QPR (2) – Stoke City (0) – ‘It was Stan, in one of those Vintage Flashes when Instinct, Speed & Skill are Fused Together to Produce Sheer Magic’ 

Football League Division One 

Team: Parkes, Clement, Gillard, Hollins, McLintock, Webb, Thomas Kelly, Masson, Bowles, Givens 

Sub: Nutt 

Attendance: 21,621 

On 25th September 1976, Stoke City travelled to Loftus Road. James Mossop’s report appeared in the Sunday Express the following day: 

‘One sparkle of bewitching talent from that pale, waspish character, Stan Bowles, ignited a fire in the hearts of everyone at Loftus Road. 

And in that minute, the ninth, Rangers had the match won. “A brilliant goal, a tremendous goal,” chorused managers Dave Sexton and Tony Waddington afterwards as they dwelt upon something unforgettable. 

It was Stan, in one of those vintage flashes when instinct, speed and skill are fused together to produce sheer magic, who made it a pointless weekend for Stoke. 

Drawing the ball to his feet just outside the penalty area, he gave a shimmy that had Mike Pejic and Geoff Salmons lurching the wrong way as he darted between them. 

Alan Bloor and keeper Peter Shilton stood barring the way. No problem…he sped past Bloor as though he was a tailor’s dummy, and Shilton could only look over his shoulder to find the ball at rest in the net. 

Stan was ecstatic. After all, it is not many seasons since he was at Crewe Alexandra, the poor Fourth Division neighbours, along the road from Stoke, reclaiming his career.  

Now he was able to taunt Stoke with the sort of goal that wins World Cups for some of the more advanced soccer nations. 

He was also overshadowing several other international candidates, notably Alan Hudson who found himself labouring in the heavy, humid atmosphere. He wanted to put on a show in his native London but found it desperately hard work. 

Stoke were going for goals right until Don Givens rammed in Rangers’ 79th minute second at the end of a run. John Hollins provided the immaculate pass that enabled Givens to underline his qualities as a clear-cut, single-minded finisher.  

Until that moment, Rangers were hanging on to their lead as Stoke desperately chased the equaliser.  

When Waddington gave his reasons for Stoke’s inability to draw level, he praised the talents of Rangers’ central defenders, Dave Webb and Frank McLintock.  

But even they, as keeper Phil Parkes, could only stand and stare in the 6th minute as Jimmy Greenhoff hit a dipping, bending, swerving 25-yarder that crashed down into play off the underside of the bar. Parkes recovered well from that fright. 

He saved bravely from Stoke’s on-loan player, John Tudor, dashing from his line when an imaginative flick from Greenhoff became an elegant invitation to score. 

Goalkeeping excellence from Shilton, too. He had Givens, Thomas and Bowles all shaking their heads before Givens scored.  

Two players were booked – Terry Conroy when he threw the ball away in an act of dissent and Dave Thomas for not standing ten yards away at a Stoke free kick. 

Some Stoke hearts were visibly sagging as Thomas, Givens and Bowles took pot shots at Shilton in a jolly last few minutes, as they celebrated a handsome lift-up the First Division table.’ 

The following week Rangers went down 2-3 at Highbury. 

Steve Russell