1981–82 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season

During the 1981–82 English football season, Queens Park Rangers competed in the Second Division and finished in 5th position. They also reached the FA Cup final for the first time in their history, losing in a replay to Tottenham Hotspur.[1]

Queens Park Rangers
1981–82 season
ChairmanJim Gregory
ManagerTerry Venables
Second Division5th
FA CupRunners-up
Milk CupFourth round
Top goalscorerLeague: Simon Stainrod (17)
All: Simon Stainrod (24)
Highest home attendance24,653 v Crystal Palace (FA Cup sixth round, 6 March 1982)
Lowest home attendance8753 v Grimsby Town (Second Division, 6 February 1982)
Average home league attendance12,574


Season summary

During the summer of 1981, Rangers installed an artificial Omniturf pitch at their Loftus Road ground. The opening match on the new surface - the first of its kind in British professional football - was a 2–1 defeat to Luton Town, who would install a synthetic pitch of their own a few years later. Despite this setback, Rangers proved difficult to beat at home, but away results were indifferent by comparison and they ultimately fell two points short of the third promotion spot.[2]

In the FA Cup, Rangers beat Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Grimsby Town, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion en route to the final at Wembley, where their opponents were holders Tottenham. Terry Fenwick's header salvaged a 1–1 draw after Glenn Hoddle had put Spurs in front, both goals coming in the second half of extra-time,[3] but Hoddle converted a penalty in the sixth minute of the replay which proved decisive despite Rangers enjoying much of the possession for the remainder of the game.[4]

Kit

Adidas remained as QPR's kit manufacturers.

Squad

Substitute appearances indicated in brackets
Pos.Nat.NameLeagueMilk CupFA CupTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK  ENGGraham Benstead00000000
GK  ENGJohn Burridge2004000240
GK  ENGPeter Hucker2200090310
DF  ENGIan Dawes50000050
DF  ENGTerry Fenwick3654081486
DF  ENGIan Gillard33(2)1409046(2)1
DF  JAMBob Hazell23(1)2404031(1)2
DF  ENGErnie Howe1601051221
DF  NIRAlan McDonald00000000
DF  ENGWarren Neill110003(1)114(1)1
DF  ENGGlenn Roeder4124080532
DF  ENGSteve Wicks90000090
MF  ENGTony Currie2011070281
MF  ENGMartin Duffield00000000
MF  ENGGerry Francis70000070
MF  ENGJohn Gregory34942704511
MF  ENGAndy King43000043
MF  ENGGary Micklewhite24(2)23(1)34(1)031(4)5
MF  IREMark O'Connor10000010
MF  IREGary Waddock3503090470
MF  ENGDean Wilkins0(1)010001(1)0
FW  ENGClive Allen36(1)13217745(1)21
FW  ENGSteve Burke2(10)01(1)00(1)03(12)0
FW  ENGMartyn Busby00000000
FW  ENGWayne Fereday2(2)0000(1)02(3)0
FW  ENGMike Flanagan36(1)10329048(1)12
FW  ENGIan Muir00000000
FW  ENGTony Sealy4(3)010005(3)0
FW  ENGSimon Stainrod391742955224
FW  NIRIan Stewart2(1)00(2)01(1)03(4)0

[5]

Second Division

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
3Norwich City (P)42225156450+1471Promotion to the First Division
4Sheffield Wednesday422010125551+470
5Queens Park Rangers42216156543+2269
6Barnsley421910135941+1867
7Rotherham United42207156654+1267
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(P) Promoted

Results

Second Division

DateOpponentsH / AResult
F – A
ScorersAttendancePosition
29 August 1981WrexhamA3–1King, Allen 246615
1 September 1981Luton TownH1–2King18,7036
5 September 1981Newcastle UnitedH3–0King, Roeder, Stainrod14,1763
12 September 1981Grimsby TownA1–2Gregory94908
19 September 1981Crystal PalaceH1–0Stainrod17,0396
22 September 1981Oldham AthleticA0–264218
26 September 1981Derby CountyA1–3Gregory11,24614
3 October 1981Blackburn RoversH2–0Gregory, Allen954110
10 October 1981Norwich CityH2–0Gregory, Stainrod11,8067
18 October 1981OrientA1–1Gillard81926
24 October 1981Leicester CityH2–0Stainrod, Gregory12,4194
31 October 1981Charlton AthleticA2–1Stainrod, Allen11,3334
7 November 1981Rotherham UnitedH1–1Flanagan10,9494
14 November 1981Sheffield WednesdayA3–1Stainrod 317,0243
21 November 1981Shrewsbury TownA1–2Flanagan47654
24 November 1981Oldham AthleticH0–094774
28 November 1981Cardiff CityH2–0Stainrod 210,2253
5 December 1981Bolton WanderersA0–160765
12 December 1981BarnsleyH1–0Flanagan10,9724
26 December 1981ChelseaH0–222,0225
16 January 1982WrexhamH1–1Stainrod10,0664
30 January 1982Crystal PalaceA0–015,2676
6 February 1982Grimsby TownH1–0Gregory87535
9 February 1982Cambridge UnitedA0–148226
16 February 1982Blackburn RoversA1–2Allen68847
20 February 1982Derby CountyH3–0Hazell, Fenwick, Flanagan88906
27 February 1982Norwich CityA1–0Roeder15,9287
9 March 1982WatfordA0–416,8627
13 March 1982Leicester CityA2–3Currie, Stainrod17,8219
20 March 1982Charlton AthleticH4–0Fenwick, Allen 313,1187
27 March 1982Rotherham UnitedA0–110,4729
29 March 1982Sheffield WednesdayH2–0Flanagan, Stainrod11,7107
6 April 1982OrientH3–0Hazell, Flanagan, Stainrod10,5317
10 April 1982ChelseaA1–2Gregory18,3657
12 April 1982WatfordH0–022,0917
17 April 1982Shrewsbury TownH2–1Flanagan, Allen11,1486
24 April 1982Cardiff CityA2–1Allen, Micklewhite59796
1 May 1982Bolton WanderersH7–1Gregory, Micklewhite, Flanagan 2, Fenwick (pen), Stainrod, Allen10,0025
5 May 1982Newcastle UnitedA4–0Gregory, Allen, Flanagan, Stainrod10,6705
8 May 1982BarnsleyA0–310,5796
11 May 1982Luton TownA2–3Fenwick, Stainrod16,6576
15 May 1982Cambridge UnitedH2–1Allen, Fenwick (pen)10,4675

[6]

Milk Cup

DateRoundOpponentsH / AResult
F – A
ScorersAttendance
6 October 1981Second Round First LegPortsmouthH5–0Ellis (og), Gregory 2, Micklewhite 213,502
27 October 1981Second Round Second LegPortsmouthA2–2Flanagan, Micklewhite7677
10 November 1981Third RoundBristol CityH3–0Flanagan, Stainrod, Allen9215
1 December 1981Fourth RoundWatfordA1–4Stainrod (pen)18,276

[7]

FA Cup

DateRoundOpponentsH / AResult
F – A
ScorersAttendance
2 January 1982Third RoundMiddlesbroughH1–1Stainrod12,100
18 January 1982Third Round ReplayMiddlesbroughA3–2 (aet - 2–2 at 90 mins)Stainrod 2, Neill14,819
23 January 1982Fourth RoundBlackpoolA0–010,227
26 January 1982Fourth Round ReplayBlackpoolH5–1Allen 4, Stainrod (pen)11,712
13 February 1982Fifth RoundGrimsby TownH3–1Stainrod, Allen, Howe13,344
6 March 1982Sixth RoundCrystal PalaceH1–0Allen24,653
3 April 1982Semi-FinalWest Bromwich AlbionN1–0Allen45,015
22 May 1982FinalTottenham HotspurN1–1 (aet - 0–0 at 90 mins)Fenwick100,000
27 May 1982Final ReplayTottenham HotspurN0–190,000

[8]


Pre-Season

DateCountryOpponentsH / AResult
F – A
Scorers
25 July 1981SwedenStugens BKA6-0Stainrod 2, King 2, Burridge, Sealy
27 July 1981SwedenSandviks IKA8-1Flanagan, Micklewhite 2, Stainrod, Waddock, Sealy 2, Muir
29 July 1981SwedenSpanga ISA1–0Micklewhite
30 July 1981SwedenEnkopingsA9-1Flanagan 3, Micklewhite, Stainrod 2, Allen 2, Muir
2 August 1981SwedenLudvika BKA4-1Flanagan , Stainrod 2, Gregory
16 August 1981IrelandAthlone TownA4-3Flanagan , Stainrod 3
18 August 1981IrelandBohemiansA3-0Stainrod 2, Allen


References

Bibliography
  • Rothmans Football Yearbook 1982-83 (Editor: Jack Rollin). London: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0-356-07888-4.