans’ complaints

whenever a game is moved

from its traditional 3pm

Saturday slot. Whether the

fixture now lands on a Friday

night, a Saturday at 12.30pm,

a Saturday at 5.30pm or any

time on a Sunday, a minority

(and it is a minority, albeit a

vocal one), isn’t happy.

Cue comments on Facebook,

X and fan groups: “It’s not

worth me having a season

ticket as I work weekend

mornings so I can’t make

early Saturday kick-offs”

or “I knew we’d get Boro

away on a Friday night – it

always happens” and the

well-rehearsed mantra “Sky

doesn’t care about the fans”.

Those in the know will point

out, usually in vain, that the

club receives around £5.7m

per season, on average,

for TV coverage from the

broadcaster and that lost

gate receipts, as fewer fans

will attend the rearranged

fixture, will be more than

offset by that additional

revenue. And we know that

our beloved club needs

revenue right now.

But does Sky really not care

about the fans? It’s UEFA’s

Article 48, not Sky, which

blocks Saturday’s 3pm games

from being shown. And Sky

are bringing those games

they do choose to televise

to a much larger audience:

those who couldn’t attend in

person, those who could only

otherwise have had audio

commentary due to the rules

about clubs broadcasting

live on their own websites

(unless they have access to

a dodgy stream); those who

can make the revised kick-off

times which, in fairness, are

now planned much further in

advance; it’s hard to argue

that they’ve been penalised.

Equally, it’s easy to agree that

Sky aren’t bothered about

the diehards who travel up

and down the country to

watch their team, through

thick and thin; those for

whom the away season ticket

scheme is designed, those

who know they’ll get a ticket

for the grounds with smaller

allocations because they have

sufficient loyalty points that

were burgeoned by going

to Exeter midweek in the

League Cup, not just Sheffield

Wednesday when we had

8,000+ tickets and were in

with a chance of promotion.

So who is to blame? It’s a

complex argument, with more

than one side. Sky, who offer

huge sums of money to clubs

in return for (not saturation

but certainly increasing) TV

coverage? The Championship

clubs who accepted the deal

where pound signs were

floating in front of their

eyes, knowing that their own

fans would, in all likelihood,

be adversely affected? Or

the Sky-subscribing fans

themselves who are happy

to shell out on a monthly

subscription to watch games

they wouldn’t otherwise

attend, but who cry foul when

it’s their team that’s being

shown? Think about that last

one when you next check your

bank statement and see “Sky

Sports” in the debit column.”


22 | HOOPS

CLUB AMBASSADOR

Andy

OUR CLUB AMBASSADOR’S VIEWS ON ALL THINGS QPR

G

ood afternoon

everyone and welcome

back to MATRADE

Loftus Road for today’s

Championship game against

high-flying Stoke City.

As I write these notes, I am

really hoping I can be in

attendance at the game

following my health scare a

few weeks ago. As everyone

now knows, the night before

we were playing at Coventry I

was rushed into hospital having

suffered what the doctors

called a “major heart attack”

which all seemed to happen so

quickly and out of nowhere, or

so I thought!! Thankfully I am

still here to tell the tale and I

will forever be grateful to the

amazing ambulance team, the

heart specialists and the team

of doctors and nurses who

cared for me on the night and

the days afterwards, along

with my amazing family who

I owe everything to. It was a

very scary experience and

a reminder to us all just how

precious and fragile life can be

and is!!

The thousands of messages

of support I received following

the events of that night from

everyone at QPR, the world

of football in general, all

my friends and family and

especially the QPR fans was

nothing short of astonishing

and something I will always

remember. For me to say

”Thank you” to everyone

simply does not seem enough,

but I want everyone to know

that all those messages of

love and support I received

really gave me strength when

I needed it more than I have

ever needed it!!

The show of support you also

gave me at the last home

game was truly amazing and

made me very emotional at

the time as I watched the

game at home and I still find

myself getting emotional

thinking about it now. Amazing

and thank you so much – you

will never know what it meant

to me as I don’t have the right

words to express the thanks I

truly feel.

My recovery is going well,

although I know there is a way

to go and I have to be patient

before I am back firing on all

cylinders, but I really hope

to be back serving our great

club again as soon as possible.

Being at the game today, if

I am allowed by the medical

experts I am guided by, will

be a huge step forward in my

recovery process.

Our visitors have made an

impressive start to the season

under Mark Robins, who

showed what a very good

manager he is in his time

at Coventry and is doing so

again. Stoke have a squad

full of quality and have won

both league games they have

played away from home so

far this season, so we know

they will prove really tough

opponents this afternoon.

Of course, we go into today’s

game full of confidence

following the excellent 3-1 win

at Wrexham last weekend,

which followed up the very

good 3-1 win against Charlton

Athletic. Huge credit goes to

Julien, all his staff, everyone

behind the scenes at the club

and especially the players for

those two wins following an

uncomfortable afternoon at

Coventry a few weeks ago.

To bounce back, as we have

done with those two wins,

shows tremendous character,

desire and determination


HOOPS | 23

from everyone. From my own

experience in football, after

very poor games and results,

it is so important to remain

calm and focused on what you

are doing and how you are

going to do it. Making sure you

reflect and learn from what

has happened as a group and,

most importantly, believing

in yourself and each other

and staying strong together

to get through it. We all know

it is only two wins, but they

were two very important wins

that should give everyone a

huge lift as we move forward.

However, I always believe that

your next game is the most

important one and I am sure

everyone has worked hard on

the training ground to give

ourselves the best chance of a

positive result this afternoon.

Today is a very proud day

as we welcome back to

QPR former players and

family members of players

who are sadly no longer

with us from the 1975/76

season, celebrating the 50th

anniversary of our greatest

ever team that just missed

out on winning the League

Championship by one point to

Liverpool. What a team it was,

led by manager Dave Sexton

and captained by Gerry

Francis, a team full of brilliant

players that was a joy to watch

for football fans up and down

the country.

Many of our fans tell me

this team was the reason

they started to support QPR

and fell in love with the club

all those years ago. It is a

pleasure to welcome those

who are here today back

to the club they all served

so well with real pride and

distinction. I have got to know

everyone personally from that

wonderful team over recent

years and can honestly say

their love for QPR is as strong

now as it was then – each and

every one of them holds a

special place in the history of

our great club. Of course not

everyone who featured in that

season can be here today for

various reasons, but they and

their contribution to our club

will always be remembered.

I know that everyone that is

here today and comes out

onto the pitch at half-time will

get a tremendous and hugely

deserved reception from

all our fans as we together

welcome back and celebrate

our greatest ever team. I

sincerely hope everyone has

a fantastic day back together

again and, on behalf of

everyone here at QPR, can I

say a huge welcome back and

thank you for what you did for

the club and the memories you

gave us all.

As always, thank you for the

incredible support you continue

to show the team and I know

we can count on that support

once again today and in the

weeks and months to come.

Once again, really get behind

Julien, all the staff and the

team and push them on from

the first whistle to the last as

we look to build on our two

previous results with another

win today.

Enjoy the game and COME

ON YOU R’s

Andy


24 | HOOPS


Seems Like

HOOPS | 25

On-loan winger Yang

Min-hyeok takes on

Stoke’s Ashley Phillips

during QPR’s 3-1 defeat

at the bet365 Stadium

in March of this year.

The South Korean

youngster, on as a halftime

substitute, grabbed

his first goal in a

Rangers shirt 12 minutes

from time, but it was no

more than a consolation

for the visitors.


26 | HOOPS

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Kicks off

April 2026

Available

nationwide

OFFICIAL PARTNER


© 2025 Kellanova.

WELCOME TO W12:

Stoke City

T

o give that some

context, the City boss

hung up his boots

midway through the 2004/05

campaign – so it’s not

surprising that a run of four

victories from their opening

five games has generated

cautious optimism around the

Potteries.

The club have yet to put

together anything resembling

a promotion challenge

since their descent from the

Premier League in 2018,

finishing in the narrow window

between 14th and 18th places

on each occasion.

Last season Stoke appeared

to have secured their secondtier

status, only for back-toback

defeats against Leeds

and Sheffield United to leave

them in danger going into

the final day as they fought

out a tense scoreless draw at

Derby.

Handed another meeting with

the Rams to launch the new

campaign, Robins’ new-look

side responded well to going

behind as they recovered to

triumph 3-1 with late goals

from Sorba Thomas and

exciting young loan signing

from Manchester City, Divin

Mubama.

Mubama was on the mark

again in their next game,

a 3-0 rout of Sheffield

HOOPS | 27

LAST SEASON LEAGUE FINISH: 18TH - POINTS WON: 51 - TOP SCORER: TOM CANNON 10

MARK ROBINS STILL HAD A GOOD SIX YEARS OF HIS PLAYING

CAREER TO RUN THE LAST TIME STOKE CITY STARTED A

SEASON IN THE KIND OF FORM THEY’VE DISPLAYED OF LATE.

HE

OTTE

TERS THE

S THE POTTE

E POTTERS THE

POTTERS THE POTTE

TERS THE POTTERS THE

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TERS THE POTTERS THE POTTERS THE POTTERS THE

S THE POTTERS THE POTTERS THE POTTERS THE POTTE


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TERS THE POTTERS THE POTTERS THE POTTERS THE POTTERS THE POTTERS THE

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OT

Wednesday and, despite the

forward’s dismissal an hour

into the Potters’ trip to

Southampton, the

visitors still emerged

2-1 winners.

Stoke’s only blip

so far, a 1-0 home

defeat to West

Brom just before the

international break,

ended their 100 per

cent record – but they

bounced back last

weekend,

with Bosun

Lawal netting the

only goal against

Birmingham to keep

his side among the

early front-runners.


28 | HOOPS

Viktor

Johansson

GOALKEEPER

AGE: 27

Lewis

Baker

MIDFIELDER

AGE: 30


OTT

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THE POTTERS THE P

POTTERS THE POT

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POTTERS T

RS THE P

POT R

Jack Ben Bosun

Bonham

GOALKEEPER

AGE: 32

Seko

MIDFIELDER

AGE: 27

Wilmot

DEFENDER

AGE: 25

Rigo

MIDFIELDER

AGE: 23

Lawal

DEFENDER

AGE: 22

Tatsuki Tomas Sorba

Thomas

MIDFIELDER

AGE: 26

Cresswell

DEFENDER

AGE: 35

HOOPS | 29

HE

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TERS THE

S THE POTTE

E POTTERS THE

POTTERS THE POTTE




























































S THE POTTERS THE

OTTERS THE POT

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OT

Aaron Junior Eric-Junior Ben

Jun-ho

MIDFIELDER

AGE: 22

Tchamadeu

DEFENDER

AGE: 21

Manhoef

MIDFIELDER

AGE: 23

Bocat

DEFENDER

AGE: 26

Mubama

FORWARD

AGE: 20

Pearson

MIDFIELDER

AGE: 30

Bae Million Divin Robert

Bozenik

FORWARD

AGE: 25


30 | HOOPS

View

THE LOWDOWN ON TODAY’S VISITORS FROM DAN BUXTON

OF THE STOKE CITY PODCAST EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY…

H

ow long have you been

following Stoke City?

Too long! Went to my

first game in 1995, a 1-1 draw

with Norwich where our goal

was scored by Ray Wallace

and it was only recently I

came across the game on

YouTube and saw a young Ade

Akinbiyi opened the scoring,

many years before he pulled

on the Stoke shirt.

In a nutshell, Stoke have

consistently finished lower

mid-table ever since falling

out of the Premier League in

2018 – why has that been?

Well, buckle in. We wasted

the golden opportunity you

get when you get relegated

with parachute payments. We

handed Gary Rowett £60m to

spend that summer, waived

a number of the squad’s

wage drops and went all in

on going straight back up.

The issue was Rowett was

the wrong man for the squad

and job at hand. Teams sat

back and he didn’t have the

nous to break them down,

all while having Bojan sat on

the bench most weeks. He

criticised the fans’ calls for

the little Spaniard to get more

time and that signalled the

end of his reign (there are

some YouTube videos showing

crowd reaction to his final


games). Nathan Jones then

came in and immediately

paid Burnley £9m plus Peter

Crouch for Sam Vokes, who

looked like he was towing a

caravan during his time here,

and a refusal to move from

his style saw us sink to bottom

of the league with two points

from nine at the start of the

next season. Michael O’Neill

saved us amazingly and then

the following two years had

us top six before twice losing

the academy graduate he

had built the side around,

both to ACL injuries, in Tyrese

Campbell and 12 months later

Harry Souttar. We were stuck

in a vicious PSR/FFP circle

from when O’Neill came in

and he left just as we were

coming out the other side,

only for us to not learn and

allow Gary Rowett II (Alex

Neil) to sign 21 players and

spend what we had available

again. He was gone three

months later, replaced by

Steven Schumacher who

ended that season well with

nine wins from 12, and was

then sacked shortly into the

following campaign. Initial

dismay was increased by his

replacement Narcis Pelach

producing some of the worst

football I’ve ever seen at

Stoke before getting the

sack. Then we appointed

Mark Robins, and the ship is

now being turned in the right

direction – awaiting those

hazards ahead though.

OTT

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Did fans’ expectations

soar after you won at

Southampton with 10 men

to go top of the table a few

weeks ago?

Surprisingly not. We’ve on

the whole remained cautious

about letting ourselves get

hurt again! We’ve had a few

false dawns before ending in

our now standard lower midtable

position so we’re not

expecting a promotion push,

but would pretty much take

top 10/top half as progression

and something to build on

next season.

How much has Mark Robins

changed since he became

Stoke manager at the

beginning of this year?

We’re a lot more solid, we’ve

got a presence and bite

through the spine, the players

look like they understand their

jobs and we’ve now got pace

throughout the attack. Better

all over the pitch.

What did you make of the

club’s transfer activity this

summer?

Really pleased. We’ve had

young talent that have

settled, dog’s home signings

that have hit the ground

running, returning icons who

will have the place bouncing

when fit and experienced

heads who have looked class.

We signed 11 and six have yet

to start a league game, so I

doubt they are all going to

be a hit, but signs have been

great so far. It’s also pushed

the lads who were already

here up a notch.

Which games, or specific

moments, stand out from

previous meetings you’ve

witnessed between QPR and

Stoke?

I remember many bad times

at Loftus Road. Having a

‘mare and losing 3-0 before

getting promoted in 2008

and the final day the season

before as we drew 1-1 to

miss out on the play-offs.

I also remember Gerry

Taggart getting sent off

HOOPS | 31

HE

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POTTERS THE POTTE




























































S THE POTTERS THE

OTTERS THE POT

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OTTERS T

S THE

OT

early on at our place in 2005

and sparking a brawl trying

to get to Marc Bircham. In

recent times, the win when

Mario Vrancic and Campbell

scored was a rare highlight.

Which Stoke player in

particular should we be

watching out for this

afternoon?

Bosun Lawal is a beast in

defence. Signed last summer

with what I believe was a

stress fracture of the spine, he

didn’t make his full debut until

the final day but is showing

now why we were desperate to

get him in. Big, strong, quick,

calm, commanding, good on

the ball and with ability to pass

through the thirds as well as

charge through teams from

the back – he is really exciting.

When he wants, he can also

just ping a 50-yard diagonal to

switch to the wings.

And if you could sign one

current QPR player on a free

transfer, who would it be and

why?

Richard Kone looks

Championship ready so far!

We’re creating chances and

Divin Mubama has started

brilliantly but he’s young

and, if he dips, Robert

Bozenik is going to need help/

competition.

What are Stoke’s realistic

aims for this season?

Top half would be progress,

top eight would be great – top

six would be dreamland after

recent years.

Finally, let’s have a score

prediction for today…

First goal is crucial but away

from home we’ve played well

so far. If we start well, I think

we could win 2-1.


5 PEOPLE

HAVE AN

OUT-OF-HOSPITAL

CARDIAC

ARREST

EVERY 90 MINUTES *

In partnership with

*UK data

CAMERTOWN TIMBER

OUR HISTORIC 1975/76 SEASON

HOOPS | 35

INTERVIEW: Tony Incenzo

Fifty Years Ago

Years ago

HALF A CENTURY HAS PASSED SINCE THE START OF A

SEASON IN WHICH QUEEN’S PARK RANGERS DAZZLED

DIVISION ONE AND CAME CLOSER THAN EVER BEFORE

– OR SINCE – TO BEING CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF

ENGLAND. MIDFIELD MAESTRO GERRY FRANCIS SHARES

HIS THOUGHTS ON THAT UNFORGETTABLE SEASON IN THE

FINAL SEGMENT OF A THREE-PART INTERVIEW…

G

erry, you were QPR’s

second leading

scorer on 12 league

goals during 1975/76. Do

you recall the crucial late

penalty you slotted away in

the penultimate game of the

season to seal a 2-1 home

victory over Arsenal?

I scored 12 goals in my 36

league appearances, which

was one in three, so pretty

good for a midfield player.

However, that was probably

the most pressurised penalty

I had to take in my entire

career. I started taking them

when I was quite young, then

we signed Stan Bowles and

he wanted to take them for a

while, that was fine by me –

but Stan missed a couple and

I took over again. Yes, in the

game against Arsenal we were

losing 1-0 with a few minutes

to go. Amazingly, Frank

McLintock equalised against

his old club and, with a few

seconds left, Stan ran into the

box with the ball, got brought

down and the referee gave a

penalty. The ironic thing was

that the match programme

that day had a photo on the


36 | HOOPS

front cover of me taking

a penalty against Wolves

a couple of weeks before

and putting the ball to the

goalkeeper’s left. I remember

seeing the programme before

kick-off and thinking: “I’d

rather they didn’t put that on

the front page!” I knew the

Arsenal keeper Jimmy Rimmer

would have looked at it too. So

I thought: “If we get a penalty

today, do I change my side?

Jimmy must have seen it!

What do I do?” I used to alter

my side sometimes anyway so

I didn’t think any more about

it. Then obviously the penalty

was given late in the Arsenal

game – if we didn’t score,

we couldn’t win the league.

I remember putting the ball

down on the spot and then

turning around. As I turned

around, there was Phil Parkes,

David Webb and a couple of

my other team-mates looking

"It s a

game of

nerves really

and you

just have to

hold yours"


HOOPS | 37

away! They couldn’t watch it!

I did change my side and went

the other way. Jimmy Rimmer

went the other way too, but

luckily I tucked the ball right

in the corner. There is a lot

of psychology, I think, when

you take penalties. It is the

only time that a football team

game becomes an individual

situation. If you put the ball to

one side, then the goalkeeper

might think you are going to

change your side on a second

penalty. It’s a game of nerves

really and you just have to hold

yours and put the ball exactly

where you want it to go.

Those final two home

games against Arsenal and

Leeds United attracted

bumper crowds of 30,362

and 31,002 to Loftus Road –

there was so much interest in

our title push…

Absolutely, but also Arsenal

and Leeds were attractive

opponents. Leeds had


38 | HOOPS

"We were

the best side

never to win

the league."


HOOPS | 39

"Every time

we won in

the closing

months, we

would look

round and

see that

Liverpool had

won as well."

dominated English football

a few years earlier with top

players like Billy Bremner,

Johnny Giles and Allan

Clarke. They were such hard

games in a tough league

where Derby County and

Manchester United were

really close to us in the table

and very consistent. Every

time we won in the closing

months, we would look round

and see that Liverpool had

won as well.

Rangers finished the

schedule at the top of the

league… but then there was a

10-day wait until Liverpool’s

final game where they won

3-1 at Wolves to clinch the

title by one point. A strange

situation?

The more I look at it now, one

of my biggest concerns was

why we were able to accept

the fact that we played our

final game of the season

but Liverpool’s wasn’t until

10 days later. That would

never happen nowadays – all

teams have to finish at the

same time. Modern-day

circumstances would have

put a lot more pressure on

Liverpool, not knowing what

the overall situation was.

Yet we were in limbo and

no-man’s land at QPR for

10 days in 1975/76. Were

we champions? Weren’t we

champions? That was hard to

take in the end.

Football League matches

were not televised live in the

1970s, so the Rangers squad

watched that crucial Wolves

against Liverpool fixture in a

television studio…

A lot of us did, yeah. I sat next

to Stan. Wolves were winning


40 | HOOPS


HOOPS | 41

"When you

were there,

playing in

that team

with those

players, you

knew it was

something

special."

1-0 until the last 15 minutes,

which would have made us

champions.

How was this period for you

personally, Gerry?

It actually turned out to be a

sad time because after the

end of 1975/76 I started my

major back injury. I made my

final England appearance in

a 4-1 win in Finland in June

1976, following very little rest

at the end of that campaign,

then I was ruled out until

the following February. I

only played 11 league games

for Rangers during that

following season – and only 13

appearances the year after.

Ultimately, what a

marvellous season for QPR –

but such a shame not to win

the title…

That’s everything, isn’t it?

Liverpool pipped us and –

fair play – they were a great

team and a great club. But

that year we felt we were

the best footballing side and

really should have clinched it.

You can look back at some of

the fixtures that might have

cost us. People talk about

the defeat at Norwich City

over Easter, yet there were

a couple of other occasions

where we dominated but

didn’t win. These things

happen. However, everyone

fondly remembers QPR from

1975/76 and that’s nice for

the Rangers fans 50 years

on. You can still see a lot of

our great matches across

that season online to remind

everyone how we used to

play football. When you were

there, playing in that team

with those players, you knew

it was something special. We

were the best side never to

win the league.


42 | HOOPS

OUR HISTORIC 1975/76 SEASON

Take Me Back To...

The Match

DELVING INTO THE ARCHIVES, WE TRACE THE STORY OF

QPR’S UNFORGETTABLE 1975/76 CAMPAIGN, GAME BY GAME…

QPR 1

WEST HAM UTD 1

Saturday 30th August 1975

Background: QPR were

fourth in the table and West

Ham United sat in second

spot. It was picked as the main

game on ITV’s ‘The Big Match’

show, with Brian Moore in the

commentary seat.

30 MINUTES: 1-0 to Rangers.

Hammers keeper Mervyn

Day twice dropped Don Masson’s

floated free-kick and

Don Givens converted into an

empty net.

Beyond that, Rangers piled

up the chances, going closest

when Stan Bowles curled a

left-footed shot which kissed

the post, rolled along the

goal line and squirted away

to safety.

79 MINUTES: A blow for the

R’s as new England captain

Gerry Francis limped off, having

tweaked his hamstring.

81 MINUTES: 1-1. West Ham

striker Billy Jennings was left

unmarked and lashed in off

the underside of the crossbar

following Trevor Brooking’s

pinpointed cross.

RANGERS: Phil Parkes,

Dave Clement, Ian Gillard,

Mick Leach, Ron Abbott,

Tony Tagg, Dave Thomas,

Gerry Francis (substitute:

John Hollins 80), Don Masson,

Stan Bowles, Don Givens

Attendance: 28,408

EDITORIAL

SNIPPETS: In his

Bush Telegraph editorial

column, QPR secretary

Ron Phillips wrote:

‘After our match against

Liverpool on the opening

day of the season

for which we had an

excellent gate of 27,113,

we were somewhat

surprised to open our

Sunday newspapers the

following day to discover

that we apparently only

had an attendance of

24,000. Who invented

the lower figure, we have

no idea but we do assure

you that 27,113 spectators

passed through our

turnstiles that day (and

congratulations to the

‘Sunday People’ who

were the only paper to

state the correct gate)…

do you suppose that this

sort of thing is the real

explanation for apparent

falling attendances?’


HOOPS | 43

ELSEWHERE

Stoke City boss Tony

Waddington was unhappy

with England manager Don

Revie after his star player

Alan Hudson was left out of

the national squad.

Waddington said: “Don has

knocked the stuffing from

Alan’s game. I think it is unfair

that Don previously recalled

Hudson and then dropped him

as he has.”

PRESS GANG

JEFF POWELL

in the Daily Mail…

“West Ham, the old

champions of subtle

football and Queen’s Park

Rangers, who have so

caught the mood that they

now sell more dummies

than Mothercare, actually

lived up to all expectations.

“Elsewhere, soccer may

have been taking a knock

from the hooligans but at

Shepherd’s Bush they were

brainwashing the public

with a fine advertisement

for the game. If every

match was like this they

would be fighting to get into

the grounds, not fighting

once they got inside.

“..To remember how well

West Ham played is to

grasp the full glory of

Queen’s Park Rangers in

their present mood. QPR

were so exquisitely skilled

and so adventurous in

attitude that there had to

be a sense of injustice that

they failed to win.”

ALAN HOBY

in the Sunday Express…

“This is the way to play

football – with superb skill

superseding sweat and

pell-mell running. Both

these teams have banished

fear…both played it

coolly from the back.

Rangers, who produced

all the sweet Dave Sexton

sciences, could with a little

more luck have piled on

four or five goals. They

have some stunning ball

artists.”


44 | HOOPS

BIRMINGHAM CITY 1

QPR 1

Saturday 6th September 1975

Background: Protecting

an unbeaten start, Rangers

were injury hit with Ian

Gillard, Frank McLintock and

Gerry Francis all unavailable.

England manager Don Revie

sat in the directors’ box to

watch this game.

20 MINUTES: 1-0 to Birmingham.

Home forwards Trevor

Francis, Bob Hatton and Peter

Withe combined intuitively

allowing Howard Kendall to

score.

74 MINUTES: 1-1. Following

a decent spell of possession,

Rangers drew level. A

spectacular dipping 30-yard

shot by livewire winger Dave

Thomas from the left gave

goalkeeper David Latchford

no chance.

Thomas almost clinched

victory for QPR late on but his

angled drive scraped the post

after he dribbled past three

floundering defenders.

RANGERS: Phil Parkes, Dave

Clement, David Webb, Mick

Leach, Ron Abbott, Tony

Tagg, Dave Thomas, John

Hollins, Don Masson, Stan

Bowles, Don Givens. Sub not

used: John Beck.

Attendance: 27,305

ELSEWHERE

A new scheme was

proposed by the

Professional Footballers

Association to include

the introduction

of compensation

payments to replace

transfer fees when a

player moved to a new

club at the end of his

contract.


HOOPS | 45

EDITORIAL

SNIPPET: An article

entitled ‘RING-A-DING

RANGERS’ declared:

‘NINETY-TWO soccer

managers spend the entire

summer dreaming about

the sort of start Queen’s

Park Rangers have made.

For most, it remains just

a hazy memory but this

year, for DAVE SEXTON,

it has exploded magically

into real life.

‘A 2-0 home victory

over Liverpool…A less

impressive 1-1 draw

with Villa…but then that

fantastic 5-1 win over

League champions, Derby

County, on their own

Baseball Ground!

‘That was a real classic.

And, when it’s remembered

that Rangers achieved

that sensational victory

without both their central

defenders – FRANK

McLINTOCK and DAVID

WEBB were injured – and

without new midfield man

JOHN HOLLINS, it can

be seen as an even more

remarkable achievement.

‘At Derby, and in the

following game at Wolves

(2-2), Rangers had

youngsters RON ABBOTT

and TONY TAGG in the

middle of the back four.

Abbott had previously

played 17 League games,

but for Tagg the Derby

game was his League

debut.’

PRESS GANG

MICHAEL EATON in the

News of the World…

“STAN BOWLES for the

call – before and after

this match.

“Listen to Don Revie,

England manager,

talking to ITV’s

lunchtime soccer

preview: ‘Stan must

always be in my mind as

he has so much ability

and could be rated in

the George Best class

as an entertainer on

top form.’

“Bad boy Bowles has

said he’s now happy in

London with his wife

and family, and Revie

added: ‘I’m delighted

to learn that Bowles

seems so much more

settled now as England

couldn’t rely on a player

who didn’t face up to

his responsibilities.’ ”


46 | HOOPS


HOOPS | 47

RANGERS HEROES AND...

Phil Parkes

THE QUEENS PARK RANGERS SIDE OF 1975/76 DAZZLED

ENGLISH FOOTBALL, GETTING WITHIN A WHISKER OF

WINNING THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE TITLE – WE TURN

THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WROTE A

GLORIOUS CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CLUB.

P

hil Parkes was arguably the

greatest goalkeeper in the

entire history of Queens Park

Rangers FC.

Born in Sedgley, West Midlands, on

8th August 1950, Parkes joined QPR

from Walsall in June 1970 for £15,000

and went on to spend almost nine

years at Loftus Road.

An expert in shot-stopping who also

commanded the entire penalty area

with imposing authority, Parkes

eventually made 406 appearances for

the R’s in all competitions and won one

England cap.

He later said: “I recall that I was on

holiday in Weymouth when I got a

message from the Walsall secretary

telling me to return home immediately

as Queens Park Rangers wanted to

sign me.

“I phoned him back from a coin box

and told him I had no interest in

moving to a Scottish club. He then

informed me that QPR were in fact

a London team – I felt so stupid that

I wanted the ground to open up and

swallow me!

“Anyway, I went down to Loftus Road

the next week. Les Allen was the

manager and I signed straight away.

It eventually turned out to be an

incredible transfer for me.”

A world record goalkeeper transfer

fee of £565,000 took Parkes across

London to West Ham United in

February 1979.

He went on to spend 11 years with the

Hammers, winning an FA Cup winner’s

medal in 1980 and playing in the side

that claimed the club’s highest ever

league position – third place in 1986 –

a decade after being part of the QPR

team that had finished runners-up.

After a brief spell at Ipswich Town,

Parkes retired from football and later

ran a building firm in Berkshire, where

he still lives at the age of 75.


48 | HOOPS

JUNIOR

HOOPS

FUN, GAMES, TRIVIA & MORE!

Answers: False – they were League Cup winners in 1972. False – Tony Waddington had 17 years in charge, Pulis just under 10 in two separate spells.

True – Matthews appeared against Fulham in 1965 just days after his 50th birthday. Familiar Face: Peter Crouch, Spot the Ball: A.

TRUE OR

FALSE?

1. Stoke have never won

a major trophy.

SPOT THE BALL

Can you spot the real ball location below?

2. Tony Pulis is the longest-serving

manager in Stoke’s history.

3. Potters legend Sir Stanley

Matthews played his final game

for the club aged 50.

FAMILIAR

FACE

Q: This England international

centre-forward, who

scored 12 goals for QPR

early in his career, later

spent seven and a half

years with Stoke City

– can you name him?


HOOPS | 49

BIRTHDAYS!

Big birthday wishes to all Junior Hoops celebrating in September…

1st

Cillian Brennan

Jude Maloney

Peter Milner

Riley Philbert

Liam Pullen

2nd

Alby O’Toole

3rd

Jacob Carr

Kik Culverwell

Calum Dickson

Harry Finch

Benjamin Hickman

4th

Kaeden Griffiths

Evie Roohan

Finley Ryan

Jamie Stein

Lily Stein

5th

Joshua Barcessat

Kathryn Brennan

Hudson Kemp

6th

Emily Garson

Zachary Schupp

Rocco Tanner

7th

Harrison Galloway

Freddie Hoare

George Holden

Max Kosanovic

Harry Philpott

Harry Stevenson

Lloyd Wright

8th

Lacey Cullen

Jacob Lyman

Henry McQuaid

Harley Thomas

9th

Bertie Baldry

Ramzi Bell

Zavanah Carroll

Cian Christian

Bradley Jenkins

Nika Mulchandani

Ralph Perrie

Stanley Pollington

Rudy Roome

Elliott Smith

Jack Toomey

10th

Callum Bagenal

Peter Truckle

11th

Maya Bhardwaj

Jack Melton-James

Gennaro Wescott

Freddie Willis

12th

Bradley Elliott

Stanley Fox

Daniel Henry

Ollie Lewis

George Mitchell

Charlie Norville

Harrison Treend

13th

Joseph Drake

Albert Dunn

Matthew Feeney

Jayden Foss

14th

Louis Hepner

Harrison Hook

Taylor Johnson

Austin Law

15th

Frankie Johnson

16th

Signe Bernsten Kolbeinsen

Robin Cooper

Lily Goodman

Daniel Lehane

Luca Szumilewicz

17th

Brian Eavis

18th

Jacob Buxton

Harvey Dobel

Jamie Driscoll

Jack Gatrell

Jorgie Govier

Lily Lambert

Millie McLennan

Louise Sharp

Padraig Sherlock

Bradley Wells

19th

Max Barcessat

Jack Brooke

Jack Faber

Joseph Guiney

Lauren Hendry

Freya Kavanagh

Noah Lovell

Jude Sharman

20th

Summer-May Leppard

Freddie Thomas

Jayden Yorke

21st

Brody Asquith

Albie Collins

Hayden Groves

Cassie Groves

Zack Murphy

Darcie Webb

22nd

Albert Carter

23rd

Leo Bousfield

Jack McCarthy

Louis McManus

Ollie Mee

Ella Paton

24th

Harley Bines

25th

Alexander Chambers

Elizabeth Forster

Josh Margolis

Millie Putman

26th

Cameron Buc

Frankie Williams

27th

Isabelle Hickin

Lily Stoneman

28th

Joey Maltby

Ava-Mae Waterfield

29th

Aiden Carroll

Jack O’Sullivan

Finlay Parker

30th

Alex Hoile

Leo Peverall

Gabriel Rausch

Gerard Wass

Ben Winter


Forward

D.O.B: 16.12.2000 - Nationality:

Rumarn

Burrell

16

52 | HOOPS

Saturday 13th September 2025 | KO: 3pm

Wrexham 1

Queens Park Rangers 3

Richard Kone scored his third

goal in as many games before

Rumarn Burrell opened his

QPR account to wrap up an

impressive victory in North

Wales.

Jimmy Dunne had a goal

disallowed for offside before

the R’s snatched the lead

as Burrell’s close-range

effort was blocked by Arthur

Okonkwo, only to rebound off

Wrexham defender Conor

Coady and over the line.

Kone doubled Rangers’

advantage just before

half-time, running onto Nico

Madsen’s precise through

ball and rifling a thunderous

finish beyond Okonkwo into

the top corner.

The home side responded

midway through the second

half when Lewis O’Brien’s

corner was headed home

by Kieffer Moore – but QPR

regained their two-goal

advantage as Burrell sped

onto Dunne’s clearance

and chipped the advancing

Okonkwo.

Rangers might have added

a fourth late on through

substitute Kader Dembele,

whose effort sailed past the

goalkeeper but struck a post.


HOOPS | 53


54 | HOOPS


HOOPS | 55

United

Nations

of QPR:

PLAYERS FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE HAVE GRACED THE

QPR SHIRT DURING THE CLUB’S HISTORY – WE TAKE A

CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES

REPRESENTED IN RANGERS COLOURS.

W

ide

midfielder Paweł

Wszołek has played

a total of 14 times for

Poland, scoring two goals –

and three of these caps were

won as a QPR man.

Wszołek was born in Tczew,

Poland on 30th April 1992 and

joined Rangers in August 2016

– initially on a season-long

loan deal from Italian side

Hellas Verona.

In October 2016, Wszołek

appeared for his country

as a substitute in

their 2-1 win over

Armenia and the

following month

he started in a

1-1 draw against

Slovenia.

QPR

confirmed

that they had

exercised an option

to sign Wszolek on a

permanent transfer

in January 2017 and

he played for Poland

again later that year,

coming on as a substitute

against Mexico.

In total, Wszolek

started 80 league

games for the

R’s, hitting the net nine

times before leaving

in the summer of 2019

and returning to his

homeland to sign for

Legia Warsaw. He is

currently back at Legia

following a brief spell

with Union Berlin.

Other Polish players who

have graced the hooped shirt

include:

Midfielder Ariel Borysiuk,

who was signed in

June 2016 from Legia

Warsaw and made eight

League starts for QPR before

Poland

eventually transferring to

Lechia Gdansk in January

2018.

Striker Adam Czerkas was

signed on loan from Korona

Kielce in July 2006 and made

just two league starts for

Rangers before returning to

his parent club in December.

Earlier that year, right-back

Marcin Kus had arrived at

Loftus Road on loan from Lech

Poznań. Kus started three

league games for QPR before

returning to his parent club

at the end of the 2005/06

season.


56 | HOOPS

‘It’ is discrimination, in all its forms.

Racism. Homophobia, Misogyny. Disablism.

If you have seen it or heard it, follow

the QR code to report it to Kick It Out.

Together, we can put an end to it.

Take action today at kickitout.org


HOOPS | 57

News & Updates

QPR Women

QPR FC WOMEN 2

CHESHAM UTD WOMEN 0

First-half goals from Natalia Makowska

and Grace Stanley, with her sixth of the

campaign, secured back-to-back wins for

Rangers as they saw off Chesham.

Stanley posed a threat from the off, forcing

an early save from visiting goalkeeper

Grace Amos before Makowska opened the

scoring in the 14th minute, collecting Ellie

Searle’s cross and firing home from 20

yards.

Amos produced diving saves to foil

both Emily Hill and Stanley, but she was

powerless to prevent the latter from

making it 2-0 just before half-time, with

Anna Dzyadyk supplying the assist.

Chesham lifted their game after the break,

with QPR goalkeeper Kenny Clarke called

into action, but the home defence held

firm.

The R’s continued to carve out chances

and substitute Billie Brooks’ header grazed

the crossbar while Meila D’Santos and Lily

Wellesley-Davies both forced further stops

from Amos.

QPR are back in action on Sunday when

they welcome Dulwich Women to Hanwell

Town’s Oliver Connell & Son Community

Stadium, kick-off 2pm.

QPR: Clarke, Lewin, Wellesley-Davies,

Gotch, Searle (Brooks 75), Hill, Mehmet

(Blodgett 75), Leach (D’Santos 62), Stanley,

Dzyadyk (Adebowale-Arimoro), Makowska

(Orchard 67).


58 | HOOPS

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HOOPS | 59

qprcommunitytrust.co.uk e: community@qpr.co.uk t: 020 8740 2509

@QPRtrust

TRUST PLAYS KEY

ROLE IN

EDUCATIONAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

Over the past year, QPR in the

Community Trust’s education

department worked with

thousands of young people to

deliver assemblies, workshops

and tournaments designed

to inspire them, support their

development and celebrate

inclusion.

Towards the end of 2024,

the department focused

on creating inclusive and

welcoming environments in

schools, in line with the Premier

League Value – Be Connected.

This included the Black

History Month theme,

Reclaiming Narratives,

which explored pioneering

figures like Walter Tull and

Mary Philip, alongside our

colleague Pablo Blackwood’s

family contributions to

Britain during the Second

World War.

Workshops for World Mental

Health Day highlighted

the importance of safe

and supportive school

environments, while Anti-

Bullying Week encouraged

pupils to reflect on respect,

both on and off the pitch.

Celebrating women’s

achievements and

encouraging literacy and

participation was a strong

theme at the turn of the

year, marking International

Women’s Day and leading

girls-only football sessions

to promote confidence and

enjoyment on the pitch.

Our second annual Book

Drive, in partnership with the

Children’s Book Project and

supported by fans, players

and Academy families,

collected over 4,000

books for local schools and

Wormwood Scrubs.

The Trust also began a

partnership with Manor

School in Brent, welcoming

pupils to W12 to explore

our sensory room and learn

more about the club. Across

several primary schools,

our transition workshops

supported year six pupils as

they prepared for the next

stage in their education.

MATRADE Loftus Road

hosted the Mayor’s Cup final

– London’s largest primary

schools’ tournament – with

Larmenier & Sacred Heart

lifting the trophy after a

2-0 win over West London

Free School, while Salusbury

Primary represented QPR in

the Utilita Kids Cup National

Final at Wembley.


60 | HOOPS

Player Sponsorship 2025/26

PAUL

NARDI

SPONSORED BY:

Sacha, Aiden,

Zavanah Carroll

LIAM

MORRISON

SPONSORED BY:

Vivienne

MacLennan

SAM

FIELD

SPONSORED BY:

RHYS

NORRINGTON

-DAVIES

SPONSORED BY:

Dutch

Superhoops

STEVE

COOK

SPONSORED BY:

Charlie Grogan

ILIAS

CHAIR

SPONSORED BY:

Riley Hayes

KEALEY

ADAMSON

SPONSORED BY:

Nick Guoth

JAKE

CLARKE-

SALTER

SPONSORED BY:

Jakson Buhaj

PAUL

SMYTH

SPONSORED BY:

David Hayes

JIMMY

DUNNE

SPONSORED BY:

Trent Buhaj

KADER

DEMBELE

SPONSORED BY:

Riley Hayes

MICHAEL

FREY

SPONSORED BY:

Nathan Hayes

JOE

WALSH

SPONSORED BY:

Phil & Harry

Newman

KOKI

SAITO

SPONSORED BY:

www.spanish

practiceclub.com

ISAAC

HAYDEN

SPONSORED BY:

Ronnie Weston

RUMARN

BURRELL

SPONSORED BY:

Sindy Grewal


HOOPS | 61

KWAME

POKU

TIMOTHY

AKINDILENI

HARVEY

VALE

KIERAN

MORGAN

SPONSORED BY:

John Saunders

SPONSORED BY:

Ron Hill

SPONSORED BY:

Betty Cook

SPONSORED BY:

Steve Little

RICHARD

KONE

SPONSORED BY:

Paul Abey,

Tony Byrne and

Jim Kiely

RAYAN

KOLLI

SPONSORED BY:

Tyler Buhaj

MATTEO

SALAMON

SPONSORED BY:

Phil & Harry

Newman

DANIEL

BENNIE

SPONSORED BY:

superevents.com

AMADOU

MBENGUE

SPONSORED BY:

Nathan, Dave

and Diane Smith

JONATHAN

VARANE

SPONSORED BY:

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NICOLAS

MADSEN

SPONSORED BY:

Nick Milner

ESQUERDINHA

SPONSORED BY:

www.valerewm.co.uk

JULIEN

STEPHAN

SPONSORED BY:

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JAYLAN

PEARMAN

SPONSORED BY:

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TYLON

SMITH

SPONSORED BY:

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If you are interested

in becoming a

2025/26 Player

Sponsor please get in

touch via;

Tel: 020 8740 2560

E-mail: corporate@

qpr.co.uk

@QPR_Corporate

www.qpr

corporate.co.uk

Player Sponsorship 2025/26


62 | HOOPS

Queens Park Rangers

2025/26 SEASON FIXTURES & RESULTS

DATE KO COMP OPPONENTS ATTENDANCE F/A POS. REFEREE

AUGUST 2024

SATURDAY 9 15:00 SBC PRESTON NORTH END 16,804 1-1 12 O. Langford

TUESDAY 12 19:45 EFLC PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 10,884 2-3 N/A J. Busby

SATURDAY 16 15:00 SBC WATFORD 19,517 1-2 18 T. Harrington

SATURDAY 23 15:00 SBC COVENTRY CITY 29,015 1-7 22 A. Herczeg

SATURDAY 30 12:30 SBC CHARLTON ATHLETIC 16,875 3-1 18 A. Kitchen

SEPTEMBER 2024

SATURDAY 13 15:00 SBC WREXHAM 10,608 3-1 12 B. Speedie

SATURDAY 20 12:30 SBC STOKE CITY

SATURDAY 27 15:00 SBC SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

OCTOBER 2024

WEDNESDAY 1 19:45 SBC OXFORD UNITED

SATURDAY 4 15:00 SBC BRISTOL CITY

SATURDAY 18 12:30 SBC MILLWALL

WEDNESDAY 22 19:45 SBC SWANSEA CITY

SATURDAY 25 15:00 SBC DERBY COUNTY

NOVEMBER 2024

SATURDAY 1 15:00 SBC IPSWICH TOWN

WEDNESDAY 5 19:45 SBC SOUTHAMPTON

SATURDAY 8 15:00 SBC SHEFFIELD UNITED

SATURDAY 22 15:00 SBC HULL CITY

WEDNESDAY 26 19:45 SBC BLACKBURN ROVERS

SATURDAY 29 15:00 SBC NORWICH CITY

DECEMBER 2024

SATURDAY 6 15:00 SBC WEST BROMWICH ALBION

TUESDAY 9 19:45 SBC BIRMINGHAM CITY

SATURDAY 13 15:00 SBC MIDDLESBROUGH

SATURDAY 20 15:00 SBC LEICESTER CITY

SATURDAY 26 15:00 SBC PORTSMOUTH

MONDAY 29 19:45 SBC WEST BROMWICH ALBION

JANUARY 2025

THURSDAY 1 15:00 SBC NORWICH CITY

SUNDAY 4 15:00 SBC SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

SATURDAY 17 15:00 SBC STOKE CITY

TUESDAY 20 19:45 SBC OXFORD UNITED

SATURDAY 24 15:00 SBC WREXHAM

SATURDAY 31 15:00 SBC COVENTRY CITY

FEBRUARY 2025

SATURDAY 7 15:00 SBC CHARLTON ATHLETIC

SATURDAY 14 15:00 SBC BLACKBURN ROVERS

SATURDAY 21 15:00 SBC HULL CITY

TUESDAY 24 19:45 SBC SOUTHAMPTON

SATURDAY 28 15:00 SBC SHEFFIELD UNITED

MARCH 2025

SATURDAY 7 15:00 SBC MIDDLESBROUGH

TUESDAY 10 19:45 SBC BIRMINGHAM CITY

SATURDAY 14 15:00 SBC LEICESTER CITY

SATURDAY 21 15:00 SBC PORTSMOUTH

APRIL 2025

FRIDAY 3 15:00 SBC WATFORD

MONDAY 6 15:00 SBC PRESTON NORTH END

SATURDAY 11 15:00 SBC BRISTOL CITY

SATURDAY 18 15:00 SBC MILLWALL

TUESDAY 21 19:45 SBC SWANSEA CITY

SATURDAY 25 15:00 SBC DERBY COUNTY

MAY 2025

SATURDAY 2 12:30 SBC IPSWICH TOWN


HOOPS | 63

PAUL NARDI

KEALEY ADAMSON

JIMMY DUNNE

LIAM MORRISON

STEVE COOK

JAKE CLARKE-SALTER

KADER DEMBELE

SAM FIELD

ŽAN CELAR

ILIAS CHAIR

PAUL SMYTH

MICHAEL FREY

JOE WALSH

KOKI SAITO

ISAAC HAYDEN

RUMARN BURRELL

KWAME POKU

R. NORRINGTON-DAVIES

TIMOTHY AKINDILENI

HARVEY VALE

KIERAN MORGAN

RICHARD KONE

DANIEL BENNIE

NICO MADSEN

JAYLAN PEARMAN

RAYAN KOLLI

AMADOU MBENGUE

ESQUERDINHA

TYLON SMITH

RAY JONES

MATTEO SALAMON

RIDWAN HASSAN

CHARLIE WARREN

ELIJAH DIXON-BONNER

EMMERSON SUTTON

TAYLOR RICHARDS

JOHNATHAN VARANE

T TARTBOTTON

NOAH MCCANN

J PUTMAN

A WILKIE

C DILLON

K BRUNSON

LORENT TALLA

A TRUJILLO

1 1 1

1

1

1 1

1 1


64 | HOOPS

WIN ONE OF

72 SEASON

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League Table

2025/26

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P W D L F A W D L F A GD Pts

HOOPS | 65

Championship Pack

Stat

1 MIDDLESBROUGH 5 2 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 7 3 +6 13

2 STOKE 5 2 0 1 4 2 2 0 0 5 1 +6 12

3 BRISTOL C 5 1 1 0 4 2 2 1 0 8 2 +8 11

4 LEICESTER 5 2 0 0 4 1 1 1 1 4 4 +3 10

5 WEST BROM 5 1 1 1 2 2 2 0 0 4 2 +2 10

6 COVENTRY 5 1 2 0 8 2 1 1 0 7 5 +8 9

7 SWANSEA 5 1 2 0 4 3 1 0 1 2 1 +2 8

8 PRESTON 5 2 1 0 5 3 0 1 1 1 2 +1 8

9 PORTSMOUTH 5 1 0 1 2 2 1 2 0 2 1 +1 8

10 NORWICH 5 0 0 2 2 4 2 1 0 5 2 +1 7

11 BIRMINGHAM 5 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 2 4 -1 7

12 QPR 5 1 1 0 4 2 1 0 2 5 10 -3 7

13 MILLWALL 5 0 0 2 0 5 2 1 0 4 2 -3 7

14 IPSWICH 5 1 2 0 8 3 0 1 1 1 2 +4 6

15 SOUTHAMPTON 5 1 1 1 3 3 0 2 0 3 3 0 6

16 BLACKBURN 5 0 0 2 1 4 2 0 1 4 1 0 6

17 WATFORD 5 1 1 1 4 4 0 1 1 1 2 -1 5

18 CHARLTON 5 1 1 1 2 2 0 1 1 1 3 -2 5

19 DERBY 5 0 1 1 4 6 1 1 1 4 5 -3 5

20 HULL 5 1 0 1 3 5 0 2 1 4 6 -4 5

21 WREXHAM 5 0 1 2 5 8 1 0 1 3 2 -2 4

22 OXFORD 5 0 2 1 4 5 0 0 2 2 4 -3 2

23 SHEFF WED 5 0 0 3 0 8 0 1 1 3 4 -9 1

24 SHEFF UTD 5 0 0 2 1 5 0 0 3 0 7 -11 0

LAST UPDATED: 17.09.2025

This Weekend's Fixtures

kick-off 3pm unless stated otherwise

Saturday 20th September

Birmingham City vs Swansea City (12:30)

Leicester City vs Coventry City (12:30)

Queens Park Rangers vs Stoke City (12:30)

Blackburn Rovers vs Ipswich Town

Derby County vs Preston North End

Hull City vs Southampton

Norwich City vs Wrexham

Portsmouth vs Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield United vs Charlton Athletic

Sunday 21st September

Bristol City vs Oxford United (15:00)

Monday 22nd September

Millwall vs Watford (20:00)

Top Goalscorers

H WRIGHT

COVENTRY CITY 5

J SARGENT

NORWICH CITY 5

K MOORE

WREXHAM 4

Top Assists

S THOMAS

STOKE CITY 3

R MCCRORIE

BRISTOL CITY 3

M VAN EWIJK

COVENTRY CITY 3

Top Clean Sheets

S BRYNN

MIDDLESBROUGH 3

N SCHMID

PORTSMOUTH 3

V JOHANSSON

STOKE CITY 3


66 | HOOPS

MEDIA VOICE

Aidan Magee

JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER

AIDAN MAGEE PENS HIS LATEST COLUMN

T

here were many

reasons to feel

concerned after our

heavy defeat at Coventry.

Aside from the effect it might

have on confidence, my worry

was that it could mean we’d

lost significant ground already.

I believed that because we

don’t face any of last season’s

relegated Premier League

teams until the visit of Ipswich

in early November.

As starts go, it’s been a pretty

favourable one if we consider

just the fixtures on paper, and

so taking one point out of nine

and conceding 10 goals from

Preston (H) and two away trips

to Watford and Coventry in

the first three games was a

blow.

However, I sound like the

tennis players who look at the

draw for Wimbledon and who

they might face in the semifinal,

only to be knocked out in

the first round by a qualifier.

We’ve turned things round

in the last two matches

and weren’t unsettled by

the international break in

between. Richard Kone and

Rumarn Burrell look like

they’re developing into an

effective partnership.

As the table stands, none of

the relegated sides are in

the top three, which features

none of the clubs currently

benefitting from Premier

League solidarity payments.

And who’d have thought

Sheffield United, who amassed

90 points last term, would be

rock-bottom without even a

point to their name?

Critics might respond by

observing that our two wins

are against sides who were

in League One last season.

All I’ve realised is that the

Championship still has the

capacity to surprise.

I hope you like my range of

QPR Subbuteo teams – the

date range is 1975 through to

2004. I’ve entered the London

Subbuteo Club Cup at a venue

in Fulham and I’ll let you know

how I get on – provided I’m

not dumped out at the group

stage!

Finally, I’d like to wish Leo

Peverall from Epsom a very

happy birthday. He turns 13 on

Tuesday 30th September.

Leo and his dad John are QPR

supporters, as was his late

grandfather Ted. He’s hoping

to come to MATRADE Loftus

Road for the Ipswich game in

November.


SPORT PLAYS

GREEN.

ays

green

Find out more about

errea.com

We have always believed in taking great care of the planet we live on. That’s why

we continue to invest in eco-friendly technologies and machinery that have a low

environmental impact. We follow the rules of circular economy rules, eliminating

waste and making use of recycled materials. Likewise, the clothing we make adheres

to this philosophy, thanks to our Standard 100 Oeko-Tex ® certification that places

extremely strict limits on harmful chemicals used in textile products. By 2030, we

also aim to reduce our carbon footprint by 30% per unit sold and increase the use of

sustainable materials by 20%. These are important steps, and there are many more

to come. Because you can never love the environment too much.

errea.com

QUEENS PARK RANGERS WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT

QUEENS PARK RANGERS

HEAD COACH:

JULIEN STEPHAN

1 PAUL NARDI GK

2 KEALEY ADAMSON

3 JIMMY DUNNE

4 LIAM MORRISON

5 STEVE COOK

6 JAKE CLARKE-SALTER

7 KADER DEMBELE

8 SAM FIELD

10 ILIAS CHAIR

11 PAUL SMYTH

12 MICHAEL FREY

25 JAYLAN PEARMAN

13 JOE WALSH GK

26 RAYAN KOLLI

14 KOKI SAITO

27 AMADOU MBENGUE

15 ISAAC HAYDEN

28 ESQUERDINHA

16 RUMARN BURRELL

30 TYLON SMITH

17 KWAME POKU

31 RAY JONES

18 R. NORRINGTON-DAVIES 32 MATTEO SALAMON GK

19 TIMOTHY AKINDILENI 33 RIDWAN HASSAN

20 HARVEY VALE

35 CHARLIE WARREN

21 KIERAN MORGAN

36 EMMERSON SUTTON

22 RICHARD KONE

38 ZIYAD LARKECHE

23 DANIEL BENNIE

41 NOAH MCCANN

24 NICO MADSEN

STOKE CITY

MANAGER:

MARK ROBINS

1 VIKTOR JOHANSSON GK

3 AARON CRESSWELL

4 BEN PEARSON

7 SORBA THOMAS

8 LEWIS BAKER

9 DIVIN MUBAMA

10 BAE JUN-HO

11 ROBERT BOZENIK

12 TATSUKI SEKO

13 JACK BONHAM GK

14 JAMIE DONLEY

15 STEVEN NZONZI

16 BEN WILMOT

17 ERIC-JUNIOR BOCAT

18 BOSUN LAWAL

19 TOMAS RIGO

20 SAM GALLAGHER

22 JUNIOR TCHAMADEU

23 BEN GIBSON

26 ASHLEY PHILLIPS

29 LAMINE CISSE

33 TRUE GRANT GK

34 FRANK FIELDING GK

40 MAKSYM TALOVIEROV

42 MILLION MANHOEF

REFEREE: T. ROBINSON AR1: R. WEST

AR2: M. SCHOLES 4TH OFFICIAL: T. REEVES

NEXT UP @ MATRADE LOFTUS ROAD:

OXFORD UNITED

WEDNESDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2025, KO 8PM

Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City

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