Top 50 QPR Players of All Time Podcast - Part 5 : 10-1

@judethespringbok — I don’t even have Les in my all time XI which is more down to style (how I like teams to play) than anything else. I don’t doubt his ability whatsoever, but I do have reservations over whether the 90s team is as good as it is lauded as being. And on the England point, he was more of a regular than Ian Wright, and yes I’d have him as a backup to Alan Shearer; but of players of that era I actually prefer Robbie Fowler and Andy Cole. Again just preference of style, I’m not a huge Shearer fan if truth be told either.
On Marsh, yeah he’s top of my list comfortably. Bowles came 2nd because I see him as a continuation of Marsh, and part of the lineage of history Marsh set as I mentioned in my previous comment. I had Thomas 3rd, Francis 4th, Taarabt 5th, Clement 6th, Parkes 7th, Les 8th, Wilkins 9th and McDonald 10th. And as I’ve said elsewhere Eze wasn’t in my 50. The top four were miles ahead of everyone else in my head and I had them nailed on in that order from the outset. It was just a matter of who finished elsewhere.
I grew up in a house with a man who’s boyhood hero was Marsh but it wasn’t rammed down my throat. It was more just known. If anything he had better stories about Bowles and Thomas and that team of ‘75 then he did of going to the Final in ‘67. But I read that Marsh book when I was younger, dug around online as a kid, and I’m have thought long and hard in my head about the history of this club — that isn’t saying others haven’t just in case that’s how that’s interpreted 😅😬

@northwesthoop I never said you were wrong. I never said we aren’t allowed opinions. I just asked a question on both, and then offered an alternate angle on Marsh. Please don’t mistake my curiosity and questions over reasoning/what your opinions are with me denouncing your right to opinion; we might disagree on things but I will never say you’re wrong to have an opinion. I asked the questions because I’m interested, not because I’m trying to shout you down. I’m pursuing debate.

I’m interested in stoatey your take on Marsh, I find it intriguing — has it changed over time as was it was always slightly ambivalent towards him? As a kid was he your hero or were you more a Morgan, Lazarus or Keith Sanderson (who I did have in the 50) man?

Marsh did finish higher than I expected him to based on what I’ve seen on here. And I do feel he is an incident of some supporters not separating the art from the artist. I feel similar about Taarabt, a lot of fans don’t regard him as one of the best on the basis it was one season, but The Sex Pistols only ever made one album and are yet of the greatest British bands of all time 🤷‍♂️ If it is indeed opinions of the man, then I’d be interested if Southampton fans did a similar pole to this whether Le Tissier still comes out on top in light of everything that’s gone on with him.

We all base things on different criteria, that’s why these polls are intriguing and controversial. It’s why they are fun. I just worry people will get airbrushed from our history. Dave Clement has been airbrushed from football history completely, Marsh will be soon. It’s why I want/hope to write a series of books on players from each decade so future gens always have a reference point to refer back to. Because look at our 50; no Lazarus, no Morgan’s. It’s inevitable
I know, but it doesn’t stop making it sad. It’s why I like chatting to people in their 60s, 70s and beyond, because they’ve seen them all. My mates Grandad saw the Busby Babes play and the Hungary team of the 50s as a kid, and I could sit and listen to his football stories forever. Ghost mentioned Reg Allen in the previous episode and those names are lost to history; think George Goddard too. And as football clubs are the last things in this country that feel like ours, their history should be preserved and protected.

The QPR club vote for the legends around the ground ended up with this top 10 (the vote excluded Stan Bowles)

Gerry Francis
Alan McDonald
Rodney Marsh
Les Ferdinand
Adel Taarabt
Kevin Gallen
Dave Thomas
Phil Parkes
Ray Wilkins
Clint Hill

7 of those 10 were in our top 10 last year so it shows we did a good job of the voting

Im glad to see Kevin Gallen and Clint Hill included - they missed out on the Hoops & Dreams Top 10

Every good team needs an inspirational leader and it's no surprise to see the likes of Gerry Francis, Alan McDonald, Ray Wilkins and Clint Hill included in this list of top 10 players.