supporters from the early 70's

[bigray]

Sorry guys
Born 1934 saw my first QPR game in 1947.
Supported the R's ever since.

[bushkangaroo]

First went 1970 as a 13 year old. Got addicted to the Rs in 1971. No pill or therapy will cure me unfortunately.

[WeAreQPR12]

1st game for me 1986. Was lucky to of met some incredible players during the open days where they even engaged with you

[OldR]

1st game for me 1986. Was lucky to of met some incredible players during the open days where they even engaged with you

First game for me was just a little bit before : Liverpool on a Friday night in 1984. My Dad took me and although I don't talk to him anymore it's something he did get right and I will always be thankful for.

The open days were great weren't they! The players were, as you say, always engaging and it was natural rather than the fake, social media in mind ones today.

Good to see so many older fans on here btw. I tend to associate message boards and forums with youngsters who I have nothing in common with so good to see this board attracts all areas of our support.

[Joe90]

Nobody in my family gave a toss about football, but as a lot of children do I supported the most popular team in the playground which was Man Utd...had a few shirts and was even taken to a game by some family friends. I don't know when, how or why, but at some point I realised that supporting a team in Manchester made absolutely no senses and thanks to the Panini sticker album and my Dad not being willing to drive me to Thornton Heath to watch Wimbledon I settled on QPR. We got relegated the first season I followed the R's, but I didn't care and never looked back. I'll never forget the buzz of driving to QPR with my Dad, getting a programme, the smell of fried onions, seeing all the fans in QPR shirts, looking around the club shop, the first glimpse of the pitch as you walk up into the stands, seeing the floodlights in the distance and the sight of the ground poking out between the houses. QPR is a very special club in this modern era of football. There's a lot of old school quality it retains without being completely ####. I personally think it's a really special match day experience, especially with how central the club is located.

[cross it Dave]

Nobody in my family gave a toss about football, but as a lot of children do I supported the most popular team in the playground which was Man Utd...had a few shirts and was even taken to a game by some family friends. I don't know when, how or why, but at some point I realised that supporting a team in Manchester made absolutely no senses and thanks to the Panini sticker album and my Dad not being willing to drive me to Thornton Heath to watch Wimbledon I settled on QPR. We got relegated the first season I followed the R's, but I didn't care and never looked back. I'll never forget the buzz of driving to QPR with my Dad, getting a programme, the smell of fried onions, seeing all the fans in QPR shirts, looking around the club shop, the first glimpse of the pitch as you walk up into the stands, seeing the floodlights in the distance and the sight of the ground poking out between the houses. QPR is a very special club in this modern era of football. There's a lot of old school quality it retains without being completely ####. I personally think it's a really special match day experience, especially with how central the club is located.

Well said Joe

[CroydonCaptainJack]

Nobody in my family gave a toss about football, but as a lot of children do I supported the most popular team in the playground which was Man Utd...had a few shirts and was even taken to a game by some family friends. I don't know when, how or why, but at some point I realised that supporting a team in Manchester made absolutely no senses and thanks to the Panini sticker album and my Dad not being willing to drive me to Thornton Heath to watch Wimbledon I settled on QPR. We got relegated the first season I followed the R's, but I didn't care and never looked back. I'll never forget the buzz of driving to QPR with my Dad, getting a programme, the smell of fried onions, seeing all the fans in QPR shirts, looking around the club shop, the first glimpse of the pitch as you walk up into the stands, seeing the floodlights in the distance and the sight of the ground poking out between the houses. QPR is a very special club in this modern era of football. There's a lot of old school quality it retains without being completely ####. I personally think it's a really special match day experience, especially with how central the club is located.

Great post Joe. You must have lived near me then?

[Fraggy]

Joe, the smell of those onions was most definitely part of the match day experience. Found out most the burger vans used instant onions (just add boiling water).
OldR, yes we do have a few 'older' types on here, I believe most of us appreciate a place to call home online, where as Facebook, Twitter etc, reminds me of places that you sometimes visit just to say hi, but don't want to spend too much time on.

[LoftusRoadLad]

Grew up in Loftus Road and lived right next to the Loft entrance Num 71. In 1959 when I was 4 got run over by Tony's of Acton ice cream van. First on the scene was QPR's medical team before the ambulance. Worked in QPR all my youth as a tray boy selling Smiths n stuff to you lot before going on to sell those smelly onions you all seem to like ! So yeah my one and only club.

[hal9thou]

I was there. Loft Balcony.

Remember the strong smell of linament off the players as they ran out. Stronger than the onions and fag (and dope) smoke.....

[OldR]

What other non-football things - like the smell of the onions - summed up going to matches for you?

Mine was definitely going into Smuts for the first time when the LSA were located there and finally feeling that I wasn't just going to football with my Dad every now and then but part of something too.

Getting a birthday mention in the programme's Junior R's section.

As mentioned before, how accessible the players were and how genuinely engaged they were with the fanbase unlike the fake, social media wary players now. Players used to park on the White City including Les and his Ferrari!

[brightonr]

Bags of chestnuts

[Blobbers]

Born 1948 into a family that has connections with R's since the 1880's when my grandfather played for St.Jude's.First game was at the White City in 1963 against Port Vale where we won 3-1,only a few thousand there but what a racket!That whole LR experience was amplified by an article in the Daily Express,mid sixties,where the columnist extolled the virtues of "turning right by the hot dog stand where soccer is sizzling".Wonderful experience at the time,nothing like it.... round the back of someone's house,grab a programme and up some murky stairwell to emerge into the light and sound like some audio visual Bayeux Tapestry.What a kick in the head!
I haven't been for some years now,can't afford it and it's a bit of a shlep from west wales and back and I've got a badly disabled brother to look after.Maybe a bucket job sometime.

[72bus]

my 1st game the cubs took us we lost 1 nil to blackpool and rodney was playing , when i was about 10 i'd get 50p pocket money , it was 2p on the bus , 30p to get in the loft or 25p to get in the uncovered school end where u mixed with away fans. with the change i'd buy the victor comic

[Lord Charles]

Percy Daltons bloke. Throw the money to him and he threw you back a bag of peanuts

Golden goals tickets

Half time scores going up on the boys pen wall

Tea hut right at the top of the SAR bank / terrace