Historical Football Kits

 

Queen's Park Rangers

Formed 1882

Founder member of Division Three 1920

Kit History

1886 a

1892 a

1897 a

1901-1902 a

1904-1905 a

1905-1915 a

1920-1927 a

1927-1928

1932-1933 a

1936-1937 a

1938-1939 a

1946-1948 a

Nov 1948-49 a g

1949-1950 a

1950-1953 a

1953-1954 a

1955-1959 b

1960-1961 a

1961-1962 f

1962-1963

1963-1974 a

Admiral

1974-75 early c k

1974-75 late d

August 1975 c k

Umbro

Nov 1975-76 c

Umbro

1975-76 late k

Adidas

1976-1977 k

Adidas

1977-1978 c k

Adidas

1978-1980 c

Adidas

1980-1983 a k

Adidas

1983-1985 a i

Adidas

1985-1986 a

Adidas

1986-1987 a

Adidas

1987-1989 d f

Influence

1989-1990 a i

Influence

Aug-Dec 1990 a i

Brooks

Jan 1991-1992 a h i

Clubhouse

1992-1993 a h i l

Clubhouse

1993-1994 c

Clubhouse

1994-1995 c

View From

1995-1996 c

View From

1996-1997 c

Le Coq Sportif

1997-1999 a

Le Coq Sportif

1999-2000 c

Le Coq Sportif

2000-2001 c

Le Coq Sportif

2001-2002 c

Le Coq Sportif

2002-2003 c

Le Coq Sportif

2003-2005 c

Le Coq Sportif

2005-2006 e

Le Coq Sportif

2006-2007 e

Le Coq Sportif

2007-2008 e j

 

Background

In 1882 a group of former pupils from Droop Street School formed themselves into a football team named St Jude’s FC after the Institute where they had their headquarters. In 1886 the club merged with Christchurch Rangers and adopted the name of Queen’s Park Rangers, after the Queen’s Park district where most of the members lived.

In 1892 QPR adopted green and white hoops and entered the West London League. In 1894-95 they won the London Cup and entered the FA Cup for the first time. Faced with their top players being poached by other clubs, Rangers decided to turn professional in December 1898 and the following season they were admitted to the Southern League. In 1908 they won the Southern League championship and, in anticipation of being elected to Division Two of the Football League, they resigned. When Tottenham Hotspur were elected instead, Rangers had to go cap in hand to be readmitted. Although they were successful, they had to play all their games in midweek as the fixture list had already been drawn up.

In 1919, having played on no fewer than eleven grounds, Rangers took over the Loftus Road stadium of Shepherds Bush FC and this has remained their home ever since. The following season, Rangers joined the Football League when the old Southern League Division One was incorporated as Division Three. Having finished bottom twice and survived two re-election campaigns (1924 and 1926), a new manager was brought in and the broad blue and white hooped shirts that have become firmly associated with the club were adopted. In 1931 the club moved to the White City but this proved a financial disaster and a year later they were back at Loftus Road.

Success finally arrived in 1948 when Rangers were promoted as champions of Division Three (South). With rationing still in force, the club appealed to fans to donate coupons to replace their kit and in 1948-49 they played in blue shirts with white sleeves as a result. Hoops were restored in 1949-50 but after Rangers were relegated in 1952, they were dropped in favour of plain white shirts. The hoops were reinstated in 1960.

The 1966-67 season was the club’s most successful season to date. They not only won the Third Division championship, but also the League Cup beating West Bromwich Albion 3-2 after trailing 0-2 at half-time. In 1968 they were promoted to Division One but were relegated at the end of the season. In 1973 they were promoted back to the top flight and three years later they finished as runners-up in Division One to qualify for Europe for the first time. 1979 brought relegation once again.

In 1981 Rangers became the first English club to install an artificial playing surface. Having reached the FA Cup final in 1982, they won the Second Division in 1983 but the plastic pitch proved deeply unpopular with visiting sides and in 1988 it was replaced with turf.

In 1996 the club was relegated from what was now the Premier League and at the end of the season Chris Wright, the club’s chairman and owner of Chrysalis Records took a controlling interest in the club. After buying Wasps RUFC and relocating them to Loftus Road, Wright restructured the two clubs under the banner of Loftus Road plc and floated the new company on the stock exchange, realising £12m. On the pitch, however, results were poor and the club was relegated to Nationwide Division Two (the old Third Division) in 2001.

In 2004, Rangers returned to Nationwide Division One (now The Championship).

Sources