Rest in Peace El Tel

 

News today that the footballer/manager/author Terry Venables has died. He was the captain and star of the first QPR team I ever followed, then the manager of my beloved team before he was poached by Spanish giants Barcelona. Known for his wit as well as his sporting intelligence, he led the R's to heights they'd not previously reached (an FA Cup Final!). Thank you for all the great memories.

Learn more about his life here.

Venables features, kind of, in a story about my sister's first time at Loftus Road. One of the visiting players on the field had been hit by the ball in a delicate part of his anatomy. The crowd started to chant, "In the balls, in the balls, in the balls!" The young and innocent child looked up at her father with her big blue eyes and asked, "Daddy, what are they saying?" He replied promptly, "they are singing the name of the manager!"

Ron Phillips RIP

Was more than saddened to hear the news today that Ron Phillips died recently. As Club Secretary of Queens Park Rangers FC, he had the habit of giving photo passes to aspiring young photographers, and printing their pics if they were decent. As one who benefited from this scheme, Ron had a massive influence on the trajectory of my career, and I will always be grateful for his kindness. 

These pics were taken at the Baron's Court Theatre in 2015 when MP, MH & I interviewed Ron for a fanzine. I wonder if the memoir he showed us will ever be published - he certainly had some great QPR stories. Meanwhile, two particular contributions he made to the club history were the checkered programme covers and the removal of the apostrophe from the club's name. May he rest in peace, and my condolences to his family and friends.

What Rabbis Used to Do

In this screenshot from an online version of a video of a copy of an old TV recording of a football match played in 1986 on a dark damp night in West London, goalkeeper Eddie Niedzwiecki holds onto a shot from QPR's Robbie James.

Behind the goal, between 1986 and the G of the ad hoarding, there is a frizzy-haired photographer who, if you watch the moving version of this video, is applauding (rather than photographing). I added an arrow in case my description isn't clear enough.

Sorry this isn't the moment of either of the winning goals being scored but by extra-time it was so damp and dark that I could no longer take a decent photo and so I decamped to the shelter of the tunnel by the dugout. What a night, though! #RTID

Blast From the Past

The other day there was a discussion on the Retro R's page about the QPR Youth team at the end of the 1980's. In particular, there was a competition called the Southern Junior Floodlight Cup, which was won by the R's c. 1988. In my early days as an official QPR photographer, I got to cover the 2nd leg of the final. Some of the lads from back then are part of the FB group, and as photos were being shared, one of them dropped this on the page:

Gobsmacked is a good word. I've never seen this photo before. It's from one of the players, and it looks like the team is heading back to the dressing-room after the photoshoot. Is that an injured reserve hobbling in their wake? I had completely forgotten that I was still in plaster then and had to take all the pics with the wrong hand. Thank you SL for this lovely memory!

Drawing Together Ends 2021 Brightly

The Graphic Medicine's monthly Drawing Together group met again today. After losing the plot a couple of meetings ago, when I got stuck once again on my lack of technical drawing skills (and yet I still don't try hard enough to improve them!), I was encouraged to return by the artist leading this month's session.

The Zoom invitation included a few words from Judith:

"Learning to draw, or more accurately, realising how to look at things, for me marked the beginning of being an artist.

For this Drawing Together session, I have prepared a sequence of prompts with which you will explore when you learned how to draw and how you formed a unique sense of yourself as an artist.

As the New Year begins and the days grow longer, let's draw closer to the light, together."

Asked to recall our first memory of ourselves, what came to mind was sitting on the floor in our flat on W 116th Street, watching Bugs Bunny on TV whilst eating a piece of cheese. We had just under 2 minutes to draw this one.

The second prompt (4 mins) was a bit more difficult at first - I had absolutely no memory of the first time I knew that I liked to draw. I started to get anxious again but, thank goodness, other options were then offered, including "whatever it is that makes you you". And I looked back and saw my first camera, a Kodak Instamatic, and remembered how much from as far back as I go that I love taking pictures.

[the earliest QPR pic of mine I've found was taken with an Instamatic!

]

Judith concluded with a story about a woman she'd visited in a nursing home who had told her a story. The story made the woman very happy. She told it again. And again. In the end, it was the only story she told, but it always made her happy. Judith spoke about keeping ourselves in the light, and asked us to draw a favourite memory, perhaps the one story that we would tell when we were in the home.

Dithering about which memory would steal drawing time, and we only had 10 minutes, so I took the first that came to mind.

It was the day a congregant invited my dad to view the local derby with neighbours QPR in an executive hospitality box at Stamford Bridge. I happened to be a QPR photographer on the pitch that afternoon. In those days there were few, if any, women shooting football matches, so I usually got a lot of abuse from the crowd. However, the R's fans began to recognise me after a while. At half-time I walked towards the away end, and some fans began chanting my name. My father was so proud and excited - his favourite team, his first-born on the pitch, her name being sung by several hundred fellow fans. I sometimes wonder if this was just a bit better than the day he blessed me in front of the ark when I was ordained. So, this is the drawing. And even though it probably wasn't on that day, I drew the floodlight, shining down on the away end.

In between each prompt we got the chance to look at each other's drawings, and hear the stories behind them. I love this group - people are kind and supportive and encouraging. I hope it continues in 2022!

PS Sorry about the faintness of the pencil. You might see the drawings better if you click on them. They get bigger too!

Don't Cry For Me Charlie Austin!

Derby fans booed QPR star Charlie Austin tonight when he was substituted, perhaps because he celebrated the R's equaliser by miming crocodile tears in recollection of Rangers' iconic play-off victory back in 2014. Once again they landed a killer blow in the final minute to claim victory when Andre Gray blasted the ball into the net to make it 2-1 and take 3rd place in the division on goal difference over Coventry City.  

Clearly a Chanukah miracle. COYRS!

Emma Raducanu Wins!

Quite an evening for emotions and blood pressure. The main story was, of course, the 18-year-old Brit who came through the qualifying rounds to win a Grand Slam tennis tournament without even losing a set. Emma Raducanu's journey is incredible, but it happened. And it was a pretty good match as well.

And all this after my beloved R's came back from 1-3 down to grab a draw in injury time away to the Fake Hoops. What a great sporting day!

Final word, though, is for Emma, who is surely a shoo-in now for SPOTY. Brava!

A Magical Moment

I've already mentioned that the first home game of the new football season featuring QPR vs Millwall is the 50th anniversary of my first ever live football match. That day we also played Millwall, and I just found a press photo from that game, showing Rodney Marsh scoring the opening goal.

If the stand in the background is the South Africa Road stand, then I think somewhere around Entrance J, row V, seats 140-something you would have found my father, his friends and me. I have highlighted the blurry blob in the top right-hand corner of the photograph. One of those grey bits is me!

50 years of fandom. And 50 years of friendship and adventures. I'm thinking particularly of Geoffrey Davis, Albert H Friedlander, & Sallie Levy Lunn, may they rest in peace (and use whatever influence they may have to help us this season!).

Koff Koff Years of Supporting QPR

Ok it isn't EXACTLY fifty years to the day, but the opening day of the 1971-72 season saw Millwall visit Loftus Road and since this match was 4 days before my birthday, my father was finally persuaded to take me with him to the stadium.

I'm ashamed to say that the only memory I have of that day is of being very small, and the pitch seeming very large and extremely green from high up in the back of the SAR stand where we were sitting. O, and my dad, Uncle Geoffrey & Henry Pincus passing a little silver flask back and forth over my head.

The team that I saw was:  Parkes, Clement, Gillard, Venables, Hunt, Hazell, Busby, Francis, McCulloch, Marsh, Leach.  The final score was 1-1 with Dunphy scoring for them, and Marsh for us. However, as I said, I have no pictures in my head of football. But thanks to the magic of the internet: 

This has a goal by Rodney Marsh. The first goal I ever saw live!

This has Millwall's equaliser. The records say it was Dunphy, but it looks more like an own goal to me.

ANYWAY, the purpose of all this is to point out that this coming Saturday, QPR begin the new season at home to ... Millwall. What a coincidence. Were it not for all the travel difficulties caused by the current Covid situation, I would be next to my friend Chris in the SAR stadium, celebrating this anniversary. 50 years of fandom. Thank you to Uncle Geoffrey for converting my father, newly-arrived from the USA, into a follower of the Superhoops. Thank you, Daddy, for the best birthday present of my life. And thank you for all the friends I've made and adventures I've had because of this passion. COYRS!

Here We Go Again

The final pre-season friendly for my beloved 'R's just finished at the Kiyan Prince Stadium in Shepherds Bush. They drew 3-3 with PL Leicester City, who equalised with a penalty in the final minutes. Celebrating Barbet's goal are the other QPR scorers, Dickie & Austin.

We looked rather good. After beating MUFC in the last home game, albeit also in a friendly match, hope is starting to rise from the depths of our hearts. Shhhhhhhhh! This is what it means to be a football fan, to be a QPR fan. Looks like we're going to have a bit of a ride this season. COYRS!

When We Need a Little Joy

Someone just posted this photograph on the RetroQPR Facebook page. It is from the 89th minute of the Championship Final at Wembley in 2014 between Derby County & QPR. We had played most of the match down to 10 men after Gary O'Neil had been sent off for a professional foul. Our defence was valiant, but we really didn't look like scoring. Then, from a throw-in on the right, Junior Hoilett made it to the by-line and sent a cross over. Derby's Keogh misplayed it and Bobby Zamoooooooooooooooooora blasted the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net. In the 89th minute. Of a 90-minute match.

At first look, you might notice that the ball, the goalie indeed all the players are out of focus at this important moment. And then you realise, the ball is about to cross the line, but it hasn't yet. And what is in focus? The crowd. Look at the faces. Everyone in a moment of anticipation. In about three seconds, they will all explode with joy. I remember that I did. It is one of my great football memories. Seven years ago. Wishing everyone can find some joy today. Good luck to Swansea and their fans this weekend. COYRS!

That Easter Monday

I don't seem to have many photos from this match. Which match would that be? Easter Monday, 31st March 1986. 35 years ago today. QPR 6, Chelsea 0. That day the fan within could not be controlled, and many more pics than usual were a bit out-of-focus. By the 6th goal, I couldn't even take them I was so excited. A great memory. A great day to be an R. Still get a bit hyperbolic about it:

And gentle folk in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their persons cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon that Easter day.*

* with apologies to W Shakespeare

Glenn Roeder RIP

 

The week that he signed from Leyton Orient, he came to the next QPR match. On our way home, I spotted Glenn Roeder across from us in the carriage of the Central Line train heading east from White City. My dad went over and had a lovely chat with him, welcoming him to Loftus Road and talking about the club. After that we always looked out for where he was and what he was doing.

A gentleman from beginning to end - may he rest in peace. My condolences to all who loved him.

Piglet Retrospective IV

 

Just another pig in the crowd, eh? QPR are live on Sky again tomorrow, so the nation and fans across the world will be able to see how we do. We don't have a great record on tv, but who knows. Part of the beauty of football is that anything is possible when the whistle is blown to start the match!

In this pic Piglet is in the Upper Loft with me. I think we might have been playing Chesterfield, but can't quite remember. Looking forward to the time when it will be safe to do this once again!

With a Little Help From My Friends

As you may remember, I do love watching Jewish & Biblical figures playing top-level football. This is a picture of Moses (Victor Moses, then of Stoke City, now I believe recently moved from Inter to Spartak Moscow on loan from the Stamford Bridge folk). And a QPR player (no idea if any but hardcore R's even remember this chap). 

The Torah portion we studied this morning, whose central event is the miracle at the Sea of Reeds, has two images of Moses connected to it that seem quite relevant at the moment. The first comes from midrash - when the Egyptians were about to attack - as R. Adam Greenwald tells it:

"The Israelites gathered at the water's edge, and Moses lifted his hands as God commanded ... and nothing happened. The sea remained still ... then, out of the crowd, walked a solitary figure:  Nachshon, the son of Aminadav, stepped into the water. His family and friends looked on with horror and amazement. They cried:  "What are you doing? Where are you going?" Nachshon walked forward like a man possessed - up to his knees, his waist, his chest. The second the water came up just over his nostrils, the second when he is fully submerged, at that moment and not a second before, the sea split."

I do think this is important for us to consider in our current turbulent times. Do we stay where we are, paralysed by fear of what may happen? Or can we find the courage not only to take a first step, but to keep going? Nachshon appeared to be bonkers. But he was also brave. 

Of course Nachshon, who isn't mentioned at this point of the Torah portion himself, worked alone. There is another perspective presented in the text at the end of the portion:  Moses instructs Joshua to lead the Israelites in battle against Amalek. During the fight, Moses plans to be on the top of a hill, holding the staff of God in his hand. 

So Joshua went into battle, and Moses went up the hill, accompanied by Aaron & Hur. When Moses' hand was up, Israel prevailed; but when his hand went down, then Amalek was on top. So his companions helped him. First they found a stone upon which he could sit, and then they stood either side of him, supporting his hands so they could remain steady until Joshua had won the battle.

This is what is written in our ancient text. And this is what it taught me today:  sometimes we may be Moses, with a difficult task to do; and if possible, it's a pretty good idea to bring back-up with us. And sometimes we may be Aaron or Hur, supporting our friends and helping them through a difficult time. 

With thanks to all who support me, and the hope that any support I offer may be helpful.

Shavuatov. Have a good week.

AJ at Work (1980's style)

A little insomnia once more led to internet wanderings, and just now I chanced upon a brief clip of a football match on the Omniturf at QPR in 1983. Watching R's goals is always cheery, and then imagine my surprise when, as the commentator focuses on a scuffle between our beloved Simon Stainrod and Villa's Peter Withe, I realise that the photographer in front of the elf advertising board is me!

This match was when I got one of my earliest photographers' passes from Ron Phillips, and I think the grainy screenshot above shows the moment I took the picture he printed. I don't have that programme to hand, but found a scan:

This was a bit of afters following some previous scuffles I think. I was quite proud of it at the time. Anyway, the photo has been with me all these years, but it was lovely to see the tv footage of long ago and far away.

Julie Welch's Fangirl

I may be horribly gushing and over the top, but I have to post this screenshot because for me, at least, it was an incredibly exciting moment:

I read an interview with Julie Welch today in the Guardian newspaper. For those of you not of a certain age, not UK football fans, not female UK football fans, you may not know her name. When I was a teenager, she was one of my heroines. She was the only woman I knew of then who was a football journalist, and certainly made it possible for me to think that one day I could get my own work onto the back pages of national newspapers.

And Julie Welch wrote "Those Glory Glory Days", which I just found in its entirety on YouTube here (Since I bought it as a videocassette in the olden days, I will not feel like a thief watching it again. I still have the VHS tape, but the machine that used to play it is knackered). When I first saw this film, I realised there were others who felt like I did (only not for QPR. TV mentions of the R's in those days were by characters like "Steptoe & Son" or when discussing crims on "Minder"). It was important to know I wasn't the only one.

To be honest, I hadn't thought about Ms Welch in a few years. Then I saw her name at the top of a webpage, and clicked on the link to find out what she had to say. The occasion for the interview was the publication of her latest book:  "The Fleet Street Girls:  The Women Who Broke Down the Doors of the Gentlemen's Club" (Times review here). In the interview, she speaks well of Brian Clough, godfather to one of her sons. From my days as photographer for the U of Nottingham student paper, and one particular incident at Loftus Road the night the floodlights died, I had developed a pretty low opinion of Mr Clough. So I found @DameJulieWelch on Twitter, and sent a message:

"As a female photographer for QPR I will never forget (c. 1985) Clough in my face screaming 'Get back in the effing kitchen where you belong.' Others were mesmerised by his charm. Umm ..."

And she replied.

Indeed it was. Memories came flooding back:  the foul and abusive language of the fans, dealing with projectiles aimed at my back during the game (everything from apples to small pieces of terracing wrapped in snow to fresh urine), the hostility of stewards and the old guard of Press photographers. But also, the players were lovely, one evening the trainer got the team coach to stop and give me a lift when I'd been stranded in the rain after a European friendly, day and night R's all around Shepherd's Bush would greet me with a cheery "Awright!" and, best of all, my dad got to hear the QPR fans singing his firstborn's name in the away end at Stamford Bridge. But back to Julie Welch ...

(Warning:  here comes the gush)

It wasn't just getting a reply, it was that she also followed me. Wow. Thank you Julie Welch. Proud to have stood on your shoulders for a while (at least one of them).

The Greatest Photo I Never Took

QPR photographer has a prime view of Andy Sinton's goal celebration

1990 FA Cup 4th round. QPR had drawn the first match at Highbury vs the League Champions, and now faced a reply at Loftus Road. Under the floodlights, it poured with rain, which in pre-digital days made action photography quite difficult. To relive the joy of beating Arsenal, there's a link below to some YouTube footage. As for my photographs, you can see in the screenshot above that when Andy Sinton scored in the final minutes to make it 2-0 and seal the victory, I had the rare opportunity to take some unique close-up shots of his celebration which, despite my excitement as a fan, I did.

A few minutes later, the game was over and I was packing up my things. I went to roll the final film back into its canister, ready for developing when I got home, and had a terrible shock - THERE WAS NO FILM IN THE CAMERA. To this day I don't understand what happened. Never did it before. Never done it since. That night, I did it. I shot a roll of stunning pictures, with no film in the camera. I can still see the photos in my head. But they do not exist. Andy's face full frame, fists clenched in victory above his head. Or not. Unbelievable. Still feel gutted every time I think of it. How could it be, and how could I not have noticed? NO BLOODY FILM IN THE CAMERA. Sigh. So the pixelly screen grab above is all that remains of that moment.

Hard to believe also that this took place 30 years ago. Looking at the screenshot again, I am amused to note that it happened in front of an ad for Panini football stickers. I now live happily in the city where the stickers are made. That's my taste of lemonade!

Living under Lockdown Day 40something: Saturday Afternoons

There are many of us who feel bereft on a Saturday afternoon (and, since the takeover by the TV companies; Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and all the other days of the week as well as the nights) because the pandemic necessitated the closing down of our favourite sports. Although I'm now an Ex-Pat, I still follow my beloved R's religiously. Last weekend, however, I found myself strangely captivated by what RAI Sport had offered up to fill the aching hole in my supporting schedule. Instead of tracking the Luton v QPR match, I watched Italian billiards. Long enough to have to go and look up some rules. After I got over the fact that there were no pockets on the table, and that points seemed to be scored by knocking over some upended Q-Tips balancing precariously in the middle, I found the blue of the cloth quite calming, and soon managed to fall asleep. It was truly a Shabbat of Shalom.

Another Season, Another Divisive Kit Choice

Here we go again - the new football season approaches, and the new kits are being revealed. My beloved QPR is known for its hoops (NOT stripes), and while there is often debate regarding the thickness of the hoops, and whether or not they all go all the way round, the first team shirt rarely departs from the classic blue and white. So what may be changed in order to force fans and parents to stump up for the latest version? 

The most subtle change is to reverse the order of the hoops. Last season, the badge was white on a blue hoop, and the sponsor on a white hoop (we'll get to the trim in a minute):

This season, they are the other way round:

This little change renders the previous shirt utterly passé, and another £47 (plus more for any names or numbers on the back) must be found. Unless you are a season ticket holder or member, who doesn't mind waiting for a flash sale, or until the end of the season when you may use your "QPR Pounds" at the Club Shop.

Then there is the collar. In the end, I suppose that one is either a crew neck, a V neck or a polo shirt style collar fan. I'm a crew neck kind of person myself.

Finally, the trim. It is usually either more blue/white, or sometimes there is a red element in there. This year, however, INNOVATION! We have "gold". For me, gold is usually suggestive of some kind of great achievement. Certainly, the fans should wear gold in honour of their unfailing loyalty no matter who is manager, owner, chairman or playing (Bosingwa!). Not sure the players have yet earned that right.

Did I say finally? I know last season many people were blown away by the idea of a fuchsia pink away shirt. Some of us hated it, and some of us loved it. I love my pink shirt. I'm wearing it right now as I type. This season, my instinctive response to the aqua blue shirt without a hint of hoop and that gold trim, writing, badge and number is, che schifo! (Italian for YUCK!) I'm not sure if it is the shirt I would wear when invited for drinks on your yacht, or if it is the shirt that your crew would be wearing as they served my drink. It doesn't feel like a professional footballers' shirt. It doesn't feel like a QPR shirt. I'm hoping that the photo doesn't show that at least there is some kind of inferred hoop or two somewhere.

Meanwhile, the club has stated that if there is a clash with the aqua, the old pink kit will be the third one. Otherwise, for 2020 Errea have recycled it with our friends in the North.

Why so sad, Grimsby man? 

Whatever, of course, it is, now & always, COYRS & RTID!