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**KASPARS BOOTS** · 16-11-2011, 01:47 PM

I seem to recall a similar themed thread before we went to wolves from their fans. I'm also pretty sure Chelshite thought they were going to hammer us.
We also have a reasonably good record at the Brittania stadium so i for one will be travelling with not an unreasonable level of optimism !!

**stainrodisalegend** · 16-11-2011, 01:49 PM

Tough game but if we are able to play with the same intensity we did against City (big if) no reason why we can't get a result.

**QPR1234** · 16-11-2011, 03:28 PM

imo, this game will basically depend on our ability to stop their set pieces. i dont see them opening us up with slick passing.

**Factamondo** · 16-11-2011, 03:30 PM

its sjoke ffs

..........im confident we will get something as their bubble has burst imho!

**PedalR** · 16-11-2011, 06:00 PM

I remember several years ago when playing them was a guaranteed 3 points for us... pretty sure we won there on at least two consectuvie seasons.
They're nothing special and we don't get fazed by the the noise they supposedly make (gotta feeling they'll be quiet and glum o Saturdsay).

**DouDou_87** · 16-11-2011, 06:18 PM

Such a tough place to go, would love a point up there.

They are really gonna be smarting after the hammering they took at Bolton, we could be in for a battering if we're not careful.

**Ric-Roc** · 17-11-2011, 12:04 AM

Had some double live o days up there.

Who remembers a few years back when Gallen scored in about the 83rd minute to win it 1-0? I'm sure it was the game when a Stoke knob tried to belt Simon Royce.

Came out the ground & had half hour running battles with them in & outside the car park.

**Kit** · 17-11-2011, 12:19 AM

Originally posted by Ric-Roc View Post

Had some double live o days up there.

Who remembers a few years back when Gallen scored in about the 83rd minute to win it 1-0? I'm sure it was the game when a Stoke knob tried to belt Simon Royce.

Came out the ground & had half hour running battles with them in & outside the car park.

I remember 1-0 Peacock scoring and running battles outside with a pole being lobbed by their **** and landing 2 foot from a 8 year old hoops supporter spearing into the floor.

**Ric-Roc** · 17-11-2011, 12:31 AM

That might of been the game actually. Did Akinbiye make a fool of himself that day for some reason? A sending off to do with Birch if I remember rightly.

**KASPARS BOOTS** · 17-11-2011, 11:25 AM

There was trouble after both 1-0 wins when peacock and gallen scored respectively. Also had trouble on way back to station after the 2-1 win when Taggart got sent off for head butting Birch. Think Furlong and a Langley pen won it for us. The locals up there never seem overly friendly !! Oh well heres hoping for another 3 point and a peaceful trip back to my car !!

**BennyBoyRs** · 17-11-2011, 11:29 AM

Originally posted by Ric-Roc View Post

That might of been the game actually. Did Akinbiye make a fool of himself that day for some reason? A sending off to do with Birch if I remember rightly.

Didn't one of their fans jump on Day? I think Bean gave the fan a dig n all.

**BennyBoyRs** · 17-11-2011, 11:32 AM

I just found this. I remember it being lively, but I forgot how bad it got...

http://www.queensparkrangersfc.com/r...405/stokea.htm

After five league wins in a row the chance to extend that run to six wins was never going to be easy as we visited the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City on Saturday. To say this isn’t the most away fan friendly ground is an under statement. After the crowd trouble of a few years ago this was one trip I wasn’t going to make again but after thinking about it I felt that it wasn't worth letting the idiots win and stop me going to a football match.

On the train up to Stoke the Train Manager warned us that a heavy police presence was waiting for us at Stoke and to be a bit careful so not the most welcoming of starts. To be fair the heavy police presence was evident at the station but they were pretty friendly unlike the welcome at places like Chesterfield and Brighton in recent years.

After a quick walk to find a pub it was clear everything in the town was shut with fears of a BNP rally, which had been scheduled for the same afternoon but had been called off.

We ended up in the hotel opposite the train station but despite several other QPR fans drinking in the bar we were told we couldn't be served as we were going to the football. The police outside advised us to get a taxi to the ground rather than walk it as plenty of locals were looking for trouble. Once we arrived at the Britannia Stadium we had a few beers in the Harvester by the ground, which was trouble free, and Stoke and QPR fans were happy drinking and chatting to each other, which is how football should be.

Once we got to the away end the amount of Burberry on show in our end and the Stoke end made it clear that one or two were not here just for the football. It was a good atmosphere in the QPR end though with what I’d guess was 2,500 QPR fans.

The game started with Rangers looking confident in this top of the table clash. Holloway had made just the one change with Rose replacing Edghill and with no goalkeeper on the bench Marcus Bean returned to the 16 with a place among the substitutes.

Rangers were playing some neat football early on keeping the ball well but not creating many chances. Marc Bircham fired over the bar with a long range shot whilst several good opportunities were let down with poor final balls into the box.

Stoke looked dangerous with a ball over the top to Akinbyi and Santos did well to win a race against the quick striker and produce an excellent tackle to bring the ball away. Akinbyi should have given his side the lead after Rangers got the defensive line all wrong. A simple ball between Rose and Shittu allowed Akinbyi to run onto it and get away from the back four. Day came out and the shot was straight at him and he made a decent save before Noel Williams fired over the bar from the rebound.

It was a good chance and Stoke got a lift from this and began to get on top. Another ball over the top sent Akinbyi away. Day came out this time but the big striker got away from him and Santos had to make a last ditch challenge to clear.

Akinbyi made a bit of a meal of it though and tried to get the penalty. Stoke's players went mad at the ref and Noel Williams found himself booked for his protests. I've seen those appeals given before but it would have been a harsh penalty and the reaction of the Stoke players led to chaos minutes later.

A free kick was given to Rangers on the halfway line. Gerry Taggart picked up the ball to have a moan and as Bircham does every week he tried to grab the ball back for a quick free kick. Taggart was having none of it and caught Bircham in the face and the Rangers midfielder went down holding his face. I don’t think Taggart meant to hit Bircham but if you raise your hands then you are off and he was soon given a red card. Bircham was then dragged off the floor by Akinbyi as he lost the plot and Russell had a good kick and a swing at Bircham as well as he got very lucky and was only booked. The Stoke players and fans had lost it as Taggart refused to leave the pitch and charged over to have another go at Bircham who tried to point out his fat lip as Stoke players accused him of cheating.

After five minutes of chaos play resumed and it wasn't the nicest of atmospheres after that. Bignot fouled a Stoke player on the wing and stewards had to hold fans back from attacking Bignot as bottles of beer were thrown on the pitch. Stoke were like men possessed now and Rangers needed to keep cool and make sure we ended the game with eleven men.

We almost didn't as a late Furlong tackle was met with calls for a red and Stoke players surrounded the ref appealing for a card. Ed De Goey came running out to have a pop at Furlong who deserved a yellow card but not the nonsense that followed. Half time couldn't come quick enough to calm Stoke down but they still made sure they tried to have a fight with QPR players in the tunnel in scenes you'd expect on a Sunday Morning football match rather than a Championship game. Stoke made two changes at half time to add to the one they made after the red card. Surprisingly Giften Noel Williams was taken off who I thought had looked a threat early on. His replacement Carl Asaba did look good though and caused us problems from the start of the second half.

Holloway changed things to play a 4-5-1 and try and dominate the midfield with Cureton going wide and Rowlands into the middle. Every touch by Bircham was booed though as the home crowd and players tried to rattle Bircham into doing something stupid. Birch though showed remarkable composure and just played his own game, which seemed to **** the home side off even more.

Stoke had started the second half the better side though with Asaba causing problems on the left. Rowlands inability to track back left Bignot exposed. Karl Henry hit a cracking shot from distance, which Chris Day did very well to save. Stoke had several corners as the pressure was on but Rangers held on and then began to frustrate the home side by keeping possession.

It was here that I feel Stoke really did lose it as they failed to close us down and allowed us to pass it around and take all the momentum away from the home side. Chances were few and far between for us as Cureton headed over the bar and a Santos free kick was blocked but with around twenty minutes left we looked in control of the game.

It was hard to see where a goal would come from until Kevin Gallen popped up with a cracker. Paul Furlong did well running at the home defence and holding off several challenges. His pass found Gallen on the edge of the box and as Ed Goey positioned himself to expect a pass to Rowlands, Gallen shifted the ball onto his other foot and fired into the bottom corner giving the Chelsea reject no chance.

Stoke were devastated as Gallen celebrated with his teammates and a sixth win in a row looked in the bag. Stoke had no answer as they continued to sulk over the sending off. We kept the ball with ease as Gallen controlled the midfield under absolutely no pressure from the home side.

Holloway decided to make a chance with just over ten minutes left. The disappointing Rowlands and Cook came off for Bean and Branco to add some bite and urgency into midfield and it was no surprise to see Marc Bircham also taken off with Kevin Mcleod coming on. Bircham left the field to an expected chorus of boos but that wasn't enough for Stoke. Akinbyi sprinted 70 yards to have his say, it was the quickest he'd moved all afternoon. He got in Bircham's face screaming at him and Bircham did well to ignore it and just walk off. Akinbyi was booked and probably should have been sent off minutes later for a terrible tackle on George Santos but the ref wanted to get out alive at this stage so let it go.

The home fans had also lost it. Stewards had to hold fans back from attacking George Santos as bottles, coins and spit rained down on the big defender. The police then decided that Bircham should be taken away from the dug out as the abuse being aimed at him went over the top. Once again beer bottles and coins were thrown at Bircham in some disgraceful scenes, thankfully Bircham didn't react and just walked down the tunnel.

Rangers held on comfortably for the last 15 minutes, as Stoke seemed more interested in getting our players sent off or injured than in getting an equaliser. The final whistle was greeted with much joy from the QPR end as we racked up a sixth win in a row, our best sequence of results in the league since 1984.

Stoke fans again had to be held back from attacking players as they walked off and clapped the away fans and for us supporters we now had to try and get out of Stoke alive. Just as we'd seen last time we came to Stoke the scenes outside were a disgrace. QPR fans were locked in the away end as Stoke fans stood outside throwing bottles and trying to climb over the fences to attack us.

It is amazing that only two people were arrested. If I acted like some of these prats in the local high street I’d expect to be behind bars pretty quickly. Some QPR fans did our club no favours by trying to have a ruck as well and the pitiful scenes between two sets of *****s became laughable after a while.

After a police escort got us back to the train station it was with much relief that we got as far away from Stoke as possible.

Since the game on Saturday many Stoke fans and the Stoke manager have blamed all the trouble on Bircham, which is not really a surprise. The complete lack of discipline by the Stoke players though was embarrassing to watch as Akinbyi used up more energy trying to goad Bircham than he did in trying to get his team an equaliser.

The scenes of crowd trouble in and out of the ground can’t be blamed on Bircham either as they seem to have a reputation for doing this quite often and the scenes after the game were almost exactly the same we saw in 2002 when the game had no controversy at all in it. Reports since suggest that one QPR fan had rocks and pebbles thrown at him and his 12-year-old female cousin for the crime of wearing a QPR shirt. When these **** pick on innocent kids that really shows how pathetic and cowardly they are. I hope the FA fine Stoke City heavily as this sort of thing can’t be allowed to continue with away fans fearing for their safety every time they go to Stoke.

As for the game, Rangers played some decent stuff and kept their discipline well in the second half. The goal was our only real attempt on target during the game but until then a draw had seemed the most likely outcome. Bircham’s part in the sending off grabbed all of the headlines and although he has been guilty in the past of making a meal of things I think he’s been hard done by in this case and Taggart clearly caught him with a stray arm and had to be sent off. Perhaps he did go down easily but when a bloke as big as Gerry Taggart whacks you in the face most people would go down.

So that’s six wins in a row for QPR, our best run since 1984 and to better that record Rangers will need to beat West Ham in our next game. With that game already a sell out those lucky enough to have tickets should be in for a cracking afternoon in two weeks.

**qprbrisbanedivision** · 17-11-2011, 12:35 PM

been to stoke a few times and not a nice place to go..they love to intimidate the average supporter..but they are no match for a proper firm....

quietly confident we will match thier hostility with a little of our own.....if not boys..burn the place down !!

ts..oo..e.rs

**Olly** · 17-11-2011, 01:22 PM

A bit like millwall?

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