Swindon Town (0) – QPR (3) – ‘The Spectators then Closed Round the Referee, Hooting & Booing’ 

Southern League (Division One) 

Team: Collins, White, Aston, Newlands, Bowman, Freeman, Seeley, McQueen, King, Wheldon, Stewart 

Attendance: 4,000 

On 18th January 1902, Rangers travelled to Wiltshire to take on Swindon Town in a Southern League match and a Kilburn Times journalist went with them:  

‘The Rangers are improving by degrees and are going steadily forward. In Saturday’s contest at Swindon, taking it point by point all through, they played their most satisfactory game of the season. 

Anyone who knows the Swindon club and their followers will tell you that they are a pretty toughish lot to tackle on their own pitch. 

Swindon has had the “de’il’s” own luck, for in eight league matches they have lost by the smallest margin possible. 

From the kick-off on Saturday they played a bustling, rushing, sweep-you-off-your-legs sort of game, and it was soon apparent that the Rangers would have to put their best leg forward in order to draw, let alone win. 

Directly play had started the home forwards gave evidence of their determination to make a big effort to capture the points. 

Within the first five minutes they had called upon Collins twice with splendid shots and had also secured a couple of corners from the second of which Oakden, the old Derby County man, made a fine shot, which Collins cleared. 

Then the Rangers woke up in really gallant fashion. Stewart whizzed in a glorious centre and McQueen headed close in, and Day very slyly punched out, but Walker, of Reading, who was the referee, promptly gave a penalty kick and amidst a considerable amount of jeers, booing, etc. 

Aston converted, seven minutes only having elapsed since the commencement of the game. 

Then right up to the time when Mr Walker blew his whistle for the temporary cessation of hostilities, the Rangers had distinctly the best of the game, McQueen, Freeman and Wheldon especially putting in some fine work. 

During the second-half the Green and Whites had even more of the play and showed themselves by far the better-balanced team. 

The Railway Men unfortunately could not forget the penalty and at times gave exhibition of temper. Oakden was cautioned by the referee, and the game had to be stopped whilst the official reproved some of the spectators in the grandstand. 

Seventeen minutes of the second-half had elapsed when McQueen neatly passed Dibsdall and Downie, and seeing King in a favourable position most unselfishly passed to that player, who sent a grand shot into the top corner of the net, which gave Menham no chance to save. 

There was a cry of “offside”, but King certainly ran past McQueen when he took the pass and being behind the player when the ball was last played was on-side. 

The referee, after consulting both linesmen, gave a goal amidst great hooting from the local crowd.  

This referee raised a considerable amount of ill-feeling amongst the home eleven and fouls were frequent, but when a few minutes later Fred Wheldon secured, made a fine opening by drawing away the back, swerved round him, and taking accurate aim, put the ball in the net with a ripping shot, the locals gave up.  

This goal was scored in dead silence, although it was the best of the day. 

In the remaining stages of the game the Rangers maintained their superiority, and a shot from Seeley went in at a rattling pace but missed the mark by inches. 

Nothing further transpired and the Rangers left the enclosure with their first two points in away league matches. 

The spectators then closed round the referee, hooting and booing. Collins went to guard him and received a nasty kick upon the thigh for his pains from the crowd. 

I am glad I have never had to chronicle such a disgraceful scene after a match at Latimer Road.  

Bowman also had a vicious kick during the match and had to leave the ground for a short time, the force of it may be gauged when I state that it cut right through his shin guards! 

The directors are to be congratulated upon the re-arrangement of the forward and half-back line; they play a much more effective game, and I feel convinced they have at last dropped upon a combination, upon which they may place full reliance.  

The news of the success of the team had preceded them and when they arrived at Paddington they were met by a small crowd of enthusiastic supporters and a number of directors, who were quite jubilant at the attainment of the long-awaited success.  

The team was in charge of Mr Eagle, and the only other person who accompanied the team was your humble servant, who was happy to chronicle the first away success by such a decisive margin as 3 to nil.’ 

This win was followed a week later by a 3-2 victory over Brentford at St. Quintin Avenue/Latimer Road. 

Steve Russell 

(Thanks to Colin Woodley for unearthing the match report)