Queens Park Rangers v Manchester City 1974/75

 

City Corrigan, Donachie, Oakes, Doyle, Booth, Hartford, Summerbee, Bell, Marsh, Royle, Tueart – sub Pardoe(unused)

QPR Parkes, Shanks, Gillard, Masson, McLintock, Webb, Thomas, Francis, Busby, Bowles, Rogers – sub Beck

A very entertaining but very physical game at Loftus Road was marred by a violent episode as City’s coach to Euston station left after the match.
The match itself was won by Rangers with two goals from veteran Don Rogers, but there was a period in the first half that could have spoilt the game.
Norman Giller in the Sunday Mirror wrote “The game was poisoned midway through a goalless first half by an infectious outbreak of wild temper.
Referee Yates booked City forwards Marsh and Bell and Rangers’ defender Webb during a boiling mad eleven minute spell.”
The worst was to come after the game with most of the City players on the coach ready for the journey back to Manchester. The Sunday People reported it: “A police spokesman said a fan was making signals at the City coach indicating the score, 2-0. Doyle leapt out of the emergency door and blows were exchanged. Summerbee came out to to halt the fracas.
An eyewitness, John Baker, from South East London said: City goalkeeper Joe Corrigan was jumped on by two youths. I’m sure Doyle came out of the coach simply to protect his team-mate.
I didn’t see Doyle actually hit anyone, he simply pushed the lads off Corrigan. Summerbee came out to stop any trouble.
City midfield player Asa Hartford was left stranded in the QPR lobby as the coach sped off. He was driven to Euston where the City team caught a train home.
A 20 year old QPR fan was later interviewed by police.”