QPR fans with no connections to London

[loneranger]

No connection to London at all here. Born and bred in Farnborough, Hants.

Saw the R's on the telly back in the early 70's and decided they were going to be my team. I think it was the style of play and the blue and white hooped kit that caught my eye, I was 8 at the time.

Never went to a game as had no-one to go with, the home counties being full of Man utd (my brother included) and Liverpool fans, as well as a lot of Chelsea fans in the new GLC estate in Farnborough.

The group I used to hang around with were not into football and never discussed it, but I found out one of my mates was an Rs fan and we started going to games together in the late eighties.

Was a season ticket holder for a few years before the kids came along, now I get to go to a couple of games a year.

Did you go Newcastle away must be early mid 90s and stay up there with a pal ?

[Bracknell Neil]

i'm from bracknell and traditionally my family support chelsea apart from my dad who's a fulham fan. i used to support chelsea until roman bought them out and i didn't like the idea of supporting a team that buys success (ironic in the end aint it?). didn't really support any team for a bit but then started playing as qpr on fifa, the main thing that drew me to them was the name haha. i remember when i decided to support us though, me and my dad were taking the dogs for a walk and i asked him where qpr are based, he told me west london so i pretty much decided to start following them that night, we had just been promoted from league 1 and the fact i thought ian holloway was hilarious drew me in too. i was only 10 or 11 at the time so forgive my fickle start to the pains of being an rs supporter.

went to my first game in 2006 when i was on holiday in devon, my dad surprised me by taking me to plymouth away. i can't remember the result though, only that i was awe struck. qpr is now a huge part of my life and i drive my gf mad coz i drum on a bit about qpr sometimes, i got worse after i got my first season ticket last season (renewed for this one too) as i got hooked on the qpr bug quite eagerly, nothing is quite as good a feeling as the rush of adrenaline and excitement you get when we score or the positive mood you get for an entire week when we do win. supporting a smaller club is great imo, every win and success means so much more than what bigger teams get, that's why guys like stan bowels are legends here nearly 40 years on, he brought the club success and was a true great on the pitch for us. if he'd have played for say, liverpool, i doubt liverpool supporters my age would even know who he is.

screw all the current turmoil and despite all the ridiculous lows we've had i'll still love qpr to my dying day even if it is a severely abusive relationship

I live in Bracknell too surprise ( lol ) but Bracknell is probably more representative of 60's/70's West London with the mass exodus to this new town . Loads of Rangers here. We even took a coach to Cardiff .

[Bracknell Neil]

Thanks for your great story Corbray.

That's very interesting you're from Bracknell and were drawn to QPR around the time Reading got promoted to the Premier League in their 106 point season. I would have thought there was a lot of local interest in Reading as that isn't too far from Bracknell.

We Call The Reading lot .. Readingand round here because probably 80% of their support are Reading and Spurs or Chelsea

[qpr]

From Basingstoke my dad supported QPRbecause his dad (Chelscum fan) gave him a blue & white hooped shirt (not qpr) as a kid & my dad watched qpr on the telly. The rest is history!

[corbray]

I live in Bracknell too surprise ( lol ) but Bracknell is probably more representative of 60's/70's West London with the mass exodus to this new town . Loads of Rangers here. We even took a coach to Cardiff .

is that so haha? ive never seen many round bracknell, there was another kid at my school who supported qpr but that was it. i see the odd qpr fan here and there but for the most part any hoops i see are arsenal- sorry i mean reading fans

[Fraggy]

Weare's comment about soccer did make me grin. I've been up here 12+ years and it still annoys me, especially as it sounds like the locals where I am are saying sucker.
The guys where I work made me a t-shirt for Christmas a few years back that says 'Its Football Not Soccer You ******'
It tends to get strange looks

[Pal]

Did you go Newcastle away must be early mid 90s and stay up there with a pal ?

I did go to Newcastle away in 1993 when Jan Stejskal saved a last minute penalty to give us a 2-1 win, but I went on the club coach with my wife (who says I don't know how to show a girl a good time!)

[Fraggy]

I did go to Newcastle away in 1993 when Jan Stejskal saved a last minute penalty to give us a 2-1 win, but I went on the club coach with my wife (who says I don't know how to show a girl a good time!)

Lucky you didn't take her up there on the supporters train in I think it was 82/83, first game of the season when Keagan made his Newcastle debut and scored the only goal. That was fairly lively and I doubt she would still be your wife if you subjected her to that