When we beat the Super Hoops 4-2

My notes on the game:

A working trip to Greece meant that I wasn't able to see Charlton's morale boosting wins that had preceded the Stockport match:4-0 at Norwich and the 4-1 victory over Bradford. Now my attendance at Loftus Road was in doubt.

The end of the week would see me representing the UK's interests in Brussels and the secretary of the committee had warned me that the meeting could be long and difficult. Hence, it was scheduled to continue on Saturday, but I took a risk and booked myself on the last flight on Friday night to Birmingham. 

Come Friday afternoon, the predicted difficulties were arising. Would I have to get one of Brussels's crazy Moroccan taxi drivers to take me the wrong way down one way streets (something they don't need much encouragement to do!) to make my plane. I had told the chair that I wanted to be at Loftus Road the next day. Suddenly, from nowhere, he produced a sum of money which solved the main obstacle, and I was on the flight to Brum.

Next day saw me on the train to Marylebone. Radio 5 commented that QPR were quietly confident of victory, observing that 'the cream must rise to the top' in Division 1! Well, we are used to being patronised by the media.

On walking to Baker Street, disaster struck. The Hammersmith and City line was out owing to 'subsisdence at Edgware Road', so I had to go across to the Central Line and travel to White City. I arrived five minutes late somewhat hot and flustered.

But what a feast of football! As the QPR web page later admitted, Charlton came determined to win and comprehensively outplayed the 'Super Hoops'. What is more, the Charlton faithful outsung a largely silent home support. 

Robinson took us 1-0 ahead, and after QPR had equalised, Steve Jones put us ahead before half time. A second Robinson goal and one by substitute Phil Chapple completed the picture. In the last fifteen minutes, however, we let QPR back into the game. Our defensive weaknesses under pressure became apparent and only a couple of great saves by Andy Peterson stopped it going to 3-4. And, as QPR had come back from 4-0 at Port Vale to draw 4-4 last season, anything could have happened then.

Nevertheless, a sparkling Charlton performance. Good attacking football, with Kinsella in midfield playing probably his best game of the season to date. So Charlton fans could with justification chant, 'QPR, ha! ha! ha!' However, as far as the media were concerned, it was not a question of Charlton winning, but of QPR losing.

Ironically I had be sent to Brussels by the Cabinet Office who claimed they were short staffed.   A former Cabinet Secretary is a keen QPR supporter.

The story behind Parker's departure for Chelsea

Like many fans, the departure of Scott Parker for Chelsea when we had a chance of European qualification left me with a bad taste in the mouth at the time, but Peter Varney gives a more informed and balanced view in Richard Cawley’s Substack.   Just a few excerpts as a taster (Varney also discusses the plot to sabotage The Valley floodlights).

‘Scott was like a lot of players. He wanted to play for England and in the Champions League. At the time Chelsea were a big club with Roman Abramovich coming on the scene. It transpired that Richard Murray had said, at the time when Scott last signed a contract, that he could go if a top-four club came in for him.

One of the things that fans often say is that, with a chance of Europe, how could he just walk away? They say that it is all about the money and whatever else. Of course money plays a part. They offered him significantly more than he was on at Charlton and a long contract. So it was about that, but it was also that ambition to play for England, play in the Champions League and test himself against the best players in the world.

It’s just a shame how it ended because I would say he is one of the best players to ever play for Charlton. So that legacy is so sad - he was massive for us in the Premier League, and in getting to the Premier League. Scott would be absolutely exhausted when he came off after any of our games. He ran and ran and ran.

He was so instrumental to Charlton and the way we played. He did the work of two players, effectively, box to box. And he could get goals. When you get a pattern of play, a shape - we weren’t having many injuries - and everything is rosey in the camp then there is no doubt if you lose your best player, him and Claus Jensen dominated the midfield, it has a massive effect.’