March 4 – Lazarus Resurrects The R’s
PICTURE this: you’re a third division club playing in the League Cup final in what is the biggest game of your history, facing one of the biggest clubs in the country and you’re two-nil down at half-time. Probably time to start praying, right? Well, perhaps this is exactly what QPR did today in 1967, as they completed one of English football’s greatest ever comebacks thanks to the most appropriately named goalscorer ever: Lazarus!
Back in the ’60s the Superhoops were on the cusp of being London’s most exciting and trendy side, but they weren’t quite there in 1967. Legendary manager Alec Stock was transforming the club, helped in no small part by the maverick striker Rodney Marsh. For those too young to have seen him play, we can assure you that his skills on the pitch were better than those in the punditry booth. 
”Football is an entertainment as well as a sport, and we have to give the customers what they want. They want success and they want goals” was Stock’s philosophy and that’s exactly what he brought to the club, but not in the rubbish 2008 Kevin Keegan Newcastle-style.
The ’67 League Cup final featured a number of firsts. It was the first time that the final had been held at Wembley and the first time that the seven-year old competition was decided in a one-legged final. It was also QPR’s bow at the old Twin Towers.
West Brom went into the Wembley showpiece as massive favourites, two divisions above Rangers and lead by the former Fantasy Football sing-along hero Jeff Astle. They wasted no time asserting their dominance as they raced to a two-nil half-time lead thanks to a brace from former QPR winger Clive Clark.
The Ranger’s fans prayed for a miracle and that’s pretty much what they got. Roger Morgan and Marsh pulled it back to two-all with fifteen minutes left, leaving the stage set for Mark Lazarus to pick up a loose ball following Ron Hunt’s forward run and coolly slot the ball home. The R’s had risen from the grave, just like Mark’s great-grandad (possibly) did, leaving Mike Keen to walk up the 39 steps and pick up what remains QPR’s only major trophy.
Buoyed by their success at Wembley, QPR went on to win the Third Division title that season as they embarked on the most successful period in their history. Since then they’ve had more ups and downs than a day in the life of Stan Collymore, but the future looks bright as they can boast of being the richest club in the world following the investment of F1 big-wigs Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone and ludicrously rich steel-magnate Lakshmi Mittal.
Check out some of the roller-coaster action that is following QPR below, including their big day out at Wembley at the end. We’ll be back tomorrow with more old school tales, so head over here for that.
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Joe on March 4th, 2008
Sorry about the technical problems we’ve been suffering from today, we must have been hacked by an angry Baggie who didn’t want us bringing up the past! But, like Lazarus, we’re back from the dead.