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Queens Park Rangers FC was formed in 1882 by boys from the St Jude’s
Institute, a boarding school in West London. In the early days the
club was known as St. Jude’s but in 1886 it merged with Christchurch
Rangers and took the name of Queen's Park Rangers.
Over the club’s 120-year history, Queen’s Park
Rangers has played at numerous football grounds, including Welfords
Fields, Home Park, Kensal Rise Green, Park Royal, and currently
Loftus Road [map].
The team has also played in many different strips over the years,
including light and dark blue stripes, green and white hoops, blue
and white hoops, and currently blue and white stripes.
Like any football team, QPR FC has had its fair share of ups and
downs, namely cup glory, league promotion, league relegation and
cup final defeats. But even during the club’s darkest hours,
its fans have remained loyal and thousands turn out to support the
team at every home match played at Loftus Road.
In 1892 the team experienced their first cup glory, winning the
West London Observer Cup after beating Fulham 3-2 in the final.
QPR won it again in the following two years. During the 1894/95
season, QPR won the London Cup and entered the FA Cup for
the first time.
The club turned professional in December 1898 and joined the Southern
League, and at the end of the 1907/08 season they were crowned champions
of the league for the first time. They continued to experience highs
and lows throughout the first half of the 20th century, and played
throughout this time except when the leagues were abandoned during
the two world wars.
In the 1950s they had a spell in the second division but were relegated
back to the third division by the end of the decade. Then in the
1961/62 season the team scored 129 goals in 52 matches, including
a record 111 in the Division Three. By the closing of the 1967/68
season QPR had been promoted to Division One for the first time
but were relegated after just one season.
The 1970s also experienced many successes including being Division
One runners up in 1975/76 and reaching the UEFA Cup Quarter Finals
at the first attempt. The club faced relegation again in the late
70s but in 1982/83 Terry Venables took QPR back in to the
first division and they finished fifth in their first season back
in the top flight.
QPR continued to do well throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s
when in the 1992/93 season the club finished fifth in the newly
formed Premier League with striker and terrace hero Les Ferdinand
winning himself a place in the England squad after scoring 20 league
goals.
In May 1996 the Thompson family announced they wanted to sell the
club and three months later media tycoon Chris Wright bought
QPR FC. Soon after, the Wasps Rugby Union Club began sharing the
Loftus Road ground, and Wright floated the newly formed Loftus Road
plc, incorporating QPR and Wasps, on the Alternative Investment
Market.
Today, QPR play in the Coca-Cola Championship (formerly Division
One) against the likes of Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace, as they
battle for a promotion place to send them back to the Premiership.
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