1997–98 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season

During the 1997–98 English football season, Queens Park Rangers F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

Queens Park Rangers

1997–98 season
Chairman	Chris Wright
Manager	Stewart Houston (until 10 November) John Hollins (caretaker from 11 November - 5 December) Ray Harford (from 5 December)
Stadium	Loftus Road
First Division	21st
FA Cup	Third round
League Cup	First round
Top goalscorer	Mike Sheron (11)
Highest home attendance	17,614 Vs Ipswich Town (9 August 1997)
Lowest home attendance	8,355 Vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (12 August 1997)
Average home league attendance	13,083
Biggest win	5-0 Vs Middlesbrough (4 March 1998)
Biggest defeat	0–4 Vs Nottingham Forest (30 August 1997)
Home colours Away colours

Season summary

In the 1997–98 season, QPR did start the campaign brightly but in November, Houston was sacked as manager with the club in 13th place and only four points adrift from the playoff places. Ray Harford was appointed as Houston's replacement and QPR went on to struggle with only three wins at the end of the season since his appointment and only managed to avoid relegation by one point at the expense of Manchester City, Stoke City and Reading.

Kit

Le Coq Sportif became QPR's new kit manufacturers. Telecommunications giant Ericsson continued as kit sponsors.

Final league table

Main article: 1997–98 Football League First Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
19	Port Vale	46	13	10	23	56	66	−10	49
20	Portsmouth	46	13	10	23	51	63	−12	49
21	Queens Park Rangers	46	10	19	17	51	63	−12	49
22	Manchester City (R)	46	12	12	22	56	57	−1	48	Relegation to the Second Division
23	Stoke City (R)	46	11	13	22	44	74	−30	46

Source: Statto.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference
(R) Relegated

Results

Queens Park Rangers' score comes first

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Position
9 August 1997	Ipswich Town	H	0–0		17,614	12
15 August 1997	Tranmere Rovers	A	1–2	Peacock	7,467	16
23 August 1997	Stockport County	H	2–1	Sinclair (2)	11,108	10
30 August 1997	Nottingham Forest	A	0–4		18,804	13
2 September 1997	Reading	A	2–1	Spencer, Swales (own goal)	10,203	11
13 September 1997	West Bromwich Albion	H	2–0	Sheron, Peacock	14,399	9
20 September 1997	Crewe Alexandra	A	3–2	Spencer, Maddix, Sinclair	5,348	8
24 September 1997	Portsmouth	H	1–0	Spencer	12,620	2
27 September 1997	Port Vale	A	0–2		7,197	3
4 October 1997	Charlton Athletic	H	2–4	Sheron (2)	14,825	6
18 October 1997	Sheffield United	A	2–2	Murray, Morrow	18,006	9
21 October 1997	Bury	A	1–1	Spencer	4,602	10
26 October 1997	Manchester City	H	2–0	Ready, Peacock (pen)	14,451	9
1 November 1997	Birmingham City	H	1–1	Barker	12,715	9
5 November 1997	Swindon Town	A	1–3	Peacock	10,132	14
8 November 1997	Middlesbrough	A	0–3		30,067	14
15 November 1997	Stoke City	H	1–1	Barker (pen)	11,923	13
22 November 1997	Huddersfield Town	H	2–1	Quashie (2)	16,066	13
29 November 1997	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	2–3	Sheron, Peacock	23,645	13
3 December 1997	Norwich City	H	1–1	Peacock	10,141	11
6 December 1997	Sunderland	H	0–1		15,266	12
12 December 1997	Oxford United	A	1–3	Peacock	6,664	12
21 December 1997	Bradford City	H	1–0	Peacock (pen)	8,853	12
26 December 1997	Portsmouth	A	1–3	Sheron	12,314	13
28 December 1997	Reading	H	1–1	Spencer	13,015	12
10 January 1998	Ipswich Town	A	0–0		12,672	13
17 January 1998	Tranmere Rovers	H	0–0		12,033	13
24 January 1998	Nottingham Forest	H	0–1		13,220	14
31 January 1998	Stockport County	A	0–2		7,958	17
7 February 1998	Crewe Alexandra	H	3–2	Kennedy (2), Ready	13,429	15
14 February 1998	West Bromwich Albion	A	1–1	Dowie	19,143	15
17 February 1998	Charlton Athletic	A	1–1	Peacock (pen)	15,555	15
21 February 1998	Port Vale	H	0–1		14,198	15
25 February 1998	Sheffield United	H	2–2	Sheron, Ready	9,560	15
28 February 1998	Norwich City	A	0–0		12,730	16
4 March 1998	Middlesbrough	H	5–0	Vickers (own goal), Bruce, Gallen, Sheron (2)	11,580	15
7 March 1998	Birmingham City	A	0–1		18,298	16
14 March 1998	Swindon Town	H	1–2	Quashie	13,486	16
21 March 1998	Stoke City	A	1–2	Barker (pen)	11,051	19
28 March 1998	Huddersfield Town	A	1–1	Jones	13,681	19
1 April 1998	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	0–0		12,337	17
10 April 1998	Sunderland	A	2–2	Sheron (2)	40,014	17
14 April 1998	Oxford United	H	1–1	Gallen	12,859	19
19 April 1998	Bradford City	A	1–1	Gallen	14,871	19
25 April 1998	Manchester City	A	2–2	Sheron, Pollock (own goal)	32,040	18
3 May 1998	Bury	H	0–1		15,210	21

FA Cup

Main article: 1997–98 FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R3	3 January 1998	Middlesbrough	H	2–2	13,379	Spencer, Gallen
R3R	13 January 1998	Middlesbrough	A	0–2	21,817

League Cup

Main article: 1997–98 Football League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1 First Leg	12 August 1997	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	0–2	8,355
R1 Second Leg	27 August 1997	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	2–1 (lost 2–3 on agg)	18,398	Peacock, Murray

Squad

Position	Nationality	Name	League Appearances	League Goals	Cup Appearances	League.Cup Goals	F.A.Cup Goals	Total Appearances	Total Goals
GK	ENG	Lee Harper	36		3			39
GK	WAL	Tony Roberts	10		1			11
DF	ENG	Danny Maddix	23	1	2			27	1
DF	WAL	Karl Ready	38	3	2			41	3
DF	ENG	Neil Ruddock	7					7
DF	ENG	Rufus Brevett	20		4			27
DF	ENG	Matt Brazier	8		4			12
DF	FIN	Antti Heinola						10
DF	ENG	Matthew Rose	13		2			18
DF	NIR	Steve Morrow	31	1	3			34	1
DF	ENG	Steve Yates	21		2			32
DF	ENG	David Bardsley	12					12
DF	AUS	George Kulcsar	11					12
DF	ENG	Ian Baraclough	8					8
MF	IRE	Mark Kennedy	8	2				8	2
MF	ENG	Paul Murray	31	1	4	1		36	2
MF	ENG	Keith Rowland	7					7
MF	ENG	Simon Barker	20	3	2			25	3
MF	ENG	Mark Perry	6		2			10
MF	ENG	Gavin Peacock	38	9	4	1		43	10
MF	ENG	Trevor Sinclair	24	3	4			30	3
MF	ENG	Mark Graham						1
MF	ENG	Paul Bruce	1	1				6	1
MF	WAL	Vinnie Jones	7	1				7	1
FW	IRE	Tony Scully	7					7
FW	ENG	Kevin Gallen	19	3			1	31	4
FW	ENG	Nigel Quashie	30	3	2			35	3
FW	ENG	Michael Mahoney-Johnson						1
FW	NIR	Ian Dowie	9	1				11
FW	SCO	John Spencer	22	5	3		1	26	6
FW	ENG	Steve Slade	3		1			26
FW	ENG	Mike Sheron	36	11	2			42	11

Transfers Out

Name	from	Date	Fee	Date	Club	Fee
Andy Impey	Yeading	June 1990		September 1997	West Ham United	£1,200,000
Juergen Sommer	Luton Town	29 August 1995	£600,000	1998	Columbus Crew
Trevor Sinclair	Blackpool	August 1993	£600,000	January 1998	West Ham United	Iain Dowie, Keith Rowland and £2,300,000
Rufus Brevett	Doncaster Rovers	February 1991	£150,000	January 1998	Fulham	£375,000
Lee Charles	Chertsey Town	4 August 1995	£67,500	February 1998	Cambridge United	Loan
Michael Mahoney-Johnson	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	April 1995		February 1998	Brighton & Hove Albion	Loan
Matt Brazier	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	July 1994		March 1998	Fulham
John Spencer	Chelsea	November 1996	£2,500,000	March 1998	Everton	£1,500,000
Trevor Challis	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	July 1994		July 1998	Bristol Rovers
David Bardsley	Oxford United	September 1989	Mark Stein plus £175,000	July 1998	Blackpool

Transfers In

Name	from	Date	Fee
George Kulcsar	Bradford City	December 1997	£250,000
Leon Jeanne	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	November 1997
Iain Dowie	West Ham United	January 1998	With Keith Rowland and £2,300,000 For Trevor Sinclair
Keith Rowland	West Ham United	January 1998	With Iain Dowie and £2,300,000 For Trevor Sinclair
Mark Kennedy	Liverpool	January 1998	Loan
Antti Heinola	Heracles	January 1998	£100,000
Neil Ruddock	Liverpool	March 1998	Loan
Vinnie Jones	Wimbledon	March 1998	£750,000
Tony Scully	Manchester City	March 1998	£155,000
Ian Baraclough	Notts County	March 1998	£75,000
Terry McFlynn	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	May 1998
Ademola Bankole	Crewe Alexandra	July 1998